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IRL: Blueprint Racing Test At Texas

28 December 1997

BEDFORD PARK, IL -- Blueprint Racing drivers John Hollansworth and Brandon Erwin conducted their first combined test Monday and Tuesday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Tex.

The pair has been preparing for their Indy Racing League debuts in the January 24 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and the two-day test marked an impressive beginning for Blueprint Racing's new two-car team.

Hollansworth, a former SCCA and World SportsCar Champion, will be driving the No. 27 Blueprint Racing Oldsmobile Aurora/Firestone Dallara next season, and completed his first laps in a Blueprint vehicle Monday. Hollansworth completed over 60 conservative laps at the Texas track, recording a top speed of 201.274 m.p.h. Erwin, who will be piloting the No. 16 Blueprint vehicle next season, covered over 140 laps with a top speed of 199.985 m.p.h. It was the second time the 21-year-old two-time IKF Grand National Champion tested at the Texas track, which is near the team's vehicle operations headquarters in Rowlett, Tex.

"I was very happy with the results with Tommy setting up the cars properly and then putting new drivers in each car," Blueprint Racing owner Ed Rachanski said. "The test results were very encouraging. The drivers, the chassis and engine all performed very well."

"Both are showing a lot of promise," Tommy O'Brien, Blueprint co-owner and team manager, said of the team's two new drivers. "They took to the car real well and have been real easy to work with."

The team experienced no problems with the vehicle or the engine, the first built by Blueprint's own engine development division in Chicago, headed by Rachanski, Gary Dyer and John Farkonas.

"I feel pretty confident that there's a lot left in the car and the engine," said O'Brien. "Neither got into sixth gear and they didn't pull any high r.p.m.'s. We're approaching things conservatively. John's experience has helped because he's been able to relate some things to Brandon."

Both Erwin and Hollansworth will complete the required testing in front of League officials at the Texas track in early January, in time to make their debut in Orlando.