Sebring Test Ahead of First Road Race
Almost all IRL teams will test at Sebring today, ahead of next weekend's first ever IRL road race at St. Petersburg
The teams set to run at the test are Andretti Green Racing, Rahal Letterman Racing, Fernandez Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Panther Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing.
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be run on a combination of local streets and the airport runway of the coastal town in Florida. The circuit comprises 14 turns over a 1.8-mile temporary street circuit.
The circuit hosted a Champ Car race in 2003, won by Paul Tracy, and has been slightly modified as a result of discussions with team boss Michael Andretti.
Darren Manning, who was on the grid in 2003, noted: "It's got a bit of everything. With the runway, you have a nice little straight, which you don't usually get on street courses. And because it has a slow corner coming into it, you can stay on the rear of the car in front of you and get a draft down the straight."
The race will certainly play into the hand of the former road racers, and one of whom, Helio Castroneves, said: "I'm really looking forward to the St. Petersburg race, and turning both left and right again!
"The track will be new to everyone, so we'll have to see where we stand once we start practicing on Friday. The team is coming off of a 1-2 finish at the Phoenix race, so hopefully we can carry that momentum into this weekend."
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be held on April 3.
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