During the second day of a three-day test session in preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, Feb. 6, open-wheel star Danica Patrick got a full day of on-track activity behind the wheel of the #88 Chevy for JR Motorsports. Patrick was able to work with her team and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. on adjustments to her race car as well as participate in afternoon drafting practice. “We had a good day,” Patrick said. “We got out there and we did a bunch of single-car running. At the beginning of the day, we did a bunch of 10-lap runs to just get laps and get comfortable and get the line and get everything down perfectly. Then we went to some shorter runs and then we did some group running. We actually did a 40-lap run. It was a lot of fun. It’s different than driving the cars that I drive. You can run so much closer and you can cross over each other. But you need to run really close so like there’s no room for error if someone makes a mistake. That’s going to be the challenge. But it was a productive day. I learned a lot and I feel really comfortable in the car. Tomorrow is going to be even better. Patrick was 25th fastest in Saturday morning session with a speed of 179.183 mph. In the afternoon, she posted a speed of 181.554, good enough for 19th fastest. In her other #88 Chevy in the afternoon session, she was 20th fastest with a lap of 181.375 mph.
Patrick said she gained valuable experience from the afternoon drafting sessions. “I guess you can run a lot closer than what I thought,” Patrick said. “Two car lengths up above from my spotter is like on him for me. That’s on him, you are on him in IndyCar. It was a little bit more challenging to get that last car length or get up on him. We even got to the point where they’re like, ‘give him a little bump down the straight.’ I was trying but I couldn’t catch him. It’s getting into that mode that you need to be right on him to take advantage of the situation and stay with the draft.”
Not just Patrick: While Danica Patrick’s participation in this weekend’s ARCA test is garnering plenty of national attention, there are nine other women drivers in attendance for the three-day test. The list of women drivers includes:
Daytona Beach native and Atlantic High School graduate Alli Owens driving the #15 Venturini Motorsports Chevy
Leilani Munter driving a Dodge for Mark Gibson Racing
IndyCar Series driver Milka Duno, a native of Venezuela, testing the #90 Braun Racing Toyota
Jennifer Jo Cobb in the #21 Bowsher Racing Ford
Michelle Theriault, Jill George and Ashley Parlett are all testing Fords for Fast Track Racing
Amber and Angela Cope, twin nieces of 1990 Daytona 500 champion Derrike Cope who are shaking down Dodges for Rick Markle Racing.
International feel: There is a strong international presence during this weekend’s ARCA test with countries such as India, China and Canada represented. Narain Karthikeyan, who is the only Indian driver to ever compete in Formula 1, is testing with Starbeast Motorsports, a newly formed team that has formed a strategic partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing for technical and marketing support. Karthikeyan is unsure of his future stock car plans but would love a return trip to the 31-degree high banks for February’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.
Fastest of the day: Mikey Kile posted the fastest speed of the day in the #25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota with a speed 183.061 mph. The three-day test session, which runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, will conclude on Sunday and is open to the public with free access to the Oldfield Grandstands through the lobby of Daytona 500 Experience. Tickets for all Speedweeks 2010 events are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.(DIS and see )
AND The draft also produced the fastest speeds of the day with a trio of Venturini Motorsports drivers-Mikey Kile, Steve Arpin and Alli Owens–comprising the top-three positions on the speed charts. Kile’s teammates, Fort Frances, Ontario’s Steve Arpin and local, Daytona Beach, Florida, native Alli Owens, posted identical times (49.192 seconds/182.957 mph) while pushing Kile around the 2.5-mile track. Defending race winner James Buescher, in a Phoenix Racing Toyota, was fourth fastest in the Saturday afternoon drafting session, followed by Brandon McReynolds [Fox’s Larry McReynolds son] in Eddie Sharp’s #2 Toyota.
The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards will return to Daytona Int’l Speedway for a third and final day of testing Sunday. Much like Saturday’s schedule, Sunday morning will feature single car runs while teams will have the option to draft on Sunday afternoon. Live timing and scoring will be available at timing1.arcaracing.com. For a complete recap of Saturday testing, visit arcaracing.com.(12-20-2009)
