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©1999 SpeedCenter Publishing Mauricio Gugelmin and the #18 Hollywood PacWest test team concluded two productive days of testing at Nazareth Speedway today. Gugelmin lapped the .946-mile oval with a best time of 20.08 seconds. Gugelmin logged 150 miles on Saturday and nearly 200 miles on Monday. Sunday's planned test was cancelled due to weather. "I'm happy with the results of the test," remarked Gugelmin. "The important thing is we learned a great deal about the car. We made progress on both the mechanical and the aero programs. We were able to run a 30-lap stint today and the car had a pretty decent balance." New short-oval regulations implemented by CART will be a key factor in this year's race. With the exception of a pre-season test at Phoenix International Raceway, the Nazareth test was Gugelmin's first opportunity to try the new regulations on a one-mile oval. "It's almost like driving a bicycle at 200 mph," said Gugelmin. "But it's the same for everyone. We know what to expect and can work from here." Last year, Patrick Carpentier earned the pole for the Bosch Grand Prix with an 18.419 second qualifying lap. Early test indications prove that the reduced-downforce aerodynamic package has achieved the desired goal of slowing the Champ Cars. Gugelmin and PacWest teammate Mark Blundell will head to Japan for the Firestone Firehawk 500 at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit on April 10. Source: PacWest Racing Group |
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