“That looks like a tight fit,” 2012 AMA Motocross champion Ryan Dungey says as he slips into the cockpit of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car during a Feb. 28 tour of the Indianapolis race shop.

“Actually, the seat is really comfortable,” reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon assures the rider. “When you’re in the car during testing and (the crew) is making changes, you can dose off.”

Dungey, who enters the event March 1 in Indianapolis -- Round 9 of 18 on the schedule -- fourth in the AMA Supercross 450SX standings (the class in which he earned the championship as a rookie in 2010), imagines himself screaming down the frontstetch of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“It’s cool to see another side to a sport that you’ve watched all your life but haven’t gotten this close before,” said Dungey, who counts Target among his sponsors. “Just seeing over the years how much work and effort goes into racing – whether you’re a driver or rider and the team – I have a lot of appreciation for it. These guys work all year to be the best. You don’t know how much is behind it until you visit the shop.”

Team managing director Mike Hull joined Dixon in explaining the Dallara chassis’ construction and technology (more than 200 continuous data channels can be monitored).

“Racing dirt bikes is different, but when it comes down to it you have to perform and prepare with all the tools available to you,” Dungey said.

Dixon, who will next be in the No. 9 Chevrolet-powered car March 17-18 during the IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park, concurred.

“It’s probably the opposite ends of the racing spectrum, but there are so many similarities,” he said. “The training side and the competitiveness are similar, and whether you’re jumping over dirt hills or on a flat track it’s a race against time."

Castrol, The Collection Auto Group join Bryan Herta Autosport

The Collection Auto Group will join Castrol as an associate sponsor of the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport car for the 2014 IndyCar Series season.

As part of the partnership, Castrol will become the primary motor oil of The Collection Auto Group -- Ohio's largest dealership network of luxury vehicles. The Collection Auto Group logo will be on the car for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the 98th Indianapolis 500 and the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

"The Collection Auto Group's focus on speed and customer service blends perfectly with the speed and technology of IndyCar," team co-owner Bryan Herta said. "The CAG is a flagship partner under our new Castrol sponsorship, and I'm personally very pleased to welcome them to the team and sport."