Young drivers test new Ford engines

The new engine, which will power the entire field in next year's CART series, ran over 1,200 miles at the test without developing any problems.

After veteran CART star Roberto Moreno completed a number of installation laps, the Champ Car was turned over to the young drivers. Rocky Moran Jr, Alex Gurney, Ryan-Hunter Reay, Jon Fogarty and A.J. Allmendinger all had runs in the car over the three days of the test.

"It was just unbelievable," said Toyota Atlantic star Hunter-Reay, who ran 167 laps. "It was an awesome experience and I learned quite a bit. The car had more power than I've ever experienced. It was like strapping yourself on a rocketship. I'm really glad we could assist Ford Cosworth and I'd like to thank them along with CART for making this happen and letting us play such a key role in the development process."

Vice-President of Cosworth Racing Ian Bisco was impressed with both the drivers and the new engine. "Obviously, we were real pleased with the way things went," he said. "The engine ran 1,210 miles with no problems. We wore out everything except the engines and that includes the drivers, so we were very pleased. It was a great way to kick off the program and we look forward to doing more."