Chadwick, Drugovich want more after first IndyCar test

The two drivers were the only ones on track, with Drugovich setting the best time in 1'07″631, 1″2 faster than Chadwick. These times obviously have no intrinsic value, given that it is impossible to know exactly the strategies of each team. Chip Ganassi Racing took the opportunity to evaluate Drugovich. If the third seat of the team seems promised to Kyffin Simpson, Ganassi is known for always keeping certain drivers up his sleeve, and keeping a close eye on them. For example, he understood very early in the 2020 season, his first in IndyCar, that a certain Alex Palou was to be watched…

“It was a great day”, explained the champion F2 2022 to Racer. “I just got to know the car, get used to the feel of it, which is, I can say, quite different to anything I’ve driven so far. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just very different. It took me a few runs to get used to it, but the day went pretty well. In the afternoon we went on some other sets of tyres to get a feel for the set-up changes they could make, and it went well. We managed to test quite a few things, and I enjoyed it. That’s the most important thing.”

The Brazilian also noted, as is often the case during a first session on a demanding track like Barber, the significant need for training on the upper body muscles. Since IndyCars do not have power steering, the steering wheel quickly becomes very heavy, especially in the long corners where the aerodynamic downforce reaches its maximum. “It’s been a long time since I’ve driven a car without power steering, and it gave me a bit of a hard time during the day. But obviously, we tried to stay prepared and ready for anything. If I ever race in IndyCar, I’ll have to prepare more, but overall, there weren’t any big issues. And obviously, having driven in IndyCar a few times, Formula 1, my neck is fine, but here at Barber with this car, it's very physical. I think that if, in the future, I have the opportunity to race for them, I will be very happy, they have won so many championships. It's always a pleasure to work with teams like that.

Transition from Indy NXT to IndyCar 'easy to manage' for Chadwick

The same goes for Jamie Chadwick, who was able to slip into the seat of an IndyCar for the first time after two seasons in the antechamber, the Indy NXT: “In some ways I was happy to see how easy the transition from Indy NXT to IndyCar is to handle, but at the same time it comes with an increase in steering load in high-speed corners. I was a little scared of that. But I’m really happy to have done this test here, because it gave me a full picture of what IndyCar is, and what I really need to work on, which is physical strength. I’ve been training hard, but I think it’s going to take another big step forward.”

The Briton also explained that she wanted to race specifically at Barber, which is known for being the most physical track of the season on a single lap. The bumps of Detroit or Toronto offer a different challenge, but no track offers as many fast corners as the Alabama slide. Jamie Chadwick still has a chance to at least make stints in the 2025 season, or stay on for another season in Indy NXT. She would become the first woman to drive for the Andretti team since the Swiss Simona de Silvestro, during the first two rounds of the 2015 season.

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