It’s hard to judge results at test sessions, as teams and drivers concentrate on different aspects of performance besides pure speed.
On the road courses, some teams work on aerodynamics, while some focus on improving mechanical grip. On ovals, some focus on race setups and make long simulated race runs using full fuel tanks, which in turn, slow the car, or they run in tight packs, which boost speeds.
But looking at statistics, Dan Wheldon was the top overall driver during five days of Open Testing, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 on the 2.72-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway and Feb. 21-22 on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval.
Wheldon, who led both nights of testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Helio Castroneves of Team Penske were the only drivers ranked in the top five each day. Five other drivers—Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, defending IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr., Marco Andretti and Dario Franchitti—ranked in the top 10 on each day of testing.
“It’s been a long off-season, and I’m ready to start the ‘07 season right now, †Wheldon said. “I wish we were racing this weekend. â€
For Andretti Green Racing, which won 19 of 33 races in 2004 and ’05, the test showed it may have closed the gap on Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
Kanaan was consistently quick in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car and Andretti said the team shows gains that will consistently put the four-car team (Danica Patrick and Dario Franchitti the other drivers) in positions to challenge for victory on the 1.5-mile and longer racetracks.
“I have to hand it to the NYSE team, †Andretti said. “They did an awesome job getting the car ready and finding exactly what we need. There’s still work to do but now we’re in it. I didn’t always look forward to coming to one-and-a-half mile ovals last year, but if this test is any indication, I think we’ll be in good shape this year. â€
Rankings were determined by adding each driver’s position on the final speed chart each day. The driver with the lowest score prevails, though it may not be the most accurate indicator of performance. While the top four drivers – Castroneves, Dixon, Hornish and Wheldon—during testing a year ago ended up battling for the IndyCar Series title, Vitor Meira, who had just joined Panther Racing, failed to crack the top 10.
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