Gordon second fastest in IMS testing
INDIANAPOLIS, April 15, 1997 -- Robby Gordon reeled off a lap at 218.113 miles an hour today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, becoming the second fastest driver of pre-May testing of with the new Indy Racing League cars at the 2 1/2-mile oval. Gordon fired off the fast lap in Team Sabco's Coors Light G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora during the second day of a Goodyear tire test. It's second on the speed chart only to Tony Stewart's lap of 218.436 miles an hour on April 4. Buzz Calkins and Eddie Cheever also continued the Goodyear tire testing program started on Monday. Calkins ran 72 laps in the Bradley Food Marts G Force/Aurora and Cheever ran 101 laps in the FirstPlus Team Cheever G Force/Aurora. Robbie Buhl continued "ironman" testing for Team Menard, Indy Racing League point leader Mike Groff made his first appearance of the spring and rookie Jack Miller worked up to speed on his second day at the track. Buhl's fast lap was 216.690 miles an hour in Team Menard's Glidden/Menard Special G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora/Firestone. Buhl has run 1,500 miles in five days of testing this spring. Groff ran 57 laps in the Jonathan Byrd Cafeteria Bryant Heating and Cooling G Force/Nissan Infiniti Indy /Firestone and Miller, running 81 laps, worked on a driver's test simulation on his second day at the track in the AMS Crest Racing Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone. The teams are preparing for the 81st running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. The track opens for USAC's Rookie Orientation Program on Saturday, May 3. Veteran drivers join the rookies on the track starting May 6. *** QUOTES: ROBBY GORDON: "We did it (the lap) right after lunch and we're pretty excited about it, but you have to do it on the right day. I'm pretty excited about how we're running because Felix Sabates, our car owner, let me go out and pick the people I wanted, cars, engines, tires, the whole deal. So it's pretty important for us to do well." (about the "500" pole): "A couple of days ago, I would have said 220. Today, thinking what Menard (for Stewart and Buhl) has for a qualifying motor and what we expect to gain, I'd say the pole's going to be 222. That's a guess. I think they have a little more left for qualifying and I think we have a little more left for qualifying." ROBBIE BUHL: "I'm way over last year (in testing miles) now and that includes the month of May and the race. We actually surpassed that the last time I was here. It's hands-down the most (testing in his career). That's a no-brainer. The stuff I did in '93 and '94, I never did any testing. With Greg (Beck, last year), we spent a little bit of time at Orlando, a little bit of time at Phoenix and I thought I was livin'. Just to get the miles is a plus ... experiencing different weather, different wind conditions, seeing it when it's overcast, seeing it when it's sunny. Everything's comfortable. We're just trying stuff to go faster, free it up." ..97TEST-40..
