Reynard on Track for Daytona 24 Hour Debut

The Reynard 2KQ sportscar turned in a competitive performance in pre- Daytona 24 hour testing last week at Daytona Raceway with the two teams running the newcomer, Dyson Racing and Johansson Matthews Motorsport, posting third and seventh fastest times over the course of the three days.

Dyson Racing shook down the Reynard 2KQ for the first time at the track to put the car through its paces. Johansson Matthews Motorsport had completed an 18 mile shake down at Puttnam Park, Indianapolis before travelling to Daytona for the car's first run on the 24 hour circuit. Both teams completed extensive preliminary schedules, with the emphasis on driver comfort, gearshift set up and systems checks. Following the fitting of power steering to both cars, the teams reported no mechanical problems and were positive in their feedback on the cars.

Stefan Johansson, driver of the No. 36 Jim Matthews Racing Reynard 2KQ, recorded a time of 1:42"748 and summed up his test, saying, "This was my first run in the 2KQ and I'm very impressed with the car. I didn't expect to see us third fastest overall quite so quickly, but it's a good base point and we'll be looking to move up from here. This is a time when we can evaluate everything and start to fine tune our set up for the 24 hour race. The driveability, comfort and performance were all very promising for the coming season and I'm looking forward to continuing with our test programme over the next few weeks in preparation for Daytona 24 Hours."

James Weaver, driver of the No. 16 Dyson Racing car, set a fastest time of 1:43.618 on the second day of the test and adds, "The car was great - straight out of the box too. We had trouble free running and all the systems worked perfectly for the roll-out. It's the best I've ever had. It's early days, but I'm very encouraged by our initial results. I'm particularly pleased with the gearbox, which is superb. We need to do more with the aerodynamic set up for the 24 hour event and I'm confident that Dyson and Reynard will work hard to ensure that we have a highly competitive car for the race next month. There's no question in my mind, it's fast enough to win the race."

Mark Smithson, Sales and Marketing Director, Reynard Motorsport, comments, "We've been working around the clock to reach this test, with 100% effort from everyone at Dyson Racing, Johansson Matthews Motorsport and at Reynard, so I'm thrilled to see our cars 3rd and 7th fastest. Of course, this is only the start and we're now working on our development plans, fine tuning the aerodynamics, serviceability aspects and other areas in readiness for the 24 hour race."