Celebrity Apprentice - Michael Andretti

Indianapolis, IN – February 9, 2012 -

Andretti, son of racing legend Mario Andretti, has the third most victories (42) of any driver in IndyCar history, and he lead 6,702 IndyCar laps during his career. Currently, he is the Chairman, President and CEO of Andretti Autosport. As one of the most well-known racing personalities in the U.S., Andretti continues to set the standard in the industry, albeit from behind the pit wall.

After the mother of one of Andretti’s racecar drivers, Ryan Hunter-Reay, passed away of cancer, Tom Vossman, a past associate sponsor of Andretti Autosport, started Racing for Cancer with Hunter-Reay. The non-profit organization is aimed at uniting motorsport fans, racing organizations, drivers and sponsors in support of the global fight against cancer. Michael Andretti has supported this charity from its inception. When contacted by the producers of “Celebrity Apprentice,” charity selection was an easy choice.

“I chose Racing for Cancer because I believe that the effort put forth by this organization is helping to win the fight and helping people,” says Andretti. “My mother is a cancer survivor and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) lost his mother to the disease, so the cause is near and dear to me and our team. We need to continue to fight this disease in any way we can. Racing For Cancer is fully committed and I’m honored to be competing on “Celebrity Apprentice” to benefit this great organization.”

The season premiere of “Celebrity Apprentice,” broadcast on NBC, airs on February 19, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Andretti will compete against 17 other celebrities for a donation of $250,000 or perhaps more, to Racing For Cancer. Only a month after the premiere, Andretti and Racing For Cancer CEO, Tom Vossman, will head to the streets of St. Petersburg, FL, for the season opener of the IZOD IndyCar Series on Sunday, March 25.

To donate to Racing For Cancer and support Michael’s “Celebrity Apprentice” attempt, please visit www.RacingForCancer.org.

About Racing For Cancer, Inc.

Racing For Cancer, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) organization, is “helping pick up the pace… one fan at a time.” Racing For Cancer was formed to unite motorsports fans around the world, racing organizations, drivers and sponsors to help those afflicted with cancer. The mission is simply to beat cancer. Support is focused towards early detection and prevention, and efforts to help raise awareness and support of fighting childhood cancer. One hundred percent of the net proceeds of fundraising efforts are committed to the cause. Racing For Cancer also partners with various marketing efforts to aid in the global cancer awareness campaign. For more information, visit www.RacingForCancer.org.

Source: 242MPH for Racing for Cancer, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

New York Times Best-Selling Author to Head Andretti’s

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 24, 2012) - Andretti Autosport announced today that Jade Gurss has been named the Director of Corporate Communications for the open-wheel racing team.

Gurss was the owner of fingerprint, inc., a sports publicity company, since 1999. Among his clients, he represented Anheuser-Busch for nine innovative seasons as NASCAR publicist for the Budweiser brand and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He has also represented clients such as Kevin Harvick Inc., Petty Enterprises and athletes such as Ricky Carmichael.
The Kansas native has written two New York Times Best Sellers, “Driver #8″ with Earnhardt Jr. and “DW!” with Darrell Waltrip. His third book, “In The Red, the 2001 Season with Dale Earnhardt Jr.” has just been released by Octane Press. He was also an adjunct professor in the MBA program at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

His two decades of publicity and marketing experience involves nearly every category of motorsports, including representing Mercedes-Benz in North America and directing marketing and communications for Ilmor Engineering (then the engine design and development arm of Mercedes-Benz).

JF THORMANN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:

“We are pleased to announce Jade as our new Director of Corporate Communication. We were impressed with his background and with him as a person from our first meeting. He will bring a fresh perspective and a great deal of experience to our communications team.”

JADE GURSS, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:

“I can’t imagine a better scenario than to be joining Andretti Autosport. I’ve always been very passionate about Indy car racing, and to be back in the sport with the most legendary name in racing, a roster of young, personable and fast drivers and a wide variety of sponsors is an ideal situation with immense potential. I can’t wait to get started.”

About Andretti Autosport:
Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

Source: Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Andretti Autosport Star Mazda Driver Sage Karam

JANUARY 23RD, 2012 (ST. LOUIS, MO) –

Sage Karam is happy to announce a continued partnership with Walters Web Design and together we are pleased to release the Star Mazda Series driver website design. Please log on athttp://www.SageKaram.com <http://www.SageKaram.com>  to browse the new website.

Please check back to the new driver website regularly for new announcements pre 2012 season. The team will be updating the website regularly with news, photos, videos and results.

Motorsports design team http://www.WaltersWebDesign.com the manufacturer of this new website is excited to announce the continued partnership with Sage Karam Racing and we look forward to working with the series far into the future.

Sage Karam and Andretti Autosport would like to thank their current sponsors. These include; Comfort Revolution, The Michael Fux Foundation, iexpect Brand, Artrotondo, Sparco, Bell, Orwig Townhouse Apartments, SmitHahn Company and Walters Web Design.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities with Sage Karam Racing and Andretti Autosport, please visit the new driver website for contact information. They would be happy to go in to detail with you about how motorsports marketing can help to grow your business.

Follow Sage Karam on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SageKaram88 .

For more information on motorsports design team Walters Web Design please visit us online athttp://www.WaltersWebDesign.com . To receive the latest race team news, photos, videos, results, website and graphic releases please follow us on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/WaltersWeb and we are also on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WaltersWebDesign .

You can follow the latest news, results and media on the new Sage Karam Racing websitehttp://www.SageKaram.com .

About Sage Karam
Sage Karam is a talented young American racing driver launching a career in competitive open wheel racing through INDYCAR’s Mazda Road to Indy development program. As the winner of the 2010 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda with Andretti Autosport, he moved on to compete in the 2011 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear and secured seven top-five finishes, including three podiums and two wins, to earn the Rookie of the Year title. He has previously competed in various karting series, eventually becoming a 35-time World Karting Association and IRL Stars of Karting National champion. At the age of 13, Karam was the youngest driver to win the annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out. In addition, he was the only American driver to compete in both a national karting championship and an open-wheel professional series fulltime in 2009. For more information, visit www.SageKaram.com and follow Sage on Twittertwitter.com/SageKaram88.

About Walters Web Design
Founded in 2004, Walters Web Design specializes in motorsports website development and graphic design. We use advertising and social marketing to help facilitate visitors and potential customers to all our client websites. “We take pride in all of our customer websites and we want each design to be better than our last. We feel this is what has put us above all the rest in our industry.” Walters Web Design is pleased to partner with ‘Sage Karam Racing’ for the sixth year and we look forward to working with them far into the future.

Source: Walters Web Design, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 13, 2012) -

Though this will be his first full season in the series, Veach is no stranger to the Star Mazda Championship car. Veach recently drove to victory in the first two rounds of the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Winter Series, held at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. in November. He earned two pole positions and led every lap during the race weekend in the No. 77 Team Zakosi Data Backup Star Mazda car. During the 2011 season, Veach also competed during the final two rounds of the Star Mazda Championship. He secured a third place podium finish at the final race of the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Veach, a 17-year-old from Stockdale, Ohio, finished fourth in the 2011 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. He helped Andretti Autosport secure the team championship title for the second consecutive year with one win, five podiums and three pole positions. He also captured the inaugural Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 Winterfest Championship title earlier this year with two race wins. In 2010, Veach finished fifth in the overall USF2000 driver championship points, despite starting the season two races behind the rest of the field.

Away from the track, Veach stays active as a spokesperson for FocusDriven, an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using their cell phones, has campaigned for Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone,” and even created a phone app to fight texting behind the wheel. He also released a book titled 99 THINGS TEENS WISH THEY KNEW BEFORE TURNING 16, where he shared his battle with bullying, which later led to his campaign work for the Cyber Safety Academy’s No BULL Challenge.

ESPN The Magazine recently named Veach a “NEXT” athlete in motorsports and is one of CNN’s “Intriguing People,” as well as being nominated for the Sports Illustrated “Sports Kid of the Year” award.

In addition to Zakosi Data Backup, The Young Marines, ADS IT Solutions, Replay XD, and Arai Helmets are
providing additional support on the #77 effort.

Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the Star Mazda Championship is one of two series part of both the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver program. Andretti Autosport is currently the only INDYCAR team to compete in each level of the Mazda Road to Indy.

Prior to the start of the 2012 season, Veach will wrap up his campaign for the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Winter Series title heading into the final three events with the points lead at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. January 20-22.

The 2012 Star Mazda season will begin March 24 in St. Petersburg, Fla. For more information and a full season schedule, visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com and www.StarMazda.com.

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:

“We’re always impressed with Zach and how he handles himself both on and off the track. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be successful again this year as he steps up to Star Mazda full-time. I look forward to watching him move up the field this season.”

ZACH VEACH, DRIVER, #77 TEAM ZAKOSI DATA BACKUP:

“I’m really excited to be racing in the Zakosi Data Backup Star Mazda car this season, especially with Sage [Karam] as my teammate again. The time I was able to spend in the car earlier this winter gave me a chance to change my driving style to better suit the Star Mazda car, and I think with a bit more testing I’ll be ready to compete for the championship. I would like to thank Michael Andretti, Zakosi Data Backup, my family and the whole team that continues to support me. I can’t wait to get on track!”

About Andretti Autosport

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About Zach Veach

Zach “Ziggy” Veach is a 17-year-old autoracing driver who competes in INDYCAR’s ‘Mazda Road to Indy’ Star Mazda Championship Series, an important open-wheel stepping-stone to a career in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. In 2011, Veach captured the USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship, while also being named by ESPN The Magazine as a NEXT athlete in motorsports. In 2010, Michael Andretti signed Veach to his team, Andretti Autosport, while also being named one of CNN’s “Intriguing People” and being nominated for the Sports Illustrated “Sports Kid of the Year” award. In addition to his racing, Veach is an advocate for safer driving as the national spokesperson for FocusDriven, an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using their cell phones and has campaigned for Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone.” Veach released his first published Android application through his phone-app building company, ZaAPP, releasing urTXT, in the Marketplace for Android to help consumers avoid dangerous text messaging while driving. Like most of his peers, Veach was bullied as a kid and works to combat the growing epidemic as part of the Cyber Safety Academy’s “No BULL Challenge” as a key ambassador. Veach has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms including NBC’s The Today Show, CNN, ESPN.com, FOXsports.com, ABCNews.com, Oprah Radio’s The Gayle King Show, The Los Angeles Times, AOL.com Fast Company magazine, Mashable.com and is a blogger for RACER and iPhone iLife magazines. The son of a national truck and tractor-pulling champion, Veach entered his sophomore year of high school this past fall and released his first book, 99 THINGS TEENS WISH THEY KNEW BEFORE TURNING 16, on March 2, 2011. For more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com.

Source: Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

Go Daddy goes with Rookie of the Year for the

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 11, 2012) - Andretti Autosport announced today it has signed Canadian James Hinchcliffe to a multi-year IZOD IndyCar Series deal. Hinchcliffe, a young, yet accomplished racer, steps into a big role as driver of the GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for 2012.

In his first year in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Hinchcliffe took three top-five and seven top-10 finishes to earn the series’ Rookie of the Year title despite missing the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hinchcliffe, a 25-year-old from Toronto with both British and Canadian lineage, finished fourth at the 2011 Long Beach, New Hampshire and Kentucky races.

The well-spoken television and Internet personality makes a great match for Go Daddy, the world’s largest Web hosting provider¹ and legendary television advertiser. Hinchcliffe is a skilled driver who has been honored numerous times for his on-track achievements in open-wheel racing. Hinchcliffe was recently a nominee for the 2011 Autosport Rookie of the Year award in England and won the prestigious Greg Moore Legacy Award in 2010 for his efforts in the Firestone Indy Lights. Hinchcliffe becomes the second driver on the Andretti Autosport roster to have won the Greg Moore Legacy Award, joining 2004 winner and new teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Hinchcliffe’s path to IndyCar began with two seasons in Firestone Indy Lights. In 2009, he secured five podium finishes, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, including a second place finish at Mid-Ohio. The following year he impressed the paddock with three wins, 10 top-five finishes and a series-best four pole positions, ultimately finishing second in the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights championship.

Hinchcliffe began his racing career in karting and captured numerous titles such as the TKC Junior Rotax Class Karting Championship, the Junior Rotax Canada Cup and TKC Winter Series Championship. After earning several more regional and national karting series and championships throughout the United States and Canada, Hinchcliffe moved on to successfully compete in the Bridgestone Racing Academy F2000 series, Formula BMW, Star Mazda series, Atlantic Championship and A1 Grand Prix series.

Go Daddy, the world’s largest provider of Web hosting, domain name registrations and net new SSL Certificates, also sponsors Mario, Michael and Marco Andretti as part of a three-generation spokesperson campaign designed to showcase Go Daddy products and services. To learn how to easily and affordably build an online presence, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season begins March 25 on the streets of St. Petersburg. A full season schedule is available at www.GoDaddy.com/Andretti.

For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
“James is a perfect addition to our team for next year. He’s got a lot of talent and we believe he will be great for our driver chemistry. He will definitely grow and thrive with Andretti Autosport. Even in his rookie year in IndyCar, he proved to be a great competitor. I look forward to seeing what he is capable of in the next few months.”

BARB RECHTERMAN, SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, GO DADDY:
“I saw an article that said ‘Hinch was a cinch’ to drive our Go Daddy car. I guess the many reasons Go Daddy wanted to put James behind the wheel are obvious … he’s tech savvy, personable, edgy and 100 percent competitive … just like Go Daddy!”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE, DRIVER, GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET:
“I’m so excited to be driving with the Andretti Autosport team and representing Go Daddy next season. Go Daddy is one of the best sponsors in sports, in terms of their activation execution … plus Go Daddy is a world leader in just about everything they do. I have to thank Michael [Andretti] and Go Daddy for providing me this opportunity to compete for the championship and an Indy 500 victory.”

About Andretti Autosport

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

¹Largest worldwide mass-market hosting provider by annual revenue. Source Tier1 Research, Mass-Market Hosting Report-Winter 2011.

Source: Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

Marco Andretti Leads the Way with Sixth
Spot in the 

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 14, 2011) - Marco Andretti and his No. 26 Team Dr Pepper TEN machine led the strong qualifying performance for Andretti Autosport Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in preparation for Sunday’s IZOD INDYCAR World Championships, the final round of the 17-race 2011 season. All four Andretti Autosport drivers qualified in the top-ten Friday.

Andretti, the Iowa winner, will make his 100th career IndyCar start Sunday when the green flag falls at 12:45 p.m. PDT.

Marco will start sixth in the 34-driver field by piloting his pretty burgundy and gray Dr Pepper TEN entry to a two-lap average of 221.129 mph at the 1.5-mile high-banked oval north of the Las Vegas Strip.

Andretti is followed in the Andretti Autosport contingent by Ryan Hunter-Reay seventh, Danica Patrick ninth and Mike Conway tenth.

Hunter-Reay, the winner at the New Hampshire oval, posted a speed of 221.040 mph as the Florida driver seeks to improve his current seventh place ranking in the season point standings in the No. 28 Team DHL/Circle K/Sun Drop Citrus Soda car. He is just 20 points out of fifth place.

Patrick, the fastest driver in Thursday practice, drove her No. 7 Team GoDaddy.com machine to ninth Friday with 220.925 mph speed, while Conway, the Long Beach champion, took the No. 27 Grime Boss car to a 220.922 mph to round out the top-ten in time trials.

In a unique situation, the IZOD IndyCar Series stars are away from the track Saturday with autograph sessions and sponsor events.

Thursday night proved to be an exciting display at the Las Vegas Strip when all 34 drivers took their IndyCars from one end to the other with tens of thousands of spectators watching the first-time event for race cars on the Strip.

MARCO ANDRETTI, #26 TEAM DR PEPPER TEN CAR

Will start Sunday’s race in sixth position
“Overall the Dr Pepper TEN car is strong and I think we’ll be a contender on Sunday. We’ll be good in traffic, but everyone is going to be good in traffic – that’s why it’s going to be a great race for the fans.”

MIKE CONWAY, #27 TEAM GRIME BOSS CAR

Starts the season finale in P10
“The track temperature was pretty much the same as in practice. Not a bad run. It is not as quick as practice but that was with a tow [draft]. I didn’t get as much as I wanted on the first lap, but my second lap seemed to be pretty good in the Grime Boss car. I was able to work with my tools better on the second one. It will be a crazy race on Sunday.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, #28 TEAM DHL /CIRCLE K/SUN DROP CITRUS SODA CAR

Will start the race from P7
“We got a little bit of a bad draw going early, so we didn’t know what to expect in qualifying. It [the speed] is a little slower than we thought. We thought maybe a mid-221 at least. I know that our guys have built a great race car and will be ready for the battle on Sunday. This race will be a strong showing for Andretti Autosport. I am anxious for the race. It should be a good run for the Team DHL/Circle K/Sun Drop car. This is going to be less of a handling track as Texas. Thus, that means the cars with not the best balance will be able to hang in the pack. That will mean some very intense racing. It should a wild one.”

DANICA PATRICK, #7 TEAM GoDaddy.com CAR

Starts the race in ninth position
“Overall, I think our GoDaddy.com team is pretty good. I was surprised by the speed in qualifying. I thought we would be a little faster. I wasn’t able to get up to speed as fast as I would have liked. I did what I wanted to do with my bars and weight jacker as in practice. I went a little quicker in second lap and that is good. This will be a pack race on Sunday. So while it is nice to qualify towards the front of the field, I’m not sure that will be a big factor for the race. If you have a fast car in the race, I think you will move to the front pretty quickly.”

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Andretti Sports Marketing Logo

New firm, a collaboration between Andretti Autosport™

INDIANAPOLIS (October 14, 2011) - Michael Andretti today announced the launch of Andretti Sports Marketing LLC. The new venture is the result of the business expansion strategy of INDYCAR team Andretti Autosport™ to provide turn-key marketing solutions for companies both within and outside of its sponsor base. Andretti Sports Marketing is collaborating with MDC Partners and its agencies TEAM Enterprises and BOOM! Marketing to deliver a strong network of resources in offering world-class sponsorship activation management, deal structuring, public relations strategy, proprietary data tracking, turn-key marketing consultation, digital solutions, analytics and a complete suite of sports marketing services with a core focus on targeted return on investment for sponsors investing in sports marketing. Andretti Sports Marketing will leverage the considerable expertise of its staff in multiple sports marketing formats on behalf of corporate clients in all forms of sport as well as in professional motorsports where Andretti Autosport™ made its mark as one of North America’s leading sports marketing properties.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Andretti Sports Marketing will operate across the U.S. and Canada, with regional offices established in Toronto, New York and Fort Lauderdale. Management of the firm includes Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti and President John Lopes, who also continues with his role as CMO of Andretti Autosport™. “We have consistently brought together the industry’s most talented marketing professionals and sponsorship entities to our winning tradition,” said Michael Andretti. “We are bringing that same level of best-in-class talent in broadening the scope of our marketing business in order to enable sponsors to drive extraordinary return on their marketing investment. I am thrilled to collaborate with MDC Partners, Miles Nadal, Dan Gregory, Nicole Gallucci and their proven talent on this exciting venture.”

U.S.-based TEAM Enterprises and Canadian-based BOOM! Marketing will combine to give Andretti Sports Marketing a seamless North American activation footprint and provide an integration bridge into the overall MDC Partners agency network.

“We are excited to work with Michael Andretti and his talented staff in the growing and demanding area of sports marketing,” said Miles Nadal, Chairman and CEO, MDC Partners. “Our vision is to continuously find new ways to bring top talent together, across different disciplines, creating innovative marketing solutions and the highest level of ROI for our clients. Between the reputation and iconic brand of Andretti Autosport™ and the cutting-edge experiential marketing expertise of TEAM Enterprises and BOOM! Marketing, we are confident that we will quickly develop an industry-leading sports marketing ally both for MDC Partners’ and Andretti Sports Marketing’s clients.”

Andretti client and Chief Marketing Officer of OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc. Brian Lauber greeted the announcement with enthusiasm: “We have been working with Andretti Autosport™ for over six years and value their professionalism and brand strength. The MDC Partners collaboration allows OneAmerica the ability to leverage the Andretti brand along with a full suite of professional marketing offerings through a strong network of established agencies that specialize in all aspects of agency work and activation – this is the kind of leverage any CMO would dream of and now Andretti Sports Marketing delivers it in a single package!”

- END -

About Andretti Sports Marketing:
Based in Indianapolis with regional offices in Toronto, New York and Fort Lauderdale, Andretti Sports Marketing LLC manages turn-key marketing solutions that drive targeted return-on-investment for its professional sports marketing clients. Led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Sports Marketing collaborates with MDC Partners’ agencies BOOM! Marketing and TEAM Enterprises, blending a winning formula for corporations leveraging their brands within the sports marketing industry and to provide a seamless North American activation footprint. For more information on Andretti Sports Marketing, visit www.AndrettiSportsMarketing.com. For more information on Andretti Autosport™, visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com, Facebook.com/AndrettiAutosport and on Twitter @FollowAndretti.

About TEAM Enterprises:
Based in Fort Lauderdale, TEAM Enterprises, an MDC Partners company (MDCA), is one of the nation’s largest and most successful experiential marketing firms, with a network of over 450 full time employees and 7,000 event specialists across North America. The firm services blue-chip clients including MillerCoors, Bacardi USA, Sears, DISH network, Elizabeth Arden and Subway, and produces immersive, interactive brand experiences that physically engage and influence consumers where they live, work and play. For more information on TEAM Enterprises, visit www.teamenterprises.com and Facebook.com/TEAMenterprises and on Twitter @TEAMenterprises.

About BOOM! Marketing:
With headquarters in Toronto, BOOM! Marketing, an MDC Partners company (MDCA), is one of Canada’s leading interactive, experiential agencies with a national network of over 2000 full and part time Boomers who produce world-famous, high-rate-of-return work for clients including Energizer, Clorox, Maple Leaf and Target. For more information on Boom! Marketing, visit www.boommarketing.ca and Facebook.com/boombanter.ca and on Twitter @Boombanter.

- Andretti Sports Marketing, Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

Engine Production Ramping Up for Next Season

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 14, 2011 – As the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series is counting down to its season finale on Sunday, Chevrolet is already ramping up for the 2012 season. Chevrolet and its affiliated teams have started track testing the new direct-injected, twin-turbocharged Chevy IndyCar V-6 in preparation for Chevy’s return to open-wheel competition next year. As previously announced, Chevrolet will supply Chevy IndyCar V-6 engines to Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, and Panther Racing.

Chevrolet and its technical partners have met all of the development targets for the new powerplant. “In our last media briefing before the Indianapolis 500, I said that the new Chevy IndyCar V-6 would be up and running in June,” said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. “I’m pleased to report that the engine fired up for the first time on June 16, and dyno testing began immediately. Since then we have focused on power development and durability testing to achieve the series’ goal of 2,000 miles between rebuilds.

“We acquired a new 2012 chassis from Dallara and completed the installation of the Chevy IndyCar V-6,” Kent reported. “The car made its first laps in a shakedown run at Putnam Park near Indianapolis on September 28, and we began track testing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on October 4.”

The Chevrolet-powered IndyCar will make a demonstration run on Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The initial oval-track test will then be conducted at LVMS in the days following the IndyCar season finale.

“We are looking forward to giving fans at Las Vegas Motor Speedway a preview of what IndyCar racing will look and sound like in 2012,” Kent said. “The change to turbocharged V-6 engines will be dramatic.

“We have an ambitious testing schedule through the remainder of the year,” Kent added. “The upcoming IndyCar tests will be open to all manufacturers, and we will have representatives from all of the Chevrolet teams in attendance. We plan to have a driver from every Chevy team try out the new engine and chassis package before the teams receive their new cars in mid-December.”

GM Racing is using a cooperative team strategy to accelerate development of the Chevy IndyCar V-6 engine.

“The test team is made up of individuals from each of our key partner teams, and we are operating as Team Chevy,” Kent explained. “This is a concept that we have carried over from our NASCAR program, which has made Chevrolet the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. While the teams are competitors on the track, we know that working together to solve common issues will provide a competitive advantage for all Chevrolet teams.”

Chevrolet is also creating the infrastructure to support its IndyCar effort.

“Many of the components of the Chevy IndyCar V-6 require long lead times to manufacture, and these parts are now in production,” Kent explained. “Our technical partner, Ilmor Engineering in Plymouth, Mich., has plans in place to distribute and maintain Chevrolet engines for our IndyCar teams.”

The new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected Chevy IndyCar V-6 racing engine is powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel. Direct injection and turbocharging are fundamental elements of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar engine package, and both are key technologies in several powerful and fuel-efficient Chevrolet production cars today. Chevrolet’s best-selling model, the Cruze compact, and America’s favorite sports car, the Camaro, are two examples of key Chevrolet products powered with direct injection engine technology.

Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 104 races, powering six driver champions, and scoring seven Indianapolis 500 victories.

About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy, Press Release

IndyCar Driver Danica Patrick - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

All Four Andretti Autosport Cars

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 13, 2011) - Danica Patrick served notice Thursday that she is ready to battle for the win in Sunday’s IZOD INDYCAR World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The driver of the No. 7 Team GoDaddy.com machine posted the fastest speed of the day with a sensational 224.719 mph lap on the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval north of the Las Vegas Strip.

Patrick, in her final IZOD IndyCar Series race, led the Andretti Autosport contingent that included Ryan Hunter-Reay in third, Mike Conway in fifth and Marco Andretti, who was seventh in his 100th IndyCar start.

At one point during the one-hour practice, the Andretti Autosport team sat in positions one through four on the speed charts. The four drivers worked well in traffic and showed impressive performance in hot conditions.

Hunter-Reay, the New Hampshire winner, drove his No. 28 Team DHL/Circle K/Sun Drop Citrus Soda machine to a clocking of 223.888 mph as he looks to improve on his fifth place finish from Kentucky two weeks ago. Conway, the Long Beach champion, piloted the No. 27 Grime Boss entry to a lap of 223.558 mph, while Andretti, in the all-new Dr Pepper TEN livery, recorded a best of 223.509 mph. Andretti raced Dario Franchitti for the lead at Kentucky before a pit incident knocked him off of the race.

Hunter-Reay and Andretti are currently seventh and eighth, respectively, in the seasonal standings and are attempting to reach the top-five with a strong showing in Sunday’s 12:45 p.m. PDT feature.

Qualifying is set for Friday at 3 p.m. PDT. Sunday’s World Championships will be televised live on ABC-TV.

MARCO ANDRETTI, #26 TEAM DR PEPPER TEN CAR

Ended the practice session in P7
“The Dr Pepper TEN car had a strong practice today – this is the car to win the race. Now we just need to capitalize on what we have. It’d be great to win in my 100th career start.”

MIKE CONWAY, #27 TEAM GRIME BOSS CAR

Finished the session in P5
“We were okay today. It is going to be a crazy race on Sunday. This place is fast. I wasn’t too fast by myself, but we were better in the draft. We’ll see how things go for the Grime Boss car in Friday’s practice and qualifying.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, #28 TEAM DHL/CIRCLE K/SUN DROP CITRUS SODA CAR

Ended practice in P3
“It was a pretty good first outing in the DHL/Circle K/Sun Drop car. We ran pretty well as a team. I think we have great race cars. We were good at Kentucky in the race too. We were able to run in similar conditions as Sunday’s race. It’s going to be hot and it’s going to be intense for 200 laps.”

DANICA PATRICK, #7 TEAM GoDaddy.com CAR

Finished practice at the top of the speed chart
“It’s fast here. Almost a 225 mph lap is like Indy speeds. There is a lot of grip here and therefore the setup of the car will be a little bit easier. The track is nice and smooth and we’ll be three-wide out there, which will be exciting. The race is going to be crazy and the crashes will be spectacular. Nothing would let me turn the page better than winning here in the GoDaddy.com car.”

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

Marco Andretti Celebrates 100th IZOD IndyCar Series Start

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 12, 2011) - The Andretti Autosport drivers come to Las Vegas this weekend with only a victory celebration on their minds.

Winning the 200-lap IZOD IndyCar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the primary goal for Marco Andretti, Mike Conway, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Danica Patrick when the green flag drops at 12:45 p.m. PDT this Sunday, Oct. 16.

Three of the Andretti Autosport drivers have already visited victory lane in 2011 and Andretti, Conway and Hunter-Reay would love to make a repeat appearance in the final round of the 17-race campaign. Patrick, in her final IZOD IndyCar Series race, seeks her second IndyCar victory of her career.

Hunter-Reay, driver of the No. 28 Team DHL/Circle K/Sun Drop Citrus Soda machine, has been one of the hottest racers in the second half of the season. The New Hampshire winner was 21st in the season points after the first eight races, and now ranks seventh after the 16 events. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., driver is only 19 points out of the top-five entering Sunday’s finale. Hunter-Reay finished fifth last week at Kentucky and has two previous starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Andretti, at the controls of the new No. 26 Team Dr Pepper TEN car, makes his 100th career IndyCar Series start Sunday and the Iowa Speedway champion is set for another strong showing. Marco was battling Dario Franchitti for the lead last week at Kentucky before being knocked out of contention in a pit incident. Andretti seeks to move up in the seasonal point standings at Las Vegas as he holds down the eighth position currently.

Conway, the Long Beach winner, comes to Las Vegas with the new No. 27 Team Grime Boss entry for Andretti Autosport. Conway, the former Formula One test driver, has made a remarkable comeback in 2011 after a vicious crash at Indianapolis last year. The England native has been competitive in his Andretti Autosport mount throughout the 2011 season and is looking for a solid finish at Las Vegas.

Patrick, driver of the No. 7 Team GoDaddy.com car, makes her second appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this year after a fourth place finish in March in the NASCAR Nationwide race. Danica finished tenth last week at Kentucky and moved back into the top-ten in the current points. The 29-year-old veteran from Roscoe, Ill., has finished a record 50 races in a row entering the Las Vegas race.

Practice begins this Thursday on the 1.5-mile oval north of the Las Vegas strip with qualifying set for 3 p.m. PDT Friday. The IZOD IndyCar World Championships will be televised live on ABC-TV beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.

MARCO ANDRETTI, #26 TEAM DR PEPPER TEN CAR

“I’m hoping that Kentucky was a good representation as far as speed goes for the Dr Pepper TEN car. From there we just need to capitalize on what we have come away with a win. I’m racing Vegas for a win. Period.”

MIKE CONWAY, #27 TEAM GRIME BOSS CAR

“I’m looking forward to racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this coming weekend for the finale of the IZOD IndyCar Series season. The team seems to have found some speed on the ovals recently so we’re looking forward to a strong weekend in the Grime Boss car. I’m sad that the season is coming to an end so I’m looking to finish off strong.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, #28 TEAM DHL/CIRCLE K/SUN DROP CITRUS SODA CAR

“This weekend’s season finale event in Las Vegas is going to be huge. We’re all really looking forward to it. After finishing a strong top-five at Kentucky, we’re looking to keep that momentum rolling and finish the season on a high note headed to 2012. The last time I raced on the Vegas oval was 2005, but that was a completely different race track. Now with the higher banks we’re expecting pack racing like Chicago; the race will be extremely intense from green to checkered. There’s a lot going on this weekend on and off the track which should be fun, but most importantly we’re looking for that second win of the season in the DHL/Circle K/Sun Drop car.”

DANICA PATRICK, #7 TEAM GoDaddy.com CAR

“I’m looking forward to the Vegas race this weekend with the GoDaddy.com car. It’s going to be a lot closer racing than most mile-and-a-half tracks we’ve been to. It’s the last race of the year and it’s always exciting. After the Kentucky race, the championship just got a little more interesting so it should be a good race.”

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

Andretti Autosport to Unveil New Grime Boss
Livery for Long Beach Winner at Season Finale

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 12, 2011) - Andretti Autosport announced today that Grime Boss, a brand of heavy-duty hand-cleaning wipes manufactured by Nice-Pak, will serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 27 IZOD IndyCar Series entry, driven by Mike Conway, at the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Oct. 16 in Las Vegas.

Nice-Pak, founded in 1957, is the global leader in the design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of premium quality branded and private label wet wipe products. Headquartered in Orangeburg, NY, Nice-Pak has a track record of introducing innovative products for personal care, baby, health, hand sanitizing, beauty and household applications.

“I’m pleased to have Grime Boss on the car for Vegas this weekend,” said Conway. “They’ve been a great new partner since Indy, and I know Team Grime Boss will be working hard for a podium finish to end the season on a high note.”

Grime Boss and Nice-Pak’s affiliation with Andretti Autosport originated earlier in the season in support of the team’s salute to America’s armed forces, which began with the 100th anniversary edition of the Indianapolis 500 and continued through the remainder of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Each of the team’s IndyCar entries features a specific unit within a branch of the U.S. military and prominently displays an associated military emblem just above the numbers on the tub of the race car.

“We are grateful for the support of Grime Boss this season,” said John Lopes, Andretti Autosport Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “They were a big part of our tribute to the troops in May and throughout the season, and we are pleased they can join us as the primary sponsor of Mike’s car this weekend. Nice-Pak’s high-quality, innovative and durable products fit well within our team, as we must rely on superior and dependable equipment to take us to victory circle. The INDYCAR World Championships in Las Vegas will be an exciting, action-packed week and we’re pleased to have Grime Boss along for the fun.”

For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com or www.GrimeBoss.com.

About Nice-Pak
Nice-Pak , founded in 1957, is the global leader in the design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of premium quality branded and private label wet wipe products. Headquartered in Orangeburg, NY, Nice-Pak has a track record of introducing innovative products for personal care, baby, health, hand sanitizing, beauty and household applications. Brands for Nice-Pak and its sister company PDI include Chloroscrub, Sani, Wet Nap, Grime Boss and Sani Professional among others.

In addition to its production facilities in North America, the company also operates three manufacturing facilities in Europe under the direction of UK-based Nice-Pak International.

For further information, contact Thomas Hernquist, President, Consumer Division 845-365-1700, Ext. 8736, or visit Grime Boss at www.GrimeBoss.com.

About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

No. 26 Dr Pepper TEN Dallara/Honda/Firestone IZOD IndyCar Series Car driven by Marco Andretti

Third Generation Star Tries to Repeat
Iowa Win in Dr Pepper TEN Car

Indianapolis (Oct. 11, 2011) - Marco Andretti may have had the toughest task of any young open-wheel driver in history.

The 24-year-old Nazareth, Pa., driver had to follow his grandfather and father in the sport. That may not sound too difficult unless your last name is Andretti.

Marco came to the IndyCar racing in 2006 after his grandfather, Mario, one of the world’s all-time greatest drivers and a racing icon, and his father, Michael, an IndyCar legend and the third winningest driver in the sport’s history, had established their prestigious careers.

Now, this Sunday, Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships, Marco will reach his own career accomplishment when he starts in his 100th IZOD IndyCar Series event.

The youngest Andretti will drive the new No. 26 Dr Pepper TEN car in the 200-lap season finale at the fast, high-banked 1.5-mile oval north of the famed Las Vegas Strip, as he seeks his second 2011 victory with Andretti Autosport.

“I’ve yet to win on a mile and a half, but we’ve run strong,” said Andretti, currently eighth in the series point standings. “I think that’s what really keeps us in it. We just came off a strong run at Kentucky. It was a tough situation to fall out that way [with a pit incident]. But my mindset is that we win right now. The series as competitive as it’s ever been.”

It is hard for both Marco and Michael to believe that the youngest Andretti has recorded 100 starts since he is just 24.

“It doesn’t feel like 100,” said Marco. “I’ve been having fun, so obviously time has been flying. I’m a little disappointed with just two wins. I was wishing I would have more to show for it. But it’s making me work harder than ever. I was competitive last week, running right with Dario [Franchitti] for the lead. But things can happen during a race.”

Team owner Michael can’t imagine this will be Marco’s 100th start, either.

“It’s crazy. I can’t believe it. It’s 100 races already? It’s amazing,” said Michael, a 42-time race winner in IndyCar competition. “I’m very proud of what he’s done. He’s been very strong and it’s been fun to watch him grow and learn. He’s getting there. He is getting to the point where he’s going to become a major factor in every race he’s in, and you know, it’s really cool to see it happening.”

Marco knows that despite a victory at Iowa Speedway in June, it is more difficult to repeat a winner’s circle appearance.

“The hardest thing to do after a win is to win again,” admits Marco. “But just when you think everything is going well, then you come out next weekend and you’re nowhere. But that’s just because of how competitive it is (in the series). Everybody has to do their part on a given weekend. At the same time there’s no magic, either. I think as far as the teams go, development‑wise, you just have to keep up with the Joneses and then the driver just has to show up ready and be on his game, as well.”

Marco believes he is working harder than ever to get back to victory lane.

“Leading laps and stuff like that, that’s what keeps you in it, knowing that you can win,” said Andretti. “Obviously it is tough to get a win after a win, but at the same time it definitely gives everybody confidence to keep moving forward, and actually as a driver, it’s making me even hungrier.”

Many in racing have seen the development of Marco as a driver, but no one as closely as three Andretti Autosport crew members who have worked on Andretti’s car for all 100 starts. Don Skinner, Jason Richardson and Scott Marks have been a part of every Marco Andretti IZOD IndyCar Series race, and they have seen some exciting moments.

“Marco’s first Indy 500 [2006] was the wildest for me,” said Skinner, a longtime open-wheel veteran. “When Marco shut the door in turn three on Sam [Hornish Jr.] going into the final lap, I thought he had won it. It was only his fourth Indy car race. I’m not sure he would have let Sam pass him now with his current experience. But it was very emotional that day.”

Marco had to pass Michael for the lead in his first Indy 500 and he later won his first IndyCar Series race that year at Sonoma, Calif.

“Sonoma was a big win because it was his first one,” said Richardson. “But this year’s Iowa race was the best for me. Seeing Marco drive to the front of the field and win the race. It just showed how he has developed as a driver.”

“That first Indy 500 was a tough one,” said Marks. “We thought he had the win. He gets some advice from his Grandpa and his dad and you can see how he has improved as a driver. Just last week at Kentucky, Marco was driving well and in position to win. But bad luck found us again. Marco drives hard and you’ll see him more competitive with each race. That is great to see as a crew member.”

Marco Andretti 100th Logo

A special presentation with Andretti, his crew and the No. 26 car will be held on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. PDT in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway winner’s circle of the Neon Garage area before the IZOD IndyCar Series championship finale race.

For the first 100 fans at the Neon Garage presentation, Dr Pepper TEN will present a commemorative autographed hat from Marco to each fan as well as participation in a “100th Start” photo with Andretti and his crew.

A special media photo session also is set to commemorate Marco’s 100th start. The media will have the opportunity to shoot Marco, his crew and the No. 26 Dr Pepper TEN car on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 10:45 a.m. PDT in the pit lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Practice runs for the season finale, the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships, begin at 11 a.m. Thursday with qualifying set for Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.

The IZOD INDYCAR World Championships will get the green flag Sunday at 12:43 p.m. PDT and will be televised live on ABC-TV.

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

IndyCar driver Marco Andretti, left, car owner Michael Andretti, center, and former Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti check out information on a cellphone - Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson/AP

The chat will be broadcast live at 9 a.m. Pacific (GMT – 8) on August 27, 2011 from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., the site of Marco Andretti’s first win. The event will feature a live audience and will be streamed around the world.

“This event with INDYCAR and Ortsbo will be a very unique way of reaching millions of racing fans around the world,” said Michael Andretti, president and CEO of Andretti Autosport. “This technology is the latest in the growing social media platform and really gives a worldwide opportunity to actually ask questions to my dad, Marco and myself. It is exciting to have the event at Infineon Raceway, the track on which Marco won his first IZOD IndyCar Series race. We look forward to being a part of this new and exciting program.”

Fans and media can register online for the event at www.indycarliveandglobal.com and www.andrettiliveandglobal.com and will be able to register, view and interact online in any of the 53 language offerings on August 27th, making the global event truly local.

“Ortsbo has opened the door for INDYCAR to virtually touch its fans around the world,” said Randy Bernard, chief executive officer, INDYCAR. “Besides translating our messages into multiple languages, they’ve given us the ability to interact with fans worldwide in real time with their Live & Global events, making INDYCAR a true global entertainment property. I want to thank the Andretti family and Andretti Autosport for assisting in this unique event at Infineon Raceway.”

Hosting the INDYCAR Live & Global event will be two-time and current Indianapolis 500 winner, VERSUS color commentator and winner of the 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Dan Wheldon. Wheldon, together with Bryan Herta Autosport, is conducting the official testing program of the IZOD IndyCar Series’ 2012 prototype.

This is the first INDYCAR event for Ortsbo since becoming the Official Translation Partner for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights; and, marks the third installment of Ortsbo’s record setting Live & Global event software. Previous events featured rock legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.

With participants from more than 90 countries participating in previous Live & Global events, the Ortsbo cloud application, powered by Microsoft Windows Azure, holds the Guinness World Record for the most nationalities in an online chat.

“The ability to provide fans with access to three generations of the legendary racing Andretti family from one of the most picturesque venues for INDYCAR, live and in 53 languages, is an amazing showcase opportunity for Ortsbo,” said David Lucatch, President of Ortsbo / CEO Intertainment Media. “The Ortsbo Live & Global platform provides the ability to create a natural flow of communications between all parties, from anywhere in world, in almost any language, creating a truly global village event.”

About Andretti Autosport

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About INDYCAR

INDYCAR is the governing body of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the premier open-wheel racing series in the United States, and Firestone Indy Lights, which serves as an essential stepping stone for drivers and teams striving to reach the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Mazda Road to Indy, a development ladder system for career-minded drivers who wish to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series. INDYCAR events are available to a worldwide audience through a variety of multimedia platforms, highlighted by long-term and broad-reaching partnerships with ABC and VERSUS. INDYCAR is continually at the forefront of motorsports innovation with drivers, teams and tracks benefiting from major safety and technological improvements such as the SAFER Barrier, SWEMS wheel tethers, chassis enhancements, ethanol fuel and the Holmatro Safety Team.

About Ortsbo Inc. www.ortsbo.com

Ortsbo (www.ortsbo.com ) enables real-time conversational translation in over 50 languages and seamlessly integrates with today’s most popular social media platforms. Ortsbo Inc. is a subsidiary of Intertainment Media Inc., a Rich Media Applications leader, focused on delivering leading edge technology and marketing solutions enabling clients to power enhanced branding, loyalty initiatives and consumer engagement. Selected as a Microsoft Global Agency Initiative partner, Intertainment has joined an elite group of interactive agencies worldwide that Microsoft recommends to its Partners and Customers.

Ortsbo allows users to communicate with family, friends and colleagues around the world, providing users with the ability to break down language and cultural barriers through its easy to use, language centric platform products and services.Ortsbo’s flagship product for social media (www.ortsbo.com ) supports global communications with instant translation capability, real time multi-lingual social media chat connects to PC and Mac computers, mobile browsers as well as all major search engine and social media chat platforms. Ortsbo is releasing its mobile platform products for Apple, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry during Summer 2011.

Headquartered in the Toronto, Canada region, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Mateo, CA, Intertainment Media Inc. is listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol “INT” (TSXV:INT) and in the US on the OTCQZ under the symbol “ITMTF”. Intertainment is also traded in Europe, on XETRA under the symbol “I4T”.

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda

Milwaukee, Wis. –

Veach, 16, from Stockdale, Ohio, was fastest in each of the two practice sessions prior to qualifying with the #7 Zakosi Data Backup/Andretti Autosport Van Diemen-Mazda DP08. The youngster, who currently lies third in the championship standings, continued his dominant form this afternoon by posting two laps in a total of 58.114 seconds, a record average speed of 125.753 mph.

Former British Formula Ford Champion Wayne Boyd will start alongside on the front row in the #4 Belardi Auto Racing entry. Boyd, 20, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, produced his best qualifying run of the season thus far with a two-lap run of 58.295 seconds – just 0.181 slower than Veach.

Row two for tomorrow’s 55-lap race will comprise championship leader Petri Suvanto (#3 Viseko/Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing), from Finland, and Spencer Pigot, from Windermere, Fla., aboard the #8 MAZDASPEED/Skip Barber/Andretti Autosport Van Diemen-Mazda.

Luca Forgeois, 16, from New York, N.Y., was fastest of the National class runners and will line up eighth on the grid in the #5 Café Noir/Pabst Racing Services Van Diemen.

The USF2000 field will take the green flag at 10:00 am CT. Live timing and scoring as well as a dedicated live track audio feed can be found at www.USF2000.com.

Zach Veach, #7 Team Zakosi Data Backup: “It is really fun to be at Milwaukee. I have always been a fan of the ovals and I really enjoy the few we do each season. We have been very fortunate. Since the first practice session, we have been P1 in every session so all that is left is the race. I have a great team with me and the Zakosi Data Backup car is really working well and, hopefully, we can win tomorrow.”

Wayne Boyd, #4 Belardi Auto Racing: “It was a good run. I was a little too conservative on the first lap and I think we had a little bit more left in hand. Maybe not enough to get Zach, but it would have been close. I like this track. It is fast with more normal lines than what I am used to back home. I think it will be a close race tomorrow between Zach and I. Both of us have been close in practice times and my race pace seems to be quite similar. It will be a tough race and you will need to conserve your tires.”

About Mazda: On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you’ll see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car. In fact, the largest road-racing class in the world is Spec Miata, with more than 2,500 first- and second-generation Miatas tearing up America’s racetracks, making it the most-raced production car in the world. Mazda’s involvement in motorsports extends to its relationship with INDYCAR, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the world’s premier road-racing circuits, and the Skip Barber Schools for driving and racing.

With over 40 years of experience in North America, Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. It oversees the sales, marketing, parts business and customer service of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company with affiliates, subsidiaries and joint-ventures that specialize in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires. The Company also has subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires.

With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located in 10 countries around the world.

- USF2000, Press Release

SPEED.com open wheel reporter Robin Miller - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Miller:

SPEED.com open wheel reporter Robin Miller joined Steve Byrnes on NASCAR Race Hub on SPEED Thursday evening to discuss Danica Patrick, Andretti Autosport and the future of the Brickyard 400 weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Following is the transcript from the interview:

On whether rumors are true that Danica Patrick is headed to NASCAR fulltime:

Miller: “We’ve been saying for six months that she’s gone. I don’t think anyone in IndyCar thinks that she’s going to be around. I think everyone is resigned to the fact that IMG is going to take her to NASCAR. Where she lands in NASCAR, I think that’s what is going to be interesting. Tony Stewart lately has been saying, ‘I’d really like to see her come here. She’s got a lot of potential.’ I think that potential might be assigned to that GoDaddy paycheck, which is pretty big.”

On whether she has anything left to prove in IndyCar other than winning the Indianapolis 500:

Miller: “I would think so … here’s the thing that is so crazy. She came up as a road racer and she really doesn’t want to road race anymore because she wants ovals because she knows it’s her best chance to win, whether in an IndyCar or a stock car – her best chance is on an oval. She never dreamed that. When she was coming up through Atlantics and stuff, she wanted to be a kart driver and road racing was all she cared about. I always say to her, ‘Isn’t is amazing you’re always screaming you want more ovals but you were a road course driver?’ But she says, ‘Yeah, but I changed because I have a much better chance on an oval than I do a road course.’ I just think the whole thing is she still loves Indy. Bob Parsons of GoDaddy was at Indy for the first time this year and he was pretty much blown away by the crowd and the race and the atmosphere, so I think you can see something like she’ll still run the Indy 500 but she’ll be a fulltime NASCAR driver. I think that’s what’s going to happen.”

On any traction to the rumors of Andretti Autosport going to NASCAR:

Miller: “John Lopes (CFO of Andretti Autosport), who puts all their sponsorships together, said last week … I said, ‘Hey, is there anything to this rumor that you guys might be going stock car racing?’ He said, ‘We’re exploring. We’re definitely looking into it.’ So, we’ve heard that they might be connected to Roush, that they might be doing something with Ford Motor Company, but that kind of makes me wonder that Michael (Andretti) is probably not going to go with General Motors when the new engines come along next year, but everybody is assuming if Andretti goes to NASCAR, he’ll just keep Danica. I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t think that’s going to happen at all. They’re looking at opportunities to replace this GoDaddy money with some NASCAR money and I tell you what – that’s a huge deficit to make up when you lose somebody like GoDaddy because it’s probably the second or third biggest sponsorship in IndyCar racing and that’s going to be tough to replace.”

On rumor that the NASCAR Nationwide Series race might move from O’Reilly Raceway Park over to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and other big news for the Brickyard next year:

Miller: “For the last few years, they’ve always talked about taking the Nationwide race away from O’Reilly Raceway Park. What you’ve got to look like is what is 30,000 people going to look like at the (Indianapolis Motor) speedway Saturday and that’s probably optimistic. The IRP race is one of the best on the circuit and it’s also one of the best-attended with 25 or 30,000 people. It would be a huge loss for Raceway Park to lose that race. At the same time, the speedway is thinking about maybe a Grand-Am race on Friday, like a three-hour race, then change the road course over to the oval, then you’d have Cup qualifying, you’d have the Nationwide race and Sunday you’d have the Brickyard, because right now, ticket sales are 40-percent off what they were last year and it was about half full last year … I think for a long time they were just content to leave it alone and let Raceway Park have their own race, but I think now the speedway is looking at how we’re going to get more people and keep the Brickyard weekend going.”

- SPEED, Press Release