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From GMM
Nineteen years of Formula 1 did not prepare Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello for his first taste of driving an IndyCar on a high speed oval.
The former Ferrari driver, who switched categories for the 2012 season after losing his Williams race seat, tested at the Texas Motor Speedway on Monday.
"Last night I went to sleep thinking about it and when I woke up I was on the other side of the bed, so I already was ovaling in my dreams," Barrichello said with a laugh.
"It was bloody fast," he is quoted by the Associated Press, "and very, very much different than anything I have ever tried.
"I've had places that in formula one that they say 'Oh, it's almost flat and it's a big corner and it's a big challenge'. But the walls were never so close," the 39-year-old Brazilian enthused.
Barrichello's teammate Tony Kanaan admitted it was "fun" and a rare sight to see his close friend "nervous" prior to getting into a racing car.
"It was quite exciting to see how excited he got, and how happy he got out of the car saying how awesome it is," he said.
Texas Texas test
Ganassi's Scott Dixon was the fastest driver on hand at the IndyCar Series' oval test held at the Texas Speedway on Monday.
Actually, it was an all-Ganassi front line as Dixon was only one of three teammates to lead the timesheet as the series had set this practice in order to further development of the DW12 on a 1.5-mile high-banked oval
Charlie Kimball was second fastest, 0.121s slower than Dixon, while defending series champion Dario Franchitti was third.
In the first of the Chevrolet-powered car was Will Power in fourth followed by Ed Carpenter (Carpenter), Graham Rahal (Ganassi) and his teammate Helio Castroneves.
Nineteen years of Formula 1 did not prepare Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello for his first taste of driving an IndyCar on a high speed oval.
The former Ferrari driver, who switched categories for the 2012 season after losing his Williams race seat, tested at the Texas Motor Speedway on Monday.
"Last night I went to sleep thinking about it and when I woke up I was on the other side of the bed, so I already was ovaling in my dreams," Barrichello said with a laugh.
"It was bloody fast," he is quoted by the Associated Press, "and very, very much different than anything I have ever tried.
"I've had places that in formula one that they say 'Oh, it's almost flat and it's a big corner and it's a big challenge'. But the walls were never so close," the 39-year-old Brazilian enthused.
Barrichello's teammate Tony Kanaan admitted it was "fun" and a rare sight to see his close friend "nervous" prior to getting into a racing car.
"It was quite exciting to see how excited he got, and how happy he got out of the car saying how awesome it is," he said.
Texas Texas test
Ganassi's Scott Dixon was the fastest driver on hand at the IndyCar Series' oval test held at the Texas Speedway on Monday.
Actually, it was an all-Ganassi front line as Dixon was only one of three teammates to lead the timesheet as the series had set this practice in order to further development of the DW12 on a 1.5-mile high-banked oval
Charlie Kimball was second fastest, 0.121s slower than Dixon, while defending series champion Dario Franchitti was third.
In the first of the Chevrolet-powered car was Will Power in fourth followed by Ed Carpenter (Carpenter), Graham Rahal (Ganassi) and his teammate Helio Castroneves.