Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires veteran Juan Pablo Garcia made his Verizon IndyCar Series testing debut last week with KV Racing Technology, sampling the No. 11 Hydroxycut KVSH Racing Chevrolet usually driven by Sebastien Bourdais at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla.
Garcia, a 27-year-old Mexican driver, made 44 starts in Indy Lights between 2009 and 2014, never scoring a finish better than fourth.
Still, he completed a decent two-day test and made strides over the course of his time behind the wheel.
“Day one went pretty well. At the beginning I was just getting to know the car and track,” Garcia said, via a team release. “As I started to feel more confident, I was able to push a little more and by the afternoon I was able to make changes to the downforce, dampers and springs.
“Yesterday we were worried about the heavy rain coming in, so we maximized our track on time in the morning. I was immediately a second faster than day one, which I was happy with and helped me gain more confidence. You will never forget your first test in an Indy car and I can now say that.”
KV Racing Technology general manager Steve Moore added, “Juan Pablo completed two very successful days of testing at Palm Beach International today. The first day’s goal was to get Juan Pablo accumulated with the car and track and then slowly work through some testing items in the afternoon. Juan Pablo was at ease in the car from the start and impressively got up to speed quickly.
“Yesterday the engineers had an aggressive test plan. However we were able to run through the entire program with Juan’s detailed and precise feedback and gain some valuable data. Overall it has been a great couple of days and it’s been a pleasure to have Juan Pablo in the car.”
Neither KVSH nor KV has confirmed any drivers for its 2016 campaign; however, the team is working towards continuing with Bourdais in the No. 11 KVSH entry.