Catchfence

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 18, 2010) – IZOD IndyCar Driver Milka Duno and Dale Coyne Racing opted out of yesterday’s qualifying session for today’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in order to focus on the race set-up for the 85-lap race on the streets of downtown Long Beach, CA.

As a result of not qualifying, Duno will start at the back of the pack today in the No.18 CITGO/CANTV car with Dale Coyne Racing.

The results of the practice sessions were well off the pace and it was clear that the set-up needed more work, including a new front wing configuration – that could not be completed in time for the qualifying session.

Instead of trying to qualify on a set-up that was not generating the needed speed and taking the chance of slowing down or getting in the way of others that were trying to qualify well, Duno and the team made the decision to continue preparing the car for the race.

“Obviously I’m very disappointed – but I feel that we made the right decision. We just didn’t have the speed yet and out of respect for the other drivers who do – and want to qualify well for their sponsors and fans – it was the right decision,” Duno said. “This is a difficult track by anyone’s standards and particularly challenging for me as it is my first time on this track in an Indy car – or any kind of open-wheel car for that matter.”

In today’s morning session – the last session before the race – the hard work started to show results as Duno’s times were much improved.

“My thanks to the team for working so hard and we’re getting quicker and the car feels so much better,” Duno added. “We made the right decision to continue working on the race set-up and we’re all hoping for a good result in today’s race.”

About Dale Coyne Racing

Dale Coyne Racing, based in Plainfield, IL, is in its 26th year of fielding Indy cars. Known for recruiting and coaching drivers, Coyne’s expertise and passion for the sport has led to his leadership position in the league. The team is currently in the Top-10 of the 2009 IndyCar Series Championship. For more information, please visit www.dalecoyneracing.com

About CITGO

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The CITGO familiar orange and blue triangle has been an enduring American success story since 1910. Today CITGO operates nearly 7000 gas stations owned by a loyal group of 800 local business men and woman. CITGO has given back to the communities of the USA and the world through its Simón Bolívar Foundation. For more information visit www.citgo.com

About CANTV

CANTV is the leading integrated telecommunication services provider in Venezuela. As of March 31, 2007, CANTV has nearly 3.6 million fixed telephony switched access lines in service, nearly 8.2 million mobile subscribers, and nearly 528,000 broadband subscribers. For more information, please visit www.cantv.com.ve.

For more information on Milka please visit www.milkaduno.com.

- CapehartPR Press Release