EFCN Trackside Live: IPS Sebring Test - Jan. 24

Rob Howden

Hi folks,

EFCN is live here at Sebring for a private test session featuring Andersen Racing, American Spirit Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Team E. We'll be giving you updates on the drivers who are testing and will get some audio interviews as well.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them here and I'll try to track down the answers.
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Rob Howden · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject:

Just got back from the pit lane where the teams continue to run laps with their drivers. There's a lot of excitement regarding the new season here. Right now, we have four IPS teams here running, as detailed above. Here are the drivers who are running with the teams:

American Spirit Racing - Cyndie Allemann
Andersen Racing - Andrew Prendeville / Matt Lee
Sam Schmidt Motorsports - James Davison / Richard Antinucci / Ana Beatriz ('Bia')
Team E - Bobby Wilson
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Rob Howden · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject:

EFCN Trackside Update - Thursday v1:

- Looks like Andrew Prendeville could be done for the day after blowing up the motor in his Andersen Racing Dallara. Prendeville is excited about his sophomore campaign and is looking good, having turned the quickest laps of the day in the low 58s.

- Interestingly, Matt Lee, who finished 16th in the Champ Car Atlantic points last year, is right down there in the mid-58s as well, and I was told by Andersen engineer Dominic Cape that he has been very impressed with Lee. This is his first time in the car and he is still getting used to the brakes on the IPS car. On pit lane early in the afternoon, he told me that he still wasn't comfortable in the car

- Under the SSM tent, both James Davison and Ana Beatriz ('Bia') are turning laps. Davison struggled early with a few little problems (broken halfshaft and a throttle problem), but he has be problem free in the afternoon

- The debut of Team E has gone well, as engineer Dave Conti had his new driver Bobby Wilson working to get the cockpit ergonomics correct while bedding in the brakes and the differential. The team is pleased with how things of gone thus far, hitting the 59.0 mark before the lunch break, running full wing on the car.

I'm heading back over to the track to snap some pics.
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Allan Craighead · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject:

Hey Rob,

Thanks for the news.

How's Bia Figuerido (otherwise known as Ana Beatriz) doing? She speak any english? That will likely be important in dealing with her engineers as she learns the tracks and the IPS car this season.

In addition, does Antinucci testing with Sam Schmidt mean he will not be driving for his uncle (Eddie Cheever) this year?

Cheers,
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Rob Howden · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject:

EFCN Trackside Update - Thursday v2:

Thursday's session have now been completed here at the Sebring short course, and unofficially, the quickest time was set by Team E's Bobby Wilson at a 58.1. The squad used the day to shake down their new Dallara and everything went fairly smoothly. A gear change and just a little aero-trimming allowed them to post their fastest lap of the day, and as a result, they expect to find a little more tomorrow.

Andersen Racing's Matt Lee was unofficially second quick with a 58.2, as per their team's watches. With potential teammate Andrew Prendeville on the pit wall watching his crew install another engine after blowing the primary powerplant earlier in the day. Lee continues to get more comfortable with the car and the Cape brothers, Andersen Racing's engineers, seem quite pleased.

Further down pit lane, James Davison was around the 58.4 range in the Sam Schmidt car. I was not able to find any times for Bia Figuerido, but I'll get my own watch out tomorrow to log a bunch of times. Richard Antinucci was in the SSM pit all day, fueling rumors that he may run for the championship-winning squad in '08. Antinucci will be in the car tomorrow.

American Spirit Racing worked throughout the day to help get their driver - Swiss rookie Cyndie Allemann - up to speed in the IPS car. Despite experience in Formula Renault and Formula 3, the Indy Pro Series Dallara is fast and heavy, and brake manipulation is always crucial to quick times. Working with engineer Rossella Manfrinato, Allemann is focusing on braking, harder and shorter for the corners. I was told that she was running in the 61s, but I cannot confirm that pace.

I took a bunch of photos and will get them up tomorrow. We have another full day on the track and I expect to see the fast times fall a little more and the rookies find much time as they get more aclimatized to the IPS car. The arrival of Antinucci will also add some excitement to the test.
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Allan Craighead · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:44 am Post subject:

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the recap of the day's action. Is Rosella working with the American Spirit crew full-time this season? She has great deal of experience working with open-wheel cars, having been part of the Tatuus factory effort in F2000 years ago and worked with Andersen Racing last season. In addition she races herself (F2000), which often makes it easier to communicate with a driver.

Cheers,
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Rob Howden · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:18 pm Post subject:

Rob Howden · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject:

EFCN Trackside Update - Friday

Hi folks,

We had a very good day at the Sebring short course, with six drivers taking to the track. There were also two Star Mazdas from Andersen Racing, the Atlantics of Brooks Racing and EuroInternational and two Star Mazda handling their tire testing duties for the new year.

When the dusted had settled, Richard Antinucci was the quick of the bunch in his Sam Schmidt entry. Richard was turning impressively quick out-laps to begin each session, hitting the 57.8s immediately. At 3:45 pm, he hit the track began dropping his times from 57.7 to 57.4, coming back out of the pits to lay down a pair of 57.6s. After another small adjustment, he re-entered the track and laid down a 57.27 on my watch. I didn't time the morning session, so anything from then is on the honor of the teams, so take them as you will. At 4:00 pm, Antinucci returned to run five laps that saw him eventually log a 57.3, making him the quickest guy of the day.

Team E had a solid debut showing as Bobby Wilson worked to develop his new relationship with engineer Dave Conti. They turned a 57.4 in the morning and were able to back it up with a 57.37 in a late-afternoon run. I think they were trying to lay down a flyer late in the day but the wind picked up and it got much cooler, holding them to a 57.5 in their final attempts. The team focused on getting a solid baseline for the car before trying some 'wild stuff' to see how their new '08 Dallara would react. From there, they then turned to making sure the car was good in the corners of the track that most resembled corners that they will actually run across this year. The new squad looks to be gelling and it will be interesting to see how they do at the remaining tests.

I was equally impressed with Bia Figuerido, who has already signed with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. This young lady can hustle a car around. Not only is she fast, but she brakes deep and is very consistent. On my watch, she was consistently in the 57.7-57.8 range and at 3:00 pm, I clocked her a fast time of 57.65.

Andersen Racing put both Andrew Prendeville and Matt Lee back on-track today. Prendeville’s car was outfitted with the spare IPS motor and he would run to a 57.92 in the morning and a couple people I spoke with said that he dipped to a 57.5. Lee did a 12-lap ‘sticker tire run’ in the morning and I was told by his engineers that all of his laps were within the 57.4-57.9 window. Later in the day, he also ran a 40-lap race simulation and looked to be in good shape following the extended session. At the end, he remained consistent with mid-to-high 58s.

American Spirit Racing’s Cyndie Alleman has shown the most improvement through the test, dropping two-plus seconds off of her laps times as she gets more comfortable with the IPS car. She regularly dipped into the low-59s on my watch and I had her at a 58.8 as well. The team is bringing her along nicely as she ran incident-free for the entire test.

Many of the teams and drivers will now head to Homestead for any oval test at the end of the month.
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