Drivers praise Speedcar after test

Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert, Stefan Johansson and Gianni Morbidelli joined NASCAR driver Mike Bliss and Grand-Am racer Tony Ave to test three of the new cars at the Virginia International Raceway on Monday, completing a total of 91 laps.

"It is one of the few cars I have dreamt of driving, and it's like I expected - lots of fun and really powerful," said Alesi.

"For me it's a real pleasure, and having fun in a car is so important for drivers. When you have fun with the car you have a fun championship."

All the drivers involved believe that the new series will create a strong spectacle.

"The power of the car was surprisingly good, but more importantly the driveability gave great feedback," said Herbert. "All in all we have a fantastic prospect for some great racing."

Series engineer Peter Guild said that some minor changes were planned to further enhance the cars' performance.

"From an engine standpoint, we are adjusting the fuel injection mapping to get the best acceleration and performance," he said.

"The drivers feel that the power band of the engine is very good and crisp. We are gathering more and more data that will help us to adjust the engine power band and car gear ratios for the tracks that we shall be going to."

The Speedcar Series will feature 24 of the identical 600bhp, NASCAR-style, cars contesting an 18-round championship over nine meetings at Asian and Middle Eastern venues between November 2007 and April 2008