IndyCar Test at Barber Motorsports Park

[DanicaFan]

Well, as most of you know, the IndyCar Series tested at Barber Motorsports Park this week in Alabama. It was very cold down there. It was so cold that FAZZT Racing with Alex Tagliani opted out of the tests. Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon is at Sebring this weeknd for testing. He did not participate in the Barber tests, however, Dan was at media day there.

[DanicaFan]

Practice Session 2 Results..

Rank / Car # & Driver / Lap Time / Speed / Best Lap / Total Laps

1. #6 Ryan Briscoe / 01:10.5052 / 117.438 / 19 / 52
2. #3 Helio Castroneves / 01:10.7146 / 117.090 / 11 / 40
3. #22 Justin Wilson / 01:10.7397 / 117.049 / 26 / 32
4. #12 Will Power / 01:10.7637 / 117.009 / 14 / 30
5. #9 Scott Dixon / 01:10.8927 / 116.796 / 23 / 42
6. #8 EJ Viso / 01:10.9186 / 116.754 / 57 / 58
7. #5 Takuma Sato / 01:11.1138 / 116.433 / 15 / 48
8. #11 Tony Kanaan / 01:11.1433 / 116.385 / 32 / 45
9. #10 Dario Franchitti / 01:11.1825 / 116.321 / 29 / 30
10. #06 Hideki Mutoh / 01:11.2212 / 116.258 / 28 / 47
11. #26 Marco Andretti / 01:11.3557 / 116.038 / 19 / 42
12. #34 Mario Romancini / 01:11.4567 / 115.874 / 21 / 51
13. #32 James Rossiter / 01:11.7759 / 115.359 / 28 / 38
14. #14 Vitor Meira / 01:11.9171 / 115.133 / 30 / 48
15. #2 Raphael Matos / 01:11.9924 / 115.012 / 20 / 26
16. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / 01:12.1369 / 114.782 / 31 / 37
17. #24 Mike Conway / 01:12.1963 / 114.687 / 17 / 34
18. #7 Danica Patrick / 01:12.5369 / 114.149 / 32 / 36
19. #78 Simona de Silvestro / 01:12.8124 / 113.717 / 36 / 47
20. #67 Sarah Fisher / 01:16.0138 / 108.928 / 13 / 44

[DanicaFan]

Dario had a crash in turn 12 after running only a couple laps so that is why he finishes so low on the chart. Im sure he would of been in the top 10.

Here are the results of the 3rd practice session..

Rank / Car# & Driver / Lap Time / Speed / Best Lap / Total Laps

1. #12 Will Power / 01:09.8724 / 118.502 / 43 / 54
2. #3 Helio Castroneves / 01:10.0084 / 118.272 / 36 / 56
3. #6 Ryan Briscoe / 01:10.0459 / 118.208 / 48 / 58
4. #9 Scott Dixon / 01:10.0594 / 118.185 / 47 / 60
5. #22 Justin Wilson / 01:10.0869 / 118.139 / 43 / 43
6. #5 Takuma Sato / 01:10.2070 / 117.937 / 45 / 71
7. #24 Mike Conway / 01:10.2497 / 117.865 / 23 / 35
8. #26 Marco Andretti / 01:10.3956 / 117.621 / 55 / 55
9. #06 Hideki Mutoh / 01:10.4451 / 117.538 / 22 / 48
10. #34 Mario Romancini / 01:10.5487 / 117.366 / 20 / 62
11. #32 James Rossiter / 01:10.5700 / 117.330 / 42 / 69
12. #11 Tony Kanaan / 01:10.6704 / 117.164 / 14 / 72
13. #14 Vitor Meira / 01:10.6963 / 117.121 / 32 / 60
14. #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay / 01:10.7123 / 117.094 / 45 / 52
15. #8 EJ Viso / 01:11.3140 / 116.106 / 5 / 18
16. #78 Simona de Silvestro / 01:11.3351 / 116.072 / 56 / 58
17. #7 Danica Patrick / 01:11.5112 / 115.786 / 17 / 58
18. #2 Raphael Matos / 01:11.5484 / 115.726 / 19 / 20
19. #10 Dario Franchitti / 01:12.9810 / 113.454 / 2 / 3
20. #67 Jay Howard / 01:14.1883 / 111.608 / 32 / 37

[JagtechOhio]

Patrick just gave a very candid interview with Dr. Punch on the Nascar Nationwide broadcast. Really good stuff.

Interesting to hear her talk about the IndyCar test: she said her Dallara had brake problems early on, and later had problems with rear grip.

I'm no drooling fan of hers, but I think she is a very capable race car driver...and will be better in IndyCar thanks to the stock car experience.

What I wonder about is AA. They often did not have competitively prepared cars last year. Marco dropping out if an oval race with his brakes locked up (Homestead) was particularly peculiar. They were pretty far off the pace at Barber.

Something needs to be sorted out at AA, and I don't think it's the driving talent.

[DanicaFan]

She stated she never had a good car during the whole testing there. They did gather some good data so we will just have to wait and see. I think Andretti Autosport will be just fine.

[gomick]

They will be fine - but they wont be a match for Penske or Ganassi...

[marcostraz]

Those are only test, and all considerations are always accompanied by a question mark...my considerations:

- I was really impressed by Sato's performance...I think that KV has a strong team with the acquisition of a engineer like Bill Pappas, but I'm a little skeptical about the drivers...I think that with Moraes they would have won a race, but with Viso and Sato will this be possibile?

- I was a little disappointed by Andretti Autosport...not so good, no improvement in two days...especially from a great road racers like Hunter-Reay...the good thing is that the fastest of the four was Marco Andretti;

-D&R: not only Wilson, but Conway too was very fast...he made some improvement in the last road races of 2009...maybe will he be a new outsider (on the road courses)?

- Romancini: really fast, immediately...the favourite for Rookie of the Year (pending decisions on Hildebrand's future)?

[madman16]

Great to see Power up the top. Hopefully no lasting effects from last years crash by the looks.

Good to see some other cars and teams up there too (DRR and Sato was impressive). Jury is still out on Sato though.

Atleast AA has the chrome nosecones to enstill that sense of pride

[gttouring]

With such a cold test was everyone on their game? Maybe there was some real experimenting going on...anyone read anything

[Alwaysfirst]

Originally Posted by marcostraz

Those are only test, and all considerations are always accompanied by a question mark...my considerations:

- I was really impressed by Sato's performance...I think that KV has a strong team with the acquisition of a engineer like Bill Pappas, but I'm a little skeptical about the drivers...I think that with Moraes they would have won a race, but with Viso and Sato will this be possibile?

- I was a little disappointed by Andretti Autosport...not so good, no improvement in two days...especially from a great road racers like Hunter-Reay...the good thing is that the fastest of the four was Marco Andretti;

-D&R: not only Wilson, but Conway too was very fast...he made some improvement in the last road races of 2009...maybe will he be a new outsider (on the road courses)?

- Romancini: really fast, immediately...the favourite for Rookie of the Year (pending decisions on Hildebrand's future)?

If KV have a car that can win Sato is far more likely to manage it IMO. His last year in F1 showed that he had calmed down a bit & was both fast & consistant. He's a serious talent. Ovals may take him a bit of time but I expect to see himm right up there on roads & streets. Don't forget he is the only driver ever to have won a national F3 title (British), Zandvoort & Macau in one year...as well as having a lot of F1 experience. A much better record than Moraes. I would like to see Moraes return though. He had improved a lot & was a real contender on the ovals by the end of last season.

[skells22]

is there any more tests planned or it is off to Brazil and thier 1st green Flag of this year?

[DanicaFan]

Originally Posted by skells22

is there any more tests planned or it is off to Brazil and thier 1st green Flag of this year?

Nope, the Barber test was it. Next time you see them in a car will be practice for the Brazil race. They start loading up equipment for Brazil March 3rd. They do have a test on May 4th at Kentucky Speedway though.

[marcostraz]

Originally Posted by Alwaysfirst

If KV have a car that can win Sato is far more likely to manage it IMO. His last year in F1 showed that he had calmed down a bit & was both fast & consistant. He's a serious talent. Ovals may take him a bit of time but I expect to see himm right up there on roads & streets. Don't forget he is the only driver ever to have won a national F3 title (British), Zandvoort & Macau in one year...as well as having a lot of F1 experience. A much better record than Moraes. I would like to see Moraes return though. He had improved a lot & was a real contender on the ovals by the end of last season.

Yes, I also think that Sato has a good background and a good experience in F1...but he's 33, and he is two years since he runs a race...maybe he is a little rusty (I don't know if the meaning of "rusty" is the same in italian and in english)...I think that first he will need a few races to get back to feel the right feeling of the race...

[Purist]

Yes, Sato is 33, but how old is Helio, or Dario, or Paul Tracy?

Being out of the cockpit for actual racing for a spell could take a bit of time to readjust, but I don't think it will be a major hurdle.

[JagtechOhio]

Sato has a great opportunity to be top six on road courses, just like he was in testing.

Agreed on Conway, his third at Infineon was a great drive (from 14th just after the start). And having Wilson as a team mate will result in better car setups for both this year.

Dismissing the indications from testing is flat wrong. As for the cold, that's an equal factor. Everyone will take a few shots at running a qualifying setup at some point during the sessions.

The best way to illustrate this point is HVM's previous private test at Sebring. Simona laid down some good laps, even though it was her first time in the car. Viso wouldn't stand for that, and flogged the car just so he could best her times by a few tenths. That's what racers do.

AA will not be running close to the front with any regularity. With KV and D&R's improvements, they will have a tough fight being "best in class" behind the top five. The P8 and P12 in testing is representative.

[marcostraz]

Originally Posted by Purist

Yes, Sato is 33, but how old is Helio, or Dario, or Paul Tracy?

Being out of the cockpit for actual racing for a spell could take a bit of time to readjust, but I don't think it will be a major hurdle.

Yes, but Helio, Dario and Tracy are...Helio, Dario and Tracy!!! Sato is a 33 years old rookie, with two years of inactivity...I think we should wait for him and he will give the best from the second group of road courses (from Watkins Glen)...I'm not saying that he will not be competitive...I'm saying we'll probably have to wait him some races...

[JagtechOhio]

It will take Sato a little period of adjustment, to find out how much he can wring out of the Dallara...but he's used to driving a much better performing race car, so that won't be a difficult task.

The difference will be learning how the people he is racing against are accustomed to running road courses. There is often only one line where IICS races... and drivers who do not yeild it, even when there are times when they rightfully should. Lots of following, too much banging.

[Also a Believer]

Could this year see an Aussie 1-2

[JagtechOhio]

Ryan Briscoe, Penske Racing.

This guy right here, this is a race car driver. Excellent road racer, and probably the Series' current best on an oval. Nobody has the ability or the stones to run high like Briscoe.

He was magic to watch dicing in traffic at Homestead 2009, where I took this photo. The sun had gone down on his championship hopes: a second place finish left him third in the season's point tally.

About two hours after the race had ended, still soaking wet, he had stopped by the Team Target garage to congratulate all the mechanics there. At evey point during the weekend, he shared that same personal attention to every fan who approached him.

Ryan Briscoe drives like a hero. I respect him even more for not acting like one.

[mz2k]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Ryan Briscoe, Penske Racing.

This guy right here, this is a race car driver. Excellent road racer, and probably the Series' current best on an oval. Nobody has the ability or the stones to run high like Briscoe.

He was magic to watch dicing in traffic at Homestead 2009, where I took this photo. The sun had gone down on his championship hopes: a second place finish left him third in the season's point tally.

Do you think he would be as "heroic" if drove for another team besides Penske or Ganassi?

[JagtechOhio]

Does he have a small but somewhat insurmountable advantage over every other driver outside of the top five? Yup. Briscoe and Ed Carpenter could have turned 1,000 laps side by side at Kentucky, and Carpenter never beats him.

I got it all wrong, he's just lucky to have a good ride. And he was probably stealing the wallet of the kid in that picture.

[instant classic]

nice to see Will Power on top i sure hope he will be up there fighting for wins every week now

[JagtechOhio]

Both Dixon and Franchitti are going to lose a lot of points to Power this year. He did a remarkable job with limited seat time, and could easily challenge for the 2010 championship.

I just hope that the Captain turns the boys loose. Holding Helio back last year at one particular road course spoiled what could have been a great dice between he and Briscoe.

[mz2k]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Does he have a small but somewhat insurmountable advantage over every other driver outside of the top five? Yup. Briscoe and Ed Carpenter could have turned 1,000 laps side by side at Kentucky, and Carpenter never beats him.

I got it all wrong, he's just lucky to have a good ride. And he was probably stealing the wallet of the kid in that picture.

Whoa there JagTech- any little comment seems to set you off these days.

My point was that having a Penske/Ganassi prepared car provides a driver with more than a small advantage- especially on ovals. Would he drive the same way in a car prepared by KV or Andretti Autosport?

IMO, Moraes showed (at times) some cahones on ovals. Sure, he crashed out but at least for a little while he made the race more than a Penske/Ganassi parade and gave the commentators something to talk about other than Danica Patrick.

I'm not questioning Briscoe's ability. He has tons and unless 2012 completely turns the field upside down, I expect him to win a championship or two. In fact, he's more proof that the proper training for formula car racing on ovals is through formula cars- not midgets/modifieds/sprints on dirt.

[Purist]

I think a certain four-time Indy winner from Texas might disagree with that last point.