INDIANAPOLIS -- Rookie Dan Wheldon cranked out the fastest lap of the month when he drove the Andretti/Green Dallara/Honda to a hot lap of 232.202 mph Thursday. That knocked Tora Takagi's fast time of 232.007 mph off the top of the time sheet.

Wheldon also was the fastest driver Tuesday.

"That's not real," Wheldon said of his speed. "We definitely had a tow on that lap. I was running behind Scott Sharp when that lap actually came about. Again, it's really nothing to get excited about when you get one of these laps. I said last time my mum would kill me if she knew I was going 232 miles an hour again."

Danica's dream
At 21, Danica Patrick is so striking she appeared in a risque photo spread for the men's magazine FHM. But Patrick also is one of the most talented female race car drivers and competes for Rahal/Letterman Racing's Formula Atlantic team.

Patrick was in the pits at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, watching the team's IRL driver, Kenny Brack, prepare for pole qualifying Saturday. One day soon, she hopes to be in an Indy car at the Indianapolis 500.

"I think definitely this whole year is needed for me to be in Formula Atlantic," Patrick said. "Depending on how we do, the results and how often I'm up in the top three or top five all the time will determine whether I'm ready or not to do it. Confidence-wise, I could see where I'd be ready to give it a whirl about three-quarters through this season."

Patrick prefers a series that includes road and street course racing instead of the all-oval IRL IndyCar Series. But it is her goal to race in the Indy 500.

"I grew up being a road racer, so that is where my heart is, but Indianapolis is so prestigious, it's definitely the most attractive oval race of all," Patrick said. "If you can drive, you can drive. I could probably jump in one of these and be quick right away. But am I able to do all the development and jump in one of these cars and go 230 miles an hour? There's a lot more that goes into this."

Patrick's best Formula Atlantic finish is third at Monterrey, Mexico earlier this season.

Perhaps the most attention she received came from the FHM pictorial.

"I got a lot of feedback and a lot of it was positive," Patrick said. "Most of it was, `Hey, that's great.' There was some few and far between that said, `Hey, I've lost all respect for you.' But if Patrick Carpentier could run down the frontstretch naked after winning a race at Mid-Ohio, nobody said anything about that."

Could be in the field
The famed Johnny Lightning Special that Al Unser drove to victory in the Indianapolis 500 in 1970 and 1971 was to have taken a lap of honor Thursday with Unser behind the wheel. But it was taken back to Gasoline Alley.

The speculation led to the quip, "They are getting it ready for Bump Day."

Because there are only 26-28 car-driver combinations for the 33-car starting lineup, even a car that is 33 years could be considered a possibility to make the field.

The Infiniti Pro Series, the IRL's developmental league, will hold the Freedom 100 on May 17. There is no truth to the rumor that the top three finishers in that race willearn spots in the Indy 500 starting lineup.

Buzzless May
Despite the addition of the so-called "big-name teams" that have left CART to compete in the IRL and despite one of the deepest and most competitive lineups ever at the Indianapolis 500, the buzz seems to be missing so far this month.

The crowd was so small for Thursday's practice session that it looked like a private test.

One observer noted, "More fans have attacked the visiting team's first base coach at a Chicago White Sox game than there were at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday."

Nakano's deal
Japan's Shinji Nakano will drive the No. 54 Dallara/Honda for Beck Motorsports. The announcement was made Thursday.

"I've never driven this track," Nakano admitted. "It's a big track. It's amazing to me. I've lived here in Indy since 2000 but have never driven here. I was driving in CART, which is why I wasn't here. The Indianapolis 500, it's a dream for me. I'm just happy to be here."