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Bryan Herta Autosport & Vision Racing Firestone Indy Lights Fact Sheet – Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds 100
Press ReleaseBRYAN HERTA AUTOSPORT & VISION RACING
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS FACT SHEET
Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds 100, Presented by Charter – May 31, 2009
The Milwaukee Mile
Vision Racing – BHA Firestone Indy Lights Fast Facts:
§ NEW VISION LEADERSHIP: Just last week Vision Racing co-owners Tony and Laura George announced that their daughter, Lauren George, has officially joined the ranks of team ownership. The younger George assumed the role of team owner on May 7, 2009, her 18th birthday, and will oversee the team’s Firestone Indy Lights operation that includes the No. 21 People’s Liberation machine driven by James Davison. George will be entering the University of Notre Dame this fall.
§ NEW VISION SPONSORSHIP: In addition to a new boss, Davision also got a new paint scheme for his No. 21 machine last week as premium clothier People’s Liberation has assumed primary sponsorship of the car which includes their branding, logos, and a matte finish grey, orange and white color scheme.
§ GOING ‘LIGHT’ FOR FIRST TIME EVER, AND SINCE 2005: For recently formed Bryan Herta Autosport, the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season is their first and the Husar’s House of Diamonds 100 will be the organization’s sixth race. Meanwhile, Vision Racing is entering Indy Lights competition for the first time since 2005. The Husar’s House of Diamonds 100 will be Vision’s 20th Indy Lights event overall. It is BHA’s first attempt at “The Mile,” while it will be Vision’s second attempt after driver Jay Drake started and finished sixth there in 2005.
§ TOP-TEN IN POINTS: BHA is currently seventh in the Firestone Indy Lights Championship points standings as driver Daniel Herrington has yet to finish outside of the top-ten this season. Vision Racing’s James Davison is currently 10th in the point standings.
§ TECHNICAL PARTNERS: In January, Bryan Herta Autosport co-owners Bryan Herta and Steve Newey announced the formation of the new Firestone Indy Lights competitor with driver Daniel Herrington, and in cooperation with Vision Racing. Immediately the team started operation in Vision Racing’s 32,000 square-foot, Indianapolis based shop. Just a month later, Vision Racing announced the reformation of their own Firestone Indy Lights program for the first time sine 2005 with driver James Davison. The teams will work in tandem throughout the entire 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season.
§ REAR VIEW: Vision Racing has one season of Firestone Indy Lights competition under its belt which came about in its debut season in 2005. During that year four drivers made a total of 23 starts in two entries (Nos. 9 and 20) and recorded five podium finishes (highest of second), seven additional top-fives, and 20 laps led.
§ FIND US ONLINE, ANYTIME: The 2009 season for Vision Racing and Bryan Herta Autosport will include a foray into social media. Vision Racing has established itself in the realm of online social media and networking via accounts at Twitter.com, Facebook.com and YouTube.com this season, while Bryan Herta Autosport is also maintaining Twitter.com and Facebook.com accounts. These outlets will allow the teams’ fans, friends, followers and even members of the media the opportunity to closely follow and interact with them. Bryan Herta Autosport can also be found online at BryanHertaAutosport.com. In addition, RACERSITES.com is working on a redesign of VisionRacing.com which is set to launch in June 2009.
§ A TEAM WITH A VISION: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George, daughter Lauren, as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition and second year of Firestone Indy Lights racing. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and Indy car racing.
§ A TEAM ON A MISSION: Bryan Herta Autosport is owned by IndyCar Series driver veteran Bryan Herta and Indy Racing League engineer veteran Steve Newey. The team operates out of the Vision Racing shop and works in conjunction with the Vision Racing to field the No. 28 Le Bleu sponsored Dallara/Firestone for promising driver, Daniel Herrington.
James Davison – No. 21 People’s Liberation/Vision Racing Dallara/Firestone:
Birthday: Aug. 28, 1986; Hometown: Melbourne, Australia; Residence: Indianapolis, IN
Has four top-ten finishes in five starts this season.
§ AT MILWAUKEE: Davison competed at The Milwaukee Mile for the first time last season driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. He started that event in the 4th spot and finished in the 6th position.
§ MOST RECENTLY: Starting from the tenth position at Indianapolis, Davison ran a clean race, took advantage of his competitors’ mistakes and was able to take the sixth spot.
§ 2009 SEASON: This is the second full season in Firestone Indy Lights competition for Davison. The Husar’s House of Diamonds 100 will be Davison’s sixth event of the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season. He is currently 10th in the championship point standings.
§ NEW BOSS AND SPONSOR: Just last week team co-owners Tony and Laura George announced that daughter Lauren will join the ranks of team ownership and be responsible for the team’s Indy Lights effort. In conjunction with that announcement, it was also announced that premium clothier People’s Liberation would serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 21 machine for the rest of the season. Thus, Davison’s car now sports the branding, logos and orange, grey and white colors of People’s Liberation.
§ INDY LIGHTS WINNER: Davison earned his first Firestone Indy Lights victory in 2008 with Sam Schmidt Motorsports at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He also earned his first pole last season at Nashville Superspeedway.
§ PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: Davison has previous driving experience and success in the Star Mazda, Champ Car Atlantic, Formula BMW USA, and Victorian Formula Ford Series’.
§ IN THE BLOOD: Davison is a third-generation driver whose father Jon Davison was a Formula 5000 competitor. Davison’s grandfather, Lex Davison, was a four-time winner of the Australian Grand Prix.
§ LOOKING FOR VISION’S FIRST WIN: Davison is aiming for the team’s first Firestone Indy Lights victory as Vision Racing celebrates its fifth anniversary season in the Indy Racing League and second season of Firestone Indy Lights competition. Officially Davison is the team’s fifth Firestone Indy Lights pilot.
§ JAMES AT-A-GLANCE: Davison is participating in his second season in Firestone Indy Lights competition, and his first with his second team in Vision Racing. The 22-year-old Australian earned his first Indy Lights victory last season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
o FIL Seasons: 1
o Highest Career Start: 1st – Nashville Superspeedway, 2008/Sam Schmidt Motorsports
o Highest Career Finish: 1st - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, 2008/Sam Schmidt Motorsports
o Laps Led: 34
o Top-5′s: 3
o Top-10′s: 9
o Starts: 20
o Running at Finish: 19 (95%)
Daniel Herrington – No. 28 Le Bleu/Bryan Herta Autosport Dallara/Firestone:
Birthday: July 12, 1986; Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC Residence: Raleigh, NC
One top-five and four top-ten finishes in five races this season.
§ AT MILWAUKEE: Herrington will be racing 1-mile oval at The Milwaukee Mile for the first time in a Firestone Indy Lights Dallara/Firestone. His best oval finish came earlier this season at Kansas when he finished sixth.
§ ON A ROLL: In the five races this season Herrington has finished in the top-five once and the top-ten four times. The recent North Carolina State University graduate is currently seventh in the championship point standings.
§ MOST RECENTLY: At Indianapolis, Herrington started from the ninth position and battled an ill-handling racecar to finish seventh in what was the first start for Herrington and the team on Indy’s 2.5-mile oval.
§ 2009 SEASON: This is the third season of Firestone Indy Lights competition overall for Herrington, but with BHA he is currently working on his first full season in the series. After five races, Herrington is seventh in the championship point standings and has yet to finish out of the top-ten. The Husar’s House of Diamonds 100 will be his sixth event of the 2009 season.
§ BEAUTIFUL IN BLEU: In March, BHA proudly welcomed Le Bleu water as primary sponsor to the team. Le Bleu Corporation, established in 1990, developed the ultimate process to produce the purest and best tasting water in the world. Le Bleu’s purification process eliminates the inorganic minerals and chemicals that may be present in other waters. Le Bleu offers 5-gallon home service in select area across North and South Carolina, and has launched nationally with major distribution chains, and retailers, and several international distributors.
§ PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: Prior to coming to pilot open wheel cars in Firestone Indy Lights, Herrington climbed the ranks in Formula Mazda, Formula BMW USA Series, and was crowned champ in the Skip Barber Regional and NASA Spec E-30 series.
§ LOOKING FOR BHA’S FIRST WIN: Herrington is aiming for BHA’s first Firestone Indy Lights victory in the team’s debut season. A win by Herrington would also be his first in Firestone Indy Lights competition.
§ BMOC: Herrington has officially wrapped up his role as “big man on campus” at North Carolina State University as he graduated Magna Cum Laude this month with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
§ DANIEL AT-A-GLANCE: The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season has Herrington competing in his first full season with first-year team, Bryan Herta Autosport. Herrington has participated in two partial seasons in both 2007 and 2008. His best finish is third at Watkins Glen International in 2007. He competed in eight races last season for two different teams and recorded four top-10 finishes. He hopes to record a first Indy Lights victory for himself and BHA in their debut season.
o FIL Seasons: 2 partial
o Highest Career Start: 1st – Watkins Glen, 2007 / SpeedWorks/SSM
o Highest Career Finish: 3rd – Watkins Glen, 2007/ SpeedWorks/SSM
o Laps Led: 3
o Top-5′s: 2
o Top-10′s: 11
o Starts: 18
o Running at Finish: 17 (94.4%)
Fast Stats – 2009 Firestone Indy Lights Results
James Davison – No. 21 People’s Liberation/Vision Racing Dallara/Firestone:
|
VENUE |
START |
RAN AS HIGH AS |
FINISH |
STATUS |
POINTS STANDING |
|
St. Pete – 1 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
Running |
8 |
|
St. Pete – 2 |
4 |
4 |
17 |
Running |
12 |
|
Long Beach |
10 |
7 |
7 |
Running |
10 |
|
Kansas |
8 |
|
8 |
Running |
10 |
|
Indianapolis |
10 |
5 |
6 |
Running |
10 |
Daniel Herrington – No. 28 Le Bleu Bryan Herta Autosport Dallara/Firestone:
|
VENUE |
START |
RAN AS HIGH AS |
FINISH |
STATUS |
POINTS STANDING |
|
St. Pete -1 |
11 |
7 |
7 |
Running |
7 |
|
St. Pete – 2 |
11 |
5 |
5 |
Running |
4 |
|
Long Beach |
13 |
10 |
10 |
Running |
5 |
|
Kansas |
12 |
|
6 |
Running |
6 |
|
Indianapolis |
9 |
7 |
7 |
Running |
7 |
###
About the Husar’s House of Diamonds 100: The 100 lap/100 mile race at The Milwaukee Mile will run Sunday, May 31st. Television coverage will air on VERSUS, Monday, June 1st at 4 p.m. (ET).
About Vision Racing: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for 2009. In the past calendar year, the team has scored nine top-ten finishes and five additional top-five finishes including a fifth place finish in the Indianapolis 500 by Ed Carpenter and a second place run by Ryan Hunter-Reay on the streets of St. Petersburg in the 2009 season opener. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.
About Bryan Herta Autosport: Bryan Herta Autosports is owned and operated by veteran driver Bryan Herta and Steve Newey and will field a car in the Indy Lights Series for the first time in 2009 with driver Daniel Herrington.
Bryan Herta enjoyed considerable success in the lower formulae, winning the Barber Formula Ford and Barber Saab series championships, and dominating the 1993 Indy Lights championship, then graduating to IndyCar racing in 1994. As of 2006, Herta has started in the Indianapolis 500 five times (1994-1995, 2004-2006) with three top ten finishes, including a best of third (3rd) in 2005. Herta moved to American Lemans Sports Cars full time in 2007. He joined Vision Racing as Road Course Consultant for the 2008 season and will continue that role through 2009.
Steve Newey has been involved at the highest level of professional auto racing for over 20 years. Subsequent to earning his engineering degree, Newey lived in England where he was a design and race engineer in Formula One. On his return to the United States, he engineered the car driven by Bobby Rahal that won the IndyCar World Series Championship in 1992. Newey assembled the Patrick Racing in 1993 then helped put together Mo Nunn Racing in 1999. In 2003, he took over as Vice president of Operations at Kelley Racing. Most recently Newey lent his expertise in Sportscar series, namely with Andretti Green Racing and their ALMS program.
- Bryan Herta Auttosport/Vision Racing, Press Release
Article Tags: Bryan Herta Autosport, Daniel Herrington, Firestone Indy Lights, Husar's House of Fine Diamonds 100, IndyCar, IndyCar Series, James Davison, The Milwaukee Mile, Vision Racing
