INDIANAPOLIS — The Champ Car World Series could have even more of a French flair in 2008 despite losing four-time titlist Sebastien Bourdais to Formula One.
Franck Montagny, a 30-year old Frenchman who ran seven F-1 races in 2006 for the Super Aguri team, paced the first two days of Champ Car’s open test at Sebring Int’l Raceway. Driving for Forsythe-Pettit Racing, Montagny was more than 0.2 second clear of Justin Wilson, who was making his first appearance for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.
“For the first time in the car, I’m quite happy,” said Montagny, who unofficially clocked a 50.209-second lap the afternoon of Feb. 3. “Obviously,  things are going well and I just hope I will stay in the car for the championship.”
Wilson, his NHLR teammate Graham Rahal and another Frenchman, Atlantic Championhip graduate Franck Perera, all ran laps in the 50.4-second bracket.
Eight teams and 14 drivers participated in the open test in hot humid conditions with ideal track conditions thanks to rubber laid down from prior IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series testing.
The only team that did not materialize at Sebring was Team Australia, which could be forced to cut back to one car in 2008 for two-time race winner Will Power. Robert Doornbos, another two-time race winner in ’07, was also absent.
Wilson spent the first day getting comfortable with his new team and was third fastest behind Montagny and Oriol Servia. He was beaten only by Montagny on the second day.
Montagny ran 183 laps over the two days and looked solid throughout. His Forsythe-Pettit Racing teammate, Paul Tracy, said that his side of the team evaluated setup ideas supplied by new team members who formerly worked for Newman/Haas/Lanigan and RuSPORT Racing.
PKV Racing’s Oriol Servia and Alex Tagliani both ran more than 210 laps, ending fifth and sixth fastest after the second day. Servia was P2 on day one, less than a tenth slower than Montagny. Tagliani has not yet been confirmed for the season with PKV.
Set to expand to two cars in 2008, Conquest drivers Perera and Simon Pagenaud were fourth and eighth fastest on Sunday. Pagenaud lost a lot of time Saturday due to an engine change while fellow Frenchman Perera looked impressive in his bid to move up to Champ Cars after a runner-up finish in Atlantic in 2007.
Dale Coyne Racing is expected to retain Bruno Junqueira, who notched three consecutive podium finishes for the team in 2007. At Sebring, Junqueira was teamed with fellow Brazilian Mario Moraes, who was a credible ninth fastest on opening day.
Returning Pacific Coast Motorsports driver Alex Figge was fifth fastest on day one and seventh after two days. New recruit David Martinez was 11th and 14th.
Rocketsports Racing announced the signing of driver Enrique Bernoldi and a Brazilian sponsorship package earlier in the week. Bernoldi was 12th fastest after two days.
Neither of Minardi’s 2007 drivers participated, though Dan Clarke was on hand as an observer. Doornbos hopes to return to the team after a solid rookie campaign that netted third place in the standings. GP2 series aspirant Ernesto Viso drove Minardi’s sole car at Sebring, clocking the 11th best time on Sunday.