Walker Racing's Champ Car Atlantic squad wrapped up its latest test this week, despite the West Coast weather causing a minor setback along the way.
The first stop for the two-venue session was Chandler, Arizona, and two days in the sun proved to be just what the doctor ordered for series newcomers Greg and Leo Mansell and team-mate Kevin Lacroix. Despite the Canadian having completed a handful of Atlantic races last season, seat time and miles continue to be valuable for the trio, and they logged a great number of laps and stayed on pace with fellow competitors testing at Firebird International Raceway.
Lacroix, who tested with Walker Racing before eventually joining Brooks Racing for his limited Atlantic program in 2007, reported that he had found the speed he was looking for during the opening two days of the test.
“We found our speed over the last couple of days and had it there in the end," he said, "We got more laps in and are definitely getting there.”
The Mansell brothers, meanwhile, continue to gain in experience following their joint switch from the British F3 Championship, and began to play with the set-up of the Swift 016.a as they embarked on their third test with Walker.
“We definitely jumped forward with progress," Greg commented, "It was a good two days, we made the changes we needed to and adapted well to them.”
Elder brother Leo echoed similar sentiments after two days at another unfamiliar venue.
“I really feel we are starting to move in the right direction," he admitted, "The test was very successful and we made a lot of headway.”
Progress was halted, however, when two planned days at California's Buttonwillow Raceway fell victim to bad weather. However, by not running, the team was able to save the test days for a later date.
![THe proposed livery for Greg and Leo Mansells' Walker Racing Champ Car Atlantic entries [pic credit: Walker Racing]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/398763.jpg)
