Reynard chassis shows pace in test

Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani topped engine manufacturer testing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in their Reynard-Fords, with Carpentier getting down to a time within 0.4secs of the lap record.

Carpentier lapped the 2.2-mile road course in 1m05.7s, within striking distance of Dario Franchitti's record mark of 1m05.347s. Tagliani managed 1m06.4s on Monday, when cooler conditions produced slower times.

"There was a lot of good work put in by both Team Player's and Ford," said Carpentier. "Alex tested some things on Monday and we continued along those lines on Tuesday. Overall, I'm very happy with how everything turned out, especially the significant improvement on traction control since the races in Monterrey and Long Beach earlier this season."

Tagliani added: "It was good to have a session where you experienced so many different elements of nature."

Mario Dominguez turned in a 1m07.2s lap for the Herdez Competition team, while Dario Franchitti was also testing for Team Green.

"This was a good test," said Franchitti. "Our lap times don't indicate how well we were running because we were testing things that would apply throughout the year and not just at Mid-Ohio. I like the Lola chassis. Obviously one test doesn't make a season but the car's balance seemed to suit my driving style."