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Hot
News & Press from Doran Racing
Doran-Lista DORAN JE4 Lexus Is Fifth-Fastest
at Daytona Test;
Team Concentrates on Race Set-up
DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla., Jan. 5 - The Lebanon,
Ohio-based Doran-Lista Racing team
posted the fifth-fastest time overall in three days of testing at Daytona
International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The test is held not only in preparation for the 2004 season but also for the
Rolex series' biggest race, the 2004 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Jan. 29-Feb. 1.
Driving the car that holds the current qualifying record for the Daytona
Prototype class on Daytona's 3.56-mile road course, lead driver Didier Theys
of Scottsdale, Ariz. finished third-fastest for the day on Saturday; fifth-fastest
on Sunday and third-fastest on Monday in the Doran-Lista DORAN JE4 Lexus #27. The
bright red car's best lap of the three-day test was the 1:49.747 (116.778 mph)
lap that Theys posted Sunday afternoon in the fifth of seven different test
sessions held during the three-day test, which ended up being the fifth-fastest
lap that any car ran during the course of the three days.
The team was in the top five for every single session, recording a second,
a
fourth and a second on Saturday; two fifths on Sunday and a second and a third
on Monday in the seven different test sessions.
The final test session Monday afternoon was especially gratifying to the
staff of Doran Designs, as the three DORAN JE4s that it designed and built
took
all three "podium spots" in the 19-car Daytona Prototype field. The Bell
Motorsports DORAN JE4 Chevy, which was the fastest of all the cars at the test
with
a 1:48.311 (118.32 mph) lap that it ran Sunday morning, also led the standings
for the final test session Monday afternoon. Another DORAN JE4, the #6
Lexus-powered car of Michael Shank Racing, which was just delivered on Dec.
27, was
second-fastest in that final session, while the Doran-Lista DORAN JE4 Lexus
#27 was third.
Theys wasn't concerned that the Doran-Lista team didn't top the test
standings. He's concentrating on the race.
"We didn't really try to go really fast; instead we worked on the set-up for
the race and I think we have a good set-up," he said while changing planes
as
he returned home to Phoenix Monday night. "I think we have a good car for the
race. We didn't put on new tires to try to go fast like some of the other
teams did; instead, we concentrated on our race set-up and ran mostly on tires
with some laps on them so we will know what we'll have during the actual race
conditions. During the last session today we worked on some things with
our
brakes. But I think we have a good set-up for the race, which is most important," he
emphasized.
"It was a great test," said Kevin Doran as his plane was ready to take off
Monday afternoon following the test. "It was a great event for Doran
Designs.
In the last session of the test the three DORAN cars finished in the top three
spots. It was a proud moment for us, and hopefully we can do something
similar when we come back for the race the last week of January.
"The #27 car didn't have any problems all three days," he elaborated. "With
the #6 [the recently-completed Michael Shank Racing car that will make its
racing debut at the Rolex 24], we had a little bit of trouble with the
electronics, but we have that mostly sorted out now. We have a little
bit of work to do
for it back home. But mechanically it was 100 percent solid, and its
drivers
were very pleased. And the Bell Motorsports team led the standings, so
they're also very happy and are like us, just getting ready for the big race."
At least two other drivers will join Theys and Fredy Lienhard Sr. of
Niederteufen, Switzerland behind the wheel of the Doran-Lista DORAN JE4 Lexus
#27 for
the 42nd running of the twice-around-the-clock enduro, which the Doran-Lista
team won in 2002 with its Dallara. They will be announced soon.
The race will be covered live on SPEED Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
For more information see www.lista.com and www.doranracing.com .
For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: [email protected]
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