What about Spring Training???

[Dov]

Has anybody heard OWRS mention anything about "Spring Training" or future testing dates?? I have been going in circles for the past two days! I've gone from 10/10ths to Champweb and then to Crapwagon again and again from morning to night and I haven't heard one word regarding testing. What in the H.E. double hockey sticks is going on around here!?!?

[camcartfan]

At the preview, they had a Q&A session with Dominguez, Phillipe, Lavin and Jourdain. None of them have tested yet, except Phillipe. He said he tested a little bit, but nothing major. They didn't mention future testing either.

[spider]

Haven't heard anything, which is a bit farcical for what is meant to be a top-line series.

[Ac.]

I think that I read that Rusport had done over 600 miles of testing. I'll see if I can find the source.....

Dov reported this stat from the Rusport press conference. Thanks Dov.

[rahalteamdad]

The Rahal crew chief told me they were going to be testing in the next 2 weeks

[Muzza]

Fellows,

1.) Just to be picky: OWRS did not mention anything about Spring Training and will not do it because... OWRS is the holding that control Champ Car. OWRS will not, ever, make any annoucement of sportive or technical nature regarding the championship. These come from Champ Car.

2.) There will be no Spring Testing as we used to know it - at least not before the Long Beach Grand Prix. It is possible, though, that several teams decide to carry out sessions together in the five-week window between Long Beach.

3.) Considering that most teams are facing severe, very severe budget issues (more than most fans would like to believe), teams are keen to limit testing to the strictly minimum.

4.) Yes, A. J. Allmendinger ha stested for 5 days with RuSPORT champ car, with a total of 600 miles covered. RuSPORT is heading to Firebird, in Arizona, where they will conduct more tests;

5.) Rocketsports is also going to test at Firebird, as confirmed by Nelson Phillipe.

6.) Rahal has not yet decided where to go, but We know it won't be at Laguna Seca.

Cheers,


Muzza

[Dov]

Taken from CW:

Testing Update

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just came back from Firebird. Atlantics testing today.
RuSport and Rocketsports parked outside the gate. Spoke with team guy who says both teams testing Thursday.

[Mags]

Originally posted by camcartfan
At the preview, they had a Q&A session with Dominguez, Phillipe, Lavin and Jourdain. None of them have tested yet, except Phillipe. He said he tested a little bit, but nothing major. They didn't mention future testing either.

This will sound unprofessional of me, but I will find it very difficult to take any pictures of Lavin in Patrick's car.

[BootsOntheSide]

If Long Beach is postponed in OWRs's desperate attempt to fill the grid, it will be mroe like Summer Training.

(EDIT)...He's (Carpentier's) a better driver than Lavin, no doubt about it, but he's not championship material and has no funds to offer. Gerry's made a rational business decision on this occasion.

This is for everybody, not just Boots...
We've asked nicely, on a number of occasions, to quit with attacking posters.
Let it rest.
From here on in, we're through with "asking".

[Muzza]

This article at the Speed Channel website indicates that Team Rahal plans to test in Sebring on March 24th and 25th.

[Muzza]

By the way, Laguna Seca's schedule is filled up with driving classes and it is quite unlikely any team will test there before the Long Beach Grand Prix.

[Dov]

From CW:

I was at CA Speedway today flogging my motorcycles and spotted Herdez and NH setting up for tomorrow. Ford transport there, too.

Well... I got pics but can't figure out how to upload them.

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/font1.jpg

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/font2.jpg

[Dov]

From CW:

I have a friend who works for Swift. These are pics from Rahal's (Danica) test at Firebird last weekend. So it would appear that Rahal will continue his Atlantic team??

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/firebird1.jpg

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/firebird2.jpg

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/firebird3.jpg

[Muzza]

Originally posted by Dov
From CW:

I was at CA Speedway today flogging my motorcycles and spotted Herdez and NH setting up for tomorrow. Ford transport there, too.

Well... I got pics but can't figure out how to upload them.

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/font1.jpg

http://www.animotion.com/stuff/font2.jpg

Without any superspeedway in Champ Car 2004 calendar, I guess...

1.) Herdez and Newman/Haas are there to carry out some development work for Cosworth (as Cosworth truck is also there), and/or...

2.) The cars will likely run on the road course.

In any case, this is good news.

Cheers,

Muzza

[Dov]

From Crapwagon:

Justin Wilson to test ChampCar this week

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While being interviewed on the Sebring telecast he just said that he is staying iin Sebring into the week to test a ChampCar......he didn't say w/which team that I heard.

[Dov]

From Champweb:

Philliple and Tags Head to Sebring posted on 03-23 21:38

SEBRING, Fla. (March 23, 2004) – Rocketsports Champ Car World Series drivers Alex Tagliani and Nelson Philippe will head to Florida to test both the No. 8 Johnson Controls Lola and the No. 17 LeasePlan Lola. The Rocketsports duo will spend three days testing in Sebring, followed by two days in Homestead.

“I know the Sebring track well and look forward to getting a better feel for the Lola on a longer track,” said Philippe, who recently tested the Lola on the shorter Firebird track in Phoenix with Rocketsports. “This will also be my first opportunity to work with the entire team and have both Rocketsports cars as well as other Champ Car drivers on the track.

“I began working with my engineer, Alain Clarinval at the Phoenix test and feel very confident of his guidance,” added Philippe. “We’ll have the advantage of working together for five solid days on two different circuits before the season starts, so we’ll be well prepared.”

Philippe’s senior teammate, Alex Tagliani in the No. 8 Johnson Controls Lola, anticipates good results at the Florida tests, and a successful season for Rocketsports. “This season promises to be a great one for Rocketsports. As a team, we have more experience together, we know what we want and how to get it. Rocketsports has grown and changed as well. We have the benefit of two cars to develop and the input of different engineers,” explained Tagliani.

“I met with my new engineer, Brian Ma, several times between the seasons. I’m eager to get into the car and put all of the concepts we discussed into practice,” said a very confident and sure Tagliani.

[Dov]

From Champweb:

Sebring Testing Update posted on 03-24 20:46

Newman/Haas Pilots Pace Premier Day of Sebring Champ Car Testing

SEBRING, Fla. (March 24, 2004) – Newman/Haas Racing earned five wins, seven poles and put a pair of drivers in the top four of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford standings last season, but came up 27 points short in pursuit of its fifth series title.

The first day of testing at Sebring International Raceway saw the Newman/Haas squad declare its intentions to run at the front this year, as both 2003 runner up Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and 2003 Rookie of the Year Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s/Lola/Bridgestone) put their Champ Cars in the 50-second bracket to lead Wednesday’s action.

Both Bourdais and Junqueira broke 51 seconds on unofficial time sheets for a lap around the Sebring test course on a day that saw seven Champ Cars putting in laps. Five teams hit the track in Wednesday’s 10 hours of action, which was the first of three days of testing in preparation for the season-opening April 16-18 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

“It was really good to get back in the McDonald’s car and do some laps,” said Bourdais, who also drove for a series of pit-stop practices along with Junqueira. “I hadn’t been in the car in four months, and that was too long for me, I was itching to get back. I took a little time to get the rust off and I felt pretty good my second time out of the pits.”

“The track was faster than normal because of the rubber put down by the 12-hour sports car race last weekend,” said Bourdais’ engineer Craig Hampson. “We had some work to do on one of the cars but we turned a lot of laps and got a lot done today.”

Alex Tagliani (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), Nelson Philippe (#17 Lease Plan Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), Roberto Gonzalez (#21 NII Holdings Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and A.J. Allmendinger (RuSPORT Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) joined the Newman/Haas duo on Wednesday to test at the Central Florida layout. It would be the most crowded test session in the young Champ Car careers of Allmendinger and Philippe, but both drivers put in full days of testing on a cloudy and breezy Wednesday.

“We have already done some testing but it was nice to get out here with some other people and see where you stand,” Allmendinger said. “I feel good in the car and get more comfortable with it every lap. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to Long Beach and that first race.”

“I am feeling better in the car every time I get out,” Philippe said. “This track helps because you can really recognize when you make changes on the car here. You feel a lot more of what the car is doing at this track because it moves so much.”

Jimmy Vasser (#12 NII Holdings Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) will join testing on Thursday. Both were at the track today to observe the testing, along with fellow 2003 Champ Car combatants Michel Jourdain Jr. and Oriol Servia.

[racinthestreets]

Hey Dov or whomever:

If Jourdain is heading to NHR it would seem that he would be here for the testing - a team is a team. This would be like Tracy and Lavin testing without Carp. Possibly lends credibility to the RuSport rumor. I still do not understand how Gigante and MJ were convinced to stay in CCWS without knowing what team they would land with. :confused:

[Mags]

Originally posted by racinthestreets
Hey Dov or whomever:

If Jourdain is heading to NHR it would seem that he would be here for the testing - a team is a team. This would be like Tracy and Lavin testing without Carp. Possibly lends credibility to the RuSport rumor. I still do not understand how Gigante and MJ were convinced to stay in CCWS without knowing what team they would land with. :confused:

UGH. Michel is NOT going to NH. I'm pretty sure, because as of Sat Seb said he was going somewhere else.

[racinthestreets]

UGH. Michel is NOT going to NH. I'm pretty sure, because as of Sat Seb said he was going somewhere else.

If not RuSport, could it be ...... Maybe......Mario Andretti is forming a team with??????? Now before the bashing starts let me express completely - I am just wondering out loud I have no knowledge just my pure 100% speculation based on no fact whatsoever.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by racinthestreets
If not RuSport, could it be ...... Maybe......Mario Andretti is forming a team with??????? Now before the bashing starts let me express completely - I am just wondering out loud I have no knowledge just my pure 100% speculation based on no fact whatsoever.

A Mario Andretti-captained team would be wonderful, but the chances of such happening are extremely reduced, unfortunately.

More than one people have reported that there has been a lot of activity in the RuSPORT camp - and I do not mean the folks that are in Sebrting...