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For Immediate Release: November 10, 1999
Team USA Scholarship Winners Shine in Formula Palmer Audi Test
Edwards, Lally and Simmons looking forward to first races this
weekend
The trio of 1999 Valvoline Team USA Scholarship winners -- Paul
Edwards, 21,
from Santa Maria, Calif., Andy Lally, 24, from Northport, N.Y.,
and Jeff
Simmons, 23, from Granby, Conn. -- undertook their first test
today in
England in preparation for the upcoming Formula Palmer Audi Winter
Series.
The test took place at FPA's own test track near Bedford, England.
All three
American youngsters were toward the top of the time sheets throughout
the day.
The track was wet when the 20 Winter Series contenders -- split
into two
groups -- ventured out for the first time in the morning, but
by lunchtime
the circuit was dry.
"The conditions were changing all the time but that enabled us
to get a good
feel for the cars," said Lally, who already has shown his wet
weather prowess
this season, guiding his rare Carbir chassis to a maiden U.S.
F2000 National
Championship victory in the rain at Road Atlanta. "It was a good
test. The
car felt good in the wet and I think I've got a good handle on
it for the
dry, too. The Audi engine certainly has a lot more power than
the F2000 car
I've been used to, but the car handles well and it's really a
lot of fun to
drive."
Edwards, who was in the same group as Lally, was quickest for
much of the
day and ended up fifth fastest overall with a time of 1m00.5s.
"Testing today went very well," said Edwards, who placed third
in this
year's hotly contested EFDA Formula 2000 Euroseries. (The championship
was
won, incidentally, by Tomas Scheckter, whose father, Jody, was
the last man
to win the Formula 1 World Championship for Ferrari, in 1979.)
"I tried a lot
of different setups with the car and was quickest until the last
session when
the temperature cooled down and the wind stopped.
"Everyone in the last session found loads of time, which knocked
me
down to fifth overall," he continued. "I wish I was in that last
session
because as a driver, no matter what kind of day it is, you always
want to be
fastest. No worries though. I am confident that I have a very
good chance to
win the title."
Simmons was among the final group to take to the track, and having
been at
or near the front of the time charts for much of the day, he was
content
after setting third fastest time at 1m00.3s, merely one tenth
of a second
behind ultimate pace-setter, 20-year-old Italian karting sensation
Giorgio
Pantano.
"It was a good day," said Simmons, who recently clinched his second
straight Barber Dodge Pro Series championship in North America.
"The car is
nice to drive and I feel very confident. Like Andy and Paul, I'm
looking
forward to the first race at Snetterton this weekend."
All three drivers will undertake another test at Snetterton on
Friday
in preparation for two races at the former airfield circuit, situated
100
miles or so northeast of London, on Sunday. The FPA Winter Series
comprises
two more races at Brands Hatch the following week.
The cars of Edwards, Lally and Simmons will be decked out in a
patriotic red, white and blue color scheme featuring sponsorship
from Valvoline, CART, Tasman Motorsports, Audi, PacWest Racing,
Mercedes-Benz USA,Road Racing Drivers Club, Klein Tools, Skip
Barber Racing School, No Fear and Mitel Semiconductor. |