DETROIT -- Kid Rock jumped into the passenger seat of the Chevrolet Camaro next to Helio Castroneves and was prepared for a wild ride on the 2.07-mile, 14-turn Belle Isle circuit.

The Detroit native and a vocal supporter of the return of the race weekend after a three-year absence didn't suggest popping in a CD of his music. "Fortunately, we listened to the engine of the Chevy," Castroneves joked.

Multiple area professional athletes and entertainers took in some of the on-track action and toured the IZOD IndyCar Series paddock -- Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, retired Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, Ronnie Dunn (the taller half of Brooks & Dunn) who entertained the large crowd in the Family Fun Zone with a pre-race concert. 

Rock also got a ride in an Indy Racing Experience two-seater with Mario Andretti as the driver.

At 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, Lions defensive lineman Ndamakong Suh had to settle for a pace car ride. The race grand marshal enjoyed the ride.

"Being down in the pits it's amazing how everyone has to work together," Suh said in drawing parallels to football. "The main focus is the driver getting around the track, but he has a lot of people taking care of everything about the car. It's similar to a football team where you have the head coach monitoring everything and making sure everything runs smoothly. He has assistant coaches who handle specific areas."

General Motors North America president Mark Reuss was the honorary pace car driver.

Ruess led the 25-car field to the green flag in a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible. In a deal with INDYCAR, Chevrolet also will provide a fleet of safety cars and parade vehicles at the Texas, Iowa, Baltimore and Fontana events.

Bernard meets with team owners; Charlotte among top markets

INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard met with IZOD IndyCar Series team owners this weekend as part of the regularly scheduled meetings during the season. A few hours before the race, he addressed media reports of unnamed team owners seeking his removal.

"I have addressed issues this week and I'm moving on," said Bernard, who's in his third year with the sanctioning body. "I answer to the (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation) Board of Directors and I am confident that they support me. We had a very productive meeting with the team owners.

"We're making significant strides in a lot of areas."

Bernard pointed to the 8 percent ratings increase over 2011 for the May 27 Indianapolis 500 on ABC. The national rating for the four-hour race window was 4.34 -- the highest since 2008 -- with Indianapolis, Louisville (Ky.), Dayton (Ohio), Fort Myers (Fla.) and Charlotte (N.C.) the top five markets. 

"To see an 8 percent increase speaks volumes of the new car, the engines and the credibility of our drivers. Things are really looking up for INDYCAR right now," he said.

Nine Firestone Indy Lights drivers to test at Milwaukee

Eight of the top nine drivers in the Firestone Indy Lights championship standings are scheduled to test June 6 at the Milwaukee Mile in advance of the June 15 race at the track that is part of the Milwaukee IndyFest.

All four Sam Schmidt Motorsports drivers will participate, including championship points front-runner Esteban Guerrieri, who leads teammate Tristan Vautier by 15 points, Oliver Webb and Victor Carbone.

They'll be joined by Team Moore Racing's Gustavo Yacaman, the Belle Isle race winner, and David Ostella; Team AFS driver Sebastian Saavedra; Andretti Autosports' Carlos Munoz; and Juan Pablo Garcia of Jeffrey Mark Motorsport

Of note

Rubens Barrichello incurred a penalty for swtching to his backup car after qualifications June 2. He qualified 20th, started for spots lower and retired after 14 laps. ... Event chairman Bud Denker said the grandstands were sold out for the IZOD IndyCar Series race. ... The Four Tops performed the American national anthem. ... Mary Barra, GM's senior vice president of Global Product Development, was the honorary starter.