KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Dan Wheldon really is comfortable behind his car.

Just look at the Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series standings.

“It’d be better to be in first, but it’s very good to be in second and have a teammate up there with you,” said Wheldon, who trails his Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan by 15 points.

A year ago, the 26-year-old Emberton, England, native showed he was a rising star when he was named IRL’s Rookie of the Year. Now, he appears to have climbed among the IRL’s elite.

Wheldon has recorded two victories and three third-place finishes in six races this season — including winning last weekend’s SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. He hopes to continue that hot streak Sunday at the IRL’s Argent Mortgage Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway.

In a series that includes such racing stalwarts as Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves, Wheldon learned how to succeed during his rookie season.

“I think I underestimated what I needed from an experience standpoint to compete with those kind of people,” Wheldon said.

Not now. Franchitti is another of Wheldon’s teammates, as is the legendary Michael Andretti — the team owner who Wheldon said was willing to take him under his wing.

“He’s so enthusiastic, and completely involved,” Wheldon said. “He’s just an all-around good guy and gentleman. He’s driven these cars. If you say to a team owner who hasn’t driven these cars, ‘If you buy this it would really help’, they might not understand.

“But Michael does, and knows that one thing could make the difference.”

Perhaps the biggest improvement for Wheldon was car comfort. Late last season, Wheldon’s crew made “a fundamental set-up change” during a testing session in Phoenix.

Indy racing league driver Dan Wheldon speaks to members of the media. Wheldon, the reigning IRL Rookie of the Year, appeared Thursday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., during preparations for Sunday's Argent Mortgage Indy 300.

“We made a change, and it really made the car much more to my liking,” Wheldon said.

“I always felt like last year I was driving either a Tony (Kanaan) car or a Bryan (Herta) car, it was never Dan’s car. I had to kind of compromise my driving style. But we made the change in Phoenix, and it’s made all the difference since.”

• Hot topic: It’s Fourth of July weekend at the Kansas Speedway, and the hottest topic among NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers, as usual, was the weather.

Normally, the conversation would concern the heat. Thursday, people were talking about cooler temperatures and the possibility of rain.

“I think it makes for exciting racing,” points leader Dennis Setzer said. “You’ll probably see a lot more two-wide racing because the tires will feel better for the drivers.”

Columbia, Mo., native Carl Edwards said he wouldn’t mind higher temperatures.

“I like the heat,” said Edwards, who currently sits 131 points behind Setzer. “It’s the same track for everybody either way, but it seems like we excel when it’s hotter.”

Rookie driver David Reutimann has heard the stories of the spicy Kansas weather. But much like the unpredictable conditions of his native Florida, he said things could change before Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250.

“I heard if you don’t like it, stick around for a while, it’ll change,” Reutimann said.

• Giving back: IRL drivers Robbie Buhl and Felipe Giaffone and IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series points leader Thiago Medeiros visited the pediatric wing of Kansas University Medical Center as part of the Racing for Kids program.

About 25 children received hats, photographs, autographs and the opportunity to sit in the Team Purex show car.

• Special driver: Kelly Sutton doesn’t want to be considered special, but by becoming the first person with multiple sclerosis to race in a NASCAR series event, she is.

Sutton, known to her fans as “Girl,” said she tried every weekend to spread the message of hope to people suffering from MS.

“I’m living proof that if you do everything in your power to help yourself, no dream is out of reach, whatever your dream may be,” Sutton said.

• Today’s schedule: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series practice and qualify all day today at Kansas Speedway. Grandstand gates open at 8 a.m., with track activity starting at 9 a.m., Truck qualifying at 2 p.m. and IRL Menards at 3:30. For ticket information, call 1-800-PITSHOP or 913-328-RACE.