Team MGR Racing Completes Test at PIR
Phoenix, AZ, September 10, 2006. Team MGR Racing wrapped up their weekend test at PIR with high scores. On Saturday, Ross Thompson focused the majority of his test session on achieving a good setup for the #27 Ghaster Painting Ford. As it turned out, the car was pretty well dialed in by the time it was unloaded from MGR Racing's transporter.
Driving under partly cloudy skies, Ross had no problem getting lap times in the mid to low 1:05 range with only minor caster and camber adjustments made to the car. After realizing that the used set of tires that he was using was not going to allow for faster lap times, it was now time to unleash the racecar's real potential with a new set of sticker tires.
Only three laps into the session with the new tires, Ross ripped a lap around the 1.5 mile road course in 1:03.7, a full 1.5 seconds than his best lap time just a couple of hours earlier. "I really like how the car turns in and transitions between turns" commented Ross Thompson. Unfortunately, the car suffered a mechanical failure when the distributor rotor gear broke half way through the last test session.
Ralph Buyers, Crew Chief of the #27, had the car ready to go again early Sunday morning. It was now time for Manuel Gil del Real to test the car in simulated race conditions. Manuel had not driven at PIR in over 30 months since the last ASC race at the Avondale track in February 2004. However, after studying the In-Car video with Ross driving the day before and with Ross' accurate debrief about the car's behavior, he felt pretty confident getting behind the wheel.
Only a few laps into the first morning test session, Manuel was able to get several laps in the low 1:05s and high 1:04s, before getting his fast lap of the day in lap eight with a very respectable 1:04.6. Not only was this time his personal best at PIR but it would have also secured the pole position at the last PIR race held at this track. "From the moment I went out of the pits, I really felt like I had just driven here the day before, which in a way I did, after watching so much Ross' film" said Manuel after the session.
The late practice session had to be cancelled when another car hit the inside wall between turns 5 and 6 in the infield, requiring major track repairs. The driver was fine, but his BMW racecar was destroyed.
All in all, it was a good test weekend for Team MGR Racing. Ross's participation was invaluable and both Manuel and Ralph are now confident the car will be in great race condition for the upcoming ASC races on October 14-15. For more Team information, visit http://www.mgrracing.net/
Driving under partly cloudy skies, Ross had no problem getting lap times in the mid to low 1:05 range with only minor caster and camber adjustments made to the car. After realizing that the used set of tires that he was using was not going to allow for faster lap times, it was now time to unleash the racecar's real potential with a new set of sticker tires.
Only three laps into the session with the new tires, Ross ripped a lap around the 1.5 mile road course in 1:03.7, a full 1.5 seconds than his best lap time just a couple of hours earlier. "I really like how the car turns in and transitions between turns" commented Ross Thompson. Unfortunately, the car suffered a mechanical failure when the distributor rotor gear broke half way through the last test session.
Ralph Buyers, Crew Chief of the #27, had the car ready to go again early Sunday morning. It was now time for Manuel Gil del Real to test the car in simulated race conditions. Manuel had not driven at PIR in over 30 months since the last ASC race at the Avondale track in February 2004. However, after studying the In-Car video with Ross driving the day before and with Ross' accurate debrief about the car's behavior, he felt pretty confident getting behind the wheel.
Only a few laps into the first morning test session, Manuel was able to get several laps in the low 1:05s and high 1:04s, before getting his fast lap of the day in lap eight with a very respectable 1:04.6. Not only was this time his personal best at PIR but it would have also secured the pole position at the last PIR race held at this track. "From the moment I went out of the pits, I really felt like I had just driven here the day before, which in a way I did, after watching so much Ross' film" said Manuel after the session.
The late practice session had to be cancelled when another car hit the inside wall between turns 5 and 6 in the infield, requiring major track repairs. The driver was fine, but his BMW racecar was destroyed.
All in all, it was a good test weekend for Team MGR Racing. Ross's participation was invaluable and both Manuel and Ralph are now confident the car will be in great race condition for the upcoming ASC races on October 14-15. For more Team information, visit http://www.mgrracing.net/
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