Long Beach (USA): Upcoming Indian driver Armaan Ebrahim improved upon a place to finish 12th in the third round of the Firestone Indy Lights Series Championship, here.
Driving for Fan Force United team, Ebrahim encountered a difficult weekend, which was marred by rain and mechanical problems, but worked his tail off to finish 12th after starting 13th on the grid.
"On Friday, I was actually very encouraged," Ebrahim said about his practice session on Friday morning.
"The car was solid and quite responsive compared to some of the issues we had in Alabama. Things really felt right for a good weekend."
Sponsored by JK Tyre, Ebrahim started out strong in Saturday`s qualifying session and was running in the top five in the first few laps. But he could not maintain the momentum as times soon fell off.
Ebrahim could manage only three laps in the qualifying after the final red flag came out.
On the race day, things did not start out the way Ebrahim had hoped. In the first couple of laps, the Indian could be heard on the radio commenting on power seeming to be down on the engine.
In the initial analysis by the engine manufacturer after the race, it was determined that the motor had a cylinder with a bad coil wire, which likely caused a decline in horsepower.
Further testing will be done in the week ahead to assess the repair work needed.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 18:10