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| Owens Optimistic After Daytona Testing | The No. 19 ElectrifyingCareers.com team concluded its ARCA test session at Daytona International Speedway this afternoon. The team, along with driver Alli Owens, continued to make strides in preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 7, 2009. Owens made three mock qualifying runs during the morning test session.
The ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota rounded the 2.5 mile speedway in 50.147 seconds on the first attempt. Owens picked up the pace by nearly three tenths on the next run, posting a lap of 49.849 seconds (180.545 mph). Owens’ time was the fourth fastest of Saturday morning’s practice, only .111 seconds slower than the leader.
“This gives me a lot of confidence going into February,” said Owens. “I know the ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota is going to be competitive. I wouldn’t be surprised if we qualify in the top-five.”
The No. 19 team divided its time in the afternoon practice session, focusing attention on its qualifying and drafting packages. Owens made two more mock qualifying runs, recording a best lap of 50.100 seconds. The No. 19 team’s best draft-aided lap was 49.529 seconds, good enough for 12th on the charts. The results have Owens optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I learned enough to write a book today,” said Owens. “Eddie D’Hondt is a wealth of information and has so much experience with restrictor plate programs. To have him spotting for me is invaluable. He can paint such a good picture of what’s going on around me and what I need to be doing on the track. I’m leaving with a much better feel for how to keep the RPMs up on the motor and how to use the draft to my advantage. “This is a great start to our season. We learned a lot about our car – where it handles best and it’s characteristics in traffic. We’ll go back to the shop and keep tuning on it. It’s only going to get better from here. “This was my first time out with the team. The crew and I worked really well together. When I told them how the car was handling, they made the right adjustments.
Communication is so important to success, so I’m glad to see that we have a good understanding for each other."
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