Hildebrand in first BHA test at IndyCar Sonoma, Franchitti fastest
JR Hildebrand returned to the cockpit of an IndyCar for the first time since splitting with Panther Racing when he tested with Bryan Herta Autosport at Sonoma on Wednesday
The 25-year-old, who will also race for the team at Sonoma this weekend, said that the day represented a good opportunity to familiarise himself with the team and engineer Todd Malloy.
"I've been in the shop with the team and talking through the strategy behind the setups and what I think about the track and my experience and trying to be as prepared as possible," Hildebrand said.
"I feel like we're off to a reasonable start. The most important thing is to get up to speed on and off track."
Hildebrand will share the BHA seat with Luca Filippi over the rest of the season as the team evaluates drivers for next year.
Filippi, who made his series debut with the team at Mid-Ohio, will take the wheel at Baltimore and the Houston double-header, while Hildebrand is scheduled to return for the finale at Fontana.
Meanwhile, the Ganassi team was the pacesetter during the test, with Dario Franchitti's 1m18.2945s bettering Scott Dixon's best effort by 0.07s to take the honours for the fastest time of the day.
Reigning champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was third-fastest ahead of Penske duo Will Power and Helio Castroneves.
All 25 cars entered in this Sunday's race participated in the test. The first official practice sessions for the weekend will take place tomorrow.
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About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Drivers | J.R. Hildebrand |
| Author | Mark Glendenning |
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