Longtime Indy car engineer Iain Watt has joined KV Racing Technology and will work with Mario Moraes and the No. 32 crew this weekend. He had most recently been crew chief for Robby Gordon's NASCAR Sprint Cup team.

"I'm looking forward to working with a new team and driver, though I've known (team co-owner) Jimmy (Vasser) for years," Watt said. "I liked what I saw of the team when I was at St. Petersburg, and it's a good opportunity to work with old friends again.

"The cars I've been working with the last few years are so different than these. I can see the evolution of changes, but I don't expect anything too surprising. An open-wheel car is an open-wheel car."

Moraes, 21, who didn't participate in the Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park in February, last week had minor surgery in Brazil to remove a cyst from his ear canal.

"I needed to take last weekend to chill a little bit, but I'm OK," Moraes said. "I could work a little in the gym the past few days and feel ready for the weekend."