US F2000: Test Days Notes from Mid-Ohio

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

June 8, 2001

The Wednesday test day consisted of a morning and afternoon session.

The morning session was run on a track that got wetter as the session progressed. The top time in the morning session was No. 85 Irving with a time of 1:27.279 (93.136 mph). Completing the top-five was No. 3 Bell, No. 87 Potekhen, No. 44 Dana and No. 5 Luyendyk Jr.

No. 59 Green damaged the left front corner of his car after crashing into the tires in the carousel turn. No. 59 did not run in the afternoon session.

The afternoon session was run in the rain. The top time posted was No. 7 Ickx with a time of 1:40.670 (80.747 mph). No. 7 was almost a full second faster than No. 3. Completing the top-five was No. 2 Gray, No. 44 and No. 55 Rodarte.

Numerous cars went off-course during the session. Only No. 32 Sellers and No. 4 Hagar damaged their cars. Both suffered damage to the nose of the car.

No. 81 Russo, No. 18 Figge, No. 5 and No. 6 Kasemets did not go out in the adverse conditions in the afternoon session.

The Thursday test day consisted of three 30-minute sessions. One was run in the morning and two in the afternoon.

In the morning session, on a drying track, No. 89 LaPoint was quickest with a time of 1:26.856 (93.856 mph). Completing the top-five was No. 6 Kasemets, No. 55, No. 15 Rojas and No. 5.

No. 24 McIntosh tapped the wall entering Thunder Valley in the session damaging the left rear corner of the car.

No. 19 Urlin and No. 59 made contact in the Keyhole late in the session. No. 59 was undamaged and No. 19 suffered damage to the nose.

In the second session No. 3 was quickest with a time of 1:26.736 (93.719 mph). Completing the top-five was No. 6, No. No. 89, No. 55 and No. 69 Asaro.

No. 12 went off-course during the session, after struggling with a ill-handling car.

Following the second session No. 15, No. 55 and No. 89 were changing gears.

No. 33 Dyer was replacing bolts in the half-shaft after two broke in the session.

In the final session of the day No. 3 was quickest with a time of 1:26.385 (95.225 mph). Completing the top-five was No. 6, No. 85, No. 32 and No. 55.

Late in the session No. 7 crashed hard into the wall entering Thunder Valley. No. 7 was struck by No. 25 Brinkmann. No. 7 has extensive damage to the left side of the car. No. 25 has damage left front of the car. No. 7 will attempt to make practice on Friday.

No. 2, No. 3, No. 12 Constantine, No. 15, No. 24, No. 55, No. 59, No. 85, No. 87 and No. 89 all participated in the SCCA National at Mid-Ohio last weekend in order to prepare for this weekend’s doubleheader.

Text provided by Allan Craighead

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