---

CART: PacWest Racing takes delivery of first 2000 Reynard

2 December 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

The PacWest Racing Group became the first FedEx Championship Series team to receive the 2000 Reynard 2KI on Monday, as the first chassis arrived at the team's Indianapolis race shop.

Tony Renna, who drives for PacWest in the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship, will give the chassis its first shakedown Thursday on the Putnam Park road course outside Indianapolis. From there, it will travel to Sebring International Raceway, where it will be tested by PacWest Champ Car drivers Mauricio Gugelmin on Dec. 9-10 and 20-21 and Mark Blundell on Jan 10-11.

Gugelmin and Blundell were instrumental in the development of the new Reynard's gearbox, conducting more than 1,200 miles of transmission testing since August.

"It looks like the new car is a major departure from previous Reynard chassis, and in conjunction with the new Mercedes-Benz engine, we're looking forward to some early testing to get to know the package," said John Anderson, PacWest's vice president of racing operations.

" I'm optimistic that PacWest and our partners will really shake things up in the 2000 season."

Blundell is looking forward to his first stint behind the wheel. "There is no substitute for testing, and being the first team to receive the new chassis is a definite bonus," he said. "The whole PacWest team is hungry to win, and I'm confident that we have the package and the people to return to victory lane."

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