The strong performances of the Panoz G Force chassis continued on Saturday at the Kentucky Speedway as th💖ree of the five drivers using the Anglo-American built chassis qualified inside the top ten in the closest starting grid in series history.

Only .5367 of a second separated the entire 20-car field aro🏅und Kentucky's 1.5-mile tri-oval with Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon again leading the way for Panoz G Force in 2nd place ahead of Sunday's Belterra Casino Indy🎐 300.

The Kiwi was fastest in both practice sessions but was just beaten to pole by defending IRL champ Sam Hornish who used the new Cosworth-built Chevrolet engine to good e꧂ffect.

However, Panoz G Force had both the fastest Toyota (Dixon) and Honda (Greg Ray) ⛄powered drivers in qualifying as the outnumbered chassis once again proved to be very potent, if a little tricky to set-up.

Ray bounced back after waiving off his first qualifying attempt due to a deflating tyre. He returned at the end of qualifying to attempt the single lap run and finis꧃hed fifth fastest.

"Scott did a great job again, but Greg's performance to come back like that was very impressive," Panoz G Force Director of Sales, John Biddlecombe said. "The GF09 is always very strong on larger ovalsജ like this and I think we will certainly be challenging for the win tomorrow.

"Unfortunately Alex Barron and the Mo Nunn squad missed a little on gearing and are a bit further downꦇ that what they expected but this is a very close field - I am sure ꦓthey will be contenders tomorrow."

Tomas Sch🅘eckter qualified seventh for the second week in a row while Michi🌱gan winner, Barron, was 17th in the lone Mo Nunn Racing G Force. A.J. Foyt IV completed the Panoz G Force roster in 19th.

Ray's fifth place on the grid equals his best start of the 🍬season from Richmond earlier this year.

"On the first qual💮ifying attempt, we had a valve-stemဣ failure and had a tyre start to go down," Ray said.

"We normally expect the air 𝄹pressure to come up about 45 pounds, and when I came in, it was at 32 pounds. A huge problem. I was pretty lucky. I thank t🀅he big Lord upstairs because it was close to a crash.

"We came back in, threw a set of tyres on it, put fuel back in it, and we were pleased. I think we would have been quicker on the secoꦏnd lap, but all in all, we 🎉were happy with that."

Dix𒀰on is hoping to bounce back into the winner's circle after falling out with gearbox failure a🅺t Gateway last week.

"Not quite enough, I guess. I don't know. The car was pretty good," said Dixon. "I was surprised, actually, at the speed we had for that first lap. I was thinking we were g𒐪oing to be more around (2)18.8 or (2)18.5 (mph).

"We seemed to find a little more in the car. Team Target did a great job all weekend. I don't know where that Cosworth 🧜(Chevy) came from. It was pretty fast. I think the track conditions were pretty similar.

"Of course, it may have been a little hotter this afternoon. The track may have had a little more grip,𝓀 but most of the field stayed pretty close to their times, fairly close to what they did in the morning.

"We seem to have the speed this🍰 year, but St. Louis was going fairly well when, with 40 laps to go, the gearbox quit.

"You look at the races we didn't finish in, and we were leading. 🐻I think we will just keep doing the same thing we have been doing."