McElrea tops Barber IndyCar test for ECR

ECR’s Hunter McElrea sent another reminder of his capabilities in an Indy car on Monday when the New Zealander led the field of four drivers who tested at Barber Motorsports Park.

McElrea was quickest in the No. 20 Chevy with a 1m07.557s lap as his best across the 104 laps he turned. Dale Coyne Racing’s Alex Dunne, a Formula 2 driver from Ireland, was second with a 1m07.674s set within his 55 laps from his half-day outing in the morning with the No. 19 Honda. Dreyer & Reinbold’s Conor Daly was third on DRR’s return to road course action with a 1m07.830s produced from his 75 laps in the No. 24 Honda, and Coyne’s Nikita Johnson’s was fourth at 1m08.020s during his 62 laps in the afternoon.

“It was awesome,” McElrea told RACER. “It’s been a while since I did my last test in Sebring, but it feels good. Barber is a good test as well. It's the most physical one by far. We just got through a bunch of testing items and managed to make some good changes, especially in the afternoon. We got the car a lot better even though the track was probably slower in the afternoon, but we still went quicker. So it was just good, man.”

The Kiwi is a full-timer in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship but continues to dream of returning to IndyCar and adding to the single race he completed a few years ago for Coyne at Toronto.

“I always love hopping back in the Indy car, and obviously, being part of ECR is great. I'd love to be driving full-time here, honestly. It's been my goal forever. But to be in a role where I've been given opportunities multiple times — and I do simulator work for ECR, too — is really important for me. Today was good, man. I just really enjoyed it.”