Scott Dixon was a bit more invested in the IndyCar/ NASCAR Sprint Cup car swap than fellow Ganassi Racing driver Jamie McMurray.
It was easy to explain. After the IndyCar open test was complete, at Barber Motorsports Park, McMurray, the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 winner, was driving the Dallara/Honda which Dixon plans to run in the IndyCar opener in St. Petersburg next week.
Scott Dixon drove McMurray’s Chevrolet Impala Cup car around the 2.66 mile Talladega Super Speedway.
Jamie McMurray had one tense moment when he spun the sleek 1565 pound Dallara/Honda IndyCar.
"It was the slowest corner on the track, and I was just trying to go a little quicker. The car wanted to spin the tires really badly right there, and I probably didn't give it enough time to get the tires warmed up enough. If I had to choose somewhere to spin out there, that was a really good selection, because it didn't cost anything," explained McMurray.
Once he sorted out some of the nuances of an open wheel car McMurray was having a blast.
He added that he "thought the hardest part was just being in the open, and being exposed without a windshield. But that didn't bother me at all. I actually enjoyed being out in the open and not having to look through a visor and a windshield. The hardest adjustment was just knowing how hard you can push, and what the limits are of sliding the car. When we run Watkins Glen or Sonoma, the whole race is about sliding around the corners. After spinning out at about 30 mph over there, I was really timid to push the car any harder in the fast corners.
I'm just glad they called me in, because I kept picking up about two seconds a lap. At some point that ends, and you end up dropping a wheel off the track. But I couldn't believe how much more comfortable I got in the car."
It was easy to explain. After the IndyCar open test was complete, at Barber Motorsports Park, McMurray, the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 winner, was driving the Dallara/Honda which Dixon plans to run in the IndyCar opener in St. Petersburg next week.
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| Photo: LAT Photography |
Scott Dixon drove McMurray’s Chevrolet Impala Cup car around the 2.66 mile Talladega Super Speedway.
Jamie McMurray had one tense moment when he spun the sleek 1565 pound Dallara/Honda IndyCar.
"It was the slowest corner on the track, and I was just trying to go a little quicker. The car wanted to spin the tires really badly right there, and I probably didn't give it enough time to get the tires warmed up enough. If I had to choose somewhere to spin out there, that was a really good selection, because it didn't cost anything," explained McMurray.
Once he sorted out some of the nuances of an open wheel car McMurray was having a blast.
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| Scott Dixon gives Jamie McMurray some tips for driving the IndyCar - Photo: Chris Jones |
He added that he "thought the hardest part was just being in the open, and being exposed without a windshield. But that didn't bother me at all. I actually enjoyed being out in the open and not having to look through a visor and a windshield. The hardest adjustment was just knowing how hard you can push, and what the limits are of sliding the car. When we run Watkins Glen or Sonoma, the whole race is about sliding around the corners. After spinning out at about 30 mph over there, I was really timid to push the car any harder in the fast corners.
I'm just glad they called me in, because I kept picking up about two seconds a lap. At some point that ends, and you end up dropping a wheel off the track. But I couldn't believe how much more comfortable I got in the car."