After having last week’s test at Indianapolis delayed, then canceled due to cold weather, a contingent of teams traveled south to Barber Motorsports Park on Monday for a day of running in comfortable weather.
13 cars from five different teams all were on track, putting in valuable mileage around the 2.36-mile course located in central Alabama.
Unlike the winter-like weather from last week, the teams were greeted with 78°F temperatures and calm winds, and were able to test out different setups all afternoon.
The on-track time was as valuable for the drivers as it was for the teams, with a three-week gap between the previous race at Texas and the next event in Long Beach potentially getting them out of the groove.
Four drivers each from Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport were at the private event, taking over the countryside course with half of a full field of cars at once.
Drivers from Ed Carpenter Racing and Meyer Shank Racing were also present, as well as Callum Ilott from Juncos Hollinger Racing.
“It went really, really well,” related Simon Pagenaud after the day’s running. “I’m pretty happy with how the afternoon went. After the debrief we had this morning, the afternoon went even better.
“I got used to the package, and we kept trying to find tools to make the car turn around the corners quicker, and get back to the throttle sooner to create more lap time.
“We’re packing up and going to Long Beach this weekend. It’s a quick turnaround, [the mechanics] have to leave tonight and be at the track for technical inspection with IndyCar on Thursday. It’s really tight.”
The teams do indeed have a tight turnaround, as they have to get themselves and all their equipment over 2,000 miles across the country to take part in the Grand Prix of Long Beach next weekend.
The first track action on the shoreside street course just outside Los Angeles takes place Friday afternoon at 15:00 local time, 6:00 PM Eastern Time.
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