Team LNT: Winter Testing

Off-season testing is an essential part of any motorsport development program. Cars, drivers and teams as a whole need to develop to progress to remain competitive.

Team LNT are no exception. When the curtain dropped on the 2006 season, work immediately began on a complete rebuild of all three Panoz cars.

At Pembrey last week, the second Le Mans Series car - and the final one out of the three - had its first shakedown. Despite two days of wet track conditions, the sessions were hailed a success.

Continuing the push for further development, the truck continued from Wales to Valencia in Spain - home of round two of the LMS and warmer, hopefully drier conditions. The rest of the Team travel on Friday for a two-day setup followed by a two-day test in association with Pirelli.

“We’ve got some new parts we’re going to test and it’s the first time we’ve had a chance to put the car’s new engine through its paces” said engineer Simon Finnis. “Days like this [at Pembrey] are very important so everything’s as it should be come race weekend and be ahead of your rivals.

For an all-out Championship attack, there’s no point cutting back on your test program or else it will come back and bite you back during a race!”

The all-important official Paul Ricard LMS test takes place at the French circuit on 25th and 26th March which will give the first insight into the pace of the 2007 field.

Engineers Alan Mugglestone (left) and Simon Finnis

New Elan Engine for the Panoz