CART: Dixon impressive at Laguna test

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

(Monterey, CA) – Scott Dixon took the reigns from Mauricio Gugelmin for the second day of PacWest’s two-day test session Thursday at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California.

The twenty-year-old Kiwi and 2000 Dayton Indy Lights Champion completed approximately 250 miles on the 2.2-mile road course and posted a quick time of 68.2 seconds. His time was faster than the quickest runner (Cristiano da Matta – 68.6s) from Wednesday’s session and confirmed PacWest’s notion that they have the right package heading into the 2001 season.

Thursday brought cooler weather to Monterey, and nearly every other team was in attendance for the session. CART regulated six cars on the track at a time Thursday, compared to only four on Wednesday, but this did not preclude PacWest from conducting a very positive test. Helio Castroneves posted the fastest time of the day, 67.1 seconds, during an early morning run.

Next up for Gugelmin and Dixon is an oval test on the high banks of the Texas Motor Speedway on February 21-22.

SCOTT DIXON - # 18 PACWEST TOYOTA

“We had a good day,” said Dixon. “I’m pleased with the time were able to put up, considering we only had one day in the car. We seem to be pretty close to the other drivers and I’m confident that with another day of running, we would have bridged the gap even more. We worked on several different set-up options, and the work that Mauricio did on Wednesday provided us with a good baseline for today’s session. The Toyota engine has been fantastic, and the reliability of my car is very pleasing as well. Overall, today was a very productive session.”

ALLEN McDONALD – PACWEST TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

“I think today went much smoother than Wednesday from a productivity stand point,” said McDonald. “We got a lot of running done today, and we learned some valuable information from the different types of tests we conducted with the car. We did some full tank runs and tested several components on the car, and like Scott said, it was a very positive day. The fastest time of the day was clocked in the morning when the temperatures were ideal for speed, but Scott was right there with some of the veteran drivers. He’s off to a great start to his rookie campaign.”

Text Provided by Tom Hollett

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.