Sebastian Saavedra in car - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

CONQUEST RACING FIRESTONE TWIN 275s RACE PREVIEW

Event: Firestone Twin 275s
Location: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth
Track: 1.5-mile oval
Laps: 114 laps (each race)
Miles: 171 miles (each race)
Race: Saturday, June 11 at 8 p.m. (ET)
TV Broadcast: 7:45 p.m. Firestone Twin 275 #1, 9:45 p.m. Firestone
Twin 275 #2 on VERSUS
Radio Broadcast: XM Channel 94 and Sirius 212

The IZOD IndyCar Series will make history this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway when the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval plays host to Firestone Twin 275s doubleheader on Saturday evening. The Twin 275s will be the open wheel series’ first two-race event since its debut.

Conquest Racing’s No. 34 entry will be one of 30 cars entered in the Firestone Twin 275s — the largest field ever at Texas. This will be rookie Sebastian Saavedra’s first IndyCar race at Texas, where the racing action is always exciting. The 20-year-old Colombian will also face the challenge of racing under the lights in this first night race of the season.

Traditional two-lap qualifying Friday will set the field for the first race. The field for the second race will be set by a blind draw on the frontstretch stage immediately after the first race.

VERSUS will broadcast qualifying live Friday at 6 p.m. (ET), and the Firestone Twin 275s at 8 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

Sebastian Saavedra, No. 34 Conquest Racing
“I’m very excited to be in this race. I’ve watched the IndyCar races at Texas on TV the last two years, and now I can finally race in it live. The entire Conquest team is very positive on a good result here, as the track is similar to Homestead. Having the twin races will make the racing a lot more aggressive knowing that there’s less time to make things happen, but it’s the same for everyone and I’m sure fans will love it!”

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner
“IndyCar Series races at Texas Motor Speedway are always exciting for the fans. The Firestone Twin 275s are sure to bring that experience to a whole new level with 30 cars on the track under the lights. With a blind draw for the second race, who knows what will happen in that shootout?”

About Conquest Racing
Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing.Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with IZOD IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra this year and the IZOD IndyCar Series debut of Pippa Mann at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

Pippa Mann in Her Street Clothes at Indy - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

INDIANAPOLIS (May 29, 2011) –

The British driver made a clean start and worked her way through the field up to 27th position when the KV Racing Technology – Lotus car of Takuma Sato hit the wall and brought out a caution. Discovering that her in-car water bottle was not working with temperatures in the 80s and climbing, the Conquest Racing team knew their rookie driver was in for a tough afternoon.

The team tried to keep Mann hydrated during pit stops, but by lap 162 it was evident that Mann was struggling with arm and leg cramps caused by the dehydration she was suffering in the cockpit. With around 20 laps to go, the cars ahead of Mann began to peel into the pitlane to take on fuel. The team radioed to Mann that she needed to save fuel in order to make it to the end without having to pit again. Mann battled through the pain to achieve the finish she worked so hard for.

Immediately following the race, Mann was transported to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield care center for treatment for dehydration.

“I think I realized when my water bottle wasn’t working on lap one that it was going to be a fairly long race,” Mann said. “But, I’m not sure I realized exactly how long! Before the halfway point at around lap 80, I was starting to go into cramp down my right-hand side from dehydration. The last half of the race was extremely tough.

“To bring the No. 36 Armando Montelongo/Loctite Conquest Racing car home safely after 500 miles was our goal, and I’m so proud that we were able to achieve that today. We managed clean pit stops and re-starts throughout the race, and towards the end, we were just trying to save fuel. We were trying to get to the finish without having to pit again. Thankfully I was able to do what the team needed me to do and we made it to the end of the race.”

Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart said, “I’m happy with how today went. I think Pippa did a really good job, and she’s done a solid job all month. We had a good a car today. The crew and engineers did a good job. Unfortunately we had a problem with the water bottle, and without that we could have been a little bit stronger.

“It was a good solid effort from the whole team and I’m thankful to all the crew that worked on this one-time effort. I can’t praise enough the work that Pippa’s done throughout her time with us. This was her first time ever in an IndyCar and her performance has been very impressive.”

About Conquest Racing
Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with IZOD IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra this year and the IZOD IndyCar Series debut of Pippa Mann at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

Conquest Racing

INDIANAPOLIS (May 22, 2011) –

Neither driver made the 33-car field on the first day of qualifications on Saturday, which left them vying with 13 other drivers for the nine remaining spots on Bump Day. Mann was able to complete a qualifying run with a four-lap average speed of 223.936 mph before rain interrupted the session, fast enough to put her on the provisional grid.

When Saavedra made his first qualifying run of the day, 33 cars had already provisionally qualified. Faced with “bumping” a slower driver from the field, his four-lap average speed of 222.284 mph was not enough to put him on the grid. After the rain delay, the 20-year-old Columbian nearly brushed the Turn 2 wall on the third lap of his second qualifying attempt and waved off. He made a third and final attempt with just minutes left in the session, but was not fast enough to make the grid.

Mann will start from the middle of the last row for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29. The race will be broadcast on ABC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).

Pippa Mann - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Sebastian Saavedra in car - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner
“It’s very mixed feelings having one car in the show and the other not make it, but it’s not for the lack of trying. We are looking forward to a good race for Pippa, and hoping she wins Chase Rookie of the Year. This is her first race in an IndyCar, and we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us so we’re going to be very busy this week.”

About Conquest Racing
Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with IZOD IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra this year and the IZOD IndyCar Series debut of Pippa Mann at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

Conquest Racing

INDIANAPOLIS (May 20, 2011) –

Bad weather plagued the week’s practice sessions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, limiting the number of laps turned by the teams. Saavedra also encountered mechanical issues during the last day of practice in the No. 34 and searched for speed. The 20-year-old Columbian turned a best lap of 222.926 miles per hour Friday.

“It was a very positive day for us,” Saavedra said. “We made amazing progress from where we ended up yesterday. Unfortunately, we seemed to have a mechanical failure at the end of the day, and we couldn’t get the speed we wanted from it. But, we’re very positive on finding it and making it work for tomorrow.”

With 42 cars vying for the 33 starting positions, the IZOD IndyCar rookie acknowledges qualifying is going to be very tight.

“Compared to last year the competition is a lot harder,” he said. “It’s going to be twice as hard to get in. The speeds are getting very close to each other and it’s going to be very interesting. But team owner Eric Bachelart has a very good hand – he drew us the first qualifying attempt, which is the best time to go out. The cooler conditions are good for the engine and good for the aero. We’ll have to take advantage of that first 30 minutes of practice to get as much done as possible to have a good run.”

Mann had her best stint in the No. 36 on the day’s very last run with a fast lap of 225.432 mph. The British driver was last year’s Freedom 100 polesitter, and is making her IZOD IndyCar Series debut at the famed 2.5-mile oval.

“One of the things everybody has been telling me about Indy since I first got here is how much the track can change,” Mann said. “We were in a fairly good position mid-way through the afternoon and came back to the garage. Towards the end of the session, we went back out and picked up one or two issues which we then had to try and sort out.

One or two issues when you’re running that much negative rear wing is not necessarily the best preparation we could have, this close to qualifying. However, on our very last run we ran our best four-lap stint – all in clean air. We had a bit of a big drop-off on the last lap, but we got three really good ones in altogether.”

Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart is hoping to see both cars make the gird Saturday on Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Pippa has been comfortable this week in practice so we are looking forward to her putting the No. 36 car in the show,” he said. “Sebastian has been looking for more speed, but we found some problems with the car that will be fixed for tomorrow, so we expect progress from the practice times.

“This field is extremely competitive,” he added. “In fact it might be the most competitive I’ve ever seen in IndyCar. It’s going to be a very intense qualifying weekend, but I have faith in our both drivers and in the quality of the preparation we put into our cars.”

About Conquest Racing
Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with IZOD IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra this year and the IZOD IndyCar Series debut of Pippa Mann at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 19, 2011) -

With 12 minutes left in the six-hour session, Verizon Team Penske’s Power unseated Alex Tagliani atop the speed chart with a lap of 227.778 mph (fastest of the month) to earn the $5,000 Grady Brothers Construction Fastest Lap of the Day award. All 40 entrants took on the track, recording a total of 2,394 laps, and the top 38 cars were separated by one second.

Tagliani, driving the No. 77 Bower & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, had a quick lap of 227.652. Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe (227.217) and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves (226.927) followed, and Townsend Bell in the No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing car was fifth (226.741).

The yellow flag flew early in the session when Simona de Silvestro’s No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car made heavy contact with the outside retaining wall in the North Short Chute and became airborne before catching fire. She was transported to Methodist Hospital to be treated for burns to her hands and released. Her driving status will be determined on Friday.

DAY 6 NOTEBOOK:

Three Indianapolis 500 teams earned the final three spots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge during time trials this morning. Teams changed four tires and performed a simulated fueling hookup. The three qualifiers:

#28 Ryan Hunter-Reay was fourth, 9.134.

Twelve teams will compete in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 27. These nine teams previously qualified based on pit performance between the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle earlier this month:

KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#5 Sato), Team Penske (#6 Briscoe), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#9 Dixon), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#10 Franchitti), Team Penske (#12 Power), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (#22 Wilson), Andretti Autosport (#26 M. Andretti), Newman/Haas Racing (#06 Hinchcliffe), Dale Coyne Racing (TBD).

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:

At noon, the ambient temperature was 66 degrees with a relative humidity of 68 percent and winds from the west at 10 mph. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 92 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

Noon – GREEN. #27 Conway first on track.

12:10 p.m. — #67 Carpenter fastest at 224.134.

12:25 p.m. – YELLOW. Sparks shower from bottom of #78 De Silvestro’s car entering Turn 3. Car hits outside retaining wall between Turns 3 and 4. Car jumps, spins and rides wall backward, making secondary contact with catch fence in entrance of Turn 4. Car stops upside down on fire in apron in Turn 4. Fire extinguished, De Silvestro climbs from car with assistance from Holmatro Safety Team.

***

Senators Dick Lugar and Dan Coats are proud to announce the passage of a U.S. Senate Resolution recognizing the 100^th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. The resolution passed the Senate through unanimous consent May 18.

The full text of the resolution is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-05-18/pdf/CREC-2011-05-18-pt1-PgS3113-5.pdf#page=1.

DICK LUGAR (U.S. Senator, R-Ind.): “The Indy 500 is a proud Hoosier tradition. Each May, the Indy 500 brings hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we are pleased to showcase Indiana to so many wonderful visitors. The Indy 500 serves as a demonstration of Indiana’s proud automotive heritage. I am pleased to join with Senator Coats and the rest of the United States Senate in recognizing the 100^th anniversary of the race and look forward to many more years of this Hoosier institution.”

DAN COATS (U.S. Senator, R-Ind.): “The Indianapolis 500 is the world’s most famous and prestigious automobile race. The 500 holds a special place in the history of the automobile and Indiana. This May, Hoosiers celebrate the 100th anniversary of this great tradition and look forward to another exciting race and century of Indianapolis motorsports.”

***

Amos Brown, Indianapolis AM 1310 The Light radio talk show host, was the honorary starter today. Brown also rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater car this morning.

AMOS BROWN: (About his ride in the two-seater Indycar): “It was a great experience. First of all, having the honor to be driven around by Johnny Rutherford was a great experience. And it’s something that I will remember when my granddaughter is trying to drive. I won’t be as nervous with her as I was when I was in the car with JR. I didn’t realize all of the g-forces that the drivers deal with. I felt like I was getting pressed down. It gave me a better understanding of what these men and women go through to do their jobs.” (On waving the green flag to start practice for the Indianapolis 500): “That was fun. I think once I got used to the cars going by, it felt no different than if I was on the other side of the catch fence. It was a thrill to be that close to the action. That’s when I realized that: ‘Oh, OK. This is pretty fun.’ I also realized that these guys have a job to do, and there are lot of them that are trying to make the race. I never want to be in the way of people doing their job. I’m just in awe of what they are doing. I’m glad that I brought, hopefully, good weather and full day of practice so they can get ready for Saturday.”

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro is awake and alert and being transported via ground to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation of second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand.

***

Today is the 38^th birthday of two-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti.

***

ESPN Classic will present a week-long tribute in honor of the 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. The 2011 edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” airs Sunday, May 29 on ABC, with pre-race at 11 a.m. (ET).

All week long beginning Monday, May 23, ESPN Classic will air classic Indy 500 races and “SportsCentury” programming. On the actual 100^th anniversary, May 30, ESPN Classic will present a 27-hour marathon anchored by a re-air of the 2011 race.

***

Jenna Wolfe, the Sunday co-anchor of “Weekend TODAY” and a correspondent for “TODAY” on NBC, visited the track today to film an upcoming segment on the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 for “Weekend Today.”

Wolfe rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seat car with Mario Andretti driving and interviewed 2010 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro, IMS Historian Donald Davidson and IMS Director of Photography Ron McQueeney.

***

The Indiana Section of SAE International will announce the winner of the 45^th annual Louis Schwitzer Award sponsored by BorgWarner at 11 a.m. Friday, May 20 in the Economaki Press Conference Room.

The Louis Schwitzer Award, presented by engineers to engineers, recognizes individuals with the courage and conviction to explore and develop new concepts in motorsports technology for use in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The award has been presented annually since 1967 by the Indiana Section of SAE International in honor of early racing pioneer and past Indiana Section Chairman Louis Schwitzer.

Award sponsor BorgWarner provides a $10,000 cash prize to the winner. SAE International also provides a $1,000 scholarship to the engineering school of the winner’s choice and doubles the scholarship amount if the winner was a past Formula SAE participant. In addition, the winner’s name is added to the permanent trophy on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

***

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Bruce P. Crandall has been named honorary starter for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 29, waving the green flag to begin racing for the field of 33 drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Retired Col. Crandall, who flew more than 900 missions as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, received the Congressional Medal of Honor – the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government – in 2007.

Crandall was honored for his leadership, heroism and courage during the Battle of Ia Drang on Nov. 14, 1965. He led the first major division operation of airmobile troops into Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley and is credited with evacuating some 70 wounded comrades with his wing man and fellow Medal of Honor recipient Major Ed Freeman. The two also flew in the ammunition needed for the 1/7th Cavalry to survive. The craft Crandall was flying was unarmed.

During his military career, Crandall also received a Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Presidential Unit Citation and a Purple Heart among numerous other citations.

The 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers” was based on the operation for which Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor, with 1997 Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear appearing as Crandall.

BRUCE P. CRANDALL: “I’m thrilled and honored to be selected as the honorary starter for the Indianapolis 500 in its 100^th anniversary year,” Crandall said. “The race is an American tradition, and I’m very grateful for the continued tributes to the U.S. Armed Forces during the pre-race ceremonies every year. I can’t wait to get into the starter’s stand.”

JEFF BELSKUS (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation): “It’s a great honor to welcome Bruce Crandall to serve as the honorary starter of the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The Indianapolis 500 has paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces since its inception on Memorial Day weekend in 1911, and it’s a privilege for a true American hero to send the field of 33 on its way toward Victory Lane at such a historic race.”

***

A comparison of the specifications of the No. 32 Marmon “Wasp” that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and the cars that will compete in the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29.

***

U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe will dedicate and issue for the first time the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 United States Postal Service commemorative stamp at a ceremony Friday, May 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the IMS Pagoda Plaza on the Coca-Cola Stage.

The 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 stamp, which features the Marmon “Wasp” driven by inaugural Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Harroun, is one of 25 subjects highlighted in the USPS 2011 Commemorative Stamp Program. The stamp will be a “Forever Stamp,” always equal in value to the current First Class Mail 1-ounce letter regardless of price changes in the future.

Also participating in the ceremony will be Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and 1985 Indianapolis 500 pole winner Pancho Carter.

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro has been released from Methodist Hospital. She will meet with INDYCAR medical officials Friday to evaluate her driving status.

De Silvestro suffered second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand in a crash earlier today.

She will be available for interviews at 11:15 a.m. Friday on the fourth floor of the Media Center.

***

BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan American Le Mans Series driver Joey Hand visited the track today.

JOEY HAND (About coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): “I’ve never gotten out here and watched Indy cars go around. I thought it would be a good time to come around and see some people. My Rahal guys are all here. I’ve got a bit of a break from the American Le Mans Series, so I came out here to support them. I once said I wasn’t going to come out here unless I was racing, so some people had to talk me into coming here and meeting people.” (On his interest in Indy cars): “To come here and finally see an Indy car go by is really cool. I get to see what Indy is all about. I watched it all the time as a kid. I watched Indy. In fact, I watched my boss, Bobby Rahal, race here when I was growing up. To be honest, I’ve definitely got some interest in the Las Vegas race at the end of the year. I just wanted to get my face out here. A long time ago, Kim Green told me that I’m not going to get a job sitting on my couch. So I wanted to make sure I got out here and met people. I met Randy Bernard, and he’s really nice. I’m obviously going to stay in sports cars, but this Las Vegas deal for 5 million bucks is something that’s really intriguing. The Rahal guys are interested in it and, who knows, maybe we’ll get to Indy next year.”

***

HVM Racing owner Keith Wiggins reported this afternoon that the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing entry driven by Simona De Silvestro was damaged beyond repair in a crash this afternoon.

De Silvestro drove the team’s backup car on Indianapolis Star Opening Day practice Saturday, reaching a top speed of 219.522 mph in 13 total laps. The backup car was the team’s primary car in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, Wiggins said.

KEITH WIGGINS (Owner, HVM Racing): (How confident are you that you can get back in pretty good shape?): “Yes, we can build a good car, but it probably won’t be as good as the original car because that was built specifically for here. There are a lot of specialities about building a car for here, and we only had one of those built because that is all our resources will allow. So the question is will this car be as quick as the other one? That’s the challenge.”

***

Officials from the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) and C&R Racing Inc., announced today that the “Rally In The Alley,” a reception exclusively for all INDYCAR team members participating in the Indianapolis 500, will take place Sunday in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway immediately following the conclusion of on-track Bump Day activities.

During the reception, the C&R Racing / IMIS “True Grit” Award will be bestowed upon a member of the INDYCAR community. The $5,000 award is given to a veteran INDYCAR team member who has achieved success, overcome adversity, excelled in preparation and has exemplified dedication to the highly skilled trade of building and maintaining IZOD IndyCar Series cars.

Paulsen and C&R established the “True Grit” Award in 1998 for crew members in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

The third annual IMIS event is scheduled for Dec. 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center.

CHRIS PAULSEN (Owner, C&R Racing; co-founder, IMIS): “Many years ago, Joe Ball and all the guys at DieHard Batteries used to conduct a big party in Gasoline Alley when the track closed on Bump Day. It was something all the mechanics and crews looked forward to after a long month of working toward the Indianapolis 500. It gave them a chance to relax a little bit after qualifying and before the race preparation began. Unfortunately, we haven’t had an event like that at the Speedway in a few years, so we wanted to do something to give back to the crews who work so hard during the month. The Hulman-George family and Randy Bernard really liked the idea of bringing an event like this back, and we really appreciate their support and involvement.”

***

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, sixth, 226.527

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): “Finally we got to do some laps, and again I think we had a good day. We had a full day of running, and that allowed us to try a number of different things. Most of them were good, but there were some that didn’t work. It’s all part of the process that you have to go through here, and I have been really impressed with the way this team goes through their processes. If we keep working like this, we’re going to have some good speed at qualifying.”

JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): “What we were able to do in our last outing (this afternoon) shows just how hard this team works and how good their development process is. The Service Central crew has worked very hard to find some more speed in the car, and the engineers keep coming up with more options for us. So we just take the car out with those changes they suggest and keep going faster. I am very encouraged by what we did today.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “We did well today. We learned a lot. We had good track position, and we weren’t in a lot of traffic. That lap (227.652 mph), I was behind Dario Franchitti, so I had a bit of a tow. But it shows that the car is quick and capable of doing it. I think we still have more to come. We just need to make sure that when it comes time to do it, we have the right balance.” (Do you have a chance for the pole?): “The way the car is running right now, for sure it is. I think we would be foolish to think that we couldn’t do it. But the truth is that Penske and Ganassi have really good cars, and they know their way around this place. They have 10 times more experience than us. I’m sure by qualifying they’re going to do something amazing to their cars, and all of a sudden they’re going to be up to the top and we’re going to end up fighting with them. But if that happens, that’s OK. We should be proud that guys like Roger and Chip are looking at us, going, ‘Why are those guys so quick?’ That’s kind of our mindset right now.”

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “It was a good, long day. Running lots of laps and in race setup was what is was all about. It was nice to have the sun out after we lost a few days. So far so good, and tomorrow it will be about speed.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “We focused on race setup because we weren’t sure how much more time we’d get doing that. We’re just working through the program right now, but we’ve got more work to do. I’m OK with where we’re at right now. The last run there we found something. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): “Today confirmed what we were cautious about. We didn’t know how fast the car is, and I think today confirmed that the car is very fast. There isn’t anybody really playing around today. Everybody at one point or another did a qualifying run, maybe not as aggressive as they are going to go in qualifying, but they did a qualifying run. And I think we stuck up pretty good on that. I feel very confident, very good about the car. Once we qualify on the first day, hopefully we can focus on the race setup on Sunday. Right now it’s very doable, so I’m happy about that.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central): “Overall, it was a really good day for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing. The No. 38 Service Central Honda is good with both high- and low-downforce setups. I’m excited to go out and qualify this weekend.”

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): “It’s very good to be back in the car. And straight out of the box, we made a good improvement on the last two days that we didn’t run. The guys were able to fit the engine cover properly. We were able to run 224, which at the time we were P4 on a tow, but then we worked on the car and at the end we could run decent laps by ourselves. I think we’re getting better every time, and we’re learning about the car. Still have a little bit to improve but getting better, so I’m happy.”

DAN WHELDON (No. 98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine): “We had a good day. It was obviously nice to be on track. I think one thing the fans don’t see is how hard the guys work on the Bryan Herta Autosport team. They did a phenomenal job in the days off track. They weren’t sitting in the garage waiting for it to stop raining. They worked incredibly hard. The car today was good. It seemed certainly reasonable in qualifying trim. We were able to work on the race car, which is obviously important to me. There are still some improvements to be made but, for as limited running as we have had, I am pretty encouraged.”

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): “It was a tough day for the No. 34 Conquest Racing car. We were very confident in what we had. We felt very good about where we ended up the last time we went out, but today was just one of those days when we couldn’t find anything. We struggled with the rear, and we were not able to settle down. We will just keep working on it and be positive for tomorrow.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “We got a lot of work done today. We had made a change to the Sprott car back on Monday night that we have been waiting three days to try. It was good that we did it, but unfortunately it wasn’t a step forward, and it took quite a lot of downtime to go back on it and we missed a big chunk of the afternoon. But we still got a good number of laps in and really started to trim the car a bit more. We were focusing on running by ourselves and not really trying to compete in the ‘tow Olympics’ out there, so I don’t think 30^th on the time charts is very representative of where we are speed-wise, but there is always time in it, and always more speed to find. We’re going to keep chipping away at it. Tomorrow we will focus on qualifying runs, and we will see where we are at the end of the day.”

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): “I ran a lot of laps in the Telemundo car today; I think I only got out of the car once today. It was fun to be able to go through many of the test items that we planned, and the car feels good; it keeps feeling better. Of all the things we tried, there was only one that didn’t really improve the car, so we gained a lot of valuable information today. Tomorrow is going to get fun out there when everyone is super-trimmed. I have to say that some cars are impressively fast. I’m not sure where we stand, but Friday we will have a better idea and Saturday we will have the real one. I am very happy with how the whole team has been sticking to our plan. It’s easy to get caught up out there when everybody starts to go fast. We had a good lap with a little bit of a tow, but everybody kind of got tows. I feel good about where we stand right now.”

SCOTT SPEED (No. 20 Dragon Racing Fuzzy’s Vodka): “It was an eventful day, to say the least. We had a lot of trouble with the car earlier in the day, luckily without doing any damage. However, on our last time out today, we were able to get the car where we wanted it to be. Tomorrow we are going to continue to make changes and continue to make progress.”

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen): “It was a really good day for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing. We were able to run a lot of miles in the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen Honda. We made a lot of progress today, and the Novo Nordisk crew did a great job. We just have to focus on getting me, as the rookie, the experience and the miles needed to be ready for qualifications this weekend.”

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): “On Monday when we were first running, we were struggling a bit with the back of the car. Today we finally got on top of that, and picked up quite a bit of pushing off the corners, so the oversteer and changed to a bit of understeer. We’ve been battling that for most of the day, and this afternoon, right at the very end, we finally made a little bit of progress toward understanding what that is and why it might be happening. We feel we have a definite direction to go in tomorrow to see if we can fix the handling issues. However, overall, with a one-lap job, we’ve got to be fairly pleased with my first lap at over 225 mph. Tomorrow will be similar to how it was at the end of today’s session, with a lot of cars out on track. We’ve just got to keep on working away, and fingers crossed we’ll get to the root of these problems by the weekend. I never thought I’d be so happy to be 21^st in a practice session, but in this instance, I genuinely am.”

ED CARPENTER (No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing): “Overall, it was a very productive day for the Dollar General team. We were able to get in a lot of laps, and we ran with some traffic and stuck to our game plan. We worked on a variety of things: some for the race, some for quals. We really learned a lot that’s going to help us not only for this weekend, but for the following weekend, as well. The speed charts weren’t our focus today, but we ended up P9. It was good to be up there in the mix.”

HO-PIN TUNG (No. 8 Schmidt Dragon Racing): “It was very nice to get back into the car again after so many days off the track due to rain. During those days, we discussed how we wanted the program we had set to progress, and today we were able to hit all of those points. I am very happy overall and look forward to continuing to progress tomorrow before we qualify this weekend.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “It was certainly a good and full day for the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra team. We ran a lot of laps and all of them were really about race setup. My teammates, Will and Ryan, did some qualifying runs so we know what we need to do there, but we really just focused on getting our car right for the race. Tomorrow will be all about speed for us. It’s going to be fun!

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): “The Venom car is comfortable, so it’s good in that aspect, but maybe a bit too comfortable because we just don’t have the speed. We’ll keep working at it and hopefully make some big gains tomorrow.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): “It was a very good day, overall. We worked on the race setup on the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car, and I worked a lot with my teammates on track. We made a ton of changes throughout the day, and we were very productive. We trimmed out the car at the end of the session and focused a bit more on speed. All in all, it was a very productive day.”

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): “At least it didn’t rain today, so everybody got a lot of track time. Some people seemed to be doing race runs, and at the end there were people getting a lot of tows. Therefore it’s hard to get a good read on just how fast everyone really is. We’ll gauge it and find more speed, but we feel pretty good about the Window World car. It is what it is when you get to Indianapolis. It’s always a fight to find that last little bit of speed.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): “Our progress today was pretty good. The DHL/Sun Drop car right now is very, very well balanced, probably the best car I’ve ever had at Indy. But we need to find some more speed, and tomorrow is the next opportunity to do that. The car is great; the guys have done an amazing job with it. This is the stressful time of the week for the drivers. We’re doing a lot of low-downforce runs right now, and we’re only going to be doing more of that as we head toward Pole Day.”

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): “I think we found a direction for tomorrow. The Hire Heroes/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper car felt pretty comfortable at the end there, so it’s just a case of finding what speed we have tomorrow. I just feel more comfortable now with the whole package that we have, so that’s good. Just more track time, really, is what I needed. I feel good from that standpoint; I just need to see what we have now.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): “I thought it was a productive day. We made slow but steady changes in the GoDaddy car. We are still pleased with the speed at our downforce level, but there’s still work to do.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “Starting with rookie orientation, it is going quite smoothly for us. Panther Racing and the strength of the team has been a huge part of it. Buddy Rice and I are learning from each other and getting to know one another as we work as a team on a different discipline here with the oval. For me, in particular, we are just trying to chip away at it, and that has been working well for us so far. We have had really positive results with small changes, and this is what we hope to continue to do going forward. I am happy with the car in traffic and pleased with the speed we have on our own now. It is going to come down to a pretty serious shootout for the top 15 spots with all of the competitive cars here this year. It is going to be tough to put in the big numbers, but we are confident with where we are at right now.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “I don’t think the speeds are very representative of where anyone is at. You go out and happen to get a really good tow, and you get a big number. That’s what happened at the end. Verizon Team Penske worked on race setup most of the day. I was very comfortable following cars. We haven’t changed much from last year. We had good cars last year and need to rub on them a little bit, and that will do the trick.” (On dealing with the rain-shortened practice time before Pole Day): “I think tomorrow, early on, we’ll be working on race stuff, and then we’ll start trimming out for qualifying. We’ll be working on the car. I think it’s pretty important to focus on the race. You could spend a lot of time screwing around with qualifying things, and then it’ll be different conditions the next day. We have to have a good car in the race. That’s what we’ll be focusing on.”

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): “We did a good amount of running. It was good to get out with the Herbalife car after the rain the last two days. We learned a lot and tried several things that were on our list. We’ve very comfortable.” (Is the pole the goal?): “I hope so. Tagliani’s car is a rocket ship. Every time I walk past it in the garage, I sort of rub by it with my arm hoping some of that speed dust sort of rubs off on me. I think we’re going to be OK.” (About work on pit stops): “It’s probably the most important thing we did today, quite frankly. We’ve got a quick car it seems, but you’ve got to get in and out of the pits. My guys need practice doing ‘hot’ stops, and I probably need the most practice. These cars aren’t that easy to get in and out of the pit box. It felt pretty good. We’ve got some tweaking to do, but it was great to get practice doing that.” (About returning to Indy): “Every year it gets a little bit easier, not much, but just a little bit. It has been 11 months since I was here last, and it is good to be back with good equipment and great people in Sam Schmidt Motorsports. I also have a good sponsor in Herbalife, and consistency is nice. Even though we aren’t going out for every race, it sure feels nice to be back in Indy. Alex Tagliani’s car is very fast, and we seem to be doing well working together and learning from each other. We have a sister program with Dan Wheldon this year, so it has been neat to work with him, as well. We are just inching our way toward it and trying to keep our minds on what is important with finding a good balance and sticking to our plan.” (About the car’s balance): “I think we’re still pretty much in the balance window. I would say we’re toward the aggressive end of our downforce window. Tomorrow we’ll be thinking a lot about trimming out and going faster and getting ready for Saturday. I’m excited for the fans. I’m excited to participate. I’m just excited to watch. I think it’s going to be a great qualifying weekend. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to duke it out just like Indy should be.”

***

A total of 58 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 53 have passed technical inspection.

Forty drivers were on track today, turning 2,394 laps. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 4,873 total laps.

There were three cautions for 54 minutes today.

***

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Conquest Racing

INDIANAPOLIS (May 13, 2011) –

“We are honored to have these fine companies on board with Conquest Racing for the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500,” said Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart. “Some of them have been loyal to the team for a number of years, so it feels good to have them with us. They are joining full-time partners such Zentality, Delp, and Pulp & Fiber.”

Conquest drivers Sebastian Saavedra in the No. 34 and Pippa Mann in the No. 36 are vying for spots in the 33-car field. Saavedra, who at age 20 is the youngest entrant in this year’s race, made his Indianapolis 500 debut last year. Mann is making her IZOD IndyCar Series debut. She was last year’s Freedom 100 polesitter and is the first and only female to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Conrad Indianapolis general manager Greg Tinsley said, “With this being the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, we are thrilled to have a presence on the famed oval. We could not ask for a better team to represent the Conrad than Sebastian Saavedra, Pippa Mann and the entire Conquest Racing team.”

This is not the first time Conrad Hotels has partnered with the Indianapolis-based team. Conrad sponsored Conquest’s 2009 and 2010 Indy 500 entries, and was on board for Saavedra’s debut with the team at the 2010 season finale at Miami.

“I am so honored to continue a partnership for the third consecutive year with such a talented team as Conquest,” Tinsley said. “We are proud to wish both Sebastian and Pippa the best of luck on the track. The level of work ethic and values that owner Eric Bachelart and his team exude are reminiscent of the personality of our Conrad family.”

About Nov.us
Nov.us matters relationships. Personalities such as musicians, athletes, experts, actors and community leaders, all depend on building strong and personal media channels with people. Nov.us is for people who want to get close to those they care about, stay informed and involved. It gives unique access to happenings in the studio, on the road, behind the scenes, photos, and videos that no one can get anywhere else. Wherever one is, either on the go, at home or wherever one’s smartphone can find signal, Nov.us lives 24/7.

About Smart File
Smartfile’s robust and easy-to-use web FTP interface, called WebManager, empowers businesses of all sizes to manage large online files with different levels of access to those files. Founded in 2000 and based in Indianapolis, started as a web development company. Recognizing clients’ needs to move and store large files easily, the company opened a hosting arm to support the FTP product offering and now works with companies of all sizes to deliver the highest level of FTP, online storage and file upload service in the industry today.

About Sign Craft
Sign Craft Industries, headquartered in Indianapolis, has created innovative business-image solutions since 1958. Its mission is to be the turnkey provider for corporate identity needs. Sign Craft’s cutting-edge 45,000 square foot facility is engineered to provide an efficient work flow for manufacturing and installing a diverse group of image-related products for Indianapolis-based customers as well as customers throughout the Midwest and nation.

About Fineline Furniture
Fineline Furniture provides affordable solutions to any company’s commercial furniture and environmental needs. The company offers a large range of furniture products such as new, pre-owned, and remanufactured systems furniture, seating, and executive layouts.

About Conrad Indianapolis
The Conrad Indianapolis hotel in downtown Indianapolis offers a unique opportunity to experience an innovative, contemporary, and excellent guest service. Located at the most famous intersection in Indianapolis, the luxury hotel features 241 guest rooms, 15,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space, a revitalizing wellness center with a great fitness centre and pool, and two enchanting restaurants.

About Conquest Racing
Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with IZOD IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra this year and the IZOD IndyCar Series debut of Pippa Mann at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

2011 Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program - Driver Pippa Mann - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Mann will be one of 42 drivers – and the fourth female – vying for a spot on the grid of the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500. The Chase Rookie of the Year candidate was last year’s Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 polesitter and the first and only female to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Pippa Mann, No. 36 Conquest Racing

“Our plan for Rookie Orientation today was simply to go out there and just work through the first three phases of the program. As it turned out, things went so well today that we went through all four phases. I actually found the balance of the car fairly similar to the Indy Lights car, so the past two years have been great training.

“It’s the first time I’ve been back in a racing car since my debut IndyCar test with Conquest Racing back in March, so I’m very happy with how things went out there today. The team did a great job to put the car together. I know just how hard they have worked, so I cannot thank them enough, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there at the weekend.”

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner

“Pippa has done a sensational job today. It only took her 35 laps to go through the four phases of the program and I have to say this has been the smoothest rookie test we have ever done. She is ready, she gave us good feedback, and we can’t wait to get back on the track on Saturday for the opening of the practice week.”

Mann and teammate Sebastian Saavedra will be back on track for practice from noon to 6 p.m. (ET) Saturday for Opening Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gates open at 9 a.m.

ABOUT CONQUEST RACING

Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with IZOD IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra this year and the IZOD IndyCar Series debut of Pippa Mann at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Reelase

INDYCAR LOGO

“I really enjoyed it. It surprised me how difficult it was to stay within the limits that were set, especially toward the end when we put on our second set of tires,” said Mann, who seeks to make her IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the 100^th anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29. “I went out there and got into a rhythm really quickly because the new tires have so much grip, but was told to back it down a little. We completed all 35 laps of ROP in 35 laps so the boss (team owner Eric Bachelart) is happy.

“It was a good first day, and now we can spend some time on the car and spend some time on my fit to get at it Saturday.”

That’s Opening Day at the Speedway, when the seven ROP participants will be joined on the 2.5-mile ribbon of asphalt by any/all entrants for a practice session from noon-6 p.m. (ET). The day includes other fan events, including autograph sessions with Parnelli Jones and Danny Sullivan.

All the ROP participants — JR Hildebrand (National Guard Panther Racing), James Hinchcliffe (Newman/Haas Racing), Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing), Ho-Pin Tung (Schmidt Dragon Racing), James Jakes (Dale Coyne Racing), Scott Speed (Dragon Racing) and Mann – completed at least three phases of the exercise. Jakes, driving a race car on an oval anywhere, will complete the fourth phase (10 consistent laps above 215 mph) any time before qualifications May 21. Hildebrand posted the quickest lap at 221.533 (on Lap 59 of his 68 for the day), while Hinchcliffe recorded the most laps (101).

ROP DRIVER QUOTES:

2011 Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program – Driver Ho-Pin Tung & Car Owner Sam Schmidt – Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “We were just trying to work our way through (ROP). We got through the phases pretty easily in the morning and I was having a good time. Buddy Rice, my teammate this year, and I went out on track late yesterday and I got a ride around this morning from Arie (Luyendyk). I felt pretty comfortable right away. Once we got going, I settled in. Obviously tire wear, because the track is pretty green, is something we had to pay attention to, so we had to be pretty efficient with the use of our tires. We ended up having a pretty good day.”

2011 Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program - Driver Pippa Mann - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “The first couple of laps in the Sprott Indy car were certainly a wake up call because I haven’t been on an oval in a long time; since Homestead last October. The speed was a bit of a refresher the first couple of laps but as I got up to speed, again, like I said on the road and street courses, the car is a pretty logical progression from the Indy Lights car so I was very happy to see that. Obviously we were running a very conservative setup today just to make sure we got through Day 1 and rookie orientation. The car felt very good and the team worked well today. I am getting acclimated with the spotters a little bit which will be important come race time. Overall, I think it was a very good first day on all fronts.”

ROP NOTEBOOK:

Ribbs forms Firestone Indy Lights team, fields car for Austin: Twenty years after Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American to compete in the Indianapolis 500, he has formed a Firestone Indy Lights team in order to help another African-American driver achieve his dream.

In partnership with Starting Grid, Inc. principal Chris Miles, Ribbs has formed Willy T. Ribbs Racing to campaign 21-year-old Chase Austin in the 2011 Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“As we celebrate the centennial of the Indianapolis 500, as well as the 20th anniversary of Willy breaking the color barrier at the Speedway, I felt it was imperative that Starting Grid build a program that would honor the past while establishing the foundation for a strong future in motorsports,” Miles said.

Austin will take the wheel of the Willy T. Ribbs Racing/ Starting Grid Inc./Brooks Associates Racing entry in May 27 race, the premier event on the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights schedule. With sponsorship support from American Honda Motor Company, Inc., the car carries No. 75 in homage to Ribbs’ car number when driving for comedian Bill Cosby in 1993 and 1994.

With his debut, Austin will be following in the footsteps of the only two African-American drivers to have competed at the Indianapolis oval; his team owner Ribbs (1991, 1993-1994) and George Mack (2002). Lewis Hamilton was the last person of African heritage to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and is the only driver of African descent to have won there, having claimed the 2007 United States Grand Prix.

By qualifying for the Freedom 100, Austin will be the first African-American to start a Firestone Indy Lights race. A previous attempt to make the FIL field was made in 2003 by Lloyd Mack (younger brother of George), when he qualified but failed to race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Austin underwent a successful rookie test on May 9-10 at Chicagoland Speedway in preparation for the team’s first Firestone Indy Lights competition, and feels confident about taking the green flag for 40 laps on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“The test in Chicago went incredibly well,” Austin said. “It probably went better than expected, being that these cars are so much different from stock cars. However, I adapted very quickly and was able to accomplish the team’s goals for the test. As for competing at Indianapolis and for Willy T. Ribbs Racing, it is a tremendous honor. I have to thank Chris, Willy and American Honda for believing in me and providing this incredible opportunity. This experience has been amazing so far, and I hope it will not end any time soon.”

Austin, much like his team owner, is no stranger to setting new benchmarks as he works his way up the racing ladder. Born in Eudora, Kansas, he spent his formative years competing in anything from tiny 900-pound midgets to intimidating, 700-horsepower dirt late-models. By 15 years of age, Austin was the youngest driver ever to sign a developmental contract in NASCAR, doing so with the Hendrick Motorsports team. He made history again in 2007 with Rusty Wallace Racing, becoming the first black driver to compete in a Nationwide Series oval event; highlighted by a sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway. Austin has spent the past two seasons competing in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

Ribbs’ 23 years of professional auto racing included milestones as the first African-American to compete in open-wheel racing with 47 Indy car starts, and also included three NASCAR Cup races and 23 truck races, in addition to a test for a Formula 1 Grand Prix team.

“My first rodeo at Indy was 1991,” said Ribbs. “It was without a doubt the greatest experience of my 23-year career. Without question, there is no bigger race on the planet; it is the biggest, most prestigious race in the world. To return in a team capacity, even for one event, is an honor and the direction I want to go long term. I’ve known about Chase for a long time. I could tell from the first time I spoke with him that he was very talented and that he was committed. To be successful in this business, ultimately, you must have commitment. Having Chase a part of INDYCAR is great for the sport and our sponsors, and I’m honored to bring him into the fold. I’m really happy he’s doing it in INDYCAR, which is where he will have an opportunity to succeed.”

***

INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard got a unique perspective on half the challenge that Bryan Clauson will face on May 27 during the Hoosier Hundred Media Day on May 12 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Clauson, who will compete in both the Firestone Indy Lights Firestone Freedom 100 and the USAC Silver Crown’s Hoosier 100 on the same day, took Bernard around the dirt oval in a two-seat USAC Silver Crown car.

“We were hauling down the straightaway, and when we came around the corner, that’s when it got scary,” Bernard said with a laugh. “The power in this thing is unbelievable. I was shaking. I wouldn’t do this with anybody else, that’s how much trust I have in Bryan.”

The ride with Clauson gave Bernard a new appreciation for the short-track racing. A similar experience attending a race helped spur Bernard into creating the scholarship which is enabling Clauson to race in the seven oval races on the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights schedule.

“Our sport has been so instilled with USAC since the very beginning,” Bernard said. “It has to be our job to make sure we’re doing everything we can to work together. If we say we want the best Americans in the world, we have to prove it. And one of the best ways is to partner with USAC and ask its highest points finisher to compete in INDYCAR.”

Added Clauson: “As long as he enjoyed it, I think I will keep him on my good side as best as I can.”

***

2011 Al Unser Jr During Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program Day - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

BTW: He was driving with his left hand, using his right to point out details on the track, as the speedometer topped 100 mph on the frontstretch.

“You have lots of time out there today so have respect for the racetrack, focus and patience,” said Unser, who was joined by two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk in an identical Chevrolet Impala on the racing surface. “The car will let you know what it’s doing. All your moves should be nice and smooth, and the more you’ll run the more you’ll start noticing things.”

Such as: The proper attack on the acceleration lane out of the pits on cold tires. Check mirrors when joining traffic coming off the acceleration lane. Stay in the middle of the track on the backstretch coming off the acceleration lane. Check the position of the right-front tire for position upon entry to the turns. Look up on pit lane as cars pop out on you. You don’t have the road course downforce.

“Everything is anticipation,” Unser added. “If you react, it likely will be too late. Your head is ahead of the car.”

Luyendyk, a 17-time Indy 500 starter who went through a rookie program in 1985, noted that the 41 driver/car combinations entered have more practice time in the upcoming week than the other 16 IZOD IndyCar Series events combined.

“It gives you time on the track without the fast cars around you and you feel a little bit intimidated by everyone being there at the same time,” said Luyendyk, who was coaching Charlie Kimball of Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing. “Today they go out there a little more relaxed. The (program) is necessary because it gets you mentally more ready to run in traffic at high speeds.”

Kimball, driving the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen car, dispatched with the four speed phases before noon and was using the post-lunch break to get used to the car anew as the crew shed some downforce.

“As you build up speeds over 215 mph, what you do with input becomes even more critical,” said Kimball, who also received pit lane input from two-time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti. “What you’re doing with your hands and where you’re looking and what you’re thinking, and a lot of times everything just quiets down because that is what the car is set up to do.

“To do my first laps in an IndyCar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a perfect day, away from the fanfare that is Opening Day and to get my head around it is a great way to go about it.”

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Sebastian Saavedra - Conquest Racing

Persistent rain caused poor visibility on the 2.536-mile, 11-turn street course, forcing IndyCar to postpone the race after only 14 laps were completed on Sunday. The race resumed Monday morning with 1 hour, 19 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the two-hour window.

Saavedra, who qualified 23rd and was 11th when the race resumed, was able to stay out of trouble in the #34 car when many more experienced drivers had difficulty controlling their cars on the wet pavement. The re-start of the race was cautioned-filled and the Conquest team took a chance on an alternate pit strategy. The 20-year-old Colombian climbed to fourth when the team chose to stay out when many of the leading cars pitted. He claimed P3 when EJ Viso was black-flagged for blocking.

Rolling the dice didn’t pay off for the team, as the track conditions improved. Without a much-needed caution, they were forced to pit late in the race and give up position.

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner

“Sebastian was very mature and he did not make any mistakes during the whole race. The conditions were very difficult and he was careful when needed while at the same time he pushed harder towards the end of the race and showed a fast pace. This is a good result and a good momentum before the Indy 500.”

The IZOD IndyCar Rookie of the Year candidate is 20th in the championship, just 7 points behind JR Hildebrand who currently holds the top rookie spot. The Conquest Racing team will now focus on preparing for running in the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.

Sebastian Saavedra - Conquest Racing

The young Colombian driver was able to improve his lap times by nearly two seconds from the first practiced session to qualifying, but the field was very tight. He is focused on driving a mistake-free race in the No. 34 car and gaining momentum in the championship points race.

Saavedra, who scored one win from pole and claimed five top five finishes in Firestone Indy Lights last year, is challenging for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Award. After putting in his best performance of the season in the previous round at Long Beach, Saavedra is just 6 points out of the top rookie spot currently held by JR Hildebrand.

Both Saavedra and Conquest Racing are well-acquainted with Rookie of the Year honors. The 20-year-old was Firestone Indy Lights 2009 Rookie of the Year and the Indianapolis-based team took home the IndyCar award in 2002 and 2009.

Sebastian Saavedra, No. 34 Conquest Racing
“I am very happy to race here in the streets of Sao Paulo. It is a beautiful place where I used to live in 2004, and it’s always nice to come back. Being my first time on this circuit should be interesting. I got a very good feel for the car on the track today. We made an aggressive change for qualifying that didn’t quite pay off in this very tight field. But, I’m very focused on continuing to develop the car as we’ve been doing since day one here at Conquest Racing and I feel we can be competitive.”

VERSUS’ coverage of qualifications airs at 6 p.m. ET. Teams will get a 30-minute warm-up Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET before the green flag drops at 12:20 p.m. ET, with the live race broadcast on VERSUS starting at 12 p.m. ET. Fans can also catch race coverage on IMS Radio Network affiliates, XM Radio 94 and Sirius 212.

ABOUT CONQUEST RACING
Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with 20-year-old Columbian Sebastian Saavedra this year. British driver Pippa Mann will make her IZOD IndyCar Series debut with the team at the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Saturday, April 30, 2011) –

Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, set the track record of 1 minute, 21.8958 seconds with three minutes left in the 10-minute Firestone Fast Six shootout on the 2.536-mile, 11-turn street circuit.

Like at Long Beach two weeks earlier, Ryan Hunter-Reay will join Power on the front row. They finished 1-2 in the inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series race in Brazil, with Power starting the 2010 season with the victory.

“What a fantastic job they did repaving the track, and I believe it now sets the standard for street courses,” Power said. “The second session for us was a little tight – I was P5 with one lap to go – and I put a lap together at the end to advance. In the Fast Six we were very comfortable and gave it everything we had.”

Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe will share Row 2, while Graham Rahal and Dario Franchitti will be on the third row for the 75-lap race.

DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:

HP campaign featured on Dreyer & Reinbold cars: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s No. 22 car driven by Justin Wilson will have the HP “Everybody On” primary livery for the race weekend. HP also will have an associate level presence on the No. 24 car of Ana Beatriz.

***

Drivers will have 15 pushes of the Honda overtake assist – an ECU software alteration employed by Honda Performance Development – each lasting 22 seconds during the race. It is activated by the driver via a button on the steering wheel and provides an extra 200 RPM (about 10 horsepower) to the Honda Indy V-8 engine. Parameters are updated before each race weekend to meet the circuit layout.

There is a 10-second recovery period between pushes. One overtake assist push is available for the warm-up session on Sunday morning.

***

The dry weather tires for this weekend are the street course primary, which is a new spec for 2011 and used on the streets of St. Petersburg and Long Beach earlier this year. The red-rimmed alternate tires are the same spec as used at St. Pete in March..

The alternate tire program, part of the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2009, calls for a second tire specification at road/street courses using the same construction as the primary specification but with a softer tread compound to provide more grip and faster lap times while trading off compound durability for those shorter-term advantages.

***

Charlie Kimball might be checking out the Rosetta Stone display at the airport soon so he can converse freely on his next visit to Brazil.

The Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing rookie hosted a group of youngsters from the local juvenile diabetes association in the IZOD IndyCar Series paddock. Kimball was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2007.

“It brings it home,” Kimball said after showing the inquisitive youngsters the workings of the car and what all the buttons on his steering wheel operate. “They’re so enthusiastic and excited with so many questions and thoughts.

“They came up with questions before they got here. I wish I could have spoken Portuguese so I could answer them more and covered so much more.

“They get to see first-hand that race car driving is not ruled out because of diabetes. It’s important to show them at an early age that it’s possible to live a normal life and participate in sports.”

The 26-year-old Californian was thanked for his time with a box of sugar-free treats.

***

Ana Beatriz was busy between practice sessions.

First, Brazil national soccer team coach Mano Menezes stopped by to say “Bom dia,”and then Williams Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello visited with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver.

The 2010 race on the streets of São Paulo was the first in the IZOD IndyCar Series for the Firestone Indy Lights graduate.

With sponsorship on the No. 24 car from Brazil-based Ipiranga, Beatriz is coming off a 19th place at Long Beach — a race in which she competed with a broken wrist. Beatriz has been wearing the Ipiranga logo on her cast.

***

They may be fierce competitors on-track, but there’s a spirit of cooperation in the competitive IZOD IndyCar Series.

Because most of the AFS Racing crew was delayed more than 18 hours from arriving in Brazil because of travel issues related to storms in the States, members of A.J. Foyt Racing, HVM Racing and the Indy Racing Experience pitched in to help set up equipment.

One group of travelers was diverted to Santiago, Chile, before continuing on to São Paulo.

PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE QUALIFYING NOTES:

· Will Power claimed his fourth pole of 2011 and the 19^th pole of his Indy car career. It is his fourth consecutive pole to start the season after he claimed the PEAK Performance Pole Award at St. Petersburg, Barber and Long Beach.

· Power’s pole is the 200^th all-time Indy car pole for Team Penske.

· Ryan Hunter-Reay qualified second, matching his season-best qualifying performance. He also qualified second for the Long Beach race.

· Power and Hunter-Reay finished first and second, respectively, in the inaugural Sao Paulo race in 2010.

· Scott Dixon qualified third for the third time this season. He also qualified third at St. Petersburg and Barber.

· Graham Rahal qualified fifth and Sebastien Bourdais qualified 12^th — their best qualifying performance of 2011.

· Helio Castroneves (7^th) was the best qualified driver among the Brazilians in the field.

· James Hinchcliffe qualified 11^th, the highest-qualifying Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate.

PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE QUALIFYING QUOTES:

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske, PEAK Performance Pole Award): “We tried to do as minimal laps as we could in the first two sessions. The second session was close. We got a lap in at the end on our last bit of fuel and we made it the Fast Six. The car was so good that I just had to lay a really good lap, stay clean, put all the sectors together and we came away with the pole again. I want a good, clean race tomorrow. I don’t want to be involved in any incidents. I just come away with a win.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda, qualified second): “The team did a great job with the car. It was a lot of fun out there all day. With qualifying being the same day as the first practice, we had to stay on our toes, but I think that it suited us. Unfortunately we didn’t get pole. We just have to back and work to make the car better so we can get by Will (Power) on the straights to reverse that result from last year.”

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, qualified third): “It was pretty decent. I think with the compressed schedule, you have to act and think fast. We’re happy. We have three cars in the top six today. The race pace of the Target cars are usually a bit quicker than the qualifying speeds so we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Penske Logistics, qualified fourth): “It was a good day for the yellow Penske Logistics car. What an awesome effort by all my guys – they came in late (due to travel problems from the U.S.) and they were rushed to get ready for the first practice this morning. We came out with a really good setup right away and the car is definitely fast. I have to say I’m really impressed with the circuit here in Sao Paulo. The did a great job repaving the surface and I think it’s going to be a really exciting race tomorrow.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central, qualified fifth): “Overall, it was a great day for the Service Central guys. We felt good coming in here and I felt it was a track that I’d really like after watching last year’s race and from the first session, we felt competitive. After the second session we felt like we would be faster that our final result and it came through. We were competitive in qualifying. We were fastest in the first group and made it to Fast Six. I just made a mistake in Fast Six and messed up my rhythm a bit. But I’m happy to qualify fifth. At the end of the day, you have to look at the positives, and this is a result that will help keep the team moving forward.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Kellogg’s, qualified sixth): “The Kellogg’s car felt OK, we just weren’t fast enough today.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Ipiranga Team Penske, qualified seventh): “It’s a shame we didn’t make it into the top six in qualifying in the Itaipava Team Penske car. We pushed really hard, but it just didn’t work for us. We were three tenths-of-a-second off the sixth-fastest time and I think if we could have gotten more a draft we would have put ourselves in a better position, but we gave it our best. Starting seventh tomorrow isn’t too bad – maybe it will be my ‘Lucky 7′ this weekend.”

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 HP/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, qualified eighth): “Unfortunately, we didn’t make the Firestone Fast Six today. It’s a shame because we have been OK all day. I thought that we had a little bit more in it, but we just couldn’t get the balance where we liked it for qualifying. It’s how it goes. We’ve made three out of four Firestone Fast Six’s so far, which apart from Will (Power) that’s not a bad average. We have some work to do. We’ve got to try and make the car a little bit quicker and a little bit better. All in all, I think we made good progress today. We made some positive steps and moved forward. I think it’s been good, but the competition level is high and it’s pretty tight. It’s disappointing, but I think we have a good race car.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “The track is cool; it’s super-technical in some parts but then you have the longest straights on the entire calendar mixed into a street circuit so there is a huge variety. It really becomes a compromise on setup because you’ve got to trim the car for the long straights but you have still got to have downforce for the corners. It’s a tough, technical place and from what I’ve heard it’s improved a lot from last year in terms of the bumps and grip so it has been a lot of fun to drive. I think qualifying went reasonably well for the Sprott team. We didn’t have a great first or second practice — especially second practice this morning. So to make it out of the first round was great. These are a different compound Firestone reds than Long Beach so again it was a new tire for me to learn. We managed to get out of Round 1 and we made big gains in Round 2 but it wasn’t enough to get any higher than 11th. I’m happy to be starting on the inside line. Again we are really close to the top-10 but I think that is all we had today after the limited running we had in the second practice so we’ll take it. We finished fourth after coming from 11th two weeks ago in Long Beach so maybe it’s a good sign. The race is going to be about keeping clean in Turn 1 and hopefully we have a good race car.”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 19 Boy Scouts of America): “I thought the #19 Boy Scouts of America car was great in qualifying today. I was very happy for the team that we made it into the next round of qualifying. I think starting in the P12 spot will give us an excellent opportunity to have a great finish in the race tomorrow.”

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO (No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/HVM Racing): “This qualifying session was a little bit disappointing. I think we’re just missing something on the red tires, so we just need to figure it out. It seems like the other teams are just picking up a bit more grip than we are, but I think we’ve got an idea of how we’re going to fix it. For the race tomorrow, I think we’re going to be alright. The track is a lot of fun and there’s plenty of straight-a-ways so we’ll be able to pass. If the car is solid for the race, I think we can definitely drive it to the front.”

ANA BEATRIZ (No. 24 Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “Well, the session was a little bit disappointing for us. We thought with the Firestone “red” tires we could gain more time and we didn’t. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel that much grip and I couldn’t put a lap together. We were a little bit disappointed in some of the corners, I think we should be better tomorrow. My wrist still hurts a little bit especially when the track grips up and you to be more aggressive, so we’ll see for tomorrow. It’s frustrating because we didn’t have a very good session.”

ORIOL SERVIA ( No. 2 Telemundo/Newman/Haas Racing): “The course is interesting. I think it is going to provide great racing. I think that if I had to choose a place to start 16th it would be the one with the longest straights in the whole championship. This place definitely provides passing opportunities which helps our situation. We didn’t get it right in qualifying; I wasn’t totally happy with the Telemundo car. No excuses, we were not ten-tenths. We missed it but I am still very confident we can have a great car tomorrow. Our superb engineers are working hard and I think that if we have a good car there is no reason why we can’t move up to the front.”

JAMES JAKES (No. 18 VisitOrlando.com):”It was a little frustrating, but overall I was happy with how the #18 VisitOrlando.com car did today. This is a very challenging track and I am looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing): “There was a time last year when we would have thought that this was ok but now we are the point where we want more and believe we can get more. Our ABC Supply team has been evolving and I think we have evolved more than the others but it is definitely tougher this year—you just have to look at how close the times are. We are seventh in our group for three out of the first four races — it is a bittersweet feeling.”

E.J. VISO ( No. 59 PDVSA – KV Racing Technology- Lotus): “Unfortunately, after going over the car the team found we had a mechanical failure that caused me to crash during the second practice session. The car suffered a lot of damage and even thought my crew, with help from some of the guys from the other two KVRT – Lotus crews, worked very hard we just didn’t have enough time to fix the car for qualifying. Obviously I am disappointed. We improved the car a lot during practice and I thought I had a chance for a good qualifying session. However, with this track and the way things have gone in the last three races anything is possible, so I am hoping for the best tomorrow.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom Energy): “I think the Venom car is stronger than our qualifying results showed today. We didn’t get a solid, strong lap in and had a mistake on the track and that really hurt us in the end. Track position is obviously important on a road course, but luckily there are some decent passing zones here. We have our work cut out for us tomorrow but anything’s possible.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): “Obviously disappointed with the results of qualifying today but I think the GoDaddy car has potential. Last year’s race showed this is a track you can pass on which will be a darn good thing for us tomorrow. Here you need overall lap time and speed because it’s not a normal road course because there’s a long straight away you can draft someone on. But you’re also going to need to finish. A lot of people have gone off and it’s easy to lock up the brakes and make mistakes here and there. We’ll do our best tomorrow and hopefully have a strong result.

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Window World Cares): “The car felt okay really, I thought we’d be up a bit further with the Window World Cares car maybe in the Firestone Fast Six but the last lap I screwed up in the last corner. We could have gone quicker but don’t think we could have gone right up to the front. We’re obviously not that far up so we’ll do our homework tonight and see what the other guys tried and come out a bit stronger tomorrow. Anything can happen in the race. Overall not too unhappy we’re in the top 10 and we can do something from there.

MARK JOHNSON (KVRT – Lotus General Manager): About E. J. Viso): “We are very disappointed that we had a mechanical failure today which ended up with E. J. crashing through no fault of his own. The team takes 100 percent responsibility for what happened today. We are all working hard to help E. J. overcome the bad luck that has hampered his performance at the start of this season, so today’s problem is even more frustrating.”

SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):

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The next IZOD IndyCar Series event is the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on May 1 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be televised live at noon (ET) by VERSUS and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is Firestone Freedom 100 on May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It will be televised live by VERSUS.

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Conquest Racing

Sebastian Saavedra, No. 34 Conquest Racing

The Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle will be Sebastian Saavedra’s sixth IZOD IndyCar Series start, and fourth on a road/street course. It is the IndyCar rookie’s first race at Sao Paulo.

Saavedra had his best IZOD IndyCar Series start two weeks ago at the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix where he qualified 15th. Saavedra was looking for a top-10 finish before an incident with another driver resulted in a damaged front wing. After an unscheduled pit stop, he finished 14th.

The 20-year-old made his IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Having started his racing career karting at age 10, Saavedra became the first driver born in the 1990s to compete in the Indy 500.

Saavedra first competed for Conquest Racing in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, making it into the top 10 at one point and finishing 16th.

Before graduating to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Saavedra competed two years in the in Firestone Indy Lights series. He took 2009 Rookie of the Year honors and won three poles and three races.

A native of Bogota, Columbia, Saavedra currently resides in Indianapolis.

Conquest Racing

Conquest Racing returns for the second time to the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil for Round 4 of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series championship. The team finished 17th on the scenic street circuit in 2010.

Since Eric Bachelart founded the team in 1997, Conquest Racing has been known for its development of young, talented drivers. Entering its 15th season of professional racing, the team is keeping up its tradition of giving up and coming drivers the chance to take their careers to the next level, fielding Saavedra for the season in the No. 34 car. British driver Pippa Mann will make her IZOD IndyCar series debut with the team in the No. 36 for the Indianapolis 500.

- Conquest Racing, Press Release

Pippa Mann

The British driver joins Sebastian Saavedra to complete Conquest Racing’s line-up for the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, where Mann will make her debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series driving the #36 car.

The team will be looking to secure two of the 33 available grid slots, in a year where 42 entries have so far been confirmed for the race.

Mann, who was last year’s Freedom 100 polesitter and the first and only female to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, spoke about the announcement:

“Having the chance to compete in the Indy 500 is something that we have been working extremely hard to bring to fruition over the winter. I tested with Conquest Racing earlier this year and given how well that test went, we have since been working tirelessly to put this deal together. The past few months have been a rollercoaster ride for me, and I’m just thrilled that we’re now able to tie things up.

“There are a lot of entries for the race this year, so it’s a somewhat interesting time to be a rookie, but my qualifying record on super speedways is good and I’m definitely up for the challenge. For obvious reasons, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of my favourite ovals, so I can’t wait to get out there in the #36 car and see what we can achieve.”

Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart added: “I am delighted to confirm Pippa alongside Sebastian for the Centennial edition of the Indy 500. Pippa is a natural on ovals and we could judge how good she is when we tested her about six weeks ago in Texas. She has been part of the team since then and we are all looking forward to working with her at the Speedway this year.”

Mann enters the IZOD IndyCar Series off the back of a strong Firestone Indy Lights campaign with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2010, where the British driver scored three pole positions, four top five finishes and a dominant win, seeing her finish fifth in the driver’s championship.

Mann will be the fourth female confirmed as one of the 42 entries for next month’s Indy 500, but she will be the first ever British female to be on the entry list for the 500-mile race.

- Conquest Racing Press Release

Sebastian Saavedra - Conquest Racing

Saavedra was making good pace and conserving fuel throughout much of the race. With 25 laps to go, the No. 34 car was set to finish the race on the primary black tires while much of the field was on the red alternate tires.

With plenty of fuel to finish and several opportunities to use the push-to-pass overtake button left, a full course caution came out for a multi-car incident in Turn 8 with less than 20 laps to go. Saavedra got into the back of Ganassi driver Charlie Kimball and damaged the front wing, forcing an unscheduled pit stop.

When racing got back underway, Saavedra quickly moved up from 16th to 14th and held his own to the checkered flag. The IndyCar series heads next to the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 1.

Sebastian Saavedra, No. 34 Conquest Racing

“It was great to finish the race. I was very happy. That was our main goal; that was what we worked for. We maintained a great pace, unfortunately we had to use blacks at the end compared to other cars that had reds on the end.

It was a crazy race with those cautions. Unfortunately when a yellow came out in Turn 8 I had contact with (Charlie) Kimball which damaged my front wing, making me come in for a change. But, it was a great day. The guys did a great job changing the wing and we had great pit stops. We’ve got to keep going. I want a top 10.”

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner

“Sebastian keeps on learning and it was good to finish this eventful race. The guys did a good job and we had a competitive car all weekend. We were looking good for a top 10 finish before Sebastian got involved in some incidents. We are building the season and we are going in the right direction.”

ABOUT CONQUEST RACING

Conquest Racing is entering its 15th season of professional racing. Throughout its history, the team has been known to give young up and coming drivers a chance to make it to the big leagues and Conquest is keeping up that tradition with 20-year-old Columbian Sebastian Saavedra this year.

- Conquest Racing Press Release

Sebastian Saavedra - Conquest Racing

LONG BEACH, CALIF. (April 14, 2011) – Conquest Racing returns to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend. Driver of the No. 34 entry and IndyCar rookie Sebastian Saavedra shares his thoughts as he prepares to compete on the 1.968-mile, 12-turn circuit Sunday.

A Little Respect

“I’ve driven here in the Firestone Indy Lights series the last two years, so coming back for a third time – even though it’s the first time in an IndyCar – I’m comfortable. Long Beach is a place that you’ve got to respect. As with any street course, with any mistake it’s not difficult to end up straight in the wall. But, we’ll approach this weekend as we did St. Pete and I’m looking forward to getting started!”

Team Spirit

“Eric (Bachelart) won here (in the first-ever Firestone Indy Lights race in 1991) so it’s a special place. It’s nice to have that extra positive energy coming from our team owner. We’re prepared, and I’m looking forward to seeing how much more I can improve on street courses. It will be interesting.”

Family Ties

“My mother and father and my sister are all coming in for the race from Columbia. It will be only the second time for my sister to see my race in IndyCar. California is such a beautiful place. It’s always nice to be here and of course having my family here will make it even more so.”

Food for Thought

“I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something about eating In and Out Burgers when you’re in southern California! All the mechanics like it, so any little things I can do to make the crew happy, I’ll go for it.”

- Conquest Racing Press Release