US RaceTronics continues its hectic pace in preperation for 2009Many people around this time of the year are preparing for the Holiday season that is quickly approaching but for the US RaceTronics team the last few weeks have been incredibly hectic. With testing, sponsorship negotiations, and general planning for the upcoming 2009 racing season, the team's pace has been fast and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon.
The team's testing schedule became more crowded on Thursday, November 20th when Sebastian Saavedra joined the USRT crew for a 1-day test at the team's Buttonwillow Raceway track. Saavedra, who is eighteen years old and hails from Bogota, Colombia, jumped into the Atlantic machine for the first time and showed he could drive the car at speeds as quick as seasoned Atlantic veterans. An experienced open wheels race car driver, Saavedra raced in Germany this year in the ATS Formula-3 Cup and had incredible success finishing the season in second and earning top rookie honors.
Greeted once again by perfect weather conditions with temperatures in the mid-seventies, Saavedra got acclimated to the Atlantic machine very quickly and by the third session he was putting up lap times comparable to drivers who had driven the track for years. In total over 225 miles were driven by the youngster and by the end of the day Saavedra was confident and extremely pleased with the progress made throughout the day.
Shane Seneviratne - USRT Team Owner - “Sebastian was very quick right out of the box. His lap times were very competitive and by the third session he seemed to hit his stride. Once he established a good baseline we worked on getting him faster and to get the car more to his liking and with some tire strategy he became faster. I was real pleased with his performance and his feedback. I also have to thank the USRT crew for once again providing a fast and reliable car for our test.”
Sebastian Saavedra – Test Driver - “I am real happy with how the test went. We were fast right from the start and the team made my first time in an Atlantic car a great experience. I got to become more comfortable with the car and it showed with my lap times improving. Many thanks to USRT and Shane for their hard work over the last couple of days. Hopefully a good opportunity can result from this test”
About US RaceTronics: 2008 marked the fourth year of competition in the Atlantic Championship Series for US RaceTronics. Led by Team Owner Shane Seneviratne, US RaceTronics, along with Pacific Coast Motorsports, entered the 2008 season with American Carl Skerlong and Frankie Muniz. The team earned its first win in 2008 and Skerlong and Muniz finished the season in 6th and 11th respectively.
