Team Australia Champ Car driver Will Power has blitzed the field, including three-time series champion Sebastian Bourdais, on the final day of a two-day pre-season open test in Houston this morning. source: teamaustraliamotorsport.com Power, a native of Toowoomba in the Australian state of Queensland, set the fast time in the final two sessions of the test in his #5 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia Panoz DP01. In a further positive outcome for the team, Power's new team-mate Simon Pagenaud was sixth fastest in the 18-car field. Earlier today Team Australia announced that Pagenaud, who won the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Championship for Team Australia, will partner Power in the Aussie Vineyards-backed team in the 2007 Champ Car World Series. Team Australia co-owner Craig Gore was obviously delighted with the performance of his Australian-born talent, who was fastest in both the morning and afternoon sessions at the MSR Houston circuit. Power's best time in the afternoon session broke the Champ Car lap record at the MSR Houston circuit, the Australian reseting the mark at 1 minute 10.040 seconds. The Aussie Vineyards cars were also among the few that did not use the Power-To-Pass button, which provides extra horspepower, during the two days of testing. Team Australia also assisted Champ Car and gearbox supplier Hewland to help develop and refine the new paddle shift-operated gearbox that is a part of the new Panoz DP01 Champ Car. The Team Australia crew assisted Hewland to synchronize and develop the paddle shift software and the development from that work was then passed on to all of the teams for Monday's test. Power, Pagenaud and the Aussie Vineyards crew will have their final hit out of the preseason on March 9-10 at Laguna Seca in California.
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