Miller Vinatieri Motorsports (MVM) completed another test at the New Orleans Motorsports Park (NOLA) in New Orleans, Louisiana, this past week with its two drivers, Dylan Tavella and Jack William Miller. With both former karters having a successful couple of days of testing, the duo is excited about the fast approaching Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda season. With a few more test days on the schedule, the first event of the 2018 season will take place at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in April.
"We had a very productive two days in warm weather," explained Tim Neff, multi-time race-winning engineer for MVM. "We were able to work on several chassis changes to better the handling and speed from our cars. Also, we made a few minor swaps to make the drivability of the car better without hurting lap times. At the end of the day, we checked off many of the boxes we wanted to with this week's outing."
Both Miller and Tavella adapted to the NOLA track layout and the characteristics of the surface with general ease. Decreasing lap times with each passing session, the duo completed multiple new tire runs and worked with Neff on changes to make them comfortable on both qualifying and race run setups.
"I was happy to get back on track and show speed at NOLA," expressed Miller. "I feel we have had successful tests and am ready to start the season. A few more tests are planned but as a driver, I feel comfortable where I am compared to this time last year."
The team completed a test in mid-December at the Homestead-Miami Speedway where both Miller and Tavella were able to get back in an F4 car and work with the MVM program.
"I had to figure out a new track, but after testing at Homestead, I felt I had the speed and confidence to get down to a decent time relatively quickly," added Tavella. "I was able to adapt to the new track and after going through some video and data after the first day of running, I knew what I needed to work on to squeeze a little more time out of both myself and the car."
The team is looking forward to the next official F4 Series Test, returning to NOLA Motorsports Park March 31-April 1. The series then kicks off with the season opener at Virginia International Raceway April 26-29.
For more information on Miller Vinatieri Motorsports, please visit them online at their new website, www.MillerVinatieriMotorsports.com. Also be sure to follow the team via their social media programs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
