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CART: Open testing planned for Mid-Ohio, Chicago, and Laguna

2 December 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Championship Auto Racing Teams released its testing blackout schedule for the 2000 FedEx Championship Series season last week, and the schedule includes a trio of Open Tests at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Chicago Motor Speedway and Laguna Seca Raceway.

The three Open Tests have been scheduled in addition to CART's fifth annual Spring Training, which is slated for Feb. 8-10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Fla. Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca have perennially hosted Open Tests over the past several years while Chicago Motor Speedway will host its first CART Open Test after opening in 1999.

The Mid-Ohio date is the first of the Open Tests, scheduled for Wednesday, June 7 and Thursday June 8. The test is scheduled between Round 6 of the FedEx Championship Series, the June 4 Milwaukee Mile 225 and Round 7, the June 18 Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit. Mid-Ohio hosts Round 13 of the FedEx Championship Series, the Miller Lite 200, on Sunday, Aug. 13.

The Open Test at Chicago Motor Speedway takes place Thursday and Friday, July 6-7 that falls between Round 9, the July 2 Medic Drug Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstar and Round 10, the July 16 Molson Indy Toronto. Chicago Motor Speedway then hosts Round 12 of the FedEx Championship Series, the Target Grand Prix of Chicago, on Sunday, July 30.

The Laguna Seca Open Test, which in past years has preceded the start of the FedEx Championship Series season, is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Aug. 24 and 25, between Round 14, the Aug. 20 Road America 220 and Round 15, the Sept. 3 Molson Indy Vancouver. Laguna Seca hosts Round 16 of the FedEx Championship Series, the Honda Grand Prix of Monterey Featuring the Shell 300, on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Blackout days for 2000 testing include a seven-day window before and after all events contested outside North America; a five-day window before and after all 500-mile events; all days between events contested on consecutive weekends; and a two-day window before and after all holidays. Testing also closes two weeks before the race date at each specific FedEx Championship Series venue.

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