Gugelmin completes two-day Sebring test

The PacWest Racing driver has now completed more than 600 pre-season miles in preparation for next year's ChampCar title assault.

'The object of the test was to put miles on the new chassis and engine, and we accomplished that,' said PacWest Vice president of racing operations John Anderson.

'We shook down our second Reynard 2KI (chassis number 003), and the performance of the new Mercedes-Benz IC 108F continues to be encouraging.

'While it's difficult to compare times because teams are using different tire compounds, Mo has been consistently as quick or quicker than any of the guys testing with us.

'Overall, although we still have a lot of testing to do, we're pleased with our progress up to this point.'

Gugelmin echoed Anderson's assessment of the team's pre-season testing program.

The ex-Formula 1 driver added, 'We accomplished a great deal in just two days and we learned some good things about the new package.

'We had a decent run today, pretty much trouble-free, and we were able to put a lot of miles on the engine.

'All in all, it was a productive two days, and we're ending the year on a positive note.'

Yesterday's Sebring session marked PacWest's final test of 1999.

Gugelmin's teammate Mark Blundell will have his first drive in the new Reynard at the same venue on January 10-11.