Dario Franchitti became the first IRL IndyCar® Series driver to test the Infineon Raceway road course during a one-day compatibility test Nov. 17.
Franchitti, driver of the No. 27 ArcaEx Dallara/Honda/Firestone for Andretti Green Racing, tested the course behind the wheel of the Andretti Green Racing road-racing test car. Franchitti completed approximately 70 laps on the 12-turn, 2.2-mile circuit, running at approximately 90 percent of the car’s capacity.
He said fans can expect to see the IRL cars reach top speeds near 160 mph during the IndyCar Series event at Infineon Raceway, Aug. 26-28.
“I think this is going to be a very physical race for the drivers,” said Franchitti, who finished sixth in IndyCar Series points in 2004. “I’ve never been on a track like this. You’re really compromising on every turn.”
The tight turns and drastic elevation changes at Infineon Raceway will put increased demand on the cars’ brakes and transmissions, necessitating changes to prepare the oval-ready cars for road courses. The compatibility test at Infineon Raceway, which also allowed IRL officials to evaluate the facility, was originally scheduled for Nov. 11, but was rescheduled due to rain.
“This course is really challenging and I was quite taken aback at first,” said Franchitti. “The corners are very quick, which makes it difficult. These cars accelerate very quickly, so you’re coming into the corners very fast and you have to be prepared.”
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On the road:
A specially decaled IndyCar Series car will be on display Nov. 18-21 on the midway at Homestead-Miami Speedway during the NASCAR event weekend at the track.
The car features the IndyCar Series season-opening Toyota Indy 300 logos and will be used by the track to promote the March 6 event throughout the winter in South Florida.
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The IRL IndyCar Series opens its 10th season of competition with the Toyota Indy 300 on March 6, 2005 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be broadcast live on ESPN and the IMS Radio Network. The 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series season also opens on March 6 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
