Lola-Dome completes first test.
The Lola-Dome F106 Formula Three challenger undertook a successful first shakedown test at Suzuka during the Christmas break, with Japanese F3 race winner Takashi Kogure beating the existing track record for an F3 car by eight-tenths of a second.
During the two-day test, which took place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the third of the Lola-Dome chassis to be built was run by the Tigre/Dome Mugen outfit that finished a fine second at the recent Korea F3 Superprix event.
The Lola-Dome F106 Formula Three challenger undertook a successful first shakedown test at Suzuka during the Christmas break, with Japanese F3 race winner Takashi Kogure beating the existing track record for an F3 car by eight-tenths of a second.
During the two-day test, which took place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the third of the Lola-Dome chassis to be built was run by the Tigre/Dome Mugen outfit that finished a fine second at the recent Korea F3 Superprix event.
After the first day of running was halted due to a small suspension problem, the car soon set a consistent pace and both Kogure and Tigre's chief engineer, Hiromu Tanaka, were delighted with the first test for the car that will take on Dallara during the coming season in both Europe and Asia.
Yet more time was expected of the F106 until poor weather halted the session prematurely and ensured that a best time of 1min 57.50secs eclipsed the previous lap record of 1min 58.30secs, set by a Dallara 302 Mugen last year.
Both driver and team confirmed that, although the time was set on new tyres and with the chassis slightly underweight, there is plenty of time to come from the F106, which ran on a base set-up and without the proper exhaust system installed.
