Hildebrand, Panther return to track with two-day Sebring testing

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The National Guard Panther Racing team and driver JR Hildebrand were back on track this week for a two-day test at Sebring International Raceway.

Though much of day one was hampered by rain and a wet track, Panther and Hildebrand were happy to shake the dust off and be back to the track.

J.R. Hildebrand, Panther Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: IndyCar Series

The team had a very productive day-two of testing, ending the day by getting the National Guard No. 4 Chevy car second on the time charts.

With the successful December test under their belts, the Panther and Hildebrand are looking forward to a successful start to the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Season

JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Chevrolet: “We really only got one day’s worth of running, so we were a bit limited with what we could get through, but over all it was a super productive test for us.

You know at the end of the season we had narrowed down a couple of areas that we knew we could improve and collect data from, and we were able to focus on those and really make some solid improvements.

Now we can spend the next four to five weeks back at the shop and work on making the most of all the data we collected.

It was great to be back in the car, and it was good for the guys to be able to get out and get back to the track too, so it was definitely positive all around for us.”

Chris Mower, Panther Racing General Manager: “Is was great to blow out the cobwebs before the Christmas break and everyone seemed to get right back into the rhythm of things. Overall JR was happy with the car and felt we made a positive gain with most changes.

Now we’ll carry this momentum into 2013 and continue to strengthen our program and our association with Panther DRR. We are definitely on schedule to accomplish a strong start to the 2013 season.”

Panther Racing