First, here’s the weekend schedule: Practice on Saturday at 1:25 p.m. ET, and quals begin at 5:10 ET. VERSUS has its qualifying show at 6 p.m. on Saturday, and race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

While he knew this day could be coming, Will Power has gone from being in the second seat at Penske to basically a two-off deal at Long Beach and Indianapolis thanks to Helio Castroneves’ return to the series. Penske Performance President Tim Cindric was asked today about possibly running Power in additional races this season.

“You never say never. But sitting here right now that’s not the plan,“ Cindric said. “We’re not planning to do that sitting here right now. But at the end of the day on Monday, with us, you never know. But right now I’ve said to Will and the rest of the team that that’s not our plan as we sit here today. But they all know us well enough to know that it’s always subject to change.“

At the very least, Power will have the opportunity to prove himself to the organization during the month of May at Indianapolis. And of course, a good showing during month won’t be forgotten by Penske (or by others looking to fill seats). Power, by the way, topped the field in Friday’s Long Beach practice times.

Other selected quotes from today’s Penske Racing press conference at Long Beach:

Ryan Briscoe: “It’s very exciting news for all of us here. And Helio especially. I look forward to having him back, working with him. We really built a strong relationship last year. So really excited to continue that going forward. And as far as it goes for Will (Power), he’s sort of in similar shoes as I was a couple years ago and got the opportunity with Penske Racing to run the Indy 500. And it’s just a huge opportunity for him. He’s done a great job for us so far this year.“

Will Power: “I mean, I knew the situation very well. And none of this is a surprise to me. So that’s the Penske way. They always keep you well informed and you know what’s coming. So I really appreciate the way it’s all played out.“

Tracy to run at Indy: While the idea that Paul Tracy will run a car for KV Racing at the Indianapolis 500 wasn’t exactly new, it did become official on Friday. If you’ve followed racing long enough, you know it’s never official until it’s, well, official. Tracy will be in the #15 car, and will team with the #5 of Mario Moraes thanks to sponsorship from GEICO. This year will be Tracy’s sixth 500, and his first since his disputed ‘02 race where he was declared to have finished in second place behind Helio Castroneves.

Said KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser in a press release: “I think I can speak for everyone at KVRT when I say that running Paul Tracy at the Indy 500 is very exciting….Even though Paul hasn’t been in an open-wheel car much the last year, having raced against him and knowing his ability, I am sure he will get up to speed immediately.“

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. We’ll check back in early next week.

Before checking out for a weekend of hockey and racing, here’s a quick recap of the day in IndyCar