Flashback: IndyCar Series Wraps Up Two-Day Test At Daytona
Seventeen IndyCar Series teams have been navigating the twists and turns of the 2.72-mile road course at the "The World Center of Racing" for the last two days as they prepare for the five road/street course events on the 2007 IndyCar Series schedule.
Even though the IndyCar Series doesn't hold a race at Daytona International Speedway, drivers say they can pull information from the course and utilize it in their future setups.
"Can we learn anything? Yeah, we can," said Andretti Green Racing's Dario Franchitti. "In a perfect world, we would go run down the streets of St. Pete or up at Mid-Ohio just now. I think that's under snow so that could be a problem.
"But we sort of look at a corner and say yeah, this is similar to this type of corner. We try to get a general amount of information first of all and then try to get a specific corner to corner."
On Wednesday, Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves was fastest in both sessions. In the two-hour morning session, he posted a speed 134.852 mph. In the afternoon session, which was shortened by rain shortly before 3 p.m., Castroneves turned the fast lap of 135.335.
Overall, Andretti Green Racing's Tony Kanaan had the fastest speed of the entire two-day session with a speed of 135.549.
"At the end of the day we were able to test quite well," Castroneves said. ¿We tried a lot of things that usually take a
long time. Both Sam (Hornish Jr.) and I were trying to discuss everything so it was a great and productive test for teammates."
Next up: Stock cars are up next on the docket at Daytona International Speedway.
The stock portion of Speedweeks 2007 will kick off with the Budweiser Shootout and ARCA 200 on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Tickets to all the exciting Speedweeks 2007 events at Daytona International Speedway are available online at www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
Morning Speeds:
1. Helio Castroneves, 134.852 mph
2. Sam Hornish Jr., 134.566
3. Dan Wheldon, 134.438
4. Tony Kanaan, 134.299
5. Scott Sharp, 133.456
6. Marco Andretti, 132.859
7. Dario Franchitti, 132.810
8. Vitor Meira, 132.726
9. Jeff Simmons, 132.669
10. Scott Dixon, 132.570
11. Darren Manning, 132.124
12. Kosuke Matsuura, 131.706
13. Tomas Scheckter, 131.706
14. Buddy Rice, 131.199
15. Ed Carpenter, 130.843
16. Danica Patrick, 130.221
17. AJ Foyt IV, 130.143
Afternoon speeds
1. Helio Castroneves, 135.335 mph
2. Tony Kanaan, 134.145
3. Scott Dixon, 134.120
4. Dan Wheldon, 134.086
5. Marco Andretti, 133.887
6. Sam Hornish Jr., 133.575
7. Dario Franchitti, 133.495
8. Jeff Simmons, 133.260
9. AJ Foyt IV, 132.821
10. Tomas Scheckter, 132.663
11. Kosuke Matsuura, 132.404
12. Vitor Meira, 132.284
13. Buddy Rice, 131.766
14. Danica Patrick, 131.645
15. Darren Manning, 130.624
16. Ed Carpenter, 130.593
Overall Speeds (counting all sessions, all days)
1. Tony Kanaan, 135.549
2. Helio Castroneves, 135.335
3. Dan Wheldon, 135.226
4. Dario Franchitti, 135.134
5. Sam Hornish Jr., 135.056
6. Scott Dixon, 134.438
7. Vitor Meira, 134.149
8. Marco Andretti, 133.887
9. Scott Sharp, 133.456
10. Jeff Simmons, 133.260
11. Kosuke Matsuura, 133.006
12. AJ Foyt IV, 132.821
13. Tomas Scheckter, 132.663
14. Darren Manning, 132.124
15. Buddy Rice, 131.766
16. Danica Patrick, 131.645
17. Ed Carpenter, 130.843