. INDYCAR Conference Call with Scott Dixon2. Track record could fall at Barber

3. Two updates to the rulebook4. Of note1. Earlier today, IZOD IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to discuss the start of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series and preview the April 7 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Selected comments from the call are below.  Q. How important was it to the No. 9 team to get off to such a strong start and maintain that momentum heading into Barber?SCOTT DIXON: It's always important. I think every race pays the same amount of points, so you've got to be in to win and, obviously, our weekend didn't start as planned and qualifying was as bad. I think we initially got into a bit of a tailspin just with some setup things, and it didn't really right itself. The car, the pace and the race was pretty decent. I think we probably could have fought for another couple of spots. We had a wastegate problem toward the end; that's why we lost so much power on the straights, allowing Marco (Andretti) and T.K. (Tony Kanaan) to get back by.I guess it was the best we could have hoped for out of the weekend considering how badly it started. But definitely looking for big improvement for this weekend, and I don't think some of our setup issues will sort of worry us as much at Barber.

Generally not too bad. I think we've had some pretty bad starts before at St. Pete. To come away with fifth-place points isn't great but better than a lot of other scenarios we've been in there.Q. You have three second-place finishes at Barber Motorsports Park. We had an Open Test there not too long ago, so you saw a lot of pace from a lot of the field. What do you think it'll take to get you onto to the top step of the podium this weekend?

SCOTT DIXON: I don't know what's more unfortunate, finishing second there every year or finishing second to Penske.I think last year we had our best shot at probably winning it. We had a bit of a fumble on strategy call. I think I got caught up in some lap traffic. (Will) Power was able to pit the lap before with clean air and obviously they jumped us in the pit stop exchange there.

Looking forward to it. It's a track that I think a lot of teams get a fair bit of testing so the competition even as we saw at the open test was very close and very tight. So I guess we hope to practice well, qualify well and get some valuable points.

But obviously trying to win there I think would be much more pleasing than the last sort of three years of finishing second.Q. You touched on it a minute ago with the three runner‑up finishes at Barber. Does that fall into one of those good news/bad news things for you? The good news that you have run that well, bad news you just haven't been able to get to first?

SCOTT DIXON: I think each scenario has been kind of different. I think the first two years ‑‑ well, last year we qualified fairly well, I think, second or third. Some years you've come a little deeper in the pack. That's why second was a great result. I think last year was probably more the disappointing side in the fact that we led a lot of laps, the car was fast. I think on the last sort of 15 laps I think Will and myself sort of split from the field and I finished second. Both our cars were definitely capable of winning the race. It just kind of depended who fell out of the pit stop exchange ahead, and that's kind of how it played out.I guess we're in the game to win. We go every weekend to win the race, and that's even if you've had a bad start to the weekend like we did last weekend. It's a good news/bad news. Second place is fantastic, and if you had an average of that throughout the whole season, you'd be looking fantastic.

Obviously we would love to win at Barber. It's a fantastic facility and a great track and a great crowd. To get on the top spot of the podium would always be the ultimate goal.2. Track record could fall at Barber: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver James Jakes doesn't know what lap time will secure the Verizon P1 Award for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 6, but the Englishman knows "it will be competitive."The track record could be shattered this weekend if the mid-March Open Test on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn Barber Motorsports Park road course  is any indictation.Will Power topped the time chart in the Chevrolet-powered No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.1329 seconds. That was more than 3 seconds quicker than the 2012 pole-winning time of teammate Helio Castroneves and 2.7 seconds quicker than Power's track record in Round 1 of qualifying.Recent surface grinding combined with a new compound for the Firestone primary tires developed for the track and cool temperatures helping the turbo-charged engines were contributing factors. But none of the 28 car-driver combinations during the two days were using the Firestone alternate tires, which trade grip/speed for shorter life.Alternate tire use and weather conditions (forecast is for temps in the low 70s; about 15 degrees warmer than the Open Test) are among the variables Jakes said could affect record-challenging lap times. "I think the closeness of the field and the fact that Firestone slightly adjusting the tire compounds will make the racing even more exciting," said Jakes, who will drive the Honda-powered No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts car in his third start at Barber. "No one knows what they have to work with at the moment and it will take a few races to determine that -- especially switching back and forth from street and road course."Once we get a bit further into the season, people will have a better idea but as of now there is a little bit of uncertainty especially towards the tire compound and that should keep things interesting."Added Firestone Racing executive director Al Speyer: "We can't wait to see what kinds of speeds are achieved when those red-sidewall Firehawk alternates get their turn."IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying record at Barber Motorsports Park:

1 minute, 9.8529 seconds - Will Power, Team Penske, Segment 1 of 2012IZOD IndyCar Series pole sitters at Barber Motorsports Park:

2012 - Helio Castroneves, Team Penske (1:10.4768)2011 - Will Power, Team Penske (1:11.4546)2010 - Will Power, Team Penske (1:10.1356)3. Two updates to the rulebook: INDYCAR officials have updated two sections of the IZOD IndyCar Series rulebook: In the event of a restart with 10 laps or less remaining, all lapped cars will be moved to the rear of the field. (7.6.1.2) In Session 1 of qualifications, Group 2 shall begin 5 minutes after the conclusion of Group 1 or as determined by INDYCAR. (8.4.2.1)4. Of note: Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Leo Thorsness is scheduled to appear as a guest speaker during Panther Racing's "Operation: Hire Our Guard" presentation at Barber Motorsports Park. Thorsness was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty for his actions over North Vietnam on April 19, 1967 Honda drivers Graham Rahal, Alex Tagliani, Tristan Vautier and Justin Wilson will visit the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama auto assembly plant in nearby Lincoln on April 4Panther Racing and Lincoln Technical Institute have extended their partnership through the season. Lincoln Tech has been associated with Panther Racing since 2006 and team managing partner John Barnes is a Lincoln Tech graduate and a member of the Lincoln Tech Hall of Fame.***The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Honda Indy Grand Prix Alabama on April 7 at Barber Motorsports Park. The race will be televised live at 3 p.m. (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211 and www.indycar.com. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Legacy Indy Lights 100 on April 7 at Barber Motorsport Park. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network at 2 p.m. (ET) on April 7, immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race broadcast.