Rahal Optimistic After Completing the First of a Two-Day Test at Sebring
December 18, 2013DelTran Battery Tender Extends Partnership with RLL; Expands Associate Sponsor Role to Include USCC Program in Addition to IndyCar
January 9, 2014SEBRING, Fla. (December 19, 2013) – Graham Rahal, 24, completed a two-day test at the 1.65-mile Sebring International Raceway short course today in preparation for the 2014 IndyCar Series season. He ran a total of 76 laps with a best lap time of 52.5 with HPD’s new twin turbocharged 2.2-liter V-6 engine today after running the single turbo here yesterday for 101 laps with a best lap time of 52.37. Today’s test was brought to an end one hour early when an electrical problem surfaced at approx. 4 p.m. ET.
“The test went okay today,” said Graham Rahal. “We are just going to continue to put miles on the engine and help Honda develop it. We kept working on a bunch of things in regard to the chassis and it felt good but we still need to get that last little bit of speed. Overall I feel we are learning a lot about where we want to be and what it’s going to take to get there. We are pretty pleased with where we are headed and where the car is, development wise. We just have to continue to improve and get better. Now that the test is behind us, I have a little bit of time to relax before getting back to work in January.”
The team is in the process of finalizing their 2014 testing plans. The 2014 IndyCar Series season begins with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 30. Graham Rahal became the youngest winner in major auto racing history when he drove to victory in his first IndyCar Series race at the 2008 event at the age of 19. The following season he became the youngest pole winner at the same event – both while driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, a team co-owned by Michael Lanigan at the time.
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