Monday
Entergy Nuclear Unites with HVM Racing for the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series Season
Press Release
Keith Wiggins, team owner of HVM Racing and John Herron, President, CEO and Chief Nuclear Officer at Entergy unveiled the new livery of the #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy Dallara at the beautiful InterContinetal hotel in downtown Baltimore.
Also in attendance were INDYCAR CEO, Randy Bernard, and Jay Davidson, President of the Baltimore Grand Prix. Professionals from the nuclear energy industry were side-by-side to witness the announcement while fans were welcome to view a pit stop demonstration performed by De Silvestro and her experienced HVM pit crew at nearby Camden Yards.
“This is great news for HVM and for Simona,” said Keith Wiggins, owner of HVM Racing. “It gives Simona a long-term opportunity to develop into a top IndyCar driver while the team will have a stable platform over multiple years to support our championship effort. It is a terrific marketing opportunity with a strong partner who has an important message and role in our world’s future. We are going to make an impact on many fronts; within the nuclear energy industry, with Simona as an individual driver and within our sport overall.”
Entergy is in its fourth year of the “Nuclear Clean Air Energy” national education campaign and its first full year with HVM Racing in the IZOD INDYCAR Series. Having reached millions of people at the race track, across U.S. college campuses and in community events, the goal of the “Nuclear Clean Air Energy” initiative is to use the highly visible platform of the IZOD INDYCAR Series to spread the message about the benefits of nuclear energy as a source of carbon-free electricity. In addition to the element of education and public awareness, this campaign assists in recruiting quality engineers and professionals to the nuclear energy sector, an exciting job-growth industry.
“It is an important time for our country to hear our nuclear clean air energy story,” said John Herron, Entergy chief nuclear officer. “With Simona as a lead spokesperson for our effort, teaming up with HVM and IndyCar brings visibility to the issue of U.S. energy policy, with multiple national opportunities to reach out to families and fans. Education is key to smarter energy consumers and doing so with a young role model like Simona couldn’t be better. Having ‘nuclear’ on the side of a race car is as all-American as racing itself, since nuclear energy generates 20 percent of all U.S. electricity already. Entergy wants everyone to learn more and get excited about our reliable, green source of electricity.”
January 24 kicks off “National Nuclear Science Week,” the perfect time to unveil this new partnership. This week provides platforms for learning and exploration of nuclear sciences, careers in the nuclear field, energy generation, nuclear safety and nuclear medicine fields with activities happening across the country in various nuclear sectors.
De Silvestro hails from Thun, Switzerland and enters her sophomore season in the IZOD INDYCAR Series well-equipped to compete. In 2010 she turned heads at the season-opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she led four laps during her INDYCAR debut and displayed her on-track abilities in front of an International audience. In addition to her Rookie of the Year title at the 2010 Indy 500, she was also awarded with the Tony Renna Firestone Rising Star award at the end of the year, an honor she holds close to her heart. In 2009, Simona dominated in the Atlantic Championship Series, where she became the first woman in series history to have earned the most wins, pole positions, and led the most laps all in a single season. She had nine podium finishes in 12 races.
“It’s pretty special to have a sponsor like Entergy and to have such an important campaign as the ‘Nuclear Clean Air Energy’ initiative,” explains De Silvestro. “It’s a great message and I am looking forward to creating awareness about the benefits of nuclear electricity throughout the racing season and beyond.” She adds, “It’s great to be back with HVM. They are a great team and it was amazing last year to spend my rookie season in INDYCAR with them. Now with this sponsorship, I am more confident than ever that we’ll have a great year!”
Associate sponsorship of the #78 machine will come from TDS Telecommunications Corp, who will be the team’s “Official Communications Partner”, BRM Watches- returning for their second consecutive year will be the team’s “official timepiece”. The team will also be announcing a relationship with the Baltimore Grand Prix and the InterContinental Hotel in Baltimore, Md., who will serve as the “Official Hotel of the Baltimore GP.”
HVM Racing was founded by Keith Wiggins and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. HVM enters 2011 as its tenth year of competition since forming in 2001 and has earned six victories, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. They earned “Indianapolis Rookie of the Year” honors with driver Simona De Silvestro at the 2010 event and since joining the IZOD INDYCAR Series in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes. HVM finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car World Series in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Follow HVM Racing at www.hvmracing.com on twitter at twitter.com/HVMracing, and on facebook at www.facebook.com/HVMRacing.
Entergy is the second largest owner and operator of U.S. nuclear energy plants. They operate or provide management services to 12 reactors at 10 sites. 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 and delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and more than 15,000 employees. www.entergy-nuclear.com
TDS Telecommunications Corp. markets communication services to business and residential customers in 30 states through its brands TDS Telecom® and TDS Metrocom®. With 1.1 million access line equivalents in service, TDS Telecommunications Corp. connects customers to phone, broadband, and digital television service in hundreds of rural, suburban, and metropolitan communities. TDS Telecommunications Corp. is the eighth-largest wire line company in the nation; employing approximately 2,500 people. The company is headquartered in Madison, Wis. Visit www.tdstelecom.com and www.tdsbusiness.com for more information.
About B.R.M North America French manufacturer B.R.M (Bernard Richards Manufacture) has over 25 years of watch-making experience and manufactures only 2,000 watches annually, a few miles outside Paris. Each BRM watch is a unique piece and is entirely crafted by hand. B.R.M’s roots are in motor racing and discovering B.R.M’s watches is like admiring race cars on the starting line of a Formula1 Grand Prix. Perfection is B.R.M’s passion and their production processes are closer to nanotechnology than watch-making. www.brm-manufacture.com
The InterContinental Harbor Court is the premier luxury hotel in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, offering 195 guestroomsincluding 22 suitesand 10,000 square feet of event space. The hotel has consecutively earned the respectable Mobile and AAA Four Diamond Awards from 1986 to 2010, past honors include Awards from the prestigious Seven Stars and Stripes for Hotel, Cuisine and Service in 2004 and 2006, 2007 Chaine des Rotisseurs, 2009 and 2010 Best of Baltimore and People’s Choice. The InterContinental Harbor Court continues to be the hotel brand of choice for foreign dignitaries, heads-of-state, royalty, celebrities and those seeking a refined experience. www.harborcourt.com
- HVM Racing Press Release
Article Tags: B.R.M North America, Baltimore Grand Prix, HVM Racing, Indianapolis 500, InterContinental Harbor Court, IZOD IndyCar® Series, Jay Davidson, Keith Wiggins, No. 78 Entergy Dallara / Honda, Randy Bernard, Simona De Silvestro, TDS Telecommunications Corp
