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©1999 SpeedCenter Publishing PPI Motorsports Atlantic driver Andrew Bordin received an early Christmas present yesterday in the form of a PPI Motorsports Champ car test at Firebird International Raceway. Bordin, who returns to PPI Motorsports' championship-winning Atlantic team next season, logged 107 miles in Cristiano da Matta's Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota-Reynard as part of a two-day shakedown of PPI Motorsports' new 2000 Reynard chassis. Yesterday's run marked the first time in a Champ car seat for Bordin, a two-year CART Toyota Atlantic Championship veteran who earned two wins and his first pole en route to placing third in the series with PPI Motorsports last season. "What a rush," said an ecstatic Bordin after wrapping up yesterday. "This was the best Christmas present I could imagine. It's a really great situation to be in for my first time in a Champ car. The PPI Motorsports CART team has been really supportive and helpful, and because it's a shakedown there's no pressure. I can take my time and shake it down at my own pace, so I've been able to get really comfortable with the car." "Everyone was impressed with the job Andrew did, especially considering this was his first time in a Champ car," said PPI Motorsports test team manager Barry McSherry. "He did an excellent job through the day, and the car ran fine. Andrew really helped us get off to a promising start for the new season." Bordin said the Champ car is comparable to his Atlantic machine, but with "more of everything." "It's bigger, faster, there's more power, grip, wing, you name it," Bordin described. "It's so big you can't overpower it. I'm used to throwing the Atlantic car into corners, because you can drive it at its limit. With the Champ car, you have to let the car drive you a little bit. In the corners you're playing the balance game all the time, and the corners come so much quicker. The biggest learning curve has been looking ahead more. Everything comes at you quicker, so you have to be more prepared. The slightest move makes a huge difference. You have to know where you want to take the car much sooner." Bordin and the PPI Motorsports Champ car team conclude their test today at Firebird. Cristiano da Matta, who returns from a holiday in Brazil following the new year, will begin testing the Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota-Reynard full-time in January.
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