MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean tested an Indy car on an oval for the first time Wednesday in advance of Dale Coye Racing with RWR’s expected announcement that he will compete in the Aug. 22 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Although the driver from France has indicated he wanted to race on a short oval by the end of the season, Dale Coyne Racing with RWR has not officially indicated that will happen. However, team sources indicated that announcement will likely be made on Wednesday.
Grosjean was among 11 driver that tested into the night on Tuesday at the 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis.
“It’s going pretty good,” Grosjean said. “There is a lot to learn for me. First time on an oval, it’s very, very different from everything you’ve been doing before. Everyone that thinks that it’s easy gets it completely wrong. It’s actually quite tough. Full of adrenaline, but that’s good.
“So far, the car has been behaving quite nicely. I’m just trying to learn what the car needs to go faster. We’re working on it. By the end of the day, we should have a good understanding of where to start the race when we come here in August.”
Grosjean explained why he decided to add an oval race to his street and road course schedule.
“A few reasons,” he said. “The season started, and things went pretty well. I was watching my friends doing Texas and the Indy 500 and I wasn’t happy being home and watching them going around. Every driver I talked to said ovals are absolutely amazing.
“Why did I pick (WWTR)? It’s a short track and I felt like we were slowing down more in the corner and actually braking for turn one. And I felt like, ‘okay, if there’s braking and it’s a bit more like a road course-type circuit I may give it a go.’ That’s what we’re here for.”
Grosjean won the pole and finished second at the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis on May 15. He has been among IndyCar’s fastest drivers at street and road courses and showed plenty of promise on a 90-degree Southern Illinois day Tuesday on the short oval.
“I think August is going to be warm as well so we are lucky we can extend today to 10 p.m. so those conditions are the ones we are going to face so I think It’s quite representative,” Grosjean said.
Also testing Tuesday at World Wide Technology Raceway were all four at Andretti Autosport cars, two from Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser and Sullivan and RWR Racing, A.J. Foyt Racing and Ed Carpenter Racing and rookie Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske. On Friday eight cars, including four from Chip Ganassi Racing, two from Arrow McLaren SP and two from Meyer-Shank Racing will test at Portland Int’l Raceway.
IndyCar’s next race is the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 8.