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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Power Leads Sebring Test As Rookies Impress
Will Power led both days of testing at Sebring, but it was the speed of rookies Tristan Vautier and Conor Daly that people were talking about.
Team Penske's Will Power closed out the final test of 2012 with fastest lap honors going to Chevy. (Photo: IndyCar Series)
Team Penske's Will Power led both days of spirited testing at Sebring, but it was the impressive performances by rookies Tristan Vautier and Conor Daly that drew the most attention.
Wednesday's outing on the 1.6-mile Sebring short course was hampered by rain, but during the limited bouts of dry running, Power pushed his Chevy-powered Dallara DW12 to a best lap of 53.0 seconds, well clear of the 53.4 set by Honda-powered Simon Pagenaud in the Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry.
Meaningful running was reserved for Thursday, with favorable conditions allowing 15 drivers to set remarkably close times throughout the day.
Power held onto the top spot for the second day in a row, posting a 52.84-second tour during what he said was an incredibly relaxed two-day test.
“It was good, solid; we got through a lot of stuff and came away in good shape,” Power told SPEED.com. “It was nice to just get in and drive. It was very easy that way, and the Penske boys and Chevy were right on top of everything like they always are. Now we’ll get a little time off and then get back to it in January.”
News of Power leading a test session is nothing new or unexpected. It was Sam Schmidt Motorsports rookie Tristan Vautier, however, during his first day in an Indy car, that stunned the teams in attendance by running just .01 off of the Aussie, setting a 52.85 to claim P2.
“This was a fantastic test with Sam Schmidt and the entire team,” said the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights champion. “You never know what to expect in a new car, but I was really impressed with everything about it and everybody was happy with how fast we went. It was a great day for me personally, and I hope I can drive in the series next year."
Vautier headed a block of Honda cars which held P2 through P6. Barracuda Racing’s Alex Tagliani set P3 with a 52.91, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s Josef Newgarden turned a 52.93 to earn P4, while Dale Coyne Racing’s Justin Wilson and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon clocked identical 52.94-second laps to share P5/6.
INDYCAR: Vautier Shines In First IndyCar Outing
INDYCAR: Conor Daly Strong On Debut For Foyt
For Dixon, the chance to test one last time in 2012 came with a heavy workload to complete.
“We had some pretty big changes to try and a lot development stuff to work through; it went pretty well, except for when I went off at Turn 10 and hit the tires…” he said. “It bent the suspension, but overall, we learned a lot and have a lot of good information for the team to look through until we go testing again.”
Team Penske's Helio Castroneves (P7) was a fraction faster than KV Racing's Simona de Silvestro (P8), recording a 53.00 to the 53.01 set by the 'Swiss Miss.'
It also marked the second time de Silvestro lapped faster than teammate Tony Kanaan (P11) since joining KV in November. Oriol Servia placed Panther DRR ninth with a 53.02.
Wednesday's outing on the 1.6-mile Sebring short course was hampered by rain, but during the limited bouts of dry running, Power pushed his Chevy-powered Dallara DW12 to a best lap of 53.0 seconds, well clear of the 53.4 set by Honda-powered Simon Pagenaud in the Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry.
Meaningful running was reserved for Thursday, with favorable conditions allowing 15 drivers to set remarkably close times throughout the day.
Power held onto the top spot for the second day in a row, posting a 52.84-second tour during what he said was an incredibly relaxed two-day test.
“It was good, solid; we got through a lot of stuff and came away in good shape,” Power told SPEED.com. “It was nice to just get in and drive. It was very easy that way, and the Penske boys and Chevy were right on top of everything like they always are. Now we’ll get a little time off and then get back to it in January.”
News of Power leading a test session is nothing new or unexpected. It was Sam Schmidt Motorsports rookie Tristan Vautier, however, during his first day in an Indy car, that stunned the teams in attendance by running just .01 off of the Aussie, setting a 52.85 to claim P2.
“This was a fantastic test with Sam Schmidt and the entire team,” said the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights champion. “You never know what to expect in a new car, but I was really impressed with everything about it and everybody was happy with how fast we went. It was a great day for me personally, and I hope I can drive in the series next year."
Vautier headed a block of Honda cars which held P2 through P6. Barracuda Racing’s Alex Tagliani set P3 with a 52.91, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s Josef Newgarden turned a 52.93 to earn P4, while Dale Coyne Racing’s Justin Wilson and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon clocked identical 52.94-second laps to share P5/6.
INDYCAR: Vautier Shines In First IndyCar Outing
INDYCAR: Conor Daly Strong On Debut For Foyt
For Dixon, the chance to test one last time in 2012 came with a heavy workload to complete.
“We had some pretty big changes to try and a lot development stuff to work through; it went pretty well, except for when I went off at Turn 10 and hit the tires…” he said. “It bent the suspension, but overall, we learned a lot and have a lot of good information for the team to look through until we go testing again.”
Team Penske's Helio Castroneves (P7) was a fraction faster than KV Racing's Simona de Silvestro (P8), recording a 53.00 to the 53.01 set by the 'Swiss Miss.'
It also marked the second time de Silvestro lapped faster than teammate Tony Kanaan (P11) since joining KV in November. Oriol Servia placed Panther DRR ninth with a 53.02.
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