-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
IndyCar
INDYCAR: Teams Complete Two-Day Sebring Test
SPEED.com checks in with some of the drivers who took part in the first major IndyCar test at Sebring with the Dallara DW12.
Ryan Briscoe had fun trying to keep Chevrolet's twin-turbo power under control coming off of Sebring's slow corners. (Paul Webb/LAT)
Sebring’s 1.8-mile, 10-turn short course hosted a strong selection of IZOD IndyCar Series entrants on Monday and Tuesday, with Chevrolet teams (Team Penske with Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, Andretti Autosport with Marco Andretti, Panther Racing with JR Hildebrand, KV Racing with Tony Kanaan and EJ Viso), Honda teams (Ganassi Racing with Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal, Sam Schmidt Motorsports with Simon Pagenaud) and the Lotus factory team with Simona de Silvestro all turning laps.
For many, it was the first opportunity to sample the Dallara DW12 chassis in road course trim, while for others the two-day test served as an opportunity to shakedown their new cars after months of being limited to manufacturer-based testing. Most teams also kept the running light on Monday, while better weather and more rubber on the track made for a busier day on Tuesday.
Between the Chevrolet and Honda camps, lap times fell in the 53-second range, with the Ganassi team reported to be near a best of 53.0 and the Penske team closer to a 53.5. Lotus continued to test the new Engine Developments Limited-built engine, but was not focused on posting fast lap times.
Directly comparing lap times at Sebring has always been a challenge due to the changing levels of grip, but most drivers reckoned the Dallara DW12, which has only just begun its chassis development in the hands of IndyCar teams, to be about one second behind the Dallara IR07 at this stage in similar conditions.
“The car is fun as hell to drive,” Ganassi’s Graham Rahal told SPEED.com. “It’s pretty wicked—it clearly has a lot of potential on road courses and has plenty of grip. For sure, the car will be quicker at Sebring. It’s a tough, bumpy place. The car has a lot of room to improve, and the track conditions weren’t ideal. Everyone is in the first stages of figuring the car out, so it’s not like we all know the cars and what makes them tick. That’s gonna take some time.”
Rahal quickly became a big fan of the car’s stopping and road holding capabilities.
“The initial thing that stood out to me was how good the brakes are,” he said of the system supplied by Brembo. “They have a serious amount of grip--by far the best braking system I’ve had on an Indy car. It took a few laps to get used to, but it was just a lot of fun once I got up to speed. In the mid-speed corners and up, the car also has a ton of downforce. That’s something you also feel right away.
"We’re close to the quickest I’ve ever gone in the old car already, and we haven’t done much running, so that says a lot about how much is left to come, I think.”
Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe logged about more than 100 laps at Sebring, and once some new-car issues were sorted, started pushing the pace.
“We ran very little on the first day,” he said. “We had some teething problems in my car—nothing major, mostly electronics stuff we’re getting used to. Some of that’s expected at this stage. It was a slow test to start off, but picked up after that. We had a good time running with our own car, and I had a productive day working with my new engineer.”
PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: Updated Sebring Test Photos, Week Of January 16th
For many, it was the first opportunity to sample the Dallara DW12 chassis in road course trim, while for others the two-day test served as an opportunity to shakedown their new cars after months of being limited to manufacturer-based testing. Most teams also kept the running light on Monday, while better weather and more rubber on the track made for a busier day on Tuesday.
Between the Chevrolet and Honda camps, lap times fell in the 53-second range, with the Ganassi team reported to be near a best of 53.0 and the Penske team closer to a 53.5. Lotus continued to test the new Engine Developments Limited-built engine, but was not focused on posting fast lap times.
Directly comparing lap times at Sebring has always been a challenge due to the changing levels of grip, but most drivers reckoned the Dallara DW12, which has only just begun its chassis development in the hands of IndyCar teams, to be about one second behind the Dallara IR07 at this stage in similar conditions.
“The car is fun as hell to drive,” Ganassi’s Graham Rahal told SPEED.com. “It’s pretty wicked—it clearly has a lot of potential on road courses and has plenty of grip. For sure, the car will be quicker at Sebring. It’s a tough, bumpy place. The car has a lot of room to improve, and the track conditions weren’t ideal. Everyone is in the first stages of figuring the car out, so it’s not like we all know the cars and what makes them tick. That’s gonna take some time.”
Rahal quickly became a big fan of the car’s stopping and road holding capabilities.
“The initial thing that stood out to me was how good the brakes are,” he said of the system supplied by Brembo. “They have a serious amount of grip--by far the best braking system I’ve had on an Indy car. It took a few laps to get used to, but it was just a lot of fun once I got up to speed. In the mid-speed corners and up, the car also has a ton of downforce. That’s something you also feel right away.
"We’re close to the quickest I’ve ever gone in the old car already, and we haven’t done much running, so that says a lot about how much is left to come, I think.”
Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe logged about more than 100 laps at Sebring, and once some new-car issues were sorted, started pushing the pace.
“We ran very little on the first day,” he said. “We had some teething problems in my car—nothing major, mostly electronics stuff we’re getting used to. Some of that’s expected at this stage. It was a slow test to start off, but picked up after that. We had a good time running with our own car, and I had a productive day working with my new engineer.”
PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: Updated Sebring Test Photos, Week Of January 16th
INDYCAR BRAZIL
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
V8: Nissan Coming To Grips With New Altima
John Dagys explores Nissan's new factory venture in V8 Supercars… -
V8: COTA Saturday Notebook
John Dagys explores some of the storylines from Saturday’s… -
V8: Whincup Sweeps Saturday's Rounds At COTA
Red Bull Racing goes 1-2 in opening rounds of V8 Supercars at Circuit… -
ELMS: TDS Oreca-Nissan Wins Imola
Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet claim victory in second round of European… -
INDYCAR: Ed Carpenter Scores Shock Indy 500 Pole At 228.782 MPH
Carpenter had the Brickyard in a state of rapture as he knocked off… -
V8: Coulthard, Whincup On Top In Qualifying At COTA
Brad Jones Racing and Red Bull Racing Australia end up on top for… -
PHOTOS: V8 Supercars COTA Gallery
UPDATED: View more than 90 photos from Austin as V8 Supercar drivers… - More News
