[h=2]Mission accomplished in first IndyCar aero test[/h] Tuesday, 25 July 2017



By Robin Miller / Images by Marshall Pruett

It started out a little shaky, but Tuesday's first test of IndyCar's 2018 universal bodywork wound up being a rousing success.

Oriol Servia and Juan Pablo Montoya turned over 100 laps each in the old DW-12 that sported new-for-2018 universal bodywork, wings and a significant portion of new electronics.
Other than a small electrical hiccup with Montoya's Chevrolet in the morning, it was smooth sailing for both IndyCar veterans.

"I'd say it was a 10 and for the first day, honestly it could not have gone any better," said Servia, who is driving the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda during a series of tests that stops next at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 1. "In the old days when we had a new car every year you would hardly get anything done on the first day because of all the little glitches.
"But today we got everything accomplished we wanted to."
Montoya, whose only IndyCar races to date this season were in May for Team Penske while he reportedly awaits duty with The Captain's new IMSA sports car team, checked all the boxes too and finished running about an hour after Servia.
"You don't know what to expect but the car felt very stable and it was a good day,'' the two-time Indy 500 winner said. "Not having those rear pods is a plus and I think we should be able to run even closer than we do.
"I think it's a little more old style."
Jay Frye, the president of competition for IndyCar who orchestrated this new, three-year aero kit plan, paid tribute to all the people involved.

"Tino (Belli, IndyCar's director of aerodynamic development) and Bill Pappas (VP of competition and race engineering) did a great job, as did Dallara and both drivers and teams," said Frye. "The cooperation has been fantastic and everything has gone like we've hoped to date.
"We're not done yet, but it's a good start."



Servia was timed at 219mph and Montoya 218mph, but neither was using qualifying boost or trying to go fast.



"This wasn't about speed today, it was about testing," Servia said. "And the car felt a little different because the weight distribution is a little further forward. But I was flat out of the pits which shows how not smart I am but it felt very comfortable.