Target Drivers Fastest at ALMS Winter Test

Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti set the pace at Sebring on Wednesday, the final day of the annual ALMS Winter Test.

The reigning Indy 500 winner and IndyCar Series champion turned a lap of 1:45.671 (126.052 mph) in the morning session at Sebring International Raceway for de Ferran Motorsports.

The new Acura ARX-02a LMP1 entry that Dixon drove Wednesday morning was fastest in all but one of the eight sessions throughout the week. Teammate Simon Pagenaud had the week's quickest time, a 1:44.814 (127.082 mph) from Tuesday morning. His time bettered Marco Werner's standing qualifying record around the famed 17-turn, 3.7-mile layout, set in 2007 in an Audi R10 TDI. Pagenaud, Dixon and team owner Gil de Ferran will team for the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on March 21.

Dixon's Target teammate Dario Franchitti was second in Patrón Highcroft Racing's Acura P1 with a fast lap of 1:46.367 (125.227 mph). He set his time in the day's final session and will drive in the 12 Hours with David Brabham and Scott Sharp.

This week was the first time Dixon and Franchitti drove the new Acura.

"It's much harder (than driving the previous Acura P2 car)," Franchitti said. "The weight and the size of the tires make it more physical. We still have a long way to go and some things to work on. But when the car is fully sorted out it will be unbelievable."