Although it has been dropped from the 2006 IRL IndyCar Series calendar the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway will still play a major role in the build-up to the new season with a two day test planned for January 24th and 25th. source: crash.net The official test will allow teams more time to familiarize themselves with the Honda H16R V8 engines that will be mandatory for the new season. While the two-day test is crucial for all the 2006 championship hopefuls, for those drivers planning an assault on the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona it will mark the start of a very demanding weekend as practice for the Grand Am event in Florida starts the day after the IRL test concludes. "The main reason for the test is to allow the teams to familiarise themselves with their equipment," IRL Senior Technical Director Les Mactaggart said. "Several of the teams will be changing engine suppliers and chassis, and this will give them a chance to evaluate that equipment before the season begins." In addition, the test will allow officials from Honda and the IRL to assess the durability of the new, and unopposed, engine. "We're not sure where we stand in terms of mileage," Mactaggart said. "We have an initial target of 1,100 miles between rebuilds and a long-term goal of 2,000 miles between rebuilds, so this will help us find out where we are as we continue the mileage evaluation."
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