Test Day Round Up (2)
We’re hoping for some detail on Pagani’s Sunday at Le Mans, but for now some round up news from the Spinnaker Clan Des Team Dallara, and Cirtek’s new Ferrari 360 GTC.

The British team is testing on the Bugatti Circuit as this is written, getting Frank Mountain some more Ferrari miles under his belt – before Monza next weekend.

Meanwhile, Adam Jones is at the wheel of the team’s newly re-chassised 911 RSR at Le Mans today, in a Dunlop tyre test: this is Jones’ first chance behind the wheel since Anderstorp last year. His partner for Monza still cannot be confirmed, but it looks sure to be a big name….

There could be another big name in the 360 for Le Mans. “Frank Mountain and Rob Wilson did all the miles on Sunday,” says the team’s spokesman, “and the car ran beautifully all day. We found a couple of things that will need beefing up before the race, but that’s the advantage of a test day at Le Mans.”

The Ferrari was run dry of fuel towards the end of the afternoon, at Mulsanne Corner, but the team got it back and had it lapping again before 18.00.

Frank Mountain was delighted with his new purchase, and the team was suitably impressed with Andrea Bertolini’s pace during its shakedown at Fiorano recently: “He was absolutely flat out on his second lap in the car.”

With Robert Brooks not running on Sunday, the team will be needing a ‘seeded’ driver for the race, to join Wilson and Mountain. As you’d expect, they’ve had considerable interest from drivers on the ACO’s list of 150 drivers who didn’t need to complete ten laps on Sunday.

The Clan Des Team Dallara was one entry we left in the hands of ‘ace reporter’ Mauro Casadei. He comments that Rocky Agusta and Almo Coppelli are back together after five years out of racing. This pair found it “fairly hazardous” being back at Le Mans in such a quick car, after such a gap, but they set a best lap of 4:02.908 before being stopped by a problem with “an old clutch” and then gearbox dramas.

Sylvain Boulay – Durango last year – joined Agusta and Coppelli, in place of Marco Cioci.

Pagani: here's the Zonda on the airfield at Le Mans on Saturday evening, running without rear bodywork, and Anthony Kumpen and Philippe Alliot (Bruno Besson drove in his place on Sunday) looking in and discussing progress. More news on their April 25 to come.