Catchfence

“HVM Drivers Focus on Schedules, Sleep … and Sushi”

Indianapolis, Indiana (September 10, 2009) – The upcoming IndyCar Series race in Motegi, Japan, will take E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos half a world away, and they know the trip will take a physical toll. So the HVM Racing drivers are prepping early to make sure they are adjusted by the time they climb into their cars at the Twin Ring oval.

For starters, Motegi is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time. To prepare for the huge time variance, both Viso and Doornbos plan to arrive plenty early to adjust.

“I’m planning to go a few days before, and I’m going to have a couple of appearances with some sponsors,” said Viso, driver of the No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara. “So that’s going to give me some time to adjust to the difference in time.”

“Having the time changes, I’m sort of getting used to it, because with traveling from Europe to the U.S. you always go back in time, which is not bad,” said Doornbos, driver of the No. 33 HVM Racing Honda Dallara and native of The Netherlands. “But now we actually go ahead into time, which is something new. So you do have to adjust your body, your bio-rhythm. You try to arrive five or six days in advance. Try to prepare yourself in the best way so you’re not sleepy for the race.”

Doornbos says getting the body into a regular exercise routine will help.

“What I like to do is running, cycling, swimming, just a lot of cardio work,” said Doornbos. “And I think it’s one of the best ways to relax as well after a 12-hour flight, just to move the arms and legs. Just move the body a bit, make yourself tired. And then early to bed and focus on the race weekend.”

Making themselves tired shouldn’t be too difficult. Between sponsor visits and promotional events, the drivers will have busy schedules once they land in Japan. But everyone agrees the overseas trip is good for the sport.

“It’s always good to take open-wheel racing to different markets and to appeal to different audiences,” said Keith Wiggins, team principal and owner. “It’s only going to help the sport grow and build the fan base. There is a lot of work involved with taking a race team overseas, but in the end there is a great benefit to it.”

One thing Viso and Doornbos won’t have any difficulty adjusting to is the Japanese cuisine. They both say they are looking forward to eating sushi.

“I love sushi,” said Viso. “I’m sure I’ll eat plenty.”

Watch the Japan Indy 300 on Sept. 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET on Versus. Visit www.hvmracing.com for the drivers’ video previews of the race.

HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its eight years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums since 2001. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned its drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. In 2008 with driver E.J. Viso, the team earned seven top-10 finishes, including a fourth at St. Petersburg in its inaugural year in the IRL Championship.

- HVM Racing Press Release