USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE CHASE CONTINUES FOR ALBERICO AT NIGHT BEFORE THE 500

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:05:59 -0400

Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing star seeking to return to winning ways at Lucas Oil Raceway oval

LOS GATOS, CA – Neil Alberico re-fires his quest for a second championship title in 2013 on Saturday (May 25), when the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda returns to action at Lucas Oil Raceway. As part of the famed Night Before the 500 event, the reigning Cooper Tires Winterfest champion will contest the lone oval race on the series calendar poised to add another victory to his resume.

Alberico, like any racer, loves getting behind the wheel and battling for top honors. Unfortunately, an early season break in the USF2000 Championship schedule meant the highly-regarded Californian hasn't had the chance to do just that since late March, when Rounds Three and Four took place on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. Given that doubleheader did not go as planned - as contact with another car and a rare mechanical issue prevented representative results - Alberico is even more excited to be back in action and fight for the win in Indiana.

The former Team USA Scholarship winner enters the only 'circle track' race of the season full of confidence, thanks to a pair of impressive outings in official series testing.

In preparation for a busy summer run for the series title, the USF2000 Championship held a two-day test at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and a one-day test at Lucas Oil Raceway. Alberico, as many expected, was at the pointy end of the timecharts during both tests. In Ohio, the No. 2 Racelite Protection/Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/eFormulaCarNews.com/J&M Trophies/OMP America/Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing pilot overcame tricky off and on rain to post the quickest overall time, but more importantly gathered lots of valuable information and experience for when the series returns to the technical road course in early August for a rare tripleheader. At the 0.686-mile oval, the former Bondurant Championship title winner put into practice information gained from the annual Mazda Road to Indy Oval Clinic one day prior to post the second best lap time in less than ideal cool conditions. Once again, while the fast time was impressive, both Alberico and the Cape Motorsports crew were more excited about the data and experience gained from the day's activities.

"Being fast is definitely a confidence builder for the team and I," stated the 20 year-old Alberico. "That being said, the most important thing we gained from the tests was the new information to take home with us and study for the upcoming events. I think all of us are well prepared for the upcoming races.

"I'm really looking forward to an awesome few days in Indy," added Alberico. "Racing during the Night Before the 500 on Saturday night, then going to the Speedway on Sunday to watch some friends race in the 500 is amazing. It doesn't get much better than that!"

The on-track action for Alberico at Lucas Oil Raceway commences on Friday (May 24), when the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda field conducts three event test sessions. The Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing title contender returns to action one day later (May 25), with two afternoon practice runs, prior to single-car qualifying at 4:10 pm local time. Round Five, the lone oval race on the 2013 series calendar, is slated to get underway under the lights at 7:40 pm local time as part of the famed Night Before the 500. Alberico enters the event as one of only two drivers to have visited victory lane in the opening four rounds. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx

Those interested in supporting this rising American racer are encouraged to contact Neil Alberico directly @ neil@neilalberico.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Learn more about Neil Alberico at NeilAlberico.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ NeilAlberico and Facebook @ Neil Alberico Motorsports

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About Neil Alberico:
A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Alberico first started racing karts at the age of 10, competing in IKF region 11 action. Over the course of four seasons (2004-07), the young talent captured the Junior Sportsman, Junior Super Sportsman, and Junior Puma championship titles. In 2008, Alberico first got behind the wheel of a race car, graduating from the Skip Barber 2-day Advanced school at Laguna Seca prior to participating in the Formula BMW recruitment day at Miller Motorsports Park. Continuing to race in the karting ranks while raising funds to pursue a career in motorsports, Alberico won the Snap-On Stars of Karting Series National finale in Las Vegas in 2009, before finishing third in CKI National TAG Senior championship. Alberico built on this success in 2010, winning the TaG Senior class in the WSK North American Series, as well as the Bondurant Championship Race Series, capturing 10 wins in first full season of car competition. As part of the prize package for winning the Bondurant Championship, the teenager tested a Pro Formula Mazda with World Speed Motorsports and a Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a with Finlay Motorsports. In 2011, Alberico made his European racing debut, competing in the world-renowned Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing. Finish ninth in his maiden FF season, the Californian earned a Team USA Scholarships. As a Team USA driver, he captured a Semi-Final win and finished third in the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival. Alberico joined the Mazda Road to Indy program in 2012, earning a podium finish and nine top-fives in his rookie season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. This season, the California standout returns to USF2000 Championship action, joining two-time defending champion Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing.

JOHNSONVILLE SAUSAGE NAMED TITLE SPONSOR FOR NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES EVENT AT ROAD AMERICA

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:58:13 -0400

ELKHART LAKE, WI - Johnsonville Sausage has signed on with Road America to be the title sponsor for the upcoming NASCAR Nationwide Series event in June. This year's race will be known as the Johnsonville Sausage 200 presented by Menards. The green-flag will fly at approximately 4 p.m. CST on June 22, just in time for the perfect tailgate with flavorful Johnsonville brats.

"We are absolutely thrilled that Johnsonville has signed on as the title sponsor for our NASCAR Nationwide race," said Road America president and general manager, George Bruggenthies. "Johnsonville has supported Road America for years on many levels and their products have been synonymous with the fan experience at Road America for generations. Whenever they've seen an opportunity to support the local community, they have been on board, so we're delighted that they chose Road America to continue their efforts."

"We know that many of our customers enjoy their Johnsonville products during sports occasions, so we're pleased to include our brand as part of the overall social experience this race offers," said Jim Mueller, Johnsonville's group marketing director. "Since this race also falls on the first official summer weekend, Johnsonville brats will also be grilled in full force for race spectators to enjoy."

The race weekend begins with Trans-Am action on Friday, followed by stock car action on Saturday with the SCOTT® 160 ARCA Series race and incredible wheel-to-wheel excitement later in the day with the Johnsonville Sausage 200 NASCAR Nationwide race presented by Menards. This racing showcases some of NASCAR's future stars as they test their skills on the storied four-mile, 14-turn road circuit. Road America has a legendary history of featuring brilliant racers on a challenging circuit that easily separates the good from the great drivers.

Tickets are available and additional event details, ticket pricing and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Kids 12 and under are free with an adult.

About Road America: Established in 1955 as the first permanent road racing course in the United States, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world's best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit for over 55 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Blain's Farm & Fleet Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, visit www.roadamerica.com Follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.

Pro Mazda and USF2000 Head to ‘Night Before the 500’

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:54:23 -0400

Mazda Road to Indy Clinic and First-Ever Fan Fest Enhance Busy Week

PALMETTO, FL – The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda return to racing action this week with the traditional Visit Hendricks County ‘Night Before the 500’ at Lucas Oil Raceway. Rising drivers on the first two levels of the Mazda Road to Indy will join the USAC Midget Series for a night of racing under the lights on May 25, the evening before the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Following over five hours of combined testing for both series on Friday at the 0.686-mile oval located just outside Indianapolis in Clermont, Ind., Saturday’s packed schedule includes practice and qualifying rounds with the green flag for the USF2000 race at 7:40 pm followed by Pro Mazda at 8:25 pm and the USAC feature at 9:30 pm.

The ‘Night Before the 500’ is the lone oval event on the 14-race USF2000 schedule and is the first of two oval races for Pro Mazda competitors on its 16-race calendar, preceding the Milwaukee IndyFest at The Milwaukee Mile on June 15.

Ones to Watch – Pro Mazda
Series points leader and MAZDASPEED driver Matthew Brabham set the pace in a recent test at Lucas Oil Raceway on May 11. Brabham, of Andretti Autosport and the reigning USF2000 champion, turned an unofficial lap of 19.904 seconds, besting the track record set by Connor De Phillippi in 2011 of 19.999 seconds.

Teammate Shelby Blackstock was second quickest with a lap of 20.314, followed by Diego Ferreira of Juncos Racing (20.363), Spencer Pigot of Team Pelfrey (20.379) and Scott Anderson also of Juncos Racing (20.461).

Brabham started on pole for last year’s USF2000 race at Lucas Oil Raceway and finished second to Pigot after an exciting side-by-side duel between the then Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing teammates.

Another driver on the radar is Anders Krohn, 25, who will be making his debut with Team Pelfrey. The vastly experienced Norwegian driver participated in only the final test session but was quickly up to speed posting the sixth best time overall with a lap of 20.485. Krohn is the 2010 Star Mazda Championship runner-up.

Ones to Watch – USF2000
As with Pro Mazda, it was USF2000 points leader Scott Hargrove at the top of the timesheets in testing on May 11. Hargrove, who contested a partial season of USF2000 in 2012 which did not include the Lucas Oil Raceway event, will be making his oval debut this weekend. His best lap of 21.478 was .156 seconds clear of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing teammate Neil Alberico (21.634) in second.

ZSports Midwest with Team E Racing’s young gun RC Enerson, who topped the second of three sessions, was third overall with a best time of 21.705, followed by Danilo Estrela of Belardi Auto Racing (21.744) and Stefan Rzadzinski of JDC Motorsports (21.806).

The entire field of 25 cars was covered by 1.174 seconds. Narrowly missing the top five in testing were MAZDASPEED driver Peter Portante of Belardi Auto Racing (21.811), Henrik Furuseth of PRL Motorsports (21.817), Matt McMurry of Belardi Auto Racing (21.918), Wyatt Gooden of Afterburner Autosport (21.986) and Jason Wolfe of Pabst Racing Services (21.992).

By the Numbers
With three wins in four Pro Mazda events to date, Brabham has amassed a 13-point lead over Ferreira, who also has been a model of consistency with one win and three additional podium finishes. Blackstock lies 23 points in arrears of Ferreira, finishing on the podium in the last three races and sitting on pole for the two most recent rounds in St. Petersburg, Fla.

In USF2000, Hargrove has a commanding 43-point lead after three wins and a second-place drive. Gooden lies in second after a pair of second-place runs with Jesse Lazare of Pabst Racing Services in third, only nine points behind Gooden, leading a string of drivers in a tight points battle.

Hometown Ties
Brandon Newey will have a busy week of activity. The 20-year-old Indianapolis native and Purdue University sophomore will not only be preparing for his USF2000 oval debut, but will be dividing his time between Lucas Oil Raceway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he will be cheering on Bryan Herta Autosport, which is co-owned by his father Steve Newey. The team will be seeking its second Indy 500 victory after winning in 2011 with the late Dan Wheldon.

Pro Mazda and USF2000 teams with a short drive this weekend include Andretti Autosport, based in Indianapolis, and Juncos Racing and Belardi Auto Racing in Brownsburg.

Results Equal Opportunity
Brabham and Hargrove will have the opportunity to drive their Pro Mazda and USF2000 entries at the famed Brickyard on Carburetion Day. As what has now become a tradition, the series points leaders will pace the Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights race.

The winners of the ‘Night Before the 500’ and Firestone Freedom 100 races will also have a moment to shine at the Speedway when they are interviewed on the Victory podium just prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500.

Drivers Head Back to the Classroom
Following Indianapolis 500 Community Day activities on May 22 which include an autograph session and on-stage Q&As, drivers will take part in the final phase of the Mazda Road to Indy Summit beginning with a Fitness and Wellness Course at PitFit Training hosted by owner Jim Leo.

On May 23, drivers will attend seminars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Media Relationship Building with Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star; Performance Thinking with Dr. Jacques Dallaire of Performance Prime; Simulator Training with Kelly Jones and Peter Olrich of RaceCraft1; and Return on Investment with John Doonan, Director of Motorsports at Mazda North American Operations, and Dean Case, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Communications Officer.

First-Ever Visit Hendricks County ‘Night Before the 500’ Fan Fest Scheduled
The Town of Brownsburg, Lucas Oil Raceway, Visit Hendricks County, Brownsburg Park and the Brownsburg Chamber of Commerce have teamed up for the first-ever ‘Night Before the 500’ Fan Fest on Thursday, May 23. Held on the town square in front of the Brownsburg Town Hall (61 North Green Street), the family-friendly event will feature autograph sessions with drivers competing in Saturday’s races; a local band; a game truck, bounce house and photo booth for children; food merchants; local vendors; and a silent auction of racing items.

The Fan Fest will run from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET with the driver autograph session scheduled from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Indianapolis 500 Field Dominated with Mazda Road to Indy Ties
Over half the drivers in this year’s Indianapolis 500 have honed their skills in one or more levels of what is now the Mazda Road to Indy – USF2000, Star Mazda (now Pro Mazda) and Indy Lights. By starting position, these include:

1. Ed Carpenter (Indy Lights), 2. Carlos Munoz (Indy Lights) 3. Marco Andretti (Star Mazda/Indy Lights) 8. Helio Castroneves (Indy Lights) 9. James Hinchcliffe (Star Mazda/Indy Lights) 10. JR Hildebrand (USF2000/Indy Lights) 12. Tony Kanaan (Indy Lights) 13. Oriol Servia (Indy Lights) 16. Scott Dixon (Indy Lights) 19. Charlie Kimball (USF2000/Indy Lights) 22. Townsend Bell (Indy Lights) 25. Josef Newgarden (Indy Lights) 26. Graham Rahal (Star Mazda/Indy Lights) 27. Sebastian Saavedra (Indy Lights) 28. Tristan Vautier (Star Mazda/Indy Lights) 29. Ana Beatriz (Indy Lights) 30. Pippa Mann (Indy Lights) 31. Conor Daly (Star Mazda).

Of Note
Michael Johnson, who competes in USF2000 and is the only paralyzed racer on the Mazda Road to Indy, will have his 2014 Pro Mazda car on display at the Speedway in the Vets Help booth to showcase what is possible even when you are faced with a disability. Johnson’s goal is to race in the Indianapolis 500 and he will progress up the ladder to Pro Mazda competition next year with his JDC MotorSports team… Andrew Hobbs of ArmsUp Motorsports is another driver who will be turning some laps at the Speedway. Hobbs, grandson of former Formula One driver and current commentator David Hobbs, will drive Michael Andretti’s Kraco car in the Vintage Lap sessions taking place this Thursday and Friday.

Follow the Action
Live commentary and Timing & Scoring for the ‘Night Before the 500’ races will be available at usf2000.com and promazdachampionship.com.

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About USF2000: The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda debuted in 2010 and is a continuation of the highly-regarded USF2000 series which ran from 1990 through 2006, launching the careers of many of today’s top drivers. Sanctioned by INDYCAR and managed by Andersen Promotions, the series is the first official step on the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system. The top driver in the Championship class will earn a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. The series also is part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder program which assists young drivers in advancing from the Skip Barber Racing School to USF2000. Additional information can be found at www.usf2000.com.

About Pro Mazda: The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires debuted in 2013 as a new series, replacing the Star Mazda Championship which ceased operation in 2012 after 22 years. The series is sanctioned by INDYCAR and owned and operated by Andersen Promotions. It is the second official step on the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system with the series’ champion awarded a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to Firestone Indy Lights competition the following year. For more information, visit www.promazdachampionship.com.

About Mazda: Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America. Thousands of Mazda powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda established the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda’s success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

MAZDASPEED Motorsports is managed by Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). MNAO is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. Consumer information can be found at www.mazdausa.com with press information at www.mazdausamedia.com. Racers and fans can follow the action on Facebook (Mazdaspeed Motorsports).

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: CTB) is a global company with affiliates, subsidiaries and joint ventures that specialize in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires. The company also has subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located in 11 countries around the world. Additional information can be found at www.us.coopertire.com.

McLaughlin Motorsports Nationals marks round three of Man Cup this weekend at New Castle

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:22:10 -0400

CONCORD, N.C. – Two-cycle sprint racers and teams from around the country will embark on one of the most popular karting facilities in the United States this weekend for round three of the 2013 WKA Mazda / Bridgestone Manufacturers Cup Series, the McLaughlin Motorsports Nationals at New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana.
Twenty-two divisions will run a full program of practice, qualifying, pre-finals and finals between Saturday and Sunday. The track will open Friday for a full day of official practice. Competitors will begin moving into the facility Thursday morning, while WKA officials will offer safety pre-tech, pre-entry pickup and registration Thursday afternoon.
Some story lines to keep an eye on this weekend include the fierce battles in the Yamaha, Cadet and Komet Sportsman divisions, can anyone challenge Mike McAndrews in Komet Junior, and who will step up to make headlines in the TaG and Parilla Senior classes.
SPORTSMAN
In the Sportsman classes, a Triple Crown championship is up for grabs and several drivers have a shot at it. Favorites include Merlin racer Brandon Lemke, Top Kart pilot Zach Holden, Tony Kart racer Anthony Gangi Jr. and Birel driver David Malukas.
After an up-and-down Florida Winter Tour campaign, Malukas has been very solid in WKA competition. The 12-year-old racer from Chicago has netted five feature wins between Daytona and Carolina Motorsports Park, including becoming the only driver to score the hat track (three race wins) at Kershaw. Malukas has never won a points championship, and 2013 clearly is his best opportunity to date.
Gangi was unbeatable at times in the Florida Winter Tour, but the New Yorker hasn’t been quite as stout away from the Rotax racing. Gangi won twice at Daytona and once at Kershaw. We’ll see how the GT7 Motorsports racer fares this weekend, as he’s right in the thick of the points battle in all four Sportsman categories.
Holden won a Man Cup championship last year on his Arrow before swapping to the Top Kart USA team this season. Holden’s had mixed results thus far, and he’s still searching for his first Man Cup wins of the season. New Castle is Holden’s home track, and he’s likely to be stout this weekend. He won once last year at the 2012 Man Cup season closer at the Castle.
Lemke continues to impress on his Merlin. He was very strong two weeks ago at the Route 66 Sprint Series opener at New Castle, and while he only has one win so far in 2013 Man Cup competition, he’s raced inside the top five and been in

AUSTIN MCCUSKER, TWO-TIME 2013 WKA MAN CUP JUNIOR FEATURE WINNER
contention nearly every race. The Wisconsin racer will likely be tough to beat this weekend.
Other Sportsman racers to keep an eye on include Sam Mayer, who won his first non-Rookie Sportsman main at Kershaw, Michael d’Orlando, who was also a Kershaw winner, John Paul Southern Jr., Giovanni Bromante and Austin Schaff.
ROOKIE
The Yamaha Rookie division may be the largest class this weekend with over 25 pre-entrants. All the top points drivers are entered – Tyler Ferris, Jeremy Fairbairn, Brian Tremper Jr., Mark J. Fineis and Jayden Larson – and the youngsters should put on a good show for fans.
Two drivers to watch are Tyler Ferris (Top Kart) and Fairbairn (Tony Kart). Fairbairn swept the opener at Daytona, winning both Rookie mains, before Ferris matched his feat at Kershaw with feature wins both days. Birel racer Gage Rodgers was also very strong at Kershaw, finishing second on Saturday and nearly taking the win from Ferris.
JUNIOR
Can anyone beat MRP Birel racer Mike McAndrews in Komet Junior? After skipping Daytona, McAndrews returned to the Manufacturers Cup at Kershaw and promptly dominated both Komet Junior classes, winning handily over 19 competitors.
Drivers that will look to challenge McAndrews include Haase pilot Austin McCusker, who won both Komet Junior races at Daytona, Arrow driver Gresham Wagner, who enters the class second in points and McAndrews fellow MRP Birel teammates Matt Solarczyk and Grant Quinlan.
Top Kart racer Ryan Raffa, who won Yamaha Junior 1 at Daytona, will not be in attendance this weekend due to suffering an injury at the New Jersey Sprint Series opener. We hope to see Raffa back at the Man Cup Top Kart USA Grand Nationals at JET Karting (South Bend) June 28-30.

2011 WKA TRIPLE CROWN CHAMP GRANT QUINLAN WANTS WIN NO. 1 IN JUNIOR MAN CUP COMPETITION
After four races, Yamaha Junior appears to be Brandon Jarsocrak’s to lose. The Haase wheelman won Sunday at Daytona and the Saturday show at Kershaw, and netted a couple top-five finishes in the mains he didn’t win. Jarsocrak has a solid lead in the championship standings, and Raffa is second, who is out for the weekend. Look for McCusker, Quinlan, Wagner, Emerson Reed, Braden Eves and Killian Keaveny, among others, to challenge the Pennsylvania racer in Yamaha Junior.
Another story line to watch this weekend in the Junior ranks is Quinlan and his bid for his first Junior feature win in Man Cup. The 2011 WKA Triple Crown champion has 19 national wins to his credit, but he’s been shut out of victory lane since advancing to Junior at the beginning of the 2012 season.
Quinlan won both Yamaha Junior mains at the Great Lakes show last weekend at New Castle, and this is likely his best shot yet to capture his first Junior main event triumph.
TAG / PARILLA SENIOR / TAG MASTERS
TaG Senior appears wide open after the opening two Man Cup rounds. The class has had four different winners in four races – Nick Neri (Tony Kart), Mike Giessen (Tony Kart), Derek Dignan (Arrow) and Garrett Johnston (Top Kart).
Johnston won the most recent event – Sunday at Kershaw – and holds the point lead by a mere 15-point advantage over Dignan. Dignan was stout on Saturday at Kershaw, winning both TaG and Parilla Senior mains, and will look to continue his success this weekend at the Castle. Giessen did not pre-enter and Neri is not a regular on the Man Cup.
Other drivers to watch will be Top Kart racers Mark Boos, Mason Chelootz and Jake Johnston, as well as Tony Kart driver Jonathan Kotyk, who’s still knocking on the door of his first senior TaG feature win in Man Cup.
Praga racer Cal Stewart and Arrow veteran Jake Donald enter New Castle atop the Parilla Senior standings. Stewart was strong at Kershaw on his Praga, capturing a couple of second-place finishes, while Donald is strong nearly everywhere he goes.

TAG MASTERS TOP DOG SCOTT FERRIS (21) LEADS THE FIELD AT LAST YEAR'S NEW CASTLE MAN CUP NATIONAL
In an interesting statistic, no one in the top five in TaG Senior points has won a main event in the class yet this season. Dignan won Kershaw day one and is sixth in the points; Giessen won day two at Kershaw but did not run the class at Daytona; Jamie McMurray won day one at Daytona but is obviously not a regular on the Man Cup due to his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, and Chelootz won day two at Daytona but has had a couple of disappointing runs in the class which have him eighth in the standings heading to New Castle.
TaG Masters has a couple of Ferris brothers atop the standings. Scott Ferris swept Kershaw and leads the points over John Ferris III. Steve Schiewer rounds out the all-Top Kart top three in the points. Kim Carapellatti is fourth and Brian McHattie, who swept Daytona but did not attend Kershaw, is fifth.
YAMAHA SENIOR / KOMET PRO
Arrow pilot Dakota Pesek is in the drivers seat once again in Yamaha Senior. The Ohio racer won both Yamaha Supercan national championships last year and appears to be in line to win Yamaha Senior in 2013. Pesek has two wins and two seconds on the season thus far, and has a commanding point lead over Brett Schneider. Joel Jens, Patrick Olsen and Jason Foley are third through fifth in the points entering this weekend’s events.
The battle for the Komet Pro championship and its $2,000 prize is still wide open. Tony Kart racer Jonathan Kotyk has not won a race yet, but enters New Castle 49 points ahead of Top Kart driver Patrick Olsen. Darin Marcus won day two at Kershaw and is third, while Jens and Darren Brubaker complete the top five.
New Castle gates are open to park at 8 a.m. Thursday. Pre-entry pickup will begin at 3 p.m. and pre-tech will be offered around that time, as well.
Gates open at 7 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Friday practice is slated to go off at 9 a.m. Go to http://www.worldkarting.com/downloads/eb-2013/newcastle_mc.pdf view the event entry form, which includes the daily schedules and other important information.

MENEZES REVISITS ATS FORMEL 3 CUP PODIUM WITH IMPRESSIVE OUTING AT SPA

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:12:00 -0400

Van Amersfoort Racing rising talent showcased speed and racecraft in tripleheader at famed Belgian road course

BELGIUM – Gustavo Menezes continued his early season run of form in the German-based ATS Formel 3 Cup over the weekend (May 11-12) earning a second trip to the post-race podium at the famed Circuit Spa-Francorchamps. The California teenager impressed on-lookers with both his pace and racecraft during the second tripleheader of the season, coming home with a third place finish in Round Four, a superb run from the rear of the field to fourth in Round Five, and solid seventh place in Round Six. Menezes now lies fifth in the competitive F3 title fight, ready to battle for top honors at the Nurburgring.

Menezes, having opened his 2013 European racing campaign with a podium finish in late April, was excited to return to action in the Formel 3 Cup at the world class Spa-Francorchamps road course. Unlike the season-opener in Oschersleben, the former karting star entered races four, five, and six on the series calendar with previous track experience.

Seeking to make the most of his experiences on the 4.352-mile road course in the Ardennes Forest, and what was learned in the season-opening tripleheader, Menezes and his Van Amersfoort Racing crew spent the practice sessions fine tuning his No. 5 Oakley, Safetypark/Williams Harfield Sports Group/Replayxd/Bell Helmets/ism seat/Sparco Van Amersfoort Racing steed for the high speed track. Unfortunately, a wet opening run and a battery issue in his final session ultimately prevented the 18 year-old from showcasing his true pace. That being said, both the driver and team were in good spirits ahead of the lone qualifying outing.

Menezes promptly displayed his ever-growing talents in the afternoon timed run, turning multiple quick laps en route to securing a row two starting position (P4) for race one, and a row three grid position (P5) for race three.

After an evening of debriefing and strategy, followed by a good meal and rest, Menezes was back behind the wheel ready to move forward in Round Four. Getting a clean start, the American focused on running a good pace while conserving his rear tires early on. This strategy worked to perfection, as by the midway point of the 14-lap affair Menezes began closing on the lead trio. The Van Amersfoort Racing rookie proceeded to entertain the crowd with some great side-by-side racing, before ultimately earning a well deserved third place finish, and his second trip to the ATS Formel 3 Cup podium.

Following a break to re-energize and go over any possible changes, it was time for race two of the weekend. Mother Nature decided to add a twist to the encounter, with a heavy rain shower as the field rolled on-course. Electing to gamble on the changing track conditions, Menezes pitted for a change of tires just at the field got the green. Charging out of pitlane well behind the rear of the field, it initially appeared as the gamble would not work, but Menezes kept attacking. Everything changed by lap three though, as the track conditions came to the American. Turning laps upwards of 10 seconds quicker than his fellow competitors, he not only closed the gap, but began slicing his way through the field. Menezes, in what was the drive of the day, ultimately worked his way all the way up to a staggering fourth place in the nine-lap sprint race, posting the fastest lap in the process.

Given the results of the first two races of the Spa tripleheader, Menezes was full of confidence entering Round Six. Enjoying another clean launch, the former Star Mazda Championship front-runner initially held station in fifth place. An early race 'moment' in the famed ultra high-speed Eau Rouge turn, however, shuffled Menezes down the order a few places. Regrouping as the 13-lap race progressed, he took the checkered flag in seventh, completing a very successful triple bill in Belgium.

"Overall it was a fantastic weekend with a lot of progression!" commented Menezes. "It is great to get another podium to prove that it was not just a one time show at Oschersleben. I'm looking forward to making my way to the top step of the podium in the future. The next race is in just a few days during the 24 hours of Nurburgring, where we will be working hard to bring more podiums home and raise that American flag!"

Menezes and his talented Van Amersfoort Racing crew have little time to reflect on the three races at Spa, as the ATS Formel 3 Cup championship fight resumes on May 18-19, with three races at the Nurburgring as part of the prestigious 24 Hours of Nurburgring event. The American up-and-comer enters the tripleheader at the historic German road course currently fifth in the points fight.

Additional information on Gustavo Menezes can be obtained from his personal website - GustavoMenezes.com - or by following him on Twitter at FollowGustavo and on Facebook at GustavoMenezes28. For direct contact, please visit GustavoMenezes.com/contact

About Gustavo Menezes:
At just 18 years-of-age, Santa Monica, California’s Gustavo Menezes is considered one of the most promising young race drivers in America. Menezes began racing in karts at the age of six, earning multiple championships, both at the regional and national level. In 2009 and 2010, Menezes contested an international schedule that included the WSK International Series and various major events in Europe and the United States, running for Italian karting manufacturer Tony Kart in the KF3 and KF2 categories. Menezes made his full-time junior formula car debut in 2011, earning one podium result en route to finishing eighth in the Star Mazda Championship as one of the youngest racers in the series. He additional ran a limited Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS campaign, securing multiple top-10s. Last season, he returned to the Star Mazda Championship, securing two top-fives and 12 top-10s. Menezes is contesting the 2013 edition of the ATS Formel 3 Cup with multiple series champion Van Amersfoort Racing.

ROOKIE MUNOZ TOPS PRACTICE FOR 97th INDIANAPOLIS 500

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:08:40 -0400

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Carlos Munoz, who breezed through Indianapolis 500 ROP a day earlier, topped the speed chart on the second day of practice for the 97th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

The Firestone Indy Lights point leader, who hopes to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Firestone Freedom 100 in the same weekend, recorded a lap of 223.023 mph (40.3545 seconds) in the Chevrolet-powered No. 26 Unistraw car.

Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, an Indy 500 front-row starter last May, was second-fastest (222.825 mph), while E.J. Viso (222.523) was third in the No. 5 Team Venezuela entry. Marco Andretti (222.485 mph) checked in fourth in No. 25 RC Cola entry.

AJ Allmendinger and a strong tow impeded James Hinchcliffe from completing an Andretti Autosport top-five sweep during the second day of practice. Allmendinger, who also completed ROP in short fashion May 11, got more comfortable with the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske car and posted a fast lap of 221.279 mph.

The afternoon of May 13 is reserved for practice, with Conor Daly participating in the three-phase Rookie Orientation Program earlier in the day in the No. 41 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing. Pippa Mann in the No. 63 Dale Coyne Racing car is scheduled to go through a refresher program.

The top 17 cars were separated by less than a second.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:

At noon, the ambient temperature was 51 degrees with a relative humidity of 39 percent and winds from the west-northwest at 12 mph. Skies were mostly sunny. The track temperature was 78 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

12:04 p.m. - GREEN. #25 Andretti first on track, followed by #27 Hinchcliffe and #8T Briscoe. #25 All three drivers re-entered pits from back stretch without completing a lap.
12:53 p.m. - YELLOW. Debris.
1:04 p.m. - GREEN.

***

There will be no refresher tests or Rookie Orientation Program participants today, so the track will remain open until 6 p.m. for veterans and those rookies who have completed ROP.

***

2:18 p.m.-YELLOW. Track inspection.
2:26 p.m. - GREEN.
2:35 p.m. - YELLOW. Debris in Turn 4.
2:40 p.m. - GREEN.
3:39 p.m.-YELLOW. Debris.
3:42 p.m. - GREEN.

At 4:45 p.m., the ambient temperature was 58 degrees with a relative humidity of 31 percent and winds from the southwest at 8 mph. Skies were mostly sunny. The track temperature was 92 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

4:49 p.m. -- #5 Viso fastest at 222.298, fastest lap of month. Viso was in a tow line with Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti and Carlos Munoz.

4:51 p.m. - YELLOW. Track inspection.
5:02 p.m. - GREEN.
5:08 p.m. -- #1 Hunter-Reay fastest at 222.825, fastest lap of month. Hunter-Reay was in a tow line with Andretti Autosport teammates EJ Viso, Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe and Carlos Munoz.

5:11 p.m. -- #26 Munoz fastest at 223.023, fastest lap of month. Munoz was running at end of five-car tow line with Andretti Autosport teammates EJ Viso, Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

5:16 p.m. -- IZOD IndyCar Series officials have penalized #25 Andretti with a drive-through penalty for a pit speed violation at pit in.

6 p.m. - CHECKERED. End of practice. #26 Carlos Munoz was fastest at 223.023 mph.

***

The last rookie to lead an Indianapolis 500 practice day was Josef Newgarden on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the fifth day of practice for the 96th Indianapolis 500. Newgarden led that day at 222.785 mph.

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

Pos. Car Name Time Speed

1. 26 Carlos Munoz* 40.3545 223.023
2. 1 Ryan Hunter-Reay 40.3905 222.825
3. 5 E.J. Viso 40.4453 222.523
4. 25 Marco Andretti 40.4521 222.485
5. 2 AJ Allmendinger* 40.6726 221.279

* -- Rookie

DAY 2 NOTEBOOK:

Any veteran driver who did not participate in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 is required to take a refresher test. Veteran drivers on the entry list who did not participate in the 2012 race: #63 Pippa Mann, #91 Buddy Lazier.

The refresher test consists of the final two phases of the Rookie Orientation Program: 15 laps at 205-209 mph and 15 laps at 210 mph-plus.

***

Panther Racing and driver JR Hildebrand will undergo a makeover for the 97th Indianapolis 500, as the team's No. 4 National Guard Chevrolet will showcase a "Soldier of Steel" livery. The new color scheme highlights the National Guard's "Soldier of Steel" recruiting campaign designed around the launch of Warner Brothers' upcoming blockbuster Superman movie release, "Man of Steel."

Hildebrand will join teammate Townsend Bell as both drivers attempt to qualify for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," a race in which Panther has finished runner-up in four of the last five years.

The National Guard's "Soldier of Steel" recruitment program and advertising campaign will take place during the next month as a lead up to the release of Warner Brothers' "Man of Steel" movie. The campaign will include in-theater advertising, promotional events, displays, online, mobile, social media, print publications and more. The "Man of Steel" movie, which stars Henry Cavill as Superman, Kevin Costner, Amy Adams and Russell Crowe will hit theaters June 14.

Panther's traditional black, red and ACU camouflage livery will change to blue and red, and includes the texture featured on Superman's suit in "Man of Steel." The likeness of Cavill, in Superman costume, is featured prominently on the sidepod of the No. 4 car, and the Superman "S" glyph will be on the nose of Panther's Indy car.

JR HILDEBRAND: "Representing the National Guard is a huge honor for all of us at Panther, and being able to come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 'Soldier of Steel' paint scheme is another great way for us to do that. There's a pretty seamless connection between these soldiers and Superman; they're both just ordinary citizens serving their community. So for us being able to compete in an iconic event like the Indianapolis 500 in Superman colors is just another way to highlight all the unbelievable things the National Guard does for this country. For us, the soldiers have always been the real superheroes."

***

KV Racing Technology announced today that GEICO will be an associate sponsor on the No. 11 HYDROXYCUT - KV Racing - SH Racing car for the 2013 Indianapolis 500. This will be the sixth consecutive year that GEICO has sponsored a KV Racing Technology car at the Indy 500.

2005 Indianapolis 500 pole winner Tony Kanaan drives the No. 11 car.

JIMMY VASSER (Co-owner, KV Racing Technology): "KVRT and GEICO have worked closely together over the past six years, and we're excited to have them back again this year. This gives us the opportunity to maintain a relationship that is extremely important to us as a team."

***

Indianapolis 500 rookie Conor Daly finished fifth in the GP3 race today at Barcelona, Spain. He finished third in the GP3 race Saturday at Barcelona.

Daly, from nearby Noblesville, Ind., is expected to be on track Monday in the No. 41 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Dallara/Honda/Firestone.

***

2012 Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ryan Briscoe finished second in the LMP2 class to teammate Marino Franchitti, the younger brother of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, in the American Le Mans Series race Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Briscoe is expected to be on track today in the No. 8 NTT DATA Dallara/Honda/Firestone fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing.

Indianapolis 500 veteran Townsend Bell finished fourth in the GT class at Laguna Seca. Bell is driving the No. 60 Sunoco "Turbo" Panther Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone this month for Panther Racing.

***

Indianapolis resident Emily Sylvester, a mother and longtime Indianapolis 500 ticket holder, was the honorary starter today on Mother's Day. Seven of her family members watched as she waved the green flag to open practice.

Sylvester and members of her family have been ticket holders at the "500" for the last 44 years. Their first seats were in Tower Terrace, not far from where she waved the green flag adjacent to pit lane today.

EMILY SYLVESTER: "It was a very special feeling. My mother passed away suddenly last November 19 at age 89. She was a race fan, and we always got together at race time with my Dad, four generations of us. It's very special for us on Mother's Day. It's in memory of her."

***

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing enters the 97th Indianapolis 500 after just recently moving into its new 38,000 square-foot facility on Main Street in Speedway, Ind., about one-half mile from the main gate of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team's old facility was on Rockville Road in Indianapolis.

ANDY O'GARA (Team manager, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing): "Long term, we feel really good about the advantages of the new building. Short term, the last four weeks have been crazy, utter chaos, in moving. There have been no changes on the shop floor. The guys are working just as hard as ever; they are prepared, and the cars are looking as good as ever. I stayed behind from the Brazil race to make the transition a lot easier and to get the departments set up properly. Everybody has been working hard. We have made big strides in the past two weeks. The facility is more about the future. We are positioned very well for the future. We are doing more and more in house; we are expecting two CNC machines soon."

***

The 2013 Celebration of Automobiles featured many of the world's finest classic/vintage automobiles on display Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with a 1929 Duesenberg, 1957 Bentley, 1936 Delahaye and 1930 Stutz earning coveted Best of Show designation in four separate categories.

Now in its third year after a highly successful debut in 2011 held in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, the Celebration of Automobiles pays tribute to the rich heritage of automotive development at the track for more than 100 years.

Other Celebration of Automobiles award winners:

Best of Show Pre-War: 1929 Duesenberg J Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton - Charles Lettes, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Best of Show Post-War: 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Coupe - Roger Eiteljorg, Indianapolis

Best of Show Foreign: 1936 Delahaye 135 Competition Figoni - Roger Willbanks, Denver

Best of Show American: 1930 Stutz SV 16 Monte Carlo - Joseph and Margie Cassini, West Orange, N.J.

Indianapolis 500 Drivers Choice Award: 1937 Delahaye 145 - Peter Mullin, Oxnard, Calif.

Best Full Classic Presented by the Indiana Region of the Classic Car Club of America: 1930 Stutz SV 16 Monte Carlo - Joseph and Margie Cassini, West Orange, N.J.

Best Indiana Built Car Presented by the Auto Clubs Council of Indiana: 1931 Marmon V16 Convertible Coupe - Greg Dawson, Indianapolis

Media's Choice Award: 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 SI Spyder - Don and Diane Meluzio, Yorktown, Pa.

People's Choice Award: 1948 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible - Greg Ornazian, Troy, Mich.

Vintage Motorsport Trophy: 1932 Hupmobile Hup Comet Indy Race Car - Greg Ornazian, Troy, Mich.

Best Chevrolet Award: 1958 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster Convertible - Albert Cavallaro, Westlake, Ohio

The Mayor's Choice Award: 1958 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster Convertible - Albert Cavallaro, Westlake, Ohio

***

Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 21 Sarah Fisher Hartman/Century 21 Dallara/Honda/Firestone, is sporting a new helmet design for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 that features the #Indy500orBust Twitter hashtag that is the center of a social media promotional campaign for this year's race. Newgarden has been instrumental in heavily promoting the campaign.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: "It's definitely a cool way to run a helmet for this year. The whole #Indy500or Bust thing has been a very cool program and campaign. I have been trying to put as many photos up as I can throughout the last couple of months with the #Indy500orBust signs. So, for me, it was just fitting to make a helmet that had that theme. It's an awesome campaign. We've got a couple more ideas to promote the cause and a couple of videos coming out - hopefully next week - which I think will be funny and people will like them. It's a cool program. I love being involved in it. It is definitely true to the meaning. It IS Indy 500 or bust. You are here to show up, and you are going to fight trying." (Who designed the helmet?): "Brett King Designs does all of my helmets. He does such a great job, so he came up with the design for it and made it look really good. He is really an impressive, creative dude. He does all of my helmets and all of my designs for me. I gave him the #Indy500orBust decals and said 'Let's do something with this,' and he basically came up with a very cool design that showed it off really well in the chin, and he made it look as good as it does."

***

Despite air temperatures in the 50s and stiff winds today, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing co-owner Sarah Fisher said teams can still do valuable work during practice.

SARAH FISHER (co-owner, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing): "There's a lot you can accomplish on a day like this. You have to balance it out with other readings through the week, what the differences are and then make sure you compensate. If you are weather tracking (data), you have to keep up with the conditions so you're doing a good job of that. It's just colder, takes a little longer to get the car up to temp. You can get a lot done even if it's cold, especially if Race Day is like this because you really never know what Race Day will bring."

***

1981 Indianapolis 500 starter Bob Lazier talked about the team that he formed to field an entry in this year's Indianapolis 500 for his son Buddy Lazier, the 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner.

Buddy Lazier will drive the No. 91 Lazier Partners Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone fielded by Lazier Partners Racing Inc. 2000 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Lazier last raced in the "500" in 2008, qualifying 32nd and finishing 17th in a Hemelgarn Johnson Racing entry. He failed to qualify in 2009. Lazier has made 16 previous starts at Indianapolis, with five top-five finishes, including the victory in 1996.

Lazier Partners Racing Inc. purchased a 2012 Dallara chassis from Lotus, the car that Jean Alesi drove for Fan Force United in the 2012 Indianapolis 500.

BOB LAZIER: "You know, we didn't have to go through a whole bunch. Everybody that we worked with, they were just wonderful. Chevrolet worked with us all the way. We bought the car from Lotus, and they were wonderful with us. Dallara, anything they could do; they wanted to help. Buddy's got a great reputation of being an incredible race car driver but equally important is he's a really nice human being. People really want to help him out. This has been a wonderful experience." (About the timeline for putting the team together): "It came together pretty rapidly. We started thinking about what we were going to do in November. We started to put things together. We started to work with Lotus. Last year, Buddy was Jean Alesi's (driver) coach, and Jean was just thrilled with Buddy. The two of them have a great friendship. That's when we started asking if we could do something to buy, at a favorable price, the Lotus car, the Dallara. It took us a couple, three months to get that done. Mid-March is when we really officially had everything ready to go. But Buddy's been training for about a year and a half. He thought he was going to be able to jump in a car last year, maybe the backup car for Jean. So he's in super shape. He's ready to go." (On the crew the team has pulled together, including Buddy's crew chief from Hemelgarn Racing): "Dennis LaCava, who is Buddy's crew chief, this guy is in a league of his own. He's wonderful. Buddy wouldn't have it any other way. We also got Eric Bachelart and his crew to help us. Eric is team manager; he's actually a consultant to us. He's actually doing it with Dennis. We have a team of all people we've all known. They're all very qualified. There isn't a lot of direction needed. These guys just jump in and get it done. It's really wonderful."

***

Many school groups take field trips to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during May. But Carter Boles, 10, from Zionsville, Ind., will have a special attraction Monday during his trip to IMS with Mrs. Jane Wiley's fourth-grade class at Heritage Christian School - his older brother Conor Daly will be participating in the Rookie Orientation Program for the 97th Indianapolis 500.

CARTER BOLES: (You've been on a lot of field trips, but this will have to be one of the neatest, right?): "Yep, that's right. Tomorrow my class is coming and going to watch Conor do his laps. It's going to be fun." (How cool do your classmates think it is that your brother is trying to qualify for the Indy 500?): "It's really cool because everyone's saying: 'I saw your brother. They were talking about him on the radio and the TV. It's going to be so cool. I wish I could go.' And they finally get to go to watch him." (If your brother doesn't win the Indy 500, who do you want to win?): "Tony Kanaan."

***

Since it launched March 1, the #Indy500orBust hashtag has received 46.3 million impressions on Twitter, with 7.8 million impressions alone on Opening Day, Saturday, May 11.

The #Indy500orBust marketing campaign encourages fans to upload pictures of their personal journeys to "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Photos can depict either their actual trip to IMS every May or important parts of their life that attracted them to the great race.

Fans can use a special artwork kit, including instructions and art, for a homemade #Indy500or Bust cardboard sign to be featured in their uploaded photos. The sign is the focal point of the campaign and will appear on billboards, in print and be referenced throughout Month of May activities at IMS.

Instagram users can upload photos and tag themselves on an interactive map with a special hashtag, #Indy500orBust. Fans who claim their photos will have the chance to win an Ultimate VIP Experience at the 2014 Indianapolis 500.

The campaign has reached more than 3.4 million users on Instagram.

For more information, visit www.Indy500orBust.com.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "Very gusty conditions today and cold at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We had a list of items we wanted to run through for the Target team. We achieved what we wanted to in a short amount of time and wrapped up early. The real work starts tomorrow."

SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda): "It always feels like an impressive place when we're at IMS. We reach our fastest speeds of the year here with our Honda power, and I really enjoy it. I'm coming here at a completely different level in my head compared to last year, so I'm approaching it in a completely different way. We did a program today and had two good runs. We know where we sit, and we know what to do. There are a few things that we can do to make sure I feel the HP car a little more, but we have a great baseline from last year."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "We had a pretty basic day today with the weather being so cold. We just had some pretty basic changes we needed to get done with the car. Overall, a short and sweet day at the track."

E.J. VISO (No. 5 Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM Chevrolet): "Well, first day on track, back to historical Indianapolis. Very happy to be here. This is my second home during the year, and I'm very proud to be part of the team. I think the job we've done as a team has been impressive. These guys have put together a fast setup for us for this year. Today we realized we actually went pretty fast; we had a good car on our own and a good car in traffic. I think it's going to be a flawless and smooth month, and I'm really looking forward to it."

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 21T Sarah Fisher Hartman/Century 21 Honda): "We got through a good little program today. We were able to accomplish what we needed to as far as changes. We had good, clean solo running in good dry conditions, and that's what we wanted to do todayto get through a couple of setup items and check those off the list. We're finishing the day a little early, but we had productive day, for sure. We can go into the week now feeling good about what we've done these first few days. It was a little cold this morning. We had a lot more downforce than yesterday to start, but it evened out as the afternoon went on. It's was windy into Turn 1 and 2, which made it a little difficult, but no real issues out there. It's been fun."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet): "So far the RC Cola car is not quite on pace with my teammates, but I'm not too worried being this early in the month. We put in some good laps and got a lot out of today's practice. We're working a lot on trying to find a good setup that will put us up front. A lot of improvements have been made since last year's DW12, so I'm pleased with where things are going right now."

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): "Yesterday we had a good day and got through everything we wanted to. Today we had a couple of issues we had to work through. They are not a big deal, but they got us sidetracked off our game plan a little. I still feel decent about where our Fuzzy's car is at right now. At the same time, we were hoping to get a few more things done on our planning list today. But we can make it up on Monday. I want to wish my mom (Laura) and my wife (Heather) a Happy Mother's Day. We have spent a lot of Mother's Days here at IMS over the years, and I want to thank the ladies for their continued support here."

JAMES JAKES (No. 16T Acorn Stairlifts Honda): "It was nice to get back out there and shake off the cobwebs. The Acorn Stairlifts car felt pretty good initially. We only did an installation run, really, so we didn't do much. We will take it day by day and build up the running and prepare for qualifying."

MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. (No. 17 Office Depot Honda): "It's great to be back in the car. The feel of the speed is not as big as it was last year after not being in an Indy car in eight years, but it is still big, so I took my time getting up to speed as planned. For me, the goal today was to run flat out, get my confidence back up, get a good feel. We only did a little bit of running. Tomorrow (race engineer) Bruno (Couprie) and more of the team arrives, so I feel like we did what we had to do for the first day, and I am happy about it. Now we have all week to get a little faster and get the Office Depot car up to speed."

AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet): "Another day in the learning process today, and we got a couple different things tested in the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet that should be helpful as we move on. We did a couple of short runs and a full-tank run so I could see how the car would feel, and I am getting more comfortable with it. To a certain degree, I also got to see how the car is going to react in traffic, and I thought that was really good. Obviously, the cold conditions are a little different than what we will probably have for the race. But to do a race run, the car felt pretty good, and I'm happy with the progress we made."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15T Midas/Big O Tires Honda): "We have a little work to do to make the Midas/Big O Tires car a little more comfortable to drive. We didn't get a tow and were running a lot of downforce compared to the rest of the guys, so I'm not concerned with a comparison just yet. At the end of the day, we will be just fine."

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet): "We just opened our account. It was nice to get out here and run some laps, but this was mainly just a shakedown for us. The National Guard car felt fine out there, and we obviously weren't being very aggressive with the car. It's always nice to get back out to the Speedway, and we're excited about continuing our program this week."

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda): "Today was a good second day. We shook the primary car down and went through a couple of changes. It's still early in the week, and we're still trying to a handle on where the track is going to be, especially as we get closer to qualifying at the end of the week. It was a good opening weekend. Really happy with the pace of the car. As far as knowledge of what we've got heading into the week of practice, I think we feel pretty good. We've got a good foundation and keep working on the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car and get quicker all the time. The guys have been really good on practice pit stops. We'll keep working on that, too, because I know they'll be rock solid on Race Day."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 8, 8T NTT DATA Honda): "It's really exciting. I just can't begin to tell you how excited I was when Chip (Ganassi) gave me the call. I knew this was going to happen. I feel very lucky to be here. Certainly going to go out and do my best. Try to make the most of it. It was great to get out there. We were able to shake down the T car and the primary at the end. So we basically got through exactly what we wanted to do. Both cars feel great. The boys have done a great job preparing them both. When I went out tonight, it was like I never left driving Indy cars. It just felt normal. It feels good to be back in the groove of things and looking forward to doing more tomorrow. The first part of the week is usual. Everyone is out doing race runs. There will be lots of cars on track; there will be drafts. You'll have to look at the average of lap times. There are some guys who are better at getting tow laps and posting big times, and then all of a sudden you're qualifying with nobody on track and you see surprises." (About not driving for Penske anymore): "Take a second take when I see the No. 2 car go by every now and again, but, you know, it's just racing. I caught up with Roger (Penske) in Long Beach, and it's just the way things go down. I'm just looking forward. It's great for me having this opportunity. Hopefully for next year we can try to be back here full time. You never know what's around the next corner. You just have to keep with it and stay positive. It's such a small community of people and so many guys that I worked with at Penske are at Ganassi, as well. And the rest of them I know from having raced at Ganassi in 2005. It's so important in this business not to hold grudges, not to burn bridges. You just have to go out there and be professional and just keep doing what we do. I feel like I have a place in IndyCar, and I just have to go out and do a good job."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): "It's just so great to be back at Indy. The feeling the first day on track is pretty special. Like you say, Andretti Autosport has had a good season so far, and we certainly had a strong run. But all of that has nothing to do with Indy. You start over here. We really don't know where we stack up yet compared to everybody because we haven't had a full field out there yet. Today was a good day to just check some things off the list and run through some of the bigger changes, trying to understand a few things that we were looking at during the winter. Then we had a chance to run with the teammates, which was kind of interesting at times. It was fun, though. It was fun just getting back in that rhythm of running in traffic at Indy. This place is so special for so many reasons. It really drives like no other racetrack. It was good to get back in it, shake a little rust off at Indy and get ready for the week." (On how the team tries to forecast and plan for the rest of the week): "With these cars, the way IndyCar is now, you have no idea who's done what in the offseason. To tell you the truth, what we saw last year from Ganassi and Honda, you had no idea that was going to happen on Race Day. I think qualifying will be one show, then the race. You have no idea what anybody has until you get there."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet): "The last time we all ran together on an oval was last September, so to get out there with all the other guys was a good starting point. It was really just, more than anything, blowing some of the cobwebs off ourselves as drivers running in a draft at a place as tricky as the Speedway. I think it's a good starting point. There's obviously a lot of work to do; we've got some things we want to try, and I think you'll see us running together a lot over the week." (About different mindsets of running on ovals and road courses): "I think you've got to have a lot of respect for each other and the racetrack when you're here, certainly. Because the speeds we are going are just so much greater than on a road course. Also the nature of the racetrack - it's just one groove, and it's a very sensitive place to race. We're showing each other a lot of respect out there right now, but we've got to keep doing it and working to make sure we can be aggressive as we need to be on Sunday (Race Day)."

CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 Unistraw Chevrolet): "It is nice to be in the top (of the charts). It was in the tow, and I think I had a little bit better tow than my teammates. But, for sure, we have a long ways to go. I'm still learning a lot, especially on the grooves. I have a great car. It allowed me to be more confident. I have great teammates that helped me a lot. They say to me what I am doing wrong or stuff like that." (About running in the grass in Turn 1): "It was just a misunderstanding. Inside the turn I went into the dirt; it was close. In the race, I'm going to have those situations. I had two tires in the grass, so I was lucky to continue. After that, I was more comfortable behind the guys."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): "I think it was another good, productive day. We didn't get to do everything we wanted, but at least consistent weather gave us quite a good platform. We aren't quite where we want to be with correcting the data, so we're not looking at the absolute speed we want. Some of the drivers are doing the 'tows' and all of that in groups, but that's not what we want to do. We were working on running alone, correcting things and working on our platform. We're just working slowly and progressing. We're getting to car closer to what we like, but it's only halfway. We will changes engines tonight, so it will be a new day tomorrow."

***

Indianapolis 500 veteran Pippa Mann continues to prepare to turn her first laps during this month in the No. 63 Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Mann finished 20th as a rookie in the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

PIPPA MANN: "It's been really, really busy for the Dale Coyne Racing guys. They are normally a two-car team, and they don't have a lot of spare chassis floating around. They got back from Brazil on Wednesday, and they have been trying to change over the two main drivers' cars for Justin (Wilson) and Ana (Beatriz) here. Then they have been trying to build up their spare car for me to be ready to go. It's a process that's taken a little more time. We decided today to spend extra time getting the seat to fit right for me. Every racetrack when you're driving, the seat has to be right - even the Indy Lights in a 100-mile race. And this is a 500-mile race. If the seat ain't right, you're going to be sore the next day. The banking at this track is very low so you are actually in the corners for a fairly short amount of time. The G-loading doesn't feel as bad as Texas Motor Speedway, where you are continually turning and continually facing large G-forces for a large portion of the lap." (About requirement to take refresher test): "One of the reasons we were working hard this afternoon was to prepare for that. IndyCar officials gave us the option of doing that this afternoon, but we went back to them so we could do it in the morning (Monday) with Conor Daly when he does his ROP (Rookie Orientation Program). They said, 'No problem,' so I will go through the veteran refresher program in the morning. The reason for that is that I missed last year's race, and I have yet to run here in a DW12 chassis. This is a tough place, but it's a fun place. I'm glad to be back."

***

Thirty-one cars have passed technical inspection. Twenty-nine drivers have been on the track to date and turned 730 laps today and 1,210 laps this month. Carlos Munoz turned 70 laps today, most of any driver. There were five cautions for a total of 36 minutes today.

Twynham secures second F3 Open podium at Portimao

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:06:35 -0400

Cameron Twynham emerged from a challenging European F3 Open encounter at Portimao Circuit last weekend with a podium finish and further valuable experience as he continues his maiden season of international motorsport.

Piloting a Team West-Tec-prepared Dallara F308 in the series’ Copa Class, 17-year-old Twynham arrived at the Portuguese venue in optimistic mood having won on-debut at last month's Paul Ricard event.

And the Market Harborough racer was quick to re-establish his place among the front-runners in Saturday's opening qualifying session. Despite encountering traffic on his fastest lap Twynham was within 0.03s of pole, securing third on the grid and boosting his hopes that better was to come in the race.

When the lights went out Twynham produced a textbook start to immediately snatch second place. However, after keeping pace with the class leader early on, he would begin to suffer from brake issues eight laps in that forced him to ease off. Fortunately the West-Tec man had built a healthy lead over his nearest pursuer, allowing him to manage the gap and secure his second podium in as many race weekends.

Traffic again played a role in Sunday's second qualifying session, with Twynham this time taking fourth on the grid after a red flag spoiled his new-tyre run.

Unfortunately Twynham’s frustrations would not end there as a race-long technical issue severely hampered his progress. The West-Tec driver noticed a throttle problem surfacing on the warm-up lap and, though he was able to climb to P2 with another perfect start, the issue prevailed throughout the race, forcing Twynham to drive at reduced speed and settle for a frustrating seventh position.

But despite the trials faced throughout the weekend the 17-year-old was able to take encouragement from a second podium in F3 machinery and a great deal of pace when the car ran well. What’s more, he will be able to take the experiences of Portimao forward as he continues to make the quick adjustment to international competition.

"Overall I'm pleased with how the weekend went, despite some challenging circumstances and a frustrating result on Sunday," said Twynham. "The opening race was one of my best to date and I'm sure I could have taken the fight to the leader had my brakes not faded. Naturally I'm not thrilled by how race two panned out, but we’ll take what we’ve learned on-board and hopefully be better prepared for it. The most important thing is that we have the pace. If we can iron out a few of the technical issues we’ll be very strong.

"Next up we’re at the Nürburgring which I'm really looking forward to. It's a great venue with a lot of history so I'm keen to fight for the victory and make up ground on the championship leader."

Now placed third in the Copa Class standings, Cameron will be back behind the wheel in three weeks' time at the German Grand Prix venue (1/2 June).

Daly on the Podium in Barcelona

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:13:41 -0400

American Conor Daly made the charge of the day this afternoon in Barcelona, Spain when he came from three seconds behind with two laps to go to finish just .9 of a second behind race winner, Teo Ellinas. Second place was also squeezed in the middle as the three podium finishers crossed the line one behind the other.

"These races are all about tire conservation and I spent the whole race just on the edge and almost afraid to push too hard," said Daly. "If I had one more lap the result could have been very different but a podium is probably not too bad a start to the season."

Race two will take place on Sunday morning at 9:25AM local time in Barcelona, Spain.

Daly heads for Barcelona and Indianapolis

Thu, 9 May 2013 09:09:47 -0400

American Conor Daly's GP3 campaign starts this weekend in Barcelona Spain. He will drive for a second season with French based ART Grand Prix and travels to Spain arguably as well prepared for a season as at any time in his career.
It will not be the first race of the 2013 season for Daly as he competed for Hilmer Motorsport in the opening rounds of the GP2 championship in Malaysia, March 23rd-24th. Daly made an impressive debut scoring championship points and setting the second fastest race lap.
Since the finish of the 2012 GP3 season Daly has been racing and testing a large variety of race cars including, World Series Renault 3.5, MRF Challenge, GP2, Formula One and Indycar, in addition to eight days of GP3 testing in the new V6 400 HP Dallara.
"I've had a busy off season and I have a great team with ART," said Daly. "I know what I have to do, what's expected and look forward to the challenge."
Daly's travel schedule will be hectic as usual as he will leave Spain immediately after the Sunday morning race and head to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to start preparations for the 97th running of the Indy 500. Daly will miss the official rookie orientation program on Saturday/Sunday May 11th-12th, but will be allowed to complete the initial phases of his rookie program on Monday morning before the track becomes officially active at 12:00 PM.
"I'll have a full night's sleep in my own bed before I sit in the Indycar so I'll be rested and ready," said Daly. "I'll rely heavily on the AJ Foyt team to guide me through the steps of learning the Speedway and I'll spend as much time as I feel I need becoming comfortable before trying to explore the potential performance levels of the car. This is a big event for me and I'm really stoked and ready."
Daly's GP3 schedule opened up the opportunity to race at the Indy 500 because the Monaco GP3 races were cancelled this year in favor of running the final races of the GP3 championship in Abu Dhabi in November.

VBrick continues its support of Conor Daly

Wed, 8 May 2013 08:10:54 -0400

Indianapolis, IN - American race car driver Conor Daly is pleased to announce that VBrick Systems Inc., an American company that specializes in streaming video solutions, will continue to support him for the 2013 racing season. In addition to Daly's GP3 program that will span eight countries, VBrick will also support his debut at the 2013 Indianapolis 500. VBrick's sponsorship will include partnering with Daly to produce high definition live video events via the internet that will provide sponsors and fans with unprecedented live access to Conor and his race teams.

Daly will carry the VBrick branding on his helmets, racing suits and on his ART Grand Prix prepared GP3 car.

"I very much look forward to working with VBrick again this year. Last year we did a cool live video event from the Sahara Force India Formula One factory during the British Grand Prix weekend that gave fans direct live access to me via Twitter and I look forward to taking that up a notch this year," said Daly. "My fans around the world will have live access to me from some of the world's greatest sports venues. It's going to be really cool."

VBrick will kick-off Daly's coverage by connecting Conor's fans to behind-the-scenes action from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May.

"VBrick is proud to continue its sponsorship of Conor Daly." said Shelly Heiden, CEO of VBrick. "Motorsport at this level is about deep technology, precision, reliability, and speed. Conor brings these attributes together with his teams to deliver winning results. VBrick brings these same attributes to deliver results for some of the world's largest organizations. It's a really great fit."

About VBrick:
VBrick has over fifteen years of experience providing scalable solutions for the management and distribution of streaming media to global enterprises, governments, and educational institutions. VBrick provides unique solutions to capture, encode, manage, distribute and display media on any device from the cloud and across any network. Headquartered in Herndon, VA, VBrick is backed by Menlo Ventures, Morgan Stanley Ventures, Redshift Ventures, Adams Capital Management, Acme Nova Partners, and others. For more information, visit www.vbrick.com.

Daly, will drive for the French based ART Grand Prix team who are arguably Europe's best junior team. Twelve of the current Formula One grid have passed through the ART development system including; Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado, Paul DiResta, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg.

Daly will make his debut at the Indianapolis 500 as part of the AJ Foyt Racing team. The Indianapolis 500 will be seen live on multiple networks around the world and all GP3 races will be televised live throughout the European continent on Sky Sports.

SCOTT BRAND BECOMES TITLE SPONSOR FOR ARCA SERIES RACE AT ROAD AMERICA

Wed, 8 May 2013 08:06:29 -0400

ELKHART LAKE, WI - Officials from Kimberly-Clark Professional, Road America and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) announced today that SCOTT® Brand products will serve as title sponsor for the 2013 ARCA Racing Series event presented by Menards at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The SCOTT® 160 will be Saturday, June 22, 2013, and will be the inaugural ARCA Racing Series event at Road America. ARCA's visit to the four-mile Road America road course will be run in conjunction with the NASCAR Nationwide Series as a same-day doubleheader.

Kimberly-Clark Professional and the SCOTT® brand have partnered with ARCA series sponsor Menards to participate in the ARCA Racing series. SCOTT® Brand is an official sponsor of the ARCA series, ARCA Rookie Challenge and the SCOTT® 160 Title Race.

"We are looking forward to working in partnership with Menards to sponsor the inaugural ARCA race held at Road America," said Heather Richmond, Kimberly-Clark Professional's Customer Marketing Manager for Hardware, Home Improvement and Paint Channel. "This exciting opportunity gives us a great venue to introduce our new SCOTT® 'Just Add Yellow' campaign targeted at the contractor and do-it-yourself markets."

Series officials, along with Road America track President George Bruggenthies, are excited about the addition of one of the country's finest road-racing facilities to the ARCA schedule.

"We're fortunate to have a corporate sponsor help bring the ARCA Racing Series to Road America," said Bruggenthies. "We're looking to make the ARCA event an annual stop on their schedule and ours. The stock car doubleheader should be a really entertaining event for the fans."

"Menards is a Wisconsin-based retailer and the east central Wisconsin market is a great fit for Menards retail market footprint," said Mark Gundrum, Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Partnerships. "A combined effort by ARCA, the track, and Menards, to welcome SCOTT® as a vendor partner allows this to happen this summer."

The SCOTT® 160 race is scheduled as the ninth of 21 races in ARCA's 2013 season. The complete schedule can be found at arcaracing.com.

About Kimberly Clark: Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries.

About ARCA: The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.

About Road America: Established in 1955 as the first permanent road racing course in the United States, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world's best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit for over 55 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Blain's Farm & Fleet Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, visit www.roadamerica.com Follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.

Daly back testing for Sahara Force India

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:07:09 -0400

About one week before he climbs into a GP3 car for the opening rounds of the season in Barcelona, May 10-12th, American Conor Daly will spend Wednesday, May 1st doing aero testing in Sahara Force India's 2013 F1 car. The test will take place at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire, England. Formula One testing has resumed at the Imperial War Museum facility having been suspended since Marussia test driver, Maria de Villota suffered serious injuries in a crash while testing there in July 2012.
Daly will have a new seat made at the Sahara Force India factory on Monday prior to a simulator session on Tuesday.
"These sessions are vital data gathering times for F1 teams and I'm glad to be able to assist. F1 cars are very complex machines and the day provides me with a great opportunity to learn many of the systems," said Daly.
This will be Daly's third F1 test session having taken part in two last season. Sahara Force India is keen to complete this first areo session before the start of the European season in Spain. Formula One teams are allowed to do four aero test sessions during the season.
Daly has either tested or raced a remarkable variety of race cars in the past 12 months including; Formula 3, GP3, GP2, World Series Renault 3.5, Indy car, Formula One and in December/January he won the Indian MRF Challenge.

PODIUM DEBUT FOR MENEZES IN GERMAN-BASED ATS FORMEL 3 CUP

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:03:20 -0400

American up-and-comer overcame wet conditions in Oschersleben to finish third in first series start with Van Amersfoort Racing

GERMANY – Junior formula car up-and-comer Gustavo Menezes wasted little time making his presence felt in the 2013 edition of the ATS Formel 3 Cup over the weekend (April 27-28). Driving for multiple series champion Van Amersfoort Racing, the 18 year-old Californian finished third in the season-opening race at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, and followed that up with a pair of six place results in races two and three. Menezes as a result exits the first of nine events an impressive fourth in the title chase.
Making the full-time transition to transition to European junior formula car competition, Menezes took part in the German-based Formel 3 Cup season-opener at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben focused on starting his 2013 campaign off with strong results. Given the American entered the tripleheader with a great deal less experience around the German track than many of his counterparts - having only done a few pre-season test runs at the facility - the lone practice session was spent getting further acclimated to his new F3 surroundings and fine tuning his No. 5 Oakley, Safetypark/Williams Harfield Sports Group/Replayxd/Bell Helmets/ism seat/Sparco Van Amersfoort Racing entry. Setting the stage for what would ultimately be a success event, Menezes ended the morning run eighth on the timecharts.
When the lone qualifying run got underway later in the day, the goal was simple for Menezes...keep learning. The former karting champion and Star Mazda Championship podium finisher promptly did that, gaining valuable seat experience and data that proved important as the event progressed.
Returning to the track on Saturday for race one of the triple bill. the Formel 3 Cup drivers and teams were greeted with a wet track. Menezes, while having very little experience driving an F3 racer in the wet, was excited about the opportunity, as it provided him the chance to further showcase his talents behind the wheel. The California teenager indeed displayed great car control and pace when the race got underway, immediately vaulting up to fourth place. Continually adapting to the conditions as the race continued, Menezes eventually closed the gap to third place, passing for the position just prior to the checkered flag, earning a trip to the podium in his series debut.
Menezes had little time to enjoy the moment, however, as after a short break it was time to go racing again. Menezes, as a result of the top-eight being inverted for race two, started from sixth place. Quickly building a reputation for great starts, he was up to second by turn one. While Menezes initially held off his pursuers, a few minor mistakes in the once again tricky wet conditions allowed assorted drivers to find a way past. In the end, Menezes crossed the stripe in a strong sixth place, securing valuable points and another top-10 starting position for the weekend finale.
Getting the green flag for Round Three on a dry tack one day later, the American teenager again got away cleanly, taking over sixth place. Menezes soon found himself running alone on-course, where upon he set about running mistake-free laps. This subsequently paid off, as he began closing up on fifth place. Unfortunately, a late race problem with his gear lever slowed his progress. Menezes, electing to conserve the car, took home another strong sixth place finish when the checkered flag waved, placing him an impressive fourth in the points standings following his first-ever F3 event.
"This weekend was one of those long hard working ones that felt like it had gone on for a month," commented Menezes. "I learned so much though. I literally feel like I could write a book after all the notes I took with my engineer Gerben. I very happy that I was able to start the season like this. It is such a great and confidence boosting experience. It felt amazing when they raised the American flag on the podium here in Europe. Overall I think it was a fantastic first race weekend in the series with Van Amersfoort Racing. I'm really looking forward to the next races at Spa, which is the only race track I have competed at before. I hope we can challenge for wins. I would really like to thank all of my partners and supporters for all the help."
Menezes continues his quest for ATS Formel 3 Cup top honors with Van Amersfoort Racing on May 11-12, with three races at the historic Circuit Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Additional information on Gustavo Menezes can be obtained from his personal website - GustavoMenezes.com - or by following him on Twitter at FollowGustavo and on Facebook at GustavoMenezes28. For direct contact, please visit GustavoMenezes.com/contact

About Gustavo Menezes:
At just 18 years-of-age, Santa Monica, California’s Gustavo Menezes is considered one of the most promising young race drivers in America. Menezes began racing in karts at the age of six, earning multiple championships, both at the regional and national level. In 2009 and 2010, Menezes contested an international schedule that included the WSK International Series and various major events in Europe and the United States, running for Italian karting manufacturer Tony Kart in the KF3 and KF2 categories. Menezes made his full-time junior formula car debut in 2011, earning one podium result en route to finishing eighth in the Star Mazda Championship as one of the youngest racers in the series. He additional ran a limited Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS campaign, securing multiple top-10s. Last season, he returned to the Star Mazda Championship, securing two top-fives and 12 top-10s. Menezes is contesting the 2013 edition of the ATS Formel 3 Cup with multiple series champion Van Amersfoort Racing.

AFTERBURNER AUTOSPORT READY TO BUILD ON STRONG START TO 2013 USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:48:30 -0400

Minnesota-based squad showcasing speed, skill, and resources as it sits second in both driver and team standings

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The start of the 2013 race season has proved to be highly successful for junior formula car up-and-comer Afterburner Autosport. The Minnesota-based squad has quickly established itself as not only a contender for top honors each and every time the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda cars hit the track, but also as one of the early front-runners for the series title. Thanks to the mix of a highly skilled crew, and two rising stars behind the wheels in Wyatt Gooden and Brandon Newey, Afterburner Autosport is focused on being a team to beat for the foreseeable future.
When the 2013 quest USF2000 Championship supremacy commenced back in mid-March at the historic Sebring International Raceway in central Florida, there were a number of teams the fans and supporters of the Mazda Road to Indy series were keeping on an eye. One of those was Afterburner Autosport. With a proven record of success in the amateur F2000 ranks, having won numerous races and two SCCA National Championships, many believed the team was poised to make a move up the point charts in its third season of pro competition. Add in the bolstering of its engineering department, combined with the signing of a pair of young talents to drive, and the pieces were in place to do just that.
Following an initial foray in the off-season Cooper Winterfest series, using the opening three races of the six-race championship to gain valuable information and data, Afterburner Autosport arrived at the season-opening Sebring doubleheader a confident and excited group. Going head-to-head against multiple series race-winning teams with a great deal more pro experience, Afterburner Autosport showcased what it brings to the table. Newey, who only joined the team just prior to the twin bill, finished 12th out 31 racers in his series debut, and followed that up with an impressive 10th place result in race two. Fellow series rookie Gooden, quickly gelling with his skilled engineers and mechanics, did even better, exiting the two races with seventh and sixth place finishes.
Afterburner Autosport, like any championship-winning team, however, was not content to relax and rest on this positive start to the season. Faced with the challenge of street circuit racing for races three and four on the series calendar, both the crew and drivers rose up to met the new obstacle. Solidifying his and the teams titles aspirations, Gooden made two trips to the post-race podium celebrations with a pair of runner-up finishes. It was not though just a one man show in St. Petersburg, Fla., as Newey added a sixth place finish in race one, before securing a top-five result in race two.
"It's been a very good opening few races," stated team principal Tim Walsh. "The drivers and crew are working great together, and looking to improve in each time the cars go on track. Everyone is focused on continuing to push forward, and I have no doubt we will a see an Afterburner Autosport on the top step of the podium this season."
"It is has been a great start to the season," commented Gooden. "That being said, I know the Afterburner Autosport are going to keep working on getting even better. I can already count on Afterburner providing me with a great car, and given my engineer has had success on ovals in the past, I'm eager to get back on track."
"We're really happy with how we have started the season, and are definitely looking to build off that momentum," added Newey. "Everyone at Afterburner Autosport has been working extremely hard, and it's great to see that hard work paying off. Tim and Brian have provided a great foundation for us to work from, and I think we will be able to convert that into even more podiums for the team. I'm really looking forward to the Night Before the 500 and my first taste of oval racing."
With continued emphasis on preparation, and in turn success, Afterburner Autosport switches gears yet again for Round Five, with the lone oval on the USF2000 Championship calendar up next via the prestigious 'Night Before the Event' at Lucas Oil Raceway on May 25th. The Minnesota team enters the Indianapolis 500 weekend currently second in the team standings, with Gooden second, and Newey eighth in the driver's championship.

Additional information on Afterburner Autosport is available from the team’s website @ AfterburnerAutosport.com For direct contact, please email
afterburnerautosport@gmail.com
or call 630-251-1709.

Keep up to date via Twitter @ abautosport1 and Facebook page @ Afterburner-Autosport

Learn more about Brandon Newey at BrandonNewey.com and keep up to date via Twitter @
BNEWEY
and Facebook @ Brandon.Newey
Learn more about Wyatt Gooden at WyattGooden.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ WyattGooden and Facebook @ WyattGoodenRacing

###

About Afterburner Autosport:
Afterburner Autosport was formed in 2010 with the sole purpose of leading the way in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda competition. Under the guidance of two-time SCCA Formula Continental National Champion Brian Tomasi and fellow F2000 racer and engineer Tim Walsh, the team has over 20 years of experience in open-wheel competition. The Minnesota, Min.-based squad, having captured two podium finishes in its inaugural pro racing season in 2011, made its USF2000 Championship debut in 2012, fielding multiple cars in the top Championship class. The squad returns to the first rung of the Mazda Road to Indy program with an expanded multi-car effort in 2013.

Scholarship Winners Begin Climb up the Mazda Road to Indy

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:34:09 -0400

Braselton, GA – Skip Barber Scholarship winners will start their journey up the Mazda Road to Indy this weekend in the 2013 Skip Barber Summer Race Series opener at Virginia International Raceway.
Yago Cesario, 17 from Goiania, Brazil, is the 2012 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout winner. He joins a long line of champions that have progressed from the Karting Scholarship Shootout into INDYCAR, NASCAR, Grand-AM and ALMS to name a few.
“I am feeling great because I know that racing in the Skip Barber Race Series will improve my driving skills because the cars are the same for everybody so the only thing that makes difference is the driver,” said Cesario after his Wednesday lapping session. “Also, because many great drivers passed through the Skip Barber system, it makes me feel that I am taking the right path to Indy.”
Andre Gomes, 25, from Nashua, New Hampshire, is the first-ever Skip Barber INDYCAR Academy winner. As the first-ever winner of the shootout for drivers without professional racing experience, Gomes is making history at every turn.
“I’m extremely excited to start my race series since I’ve never raced before. I know it is going to be very challenging, long season,” said Gomes before arriving at the track. “I couldn’t have done this without Skip Barber Racing School. Not only because of the scholarship but the instruction that the help they have given me to become a better racer.”
The Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Challenge will also race at VIR this weekend. The field will feature 2012-2013 Winter Series Master’s Champion Felix Borodaty and 2012-2013 Winter Series Runner-Up Jim Wilby.
All race groups will practice and qualify on Friday, April 26. Race 1 will be on Saturday, April 27. Race 2 will be on Sunday April 28.
Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout and INDYCAR Academy
Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 Karting Scholarship Shootout and INDYCAR Academy. The shootouts will be held at Sebring International Raceway November 4-6 and 6-8, respectively. Qualification guidelines, applications and more information are available online at skipbarber.com or over the phone at 800.221.1131.

About Skip Barber Racing School

For 38 years Skip Barber Racing School, the leader in high performance driving and racing education, has operated a fully integrated system of racing schools, driving schools, racing championships, corporate events and OEM events across North America. Skip Barber Racing School provides entry-level, equal car championships. The athletes are given media exposure, expert coaching, on-track arrive and drive experience, financial awards and motorsport scholarships. The reason many people choose to race with Skip Barber Racing is because they know it is the place where the stars of tomorrow begin their careers. The Skip Barber Racing School launched the auto racing careers of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Scott Speed, A.J. Allmendinger, Raphael Matos, Spencer Pigot, Josef Newgarden and many more.

MENEZES COMMENCES QUEST FOR GERMAN F3 TITLE

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:54:36 -0400

Californian teenager set to challenge for top honors in season-opening tripleheader at Oschersleben
GERMANY – Gustavo Menezes commences the next step of his burgeoning motorsports career this weekend (April 27-28), when the American up-and-comer contests the opening races of the highly-competitive German-based ATS Formel 3 Cup. Joining forces with three-time series champion Van Amersfoort Racing, the California teenager is focused on not only challenging for wins at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, but starting his quest for the Rookie of the Year award and series title in fine fashion.
Right from the very first time Menezes got behind the wheel of a race car, he has wanted to reach the upper echelon of the sport and be a world champion. That being the case, the 18 year-old has continually pushed himself to develop both in and out of the cockpit, and race in series that offer great competition. Menezes as a result will undergo perhaps his biggest racing challenge to date in 2013, leaving the familiar confines of North American junior formula car racing to run full-time in Europe.
Menezes, having evaluated several series to potentially race in, elected to join the German-based ATS Formel 3 Cup. Featuring modern 240 horsepower Volkswagen powered Formula 3 cars that include 'push-to-pass' technology, the series races at some of the premier tracks in Europe (Nurburgring, Hockenheimring, and Circuit Spa-Francorchamps). The series additionally has a proven record of developing young racers in order to progress up the motorsports ladder, with multiple Formula One drivers having raced in the series.
While Menezes enters the opening three races of the 27-race title fight a series newcomer, the Oakley, Safetypark, Williams Harfield Sports Group, Replayxd, Bell Helmets, ism seat, and Sparco-backed driver is more than ready to make his mark. Not only does the southern California native, who now resides just outside of the Silverstone Circuit in England, have a successful karting and junior formula car resume to draw on, but he has impressed in pre-season testing.
Joining forces with the Netherlands-based Van Amersfoort Racing squad, Menezes has quickly gelled with the 2007, 2009, and 2011 ATS Formel 3 Cup champions. Building on a strong debut test, the American teenager has made the most of his new partnership, gathering valuable information and experience, as well as overall speed, each time he has gotten behind the wheel. Given Menezes recently completed his pre-season testing program at the 3.696-km Motorsport Arena Oschersleben road course, the stage is set for him to hit the ground running in the season-opener.
"I'm looking forward to getting the season started this weekend at Oschersleben," commented Menezes. "We tested there about a week ago, and things ended quite well. I'm very excited to be in this new environment this year, and can't wait to be out on the track battling for top honors."
Menezes commences his inaugural season of ATS Formel 3 Cup competition on Friday (April 26), when he takes to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben track in his Van Amersfoort Racing entry for a morning practice run and afternoon qualifying session. Races one and two of the season-opening tripleheader take place on Saturday (April 27), followed by race three on Sunday (April 28). Live timing available at www.formel3.de/en/livetiming-ats-formula3/livetiming-ats-formula3.html
Additional information on Gustavo Menezes can be obtained from his personal website - GustavoMenezes.com - or by following him on Twitter at FollowGustavo and Facebook at GustavoMenezes28. For direct contact, please visit GustavoMenezes.com/contact

About Gustavo Menezes:
At just 18 years-of-age, Santa Monica, California’s Gustavo Menezes is considered one of the most promising young race drivers in America. Menezes began racing in karts at the age of six, earning multiple championships, both at the regional and national level. In 2009 and 2010, Menezes contested an international schedule that included the WSK International Series and various major events in Europe and the United States, running for Italian karting manufacturer Tony Kart in the KF3 and KF2 categories. Menezes made his full-time junior formula car debut in 2011, earning one podium result en route to finishing eighth in the Star Mazda Championship as one of the youngest racers in the series. He additional ran a limited Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS campaign, securing multiple top-10s. Last season, he returned to the Star Mazda Championship, securing two top-fives and 12 top-10s. Menezes is contesting the 2013 edition of the ATS Formel 3 Cup with multiple series champion Van Amersfoort Racing.

DI LEO GAINS VALUABLE SEAT EXPERIENCE IN INDY LIGHTS DEBUT

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:47 -0400

MDL Racing up-and-comer made the most of every session to exit Long Beach race with top-five finish

INNISFIL, ONTARIO – Owner/driver Matthew Di Leo's first foray into the Firestone Indy Lights series on Sunday (April 21) during the Long Beach Grand Prix proved to be a successful affair. The highly-regarded Canadian not only avoided the expected incidents on the famed California street circuit, but gained valuable race experience en route to a strong top-five finish. The stage is now set for Di Leo to enjoy further success behind the wheel of his MDL Racing entry in 2013.
After two seasons of USF2000 Championship competition, which was highlighted by finishing fourth (tops among both the single-car and privateer contingents) in the 2012 title fight, Di Leo and MDL Racing elected to make the move up the motorsports ladder, joining the Indy Lights Series. Round Three on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., marked the first chance for the Canadian-based squad to go head-to-head against several of the top junior formula car racers and teams in North America.
Given Di Leo entered the demanding southern California street circuit event having only previously done a two tests in his new Indy Lights racing steed, the goal was simple...learn as much as possible, and bring the car home in one piece. With that in mind, both Friday's first practice run and Saturday morning's second and final practice session featured the teenage racer turning plenty of laps. Completing 48 event-free tours over the two outings, Di Leo not only got acclimated to the concrete-lined 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary track, but became more and more familiar with the handling and characteristics of his No. 56 RES Precast Inc./MDL Racing entry.
While the talented 18 year-old, who has winning record in both the Canadian F1600 and karting ranks, is always seeking to find more speed challenge for top honors, when the lone qualifying session took place on Saturday afternoon, he was focused on gaining more valuable seat time and gathering data to analyze. In the end, Di Leo posted the ninth quickest time, further improving his best lap.
When the green flag waved for race three of the 12-race Indy Lights schedule on Sunday morning, Di Leo was well aware of the potential for incidents. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened, as three of the front-runners collided entering the first turn. Di Leo, determined to run trouble-free, promptly avoided the incident and debris before the safety car emerged to slow and gather the rest of the field. Unfortunately, during the full-course caution Di Leo spun, causing him to lose a lap and fall to the back of the pack. Di Leo, however, quickly put the incident behind him, keen to steadily find more speed as the race progressed. Avoiding another multi-car incident, the Innisfil, Ont., native ran mistake-free for the remainder of the 41-lap race, gaining vital race experience en route to strong top-five finish.
"All in all Long Beach was a great learning experience for the team, and especially for me," stated Di Leo. "I'm going to do some more testing to better prepare myself for the upcoming race in Toronto."
Di Leo and his MDL Racing outfit continue their rookie campaign in the Firestone Indy Lights series on July 13, when the squad races as part of its home event, the Honda Indy Toronto.
Those interested in supporting this up-and-coming Canadian driver are encouraged to contact Matthew Di Leo directly @ MatthewDiLeo.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Learn more about Matthew Di Leo and MDL Racing at MatthewDiLeo.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ MatthewDiLeo and Facebook @ Matthew-Di-Leo Videos also available on YouTube @ MatthewDiLeo56

About Matthew Di Leo:
A native of Innisfil, Ont., Di Leo began his journey towards a career in motorsports at the age of nine, first getting behind the wheel of a kart. Showing natural talent right from the get go, Di Leo steadily worked his way up the ranks, continually developing his skills. In 2011, the Canadian made his car racing debut. Racing in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship, he won once and stood on the podium in both races he contested. Piloting an F2000 entry as well, Di Leo finished third the USF2000 Winterfest series with two podiums, and was fifth in the USF2000 Championship with one trip to the post-race podium. Last year, Di Leo again got in the cockpit of F1600 and F2000 cars. He scored one win, added another podium finish, and captured two pole positions in the Quebec-based Formula Tour 1600. Racing as an owner/driver under the MDL Racing banner, Di Leo finished fourth in the USF2000 Championship, capturing four podium finishes.

CHAVES MAKES RETURN VISIT TO FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS PODIUM AT LONG BEACH

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:27:36 -0400

MIAMI, FL – Gabby Chaves' quest for both Rookie of the Year and Champion honors in the Firestone Indy Lights series was strengthened on Sunday (April 21) with a second consecutive visit to the post race podium. The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie avoided a first lap incident, before running strong all the way to the checkered flag, finishing an impressive second in Round Three on the streets of Long Beach, Calif.

One of the highlights of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights calendar every year is the Long Beach Grand Prix. Widely regarded as one, if not the premier street races in North America, the historic event provides the opportunity for racers to showcase their talents on a demanding track in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.

Chaves entered the third race on the 12-race schedule with lots of confidence and momentum, following a third place result at the previous race at Barber Motorsports Park. That being said, the southern California event presented a new challenge to the former Formula BMW Americas champion and Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year, as he had never previously turned a lap on the concreted-lined 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit. Given that fact, the goal early on was to get acclimated to the track configuration and its unique characteristics, while working with his skilled Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew to steadily fine-tune his No. 7 Coldeportes/Marca Colombia/RedServi/Tecpro racing steed.

After a second practice run early on Saturday morning, which allowed Chaves to continue to develop the ideal car setup, it was time for the lone qualifying session. Chaves, steadily finding more speed as the 45-minute session progressed, ultimately secured the fifth best time, a mere 0.19s behind the P2 driver's best time.

Returning to the driver's seat on Sunday morning for Round Three, the goal was simple for Chaves...avoid the expected early race incidents, and make the most of every opportunity to move forward. The start of the planned 45-lap encounter provided to be the crucial moment for the teenager, and most of the field. Charging down the front straight at over 140 mph, contact occurred between the second, third, and fourth place starters. Chaves, thanks to some quick reflexes, and a little luck, managed to avoid the three-car incident, taking over third place entering turn one.

As expected, the first-lap incident immediately resulted in a full-course caution. When the race resumed following the clean-up, Chaves set about going for the win. While the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie never truly got within striking distance to pass for the lead, he swiftly moved into second and matched the pace of his more experienced counterpart out front, trading fastest race lap as he shadowed the four-time series race winner and new championship leader all the way to the checkered flag.

"I am happy with the result of the race," stated the 19 year-old Chaves. "I made progress throughout the weekend. This being my first time on the Long Beach circuit, to achieve a solid second place is very good. The important thing was that I kept the same pace as the winner, who had raced here before. We traded fastest laps of the race multiple times, and ended with our fastest laps of the race within the same tenth of a second. I want to thanks the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew for all their hard work once again this weekend. I will keep working hard to shorten the distance to the more experienced drivers, and get the results needed to fight for the championship."

With his second top-three finish, Chaves now sits fourth in title fight, just three points behind third place.

Next up for Chaves and the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew is oval racing and the highlight event on the 2013 race calendar, the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Prior to the Carburetion Day (May 24) race as part of the prestigious Indianapolis 500 event, series testing will take place on May 2 at the famed 2.5-mile speedway to prepare for the ovals.

Those interested in supporting Chaves' charge towards a career in the upper echelon of motorsports are encouraged to contact Chaves and/or his management team.

Additional information on Gabby Chaves can be obtained from his website @ GabbyChaves.com. For direct contact, please email gabbyracing@yahoo.com

Keep up to date via Twitter @ GabbyChaves

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About Gabby Chaves:
Widely considered one the premier up-and-coming drivers in the junior formula car ranks, Chaves has made a name for himself by winning races and challenging for championship titles. The American first got behind the wheel of a race car at the age of 13, winning a Skip Barber Racing Shoot-out scholarship. In his first full-season of competition, the former Easy Kart, Stars of Karting and Florida Winter Tour champion captured the Colombian Grand Prix Formula Renault 2000 title and finished as the series runner-up in the Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series. Building on this success, Chaves went undefeated in the 2006-07 Skip Barber Regional Southern Series, winning all 10 races. The teenager continued his winning ways one year later, extending his Skip Barber Racing victory streak to 17 consecutive victories, leading the Skip Barber National Series before making the switch to Formula BMW Pacific competition. Chaves returned to the top of the championship charts in 2009, winning the final Formula BMW Americas title with five wins and podium finishes in every race. In 2010, Chaves raced full-time in Europe, winning the Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year award. The teenager made his GP3 Series debut in 2011, earning five top-10 finishes. Chaves returned to North America in 2012, competing in the Mazda Road to Indy-backed Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, where he finished as the title runner-up with two wins. This season, the teenager is competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series with multiple champion Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

SATO CLAIMS FIRST INDY CAR WIN ON STREETS OF LONG BEACH

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:05:29 -0400

LONG BEACH, CA - Takuma Sato became the first driver from Japan to win an Indy car race, prevailing in the 39th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Sato, who started fourth in the 80-lap race on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit, provided A.J. Foyt Racing its first victory since July 7, 2002, at Kansas Speedway with Airton Dare behind the wheel. The last win for the team on a road/street course was by A.J. Foyt on Oct. 1, 1978, at Silverstone. Overall, A.J. Foyt Racing has 44th victories.
"Takuma made it look too easy," team director and race strategist Larry Foyt said. "It made me so nervous watching it out there. He just drove a flawless race."
Sato, making his 52nd IZOD IndyCar Series start, overtook Ryan Hunter-Reay for second on Lap 23 and assumed the point on Lap 30 when race leader Will Power pitted under yellow. The remainder of the race Sato's No. 14 ABC Supply car was strong on both the Firestone primary and alternate tires.
"It was just a perfect weekend to be honest," said Sato, whose previous best finish was second at Edmonton in 2012. "The team did a tremendous job. It is great news for the Japanese. Japan has had such a tough time after the earthquake. I'm really happy to give everybody some good news."
Sato led Graham Rahal across the finish line under caution. It was the best finish for Rahal since finishing second at Texas last June. Justin Wilson, who won that race at Texas Motor Speedway, advanced from the 24th starting position to finish third.
Sato is the third winner in as many IZOD IndyCar Series races this season and climbed to second in the championship standings. Helio Castroneves, who finished 10th, has a six-point lead heading into the May 5 race on the street circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Honda-powered teams swept the podium for the first time this season.
Also at Long Beach, Carlos Munoz won the Firestone Indy Lights Long Beach 100 from the pole position. It was the second consecutive flag-to-flag victory for Munoz, driving the No. 26 Dialy-Ser car for Andretti Autosport.
Gabby Chaves finished second for Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian and Sage Karam was third in another Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian car. Munoz moved to first in the championship standings heading to the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24.
DAY 3 NOTEBOOK:
The following car will have a 10-grid spot penalty for today's IZOD IndyCar Series race: #55 Vautier (unapproved engine change).
***
The following cars: #10 Franchitti, #1 Hunter-Reay, #12 Power, #3 Castroneves, #11 Kanaan, #83 Kimball, #5 Viso, #15 Rahal, #4 Hildebrand, #7 Bourdais, #67 Newgarden and #6 Saavedra will start on the alternate red tires. All cars must use a new set of alternate red tires for two green flag laps in today's race, unless rain tires are used due to weather.
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH RACE SPECIFICS:
•The race is 80 laps, 157.4 miles on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street course.
•The race will become a timed race of two hours if there are wet conditions.
•The pit road speed limit is 50 mph.
•Pole sitter Dario Franchitti will grid drivers' left.
•The green flag to start the race will be show the third time by the start-finish line.
•Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford will drive the Chevrolet Corvette Safety Car.
•The race leader will accelerate at pit in on restarts.
•There will be no tow-ins or returns from the garage within 15 minutes of the checkered flag
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH PRE-RACE:
At 3p.m., the ambient temperature was 64 degrees with a relative humidity of 76 percent. Skies were sunny. The track temperature was 112 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
3:09 p.m. - Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer and race grand marshall gave the command "Drivers, fire those things up." All 27 cars have started and are rolling on the grid.
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH RACE RUNNING:
Lap 1: GREEN. #10 Franchitti leads the field into Turn 1. #9 Dixon spins in Turn 6 after contact with #55 Vautier. #9 Dixon continues with flat right rear tire.
***
IZOD IndyCar Series officials have penalized #55 Vautier with a drive through penalty for avoidable contact for lap 1 incident with #9 Dixon.
***
Lap 2: Dixon on pit road for four tires and fuel. FULL COURSE YELLOW. #6 Saavedra makes hard contact with wall at exit of Turn 9. Saavedra climbs from the car without assistance from the Holmatro Safety Team. #25 Andretti on pit road to replace the nosecone.
Lap 7: GREEN. #10 Franchitti leads the field into Turn 1. Hunter-Reay makes pass for the lead just past start-finish, but Franchitti retakes the lead at Turn 1.
***
This is also the first lap he has led since the season finale at Fontana last October. Since his return to the IndyCar Series in 2009, this is the most starts (3) at the beginning of the season he has gone before leading a lap.
***
Lap 10: #10 Franchitti leads #1 Hunter-Reay by .9390 of a second.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Sebastian Saavedra has been checked and released from the infield care center. He is cleared to drive.
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 6 Dragon Racing Chevrolet): "It was a wild start. Battling with Simona there, I think she had some front damage, so I was taking advantage of it. Went into the corner and lost the control from the back and tried to catch it, and when I caught it I just went straight into the wall, one of those things. It's just an unfortunate situation, we've been strong throughout the weekend, we just needed a good finish and to try to bring the car home. It didn't happen. It feels very bad to be honest, we shouldn't have been in this situation. We'll keep working for the next."
***
Lap 12: #10 Franchitti leads #1 Hunter-Reay by 1.2493 seconds.#3 Castroneves on pit road for four tires and fuel. Crew also replaces the nosecone.
Lap 17: #10 Franchitti leads #1 Hunter-Reay by 1.7384 seconds.
Lap 19: #77 Pagenaud on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 20: #10 Franchitti leads #1 Hunter-Reay by 1.9358 seconds.
Lap 22: #14 Sato passes #1 Hunter-Reay for second place in Turn 1.
Lap 23: #10 Franchitti leads #14 Sato by 2.9733 seconds.
Lap 26: #10 Franchitti leads #14 Sato by 1.3875 seconds.
Lap 28: #14 Sato, #1 Hunter-Reay on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 29: Leader #10 Franchitti on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 30: FULL COURSE YELLOW. #83 Kimball and #98 Tagliani in tire barriers in Turn 8. #55 Vautier on pit lane for four tires and fuel. Leader under caution is #12 Power.
***
Will Power has led in every race in 2013. This is the fourth consecutive season he had led in the first three race of the season.
***
Lap 31: Leader #12 Power on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #14 Sato.
Lap 35: GREEN. #14 Sato leads the field into Turn 1. Behind there is an incident in Turn 1 between #27 Hinchcliffe and #11 Kanaan. #27 Hinchcliffe's car collects #5 Viso. FULL COURSE YELLOW. #5 Viso continues on course.
***
Takuma Sato is leading his first laps of the season. He last led at Auto Club Speedway in 2012.The last time an A.J. Foyt car has led a race since Texas in 2011.
***
Lap 36: #1 Hunter-Reay on pit road to repair damage. #5 Viso on pit road for repairs.
Lap 39: GREEN. #14 Sato leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 40: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 3.4781 seconds.
Lap 42: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 4.2087 seconds.
Lap 44: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 2.9603 seconds.
Lap 47: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 1.6923 seconds
Lap 50: #1 Hunter-Reay is in the tire barrier in Turn 8. FULL COURSE YELLOW. Leader under caution is #14 Sato, #15 Rahal, #55 Vautier, #10 Franchtti and #19 Wilson.
Lap 51:Leaders on pit road for four tires and fuel. Sato wins the race off of pit road followed by #15 Rahal, #19 Wilson. #12 Power had contact on pit road with #55 Vautier. There is right rear damage on #12 Power.
Lap 52: #2 Allmendinger is off course in Turn 5.
Lap 56: GREEN. #14 Sato leads the field into Turn 1. #83 Kimball makes contact with tire barrier in Turn 1.
***
RYAN HUNTER REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): "I just started getting desperate. We couldn't go anywhere. We missed some of the grip today that we had in prior days. Some of the corners that were my strongest were my weakest today. I was definitely handcuffed, so we just started trying things. We were in the back anyway, I had to move forward again and I just got in too hot, no grip on the inside there. Just trying things, trying anything to make a bad day go a little better, but it just went from bad to worse. I feel really bad for the guys, they gave me a great car all weekend, we just missed it today. I absolutely missed it out there on the track, so we have to rebound in Brazil for sure and try to get the DHL Chevy on top again."
***
IZOD IndyCar Series officials have penalized #55 Vautier for an unsafe pit release on Lap 51.
Lap 58: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 1.1480 seconds.
Lap 60: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 1.0640 seconds.
Lap 62: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 0.6221 of a second.
Lap 64: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 1.1913 seconds.
Lap 66: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 1.2837 seconds.
Lap 69: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 2.1415 seconds.
Lap 72: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 3.6019 seconds.
Lap 74: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 4.3449 seconds.
Lap 78: Contact between #11 Kanaan and #22 Servia in Turn 1.
Lap 79: WHITE: #14 Sato leads #15 Rahal by 4.9924 seconds. FULL COURSE YELLOW.
Lap 80: YELLOW and CHECKERED. Takuma Sato wins the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach under caution.
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH POST-RACE NOTES:
TAKUMA SATO - A.J. FOYT RACING - WINNER, TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
• This is Takuma Sato's first career Indy car win. His previous best finish was second at Edmonton 2012.
• Sato's win comes in his 52nd IZOD IndyCar Series start. He is the first Japanese driver to win in Indy car.
• Sato's previous best finish at Long Beach was eight in 2012.
• This the 44th Indy car win for A.J. Foyt Racing. The team's last win came with Airton Dare at Kansas 2002.
GRAHAM RAHAL - RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING - SECOND
• This is Graham Rahal's first podium finish of the 2013 season.
• This is a career best finish for Rahal at Long Beach. His previous est finish was 8th in 2007
• Team owner and father Bobby Rahal finished second as a driver at Long Beach four times (1988, 1991-1993).
• This is Rahal's best finish since Texas 2012, where he also finished second.
JUSTIN WILSON - DALE COYNE RACING - THIRD
• This is Justin Wilson's third podium finish at Long Beach. He finished second twice (2006, '10)
• This is Wilson's best finish since he won at Texas in June 2012 and his second podium finish since 2010.
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH POST-RACE QUOTES:
TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing Honda, winner Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach): "It was just a perfect weekend to be honest. The team did a tremendous job. Pit stops, right calls, the power was great and I was comfortable in the car and able to push everything. (About pit stops): "Super job. Super job. We had a pit issue the last two races, but today is just amazing the whole crew did a tremendous job." (What win will mean in Japan): "It great news for the Japanese. Japan has had such a tough time after the earthquake. I'm really happy to give everybody some good news to wake up to because it's very early Japanese time.
LARRY FOYT (Managing Director, A.J. Foyt Racing): "I wish (A.J. Foyt) was here. We hate it because he is definitely our big leader and he is the big boss man. This is for him." (About win): "Takuma made it look too easy. It made me so nervous watching it out there. He just drove a flawless race. I've never seen a race like that. Just a perfect race. And the car was great. The engineers did a great set up. And what a pit crew. Those guys were fast today. And it just all came together. We have been saying that. We've had flashes of being really quick and we just had to bring it all together. The ABC car just looked awesome up front all day."
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 Midas/Big O Tires Honda): "I think we just performed the way we ought to each and every weekend. We came out here and the Midas/Big O Tires car was right there all week. Qualifying was a little bit disappointing to be 11th but we were in the top-five in almost every session. I felt going into the race that is exactly what we could do there. To be honest is just feels phenomenal to get this result. God I came so close to winning yet again. On the last restart if (Charlie) Kimball weren't in the way we would have had a great run at it. And clearly he overshot himself into (Turn) 1. Man it felt so good to be on the podium here."
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda): "It was a little bit of luck, circumstances and the team did a great job on strategy. We pitted on Lap 5 or 6. Came in and put the reds on. We had plenty of reds because we didn't qualify. We just went out there and pushed hard the entire race. I think that helped having an extra set, being able to pick a few people off. It's great to get this result for the Boy Scouts of America and everyone at Dale Coyne Racing. They've worked hard to put the car back together on Friday so I have to thank them. It's also good for Honda here at Long Beach to get 1-2-3-4. I think it's fantastic."
DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "Not ideal we lost, you know we lost a couple of spots in the pits and then we lost another one there on the restart with Charlie being a lap down and I don't know what the hell he was doing. With a crash right in front of us, I had to lift to avoid it. And Justin got by after that and the guys in the front were pretty evenly matched after that, as Justin and I were. And I couldn't get close enough to make a move and then I had to start watching my fuel. Yea, you know not another great day for the Target team, but after the first two results this is a lot better. We're getting there, we're getting there."
JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Honda): "I'm really proud of the run we had and the pit crew guys did such an awesome job, because we made up three or four of those spots in the pits on our last stop. We struggled in the first stint and were going backwards, but we had a great strategy and ended up on the sticker reds in the end and I was able to pass several guys there at the end just using the overtake. I didn't see (the incident between Oriol Servia and Tony Kanaan) because I'd let those guys go a little bit while we were saving to make sure we had enough fuel. I saw some tire smoke as I approached Turn One and was able to split through the middle. Really happy to get another Top Five here for the second year in a row, but we'll make sure we put the work in to make sure we're ready to rock-n-roll next week. If we continue to make gains like we have we'll be running up front with the big boys a lot more often."
E.J. VISO (No. 5 Team Venezuela Andretti Autosport HVM Chevrolet): "A very tough weekend for the team. It was looking like a good weekend for me after our very difficult beginning. It was a very tough Friday, a bit better Saturday in qualifying - we were able to qualify in the top 10 - and then in the race I really had a good, good recovery with some changes for the race which were in the right direction. The team gave me a car that was very competitive with new and old tires. I was able to have a very good rhythm and good pace with fuel. I believe we had a car that was able to win this race. I feel bad for the outcome of the team: one driver took three Andretti cars out - it's a shame. Now to Brazil."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "Unfortunately it was just another day in a bad weekend for us here. We were taken out by (Tristan) Vautier on Lap 1 which resulted in a flat tire for us. We had to come in for a front wing as well when we pit, and lost a lap. So we missed out on the strategy that got the other guys around us into the top five. I think we had some damage as a result of the accident and we did the best we could with what we had. We also had some issues with our top gear limit and it held us back a bit in the kink from really making a run at anybody."
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda): "We had a rough race. It could have been a great race for us, we had a lot of opportunity there to score really good points and we ended up just scoring mediocre points. Not a great day. Not a horrible day, but also not a good one. We're not satisfied, probably just excited to go to Brazil now and get another shot." (About last pit stop): "We shot ourselves in the foot on both ends. We came in really late, it would have been perfect, I think we would have just been gifted a very lucky position there, probably would have gone straight to the front and then we had a slow stop, we couldn't get the left rear on, and then I ended up stalling the car. So we had a double foul all around there. I feel bad, we we're already slow in the stop and then I pretty much finished us off with the stall"
CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda): "It was a little disappointing result but there were a lot of positives. The No. 83 team did a great job in pit lane. We ran up front. We had the speed and the pace to run consistently up front. We're looking forward to taking what we learned this weekend to the Texas test and Brazil. We have a good pit lane position from qualifying for Brazil. From here, we'll go back to qualifying consistently and staying up front."
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet): "Two in a row (not finishing due to contact) - what a kick in the pants. It's really unfortunate because I think the Go Daddy team had done a good job giving us a great race car. If you look at the first stint we performed pretty well; we picked up spots on the start and the first restart. We thought we were taking a bit of a gamble on the black tires there, but I think that might have been a really good strategy call seeing the way that the reds were falling off. We knew we had to protect them the second stint - I was excited to see how that was going to play out for us. A few guys jump us there with pitting a bit early but we were comfortable with the pace of our car. And on the restart… I didn't get the best restart and Tony (Kanaan) had a smokin' one and I was trying to keep, I think it was (Simon) Pagenaud, behind me on the inside and as we got down to Turn 1. I haven't seen a replay so I don't know if Tony was trying to do a last minute pass or if he was getting squeezed by someone else, but he moved in the brake zone and I just had nowhere to go and day done. So really tough break for the Go Daddy guys because I genuinely think we were podium contenders today and it was going to be a good comeback from not the strongest of weekends. But one thing I love about this team is they pull out on Sundays - they do Sunday as well as anybody, and often better, and I think today was going to be one of those days. But we'll get our momentum back and move on to Brazil."
SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda): "Honestly it was a good points day for us when you look at all the championship contenders who finished behind us. Starting 17th and finishing 7th is really a good day. The strategy my team came up with worked out really well, and the pace of my car was awesome. We were nearly the fastest car on the race track. I'm really happy with the end of the weekend. It's just a shame we weren't able to have a good qualifying session to start higher on the grid because I think I could have run away from the field. We're chipping away at things, and since it's early in the season we still have space to make up points in the championship." - Simon Pagenaud
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: "I think it was a good recovery from where we started. The car was really fast and the guys did a really awesome job in the pits. When we had clean laps we could move forward and made up some positions, so I think P9 is really good for us. Hopefully next time we can start a little more up front and make life a little bit easier. But, I think it was a great weekend for us.
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): "I think we should have had a better finish today. We had a 10, 11 or 12th place car today. We had a tough first stop, but the car was very good in the middle stint and I did get up to P12. Then later I tried to make a pass on (Sebastien) Bourdais and broke too hard and locked up the right front. The tire was junk after that. So I didn't have the race car that we had in the middle. We are making progress with the Fuzzy's Vodka Chevy but we aren't getting the results right now. The team working well together and I feel good going to Brazil."
MARCO ANDRETTI (RC Cola No. 25 Chevrolet): "Going into this, I knew that this would be about the best we would finish. I am definitely pleased with how we climbed our way through the field and how we stayed consistent throughout the day. We knew that if we just stayed in the race and didn't make any mistakes, we would be good. I had some front wing damage and a lot of understeer the whole race."
TRISTAN VAUTIER (No. 55 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): "We had an amazing car today, so thanks to the team for that. I made a mistake at the beginning of the race with Scott Dixon, and I'm sorry about that to him and his crew. I got pretty familiar with pit lane after serving my drive thru penalty for the incident, but we got back out on the track and my pace was amazing. We really made the most of the restarts. I think we gained five positions on each of them. It felt great to run up in podium position for awhile. Unfortunately in the pits I got sent out and made contact with Will Power's car. We had some communication issues as a team, but we're all learning to work together and things happen. We win as a team and we lose as a team, and I had my mistakes as well. We had a great race going and it's too bad it ended this way, but we're going to get a good result soon because our speed is there."
TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Hydroxycut KV Racing Technology-SH Racing): "We had a good race going and I was set for a fifth-place finish until Servia took me out with half a lap to go. It's really frustrating... I was the leading Chevy car out there and it was looking like a good points race for us. I'm really disappointed on how it turned out."
ORIOL SERVIA (No. 22 Panther DRR Chevrolet): "I had the best car probably of the whole season in the race. It was awesome. On one restart, I don't know what happened to Simon [Pagenaud] but he slowed down in the straight and I broke the front wing but even with that we were one of the fastest cars on track. I was saving fuel but I was flying. I was so happy." (About incident with Kanaan): "With two laps to go, I had a run on Tony (Kanaan). I was on the push to pass, I don't think he saw me coming. I got in his inside and he closed the door. I was there. I cannot disappear. It was one of those deals where you both want the same space in the corner so you crash. I'm angry with him, he's angry with me. That's what happens in racing."
AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 2 Penske Automotive Chevrolet): "I thought today was going to be a good day for the Penske Automotive Chevrolet, we were posting lap times that were consistent with those up front. Unfortunately we just couldn't get the track position we needed and having the gear box break in Turn 5 ended the day. But it's another step in the learning process and should make us better for Indy."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Auto Club Team Penske Chevrolet): "Tough day for the Auto Club Chevrolet, but my team did a great job getting me back out after our incident with the nose. I was trying to be careful but got bunched up and broke the front wing. At the end of the day the lemon became the lemonade with our finish. We are very happy to come out of here still leading the points and now we have focus on what we need to do to improve."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): "Frustrating day out there for the Verizon car, we had a car that we thought was good enough to win today. Sato was very strong and he really dominated out there. Obviously we didn't have the start out there that we wanted and broke traction which hurt us. We didn't lose much in the points which is a good thing but certainly we could have had a much better day."
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 7 Dragon Racing Chevrolet): "Well a lot of things happened today. We started in the middle of the pack and that ended up being our result. The yellows didn't fall at the right time for us and we struggled with two of our pit stops. The last restart I couldn't stay in front of Helio, and that was terminal for us at that point. I am disappointed because the team worked so hard to give me a good car, and should have been in the Top-10."
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS
Castroneves 99
Sato 93
Dixon 89
Andretti 87
Wilson 81
Hunter-Reay 73
Rahal 66
Power 62
de Silvestro 62
Hinchcliffe 61
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Chevrolet 24
Honda 21
LONG BEACH 100 RACE SPECIFICS:
•The race is 45 laps, 88.56 miles on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course or a one-hour time limit, whichever occurs first.
•The pit road speed limit is 45 mph.
•Pole sitter Carlos Munoz will grid drivers' left.
•The green flag to start the race will be show the second time by the start-finish line.
•Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford will drive the Chevrolet Corvette Safety Car.
•The race leader will accelerate exiting Turn 11 on restarts.
LONG BEACH 100 PRE-RACE:
At 10 a.m., the ambient temperature was 60 degrees with a relative humidity of 89 percent. Skies were mostly clear with intermittent clouds. The track temperature was 83 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
10:08 a.m. - Command to fire engines by Rod Falkner, principal of Falkner Livingston Racing. All 10 cars have started and are rolling on the grid.
LONG BEACH 100 RACE RUNNING:
Lap 1: GREEN. #26 Munoz leads the field into Turn 1, behind there is a multi-car accident entering Turn 1. Cars involved are: #77 Hawksworth, #12 Veach and #5 Dempsey. #77 Hawksworth and #12 Veach made wheel-to-wheel contact on the frontstretch. #12 Veach made left-side contact with the retaining wall. #77 Hawksworth spun across the track and made hard contact with the right-side wall, collecting #5. Dempsey. FULL COURSE YELLOW. Leaders under caution are: #26 Munoz, #2 Garcia, #7 Chaves, #4 Goncalvez and #22 Grenier.
Lap 6: GREEN. #26 Munoz leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 10: #26 Munoz leads #2 Garcia by 3.5803.
***
ZACH VEACH (No. 12 K12/Andretti Autosport): "We had a really good start. With Carlos (Munoz) ahead of me I had a pull, something that (Jack) Hawksworth didn't have. Obviously he could tell in a way that I was gaining on him. I felt that we were going to get him going into Turn 1. I kept gaining on him and he kept trying to muscle me to the wall. At that point I was to a spot that I couldn't lift. I was to the wall so I gave him as much room as I absolutely could."
PETER DEMPSEY (No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing): "It is a really frustrating start to the race. Really didn't get the opportunity to get going. We got a good start, but it was unfortunate. The one thing that was stressed at the drivers meeting from the race director is that we need to give drivers respect on track which we haven't really gotten a whole lot this season. And again I had issues with drivers during qualifications not getting the respect needed and here we are again drivers making unnecessary contact going 140 mph into Turn 1 of the first lap of an hour long race."
***
Lap 11: FULL COURSE YELLOW. #2 Garcia spins in Turn 1. #22 Grenier makes contact with the wall in Turn 1 to avoid and makes contact with the #2 Garcia. Leaders under caution are: #26 Munoz, #7 Chaves, #4 Goncalvez, #8 Karam and #56 Di Leo.
Lap 15: GREEN. #26 Munoz leads the field into Turn 1.
***
10:45 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights officials have announced that the race will run to the 60-minute limit. There are approximately 30 minutes remaining.
***
Lap 17: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.5256 seconds.
Lap 20: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.9722 seconds.
Lap 23: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.7062 seconds.
***
#26 Munoz has clinched the two bonus points for leading the most laps in today's race. He also clinched the bonus point for winning the Sunoco Pole Award.
***
Lap 25:#26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.7044 seconds.
Lap 26: #8 Karam makes pass for third-place in Turn 8.
***
MIKAEL GRENIER (No. 22 TMR-Xtreme Drilling & Coil-NAPA): "I braked really late on that lap because Karam was pretty close and when I came out and saw my teammate into the wall I couldn't do anything. It is a shame because we had a really hard qualification yesterday and the car was not like we wanted. But for the race Team Moore did a really good job and I think we had a car that sitting well with tires and we would have been really strong in the second part of the race. That is what I was trying to do because the guy in front of me kept locking wheels and pushing hard. And I was just trying to build momentum and go hard for the race and it's a shame now that I have a car in the wall now."
JUAN PABLO GARCIA (No. 2 TMR-International-Euclid Chemical): "My car was very loose since the beginning. I went to turn in and I lost it. It was very loose like that from the beginning in every corner."
***
Lap 28: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 2.0672 seconds.
Lap 30: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.9998 seconds.
Lap 32: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.9697 seconds. #8 Karam is third, 12.3212 seconds back.
Lap 34: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 1.8254 seconds.
Lap 38: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 2.0663 seconds.
Lap 40: WHITE: #26 Munoz leads #7 Chaves by 2.5394 seconds.
Lap 41: CHECKERED. #26 Carlos Munoz wins the Long Beach 100 by 2.2190 seconds.
LEGACY INDY LIGHTS 100 POST-RACE NOTES:
· This is Carlos Munoz' second win of the season and the fourth of his career. He previously won at Edmonton and Auto Club Speedway in 2012 and at Barber Motorsports Park earlier this year.
· This is Andretti Autosport's second win at Long Beach. It won here last year with JR Hildebrand in 2009.
· Gabby Chaves finished second, his career-best finish in Firestone Indy Lights. He finished third at Barber.
· Sage Karam finished third, matching his career-best finish in Firestone Indy Lights. He was also third at St. Petersburg, earlier this season.
· Matthew Di Leo finished fifth in his first Firestone Indy Lights start.

LEGACY INDY LIGHTS 100 POST-RACE QUOTES:
CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 Dialy-Ser/Andretti Autosport, winner Long Beach 100): "I saw the crash (on Lap 1) in the mirrors and thought, 'Whoa, it's my two biggest competitors in the championship. I have to finish this race. I don't care if I finish second or third, I'm going to be the points leader.' I just tried to finish the race. I was not pushing. I was not at the limit. My Andretti Autosport team brought me a really great car this weekend." (More Munoz to come)
GABBY CHAVES (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports c/w Curb-Agajanian): "Yeah, I felt like we had a great car. I really got to think my guys and SPM Motorsports, they did a great job with the car. I felt that we had the pace and we were going back and forth but we just couldn't be as consistent as Carlos was. That's the only place where he was making a bit of distance on me. We will keep working on it, we are improving every race so we just got to keep going at."
CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 Dialy-Ser/Andretti Autosport, winner Long Beach 100): "In the beginning I think I did a really good start, so Jack got nervous or something and there was a big crash behind me, I don't know what really happened I just saw it in the mirrors. After that it was my race, I knew that Peter and Jack were some of my two biggest competitors on the track for the championship and they were out, so I was taking it easy. The main key was to finish, but it was a really good car for a second victory of the season, I had a really great car. (About key to race): "I knew the key of the race was in the first corner, some drivers say it is the first corner or nothing, and it was a long race. I saw in my mirror behind me, I think it was Jack and Peter and my teammate. It's good for me for the championship because now I am the points leader. I was pushing myself, it was hard to get away from Gabby. I'm really happy for my second win of the year, I can be better and I had a great car again. Thanks to my team, my driver coach and everyone, my family and I hope to continue the same way."
SAGE KARAM (No. 8 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports c/w Curb-Agajanian): "To bounce back from qualifying like that it is a good feeling. I can't thank the Schmidt Peterson Mototsports team enough. They put together a great car for me to go out there and drive and you know, I'm not going to lie I got out of my rhythm there for a minute. About half way through the race I finally got my groove back and we were able to get through some of the carnage on the start. It was pretty crazy going down though Turn 1."
JORGE GONCALVEZ (No. 4 Belardi Auto Racing): "In the beginning, we weren't running as strong as everyone else. I found it hard to hold my line. But we did the best we could and held on to third for quite some time before falling back to fourth. I'm really sad that I didn't get a podium, but for the championship, it's more important to finish the race."
JACK HAWKSWORTH (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports c/w Curb-Agajanian): "I thought I was clear on the inside for the first lap and when I came across there was a car there. It was my fault and I'm sorry to Zach (Veach) and Peter (Dempsey) for ruining their days. It was an awful weekend for me here in Long Beach and I'm sorry for the team that we have another wrecked race car."
MATTHEW DI LEO (No. 56 MDL Racing/RES Precast): "This is my third time in the car and the first time at a real big race track, I had to work out all the kinks and get the first race under my belt. This race was really just for me to get some practice in, not so much to be at the top. Of course, I wanted to be in the top three, but I had to learn first before I get there. Getting fifth is just a bonus." (About spin): "I didn't know how long it takes to get these tires up to temperature, but I never had them at the perfect temperature. When I came around the corner, I just gave it too much throttle and spun myself."
***
The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on May 5 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be telecast live at 11 a.m. (ET) by NBC Sports Network. The IMS Radio Network will also carry the race live on Sirius and XM channels 211. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 24. It will be telecast live by NBC Sports Network during its coverage of Carb Day.
Media Contact: Amy Konrath, INDYCAR, 317-331-7437, akonrath@indycar.com

RYAN DALZIEL TO GET TITLE CHARGE ON RIGHT ROAD AT ATLANTA

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:05:44 -0400

Endurance star Ryan Dalziel is hoping to bounce back from Barber and get his Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series title charge back on track at Road Atlanta.
2012 Speed.com Sports Car Driver of the Year Ryan — from Windermere in Florida - is eyeing up a podium in Georgia after their sixth-place finish last time out in Alabama.
And proud Scot Ryan - originally from Airdrie in Lanarkshire — is determined to make sure his national Saltire flag is flying high on Saturday night.
Ryan has been in stunning form this season, following on from his stellar 2012 when he helped Fort Lauderdale-based Starworks Motorsport to the FIA WEC LMP2 title and second place in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
He knows the flowing curves at Road Atlanta will suit his style when he teams up with Venezuelan ace Alex Popow, but he is still hoping series chiefs will give their Ford-powered Riley prototype a power boost.
However, until that happens, Ryan promises more fireworks in the Starworks...

RYAN SAYS: “We have to be looking for a podium this weekend. We will be one of the cars to beat so, first and foremost, we want a podium. Or, if we can’t be on a podium, then we have to at least finish ahead of the teams in front of us in the standings.
“We always go into the season trying to be the most consistent. We feel like it has not been the best start to the season.
“We weren’t too happy with Daytona and we weren’t happy at Barber, but we know we are coming into a stretch of tracks where we are traditionally quite good.
“It was all about keeping close enough to the leaders through the tracks where you know you’ll struggle so that you can make the most of the better tracks.
“That’s what we have done so far. We've kept the car in one piece, we suffered no damage and we continue to fight under the radar to try to do the best job we can.
“But the next three or four races are definitely better for us. We are looking for a little bit of help on the rules side, and also for a little luck to go our way.
“We really need to get ahead of the Corvettes. That is proving to be an uphill struggle for the Riley cars but we will figure it out.
“We now have to work out a strategy and a set-up to give us a chance.
“In three races in a row, the Ford/Riley has been bottom of the speed traps. We are a little confused but we don’t make the rules. We have to abide by them and get our heads down and try to make it work. I know the series has a tough job and I commend them for their efforts.”

RYAN ON ROAD ATLANTA: “I am a big fan. I have had a lot of success there over the years.
“The big challenge is that it is the first time for the DP cars there, so we will need to see how quickly we can adapt the cars and which team finds the best set-up most quickly.
“But we do feel the faster, medium-to-high downforce tracks seem to be where our cars work the best so we are pretty confident going into the race.
“We proved in Austin that we have a car to get a result on a track with a lot of momentum. Atlanta should be the same — it does have a couple of uphill straights that will hurt us but we will keep working on the car.
“In Barber, we don’t feel like we had the power we needed, but we didn’t have the car we wanted either. There is plenty more to come and we will get there.
“We were definitely disappointed after Barber but, in all honesty, we were exactly where we expected to be - about fifth or sixth.”

NOTES: Ryan managed a career-best second place in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in 2012, with a win at Watkins Glen, second place in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and third at Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen and Laguna Seca. He also won the Rolex 24 in 2010.
He had four Rolex Grand-Am podiums in 2011 – a win at Mid-Ohio and third at Barber, Lime Rock and Watkins Glen. He also had three fourth-place finishes. Ryan also gave Starworks Motorsport its first DP victory, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in 2008.
Ryan and Starworks Motorsport won the FIA World Endurance LMP2 Championship, thanks to class wins at Sebring in Florida, the Le Mans 24 Hours and Brazil. They were also on the podium at Silverstone in the UK, Japan, China and Bahrain.
He also grabbed an American Le Mans Series LMPC class wins at Petit Le Mans, Baltimore and Long Beach in California as well as a third place in class at Mosport in Canada.
Find out more at www.ryandalziel.com

DI LEO TO MAKE INDY LIGHTS DEBUT ON STREETS OF LONG BEACH

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:47:41 -0400

Rising Canadian talent advancing up Mazda Road to Indy ladder with MDL Racing

INNISFIL, ONTARIO – Canadian up-and-comer Matthew Di Leo will take the next step of his motorsports career this coming weekend (April 20-21), when he contests Round Three of the Firestone Indy Lights series on the streets of Long Beach, Calif. The MDL Racing owner/driver will make his series debut at the renowned street circuit event ready to build on the success he has earned in the USF2000 Championship ranks.
Right from the first time Di Leo got behind the wheel of a race car, his dream was to race and win in the IndyCar Series. He will get one step closer to realizing that dream in a few short days, as the Canadian teenager will be part of the Indy Lights action during the famed Grand Prix of Long Beach. While Di Leo will be making his debut in the top rung of the Mazda Road to Indy program - which was created to advance drivers into the IndyCar Series - he is confident that he can make an immediate impression.
Piloting the MDL Racing entry that is sponsored by RES Precast Inc., the 17 year-old will have the benefit of working with the same crew that has led him to previous junior formula car success, as well as having recently completed a successful test in his new 420 horsepower racing steed.
"It actually was the most unreal ride of my life!" stated Di Leo with regards to his first Indy Lights test. "The car was so fast, and it handled great. I knew as soon as I finished my test day that I would be doing a race soon. I can't wait to be back in that car!"
If past performances are any indication, the Innisfil, Ont., native is poised to have a strong Indy Lights debut on the streets of Long Beach. Di Leo, who has competed as an owner/driver for the past two years, was a contender for top honors in the 2012 USF2000 Championship, ultimately finishing fourth in the title fight - tops among both the single-car and privateer contingents - with four trips to the podium. Add in the fact Di Leo also has a winning record in the highly-competitive Canadian F1600 ranks, and has earned trips to the post-race podium celebrations at similar demanding street circuits, the stage is set for noteworthy first Indy Lights run.
"I'm looking forward to being so close to IndyCar, so close to my ultimate goal," added Di Leo. "I feel like there is a lot of great competition in the series, like there has been in all the series on the Mazda Road to Indy program. My goals for the weekend at Long Beach is to get a top-three finish, and bring the car back in one piece."
Di Leo will first sample the street circuit in Long Beach, Calif., on Friday (April 19) via the first of two practice sessions. Day two in Southern California features a second Indy Lights practice run prior to the lone qualifying session just after the lunch break. The green flag for Round Three is slated to wave for MDL Racing's Di Leo and the rest of the field on Sunday (April 21) at 10:15 am local time. Live timing and scoring will be available at http://racecontrol.indycar.com

Those interested in supporting this up-and-coming Canadian driver are encouraged to contact Matthew Di Leo directly @ MatthewDiLeo.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Learn more about Matthew Di Leo and MDL Racing at MatthewDiLeo.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ MatthewDiLeo and Facebook @ Matthew-Di-Leo . Videos also available on YouTube @ MatthewDiLeo56

About Matthew Di Leo:
A native of Innisfil, Ont., Di Leo began his journey towards a career in motorsports at the age of nine, first getting behind the wheel of a kart. Showing natural talent right from the get go, Di Leo steadily worked his way up the ranks, continually developing his skills. In 2011, the Canadian made his car racing debut. Racing in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship, he won once and stood on the podium in both races he contested. Piloting an F2000 entry as well, Di Leo finished third the USF2000 Winterfest series with two podiums, and was fifth in the USF2000 Championship with one trip to the post-race podium. Last year, Di Leo again got in the cockpit of F1600 and F2000 cars. He scored one win, added another podium finish, and captured two pole positions in the Quebec-based Formula Tour 1600. Racing as an owner/driver under the MDL Racing banner, Di Leo finished fourth in the USF2000 Championship, capturing four podium finishes.

Ricky Taylor completes Larbre Competition’s Le Mans line-up

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:26:48 -0400

Ricky Taylor will complete the driver crew of Larbre Competition’s #50 Corvette C6.R at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours on June 22/23.

The 23-year-old American joins Patrick Bornhauser and Julien Canal at the French squad that has claimed GT class victories in sportscar racing’s blue riband event for the last three years. A fourth consecutive win, and third straight GTE Am triumph, would represent the perfect present for the team in its 25th anniversary season.
Ricky, the son of sportscar legend Wayne Taylor who contested Le Mans 13 times, has been a frontrunner in the US-based Grand-Am series driving Daytona Prototypes since 2008. His SDR Motorsports team’s strong links with Corvette made him the ideal candidate to join Larbre Competition’s accomplished #50 crew.
Taylor’s signing completes Larbre Competiton’s two-car Le Mans line-up that also includes fellow American Cooper MacNeil, who partners Philippe Dumas and Manuel Rodrigues in the team’s #70 Corvette.
Ricky Taylor, #50 Corvette C6.R: “Competing at Le Mans has been a long-held dream of mine and to be doing so with a GM-backed team is even better. Larbre Competition have proven themselves time and again at this level and clearly know how to get the job done at Le Mans. To be joining the car and drivers that won last season can only be a good thing but the pressure will still be on us to deliver the result.
“My dad has let me in on a few of the tricks you need to succeed there and his experience will prove invaluable. I can have no excuses! I’ve predominantly driven DPs over the last few years and have no GT experience, but I’m not expecting that to pose too much of a problem. The learning curve isn’t that steep, testing will help and I’ll have the Corvette factory guys like Richard Westbrook to call on for advice.”
Jack Leconte, Larbre Competition Team Manager: “Within the framework of establishing an even stronger relationship between ourselves and the US team we will have two American drivers – one in each car – racing with us at the Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s also part of our future global strategy that sees Larbre become a keen supporter of sportscar racing’s new era in America following the merger of two championships and the creation of United Sports Car Racing. In our case we will have Grand-Am drivers coming to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s fantastic to have one of the Taylor brothers representing the American GTE Pro team and the other racing for our French squad in GTE Am.
“Since GM and ourselves are now both involved in the careers of these two drivers, I have taken a personal interest in the events they contest and success they achieve Stateside. Indeed, Jordan and Ricky finished first and third at Barber Motorsports Park last weekend, which is obviously fantastic news and gives me extra confidence ahead of Le Mans. Ricky is a young and exciting prospect whose ability ensures we will have every chance of claiming a fourth consecutive class victory at Le Mans in our 25th anniversary year as a team.”
Larbre Competition begins the defence of its FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Am title at the 6 Hours of Silverstone in Britain this weekend.

Conor Daly: Indy 500 and European Plans

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:57:13 -0400

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie rebounded from season-opener disappointment to score top-three in Alabama

Noblesville, IN - American Conor Daly created an unusually high level of excitement around this year's Indy 500 when it was announced that he would drive for A.J. Foyt. Although his primary program in Europe has yet to be confirmed, he has had one of his busiest off seasons ever and actually started his 2013 race season two weeks ago in Malaysia in a GP2 car. His performance in Malaysia made a lot of people sit up and take notice. He finished 13th in race one and 7th in race two while setting second fastest race lap - all having missed most of the off season testing.
In January he won the MRF Challenge Championship in India and has taken part in all of the GP3 Series tests.
He recently returned to Indianapolis for Rookie Orientation to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, only to have it cancelled because of pending weather issues. He did however take some time out for some Q & A.

Conor Daly Q & A - 2013

In the past 11 months you have either tested and/or raced, F3, GP3, GP2, World Series Renault 3.5, Indy car and Formula 1, and in the middle went to India and won the MRF Challenge Championship - that is a remarkable amount of experience in less than a year. How did all of this experience feel?
I've had a lot of fantastic opportunities that's for sure! I am very thankful for the experience and seat time I've been able to get. It's been a great start to the year and I hope we can continue to build on our success throughout the season.

Although you have tested or raced a great variety of cars, why has it taken so long to confirm your main program for 2013?
I think it's just a matter of making sure everything is in the right place before having everything announced and moving forward.

What do you hope to do in 2013?
I hope to have a strong month of May in the Indycar and really soak in the experience. It's going to be very memorable for me and I can't wait. Also, on the European side of things I'm going to be better prepared than I ever have been so I'm really looking forward to getting to work over there as well.

You raced GP2 in Malaysia recently, how did that come about?
It was the definition of a last minute deal but I was very happy to get the call. Very interesting deals happen in racing all the time and this was another one of them!

Malaysia is known as a physically difficult event, did you find it a difficult race to finish?
It was definitely a huge physical challenge but so much fun! It really feels great to be in a long race with a pit stop as well. My engineer said my fitness was exemplary so I was happy with that compliment.

What does a GP2 car compare to?
I think a GP2 car is actually similar to an Indycar. The Indycar definitely has a bit more power than GP2 but it's also heavier than GP2. Both fantastic cars to drive. The GP2 car sounds amazing.

Will you do more GP2 races?
I do not know at the moment if I will be doing anymore GP2 this year.

You appear to have been travelling across the world on a few hours notice - do you enjoy this?
It's a great experience. I'm just happy to be driving cars. The travel and the hectic schedule are all worth it when you strap into that race car.

With GP2 races and the Indy 500 set, why have you been doing all of the GP3 testing?
It is because I will most likely be racing full time in GP3 this year.

You went to India and won the MRF Championship over the winter and received a lot of exposure - Why did you compete in a championship that would appear to be a lower level than those you have recently been competing?
Well I think it worked out well because it kept me busy over the winter and I also got to meet a lot of great people in India.

Are you worried that so many drivers in Formula One seem to be able to bring big sponsorship to teams?
It is definitely worrying. More and more drivers seem to come up with massive funding and it almost actually seems impossible to beat that. However, I do believe most of the teams still believe in having the best drivers available so I'm just going to aim to continue to do the best job I can do and see what happens.
Will you be doing any more Formula One testing?
Let's hope so!

What does your Indy 500 entry mean? Might you concentrate on the Indycar Series?
At the moment it does not mean I will be concentrating on the Indycar Series. I still have a goal of making it to Formula 1 and my Indy 500 plan does not hinder that goal in any way. In fact, I think it can only help my career. I will be learning a lot from experienced drivers and engineers which will be a great experience for me.
Do you think canceling Rookie Orientation will affect your preparation?
Not at all. There is plenty of track time before qualifying and I have a lot of confidence in the team. I know we will be ready to go whenever the circumstances allow me to get in the car.
After the Indy 500, what are your plans for Indy car racing?
In all honesty there are no other Indycar racing plans at the moment.
Did you expect to do the Indy 500 even though your focus has been in Europe?
I didn't expect to have the opportunity but I am so happy that I am doing it. It will fit in perfectly with our European plans if we get those fully sorted out and it will work out really well.

What reaction have you had in Europe since the Indy 500 announcement?
It was very cool to arrive at the GP3 test in Silverstone with the announcement coming out the day I got there. Everyone in the paddock knew the following day and were really supportive and very happy for me. You can really tell how great of an event the Indy 500 is when people all around the world know the significance of getting a shot at competing.
With AJ Foyt giving you, a young American, an opportunity to race in Indy - do you think that might signal that other young Americans might also get a similar opportunity?
I hope so. I think young Americans can definitely prove themselves through the Mazda Road to Indy, so I hope more drivers get the opportunity like I've gotten.
Daly, the 2010 American Formula Star Mazda Champion, is sponsored by: VBrick Systems, Inc., Delavaco Capital Inc., Callcap, Merchant Services LTD, and Tom Lange Company with additional support from; St. Vincent Sports Performance, Alpinestars and Aspin Group.

About Gabby Chaves:
Widely considered one the premier up-and-coming drivers in the junior formula car ranks, Chaves has made a name for himself by winning races and challenging for championship titles. The American first got behind the wheel of a race car at the age of 13, winning a Skip Barber Racing Shoot-out scholarship. In his first full-season of competition, the former Easy Kart, Stars of Karting and Florida Winter Tour champion captured the Colombian Grand Prix Formula Renault 2000 title and finished as the series runner-up in the Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series. Building on this success, Chaves went undefeated in the 2006-07 Skip Barber Regional Southern Series, winning all 10 races. The teenager continued his winning ways one year later, extending his Skip Barber Racing victory streak to 17 consecutive victories, leading the Skip Barber National Series before making the switch to Formula BMW Pacific competition. Chaves returned to the top of the championship charts in 2009, winning the final Formula BMW Americas title with five wins and podium finishes in every race. In 2010, Chaves raced full-time in Europe, winning the Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year award. The teenager made his GP3 Series debut in 2011, earning five top-10 finishes. Chaves returned to North America in 2012, competing in the Mazda Road to Indy-backed Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, where he finished as the title runner-up with two wins. This season, the teenager is competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series with multiple champion Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

CHAVES STANDS ON INDY LIGHTS PODIUM AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:56:22 -0400

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie rebounded from season-opener disappointment to score top-three in Alabama

MIAMI, FL – Junior formula car standout Gabby Chaves earned his inaugural Firestone Indy Lights podium finish on Sunday (April 7), taking home third place at Barber Motorsports Park in his second series start. The result has re-ignited the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports racer's quest for both the Rookie of the Year award and the championship title, after contact ended his season-opener while leading. Chaves is now poised to build on this success as the IndyCar Series feeder championship makes the journey from Alabama to Southern California.
For Chaves, race two on the Indy Lights calendar was all about redemption. After being one of the 'top dogs' in the opening event on the streets of St. Petersburg, including leading laps two through 10, but leaving without a finish following contact from another driver, Chaves was focused on challenging for top honors at Barber Motorsports Park.
Given the 2.38-mile Alabama road course requires a well balanced car and a smooth driving style to be successful, Chaves spent both practice runs on Friday working with his mechanics and engineer to fine tune his Coldeportes/Marca Colombia/RedServi/Tecpro-backed entry.
Chaves, and the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew, entered the lone qualifying session confident of a challenge for the pole position. The 2012 Star Mazda Championship runner-up promptly put in a good lap early on, and appeared poised to find further speed as the session progressed. Unfortunately, an incident during a hot lap bent his left suspension, ultimately limiting his overall pace. That being said, Chaves still got the most from his racing steed, with his best lap late in the run securing a row two starting position with the fourth quickest time.
When Chaves and the rest of the talented Indy Lights field rolled back on-course on Sunday for the 40-lap Round Two race, the goal was simple...get a good start and make the most of every opportunity. The former Formula BMW Americas champion and Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year did just that. Getting a good launch when the green flag waved, Chaves was able to fight his way into third place into and exiting turn one. For the talented rookie, that proved to be the key moment of the race, as while he initially battled one of his teammates for the runner-up position, he never found a way past. Running unchallenged from that point forward to the checkered flag, Chaves crossed the line in third, rebounding from a frustrating season-opener with his first of what many expect will be many Indy Lights podium finishes.
"It is great to get my first series podium finish," stated Chaves. "I will keep working very hard to get better every time I get behind the wheel, and reach the final edge of this car. I have an amazing engineer and crew that give me 100 % all the time, allowing me to fight for wins and the championship."
Chaves and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports now travels to California for some private testing prior to Round Three of the Firestone Indy Lights title fight taking place on the streets of Long Beach, Calif. The 19 year-old enters the renowned April 21st event currently fifth in the driver standings.
Those interested in supporting Chaves' charge towards a career in the upper echelon of motorsports are encouraged to contact Chaves and/or his management team.
Additional information on Gabby Chaves can be obtained from his website @ www.GabbyChaves.com . For direct contact, please email gabbyracing@yahoo.com
Keep up to date via Twitter @ GabbyChaves

About Gabby Chaves:
Widely considered one the premier up-and-coming drivers in the junior formula car ranks, Chaves has made a name for himself by winning races and challenging for championship titles. The American first got behind the wheel of a race car at the age of 13, winning a Skip Barber Racing Shoot-out scholarship. In his first full-season of competition, the former Easy Kart, Stars of Karting and Florida Winter Tour champion captured the Colombian Grand Prix Formula Renault 2000 title and finished as the series runner-up in the Skip Barber Eastern Regional Series. Building on this success, Chaves went undefeated in the 2006-07 Skip Barber Regional Southern Series, winning all 10 races. The teenager continued his winning ways one year later, extending his Skip Barber Racing victory streak to 17 consecutive victories, leading the Skip Barber National Series before making the switch to Formula BMW Pacific competition. Chaves returned to the top of the championship charts in 2009, winning the final Formula BMW Americas title with five wins and podium finishes in every race. In 2010, Chaves raced full-time in Europe, winning the Italian Formula 3 Championship Rookie of the Year award. The teenager made his GP3 Series debut in 2011, earning five top-10 finishes. Chaves returned to North America in 2012, competing in the Mazda Road to Indy-backed Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, where he finished as the title runner-up with two wins. This season, the teenager is competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series with multiple champion Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

An interview with Tim Cindric, AJ Allmendinger and Mike Kelly

Tue, 9 Apr 2013 09:09:24 -0400

MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We're happy to welcome AJ Allmendinger back onboard with Team Penske.
We're joined with three distinguished guests, Tim Cindric, who is the president of Penske Racing; AJ Allmendinger, who will be driving the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Dallara Chevrolet at the Indianapolis 500 and Barber Motorsports Park; and Mike Kelly, executive vice president of marketing, and who oversees the IZOD brand and many other apparel brands.

Tim, we'll start with you. Can you give us an overview of how the opportunity arose with AJ and how we were able to pull things together?

Tim Cindric: It's always cool to have a new chapter in Roger's book. When you look at the things that we've been through over the years, this kind of marks another day.
When we looked at this and said, How do we put this together in a short period of time? Mike's help, the support that IZOD put together really in a very short period of discussions, as we looked at how to take advantage of that, we discussed a bit about what about AJ Allmendinger? When you look at the best available guys out there Mike didn't even hesitate. He said, “I'm all in. I think that's a great idea.”
For us to be able to sit back and have another chapter, another opportunity to win this place is really cool. He and I have been through quite a bit in the last 15 months

MODERATOR: AJ, obviously a very exciting day for you. You've been through a lot in the past year. To work your way back here with Penske Racing in this place, talk about looking forward to the Indy 500 as well as Barber coming up.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: For me it's amazing to go through the last year of what happened and to get back to this point. For me to be able to run Indy is amazing, but the fact to have Roger Penske, everybody at the Penske organization & Tim, to ask me to come back to still be a part of the family. Roger told me the first day when I signed with him last year. Once you're in the family, you're always in the family.
As everything occurred to go through that, have Roger not just say those words but act them, not with this, but every week calling me to make sure I'm all right, make sure I'm doing the right things, just more than anything being okay, that to me meant the world.
To have him ask me to come back and ask me to drive one of his IndyCars here at the Speedway, and in general, that means more than anything I could have imagined. At that point, Roger didn't need to help me if he didn't want to. To have him do that, have Mike and IZOD come aboard and take a shot with me at this, it's fantastic.
I feel excited about it. Just the short amount of time we've spent together, dinners learning about the company, just being a part of it, for me it's kind of a second coming of a dream come true in a lot of different days.

MODERATOR: Welcome back.
Mike, talk a little bit about having this guy represent IZOD and what you're looking forward to.

MIKE KELLY: We couldn't be happier. We get to race, first off, at the Indy 500. That in and of itself it's amazing. This track is so cool. To race with the Penske organization, to be with Roger, then to support AJ to get a shot at an American drinking the milk, being in the winner's circle, we couldn't be prouder.
Take any one of those three, racing at the Indy 500, be with Roger Penske, Tim and those guys in the office and in the pit, then AJ, he's an interesting cat, an interesting guy, this is going to be a lot of fun. I found out that last night.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Not sure how to take that (laughter).

MIKE KELLY: It's going to be a lot of fun.

MODERATOR: I also want to take the opportunity to welcome all the fans watching on the Internet. Glad you could be a part of this as well.
We'll open it up for questions from the audience.

Q. Will AJ be in all the races? Any conflicts NASCAR-wise?

TIM CINDRIC: Right now we have two IZOD races for AJ, Barber and Indianapolis. Mike, can we have some more?

MIKE KELLY: That's called: Being put on the spot (smiling).
We got Barber, we got Indy.

TIM CINDRIC: It's our goal to put together more races. Whether or not they're IZOD races or what have you, it's our goal to expand in whatever way we can.

Q. Tim, does Penske Racing have a drug test policy within its own boundaries?

TIM CINDRIC: We do. I think it was pretty well-documented when we went through this situation last year with AJ, as we looked at it, it was very difficult for us to put the driver in a different scenario than the rest of the expectations of us.
So there was really no choice but to have things play out the way they did. The difference, and some people missed this, AJ has looked at that whole situation, he's gone through what's required of him, and he continues to be I guess selected to be sure that everybody's behind him and he's doing the right things.
Those assurances, there was a timeout there for a while, he's paid his dues, he's assured everybody he's on the right track, and we totally support that.

Q. AJ, when you were sat down initially, did you have any indication that if you follow a certain track, you may get the call back or was the call back a surprise?

AJ ALLMENDINGER: I mean, you speak from Roger himself? As it all went down, I wasn't worried about a call from anybody, honestly. The first things I had to go through was figure out the process and what was expected of me, what I had to do to get back in racing as quick as possible, which is all I wanted to do.
Honestly, through that process, there's a lot of things that for me I had to go through as a person. We all know that anybody that has been around me, I always put the most pressure on myself. I always have or always will, whether it's the biggest strength of mine or biggest weakness.
Last year I was driving for Roger Penske, things weren't going right, I was stressed, I wasn't myself. First things first, I had to figure out if I wanted to race anymore. Finally for the first time in my life for the first time in 25 years I wasn't racing every weekend. In a way it was good because I had to figure out if I wanted to continue doing that. I quickly learned as I watched races on TV, I did.
I had to be happier first before I got into a racecar. I always looked at it, if racing is going well, that will make everything else happy. Well, for me it's the total opposite. When you get in the racecar, you're totally focused, physically, mentally, everything that goes with it.
I wasn't worried about a phone call from anybody, getting a chance. I had to make sure if I got the chance, if and when, I was ready to go. That time period, going through that, is what I focused on.
There's no secrets. Nobody's perfect in life. Unfortunately mine was played out on TV over one dumb mistake. But with that mistake, you can do two things: you can keep making those mistakes or learn from them and be a lot better.
I said it when I started, I'll say it every day, I'm a lot better for it. I'm a lot better mentally and physically for whatever opportunity.
No, I wasn't expecting the opportunity to be at the Indy 500 with Roger Penske, but that was something for me I had to work hard on. Like we all go through, certain days are good, certain days are bad.
I feel a lot better for going through it. I can actually look at Tim Cindric, Mike Kelly, Roger Penske in the eye and say, I'm ready to go and I'm going to work hard. I'm going to do all the right things. Whether that's good enough in the end? I hope so. If not, I can look myself in the mirror and be happy with it.
I went through a lot in the last few months for the good. Certain people may wonder why you get a second opportunity, but for me it's just through hard work and being happier away from the racetrack. When I'm at the racetrack I'm really happy.

Q. AJ, now you're on this big stage, assuming you're going to be able to handle the position, talk about the challenges that this track presents for a person such as yourself.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: I've been told I'm not supposed to hit the brakes when I get down to the end of the straightaway now. I'm so used to that in a stockcar. It's going to be the first challenge, to hold my foot down (laughter).
No, I mean, it's just the challenge of not being in one of these cars in seven years. It's a lot different. When I tested at Sebring, it's a lot different than what I remember. There's a lot of work that goes into that.
Obviously being around this place in its own right it's completely different than anything I'll do. Fortunately enough, there's a lot of great people on this team. I'm with the best organization to start with, and they have Rick Mears, Helio, just everybody, Roger, everybody that has been a part of this great place for so many years that can help me out.
The good thing about Indy is you get a couple weeks leading up to the race to keep working on that. There's a lot of challenges, not just one little challenge. It's about putting it all together.
Luckily we'll have a test in Barber, the race in Barber. Obviously it's not an oval, but it's getting used to the car. I'll be prepared as much as possible as I can be before I get on the racetrack. Once I get on here, it's about trying to learn and take it step by step.
For me, I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of great people in this organization that will be there to help me.

Q. (No microphone.)

AJ ALLMENDINGER: No, there's no added pressure with the name. As I said, the most pressure comes from myself to go out there and perform. If I didn't think I could be here and have a chance to win this race, I wouldn't waste these guys' time and money. There's no point in doing that.
But I know at the same point there's a lot of work that's going to go into that. There's no pressure except for myself.
It's funny, I never met A.J. until the Sebring test. I walked downstairs in the hotel in the morning. He was sitting there having breakfast. I thought it was a great opportunity to go meet him. A.J. Foyt, my dad told my mom, if it's a boy, the name has to be A.J., if it was a girl he didn't give a crap what the name was.
Mine stands for Anthony James, and A.J. is Anthony Joseph.

Q. AJ, when you were running Champ Car, Franchitti was also in CART, he never paid attention to the Indy 500. He started running here, it became a huge deal. Named for A.J. Foyt, being an open-wheel guy, then you went to NASCAR, did you think you would never run the Indy 500 again?

AJ ALLMENDINGER: I mean, it was tough back in Champ Car because when the two series were split, not having that opportunity to race here, honestly I felt as a kid growing up when I was 10, 11, 12 years old, when it was the heyday of CART, I loved the Indy 500. I thought the best of the best showed up. It was great to see.
I felt like obviously with the split, it took away from the prestige of the Indy 500 because the best of the best weren't there the whole time.
So for me, honestly, it was like I kind of lost a little bit of the concept of what Indy really was until I got here for the first time in a stockcar and pulled out in pit lane and realized, God, this is what Indy is all about, coming down the front straightaway for the first time. My mind immediately went back to, What's it like in an IndyCar, coming down at 240 and turn into turn one?
I didn't think I'd never have a chance to run there, I just didn't know what the opportunity would be. I've always wanted to be here at the Indy 500. It's still the biggest race I think on this planet. You look at the crowd when it shows up on race day and just everything that leads up to the Indy 500, what it means, the names that are on the Borg-Warner trophy, the prestige here.
I'd love to be part of it. It's going to be amazing to be a part of it as a driver being introduced, but it would be a lot better, as Mike has told me several times in the last 12 hours, it would be a lot better to win that. I got that.
Yeah, I'm real excited about it.

Q. Tim, you obviously sat with Roger and assessed the risk. How big do you think the risk was and why did you take the risk when Penske has the pick of any driver that they would want?

TIM CINDRIC: Well, I'm not sure we have a pick of any driver.
I think with regard to the confidence that we have, again, we were pretty close to his whole situation. When you look at it, yeah, you take calculated risks throughout this business every day. For us it's not really a risk. We look at it and say, If you're sitting in his shoes, you've gone down the road to recovery, the only other road there is is a dead end. There's nothing there.
I feel like Roger has always been a loyal guy, always been somebody that's been there for anybody. There's a lot of stories like this that a lot of people don't know about, a lot more than you think, in terms of giving somebody a second chance, being there for them when they're needed.
When you look at this thing, we talked about it, there's more good that can come out of it than bad. At the end of the day, the worst thing that can come out of it is we get another driver, in some ways, when you break it down to the very simple aspects of it.
But when you look at situations like last night, perfect example. A friend of mine calls me, a good friend in the business, and he says, Hey, man, I've got somebody that's in the business that has a son. That son is a great athlete. He's got a scholarship. He's at the top of his game in high school sports. This kid hung out with the wrong buddies, wrong friends, and ended up making a mistake, got tested. Now he's got his whole future on the line, his scholarship, his athletics, everything else. His parents have talked to me to see if there's a way if he can talk to AJ Allmendinger to see how he can go through that process to see if their son can do that.
To me that was like really cool and brought the whole thing full circle as I'm driving back from Savannah last night about why we're doing this.

Q. AJ, you can see a mistake can be humbling. Racecar driving itself will make you humble. Have you discussed the mistake you made with some of your colleagues, friends, drivers? Could you share with us some advice that someone may have given you?

AJ ALLMENDINGER: I mean, as you said, the sport will always humble you. Most of the time you'll have more downs than ups. It's the ups that make the downs worth it.
When it all happened, I feel like for a while I kind of closed off because I was trying to figure it out myself. The thing that really helped was I had a lot of family and friends that were there, my parents, people like Roger, that were close to me that helped me get through it.
A lot that helped me get through it was the people I was racing against at that time in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart. Those guys reached out to me and saw how I was, just told me advice, whether it was just be honest, tell the truth, do what you have to do, or just events that they went through. Whether people have seen or haven't seen behind the scenes the stuff they went through, the fact that they trusted me more than anything.
Guys like Ryan Hunter-Reay, for instance, I hadn't talked to him much in the past because obviously our paths were going down a different way. He reached out to me. A guy like Will Power, Helio, all those guys, even guys I hadn't spoke to a lot that reached out. There was a lot of support there from them. That helped me get through it.
Family and friends are obviously really important in life. But at the same point when you're racing against people at over 200 miles per hour, those are the ones that have to trust you. If they don't trust you to start with, you're not going to be back in the sport or not. They're going to be the ones that determine whether they want you there or not.
It was those people that meant so much because they trusted me and they said, Just do what you do, get back. Do whatever it is that you have to do, whatever the process is, and get back as quick as possible. That to me has meant more than anything.
As Tim talked about, with a situation like that, I'm not scared to talk about it. I think sometimes people get scared to bring it up and discuss it or anything like that, or people try to shy away from it. It's happened. It's out there in the press. Nothing's going to change about what was said in the past, what people are going to determine in the future. I learned through all of this, all you can do is work on yourself. If you're happy with yourself, in certain ways it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.
I'm always open to talk about it, whether it's people that are going through it, people that made mistakes, people that just want to discuss it, it's something to be open about, something to be open from, it's life.

Q. Mike, I know you're a huge race fan. Several years ago IZOD made a huge commitment to this series. It's my understanding this is the last year of that contract. Moving forward, have there been discussions internally about where to take this thing?

MIKE KELLY: It's our sixth year. We're proud of the series. I'm a huge fan. IZOD is a fan of the sport. It's an amazing product. What goes on here, the 500 alone. But each of these races, I don't know how many there are this year exactly. Each of the races, the road courses, ovals.
Today is about AJ, our relationship with Penske. We're not here to talk about our deal with the league.
But we're supportive of everything that's going on here, especially this idea. The idea of getting an American in the winner's circle at the Indy 500 is great for the sport, great for the league. What's good for the league is good for us because we've got our name on it.

Q. Tim, you said initially early on that you have your own testing program. What did you say when NASCAR says, Uh-oh, the red flag is up?

TIM CINDRIC: Maybe you misunderstood in terms of the drivers and that type of thing. They have a program that's right in parallel, if not more so, than what we have to do as employers. In that case, Roger was actually on an airplane on his way back from Europe. Roger knows I only call him when I need something. I usually wait for him to call me. If I'm calling him, it's pretty cool, because he usually takes my call because I don't call him very often. He'll check in daily for the most part.
The process to do that, you have to go through air traffic control, so forth, then he calls you. I just talked to him 30 minutes ago. He had taken off, was on his way back from Europe.
Anyway, I get ahold of him. So what did you forget last time we talked? This probably isn't the way you want to come back from your vacation, but in the next couple hours we have to decide who is going in this car at Daytona, went through the situation. His response was, Hey, nothing I can do about it from here so figure out the next steps. That was kind of how that all took place.
With regard to the drivers, the sanctioning bodies, you have such a stringent program for them, one that's very random, that to do that across the masses isn't really practical. We rely on the sanctioning bodies a lot relative to the drivers.

Q. Mike, I applaud your decision to back AJ. Top flight American drivers are an endangered species. AJ, did the potential accelerate to come back to IndyCar, that you might like to go back to open-wheel again?

AJ ALLMENDINGER: I always told Roger, I told him every day, if he wants me to drive one of his racecars, I'm not going to be dumb and say no.
We were focused on the Cup program, trying to go out there and win races. At that point the year hadn't started off very well. What was tough was I felt like we were actually making headway right before it all happened, starting to have some of our better runs.
Once something like that happens, for me I'm open to all opportunities. At that point last year Roger asked me to come to Fontana as a guest of his and come back to an IndyCar race, see what it was all about. At that point the championship was on the line. It had been a great season for IndyCar in general when it came to the racing aspect of it.
For me I have a lot of great friends still in IndyCar, so I keep up with it every weekend I can, every race they have. It was just an opportunity to show up and say, What's out there? What opportunities might there be? What chances are there going to be, whether it's IndyCar, NASCAR, GRAND-AM, whatever? I've learned quickly in life, you don't say no to anything. You kind of look at all options and see what is best in life.
For me it's just been about finding out what that opportunity is, whether it's IndyCar or NASCAR. Be competitive, have chances to win races and just enjoy it, just have fun being in a racecar no matter what it is.
Did I think it would lead to this? I didn't know. Generally I just take every day as it comes now. I'm not surprised by anything. As I said, more than anything, I'm just trying to make myself ready, whatever those chances are. Be physically, mentally, emotionally ready to go. When I get a call to go in a racecar, I can know I'm 100% committed to it. That's what I feel like now.
The fortunate thing is at least my phone has kept ringing. It hasn't been silent. Ring, somebody call me. There's not enough adjectives to say what I feel now. Amazing, excited, nervous, just pumped up to have this chance, to be back with Roger and the Penske family, to have IZOD take a chance and say they want to be a part of me and they want me to be a part of them.
So I'm ready to go. Anything better would be maybe get some more golf clothes. I'm a huge golfer, too. Just throwing that out. Checking out their stuff on the course. If I have to represent them out there, too, I will. Just saying, whatever you need. I think you have a couple of good golfers you represent. One lives by me. So if you want to throw that out there. We could do some TV stuff, whatever you want. Just throwing it out there, thinking ahead (smiling).

Q. AJ, compare what you'll feel the day you'll go out on the track in an IndyCar compared to a stockcar. Roger expects a lot from his drivers beyond most owners. Is that an added pressure or do you accept that?

AJ ALLMENDINGER: I mean, the first part of that question, I'm not going to lie, I'm going to be nervous as hell rolling out. It was the same way when I was in a stockcar. For me, when I haven't done something before, I have those nerves. I think it's a good thing. If I wasn't nervous, I wouldn't care.
The anticipation of rolling out there first day, rookie orientation, it's going to be fun and nerve-wracking, so many emotions wrapped together at the same time. It's going to take a few laps to get used to it. Once I get used to it, it's down to business.
With your second question, Roger, yeah, he demands a lot from his drivers, but he's one of the easiest guys to work for, which surprised me last year. I was so stressed out at the beginning of the year, things weren't going right, we were having mechanical issues. He was going to be on me saying, We got to go out there and do it this weekend. He was at ease more than anybody else. It takes time, don't worry about it, things will come together, you're doing fine, just relax.

TIM CINDRIC: The drivers, they got it easy.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: He might have been in the next room with Tim going, What the hell is he doing out there? Get on him.

TIM CINDRIC: Free pass.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: No, he's a great guy to work for.

MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you very much for your time. Very excited about the upcoming season. Happy to welcome AJ, to the team.

Skip Barber Racing School Honors Two Veterans at 1 Day Racing School

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:29:38 -0400

BRASELTON, GA – In coordination with Wounded Warrior Project and Extreme Bucket List, Skip Barber Racing School is proud to honor two veterans during an upcoming 1-Day Racing School on April 4, 2013 at Lime Rock Park.

Sargent Lou Tavarez initially served as a Marine during the Gulf War. After the corps, he became a New Jersey fireman and was dispatched to the World Trade Center September 11, 2001. He then re-enlisted in the Army and served in Afghanistan. For his service he earned the Combat Action Ribbon and several commendations.
When he returned home from his Army deployment in 2004, he was suffering from severe Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as hearing and back problems. Through the Wounded Warrior Project, Sgt. Tavarez is recovering and now wants to council returning veterans.
“I want to thank Skip Barber Racing School, Wounded Warrior Project and Steve Conklin from Extreme Bucket List for making this possible," said Sgt. Tavarez. "This is the highlight of my life. I am very excited and looking forward to it.”
Specialist Kyle Pattison is active Army and recently returned from his deployment in the Middle East.
"I'm really excited to be doing this," said Spc. Pattison. "I've always wanted to drive the formula style race car. I would love to go make this a career, and it is just going to be an amazing experience for me."
Both Sgt. Tavarez and Spc. Pattison will participate in the Skip Barber 1 Day Racing School at Lime Rock Park in the classic Skip Barber formula car. During the school, they will learn about the racing line, race-style downshifting, threshold braking and cornering from outstanding Skip Barber Racing School instructors. For more information on the program, go to skipbarber.com.
"Skip Barber Racing School programs are life-enriching experiences," states Michael Culver, Chairman & CEO of Skip Barber Racing School. "We are excited to partner with Wounded Warrior Project and show how grateful we are for these heroic veterans' service to our country."
About the Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
About Extreme Bucket List
The Extreme Bucket List is your source for the best in anything Extreme. Why go anywhere else when you can chat with Olympic Gold Medalists, one of CNN's Inspirational Citizen's of the Year, the first blind Climber to Conquer Everest and the list goes on. Find your next great adventure at extremebucketlist.net.
About Skip Barber Racing School
For 38 years, Skip Barber Racing School has been the leader in training motorsport legends of the future through entry-level, equal car championships. The athletes are given media exposure, expert coaching, on-track arrive-and-drive experience, financial awards and motorsport scholarships. Skip Barber Racing School launched the auto racing careers of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Scott Speed, A.J. Allmendinger, Raphael Matos, John Edwards, Conor Daly, Spencer Pigot and many more. Skip Barber Racing School is the Official Racing School of the IZOD IndyCar Series and the first step on the Mazda Road to Indy.

KV Racing Technology Looking Forward to Long Beach after Disappointing Race at Barber

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:25:42 -0400

Birmingham, AL - Expectations were high with both drivers having a great warm up session this morning. De Silvestro, driver of the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car started 14th on the grid, while Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 11 Mouser - KV Racing Technology - SH Chevrolet/Firestone car, started 19th. At the end of the day, their fortunes were reversed with Kanaan finishing 13th and De Silvestro bringing it home in 18th.

Steve Moore, the team's manager summed it up. "It was a difficult day for KVRT today, with our strategies not really working in our favor," he said. "Although Tony did make up some spots it obviously wasn't the end result we were looking for. With Simona, again the strategy didn't work the way we anticipated. We have a lot of work to do including the crew and our stops. We'll regroup when we get back to the shop and look forward to Long Beach."

Kanaan echoed the sentiment. "It was just a long day," he said. "I started the race on the primary tires in order to get them out of the way and was hoping to get more speed out of the red alternates to pick up some track position, but once I got stuck in traffic in the middle of the pack there was nothing I could do. Lost a handful of spots during our pits and managed to get some of them back at the end of the race, but it was still not our day. Let's move on to Long Beach in a couple of weeks and focus on getting a better result there."

Traffic played a big role for De Silvestro as well. "It was a tough race for us," she said. "We were always in traffic and there was always something going on. At the start I kind of got pushed out and lost a few positions and had to work my way back up. You know we were always fighting with different people and different tires and it was really hard to get by, so we kind of got stuck there and it wasn't great. But, we'll go on to the next one and hopefully we'll be alright there."

The team heads back to Indianapolis tonight to regroup and start preparations for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach April 19 - 21. The race airs on NBC Sports Network with race coverage starting at 4:00 p.m. ET. For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, go to http://gplb.com/.

About KV Racing Technology:
KV Racing Technology was founded in January 2003 and joined the IndyCar Series in 2008. The Indianapolis based team is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 CART IndyCar World Series Champion Jimmy Vasser and Indian industrialist Imran Safiulla. For more information about KV Racing Technology visit: www.kvracingtechnology.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kvracing and Facebook: www.facebook.com/kvracingtechnology

About Entergy
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation's leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees. For more information visit: www.entergynuclear.com and www.NuclearClearAirEnergy.com; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NuclearCleanAirEnergy and on Twitter at @NuclearCleanAir

About AREVA
AREVA provides its customers with solutions for low-carbon power generation in North America and all over the world. As the leader in nuclear energy and a significant, growing player in the renewable energies sector, AREVA combines U.S. and Canadian leadership, access to worldwide expertise and a proven track record of performance. Sustainable development is a core component of AREVA's strategy. Its nearly 5,000 U.S. and Canadian employees work every day to make AREVA a responsible industrial player helping to supply ever cleaner, safer and more economical energy to the greatest number of people. AREVA Inc. is headquartered in Bethesda, Md. For more information visit: www.us.areva.com

About SH Racing
Founded in 2010 to campaign the 2011 Indianapolis 500, SH is lead by Principal James "Sulli" Sullivan. In its Third year, SH expands with a full season alliance with KV Racing Technology in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

HUNTER-REAY CLAIMS VERIZON P1 AWARD AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:24:22 -0400

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ryan Hunter-Reay earned his first Verizon P1 Award of the 2013 season by capturing the pole position for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 7.
The reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion recorded a lap of 1:07.0871 in the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet to earn his third pole of his Indy car career. Will Power, the race winner the past two years, will join Hunter-Reay on the front row.
Hunter-Reay's pole was just part of the story in a dramatic qualifying session on the 2.3-mile road course that saw Scott Dixon blitz the track record by more than 3 seconds in the first of the three rounds.
Takuma Sato, who appeared to qualify for Firestone Fast Six for the second consecutive race, was penalized for interference in Round 2 and was credited with qualifying 12th (a drop of at least six positions). Rookie Tristan Vautier was called back to pit lane to participate in the 10-minute session and qualified a career-best third.
Charlie Kimball advanced to the Firestone Fast Six for the first time and posted his career-best starting position of fifth, while AJ Allmendinger qualified 11th in his IZOD IndyCar Series debut.
Also on April 6, Carlos Munoz set a Firestone Indy Lights track record to win the Sunoco Pole Award for the Legacy Indy Lights 100.
Munoz turned a lap of 1:13.8509 with 17 minutes left in the 45-minute session. Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian's Jack Hawksworth moved to P2 -- .1150 of a second behind -- with 8 minutes left and improved his lap time to close to .0898 of a second behind Munoz with 1:30 left.
DAY 2 NOTEBOOK
Entry update:
Car name for #18 Beatriz is now Ipiranga
***
This weekend, the four Chip Ganassi Racing Teams cars racing at Barber Motorsports Park in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Grand-Am races as well as the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars at Martinsville Speedway have partnered with Novo Nordisk for the Race with Insulin Unites initiative, which is designed to show that with the right management plan and team support, individuals can get their diabetes on track.
"If our team can help others understand that even with diabetes, you can live life to the fullest, then we are glad to help," team owner Chip Ganassi said. "A program like this speaks volumes about (Kimball)."
The cars are sporting blue rims and Kimball's car is sheath in a special Race with Insulin Unites paint scheme. The rims emulate a blue circle, which is the International Diabetes Federation's global symbol for diabetes.
Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, is a longtime sponsor of Kimball's motorsports pursuits. It's truly a partnership, with Kimball sharing a message that despite his medical condition he's able to compete in the demanding sport.
"Together, we've grown our partnership from a small logo on my suit and talking about having diabetes to a full program," said Kimball, who co-drove the winning overall entry in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. "The opportunity for me to meet all sorts of great people with diabetes across the country, tell them my story and hear their stories, it reminds me that no matter how good or bad a day I have at the racetrack it's more important than just me in the race car."
***
Team Penske will field its third IZOD IndyCar Series car for AJ Allmendinger at the next IZOD IndyCar Series event on the streets of Long Beach.
TIM CINDRIC (President, Penske Racing): (About decision to add race): "We decided we needed to get (AJ Allmendinger) more seat time. As the emotions get into it and Roger (Penske)'s commitment to the organization, we don't want to go into Indianapolis any less prepared than we can be. AJ has continued to gel with the team and it's worth the investment for us to have him run at a place where he's already run. (Barber) is a whole different place for him, and the effort you need to find that couple of tenths (of a second) is maybe different than a place like Long Beach where he's already comfortable and it's just a matter of learning the car. He's learning the car here and he's learning the track." (What about future races): "You put the plans in place and they you have to make the decision whether to pull the plug or not. We won't run him at Brazil, so it will be Long Beach and then Indianapolis, and we'll see after that." (Will there be a aponsor?): "We'll probably end up with a Penske affiliate of some kind. We're open to sponsors." (About his progression in car): "There are sections of this (Barber) track where he's actually better than (Will Power and Helio Castroneves) and they're able to feed off that. The fortunate thing is he has the first pit here, so he can focus on pulling in and out. We just want him to get laps; he's not racing for points. Anything you can do here will help in the future."
AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet): (About racing at Long Beach): "It's the same layout at least. It's not an oval (before Indianapolis), but it's more time in the car with pit stops. It's exciting; I've always missed that race since I left. Being a California native it was always a fun race to go to. Just to have another race under my belt at a place I've fairly familiar with I'm looking forward to it." (About the weekend): "I'm a little bit sore and still holding my breath a little bit in the fast corner, but it's good so far." (About opportunity with Team Penske): "Everything I've said about (Roger Penske) probably is the biggest understatement. I just feel fortunate to have a guy like that care about me so much. I'm not going to ask him why, because I don't want him to question his own mind, but I feel very lucky."
QUALIFYING FOR THE VERIZON P1 AWARD:
Qualifying for the Verizon P1 Award consists of three segments. In Segment One of qualifying, each group receives 10 minutes of track time. The fastest six cars from each group advance to Segment Two, while the remaining cars are assigned positions 13-26. Group One drivers will occupy the odd-numbered positions (13, 15, 17...) while Group Two drivers will occupy the even-numbered positions (14, 16, 18...) based on their fastest lap times.
During Segment Two, the 12 advancing cars receive 10 minutes of track time. The fastest six advance to the Firestone Fast Six Shootout while the remaining six cars are ranked in positions 7-12 based on their fastest laps.
During the Firestone Fast Six, the six cars receive 10 minutes of track time, with a guarantee of five minutes of green flag time. Each car receives one additional set of Firestone Firehawk tires for use during this final segment. At the end of the session, the cars are ranked 1-6 based on their fastest laps.
Any driver who causes a red flag during any of the groups will lose their two quickest laps.
The time line for qualifying today is in Turn 14.
At 10:15 a.m., the ambient temperature was 66 degrees with a relative humidity of 34 percent. Skies were sunny. The track temperature was 87 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
Track record: Will Power, 1:09.8529 (April 2012). Fastest lap this weekend: #78 Simona de Silvestro, 1:07.4073 (Practice 2).
10:25 a.m. - GREEN. Session 1, Group 1.
10:35 a.m. - CHECKERED. Advancing to Segment 2 are: #9 Dixon (1:06.7750), #1 Hunter-Reay, #14 Sato, #6 Saavedra, #83 Kimball and #2 Allmendinger. Dixon's lap is a track qualifying record.
10:40 a.m. - GREEN. Session 1, Group 2.
10:50 a.m. - CHECKERED. Advancing to Segment 2 are: #55 Vautier, (1:07.1201) #19 Wilson #12 Power #3 Castroneves #16 Jakes and #25 Andretti.
11 a.m. - GREEN. Segment 2.
11:10 a.m. - CHECKERED. Segment 2.Advancing to Firestone Fast Six are: #9 Dixon (1:06.9095) #1 Hunter-Reay, #83 Kimball, #14 Sato, #12 Power and #3 Castroneves.
***
IZOD IndyCar Series officials have excluded #14 Sato from Firestone Fast Six for qualifying interference. He will not be allowed to participate in Firestone Fast Six. Based on the penalty, #55 Vautier will advance to Firestone Fast Six.
***
11:20 a.m. - GREEN. Firestone Fast Six.
11:29 a.m. -- #1 Hunter-Reay sets fastest lap at 1:07.0871
11:30 a.m. - CHECKERED. #1 Hunter-Reay wins Verizon P1 Award.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POST-QUALIFYING NOTES:
· This is Ryan Hunter-Reay's first pole of 2013 and the third pole of his Indy car career. His last pole came at Edmonton in 2012.
· Will Power qualified second, his third front-row start in four starts here at Barber Motorsports Park.
· Tristan qualified third, his career-best start in the IZOD IndyCar Series. He has qualified in Firestone Fast Six in each of his series starts.
· Scott Dixon qualified fourth after setting a new track record of 1:06.7750 in Segment 1.
· Charlie Kimball qualified fifth, his best start in the IZOD IndyCar Series. His previous best start was seventh at Motegi in 2011. It was Kimball's first appearance in the Firestone Fast Six.
· Helio Castroneves qualified sixth, his first start outside of the front two rows here at Barber.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES:
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): "This team has done so well this weekend, we just kept progressing and we knew where we needed to work on it. I really went to work on my driving as well, and we all did it together here. It's a great position to start from and now we need to go make it work in warm up and for the race, making these Firestones hang in there for an entire race. That'll be the challenging part." (About racing at Barber): "It's a very challenging track that rewards aggressiveness, but if you step over just a little too far on set up or on driving, it'll definitely punish you. We worked on making the car better, this team has done a great job in the offseason developing our setup, and we had a great test here, three great teammates, four overall all working together in one direction. It's a good way to hopefully start our season this weekend."
ORIOL SERVIA (No 22. Panther DRR Chevrolet): "I am disappointed. I really feel that we have a good car, the reds just didn't do what we expected. You basically have one lap to put it together - you miss the tire pressures or something a little bit and you're out. We need to do a better job of putting everything together, but I honestly feel like we are improving. The important thing is tomorrow - tires are going to play a big part of it so a car that is able to be consistent on older tires will be better in the race. We're starting pretty far back, but anything can happen here tomorrow."
SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda): "My car was good, we just barely missed it in qualifying. We'll just keep digging a little deeper because we aren't far off at all. I know we'll have a good car for the race tomorrow."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "Here the car has been decent the whole time. We have just been trying to work out some of the issues that we have had at St. Pete. This isn't the best track to do it but it gives us a bit of direction. I am a bit bummed about qualifying, you know we were fastest in Q1 and Q2 and then just a bit of missed timing, a bit on my behalf, didn't go out hard enough and then tried to expect some more from the tires later and it just wasn't there. So, I don't think we quite would have gotten a 7.0 that Ryan did, you know we did a 6.7 earlier on new tires but he did a hell of a job and putting a good lap together. You know race day is a different day and hopefully we can move up three spots".
E.J. VISO (No. 5 Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM Chevrolet): "We didn't find the speed we were looking for with the red set of tires. Surprisingly we did lack a lot of grip. That was pretty much what stopped us from going faster. It has a balance, I believe we have a very strong car. But we just missed a lot of grip. Tomorrow is going to be a long race, a long day. At this point, we are not starting where we wanted. We will be working hard with the strategies and having a good race craft, making every single move on track that we can."
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): ""We had closed the gap on the guys in front of us yesterday in the second practice. But today the gap opened back up again. So that is a little disappointing and I'm frustrated with myself, to be honest. I feel like the car is pretty good. We did improve our time over Friday. But I think I needed to get a little more out of the car today. Hopefully the race will be better for us than today."
AJ ALLMENDIGER (No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet): ""I wasn't as strong in the second run as I was in the first. I just didn't feel as good on the second set of tires. We made our first goal of getting out of the first round of qualifying. Making it into the top six was a pretty lofty goal, especially with it being my first time (in this format) and first time on the red (tires). It's still good to be inside the top 12. I know the IZOD Team Penske car will be good in the race, it's just a matter of me going with the flow and how I react to everything."
TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Mouser KV Racing Technology-SH Racing Chevrolet): ""I'm having a hard time understanding what happened during qualifying. My car actually felt good, but when Vasser came on the radio and said I needed another tenth and a half, I thought that I heard something wrong. And on top of that the times for group two of quals were way slower than group one, which is very strange. Starting back there will make it a long day tomorrow, but I trust the #11 crew, Chevy and Firestone and we'll move forward during the race."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet): "I left pit lane a couple minutes late because we were carrying less fuel and we knew the tires had just two good laps in them. We did a great job getting up to speed, and I got everything out of the car that I needed. It's always disappointing to finish just outside of the Fast Six, but I think we have a great car trimmed out and we will be ready for Sunday."
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO (No. 78 Nuclear Entergy Areva KVRT Chevrolet): "On the reds we had a really big balance change. It was a really big difference so we'll have to try and work on that for tomorrow's warm-up and the race. I think on the blacks we were really quick; even on the older ones. Hopefully we can make up some positions. It's really frustrating to be starting more in the back, but I think we can make it happen. We'll work really hard to go to the front with the Nuclear Clean Air Energy car.
TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): "It's disappointing for us not to be able to show our performance in the Fast Six. We had a difficult practice session this morning but we worked on our setup and in the first two segments the car was much more connected and I was able to commit and we advanced to the Fast Six. However in the second segment I had to back off because there was a slower car in front of me at the exit of turn five. So I abandoned my qualifying lap and I tried to stretch the space. I checked my mirror on the back straight and there was no one there and then going through turns 7 and 8 which is where the elevation changes which is probably the worst place for Justin Wilson to catch me because I couldn't see anything behind me. When I was able to see that he was coming on I tried to keep my line tight and let him have the racing line. Obviously it was close but I was disappointed to be penalized."
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet): "We've been struggling a little bit this weekend compared to the test. We didn't have the quickest car, but had enough for Q2… got held up by another car and ended up getting knocked out. It's frustrating but we've got an extra set of reds (Firestone red alternate tires) than those guys now in the race and maybe degradation will come into it tomorrow. We'll keep fighting and hopefully get the Go Daddy car up in a good position by the end of the day."
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda): "It's been a really rough day for us. Things haven't really gone our way. I had a little trouble trying to find some spacing in qualifying. I don't think we're a fast six car, but we're definitely better than where we are starting tomorrow. A top 10 qualifying is what we were looking for, and I think that's probably where we were so it gives us something to look forward to tomorrow in the race." (About the strategy for the race): "Tomorrow it's going to be important for us to try and conserve and fight the battles all the way through. It's going to be a long day, it's going to be hot, hotter than what we've seen the last couple of months. I think it's going to be difficult for everyone to do long stints out there so we have to be able to fight all the way through. Everyone has been focusing on short runs and trying to get their car the optimal performance, but tomorrow is going to be all about lasting all the way through to the end."
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda): "I'm really upset by what happened. The No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda was really fast today. We definitely had a top three car today, possible even a pole winning one. My red tires were just coming in and I was working on a very quick lap when Sato slowed down in front of me and didn't get out of the way. That caused me to slow down and have to go around him. Once I came in into the pits I ran right to the INDYCAR trailer to see if they saw the incident. They took Sato's two fastest laps away, which was some sort of justice. I just feel bad for the crew because they have given me a pole winning car this weekend."
ANA BEATRIZ (No. 18 Ipiranga Honda): "We got some work ahead of us before the race tomorrow. We will work on some changes to the car and see what they do in the morning warm up on Sunday. I know the team is doing all they can to give me a competitive car and I appreciate all their hard work this weekend. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble in the race and make up some spots for a good finish."
JAMES JAKES (No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts Honda): "I was a little disappointed in qualifying to be honest; we thought we had a little bit more than that in the Acorn Stairlifts car. We were relatively quick on Friday and this morning we seemed to have taken a few steps back. But we are in a position where we can get a good result so we will make sure we work hard overnight, have a good strategy and get a good result for the Acorn Stairlifts team."
JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet): "We were quite encouraged with the changes we made overnight based on how the National Guard Chevy responded this morning in practice, but both Oriol and I struggled to find the same feeling in the car this afternoon in qualifying. A positive for tomorrow is that is appears asthough our tire wear is good, but we will have to work some more as a group to achieve the maximum speed that we are looking for again. The heat is a big factor here, so we need to be ready for that in the race tomorrow."
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Midas / Big O Tires Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "The Midas / Big O Tires car is not too far off. In our qualifying group, Dixon blocked me on our fast lap. Was it going to be that much better? No, probably only a tenth or two and we wouldn't have advanced based on lap times. It looks like we got the harder group because we would have been around third with our lap time in the second group and advanced. Unfortunately our group was stacked and I was P11 with a 1:07.4 and that would have put me in the top-six in Group 2 and would have advanced if we did that time there. We just have to keep our heads down and work hard for tomorrow. We will have to have an alternate strategy because you can't pass all of those cars."
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS QUALIFYING
This is a 45-minute qualifying session, with drivers ranked by their quickest overall lap any time during the session. No limit on laps. The fastest car will win the $5,000 Sunoco Pole Award.
At 9:25 a.m., the ambient temperature was 57 degrees with a relative humidity of 58 percent. Skies were sunny. The track temperature was 63 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
Track record: J.K Vernay, 1:14.8726 (April 2010). Fastest lap this weekend: #26 Carlos Munoz, 1:14.3433 (Practice 2).
9:25 a.m. - GREEN.
9:40 a.m. - 15 minutes into the session, fastest lap so far is #5 Dempsey with lap at 1:14.7091.
9:55 a.m. - 30 minutes into the session, fastest lap so far is #26 Munoz with lap at 1:13.8509.
10:06 a.m. -- #7 Chaves is off course in Turn 14. Car has made light contact with the barrier.
10:08 a.m. - RED and CHECKERED. #26 Munoz has won the Sunoco Pole Award for the Legacy Indy Lights 100. #7 Chaves will lose fastest lap for causing the red flag.
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS SUNOCO POLE QUALIFYING NOTES:
· This is Carlos Munoz' second consecutive Sunoco Pole Award and his third pole in Firestone Indy Lights. He previously won the Sunoco Pole Award at Edmonton in 2012 and St. Petersburg last month.
· Jack Hawksworth qualified second, the second front-row start of his Firestone Indy Lights career.
· Sage Karam qualified third, his best starting position and first top-five start in Firestone Indy Lights.
· The top six qualifiers are separated by less than .7 of a second.
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS QUOTES:
CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 Dialy-Ser-Andretti Autosport): "It's been tough. It's not easy because the guys out there have been really quick. I felt comfortable since the beginning, yesterday I was first two times in practice 1 and practice 2, now in qualifying, I have to maintain that in the race. I think we have a better car for the race than for qualifying, so that's good. My team gave me a great car and I'm really happy for the second consecutive pole position." (About racing at Barber): "It's quite difficult to pass here. I think the main point of the race is that it's a long race, so the tires - last year they went away really quick so it's going to be a problem for all of us. I will have to handle the tires really well. But I think we have a really good car and hope to continue to victory tomorrow.
JACK HAWKSWORTH (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian): ""So this is Barber, this is one of the two road courses that we go to in Indy Lights, it's a really, really cool track and a slot of elevation changes, a lot of smooth. We start on the start/finish straight down on Turn 1, then it slightly goes down as you turn into the first left corner, then the left hander slightly off camber and slightly downhill so its slightly off camber. Then you get a little bit of more throttle until you get into Turn 2, which is just a short chute and build up as much speed as you can to get into the corner to get yourself as far around as possible. Then on the exit you have to be really patient on the throttle because otherwise the thing is just going to want to steer so you have to be patient on the throttle. Once you get to throttle you get to throttle clean and off the corner it really seems like a never ending corner. Get a good run into the next straight and then you have a little kink in the straight then you come into the only real hard braking corner on the circuit which is Turn 5, a hairpin, a good stop of the car. Then go through Turn 6,7,8 complex and into 9 which is a real fast chicane, which is a quick, quick fast right which leads you to another chicane and then another tight right. Then down the long straight, which is flat out in qualifying but can cause a few issues in the race, as the tires get worn out it can be a little bit slippery through there. Down into the final complex, which is a left right, which has a massive dip and is kind of like being on a roller coaster really, a really tight corner where you downshift in the middle and then back on the throttle down over the hill down the fast right which is just about flat. Then heavy braking for the final right hander, which then leads you onto a left."
ZACH VEACH (No. 12 K-12/Andretti Autosport): "We got caught on a little bit of bad luck today. We were sitting around P4 and P5 for most of the morning. On our first tire run, we wanted to be a little more conservative with that set to take into Long Beach. Our second run was supposed to be our big run of the day, but we got out there and the red flag came out. We didn't really get to put in the laps for that we wanted for that run, but I think that we are still in good shape. It's not where we would like to be, but we are one spot up from where we were last race. Hopefully we can keep this going into long Beach and Indy. I want to thank the guys for working so hard and K 12, because this weekend has gone really well so far."

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR AFTERBURNER AUTOSPORT ON STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:51:07 -0400

Minnesota-based squad now second in USF2000 Championship title fight after impressive outing in Rounds Three and Four
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Afterburner Autosport showcased its championship-winning pedigree over the weekend (March 23-24), with an impressive double visit to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda podium in St. Petersburg, Fla. Rookie Wyatt Gooden positioned himself as a 2013 title contender with two impressive runner-up finishes at the Florida street circuit, while fellow first-year series racer Brandon Newey also showcased his talents with a top-five and top-10 result. Jake Eidson did not garner the results desired, but he battled through adversity to further display his talents behind the wheel. Afterburner Autosport now lies second in both the driver and team standings, poised to fight for top honors when the action resumes in late May with the lone oval on the championship calendar.
After a solid launch to the 2013 edition of the USF2000 Championship - the first-rung of the Mazda Road to Indy program - at Sebring just one week prior, the entire Afterburner Autosport squad was excited to take on the challenges of street racing in St. Petersburg. Despite having three series rookies behind the wheel, everyone under the team awning was confident of success.
It didn't take long for the Afterburner Autosport name to begin showing up near the top of 31-car scorsheets, as despite focusing on getting acclimatized to the concrete lined 1.8-mile track and working on car setups, Gooden was third and fifth fastest in the two practice runs, and Eidson's No. 18 Eidson Enterprises/Afterburner Autosport racer was sixth quickest in the opening session.
Aware that starting positions would likely play a key ingredient in success during the twin bill run in conjunction with the IndyCar Series season-opener, all three Afterburner Autosport drivers were keen to post multiple quick laps in the sole qualifying session. For Gooden, the session ran almost exactly planned, with the No. 17 Ohio Center for Sport Psychology/ PerfectPedal.com/Afterburner Autosport steed third fastest when the checkered flag waved. Newey, finding more pace each time he gets behind the wheel, made it two Afterburner cars inside the top-10, earning a row four starting position for race one via the eighth quickest lap. Eidson, unfortunately, was unable to get the speed desired from his racing steed during the traffic filled session, ultimately posting the 14th best time.
When the Afterburner Autosport trio returned to the cockpits for Round Three, the goal was simple...avoid the expected incidents and move forward. Making the most of the expertise that has earned Afterburner Autosport two SCCA National Championship titles, the trio did just that. Gooden showcased both racecraft and speed during the 21-lap affair, earning both his and the team's first USF2000 Championship podium finish via an impressive drive to second place. Newey likewise displayed his talents in the No. 98 Curb Records/Calcium Pro/USANA/Miller Oils/OMP/Bell Helmets/Afterburner Autosport entry - which is run in conjunction with Bryan Herta Autosport with Agajanian - advancing up to sixth place when the checkered flag waved. Eidson made it three-for-three with regards to Afterburner Autosport cars going forward in the race, working his way up to 12th at the stripe.
Given the results from race one, spirits were expectedly high under the Afterburner Autosport awning when the skilled USF2000 field rolled back on-course one day later for Round Four prior to the IndyCar Series race. In repeat of the opening affair at the Florida street circuit, the trio immediately set about going forward when the green flag waved. Making the most of a mechanical problem for the P2 starter, Gooden took over second place into turn one on the opening lap, and promptly held that position all the way to the checkered flag, securing his second consecutive runner-up finish. Newey further enhanced his growing reputation as an up-and-comer in race two as well, making the most of every opening and opportunity to go from eighth on the grid to fifth at the checkered flag. Eidson meanwhile battled adversity in the 21-lap contest, eventually crossing the line in an unrepresentative 23rd.
"We kept quietly confident going into this weekend after our strong final run in race two at Sebring," commented Gooden. "I knew the momentum gained would be moving us forward into St. Pete, which is exactly what happened. Overall it is a great feeling to get the first podium finishes for the team, and coming out solidly second in the standings puts us in a great position as we go into testing. I'm so happy for the team, as well as my sponsor PerfectPedal.com who is back on board. Finishing with two of our cars in the top-five on Sunday clearly shows how far we have come this season. We're determined to continue to push to get to the top now, settling for what we have achieved now isn't going to happen."
"I was extremely happy to come away from St. Pete with a top-five result," stated Newey. "The Afterburner Autosport team is really making huge strides, and we are just beginning to show what we can do. Tim Walsh has put together a great team, and I cannot thank him enough for letting me be a part of it."
"It was a tough weekend in St. Petersburg," said Eidson. "I wasn't able to get a good qualifying lap in and started the first race P14. I got a good start and made up a few positions, unfortunately I had an incident on the back straight and fell back to 28th. Through the race I was able to make up a lot of positions and finished P12. In the second race, I started P22, and again had good start, but bad sadly had another incident that put me at the back of the pack, finishing 23rd. It was definitely tough, but I got a lot of valuable information about racing on a street circuit. I want to thank the Afterburner Autosport team for all their help and support, and I also want to congratulate the team on their current second place position in the team points, which shows all their dedication and hard work."
The Afterburner Autosport drivers and crew now have an extended break to both reflect and analyze the success in Florida, before embarking on the next challenge of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda...oval racing. Round Five features the lone 'circle track' event on the series calendar, when prestigious 'Night Before the 500' event is held on May 25th at Lucas Oil Raceway, just down the road from the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. Afterburner Autosport enters the event currently second in the team standings, with Gooden second in the driver's championship.

About Afterburner Autosport:
Afterburner Autosport was formed in 2010 with the sole purpose of leading the way in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda competition. Under the guidance of two-time SCCA Formula Continental National Champion Brian Tomasi and fellow F2000 racer and engineer Tim Walsh, the team has over 20 years of experience in open-wheel competition. The Minnesota, Min.-based squad, having captured two podium finishes in its inaugural pro racing season last year, made its USF2000 Championship debut in 2012, fielding multiple cars in the top Championship class. The squad returns to the first rung of the Mazda Road to Indy program with an expanded multi-car effort in 2013.
Additional information on Afterburner Autosport is available from the team’s website @ www.afterburnerautosport.com For direct contact, please email afterburnerautosport@gmail.com or call 630-251-1709.
Keep up to date via Twitter @ ABautosport1 and Facebook page @ Afterburner-Autosport
Learn more about Brandon Newey at BrandonNewey.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ BNEWEY and Facebook @ Brandon.Newey
Learn more about Wyatt Gooden at WyattGooden.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ WyattGooden and Facebook @ WyattGoodenRacing
Learn more about Jake Eidson at JakeEidsonRacing.com and keep up to date via Facebook @ JacobEidsonRacing

ALBERICO SHOWCASES SPEED IN ST. PETERSBURG USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:44:57 -0400

American up-and-comer was near the top of the speedcharts throughout Florida twin bill in his Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing entry
LOS GATOS, CA – Neil Alberico further showcased his speed and talents behind the wheel this past weekend (March 23-24) during the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda doubleheader on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. While the final race results don't show it, the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing star was one of the drivers to watch during Rounds Three and Four, and remains a threat for top honors when the title chase resumes in late May in Indianapolis.
Mere days after earning his first win of the 2013 USF2000 Championship, Alberico was back behind the wheel of his No. 2 Racelite Protection/Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/eFormulaCarNews.com/J&M Trophies/OMP America/Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing entry on the St. Petersburg street circuit ready to further strengthen his position as one of the rising talents in North American junior formula car racing. While the 1.8-mile concrete-lined track certainly provided a much different challenge than the opening two races at the historic Sebring road course, both the Californian and his skilled crew were confident of continued success.
Alberico promptly wasted little time making his presence felt, going second fastest in the opening practice session, before ending the second and final practice run P1. Given his speed right off the trailer, combined with the fact Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing had won three of the past for series races at the Florida street circuit, and placed at least one driver on the podium in all six races, the stage was set for a run at the pole in the lone qualifying session.
As expected, the timed run to determine the starting grid for race one in St. Petersburg witnessed all 31 racers trying to find space for a true flying lap. Alberico in the end did just that right as the checkered flag flew, turning the second best lap - just a tenth of a second behind the polesitter - to secure a vital front-row starting position for Round Three later in the day.
After few hours to go over data, information, and strategy, it was time to go street racing. For Alberico, the start proved to be critical moment of the race. While the former Bondurant Championship title winner and Team USA Scholarship racer initially got away cleanly, in position to battle for the win, his pursuit of top honors came to an abrupt end in turn one following contact from another driver. Alberico, aware that incidents happen in racing, quickly put the disappointment behind him, electing to help his crew get his racing steed ready for race two and focus on a more positive result in Round Four.
When the talented field rolled back on-course one day later prior to the IndyCar Series season-opener, Alberico once again lined-up on the front-row thanks to the grid being set by either a drivers second best lap in qualifying or fastest lap in race one. Things, however, did not go according to plan when the cars set about the pace lap, as it immediately became apparent Alberico's racer had a rare mechanical issue. Forced to pit as his fellow USF2000 drivers got the green flag, the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing crew quickly made the necessary changes before sending the 20 year-old Californian back out at the rear of the field. Alberico promptly put his head down and set about making up the lost ground. Without the benefit of a full-course caution to bunch the field back together, the second-year racer steadily worked his way forward, turning times on par with the race leader. Alberico in the end earned valuable points crossing the stripe in an unrepresentative 20th place, having turned the second fastest race lap.
"We all know how racing is, and how some things are just out of your control," said Alberico. "We have all been there. Fortunately for me, I am surrounded by a great group of guys at Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. Those guys make it so much easier to stay positive! It's a great feeling knowing how many people just want what is best for you, and I feel blessed to have that when I need it the most. We just have to continue to work hard as a team and put all our focus on improving the factors we can control. I have one hundred percent faith in everyone in my corner, and I am just super psyched for next race. Indianapolis here we come!"
Alberico now has a nine week break before resuming his pursuit of Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda supremacy at Lucas Oil Raceway on May 25th. As part of the Indianapolis 500 festivities, the Cape Motorsports Wayne Taylor Racing up-and-comer will contest the lone oval on the series calendar in conjunction with the prestigious 'Night Before the 500' event.

Those interested in supporting this rising American racer are encouraged to contact Neil Alberico directly @ neil@neilalberico.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Learn more about Neil Alberico at neilalberico.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ NeilAlberico and Facebook @ Neil-Alberico-Racing

About Neil Alberico:

A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Alberico first started racing karts at the age of 10, competing in IKF region 11 action. Over the course of four seasons (2004-07), the young talent captured the Junior Sportsman, Junior Super Sportsman, and Junior Puma championship titles. In 2008, Alberico first got behind the wheel of a race car, graduating from the Skip Barber 2-day Advanced school at Laguna Seca prior to participating in the Formula BMW recruitment day at Miller Motorsports Park. Continuing to race in the karting ranks while raising funds to pursue a career in motorsports, Alberico won the Snap-On Stars of Karting Series National finale in Las Vegas in 2009, before finishing third in CKI National TAG Senior championship. Alberico built on this success in 2010, winning the TaG Senior class in the WSK North American Series, as well as the Bondurant Championship Race Series, capturing 10 wins in first full season of car competition. As part of the prize package for winning the Bondurant Championship, the teenager tested a Pro Formula Mazda with World Speed Motorsports and a Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a with Finlay Motorsports. In 2011, Alberico made his European racing debut, competing in the world-renowned Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing. Finish ninth in his maiden FF season, the Californian earned a Team USA Scholarships. As a Team USA driver, he captured a Semi-Final win and finished third in the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival. Alberico joined the Mazda Road to Indy program in 2012, earning a podium finish and nine top-fives in his rookie season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. This season, the California standout returns to USF2000 Championship action, joining two-time defending champion Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing.

LOS GATOS, CA – Neil Alberico further showcased his speed and talents behind the wheel this past weekend (March 23-24) during the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda doubleheader on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. While the final race results don't show it, the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing star was one of the drivers to watch during Rounds Three and Four, and remains a threat for top honors when the title chase resumes in late May in Indianapolis.
Mere days after earning his first win of the 2013 USF2000 Championship, Alberico was back behind the wheel of his No. 2 Racelite Protection/Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/eFormulaCarNews.com/J&M Trophies/OMP America/Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing entry on the St. Petersburg street circuit ready to further strengthen his position as one of the rising talents in North American junior formula car racing. While the 1.8-mile concrete-lined track certainly provided a much different challenge than the opening two races at the historic Sebring road course, both the Californian and his skilled crew were confident of continued success.
Alberico promptly wasted little time making his presence felt, going second fastest in the opening practice session, before ending the second and final practice run P1. Given his speed right off the trailer, combined with the fact Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing had won three of the past for series races at the Florida street circuit, and placed at least one driver on the podium in all six races, the stage was set for a run at the pole in the lone qualifying session.
As expected, the timed run to determine the starting grid for race one in St. Petersburg witnessed all 31 racers trying to find space for a true flying lap. Alberico in the end did just that right as the checkered flag flew, turning the second best lap - just a tenth of a second behind the polesitter - to secure a vital front-row starting position for Round Three later in the day.
After few hours to go over data, information, and strategy, it was time to go street racing. For Alberico, the start proved to be critical moment of the race. While the former Bondurant Championship title winner and Team USA Scholarship racer initially got away cleanly, in position to battle for the win, his pursuit of top honors came to an abrupt end in turn one following contact from another driver. Alberico, aware that incidents happen in racing, quickly put the disappointment behind him, electing to help his crew get his racing steed ready for race two and focus on a more positive result in Round Four.
When the talented field rolled back on-course one day later prior to the IndyCar Series season-opener, Alberico once again lined-up on the front-row thanks to the grid being set by either a drivers second best lap in qualifying or fastest lap in race one. Things, however, did not go according to plan when the cars set about the pace lap, as it immediately became apparent Alberico's racer had a rare mechanical issue. Forced to pit as his fellow USF2000 drivers got the green flag, the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing crew quickly made the necessary changes before sending the 20 year-old Californian back out at the rear of the field. Alberico promptly put his head down and set about making up the lost ground. Without the benefit of a full-course caution to bunch the field back together, the second-year racer steadily worked his way forward, turning times on par with the race leader. Alberico in the end earned valuable points crossing the stripe in an unrepresentative 20th place, having turned the second fastest race lap.
"We all know how racing is, and how some things are just out of your control," said Alberico. "We have all been there. Fortunately for me, I am surrounded by a great group of guys at Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. Those guys make it so much easier to stay positive! It's a great feeling knowing how many people just want what is best for you, and I feel blessed to have that when I need it the most. We just have to continue to work hard as a team and put all our focus on improving the factors we can control. I have one hundred percent faith in everyone in my corner, and I am just super psyched for next race. Indianapolis here we come!"
Alberico now has a nine week break before resuming his pursuit of Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda supremacy at Lucas Oil Raceway on May 25th. As part of the Indianapolis 500 festivities, the Cape Motorsports Wayne Taylor Racing up-and-comer will contest the lone oval on the series calendar in conjunction with the prestigious 'Night Before the 500' event.
Those interested in supporting this rising American racer are encouraged to contact Neil Alberico directly @ neil@neilalberico.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Learn more about Neil Alberico at neilalberico.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ NeilAlberico and Facebook @ Neil-Alberico-Racing

About Neil Alberico:
A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Alberico first started racing karts at the age of 10, competing in IKF region 11 action. Over the course of four seasons (2004-07), the young talent captured the Junior Sportsman, Junior Super Sportsman, and Junior Puma championship titles. In 2008, Alberico first got behind the wheel of a race car, graduating from the Skip Barber 2-day Advanced school at Laguna Seca prior to participating in the Formula BMW recruitment day at Miller Motorsports Park. Continuing to race in the karting ranks while raising funds to pursue a career in motorsports, Alberico won the Snap-On Stars of Karting Series National finale in Las Vegas in 2009, before finishing third in CKI National TAG Senior championship. Alberico built on this success in 2010, winning the TaG Senior class in the WSK North American Series, as well as the Bondurant Championship Race Series, capturing 10 wins in first full season of car competition. As part of the prize package for winning the Bondurant Championship, the teenager tested a Pro Formula Mazda with World Speed Motorsports and a Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a with Finlay Motorsports. In 2011, Alberico made his European racing debut, competing in the world-renowned Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing. Finish ninth in his maiden FF season, the Californian earned a Team USA Scholarships. As a Team USA driver, he captured a Semi-Final win and finished third in the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival. Alberico joined the Mazda Road to Indy program in 2012, earning a podium finish and nine top-fives in his rookie season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. This season, the California standout returns to USF2000 Championship action, joining two-time defending champion Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing.

DC MOTORSPORTS EXITS PRO MAZDA TWIN BILL IN ST. PETERSBURG WITH VALUABLE EXPERIENCE

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:41:11 -0400

Multiple series champion earned one top-five at the challenging street circuit
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The second event on the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires calendar this past weekend (March 23-24) proved to be a experience building affair for JDC MotorSports. As part of the IndyCar Series season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., the talented foursome of Nick Andries, Zack Meyer, Juan Piedrahita, and Lloyd Read showcased their racecraft on the challenging street circuit, but emerged without the results desired. The Minnesota-based squad, however, is poised to make the most of the knowledge gained to fight for top honors when the action resumes in late May with the opening oval event.
After starting the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship at the smooth and wide Circuit of the Americas, the JDC MotorSports contingent were greeted with the tight and concrete-lined confines of the St. Petersburg street circuit for Rounds Three and Four. While the Florida track certainly presented a new challenge to the talented foursome under the JDC awning, spirits were high entering the doubleheader, given the squad had secured a podium finish in every series race previously held on the street circuit.
As planned, the two Friday practice sessions were spent getting a feel for the track and working on the ideal setup for qualifying and the two races. Further indicating their affinity for street racing, Andries and Piedrahita were both quickly posting competitive times, ending the two runs having each cracked the top-four once.
Well aware that passing opportunities are often at a premium on the streets of St. Petersburg, the goal in qualifying was to get in a true flyer in order to secure a starting position near the front of the field. Unfortunately, none of the JDC contingent were able to get the desired lap in the session. Piedrahita's No. 9 Petrosur/Sisolec/GFK Motors/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports racer in the end led the way with the sixth best time, just edging Read who was seventh in his first-ever street circuit qualifying session. Meyer and Andries, who was piloting No. 19 Andries Racing/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry in front of friends and family, locked out the fifth row on the grid with ninth and tenth fastest laps respectively.
When the Pro Mazda cars rolled back on-course later in the day for race one of the doubleheader, the stage was set for the JDC drivers to push forward. Unfortunately for Piedrahita that opportunity never arose, as a lap one incident ended his race prematurely. That being said, the JDC crew still had multiple reasons to remain upbeat during the 21-lap affair. Andries and the No. 66 Damis Partners III/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports of Meyer were among the cars to watch, advancing multiple positions right from the get go. Andries in fact was among the top-three, before ending the race in fifth, just holding off his teammate Meyer. Read, having been involved in a spirited fight for position for the majority of the race, crossed the stripe in seventh.
Returning to the cockpits of their JDC racing steeds one day later, following the completion of the IndyCar Series opener, the focus of the foursome was to once again showcase their racecraft skills and earn valuable points. Upon getting the green flag, they set about doing just that, with all four JDC racers among the top-10. Andries looked poised to battle for a podium position at his home track, unfortunately just past the halfway mark his engine expired, ending his strong run. The remaining threesome, however, kept attacking all the way to the checkered flag, ultimately ending with Piedrahita finishing sixth, Meyer advancing two places to seventh, and the No. 16 Read Motorsports/Aerocraft Design/Maaco/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry of Read taking home ninth.
"For sure it was a tough weekend," said Andries. "Race one I had a great restart and moved up five positions to third, but I struggled with the car dropping to fifth. In race two, the team made massive progress with the car. I had a great start and was able to pressure third place as I waited for an opportunity while I conserved the tires. Unfortunately our engine blew before I had a chance to make a move for the podium spot. I'm very grateful to be in the car. Huge thanks go to my supporters, family, friends, and JDC MotorSports for making this weekend possible."
"Our weekend didn't go as planned," commented Piedrahita. "I'm happy with some of the progress we made with the car, but there is a lot of work ahead. We will keep pushing!”
"St. Pete was another tough weekend for the team, but we never gave up and scored points towards the overall championship," stated Read. "After two weekends of racing together we have all gelled very well and are making great progress after every session. Now that we have a break in the schedule we can do some much needed testing and return to the series with four race winning cars."
The JDC MotorSports contingent of Andries, Meyer, Piedrahita, and Read will now have a break until May 25th, when the chase for Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires supremacy resumes at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana. As part of the famed 'Night Before the 500' event, Round Five features the first of back-to-back oval races. JDC MotorSports enters the premier event currently fourth in the team standings, while Meyer leads the driver contingent, sitting sixth in the title chase.

About JDC MotorSports:
Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. The following year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. In 2011, the Minneapolis-based squad captured its third Star Mazda Championship title with Tristan Vautier, scored a win in the USF2000 National Championship, and made its Prototype Lites Championship debut, earning five podium finishes. JDC MotorSports added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total in 2012, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up.JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com
Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075.

Learn more about Nick Andries at NickAndries.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ NickAndries81 and Facebook @ NickAndriesRacing

Learn more about Zack Meyer at ZackMeyer.ca and keep up to date via Twitter @ ZackMeyer66

Learn more about Juan Piedrahita at JuanchoPiedrahitac.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Juanpc9 and Facebook @ Juan-Diego-Piedrahita-Juancho

Learn more about Lloyd Read at LloydReadRacing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ lloydread16 and Facebook @ LloydReadRacing

ST. PETERSBURG USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER A MIXED AFFAIR FOR JDC MOTORSPORTS RACERS

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:23:34 -0400

Rzadzinski leads four-car effort in Florida with podium finish in Round Three
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda doubleheader on the streets of St. Petersburg this past weekend (March 23-24) proved to be an up-and down affair for multiple junior formula car champion JDC MotorSports. Rookie Stefan Rzadzinski earned a well deserved podium finish in Round Three, that, however, proved to be the highlight of the event, as Michael Johnson, Arthur Oliveira, and Clark Toppe were unable to translate their pace and racecraft into representative results. The Minnesota squad is now poised to build on the top-three finish when the title fight continues in late May via the lone oval event on the series calendar.
One week after starting the chase for USF2000 Championship top honors at the historic Sebring road course, the JDC drivers and crew were back on track facing the challenges of street racing. Given JDC Motorsports' record of success on street circuits, confidence was high entering Rounds three and Four in conjunction with the IndyCar Series season-opener.
With only one racer - Johnson - having raced an USF2000 entry previously around the 1.8-mile concrete lined track, the goal during the two practice sessions was to steadily build speed as the racers became familiarized with the circuit and worked on car setups. The foursome did just that, with Rzadzinski indicating his intentions to be among the front-runner right away by going fourth fastest in P1, and second quickest in P2. Johnson likewise was a driver to watch in his No. 54 Universal Coating/SpeediCath/FlatOutNation.com/Red Line Oil/Bell Racing/Alpinestars/JDC MotorSports entry, turning the ninth best lap in the second session.
Aware that starting positions often play a vital role in success on street circuit, Saturday morning's lone qualifying run started with all four JDC drivers keen to post a true flyer. That, however, proved to be a challenge, with traffic often compromising a fast lap. Rzadzinski managed to find some space during the session, ultimately placing the No. 93 CanTorque/Christenson Developments/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports racer fifth on the speedcharts. Toppe and Oliveira, both contesting their inaugural street race, never got the lap they desired, ending the session 21st and 22nd respectively. Johnson was poised to have a solid outing, before an electrical issue ended his session prematurely, placing the lone paralyzed driver in the Mazda Road to Indy program 27th on the grid.
Despite the less than desired results in qualifying, spirits remained high under the JDC awning prior to Round Three, with the drivers and crew confident of success come race time. When the green flag waved late in the day, that confidence initially looked well placed, with all four drivers showcasing their racecraft skills. Rzadzinski led the JDC contingent battling for positions among the top-three, while Johnson, Toppe, and Oliveira engaged in multi-car fights. The march forward, unfortunately, ended for two of the racers just prior to the halfway mark. For Toppe, a rare mechanical issue resulted in a premature end to his run. Oliveira though was even less fortunate, as he was caught out by another racer, not only preventing him from continuing, but significant damage to his No. 12 Hula Veiculos/Future Stars Development/JZ Concepts/Racelite Protection/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports racing steed meant an end to his event. While disappointed with the sudden turn of events, the JDC crew remained upbeat, as both Rzadzinski and Johnson were enjoying great runs behind the wheels. Rzadzinski in the end captured his and the team's first podium finish of 2013, taking the checkered flag in well deserved third place. Johnson meanwhile further showcased his talents by advancing 13 positions, earning a hard fought 14th place finish.
When the drivers returned to the cockpits on day later, the goal was simple for the three JDC drivers still competing...avoid trouble and make the most of every opportunity. Rzadzinski, Toppe, and Johnson took that message to heart, mixing patience and aggression to steadily move forward during the 21-lap encounter. Right until the closing stages, it appeared all three drivers were poised to end the race having advanced multiple positions. Rzadzinski in fact appeared set to add another podium finish, until contact and subsequent front wing damage resulted in an unrepresentative 11th place result. The No. 19 Toppe Motorsports/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry followed not far behind at the checkered flag, with Toppe having advanced an impressive seven places on the tight street circuit en route to 16th place. Johnson completed the JDC push forward in race two, fighting his way from 26th to 21st.
"First of all the CanTorque/Christenson Developments/JDC Motorsports car was incredible all weekend," stated Rzadzinski. "We were fast out of the box. I started the races with a car that I felt had the capabilities of fighting for a win. In the end, it was nice to get the monkey off my back with a podium in race one. I was going for another podium in race two, but unfortunately made contact with another driver with a few laps left, which forced me to limp home without a front wing. Not the weekend we were looking for in the points, but I’m confident our pace is there going forward."
"I'm disappointed with how the weekend turned out," commented Oliveira. "I was steadily building speed and enjoying a good run in race one before the incident. I had already overtaken at least five drivers. I can understand this things can happen in a race, but it was a meaningless move by the other driver. It took me out of the race and kept me from racing on Sunday. Add in the passing under the yellow, which shows a lack of sportsmanship, there is no other way to describe how I feel other than disappointed."
"The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is an amazing circuit," said Toppe. "Although we faced some electrical issues in qualifying and race one, I was able to gain positions in the second race of the weekend thanks to the stellar car JDC MotorSports gave to me. Thanks also go to Phil Lombardi of JJRD for the great coaching support. I'm looking for the season to only improve from here on out."
"The St. Pete weekend went pretty good," added Johnson. "With this being the first street race of the year, everything was hectic and busy. I liked the track quite a bit when it was cool and dry out. I had a better day on Saturday for the race. I would have liked to have finished better in second race, but I got good points and no crashes or damage. I'm looking forward to the next race at Lucas Oil Raceway."
The quest for Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda top honors now takes a break for JDC MotorSports and its skilled foursome of Johnson, Oliveira, Rzadzinski, and Toppe, as the next race does not take place until May 25th. As part of the Indianapolis 500 festivities, Round Five features the lone oval race on the series calendar at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana during the prestigious 'Night Before the 500'. JDC MotorSports enters the premier event currently fifth in the team standings, while Rzadzinski leads the driver contingent via fifth place in the championship standings.

JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com. Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075. Learn more about Michael Johnson at michaeljohnsonracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Racer54isCool and Facebook @ Michael-Johnson-Racing. Learn more about Stefan Rzadzinski at www.rzadracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ rzadracing and Facebook @ Stefan-Rzadzinski. Learn more about Clark Toppe via Twitter @ ClarkToppe and Facebook @ Clark-Toppe-Motorsports

Daly makes a point in Malaysia

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:19:22 -0400

Noblesville, IN - The word used by new German team owner Franz Hilmer was 'Fantastisch' when he described Conor Daly's GP2 debut this weekend in Malaysia. In what even the locals described as blazing heat and humidity, Daly not only showed his ability to manage his excessive tire wear but perhaps his biggest statement was posting the second fastest race lap on Sunday morning. He matched his raw speed to a controlled patient approach and produced a fast mistake free weekend for the newly formed German team.
"I am so pumped right now - what a crazy five days for me," said Daly. "To think I was sitting in London last Tuesday night and twelve hours later I was standing on what felt like the surface of the sun it was so hot - just crazy. Hilmer has been fantastic to me and I'm so glad that it all went so well for them because I know it was a risk to take a rookie to Malaysia. I was a little sore all over afterwards particularly the muscles in my hands, but it's all worth it."
Having missed all of the pre-season testing in Jerez, in March and with just a total of three hours of dry weather testing in Barcelona in April, Daly went on to produce one of the more impressive GP2 debuts ever. At the start of Sunday morning's race two, Daly shot off the line from P13 and finished lap one in eighth place.
"The car had too much oversteer and I just didn't know how hard I could push the tires with a heavy fuel load. I decided to sit at the end of the lead group to let things settle down a bit. When the fuel load lightened I started to push a little more," said Daly.
On lap five, race winner Stefano Coletti and Daly set the top two fastest race laps while the tires were still somewhat fresh. It was at this stage that team owner, Franz Hilmer mused on what might have been. "Without the drive through penalty in race one on Saturday, Conor would have finished eighth instead of thirteenth. That would have put him on the reverse grid pole for Sunday and it looks as if he was fast enough to potentially win the race. We would have created a big story," said Hilmer.
Saturday's race one saw Daly qualify sixteenth fastest. When the start lights went out Daly was forced to avoid a stalled driver right in front of him and the resulting wheel spin and avoiding action pushed him down to P23 at the first corner. By the time he pitted for his mandatory tire change, he had climbed to thirteenth. A group of drivers including Daly were than handed drive through penalties for going through a timed sector too fast on their out lap while there was a yellow flag caution light on. That pushed him down to P21 before he charged back to finish thirteenth. Along the way he gave an indication of his pace by setting the fifth fastest race lap - faster than two of the podium finishers.
Daly now heads back to London in preparation for the next round of GP3 testing in Silverstone, England on April 3rd - 4th.

Brabham and Andretti Autosport Enjoy Perfect Weekend in St. Pete

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:35:15 -0400

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Drama punctuated the Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season opener.

The reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion opened the season in 18th place. The Verizon P1 Award winner and 2012 championship runner-up wound up 16th. The four-time series title-holder exited early in the race because of contact.

In the end, James Hinchcliffe scored his first win on the 1.8-mile temporary street circuit by holding off Helio Castroneves over the final 26 laps.

The 26-year-old Canadian overtook Castroneves in Turn 1 of a Lap 85 restart, conserved fuel in the No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Andretti Autosport and held on for a 1.0982-second victory.

He's the first Canadian to win an Indy car race since Paul Tracy in 2007 at Cleveland and gave Michael Andretti his 44th Indy car victory (two more than he had as a driver).

Castroneves, the 2012 race winner, was second and Marco Andretti overtook Simona de Silvestro in Turn 1 of the final lap to earn third place (his best road/street course finish since Toronto in 2011).

Will Power, who earned his 30th Indy car pole, led 26 laps before Castroneves made an inside move on a restart and it went downhill from there. Under caution, the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car driven by JR Hildebrand sprung over the right side of Power's No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, causing a flat rear tire and bent mirror. The team spent two pit stops to repair and check for damage. Then, while running 12th, the rear end of Power's car caught the Turn 4 tire barrier. He finished 16th.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, who started and finished third at St. Pete last March on his journey to the series title, encountered issues on an early pit stop and was not in contention.

HINCHCLIFFE SCORES FIRST WIN IN HONDA GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:30:05 -0400

POWER CLAIMS VERIZON P1 AWARD FOR HONDA GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:22:42 -0400

Conor Daly's first GP2 race in Malaysia today in a way mirrored his off season - chaotic, fast, impressive and a day of firsts. In typical blazing Malaysian heat and humidity, Daly finished his first GP2 race in thirteenth position - but how he got there was downright impressive.
On two hours notice he packed his bags last Tuesday night in London and headed to Kuala Lumpur. He qualified P16 despite having to pass two cars on his qualifying lap. At the start of the race the car immediately ahead of him fluffed when the start lights went out and forced Daly into action/protection mode. In avoidance Daly swerved and attempted to manage 600HP induced wheel spin, but in the chaos he fell back to P23. He rose to P12 when he made his mandatory pit stop, the first pit stop of his career.
When he rejoined he was managing the excessive tire wear to perfection however, his race was turned upside down when he was handed a drive through penalty for setting a personal best timed sector when there was an apparent yellow flag displayed - an incident he never saw. Ironically, all four drivers who stopped on the same lap were all handed the penalty for the same reason.
He was now pushed back to P23, but he was on a charge. After almost an hour of flat out racing and as drivers wilted in the heat, Daly began a sequence of laps that would see him climb through the field in impressive fashion, passing two cars on the last lap to grab thirteenth position. Along the way he set fifth fastest race lap - faster than two of the podium finishers.
As pleased as Hilmer Motorsport was with his performance, they mused that without the time penalty of the drive through, their steed would have finished eighth on the road - which would have put him on the reverse grid pole for race two tomorrow.
Race two will start Sunday morning just before the Malaysian Grand Prix where he will start from thirteenth position.

Impressive Run for Daly in Malaysia

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:18:33 -0400

HULMAN & COMPANY ELECTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT ANNUAL MEETING

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:10:49 -0400

TERRE HAUTE, IN - The Hulman & Company board of directors concluded its annual Hulman-George family shareholders' meeting and elected its board of directors, company officials announced Friday, March 22.
The shareholders re-elected all 10 members who served the most recent term on the board with the addition of Anton "Tony" H. George, who previously has served on the board.
In addition to George, Hulman & Company board members re-elected include John F. Ackerman, Jeffrey G. Belskus, Mari Hulman George, Nancy L. George, M. Josephine George, Katherine M. George-Conforti, Andre B. Lacy, Mark D. Miles, James T. Morris and Michael L. Smith.
Tony George resigned from the Hulman & Company board in October 2012 due to an appearance of a conflict of interest. Now that the appearance of conflict no longer exists, the shareholders have re-elected him to the board.
With the exception of Hulman & Company Chief Executive Officer Miles and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and Chief Executive Officer Belskus, the board members have no day-to-day management duties with Hulman & Company.
About Hulman & Company
Founded in 1850 and headquartered in Terre Haute, Ind., Hulman & Company has owned and operated numerous businesses over the last century-and-a-half.
Hulman & Company's current holdings include Clabber Girl Corporation, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation and its affiliated companies, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC, INDYCAR and IMS Productions.

JDC MOTORSPORTS STARTS OFF PROTOTYPE LITES SEASON IN STYLE

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:15:46 -0400

Title chase began at Sebring with Goikhberg finishing third twice, and Kraut in top-five and top-10
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The 2013 edition of the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda started off in fine fashion this past week (March 14-15) for JDC MotorSports, with the renowned squad earning four trips to the podium. As part of the famed Twelve Hours of Sebring event at Sebring International Raceway, Mikhail Goikhberg stood on the post-race podium twice with a pair of top-three results, while his teammate Gerry Kraut showcased his talents with a Masters class win and top-three.
Focused on once again being part of the mix for top honors, having ended P2 in the 2012 Prototype Lites title fight, JDC MotorSports entered the season-opening doubleheader in central Florida confident it had the drivers and resources to do just that. Goikhberg quickly showed he was up to the task, ending up fourth on the speedcharts prior to qualifying. Kraut, likewise showed good speed around the fast and bumpy 3.7-mile road course, posting the eighth best time in the second and final practice run.
Setting the grid for race one of the twin bill, the lone qualifying session proved to be a mixed affair for the two-car JDC contingent. Goikhberg continued to display good pace in his No. 10 Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports Elan DP02, ultimately earning a row two starting position via the fourth quickest lap. Kraut, however, was unable to get the true flying lap he desired in the 30-minute Thursday morning outing, ending up 13th.
After a short break to strategize, make setup changes, and refuel, it was time to go racing. The JDC duo wasted little time making their presence felt when the green flag waved, with Goikhberg fighting for a place among the top-three, and Kraut pushing his way into the top-10. Attacking all the way to the checkered flag, Goikhberg started his sophomore season in Prototype Lites with a third place finish and a trip to the podium, while Kraut secured a top-10 finish and third among the Masters class with a strong drive up to seventh.
Given the performance in race one, the entire JDC squad returned to the track on Friday excited to contest Round Two. With each racer's fast lap from the opening affair setting the grid, the action got underway with Goikhberg in fourth, and the No. 55 Dougherty & Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry of Kraut in 12th. In a repeat of the season-opener, both JDC racers immediately began looking for a way to move forward upon the green flag waving. While an early full-course caution initially halted any charges, the talented tandem made sure to make the most of every opportunity when the green flag was out. In the end, Goikhberg utilized a last lap re-pass to earn a second consecutive third place finish. Kraut, in what was one of the drives of the race, was not far behind at the stripe, taking home an impressive fifth place finish, and the Masters class win.
"I loved our visit to Sebring," stated Goikhberg. "We know what we have to fix, and we are already concentrating on the next races at Laguna Seca, which is a track I enjoy very much."
"This was the first good race weekend I have had since Mosport last year," added Kraut. "It was especially rewarding to get back up to speed after my big crash at Road Atlanta last October. I am especially impressed with our new engineer Walt Preston."

With a strong debut to the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda season now in the record books, JDC MotorSports, Goikhberg, and Kraut have a lengthy break before returning to action. The quest for series supremacy resumes on May 10-11, when Rounds Three and Four are contested at the undulating Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca facility in northern California. JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075

About JDC MotorSports:
Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. The following year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. In 2011, the Minneapolis-based squad captured its third Star Mazda Championship title with Tristan Vautier, scored a win in the USF2000 National Championship, and made its Prototype Lites Championship debut, earning five podium finishes. JDC MotorSports added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up in 2012.

ZSPORTS/TEAM E RACING DISPLAYS RACECRAFT IN USF2000 OPENER AT SEBRING

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:05:22 -0400

Teenage tandem of Enerson and Forgeois overcame uncharacteristic issues to showcase speed and skill in Florida doubleheader

FORT MYERS, FL – The resilience, drive, and talent of the ZSports/Team E Racing was on full display this past week (March 14-15), as the Florida-based squad overcame assorted issues to earn valuable points in Rounds One and Two of the 2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. Both RC Enerson and Luca Forgeois showcased their racecraft skills at Sebring International Raceway, working their way forward during the 12 Hours of Sebring doubleheader, ultimately taking home the Hard Charger award in race two. The talented teenagers are now focused on placing the ZSports/Team E Racing name near the top of the scoring charts this coming weekend (March 23-24), when the chase for series supremacy continues on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., the squad's home track.
When the large and talented USF2000 Championship field arrived at Sebring for the season-opening doubleheader, one of the squads that was really looking forward to getting the action underway was ZSports/Team E Racing. Making the transition to the Championship class after a four-win run in the National class in 2012, and with two highly regarded drivers in Enerson and Forgeois under the awning, spirits were high within the Florida team. Initially, things looked to be going according to plan in the opening promoter's test run, with Enerson's No. 10 Patriot Bank/ZSports/Team E Racing among the top-five, and Forgeois rapidly getting acclimated to his new car and team. Unfortunately, the racing gods had other ideas, as over the course of the next four sessions (one test, two practice, and one qualifying), the ZSports/Team E Racing drivers and crew battled a variety of mechanical gremlins that prevented the two teenagers from displaying their true speed around the fast but bumpy 3.7-mile road course.
When the green flag waved for race one of the twin bill on Thursday afternoon, the goal was to stay out of trouble and advance up the scoring charts. Forgeois was able to do just that in his No. 20 Cafe Noir/Nova Aviation/Splashlight Studios/GEAR UP/ZSports/Team E Racing entry, advancing from 26th on the grid all the way up to 18th in the all green 12-lap affair. Enerson, however, was not as fortunate, as continued problems, meant he was never able to showcase his talents, ultimately retiring after just six laps.
With each driver's fast lap from race one or second best lap in qualifying setting the grid for race, the ZSports/Team E Racing duo again had their work cut out for them on when the green flag waved for race two on Friday morning. Remaining upbeat and confident in their skills behind the wheel, both Enerson and Forgeois promptly put on a passing clinic in Round Two. Starting 22nd, the 17 year-old Forgeois made the most of every opportunity to end the 12-lap race in 16th. As impressive as that was, the 15 year-old Enerson did even better, charging from 29th all the way to 18th, earning the Hilton Hard Charger award in the process.
While ultimately not satisfied with the overall results of the season-opening doubleheader, both the ZSports/Team E Racing drivers and crew were encouraged by the way they battled the adversity in Sebring, and are now looking forward to the street races in St. Petersburg.
"The weekend proved to be an overall test of character for the entire team," stated Forgeois. "We faced challenges and issues, and that slowed us down through the weekend. However, the team and myself took the mistakes we made and learned from them. Our ambition and confidence is still very high. We know we are capable of much more than what we displayed at Sebring. Working with Jonaton Jorge's racing development has definitely helped me as a driver to keep looking forward, and to improve myself on and off the track. We are very motivated and excited to get back racing in St. Pete."
"I have always enjoyed Sebring," commented Enerson. "Although Sebring is an absolute blast to drive, it is very harsh on equipment due to the rough surface. The team did not have the best of luck, and I know that ZSports/Team E Racing will not tolerate the kind of problems that came up, and this was totally uncharacteristic of our team. The team, Luca, and I are determined to bounce back at St Pete. Bring on the street course."
Next up for ZSports/Team E Racing is its home race this coming weekend (March 23-24), when Rounds Three and Four of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda is contested on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. In conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener, and the entire Mazda Road to Indy program, the chase for top honors commences on Friday (March 22) with a pair of practice sessions. The lone qualifying session takes place on Saturday morning (March 23), followed by Round Three at 12:15 pm local time. The street race doubleheader concludes one day later, with Round Four at 9:30 am local time. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx

To learn more about ZSports/Team E Racing, please visit ZSportsMidWest.com For direct contact, please contact Steve Thomson @ 612-964-9572. Keep up to date with RC Enerson via Twitter @ RCEnerson and @ Team E Racing or at www.rcenerson.com. Learn more about Luca Forgeois at LucaForgeois.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ LucaForgeois and Facebook @ LucaForgeoisRacing

About ZSports/Team E Racing:

Driven by a passion for racing, ZSports was formed by racers for racers. Based in Fort Myers, Fla., the squad offers professional engineering and preparation to the developing driver. Since its formation in 2008, ZSports/Team E Racing has established itself a leading junior formula car squad, winning numerous races in both the pro and amateur Formula 2000 ranks. In 2009, the squad captured the F2000 Championship Series Rookie of the Year award with Ben Searcy. Last season, the squad rejoined the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda full-time, winning four National class races. In 2013, ZSports/Team E Racing is making the move up to the Championship class of the USF2000 Championship.

Irish Racer Peter Dempsey Revved Up for St. Petersburg Season Opener

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:39:27 -0400

Peter Dempsey Testing the No. 4 BAR car at IMS Chicago, Ill. (March 19, 2013) – Firestone Indy Lights driver Peter Dempsey has never been more revved up and ready for the start of a race season. After securing his 2013 seat with Belardi Auto Racing in October, Dempsey has spent the weeks leading up to this weekend’s season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida training, testing, and preparing with the team. Though regarded as a series veteran, this year will be Dempsey’s first full season in Firestone Indy Lights, making him a first time contender for the coveted championship title, a prize that comes with a one million dollar scholarship towards a ride in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
The sole Irish driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series ladder, Dempsey has done his country proud thus far with four podiums, a best finish of second at the Honda Indy Toronto in 2011, and a well-earned reputation as “one to watch” in the series. It was in St. Petersburg where Dempsey made his series debut, leading the first 11 laps of the 2011 race and finishing a strong third place among a highly competitive field. Two years later, Dempsey is looking to rekindle that same form as a pilot of the No. 5 Liberty Engineering / Belardi Auto Racing car.
“It’s been a pretty long off-season,” said Dempsey. “The team has worked extremely hard both during testing and at the shop, and I feel that everyone has given absolutely 100 percent leading up to this weekend’s race in St. Petersburg. I feel very confident that the Belardi Auto Racing team is going to have a strong package this weekend. I feel like I’ve been training harder than ever, and my mindset is in a completely new place because I know I am fighting for a championship title and not just running race by race. The field is going to be very competitive this year, so it will be important for us to make sure we bring everything we have to every race weekend. I’m really pumped up to get the season started.”
As every professional racecar driver needs professional racing gear, Dempsey is proud to be supported by several of the industry’s leading gear suppliers for the 2013 season. OMP Racing, HMS Motorsport, Schroth Racing, Stilo Helmets, and JamAir Paint will all be found in Dempsey’s equipment repertoire this year.
“I’m very happy to be working with such great brands. I feel that OMP race wear is the safest and most attractive in the business, and with my Stilo helmet painted by JamAir Paint, I know I will be in a safe position in the car. It’s also great to have the continued backing of HMS Motorsport and Schroth Racing seatbelts because they really reinforce my confidence in the car that we have built.”
This weekend’s festivities at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg kick off with the first official Firestone Indy Lights practice session at 10:10am EST on Friday, March 22. Qualifying will take place at 9:25am EST on Saturday, March 23, followed by the first race of the 2013 season at 3:40pm EST. To follow Peter’s progress, please go to www.peterdempsey.com and www.indycar.com.

About Peter Dempsey: Peter Dempsey is a racecar driver from Ashbourne, Ireland best known for winning the most races (9) in the history of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and for being one of only two drivers to win the Walter Hayes Trophy three times. Peter is currently the only Irish-born driver to be competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series ladder. After a successful motorsports debut in Europe with his father’s racing team Cliff Dempsey Racing, Peter moved his career to the U.S.A. in 2008 where he has been climbing the Mazda Road to Indy ladder ever since. Peter is currently racing in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the third step in the Mazda Road to Indy development program, and is just one step below his ultimate goal, the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indy 500. For more information, please go to www.peterdempsey.com.

USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON-OPENER A LEARNING AFFAIR FOR JDC MOTORSPORTS RACERS

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:35:31 -0400

Valuable information and experience gained by Johnson, Oliveira, Rzadzinski, and Toppe during Sebring doubleheader

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The 2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda commenced for JDC MotorSports this past week (March 14-15) with a solid effort at the historic Sebring International Raceway in Florida. With the skilled foursome of Michael Johnson, Arthur Oliveira, Stefan Rzadzinski, and Clark Toppe in the cockpits, the Minnesota squad not only gathered valuable information and experience for the 14-race title fight, but also emerged with a top-five and top-10 result.
The start of the racing season is always an exciting affair, though it often features plenty of obstacles to overcome. For multiple junior formula car champion JDC MotorSports, the biggest challenge entering the opening two rounds of the USF2000 Championship during the prestigious Twelve Hours of Sebring event was driver experience. Only one racer under the team awning, Johnson, rolled on-course in Florida with any real USF2000 seat time of note, having made his series debut with JDC Motorsports last season. Oliveira, Rzadzinski, and Toppe meanwhile had only contested the pre-season Winterfest series and some selected private testing prior to going head-to-head against some of the premier up-and-coming drivers in North America. Given all this, it was not a surprise that both the promoter's test sessions, and the two official practice runs around the fast and bumpy 3.7-mile road course were spent focusing on driver and car development rather than an outright fast lap. Learning a good deal both in and out the cockpits, the sessions proved valuable, highlighted by an impressive fourth place result in the final practice run by the No. 93 CanTorque/Christenson Developments/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry of Rzadzinski.
When the 31-car field rolled on-course for the lone qualifying session on Thursday morning, setting the grid for race one, the JDC racers continued to develop their racing steeds. Rzadzinski again led the four-car effort in the timed run via the fourth best time, while Johnson, who's No. 54 Universal Coating/SpeediCath/FlatOutNation.com/Red Line Oil/Bell Racing/Alpinestars/JDC MotorSports car features hand controls for the lone paralyzed racer in the Mazda Road to Indy program, found additional pace to secure a seventh row starting position. Toppe and Oliveira were not much further back on the timesheets, earning row nine and 11 starting positions.
As expected, when the green flag waved for Round One a short-time later, the action immediately heated up on track. All four JDC drivers were involved in multi-car dices for positions throughout the 12-lap affair. In the end, Rzadzinski was the first of the foursome to the checkered flag, taking home a well deserved top-five finish. The 15 year-old Toppe, gaining speed and confidence each time he gets behind the wheel, was next to the stripe in his No. 19 Toppe Motorsports/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry in 14th. Johnson followed close behind in 16th, while Oliveira worked his up to 20th at the line.
With either each driver's fastest lap in race one, or second best lap in qualifying setting the grid for race two, the JDC racers were keen to continue their progression in Round Two on Friday. The 12-lap race proved to be a somewhat chaotic affair, as the combination of a lengthy early full-course caution and some minor incidents on track resulted in mixed results for the JDC contingent. Rzadzinski was again the team leader with a ninth place finish, having run closer to front in the earlier stages. Oliveira's No. 12 Hula Veiculos/Future Stars Development/JZ Concepts/Racelite Protection/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports steed was next to the line, thanks to a great charge from 23rd on the grid all the way up to 14th. Just a few car lengths further adrift, Johnson came home in 17th, while Toppe was classified 27th, having ended the race prematurely.
"Sebring had ups and downs for us this past week, but overall I’m happy to come out of there relatively unscathed," said Rzadzinski. "We had a good car, but a bit of bad luck made the results a bit harder to come by. I loved racing at St. Petersburg last year, and I can’t wait to get on track in the No. 93 CanTorque/Christenson Developments/JDC Motorsports car. The team was awesome all week in Sebring, and we’ll be pushing to the front as best we can this weekend."
"Sebring was a decent weekend considering some of the problems I was having with the track and getting up to speed," stated Johnson. "Sebring has always been a struggle, but I finished both races and got good points heading into St. Pete. I think there is more out of me and the car, so I'm looking forward to showing what I have."
"I'm very happy, as I managed to score my first points at Sebring," commented Oliveira. "I'm still adapting to the car and gaining experience every time I go out. My focus is to get as much seat time as I can, and improve my qualifying positions. The series has an exceptional level of drivers, which forces me to improve my performance. The next race will be, without doubt, a great new challenge. Hopefully good results will happen."
"Sebring was a very good learning experience for me," added Toppe. "I consistently improved throughout the weekend thanks to Phil Lombardi of JJRD and JDC. They always gave me the best coaching and best car in which to compete. I was aiming for a top-10 finish in race two, but had some bad luck and didn't get to finish the race. St. Petersburg will be a challenge being a street course, but I know JDC will put the best car underneath me and help me to be successful there."
JDC MotorSports and its talented foursome of Johnson, Oliveira, Rzadzinski, and Toppe will immediately look to build of the experiences gained at Sebring this coming weekend (March 23-24), when Rounds Three and Four of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda are contested on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. As part of the IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener, the quest for series success commences on Friday (March 22) with a pair of practice sessions. A morning qualifying session and Round Three at 12:15 pm local time follows on day two. The street race doubleheader ends on Sunday (March 24), with Round Four at 9:30 am local time. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx
JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com. Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075.Learn more about Michael Johnson at michaeljohnsonracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Racer54isCool and Facebook @ Michael-Johnson-Racing. Learn more about Stefan Rzadzinski at www.rzadracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ rzadracing and Facebook @ Stefan-Rzadzinski Learn more about Clark Toppe via Twitter @ ClarkToppe and Facebook @ Clark-Toppe-Motorsports

About JDC MotorSports:
Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. The following year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. In 2011, the Minneapolis-based squad captured its third Star Mazda Championship title with Tristan Vautier, scored a win in the USF2000 National Championship, and made its Prototype Lites Championship debut, earning five podium finishes. JDC MotorSports added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up in 2012.

FAST FACTS: HONDA GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:23:06 -0400

2013 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES SEASON STARTS ON STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG

Race Broadcast
Sunday, March 24
Noon (ET)
NBC Sports Network (Live)

Track
Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
(14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit)

Distance
110 laps/198 miles

Radio
IMS Radio Network XM 211/Sirius 211
2012 Race Winner
Helio Castroneves

2012 Polesitter
Will Power

Track Record
1:00.928 (106.710)
Sebastien Bourdais
Feb. 2003

First IZOD IndyCar Series event:
4/3/2005
Story Ideas:
Series prepares for another competitive season
If the timesheets from the preseason Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park are any indication of what's to come, then 2013 is shaping up to be another competitive IZOD IndyCar Series season. The top 16 cars of the 28 car/driver combinations that participated in the test were separated by a second. Last season produced another competitive championship with Ryan Hunter-Reay edging Will Power for his first IZOD IndyCar Series championship. Can 2013 produce another close title chase?

Can Hunter-Reay repeat in 2013?
The 2012 season saw the emergence of Ryan Hunter-Reay as a champion race car driver. Now his challenge is to defend the No. 1 and his IZOD IndyCar Series crown. How will Hunter-Reay fare as "Ryan Hunted-Reay" in 2013?
Power looking to move up
After finishing runner-up to the champion for three consecutive years, Team Penske's Will Power is looking to finish on top for the first time in his career. Last season, Power notched three victories and five poles; falling just three points shy of a championship. Will the fourth time be the charm for Power?
Rising stars seek breakthrough win
JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, Simon Pagenaud, Charlie Kimball and Simona de Silvestro have built strong fan followings with their performances on and off the track, but each is looking for their first win in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Can one of the young stars break through at St. Pete?

American Flyers
The IZOD IndyCar Series features a group of home-grown stars who represent the stars and stripes in the most diverse series in motorsports. Reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, race winners Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter and Graham Rahal and rising stars JR Hildebrand, Charlie Kimball and Josef Newgarden all worked their way up the American open-wheel ladder to reach the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Simon's Sophomore Season
2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Simon Pagenaud returns to Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports for his second season in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Pagenaud, a 28-year-old native of France recorded six top-five and many believe he is poised to win his first race in 2013, can he do it at St. Pete?
Franchitti looks to bounce back
By most standards, Dario Franchitti had a good 2013 with a top-10 finish in points and an Indianapolis 500 win. But Franchitti is a four-time IZOD IndyCar Series titlist and has set a high standard of competition. Can Franchitti capitalize on his 2012 pace (three poles) and rebound to challenge for the championship again?

Awakening the silent giant
Scott Dixon prefers to fly under the radar and let other drivers get publicity but the New Zealander has won an IZOD IndyCar series title every five years (he won in 2003 and 2008.) As Dixon transitions from a rising star (once the youngest Indy car winner) to respected veteran climbing the all-time wins chart, can he continue the trend of winning a title every five years?
Keep an eye on Simona
Simona de Silvestro is ready to have a breakout season in the IZOD IndyCar Series. After showing flashes of success since her rookie season in 2010, the Swiss driver moves to KV Racing Technology in 2013, where she will work with a teammate - 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan - for the first time.
French connection to St. Pete
Sebastien Bourdais and Tristan Vautier may both be from France, but they have found a home in the Tampa Bay area. Both drivers live in St. Petersburg and each has had previous success on the streets of St. Petersburg. Bourdais won his first Indy car pole in the first race in 2003, while Vautier won the Firestone Indy Lights race in 2003. Can either of the fast Frenchman score a win in their adopted hometown?
You can go home again
Graham Rahal has proven you can go home again. The second-generation driver will drive for his famous father Bobby Rahal as part of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's two-car lineup. Rahal, who won at St. Petersburg in 2008, hopes to bring himself and his family-owned team back to Victory Lane.
Mazda Road to Indy on display
The full Mazda Road to Indy ladder system, designed to groom the up-and-coming stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, will be on display at St. Pete. Mazda will again provide scholarships for the 2013 champions of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires and Firestone Indy Lights to advance to the next level. The scholarship program strengthens INDYCAR's driver development program by providing drivers the opportunities to advance based on talent, not financials.

Race Notes:
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be the ninth IZOD IndyCar Series event and 10th Indy car race conducted on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. Previous race winners entered are Helio Castroneves (2006, 2007 and 2012), Dario Franchitti (2011), Will Power (2010), Ryan Briscoe (2009) and Graham Rahal (2008).
Previous pole winners entered are Will Power (2010-12), Graham Rahal (2009), Tony Kanaan (2008), Helio Castroneves (2007), Dario Franchitti (2006) and Sebastien Bourdais (2003).
At least 24 drivers entered in the event have competed in previous Indy car races at St. Pete. Thirteen (13) of those drivers have led laps: (Helio Castroneves 163, Dario Franchitti 113, Scott Dixon 94, Justin Wilson 70, Will Power 67, Sebastien Bourdais 30, Graham Rahal 19, Tony Kanaan 15, E.J. Viso 13, Takuma Sato 11, Marco Andretti 5, Ryan Hunter-Reay 4 and JR Hildebrand 3.)
Tristan Vautier will compete in his first IZOD IndyCar Series race on the streets of St. Petersburg. Vautier, the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights champion, won his Firestone Indy Lights debut on the track last season.
Milestones & Records:
·         Should Dario Franchitti win the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, he will join A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to win five Indy car titles in his career. Franchitti won the title in 2007 and again from 2009-2011. Foyt won seven championships in his career.
·         With his next victory, Dario Franchitti will pass Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais for seventh (7th) on the all-time wins list, if neither Bourdais nor Tracy wins before he does. The trio is tied with 31 wins following Franchitti's 2012 win at Indianapolis.
·         With a victory in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to nine.
·         With his next victory, Scott Dixon will move into sole possession of ninth place (9th) on the all-time wins list. Dixon won his 29th race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 5, 2012 to tie Rick Mears for 10th place on the all-time wins list.
·         With his next victory, Helio Castroneves will move into sole possession of 11th place on the all-time wins list. Castroneves, who won his 27th race at Edmonton City Centre on July 22, 2012 tied Johnny Rutherford for 12th with the victory.
·         Helio Castroneves needs three earned poles to reach 40 career poles in his Indy car career.
·         Dario Franchitti and Will Power each need one earned pole to reach 30 in their Indy car career.
·         Scott Dixon needs two earn poles to reach 20 in his Indy car career.
·         With one pole in 2012, Scott Dixon will extend his IZOD IndyCar Series streak to seven consecutive seasons.
·         Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 197th consecutive start. Jimmy Vasser holds the all-time record of 211. Scott Dixon with 138 straight starts and Marco Andretti with 114 straight starts are the only other active driver with a streak of more than 100 consecutive starts.
·         Ryan Hunter-Reay needs 11 starts to mark 100th consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series starts.
At-Track Schedule (all times local):
Friday, March 22
11:10-11:55 a.m.         IZOD IndyCar Series practice
2:40-3:25 p.m.             IZOD IndyCar Series practice

Saturday, March 23
10:25 to 11:10 a.m.     IZOD IndyCar Series practice
2:05 -3:15 p.m.            IZOD IndyCar Series Pole Qualifying
(Knockout qualifying & Firestone Fast 6 format)
Sunday, March 24
8:45-9:15 a.m.             IZOD IndyCar Series Warm Up
11:50 a.m.                   IZOD IndyCar Series Pre-Race
12:40 p.m.       Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (110 laps/198 miles) NBC Sports Network (Live)
***
The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season opens with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 24 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. The race will be televised live at noon (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, on SiriusXM (Channel 211) and www.indycar.com. The 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season begins March 23 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network at 11 a.m. (ET) on March 24, immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race broadcast.

AFTERBURNER AUTOSPORT STARTS USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON WITH TOP-10s AT SEBRING

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:11:05 -0400

Talented Trio of Eidson, Gooden and Newey showcased talents with four top-10s during Florida doubleheader

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The professionalism and skill of the Afterburner Autosport squad was on full display this past week (March 14-15) during the season-opening doubleheader of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. With the talented trio of American up-and-comers Jake Eidson, Wyatt Gooden, and Brandon Newey behind the wheels at Sebring International Raceway, the Minnesota-based team earned four top-10 finishes during Rounds One and Two, and is now poised to build on that success this coming weekend (March 23-24) on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
One of the primary goals for Afterburner Autosport entering the 2013 season was to raise their game in every area, and the two-time SCCA Formula Continental National Championship-winning squad has certainly wasted no time doing just that. Right from the cars rolling out of the trailer at the historic Sebring facility, it was apparent that everyone under the awning was focused on the task at hand...challenging for top honors. With that goal in mind, both the opening two promoter's test sessions, and follow-up two practice sessions were spent on car and driver development. This was particularly important, given Newey had never previously piloted his No. 98 Curb Records/Calcium Pro/USANA/Miller Oils/OMP/Bell Helmets/Afterburner Autosport entry - which is run in conjunction with Bryan Herta Autosport with Agajanian - and both Eidson and Gooden had only contested the opening three rounds of the six-race pre-season Winterfest championship. Despite the limited track time ahead of the doubleheader, all three racers cracked the top-10 at least once, led by Gooden who was inside the top-10 in all four sessions in his No. 17 Ohio Center for Sport Psychology/Afterburner Autosport steed.
Making the most of the great team atmosphere and the knowledge gained in the opening four runs, the Afterburner Autosport cars further impressed in the lone qualifying session. Eidson earned a row three starting position with the sixth best lap in the No. 18 Eidson Enterprises/Afterburner Autosport racer, while Gooden was eighth fastest, and Newey posted the 11th quickest time.
When the skilled 31-car field took the green flag a short time later for race one of the Sebring doubleheader, spirits were high in the Afterburner Autosport pit area, and they remained that way throughout the 12-lap encounter. Showcasing good racecraft lap after lap, all three drivers battled for positions, making the most of any opportunity, while continually gaining valuable series experience. In the end, Eidson was the first of the trio to the stripe, holding station in sixth, just one place in front of Gooden, and not far ahead of Newey in 12th.
Ready to build on this momentum, race two commenced with Eidson, Newey, and Gooden starting in ninth, 12th, and 13th respectively, based on the new series format that utilizes either a driver's fast lap from race one or his second best qualifying lap. As expected, all three drivers further displayed their growing talents in the race, which featured a lengthy full-course caution, but the completion of all 12 laps. Gooden proved to be one the racers to watch during the affair, advancing all the way to sixth at the checkered flag. Newey, becoming more and more acclimated to his new car and team, likewise moved forward, ending in 10th place. Eidson, despite turning laps on par with his teammates and the top-10, crossed the line in 24th, one lap down due to a mechanical issue.
"Once again Afterburner Autosport is continuing the rapid progress as a team," commented Gooden. "Sebring was an uphill battle for us from the beginning, so to end the weekend fifth in points is a real confidence booster, especially this early on in the season. Tim Jennings, my engineer, really got the car where I knew it could be. I also can't say enough about the level of driving in the series this year. It's an honor to be a part of such a strong field. I'm looking forward to continuing the momentum this week in St Pete."
"After racing this last weekend with the Afterburner Autosport team, I know that I left with a lot more knowledge and experience that I will apply to future racing," said Eidson. "The first rounds of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship at Sebring International Raceway was filled with a lot of ups and downs. After an extremely close qualifying session, we were able to start the first race in sixth place. After having a good start, I was able to finish where I started in sixth. For the second race, I started a little further back in ninth. I was able to get a good start, but unfortunately lost a few positions due to a few close calls. I was able to make up a few of the positions that I lost, but had an unfortunate incident on the last lap, and couldn't finish the race due to a gearbox issues. Overall I'm very pleased with the Afterburner Autosport team and my performance. I'm looking forward to applying everything I learned these last few days to future racing."
"For my first time in the car with the team, I'm really happy with how Sebring went," stated Newey. "We weren't able to do any testing, so finishing inside the top-10 was great. Everyone at Afterburner Autosport has made me feel right at home, and they do a great job. I'm looking forward to improving even more at St. Pete."
Afterburner Autosport and its talented drivers will get the opportunity to immediately build on this early season success, as Rounds Three and Four of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda takes place this coming weekend (March 23-24) in St. Petersburg, Fla. As part of the IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener, the street racing action gets underway on Friday (March 22) with a pair of practice sessions. Day two features a morning qualifying session and Round Three at 12:15 pm local time, before the Florida doubleheader concludes on Sunday (March 24), with Round Four at 9:30 am local time. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx
Additional information on Afterburner Autosport is available from the team’s website @ www.afterburnerautosport.com For direct contact, please email afterburnerautosport@gmail.com or call 630-251-1709.

PURSUIT OF USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP TOP HONORS BEGINS FOR JDC MOTORSPORTS AT SEBRING

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:18:09 -0400

Minnesota-based team ready for 2013 Mazda Road to Indy title chase with talented driver line-up

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – With the ultimate goal of adding another junior formula car title to its already impressive resume, JDC MotorSports travels to the historic Sebring International Raceway next week (March 14-15) to commence the 2013 edition of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. With the talented line-up of second-year racer Michael Johnson and rookies Stefan Rzadzinski, Arthur Oliveira, and Clark Toppe getting behind the wheel, the stage is set for a strong start to the 14-race championship fight.
While it will be just over six months since the last USF2000 Championship race was contested in Virginia, the JDC drivers and crew travel to Sebring in central Florida with plenty of recent on-track experience, thanks to off-season testing and the highly-competitive Cooper Tires Winterfest series. The pre-season championship in particular provided the JDC foursome the opportunity to not only get acclimated with their 2013 racing steeds, but additionally work on car and driver development at the very track where the USF2000 Championship is getting underway, with the opening three races of the Winterfest series having been run at Sebring.
Rzadzinski enters his inaugural full-series event full of confidence. The Canadian was quickly up to speed in his No. 93 CanTorque/Christenson Developments/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry during the Winterfest tripleheader at Sebring, earning a fourth place finish in the opening round en route to three top-10 finishes. Given these results, combined with the valuable data/information and experience gained, many expect the USF2000 Championship rookie to be on-form right from the waving of the first green flag.
"I'm really looking forward to getting back on track at Sebring in the CanTorque/Christenson Developments car," stated Rzadzinski. "I think we gained some valuable track experience and knowledge throughout Winterfest, and we will be looking to make the most out of the start of this season! I know the JDC MotorSports car will be ready, so I can't wait to get after it."
The lone paralyzed racer within the Mazda Road to Indy program, Johnson likewise is ready to build on previous success when the USF2000 cars hit the track. While the No. 54 Universal Coating/SpeediCath/FlatOutNation.com/Red Line Oil/Bell Racing/Alpinestars/JDC MotorSports pilot did not garner the results he desired during the three Winterfest races around the 3.74-mile track, Johnson has indicated he is poised to take the next step in his second-year of series action, after ending the second annual Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a narrow second on the speedcharts.
"I'm really excited to get back in the groove of racing and back to the warm weather," commented Johnson. "I learned quite a bit during the Winterfest races, so hopefully I can apply everything at Sebring and be on top!"
Driving the No. 12 Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports racer, Oliveira is eager to build on his strong initial USF2000 outings. The Brazilian impressed many during the Sebring Winterfest races, showcasing good racecraft and increasing pace. With added experience, it is believed he will quickly become a key ingredient in JDC MotorSports' continued pursuit of USF2000 trophies.
"After the Winterfest events we went over my performance, and I am excited about how things are going," commented Oliveira. "Undoubtedly the little time I have in the car is the main thing we are working on, but I have all the tools to minimize this problem. I got more interaction with my mechanic and engineer during the series, which really helps. Outside of the cockpit I am more relaxed with my new life in Miami now, which has been helping me greatly. I'm looking forward to returning to Sebring."
Toppe returns to the fast and bumpy road course in Florida ready to further showcase his talents. One of the youngest series competitors at just 15 years of age, he is ready to make the most of JDC's vast pro F2000 experience to steadily work his way up the timing sheets each time on track.
"I'm very excited for the start of the season," added Toppe. "I've had a chance to have some track time at Sebring since Winterfest running in the Skip Barber Winter series. I'm feeling confident about the track, and the performance of the car setup by JDC."
The pursuit of Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda top honors commences for JDC MotorSports and its skilled foursome of Johnson, Oliveira, Rzadzinski, and Toppe on March 12, with a pair of promoter's test days as part of the 61st running of the renowned Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring event. The official action gets underway one day later with two practice runs around the Sebring International Raceway road course. Qualifying for Round One will take place on Thursday morning (March 14), prior to race one of the doubleheader at 1:35 pm local time. Following a morning warm-up, Round Two will be contested on March 15 at 10:40 am. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx

JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075 Learn more about Michael Johnson at michaeljohnsonracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Racer54isCool and Facebook @ Michael-Johnson-Racing Learn more about Stefan Rzadzinski at www.rzadracing.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ rzadracing and Facebook @ Stefan-Rzadzinski Learn more about Clark Toppe via Twitter @ ClarkToppe and Facebook @ Clark-Toppe-Motorsports

About JDC MotorSports:
Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. The following year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. In 2011, the Minneapolis-based squad captured its third Star Mazda Championship title with Tristan Vautier, scored a win in the USF2000 National Championship, and made its Prototype Lites Championship debut, earning five podium finishes. JDC MotorSports added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up in 2012.

PROTOTYPE LITES CAMPAIGN BEGINS WITH JDC MOTORSPORTS SET TO FIGHT FOR TOP HONORS IN FLORIDA

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:57:25 -0400

Talented duo of Goikhberg and Kraut return to the cockpits poised to battle for 2013 championship title

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The quest for an inaugural sports car title commences for JDC MotorSports this week (March 14-15), with the multiple junior formula champion taking to the historic Sebring International Raceway for the opening two rounds of the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda season. The Minnesota-based squad will again have a talented tandem getting behind the wheels when the green flags wave in central Florida, as 2012 series runner-up Mikhail Goikhberg and multiple podium finisher Gerry Kraut return to action.

While a relative newcomer to sportscar competition, having only joined the Prototype Lites ranks in 2011, JDC MotorSports has already established itself as one of the teams to beat every time the American Le Mans Series feeder-series cars take to the track. That trend is poised to continue once again in 2013, as the squad will feature the same quality mix of skilled crew and talented drivers that led to success one year ago.

Entering the season-opening twin bill as part of the prestigious Twelve Hours of Sebring event, one driver that everyone will be keeping an eye on is JDC's Goikhberg. The Russian, who resides in Canada, made a splash last year in his Prototype Lites debut, making the most of his previous open-wheel formula car experience to win two races and stand on the podium 10 times en route second place in the title fight. Given these results, the fact he now has a full-season of work with his JDC engineers and mechanics to draw upon, and he was among the leaders in the annual Winter Test at Sebring, many expect the No. 10 Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports Elan DP02 to be part of the fight for wins in Rounds One and Two at Sebring.

"I am happy to work with JDC again, and hopefully the continuity from last year will give us an edge over our competitors," stated Goikhberg. "I like Sebring more and more every time I drive there, so me and the whole team are excited for the season to start."

The spectators at the central Florida road course, however, won't just have one JDC car to keep an eye on, as the No. 55 Dougherty & Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry piloted by Kraut is more than capable of being in the mix for top honors throughout the season-opening doubleheader. A former standout junior formula car racer like his teammate, the American has enjoyed a successful transition to the Prototype Lites ranks. While work commitments limited the number of events he took part in 2012, he still showcased the speed and skill of a front-runner, adding a another podium finish to his continually growing racing resume. That being the case, a pair of JDC racers on the post-race podium is not out of the question to start the 2013 season.

JDC MotorSports' quest for 2013 Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda race wins, and potentially a series title, commences on Tuesday (March 12) with two promoter's test sessions at Sebring International Raceway. Day two features the official start to the campaign, with two 30-minute practice runs around the 3.74-mile Florida track. Thursday (March 14) witnesses a morning qualifying session, setting the grid for race one, before Round One at 4:35 pm local time. The opening twin bill concludes on Friday (March 15) with Round Two at 11:30 am. Live timing and scoring will be available at http://prototypelites.com/timing/html

JDC MotorSports races with associate sponsorship from www.RedLineOil.com

Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075

About JDC MotorSports:

Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both the driver and team titles in 2007, as well as Rookie of the Year honors, with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. In 2008, JDC MotorSports was the runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship and finished fourth in its inaugural season of F2000 Championship Series competition. The Minnesota-based team won the Star Mazda Championship title with Rookie of the Year Adam Christodoulou, and the F2000 Championship Series title with Chris Miller in 2009. The following year, JDC continued its winning ways, earning the Rookie of the Year award in the Star Mazda Championship with Connor De Phillippi, and scoring a non-points win in the USF2000 National Championship. In 2011, the Minneapolis-based squad captured its third Star Mazda Championship title with Tristan Vautier, scored a win in the USF2000 National Championship, and made its Prototype Lites Championship debut, earning five podium finishes. JDC MotorSports added to its Star Mazda Championship win tally, USF2000 Championship podium total, and finished as the Prototype Lites Championship runner-up in 2012.

RYAN DALZIEL SHOWS FIGHTING QUALITIES IN SEBRING FINISH

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:49:23 -0400

2012 Speed.com Sports Car driver of the year Ryan Dalziel battled the bumps of the iconic Sebring International Raceway to give SRT Motorsports a fighting fifth place finish in the Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Ryan – originally from Airdrie in Lanarkshire – showed he has maintained the form that took him the FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 team title and second place in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Cars Series with two flawless stints in Florida.
He handed over to Dominik Farnbacher in second place, but an electrical glitch in the Viper GTS-R meant they lost three laps and dropped to fifth before the German star could get back out on track.
They still fought hard to bring the car home in one piece, but it was scant reward after Ryan – who lives in Windermere, Florida – Marc Goossens and Farnbacher produced some stunning laps to take the car from its tenth-place start on the grid into the lead.

RYAN SAYS: “I think we were pretty confident in our package. The car has been pretty well balanced all weekend. As much as we’re disappointed, we’ve got to be proud of the job we did. It’s really great for SRT starting their full season campaign.
“We passed the lead cars a number of times and we deserved to be up there. We have speed in the car and now we just need to work on all the little things. It’s the little things that come together and win championships.
“When I signed up for this deal, I knew the people at Riley and the people at SRT wanted to win. I came here after winning this race last year and I expected nothing less than victory. I’m really proud to be part of this program. It’s really an amazing deal for me.
“I’m a little sad that I don’t get to go to the rest of the races but I’m looking forward to seeing the progress of the team. We’re going to take a lot of positives away from today because the whole team did an incredible job. The crew did an amazing job. We had great pit stops and a really good car so we move on to the next one.”

GARY JOHNSON - SRT MOTORSPORTS RACING MANAGER – SAYS: “The speed was fantastic. Of course we’re not going to be happy until we win one of these races but the speed was there. The drivers did a great job and the team was flawless on all our pit stops.
“Just a few items to go back on to the drawing board with and we’ll get those corrected. The next race ought to be that much better. I think it proved that the cars have potential and the drivers are key to that. They brought it home without any contact with any other cars. That’s a good thing to have.”

ALBERICO STARTS USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP WITH SEBRING WIN

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:43:56 -0400

Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing up-and-comer overcame rare mechanical issue to exit season-opening doubleheader with victory and new lap record

LOS GATOS, CA – American up-and-comer Neil Alberico started his pursuit of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda title with a convincing win this past week (March 14-15) at the historic Sebring International Raceway. After a rare mechanical issue prevented the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing star from building on his Winterfest series title in Round One, the California native rebounded with a commanding win in Round Two. Alberico is now poised to continue his winning ways when the action resumes just down the road in St. Petersburg, Fla., this weekend (March 23-24).
After being the driver to beat in the six-race pre-season Winterfest championship - where he won five races en route to the title - expectations were high for Alberico entering the first two races on the USF2000 Championship calendar during the famed Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring event. The former Bondurant Championship title winner and Team USA Scholarship driver immediately lived up to the pressure, topping the final test session and opening practice run. Continually looking to better himself and his No. 2 Racelite Protection/Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/eFormulaCarNews.com/J&M Trophies/Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing entry every time he hit the track, Alberico remained at the pointy end of the speedcharts in the final practice session - third quickest - before ultimately earning a front-row starting position for the 2013 season-opener via the second best time in qualifying.
Alberico and the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing crew were eager to go racing when the large and talented 31-car field rolled on-course on Thursday afternoon for race one of the Sebring twin bill. That excitement, however, immediately vanished when the green flag waved, as Alberico failed to get away as desired. As a result of what was later determined as a fuel injector failure, the 20 year-old's racer had no power. Coasting around the 3.7-mile track, Alberico retired after the completion of lap one.
While the rising junior formula car racer was extremely disappointed with the result, he was aware that these things happen in racing, and the key is to rebound in style. Alberico was also aided by the fact that a new series rule meant that rather than relying solely on each driver's fast lap from race one to set the grid for race two, each driver's second best lap in qualifying was also now utilized, placing the Californian fifth on the grid for Round Two.
Returning to the cockpit one day later, Alberico was focused on again showcasing his skills behind the wheel. He promptly did just that when the starter got the action underway, taking over second place on lap one just prior to a racing incident behind resulted in a full-course caution. When the action resumed following a lengthy clean-up, Alberico made the most of his ever growing experience to pass for the lead in turn one via a bold outside maneuver. From that point forward he never looked back. Alberico promptly turned fast lap after fast lap while out front, setting a new race lap record in the process, before ultimately capturing the win by over three seconds.
"Friday's win was probably one of the most rewarding victories I have had in my entire career," commented Alberico. "We hit a minor bump in the road early on, and it just feels good to have recovered so quickly. It was a great example of how great the Cape Motorsports guys work together as a team, and how everyone's attitude and mind set are all in the same place regardless of the circumstance. The streets of St. Petersburg is one of my favorite events on the schedule, and I cannot wait to get back on track next week!"
Alberico and his Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing squad have little time to savor the Sebring win, as the quest for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda title resumes this coming weekend (March 23-24), with two more races on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. With the entire Mazda Road to Indy program on display as part of the IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener, Alberico is keen to add to his 2013 win tally. The action starts on Friday (March 22) with two practice sessions. Day two features a morning qualifying session, followed by Round Three at 12:15 pm local time. The Florida doubleheader concludes on Sunday (March 24), with Round Four at 9:30 am local time. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx

Those interested in supporting this rising American racer are encouraged to contact Neil Alberico directly @ neil@neilalberico.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Learn more about Neil Alberico at neilalberico.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ NeilAlberico and Facebook @ Neil-Alberico-Racing

About Neil Alberico:
A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Alberico first started racing karts at the age of 10, competing in IKF region 11 action. Over the course of four seasons (2004-07), the young talent captured the Junior Sportsman, Junior Super Sportsman, and Junior Puma championship titles. In 2008, Alberico first got behind the wheel of a race car, graduating from the Skip Barber 2-day Advanced school at Laguna Seca prior to participating in the Formula BMW recruitment day at Miller Motorsports Park. Continuing to race in the karting ranks while raising funds to pursue a career in motorsports, Alberico won the Snap-On Stars of Karting Series National finale in Las Vegas in 2009, before finishing third in CKI National TAG Senior championship. Alberico built on this success in 2010, winning the TaG Senior class in the WSK North American Series, as well as the Bondurant Championship Race Series, capturing 10 wins in first full season of car competition. As part of the prize package for winning the Bondurant Championship, the teenager tested a Pro Formula Mazda with World Speed Motorsports and a Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a with Finlay Motorsports. In 2011, Alberico made his European racing debut, competing in the world-renowned Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing. Finish ninth in his maiden FF season, the Californian earned a Team USA Scholarships. As a Team USA driver, he captured a Semi-Final win and finished third in the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival. Alberico joined the Mazda Road to Indy program in 2012, earning a podium finish and nine top-fives in his rookie season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. This season, the California standout returns to USF2000 Championship action, joining two-time defending champion Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing.

Rookie Robert Bujdoso Returns to ARCA Competition in Alabama

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:08:59 -0400

Girard, OH – Rookie Robert Bujdoso (“bouy-da-show”) will make his fourth career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start on Saturday in the ARCA Mobile 200 held at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama. Bujdoso once again joins Bowsher Motorsports in the No. 91 Checkered Express Ford.
Despite a relative lack of seat time, the karting champion has proven a quick study in the big cars, delivering three strong ARCA performances in which he scored three consecutive top-15 finishes. The effort also saw him claim the ‘Hard Charger Award’ in his ARCA debut at Toledo Speedway in 2011.
The No. 91 Ford, which was once Ricky Rudd’s Sprint Cup car, will run a Rhyne Competition Racing engine and Roush chassis as Bujdoso targets another strong outing in his first race start at the quick half-mile Alabama track.
Bujdoso’s last ARCA race start took place at the 2012 season-finale Kansas Speedway event in which he earned his best ARCA finish of 14th. But perhaps the most impressive moment of his race came late in the event when his quick reflexes behind the wheel of the 3,400–pound stock car saw him remarkably maneuver around two cars that had made contact directly ahead of him. The move garnered plenty of television time for the No. 91 Checkered Express Ford as the race broadcasters raved about the close encounter.
Bujdoso, who has yet to turn 20 years old, has been continuously working with the Ohio-based Bowsher Motorsports team over the off season in preparation for the Alabama event.
“It’s definitely been a long off season and I can’t wait to be reunited with the Bowsher team and the No. 91 Checkered Express Ford down in Alabama,” said Bujdoso, who also won his fifth consecutive national karting championship last year. “I’ve been doing a lot of iRacing in preparation for the race and I know the Bowsher guys have been working really hard on the car so I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend. We’ve had some good outings together so far and hopefully we add another one on Saturday.”
Bowsher Motorsports is one of the most experienced and successful teams in the ARCA paddock. With over 80 victories spanning five decades, Bowsher Motorsports is the winningest team in ARCA history.
Bujdoso has made two ARCA starts with Bowsher Motorsports and the pairing proved a successful combination at the Chicagoland and Kansas events. Bujdoso qualified 14th among the 34-car Chicagoland grid and went on to finish 15th in the race. The group followed up that effort with Bujdoso scoring a career-best 14th place result in last year’s Kansas season-finale.
The ARCA Mobile 200 event begins on Friday with practice and qualifying (8:00 PM ET). The 200-lap, 100-mile race will begin at 3:00 PM (ET) on Saturday.
Live timing and scoring can be followed throughout the weekend at: http://timing1.arcaracing.com.

Robert Bujdoso ARCA History:
2012: Kansas Speedway, Bowsher Motorsports
Started – 23rd, Finished – 14th
2012: Chicagoland Speedway, Bowsher Motorsports
Started – 14th, Finished – 15th
2011: Toledo Speedway, Andy Belmont Racing
Started – 27th, Finished – 15th

Daly Impressive Top 10 in GP2 Testing

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:05:51 -0400

Noblesville, IN -- American Conor Daly impressed the GP2 paddock this afternoon in Barcelona with a three hour afternoon session of laps that put him into the top 10 fastest. Daly shared a car for the final day with Italian, Riccardo Agostini. It was his first dry session in a GP2 car after heavy rain blighted the first two days of testing.
"This afternoon was crazy. I had just three hours to learn the dry line and the car's ability at full tilt. The car was amazing on the soft tires at the end. The soft tires are good for just one lap and as has happened so many times, I got caught in traffic at the hairpin and lost half a second," said Daly. "Not to worry; this week has been amazing for me as it was totally unexpected. The team did a great job helping me understand what GP2 cars can do."
Daly tested for a new German team, Hilmer Motorsport. "Conor was fantastic. For a rookie who had never driven a GP2 car before to be in the top ten in the rain and dry was impressive. We did a lot with him and he had to share the car on the last day which was not ideal, but he did a great job," said team owner, Franz Hilman.
Daly will be back in Barcelona next week for the second round of GP3 winter testing.
Hilmer Motorsport is a new team to the GP2 Series having recently purchased the assets of Ocean Technology. The team is owned and operated by Franz Hilmer who also owns Formtech GmbH - a supplier for several Formula One teams. In the recent series test in Jerez, they topped the time sheets on both days.