Star Mazda – Barber Testing: Day 2 Wrap-Up

Well, apparently there was an afternoon practice session! I was away on errands and wasn’t able to watch the timing and scoring develop, although after looking at the results, it looks like business as usual for Tristan Vautier. The young Frenchman claimed the fast time of the session once again for JDC MotorSports and really looks to be the easy favourite come St. Petersburg. The Juncos racing squad found their way back to the top portion of the time sheet with Joao Horta and Martin Scuncio slotting up in P2 and P3 by the end of the afternoon. Team Pelfrey improved significantly throughout the day, scrubbing of a few tenths from yesterday’s time. While still shy of Vautier’s blazing times, the Team Pelfrey drivers found themselves running very competitive times.

Oddly absent today was Patrick McKenna. Patrick ran some laps in today’s morning session, but posted no time for the second morning session or the afternoon session. Not sure what happened there, but I suspect that the sudden and unexpected schedule change this morning caught the Team GDT off guard and they elected not to scramble to try a half-cocked effort. Its a shame, because today was an excellent opportunity for Purcell and McKenna to really work on communicating with each other regarding the car and set-up.

Most improved driver/team award has to go to Sage Karam and Andretti Autosport. They improved significantly over their times yesterday and had the third fastest time overall.

“Today was definitely an improvement over yesterday. We learned a whole lot today. We didn’t really go for time, but we learned a lot about car setup. Overall, I’m really pleased with how we performed and how the crew adapted to changes from yesterday. I think it’s going to be a good year in the Team Comfort Revolution car.” — Sage Karam, #8 Andretti Autosport

Here’s the official Day 2 summary from Star Mazda…


FRENCH RACER TRISTAN VAUTIER SHOWS EARLY STRENGTH WITH FASTEST TIME IN DAYS 1 & 2 OF THREE-DAY STAR MAZDA TEST AT INDYCAR SPRING TRAINING

Barber Motorsports Park / Birmingham, AL / March 15, 2011 – After an all-night rainstorm that thoroughly scoured the 17-turn, 2.38-mile Barber Motorsports Park track, it was again French racer Tristan Vautier who set the pace in Day 2 of Star Mazda Championship testing at IndyCar 'spring training,' – first on the wet track of the morning session and later on the dry and fast track that saw lap times dropping like a stone throughout the rest of the day.

His 120.397 (102.989 mph) lap in the #5 JDC Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda came on the 10th of 13 laps turned in the 30-minute final session. This is the first time the Star Mazda Championship cars have visited Barber Motorsports Park and his time represents an unofficial lap record – unofficial since in Star Mazda lap records can only be set in qualifying or the race. It is, however, a useful indicator, and a target for other drivers to shoot at in Wednesday's final 1-hour session… and during the race on the April 10.

In the wet morning session, Vautier turned a 1:27.969 (94.124 mph) in his #5 JDC Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda vs. a quick time of 1:20.831 (102.436 mph) in the yesterday's morning session. In the wet, Sage Karam was second-quick with a lap of 1:29.093 (92.937 mph) in the #88 Andretti Autosport / Comfort Revolution Mazda, followed by Nick Mancuso at 1:29.527 992.476 mph) in the #27 JDC Motorsports / Indeck / Lake Forest Sportscars / F.A.S.T. Race Products. Mancuso provided something of a surprise since, although he has substantial experience in sports cars and sedans, this is his first go at open-wheel racing.

The original schedule for Day 2 called for two sessions, one morning and one afternoon. However a sudden, unexplained schedule change split the single afternoon session into two and drivers and teams were only alerted 15 minutes before the start of the second session, newly scheduled to run from 10:30 to 11:15 am. Several teams were already deep into dismantling their cars and were unable to make the session, while others quickly buttoned their cars up, pried their drivers away from their cell phones and sent them out for truncated, impromptu session.

Once again Vautier (right) was quickest with a lap of 1:21.000 (102.222 mph), followed by Sage Karam at 1:21.406 (101.712 mph) and Martin Scuncio – who was actually quickest in the second, slower afternoon session on Day 1. The young Chilean racer turned a 1:21.745 (101.291 mph) in the #60 Juncos Racing / Fuerza Chile Mazda. Holding his place near the sharp end of the field as he had done in every previous session was Brazilian second-year Star Mazda racer Joao Victor Horto with a 1:21.851 (101.159 mph) in the #18 Juncos Racing / Programa Leilões Mazda.

And in the final session of the day, the quickest so far of the test, it was Vautier setting the pace, followed by Martin Scuncio at 1:21.364 (101.765) on lap 12, his last of the session. In third was Horto with a 1:21.555 (101.527 mph) on lap 8 and showing some strength after languishing in the bottom-half of the top-10 on Monday was St. Petersburg, FL college student Nick Andries with a 1:21.974 (101.008 mph) in his #81 Team Pelfrey Mazda. Team Pelfrey, based in Clearwater, FL, was a competitive IndyCar team during 1998-2001 and noted for giving their 'big break' to many young drivers; team owner Dale Pelfrey has revived the team as a 2-car Star Mazda effort for the 2011 season.

Also flexing his muscles in the final session was second-year Star Mazda racer Chris Miller, who rounded out the top-5 with a 1:22.128 (100.818 mph) in his #85 JDC Motorsports / Miller Milling / Red Line Oil Mazda. Less than two second separated the top-8 runners during the final session, with positions 5-8 separated by less than half a second.

Results of Star Mazda Championship – Tuesday Morning Practice

Pos

No.

Name

Best
Tm

Best
Speed

In
Lap

Diff

Gap

Sponsor

1

5

Tristan
Vautier

1:27.969

94.124

11

Cecibon,
Circuit du Laquais, Fontanel

2

88

Sage
Karam

1:29.093

92.937

12

1.124

1.124

Comfort
Revolution

3

27

Nick
Mancuso

1:29.537

92.476

13

1.568

0.444

Indeck
/ Lake Forest Sportscars / F.A.S.T. Race
Products

4

66

Zach
Meyer

1:29.786

92.219

14

1.817

0.249

5

48

Patrick
McKenna

1:30.170

91.827

12

2.201

0.384

Mosport
Ireland / Irish Sports Council / General Data
Tech

6

7

J.V.
Horto

1:30.320

91.674

13

2.351

0.150

Programa
LeiLoes

7

60

Martin
Scuncio

1:30.557

91.434

6

2.588

0.237

Fuerza
Chile

8

11

Connor
De Phillippi

1:30.600

91.391

13

2.631

0.043

9

20

Carlos
Linares

1:30.646

91.344

14

2.677

0.046

Mindeporte

10

10

Tatiana
Calderon

1:30.788

91.201

13

2.819

0.142

JAC
Motors

11

81

Nick
Andries

1:30.990

90.999

7

3.021

0.202

12

26

Jérimy
Daniel

1:37.166

85.215

12

9.197

6.176

FixAuto
/ Sherwin-Williams

13

72

Larry
Pegram

1:41.295

81.741

4

13.326

4.129

Foremost
Insurance / Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery

14

23

Walt
Bowlin

0

Tampa
Bay Jaw Surgery

15

39

Richard
Heistand

0

Masney
Auto Transportation

16

85

Chris
Miller

0

Miller
Milling, Red Line Oil

Results of Star Mazda Championship – Tuesday Second Practice

Pos

No.

Name

Best
Tm

Best
Speed

In
Lap

Diff

Gap

Sponsor

1

5

Tristan
Vautier

1:21.000

102.222

8

Cecibon,
Circuit du Laquais, Fontanel

2

88

Sage
Karam

1:21.406

101.712

14

0.406

0.406

Comfort
Revolution

3

60

Martin
Scuncio

1:21.745

101.291

13

0.745

0.339

Fuerza
Chile

4

7

J.V.
Horto

1:21.851

101.159

7

0.851

0.106

Programa
LeiLoes

5

81

Nick
Andries

1:22.002

100.973

14

1.002

0.151

6

11

Connor
De Phillippi

1:22.013

100.960

4

1.013

0.011

7

85

Chris
Miller

1:22.246

100.674

15

1.246

0.233

Miller
Milling, Red Line Oil

8

10

Tatiana
Calderon

1:22.871

99.914

10

1.871

0.625

JAC
Motors

9

27

Nick
Mancuso

1:23.225

99.489

24

2.225

0.354

Indeck
/ Lake Forest Sportscars / F.A.S.T. Race
Products

10

20

Carlos
Linares

1:23.660

98.972

8

2.660

0.435

Mindeporte

11

66

Zach
Meyer

1:23.699

98.926

10

2.699

0.039

12

39

Richard
Heistand

1:24.054

98.508

14

3.054

0.355

Masney
Auto Transportation

13

72

Larry
Pegram

1:24.542

97.939

12

3.542

0.488

Foremost
Insurance / Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery

14

23

Walt
Bowlin

1:26.940

95.238

8

5.940

2.398

Tampa
Bay Jaw Surgery

15

26

Jérimy
Daniel

1:28.597

93.457

2

7.597

1.657

FixAuto
/ Sherwin-Williams

16

48

Patrick
McKenna

0

Mosport
Ireland / Irish Sports Council / General Data
Tech

Results of Star Mazda – Tuesday Final Practice

Pos

No.

Name

Best
Tm

Best
Speed

In
Lap

Diff

Gap

Sponsor

1

5

Tristan
Vautier

1:20.397

102.989

10

Cecibon,
Circuit du Laquais, Fontanel

2

60

Martin
Scuncio

1:21.364

101.765

12

0.967

0.967

Fuerza
Chile

3

7

J.V.
Horto

1:21.555

101.527

8

1.158

0.191

Programa
LeiLoes

4

81

Nick
Andries

1:21.974

101.008

10

1.577

0.419

5

85

Chris
Miller

1:22.128

100.818

8

1.731

0.154

Miller
Milling, Red Line Oil

6

11

Connor
De Phillippi

1:22.166

100.772

10

1.769

0.038

7

88

Sage
Karam

1:22.170

100.767

4

1.773

0.004

Comfort
Revolution

8

10

Tatiana
Calderon

1:22.254

100.664

13

1.857

0.084

JAC
Motors

9

39

Richard
Heistand

1:22.876

99.908

7

2.479

0.622

Masney
Auto Transportation

10

66

Zach
Meyer

1:23.560

99.090

8

3.163

0.684

11

27

Nick
Mancuso

1:23.775

98.836

6

3.378

0.215

Indeck
/ Lake Forest Sportscars / F.A.S.T. Race
Products

12

72

Larry
Pegram

1:23.846

98.752

14

3.449

0.071

Foremost
Insurance / Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery

13

20

Carlos
Linares

1:24.482

98.009

7

4.085

0.636

Mindeporte

14

23

Walt
Bowlin

1:26.385

95.850

5

5.988

1.903

Tampa
Bay Jaw Surgery

15

26

Jérimy
Daniel

1:26.482

95.742

7

6.085

0.097

FixAuto
/ Sherwin-Williams

16

48

Patrick
McKenna

0

Mosport
Ireland / Irish Sports Council / General Data
Tech

The final session of the Star Mazda Championship test at IndyCar spring training takes place 9-8 am, Wednesday, March 16th. The first race of the 2010 season is scheduled to get the green light for the traditional Star Mazda standing start at 4:10 pm Saturday, March 26 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

For more information on the Star Mazda Championship and its drivers, as well as the Mazda Road to Indy, please visit www.starmazda.com and www.mazdausa.com. For information, interviews and photos, contact Star Mazda Communications Director Peter Frey at (818) 398-5733 or StarMazdaPR@aol.com.

________________________________

On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks
of America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you’ll see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car. For more information on the various Mazda spec series, visit:

www.mx-5cup.com www.skipbarber.com www.usf2000.com www.starmazda.com

Dean Case / Communications Officer / MAZDASPEED Motorsports / (310) 318-4582

E-mail: MAZDASPEED@MazdaUSA.com

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