INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 12, 2011 – KV Racing Technology – Lotus announced today that MGM Grand Hotel & Casino has joined the team as primary partner of Takuma Sato’s No. 5 MGM Grand – KV Racing Technology – Lotus car for the 2011 IndyCar World Championships in Las Vegas, October 13-16 at the Las Vegas Speedway.
No 5 MGM Grand/KV Racing Technology - Lotus Dallar Honda Firestone driven by Takuma Sato
“I am very pleased to announce that MGM Grand is joining our team,” said KVRT – Lotus co-owner Jimmy Vasser. “As a resident of Las Vegas I am very excited that our team has partnered with such a local icon for this race. We look forward to having a great on-track result with MGM Grand at the IndyCar World Championships in Las Vegas.”
“Hosting this event in Las Vegas is a sensational opportunity for the entire city and we are thrilled to support Mr. Sato in his quest for a championship,” said Tim Kelly, vice president of hotel operations for MGM Grand. “MGM Grand is recognized worldwide as the center of Las Vegas entertainment so it is fitting for us to become involved with IndyCar weekend through our partnership with KVRT-Lotus.”
Sato, currently 13th in the championship race with 297 points, only 17 out of 10th, is looking for a strong showing at the IndyCar World Championships on the 1.5-mile D-shape Las Vegas Speedway oval that will propel him into the top-10 in the final standings. The 34-year-old from Japan is having a breakout year in his second IndyCar season. He has finished in the top-10 seven times this year including his first three IndyCar top-five finishes (career-high fourth at Mid-Ohio and fifth at St. Petersburg and Texas). Sato has also earned his first two IndyCar poles, (on the oval in Iowa and on the street circuit in Edmonton) becoming the first Japanese driver to do so, and led his first IndyCar race (Brazil) and subsequently three others. On ovals, Sato has earned three top-10 finishes (oval career-high fifth at Texas race No. 1, New Hampshire – seventh and Milwaukee – eighth), his first career IndyCar pole and led his first oval laps, seven, both at Iowa (also led 13 laps at New Hampshire).
About MGM Grand:
MGM Grand, a AAA Four Diamond resort with 5,044 elegant rooms and suites, offers the ultimate Vegas experience. MGM Grand features the astonishing KÀ by Cirque du Soleil®, the beautiful women of MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris, and world-class entertainment at the Grand Garden Arena and Hollywood Theater. The resort offers signature restaurants by celebrity chefs and restaurateurs including Joël Robuchon, a Michelin three star, Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond award-winning fine dining establishment. This vibrant property also features a state-of-the-art, non-smoking conference center, the Grand Spa, Cristophe Salon, an inviting pool complex featuring the tantalizing daylife of WET REPUBLIC, dynamic nightclubs, the Lion Habitat and CSI: The Experience. Upscale accommodations include The Mansion, an exclusive hotel within the hotel; the luxurious two-story SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand; and The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxury all-suite, non-gaming hotel located adjacent to the main resort. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International™ (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit www.mgmgrand.com or call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
About KV Racing Technology:
KV Racing Technology was founded in January 2003 originally as PK Racing then as PKV Racing from 2004 through 2007. The team was renamed KV Racing Technology when it joined the IndyCar Series in 2008 adding Lotus in 2011. KVRT is based in Indianapolis and is competing in its fourth IZOD IndyCar Series season. The team is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 CART Indy Car World Series Champion Jimmy Vasser. Vasser, who drove his last open-wheel race in 2008, is now deeply involved in team operations and mentors the team’s drivers. Veteran motorsports executive Mark Johnson is the team’s general manager and handles the day-to-day operations.
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
- KV Racing Technology – Lotus, Press Release
