LEEDS, Alabama – When the Verizon IndyCar Series introduced Aero Kits for the 2015 season there was concern that the additional technology may turn one of the most competitive forms of racing on Earth into an aerodynamic exercise. That the close racing fans have become accustomed to would be spread out with some teams or one of the two manufacturers finding the advantage and exploiting it.

After Honda and Chevrolet spent millions of dollars designing and testing the Aero Kits the results of Monday’s first day of Open Testing at Barber Motorsports Park showed that an already close form of racing just got a little tighter.

The top 12 cars in the two combined test sessions on Monday were separated by less than 1 mile per hour. The top 19 cars of the 23 on the track were separated by less than 2 miles per hour. The top 12 cars were separated by less than a half-second and the top 19 cars were separated by less than a second.

This may only be a test but it shows the designers, engineers, teams and drivers have done their homework. For many teams, this was the second or third day of testing with the kits but it was the first time all teams were on the same track on the same day since the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway on August 30, 2014 – the last race of last season.

And the drivers and teams at the top of the timing list were the top teams and drivers in the series with three-time IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon the fastest overall with a lap at 1:07.4805 around the 17-turn, 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park in a Chevrolet. That equates to 122.702 miles per hour – the fastest of 60 laps. Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske was next as Chevrolet had the top five speeds of the session.

Pagenaud’s fast lap was 1:07.5329 followed by Team Penske teammates Will Power’s 1:07.5495, Juan Pablo Montoya’s 1:07.6266 and Helio Castroneves’ 1:07.7703. Power is the defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion, Montoya won the 1999 CART champion and 2000 Indianapolis 500 and Castroneves is a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner.

Defending Indianapolis 500 winner and 2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was the fastest Honda driver at 1:07.8494.

Hunter-Reay is one of the top athletes in the IndyCar paddock but admitted the past four days of testing has gotten physical.

“It’s been physically demanding,” said Hunter-Reay, who drives for Andretti Autosport. “There is a lot to do between now and St. Pete on March 29. It is more physical because when you add more downforce to the car it becomes more physical but you are carrying around more drag. The range we operate in a race between Chevrolet and Honda will be the next step but I think we’re up to it.

“I don’t think you will see guys pulling off with their arms falling off or anything.”

It’s been an impressive “Cram Session” for the IndyCar teams. They received the Aero Kits the first week of March and began testing last Friday, March 13 with some teams testing at Sebring International Raceway, others at Texas Motor Speedway and even more at NOLA Motorsports Park near New Orleans.

The next step was a trip to Alabama for the two-day Open Test that continues on Tuesday.

“We’ve still got plenty to test on Tuesday and try to find some extra things to come back and try for the race,” Dixon said. “Both cars look different and that is good for the series. Personally, I don’t care what they look like as long as they are fast.

“It’s been a significant change in drivability and the way you attack the car even though some of the grip was taken away from the car with the holes in the floor, the strakes and underwings being taken off. If those were still on we would be going seconds a lap faster. But so far it’s been seamless and that has made it easy to hit the ground fast.”

Ever since testing began on Friday it starts a very hectic and busy time for Dixon. After the New Orleans test followed by the two-day Open Test at Barber, Dixon heads to Sebring to compete for team owner Chip Ganassi in the 12 Hours of Sebring sports car race on Saturday. After that is two more days of IndyCar testing at Sebring followed by the season-opening race – the March 29 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

“I’m loving it,” Dixon said. “I haven’t been in this situation since my early days in CART when we tested 50 days a year. It’s a lot of fun and I’m very privileged to be with a team that has a lot of options to go and run. It’s a lot of seat time and I just hope I can help the IMSA team out this weekend in Sebring.”