Milka Duno Completes Champ Car Test with HVM
Indianapolis, IN (September 18, 2005) - Sports Car Champion, Milka Duno made
a successful debut in the HVM Champ Cars this past week when she completed
360 trouble-free miles at Sebring International Raceway.
"Milka impressed us in her first Champ Car test," commented team owner and
managing director, Keith Wiggins. "She ran two full days, she made no
mistakes, she was smart with her approach and she gained confidence with
every lap. Her feedback was very good; she adjusted to the car quickly.
The conditions were difficult being that it was very hot and humid but she
proved she was certainly up to the task."
Duno got her first taste of the 750 horsepower turbocharged thoroughbred on
Tuesday when she completed over 90 miles in the #4 HVM machine working with
Bjorn Wirdheim's crew. She spent the majority of the day getting used to
the difference in horsepower, the handling and the braking the
Ford/Cosworth/Bridgestone combination produces. While it was an entirely
new experience for Duno, there was a familiar voice on the radio, Will
Phillips, the race engineer for the #4 team, engineered Duno in the Reynard
01Q while she drove for Dick Barber Racing in 2001.
Day two, Wednesday, Milka drove the #55 Champ Car and worked with Rodolfo
Lavin's crew and engineer Michael Cannon. With the experience and
confidence of her first day in the books, Duno spent the second day of the
test working on the braking points and the corner entry and exits, each lap
improving her times with her best time coming in the low 55-second range.
Duno commented on her first Champ Car experience, "It was a great honor to
test a Champ Car and I am very grateful to HVM for offering me the test. It
was a very powerful and physical car to drive but really fun. It is also
very challenging, as there are so many things to think about to make the car
go faster. I can't wait to drive a Champ Car again."
While the HVM team returns
to their headquarters to prepare for round 11 at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway in two weeks time, Milka just scored yet another
top-ten finish behind the wheel of the #2 CITGO Pontiac/Crawford in
the
Rolex Sports Car Series at this weekend's Phoenix 250.
Earning three victories and eight podium finishes in just five years;
HVM
has enjoyed early success in the Champ Car World Series. With
more than 2.2
million people attending Champ Car races annually and a massive worldwide
audience, HVM also offers a range of proven marketing and advertising
platforms to enhance the business of its corporate partners. For more
information on HVM and its partners, visit www.HVMRacing.com.
____________________________