Catchfence

“IZOD IndyCar Series Debuts this Weekend on Popular St. Petersburg Street Course”

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – (March 24, 2011) – National Guard Panther Racing and rookie driver JR Hildebrand will kick-off the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season this weekend on the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The race will mark Hildebrand’s debut in the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing entry after he was signed to a multi-year contract agreement to join the team in December. The IndyCar newcomer made just two previous starts in the series last season for Dreyer & Reinbold as a temporary replacement for then-injured Mike Conway.

This will be Hildebrand’s first IndyCar Series start in St. Pete, although he earned his first career Firestone Indy Lights podium there in 2008 and the following year captured the pole position while driving for Andretti Autosport. Hildebrand led both the Lights races there in 2009, but was plagued by mechanical issues in each of the weekend’s two events. Both of his career IndyCar starts have been on permanent road courses (Mid-Ohio and Infineon) so this weekend will mark his first experience in an IndyCar machine on a temporary street circuit.

Panther has been successful in St. Pete in its history and recorded a best starting position of fifth with Tomas Enge in 2005 and a best finishing result of fifth with Vitor Meira in 2006. Dan Wheldon was running within the Top Ten competitors here last season before a suspension failure on the front straight ended the team’s day in the 20th position. Panther has led at St. Pete on two occasions; in 2005 with Enge and with Meira in 2008.

The No. 4 National Guard car is returning this season to the popular ACU Camo, black and red livery that first debuted in last year’s Indianapolis 500. The paint scheme was featured in the 500 and two subsequent races in 2010 and due to popular demand will be run for the majority of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

The core of Panther’s operation has remained intact during the offseason, with longtime chief engineer David Cripps and chief mechanic Dan Miller returning to lead the team’s on-track operation. Former Indianapolis 500 polesitter Pancho Carter returns to Panther this season as the team’s spotter and driver coach, after having worked with Sam Hornish Jr., Tomas Scheckter, Vitor Meira and Wheldon in previous tenures with the team.

JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda:

“I’ve always really enjoyed St. Pete and I got my first Firestone Indy Lights podium there the first weekend of the year in 2008 and it’s been a good track from the beginning. Since 2009 I felt like I’ve got some unfinished business there, when I led both races and had mechanical problems. I’m looking forward to getting back out to the racetrack, and St. Pete suits my style in a lot of ways, and a lot of the testing we’ve done this offseason has shown us the direction we want to go on the street courses. So a lot of our preseason preparation has lent itself to the National Guard car being good this weekend around St. Pete.”

- Panther Racing Press Release