CHAMPCAR/CART: Team Kool Green quick at Homestead

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Team KOOL Green and driver Dario Franchitti set a quick pace during two days of trouble-free testing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course on February 14 and 15. Franchitti completed 125 laps with the #27 TKG crew working through an extensive list of test items including suspension geometry, aerodynamic development and brake systems. Dario turned a best lap of 66.7 seconds in the KOOL Honda-Reynard on the 2.17-mile road course and consistently ran in the high 66 and low 67-second range.

"We unloaded the car with a good setup in place," said team manager Kyle Moyer. "We worked through a long list of test items and learned a lot about the car. The test also gave Dario plenty of laps to get back into a driving mode." Franchitti was excited with the test and its results but cautioned about reading too much into the lap times.

"I'm very happy that the car was quick and consistent," said Dario. "But we still have a lot of work to do before the season starts. We're still learning new things about the car and we need to keep learning as much as we can."

The #27 KOOL pilot was also thrilled to get some serious seat time to test his off-season training program. "We did a lot of laps out there and it was a good workout for me. The time I've spent in the off-season working on my strength and conditioning is showing in these grueling tests."

The #27 Team KOOL Green crew will spend the weekend getting the car ready for a one-day test session at Sebring International Raceway where they will be joined by Paul Tracy and the #26 team on Monday, February 19.

-TKG-