"I think I am ready and willing to work hard to be in CART next year." Rocky Moran Jr.

source: CART.com - Robin Miller

Second-generation racers Rocky Moran Jr. and Alex Gurney have spent the past four years preparing for a career in CART, but nothing could prepare them for the kick they received--literally and figuratively--from their first Champ Car test earlier this week.

"When I came out of the pits for the first time, I was smiling all the way down the straightaway and when that boost kicked in, it was awesome," declared Moran. "It was like a freight train because we went from 260 horsepower to 750.

"It's insane horsepower, more than it looks. But it was awesome and I loved it."

The power most impressed Gurney, too.

"It was almost indescribable," he said. "It comes on with such a big hit and this engine has a lot more boost than they ran this past season. I was getting wheelspin in fourth gear. It's just incredible power.

"The overall feel is similar to an Atlantic car, but a Champ Car has just got such BIG HORSES. It was amazing."

Both Toyota Atlantic veterans, along with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Jon Fogarty, logged 200 miles each in Dale Coyne's Ford-Cosworth/Lola during CART's engine reliability tests at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix.