The newest FABCAR FDSC/03 Daytona Prototype to be sold will have a BMW powerplant. The car will make its debut at the Champions Weekend Rolex Sportscar Series Season Finale. Chip Vance, driver of the PAP-Parts BMW, recently shared his thoughts on the teams test session at Putnam Park.

How did you like your first ride in the new car?

"Testing the PAP-Parts.com BMW-FABCAR was AWESOME"

How did the car feel? Is this your fist ride in a prototype?

This was the "first prototype car that I had ever driven... and it felt really solid."

How did the BMW V-8 feel in the FABCAR chassis?

"The power was rock solid, tons of torque. The brakes were incredible, easy to modulate... with great balance. The handing was sure, crisp and predictable. Overall I am very excited to drive the car at the Grand American Finale at Daytona next week."

"The car was terrific right out of the box. Dave Klym, Norm & the rest of the guys at FABCAR are doing a great job. They put together a first class product. We tested at Putnam Park, Meridian, Indiana for 55 laps, we put fuel in the DP, checked tire temps, made a brake bias adjustment, made some basic chassis adjustments, made a wing adjustment, basic car setup stuff. Everything on the car was perfect. We had some issues getting the data acquisition working the way we wanted it to, but minor issues in setup with our preferences only."

"The car turned in very well, was very predictable, had tremendous barakes with great balance. The pedals are setup great for either left foot braking or heal / toe...I found it easier to roll my right foot over to the throttle whilst on the brakes to get the revs where I wanted for the next gear. The BMW / Tom Milner PTG engine is awesome!!! Great torque...great sound...starts easily.... Idles with authority....."

"The EMCO gearbox is a dream to drive. Once you get accustomed to pushing the shifter forward to go slower, and pulling it back to go faster, it is a piece of cake."

"The fit and finish on the chassis is like a production car (the FABCAR being the closest thing to mass produced in the DP world! The doors open and close with a very solid THUD... The front splitter is solid as a rock."

"Wait until you see the car at Daytona...there is a new surprise up front for BMW fans to enjoy. We are all eager for our testing at Daytona...and for the entire 2004 season."

"Very different than the GT3RS...much easier to tune the suspension than on the GT3RS. I have driven Chevrons B21's, Porsche 2.8 RSR's, 3.0 RSR's, 3.8 RSR's (993& 964) 5 GT3RS's, 935's, 914's with big and small motors 944 Turbos This is the best race car I have EVER driven."

View The PAP-Parts.com site and fabcar-usa.com for more information regarding the test session.

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