FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Completes IndyCar Test at Sebring
Sebring, FL – February 4, 2015 –As the start of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series closes in, James Hinchcliffe and Conor Daly completed a successful day of testing on Tuesday at Sebring International Raceway. The SPM crew focused on mechanical setup and fine tuning during the one-day test on the 1.65-mile short course. This was only the second test of the off-season for twenty-eight-year-old Hinchcliffe, a Toronto, Canada native who signed with SPM in October to pilot the No. 77 entry for a full season in the Verizon IndyCar Series. “It was a great day for us and just so nice to get back in the car,” said Hinchcliffe. “We’ve had a long off-season and I know we got a day back in December, but it’s just not enough. To know that it’s the new year and we’re getting back in the car really makes it feel like the season is coming. “I worked closely with Allen [McDonald] to try to tune the car more closely to my liking and I think we made some good progress. Until we get the new body kits on, it’s all sort of an exercise in teamwork, practicing and getting used to procedures. But I still think we made some good gains and learned things we can apply when we get our new kits in a couple weeks. So all in all, a very successful day and I’m just looking forward to doing some more testing.” Twenty-three-year-old Daly from Noblesville, Indiana shared the testing time as part of a one-day agreement with SPM. Daly’s last stint in an IndyCar was 2013 when he competed in the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. He was eager to get back in the car and reacquaint himself. “The day went really well for me, personally,” said Daly. “I think the engineers and I did a lot of great work with the setup. It felt like we were on pace pretty quickly into the morning and it was a great feeling to work with a solid, great group of guys. I’m very happy with where we ended up, pace-wise, compared to what we saw from everyone else, and I’m just thankful for the opportunity to drive the SPM car.”
SPM Engineering Manager Nick Snyder commented, “We had an excellent test today with both James and Conor. The goal going in was to focus on chassis mechanical setup, as we eagerly await the release of the 2015 aero kits. We accomplished everything on our test list without issue.
“James picked up right where he left off after our last test, continuing to develop the car and fine tune the setup. Conor was immediately up to speed, despite not having driven an IndyCar for quite some time, and provided feedback on par with some of the most veteran drivers in the field. His time spend doing development driving in Europe certainly proved valuable.
“Both drivers worked together very well, and built off of each other the entire day. We are all looking forward to visiting NOLA for the first time next week and continuing our development plan.”
The Verizon IndyCar Series is scheduled to kick off the 2015 season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will take place on Sunday, March 29 with the green flag scheduled to drop at 3 p.m. ET. Fans can get more information and purchase tickets at www.GPStPete.com.