Fresh off a 2004 Toyota Atlantic Championship Presented by Yokohama season that saw him post three top-10 performances in six starts, Tonis Kasemets raised the bar a notch higher on Tuesday in first chance behind the wheel of a Champ Car source: toyotaatlantic.com The 30-year-old Kasemets logged over 100 miles on the 1.67-mile "short" road course at Sebring International Raceway as he tested the #19 Champ Car for Dale Coyne Racing. As most drivers learn in their first time in a 750 HP Champ Car, getting the power under control was Kasemets' first challenge. "It has so much horse power," said Kasemets, the first Estonian-born driver known to drive a Champ Car. "The day went well. I had four spins in the first half of the day. We kept trying different set-ups to find what I like in the car. We're going in the right direction." Last season Kasemets enjoyed a strong rookie campaign in the Toyota Atlantic series. He competed for Brooks Associates Racing in the #6 Flexovit Abrasives/MK ind./TMI/Redline Oil car and recorded career-best series finishes of fifth place at both Road America and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the season finale. He totaled 81 points for the season, finishing 13th in the season standings and sixth in series rookie rundown. Still looking at his options for 2005, the Mudelein, Illinois resident learned a lot in his first Champ Car test and the process continues on Wednesday as he'll run another full day with the Dale Coyne team. "Compared to Toyota Atlantics, Champ Cars are very fast, a lot of horsepower and the brakes are incredibly good," said Kasemets, who hails from Parnu, Estonia. "(The car) is a lot faster and heavier. I'm taking my time to trust the down force. The crew did a very good job."
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