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

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 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

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

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

Andretti Autosport

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
NOTES AND QUOTES, POST-QUALIFYING
POLE DAY
INDIANAPOLIS 500

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

“We’re all surprised by our speed. We were expecting better, for sure. But, John (Andretti) did something different in his last qualifying run and he really picked up a lot, so we’re hoping that is going to work on all the other cars tomorrow. That’s our hope.”

JOHN ANDRETTI, #43 TEAM WINDOW WORLD CAR

Qualified for 17th starting position with a speed of 224.981 mph

“There’s so much excitement when you’re in the front, but there’s even more pressure when you’re not. You’ve only got to go through it once to know you never want to go through it again. After our first couple of attempts, we made a few changes and the car just came to life. The weather helped us; the wind seemed to have died down a bit. The Window World car was quick-the guys on the team did a great job. I’ve been through this before, so I wasn’t panicking but I was ready to be done. This race means a lot to me and my family. For me to be in this race on the 100th anniversary is special; it’s nice to be able to do it one more time.”

MARCO ANDRETTI, #26 TEAM VENOM ENERGY DRINK CAR

Failed to qualify in the top 24; will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 tomorrow

“It’s been a frustrating day for me and the team. We were slow all day – we’ve been slow since we rolled off and haven’t really gained or made any improvements. To not make it into the field today just makes it all feel even worse. But my teammate and cousin John (Andretti) made it in and we’re all happy for him. They obviously found some speed with his car and we’re hoping that what they’ve learned can help us with the Venom car tomorrow.”

MIKE CONWAY, #27 TEAM HIRE HEROES USA/7-ELEVEN/DR PEPPER CAR

Failed to qualify in the top 24; will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 tomorrow

“We’re just not quick enough right now, but I’m not the only one; we’re all kind of in the same group. We just need to learn from our teammates and see what we can come up with. It’s disappointing, really. We’ve obviously still got some work to do.”

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

Failed to qualify in the top 24; will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 tomorrow

“It’s pretty tough for us right now. Most of the team is struggling with speed. But, we’ll keep chipping away at it. That’s all we can do. We need to get some speed out of it, but I’m not sure where it’s going to come from. We need to put our capes and our top-hats on, and make some magic happen. If we get this DHL/Sun Drop car in the race, it will be a contender. It’s just a matter of getting there.”

DANICA PATRICK, #7 TEAM GoDaddy.com CAR

Failed to qualify in the top 24; will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 tomorrow

“I felt that we had a fast car not only today, but all month and thought we would hit a 226 during today’s qualifying run. The GoDaddy car was really fast to start the month off. I was happy. It was the best I’ve felt here in a long time. I felt really comfortable with car and it felt effortlessly fast and it wasn’t really slow until this morning.

“All I can think of is something we missed or something happened with the track maybe and everyone is putting a new set of rubber on and it changed. We just have to buckle down at this point. I guess we are going to have to risk it a little more come tomorrow.”

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

On a day cut short 45 minutes because of showers, Ed Carpenter was quickest of the 32 entrants to get on the 2.5-mile oval with a lap of 224.786 mph (40.0380 seconds). Scott Dixon, the 2008 race winner and IZOD IndyCar Series champion, was second in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and JR Hildebrand, who was quickest in breezing through the Rookie Orientation Program on May 12, was third (224.433 mph).

There were 669 laps recorded without incident. Second day track activity, with a more favorable weather forecast, commences at noon May 15.

Reigning Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti (224.107) was fourth in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, and 2006 race runner-up Marco Andretti (223.927) was fifth in the No. 26 Team Venom car for Andretti Autosport.

Whether shaking down their primary or backup cars, working on running in traffic or seeing how quick they were off the truck, drivers enjoyed the work on the oval. For full-time competitors, their previous track time has been on four road and street courses.

Carpenter, competing in his first IZOD IndyCar Series event of the season – and first for Sarah Fisher Racing in the No. 67 Dollar General car – has a best start of eighth (2010) and finish of eighth (2009) in seven starts. Of course, Carpenter, stepson of Indy Racing League founder Tony George, covets a victory in the ’500′ more than any other.

“It’s only day one, but it’s really exciting to see hard work pay off and see progress,” he said. “We’re going to have to keep up the effort because it’s a long week heading into qualifying, but I definitely like the start that we’re off to.”

Added Fisher, a nine-time Indy 500 starter who announced her retirement from the race car in November: “I was really proud of the boys for starting the month off with little to no error. It was a bonus for Ed to top the charts, but we know we still have a lot more work to accomplish. For this being our first race of the season, we know we have to hit the ground running, and to see the team gelling already is a great testament to our people.”

Other notable Opening Day speeds were posted by 2009 race runner-up Vitor Meira (seventh at 223.192); Paul Tracy (11^th at 222.295), who didn’t qualify for the 2010 race; Danica Patrick (12^th at 222.232) and 2004 race winner Buddy Rice (14^th at 221.461), who’s returned to the track for the first time since 2008.

DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:
Firestone Firehawk race tire facts for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500:

•Firestone Racing returns to Indianapolis in 2011 with the same tire specification as 2010.

•A full-month entry receives 33 sets (132 tires), and a partial-month entry receives 26 sets (108 tires) for all of practice, qualifying and the race. Rookie Orientation Program participants receive an additional four sets (16 tires) for that session only; veteran refreshers receive two additional sets (eight tires) that must be returned before practice Monday, May 16. More than 5,000 tires in all are available.

•Tire stagger: A single stagger of approximately .30 of an inch is available. Stagger, created by molding the right rear tire with a larger diameter than the left rear, helps race cars turn more naturally and smoothly on oval tracks.

AL SPEYER (Executive Director, Firestone Racing): “The Indianapolis 500 is the race we most eagerly await each season, but we are anticipating this year’s even more with the centennial anniversary of this great event. We take immense pride in knowing that Firestone tires carried Ray Harroun to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 a century ago, and that Firestone Racing still plays a pivotal role in the sport a hundred years later. Come May 29, we know that whoever takes the checkered flag first will do it on Firehawk tires and become Firestone’s 62^nd Indy 500 champion. It’s a win total more than all other tire makers combined and powerful proof of the legacy that the Firestone brand has maintained through the years. For ‘The Most Important Race in History,’ we are supplying the identical Firestone tire specification that was used in 2010 and received such wide praise from teams and drivers last May. With the entire racing world watching on this historic occasion, we want to provide a proven tire that will do its part to help make this landmark Indianapolis 500 even more memorable. Firestone wishes the best to all of this year’s competitors and congratulates Indianapolis Motor Speedway on its centennial milestone.”

***

Six rookies assigned to cars for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 passed all four phases of the Rookie Orientation Program on Thursday, May 12: JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, Charlie Kimball, Pippa Mann, Scott Speed and Ho-Pin Tung.

James Jakes completed three of the four phases and can finish the test during practice this week.

Jay Howard only needs to complete a refresher test – the final two phases of Rookie Orientation – because passed the Rookie Orientation Program in 2008 and participated in 2010 Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

The Rookie Orientation Program consists of turning consistent laps at four speed phases on the 2.5-mile asphalt oval. Drivers must turn five consistent laps at 200-205 mph, and 10 consistent laps at each of these three speed phases: 205-210, 210-215 and 215 or faster.

***

Window World, sponsor of the No. 43 Andretti Autosport car driven by John Andretti, today unveiled “The Stinger,” a 2011 concept show car that pays tribute to the 1911 Marmon Wasp, winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500, and the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The No. 100 “Stinger” features a yellow-and-black color scheme taken directly from the Marmon Wasp. It will be on display all month in the MotoGP garage area near Gasoline Alley.

The Window World Cares charitable foundation has invited each of the race’s former starters to autograph the car. For each signature, Window World Cares will make a donation of support. Since its creation, Window World Cares has raised more than $1.6 million for St. Jude Research Hospital.

JOHN ANDRETTI: “The whole project came about in conversations about the 100th anniversary, how we could pay tribute to the drivers who have participated. Actually, it became an idea when I got a letter from Mari Hulman George about the past drivers that are still living and coming back for the Indy 500 for this anniversary. I think it’s just great Window World has wrapped their arms around it, the centennial year, as much as they have. With the retro paint scheme on the 43 as well as the ‘Stinger’ program and raising money through a great cause through Window World Cares, I think it’s awesome. Already they’ve raised quite a bit of money because of all the drivers’ signatures at Andretti Autosport, including my cousin (team owner Michael Andretti).”

***

Pruett Vineyard, in collaboration with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is proud to announce a Limited Edition Napa Cabernet Sauvignon celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

The centennial Indy 500 logo is prominently placed on the front label, making this a cherished collector’s item of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Pruett Vineyard produces small lot, handcrafted wine, with great attention to detail and quality. 1989 Indianapolis 500 co-Rookie of the Year Scott Pruett is involved in every aspect as owner and vintner.

Scott and Judy Pruett will present a Magnum bottle of this Pruett Indy 500 wine, showcased in a beautiful lacquered etched wooden box, to each of the 33 team owners qualifying for the 100th running.

For more information, visit www.pruettvineyard.com.

SCOTT PRUETT: “We wanted to give this gift to the owners as a thank you, and homage to past and future team owners, for bringing this gold standard of motorsports to all of us. It’s absolutely overwhelming to think about the history of this great race, and to be involved at any level is truly an honor. With its rich history and cherished memories, there is really nothing in the world quite like the Indy 500. I am so excited and honored to be involved at this level in the Centennial Era.”

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FIRST ON TRACK, 1984-2010

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Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was the honorary starter today, waving the green flag to start the first practice for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

GREG BALLARD: “They were side by side by side by side like a front row coming down the straightaway. It was a lot of fun. I will leave Race Day (start) in the hands of the professionals. We’re very lucky to be here for the 100^th anniversary because a lot of people are going to be reminiscing about all the events that have gone on before here. Also we have the new chassis to look forward to. And there is a lot of excitement as to what the new cars will look like. This is a great time to celebrate the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the longevity of this race going forward. I always tell people around the world that there is nothing like the month of May in Indianapolis, and I mean that. This is an unbelievable month that really brings the city together. Everybody enjoys it. It’s a great event on Race Day, and they memorialize those veterans who did not come back from serving this county. Obviously, the Speedway does it right.”

***

IZOD IndyCar Series fan Greg Nemeth won a Graham watch with an estimated retail value of $7,000-$8,000 through an online contest promoted by Target Chip Ganassi Driver Scott Dixon.

Nemeth, from Greenwood, Ind., won by correctly picking the top three finishers of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama last month. Dixon has been very active with social media this season and promoted the contest, hosted on his website, via Twitter. Dixon presented Nemeth with the watch this morning at the Speedway.

GREG NEMETH: “I’ve been following IndyCar forever, but he (Dixon) mentioned his contest on Twitter. The first time I tried, I won. It felt pretty good. I picked Scott to finish second. I didn’t think I’d win, but I guess I did. I feel bad about not picking Scott to finish first, but I won.”

SCOTT DIXON: (About the contest): “I’ve actually had it for three years, and nobody’s ever won. Then, Barber (Motorsports Park) race weekend, we had three winners. Greg was the first one to pick it and was the lucky winner.” (About becoming very involved with social media this year): “I think it’s a nice way to interact. I think the biggest hold-out (on getting involved with Twitter) was my wife, because she said I was already on my phone way too much. Adding Twitter to that was going to double my time. It’s a lot of fun, especially now when 99 percent of the drivers all do it. Viral media, things like Twitter, Facebook and all the others, there’s a huge connection to the fans. If you can interact more, it’s going to make (the sport) more popular.”

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After a banner 2010 that included a sweep of the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500, Chip Ganassi and his organization are among the nominees at the Fourth Annual Sports Business Awards on Wednesday, May 18 in New York.

Ganassi is the first race team executive to be nominated for Sports Executive of the Year, and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams is the second race team to receive a Professional Sports Team of the Year nomination.

The awards, given by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, honor excellence in sports business.

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Legendary Indianapolis 500 team owner Roger Penske will be honored with the Legends of Racing Award at the 12^th annual Racing to Recovery Gala presented by The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) on Wednesday, May 18.

The gala is taking place at D’Amore Events, located atop the Chase Bank Building at 111 Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.

Penske Racing has won a record 15 Indianapolis 500′s. Penske joins an illustrious list of Legends of Racing Award winners, including Rick Mears, Parnelli Jones, Arie Luyendyk, Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti.

Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to mingle with Indianapolis 500 greats from the past and present and current IZOD IndyCar Series team owners and drivers, while raising money to support medical research, rehabilitation and quality-of-life programs for those living with paralysis. The event will feature a silent and live auction, giving guests the opportunity to bid on unique racing-themed items.

SSPF was started in 2000 by INDYCAR driver Sam Schmidt shortly after a practice crash left him paralyzed from the chest down. SSPF is leading the charge to cure paralysis by funding scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances benefiting those with spinal cord injuries, stroke victims and people diagnosed with ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

For ticket information, contact events@samschmidt.org or call (317) 236-9999.

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Rockford Fosgate, the industry leader in high-performance car audio systems, is joining forces with Paul Tracy, who will debut the Rockford Fosgate logo at the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29 while driving the No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry.

PAUL TRACY: “I’m really excited to partner with such a great audio brand like Rockford Fosgate and look forward to supporting all of their products this season. I’ve been a fan of their high-performance equipment for some time now, and I’m honored they would allow me to be their brand ambassador in motorsports. I look forward to outfitting my classic ’64 Riviera and ’51 Mercury with some of the coolest Rockford Fosgate car audio amps and speakers.”

BILL JACKSON (CEO and president, Rockford Corporation): “Paul embodies the Rockford Fosgate lifestyle. He leads an active life, enjoys music and all things motorized. We’re excited to have Paul in the Rockford Fosgate family.”

***

Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti spoke about the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

MICHAEL ANDRETTI: (About importance of the 100th Anniversary): “Yeah, it’s always exciting being here getting ready for the month. But this year is extra special, being the 100^th year, so there is some extra incentive to do well. It would be great to be the winning team on the 100^th Anniversary, and I can tell you all of us are real excited to get going.” (What would it mean for an Andretti to win the 100th Anniversary race?): “I honestly cannot put it into words. It would be real emotional if that were to happen, I can tell you that.”

***

Tom Hansing, one of the Indianapolis 500 starters in the flag stand, talked about the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

TOM HANSING: “It’s a big morning, the 100th Anniversary of the ’500,’ and I feel real great to be a part of it. I owe a lot to Bryan Howard, the chief starter on Race Day. He brought me in to the series about 10 years ago, and here we are. I started out with the United States Auto Club and still work with them and fill in with the IZOD IndyCar Series.” (Is it hard not to just sit back and watch?): “It is. Particularly on Race Day, when 33 cars come thundering down on you. It’s just a feeling you can’t explain to someone who has not been up there.”

***

Indianapolis 500 veteran Sarah Fisher retired as a driver last fall to concentrate on ownership of Sarah Fisher Racing. She and her husband, Andy O’Gara, also are starting a family. Their first child is due Sept. 29.

Fisher made nine “500″ starts between 2000-10.

SARAH FISHER: (About her pregnancy): “I’m out of racing shape, that’s for sure. I had to stop working out in October, and they don’t make maternity seat belts. But I’m very happy. It is an exciting time, especially to have Ed Carpenter driving for us because he is the perfect fit. He matches the brand, and no doubt that he has a strong performance record here at Indy. So I’m excited about the Race Day and the 100th Anniversary in general.” (Is hard to be not racing?): “No, it depends on how much fun you’re having and who you have driving for you, and with Ed’s family and his wife, Heather, they have already done a lot of work with us for our Laps for Literacy program, so it has just been really fun. I can’t wait to see how it goes on track, and I’m sure it will be a perfect fit.”

***

Willy T. Ribbs, who became the first African-American starter in the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, is visiting the track this week. Ribbs announced Thursday he has formed a Firestone Indy Lights team 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.

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.

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, Kan., he spent his formative years competing in anything from tiny 900-pound midgets to intimidating, 700-horsepower dirt late-models. By age 15, Austin was the youngest driver ever to sign a developmental contract in NASCAR, with the Hendrick Motorsports team. He made history again in 2007 with Rusty Wallace Racing, becoming the first African-American 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.

WILLY T. RIBBS: “It was a great announcement to make because it is great to be back at Indy. The irony — my 20th anniversary of qualifying here and then this being the 100th anniversary for the race –the timing could not have been better.” (On the moment he came down pit lane after qualifying in 1991 and slapping hands): “It was a moment that was totally unplanned. I had no plan to do that, and as I was coming down pit lane I was worried about hitting people who were coming out to greet me with my wheel, so I had to come halfway out to the cockpit so I could reach their hands, and it was just a great moment – totally unplanned.” (About the “500″): “Indianapolis is the biggest race on the planet, and it not only is it a great race it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. There is no race that can come close to it – nothing can even touch it.”

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More than 250 classic cars were on display today at IMS during the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Celebration of Automobiles.

Many of these machines have won awards in Concours d’Elegance competition at such venues as Pebble Beach and Amelia Island.

The cars participating in the Celebration were divided into two divisions, one a general collection and the other presenting for the first time anywhere classic cars produced by the 24 manufacturers that competed in the first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 1911.

A team of judges will reveal its choices for the best of show in several categories tonight at the elegant Condon-Skelly Celebration of Automobiles dinner, where several exquisite trophies will be presented to winning car owners. 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones heads the judging panel, with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford and 1985 “500″ winner Danny Sullivan also serving as judges.

PARNELLI JONES: (On judging the Celebration of Automobiles): “First of all, it’s the 100^th anniversary and to have over 200 cars come to the track to be a part of it is something really nice. You only have one 100^th anniversary, and this event, along with all the race cars on the track, is a great way to start. It was very tough to pick one individual wining car. But between myself, Rutherford and Sullivan, we boiled it down to one top choice. And overall, I think we’re making a great comeback here.” (On the centennial celebration and the Month of May): “I think it’s definitely going to be a pumped-up year. Everybody’s excited about it. I know I am. I’m fortunate enough to be able to drive the 1911 winning Marmon Wasp on Race Day, and I’m very excited for it. I think the guy who wins this race is going to have extra stamp on his back, for sure. It’s going to be great. It can’t be any better.” (On being back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): “I come back every year. It’s a reunion for me. Once you’re a past winner, I think you feel like you are part of the Speedway. It’s ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ and it has a great history. I get to have the honor of being a part of that.”

Quotes from selected participants:

REED TARWATER (Greenwood, Ind., 1933 MG J2 Roadster): “This is, by far and away, the largest and best auto show I have ever been to, and I have gone to a lot of shows. I’ve been to great shows at Meadowbrook and Hilton Head, but this is the best one I have ever attended. There is a car owner here today that made the trip from London (England) to come to this show. Living here in Indianapolis – it’s ‘the track.’ We’ve been coming here for years, but for other people that have never been here before, it’s a big deal to come and see this. Yesterday, we were able to drive around the track, and it was a great treat for a lot of these people.”

JAN TARWATER (Greenwood, Ind., 1933 MG J2 Roadster): “This is a great event today. We’ve even been to the prestigious Pebble Beach show. It is top-notch, but this show today has the widest range of beautiful, beautiful cars I have ever seen.”

KEN CLARK (Pittsfield, Maine, 1929 Cord L-29 Cabriolet): “I just thought it would be a neat thing. I’ve never been to the Indianapolis 500 before, and I just thought it would be a good place to go. So that was the real reason. But with the invitation and then the application and then the acceptance, I thought (the opportunity) was cool. I like race cars, but I’m not a race car fan. I don’t watch them, but I like to promote cars. And what better way to promote cars than at a racetrack?”

JOHN KELSEY (Camdenton, Mo., 1914 Stutz): “The car has returned home where the car was first built (Stutz was built in Indianapolis). I drove it in 1952 here around the Speedway as part of the Studebaker Centennial Celebration Tour. And now we are celebrating another centennial, the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. I had the privilege of circling the track then and also circled it Friday. My father (Paul Kelsey) bought the car from its previous owners in Iowa in 1951. The car remained in storage from 1917 to 1951, and now it is here at the Speedway.”

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FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

* — Rookie

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INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “Today was short and sweet, as we only turned four laps at speed. Always great to be back at IMS. Team Target prepped the cars to their usual high standard. Early days, but I can’t wait to get back in the car tomorrow.”

TOMAS SCHECKTER (No. 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme – Circle K): “We still have a lot of work to do. It’s going to be a long month. As everybody knows, there’s a lot of competitive people out there. So far just for one run, I think the car’s good. We’ve definitely got a good base to work from.” (On the influence the forecast can have on the team’s plan.): “Actually, we’re on the shorter engine program, so for us it’s not that much of a problem. We’ve got a certain amount of tires that we have to run through. We’re about seven (sets) behind what the full-time guys get. For us, rain is good because it doesn’t allow them to get so much more running in than what I would. And I’ve got a lot of experience around here, so for me it was straight out the pits, and I was flat out. I could get a good feel.” (On his confidence this year with a new team): “The confidence level is always high. For me, it’s high because I love this track. I love this place. I love the Month of May. But certainly we’ve worked a little bit on the setup. But we probably need to take a couple more steps for it to be 100 percent comfortable.”

JAMES JAKES (No. 18 Acorn Starilifts): “It was pretty easy today. It’s my first time at Indy and my first time on an oval. We’re still running a lot of downforce, so we’re driving around and just learning the ropes. We have a lot of testing to do, go through all the stuff with my teammates, and I’m just taking my time. It will be good at the end of the day to look at all the data. It will be a long week. We can do a good job; we just have to be patient. Alex (Lloyd) has been here before, and he’s given me very good advice. Hopefully, we’ll feed off each other.”

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): “It felt great. Obviously, it’s been a while since we were here. All the drivers are always excited coming back to Indy. It’s great to get out and turn some fairly quick laps. All in all, it was just a shakedown with the T car today. You know, it’s just good to see all the fans out here today. I’m sure it will get busier and busier as the days go on.” (On his comfort level after being involved in the crash last year): “Yeah, it’s great to be back out and working with the all Andretti guys and seeing what the car feels like around here. The car felt good. We’ve just got to keep chipping away. We’ve got a long week, so no rush.”

BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Panther Racing): “I feel good, and I’m happy to be back. Everything is going pretty well. I’m excited to be back here. I wanted to make sure I’d be in good equipment, and the Panther crew has run really well here recently. It’s a great opportunity for me. I’m excited for the centennial. The centennial only comes around once, and there won’t be anything like this for quite a long time, so I’m glad to be a part of it.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central): “Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing had a great day. We didn’t run very long today, and the laps we did turn were very conservative. The No. 38 Service Central Honda is faster than we anticipated for the first time out at IMS, so we are in great shape. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the track tomorrow.”

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): “The goal for today was just to go out and get some solid running in. We got through the Rookie Orientation Program on Thursday, but we didn’t get to do any testing. So today was about picking up where we left off, getting solidly up to speed and starting to work on the car – all of which we did. We’re about halfway up the speed charts at the moment, and there’s plenty more to come. We’ve got loads of aero on the car at the moment; we’re being super-conservative. We’ve got a couple of little handling gremlins going on, but once we fix those and wipe the aero off, I think we’re looking OK. I’m pleased with where we’ve ended up after day one. The weather is going to play a huge part this week, but it always does here in Indianapolis, and it’s the same for everyone. Obviously, it’s not easy when you’re a rookie. One of the difficult things about being a rookie here at IMS is that the track changes all of the time, and it doesn’t always change consistently and go in the same direction. You’re never really quite sure what you’re going to get, and as a rookie, I’m going through all of this for the first time. In terms of driving experience, Sebastian and I are a young team with no veterans to help us out, so losing out on running time will have an impact on us. However, it’s up to us to make sure that it doesn’t have a big impact, and we do the very best we can with what we’ve got.”

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): “It was a perfect day for the Telemundo team. It was trouble-free, and we did exactly what we wanted, and the car felt really good. It’s hard to know where we stand compared to everybody, especially being the first day and everyone is running different downforce levels. We just have to base our judgment on how the car feels, and the car feels good, so we are happy. This place is one that you always have to treat with respect. I had all sorts of nightmares last night because I think I was nervous. But the car felt great from the first lap. It’s a great place to be.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “We really wanted to work on the rain setup today, so it was pretty convenient that the weather cooperated. Just kidding! Today was all about getting up to speed and running with the full field for the first day because, obviously, with Rookie Orientation there are only seven cars on track. We started really conservative because we should have a lot of track time. We started peeling off a little bit of downforce slowly but surely. We orchestrated a little bit of traffic running with Oriol, which was good; it was certainly good practice for me. Everybody is going good so far. The car has been really stable, and we’re feeling really confident. Oriol got a bit more work done this afternoon before the rain started to come, so we’ll look over what he got done. I think we are heading in the right direction, and we’re on a good plan of being cautious over the week but then being there when it counts for qualifying.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3T Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “The plan today for the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car was to just stay consistent and run through our list of equipment on the T car. We were able to do that today, so we stuck to the plan. Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll get a chance to run in the primary car and continue working our game plan.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6T IZOD Team Penske): “It was a great first day in the No. 6T IZOD Team Penske car at the Speedway today. It’s definitely fun to be running at more than 220 mph – it’s been a long time since we’ve felt that exhilaration. It feels really comfortable being back at Indy, and I’m excited to get more laps in this week.”

WILL POWER (No. 12T Verizon Team Penske): “The No. 12T Verizon Team Penske car was good today. We really didn’t run too much by design. Today was more of a shakedown for us, just easing our way into our time here at the Brickyard. It did feel good to get back on track at the Speedway; it’s such an awesome place. Hopefully, we will have the chance to get on track tomorrow and continue working.”

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): “It wasn’t the way we wanted to start. We expected to run a lot more laps, but in the end this is how racing goes. The guys have put an amazing amount of effort to put the car together and make it as aerodynamic as it can be. So I’m very pleased with how it looks and how it’s going to perform. We had a little inconvenience today that kept us from getting as much track time as we were looking for, but it’s a long week and we are looking forward to making it happen tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. The car feels great. We just need to get some more track time.”

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): “I’d like to be out there, but we have a few more little things to do. We don’t want to rush it. We want to make sure we have the absolute best piece possible. It’s hard for a driver to sit on a day like today, but we’ll be ready to go tomorrow. It’s really nice to have Gerald (Tyler) around and, and I really like working with Allen McDonald, as well . There’s a comfort level there. Everybody’s itching to start getting to work.”

ALEX LLOYD (No. 19 Boy Scouts of America): “The balance on the car is fantastic; it’s the most well-balanced car that I’ve had in the four years I’ve been doing this. It’s very encouraging straight off the bat. We’re trying to figure out where we’re at speed-wise and downforce-wise. From a balance perspective, we’re very happy with it. It made life a little easier because you’re always a little antsy going into that first run to see what performance level you have. We were a little more aggressive today than we have in past years, and that goes down to my experience. I was flat out within a couple of laps, and before it would take a couple of runs before I could go flat out. When you’re newer, you take a little more time. We’re ready to start getting rid of some of the downforce in the next couple of days.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28T Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): “We were able to get an idea of what the backup car is doing. We just wanted to get the backup car through the paces – two outings, that’s it — roll it back to the garage, get the primary car ready and get on with the objectives of the month. We do this as a precaution. In case we need to go to the backup car later, then we know what we have. While we’re itching to get to work on the primary DHL/Sun Drop car, we have to have the discipline to make this happen. The whole team did it, and everyone seemed to run pretty well.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7T Team GoDaddy): “I thought we had a solid run today. The ‘T’ car did great today, so we hope the primary car will run just as well. The Go Daddy team is off to a positive start for May.”

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Z-Line Designs/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “Today was all right. We only did one run and it was OK, and the Z-Line Designs car felt OK. It was good to get back out on track and to shake the car out. It would have been nice to really get into it, but we were getting up to speed and we brought the car back to get checked out and to make a couple of changes, and then the weather came in. I’m looking forward to getting back out tomorrow and to get more miles.”

PAUL TRACY (No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “The first day on track was great. I’m really, really happy with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and with the work that they have done preparing the WIX Filters car for the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. It was just a seamless day today. We went out with a test plan in mind, and we made four individual changes. Every change made the car a little bit better and a little bit better, and we ended up at 222.295. We were 11th quick, and Justin was 10th, so overall I’m pretty happy with where we ended up, and we will keep working tomorrow.”

ANA BEATRIZ (No. 24 Team Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “It was good to be back in the car. We did one lap time just to see how the car felt, and we stopped. The speed didn’t show up on my dash, so we tried to work it out for a couple of minutes, and we couldn’t find it. So, we went back out there to really feel the car at a high speed and it felt great, but because we couldn’t see the speeds that I was actually doing and if I was improving and getting better, we decided to pit to fix the problem. We went back to the garage to set the car down. This is the first day and we want to make sure that we can get all of the problems fixed today so that we can start tomorrow strong. It started raining today so unfortunately we were unable to get back out, but we have extra tires for tomorrow, and I hope we will be able to use them all.”

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): “We got a lot more done today than we thought we would with the rain. We went through the changes we wanted to make. I feel pretty good about it. Everybody has learned a lot, and we’ve learned a lot from my teammates. I feel really good about the month and the Window World car. I think we’re already a few steps ahead from where we were last year.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26T Team Venom): “It felt really good to get back in the car here in Indy. We focused today on getting a few laps in the T car, and tomorrow we’ll move to our primary car. Hopefully we won’t need the T car again, but it’s nice to know where it stands, just in case. I think the Venom team has potential to be strong this month. We’ve typically run well here and have come close to winning a couple times. This would be a great year to get the job done.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10T Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “It was a good shakedown of the No. 10t Target car. Both Scott Dixon and I seemed to have good speed right away, but the real work starts on Monday.”

JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): “The car feels really good. We got to run our refresher laps and got the work done that we needed to get done in that session. The Service Central team has done a great job in getting the cars ready, and I feel that there is a lot of speed left in the car. We will be working very hard over the next week to find that speed and get ourselves strongly into the field.”

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): “It was a good first day. I feel comfortable in the car. We didn’t have a tow and still did a pretty decent time, so I feel good. It was important for me today to feel good in the car and with the team since I hadn’t been in a car since October of last year, but I think we did everything we needed to do and can start really working on making the car faster tomorrow.”

ED CARPENTER (No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing): (On working with Sarah Fisher after coming up through the same paths in racing): “We have a different respect for each other than probably other people around because of the way we got here and what it means to us. It’s just a good group to be around. Sarah and Andy (O’Gara) have done a great job building their team. They do everything they can to get better. The guys work really hard, and today’s a product of that.” (On his good performances in recent years at Indy): “Yeah, this is my eighth go around here. It’s so much fun being in an Indy car at this track. I definitely feel blessed to have the opportunity with Sarah and Dollar General to be here. Today was a fun day, and hopefully we can keep this momentum going this week.”

SARAH FISHER (Owner, Sarah Fisher Racing): (On her confidence with the team this year and Ed Carpenter being so fast so soon): “That wasn’t supposed to happen yet. You’re supposed to slowly build up and do that. You know, I’ve had a lot of questions about whether it was going to be hard watching the 67 car go around without me in it. Honestly, it makes a difference with the individual you have representing you and doing the job for you. Ed’s a perfect fit for us and really showed that today. We’re really proud of the boys and the job they did together.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “We’re really happy with how the day went. I probably could have pulled off an even better lap there, but for me it’s still a matter of understanding what I’m expecting to happen compared to what is actually going to happen when I’m out there. The National Guard car felt good, and we didn’t have anything out of the ordinary, and we understand it’s going to be a whole different gig when there are a bunch of different cars out there, as that creates a lot more turbulent air. Thankfully, through Rookie Orientation and again today we’ve been able to make positive steps every time by making small steps every time. If we can keep up the pace of what we’re doing, then it should be positive as we continue to move forward.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): “I think we are cautiously excited. There’s still a lot to do. We’re still slower than what it will take in qualifying, but the car is good, it’s fast. We did get a draft, but even without the draft, we’re pretty competitive in our times, so we’re excited. It’s the first day, but I think we started the right way and we just have to maintain and improve on what we had today.”

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): “It was very nice to be back at Indianapolis. I love the track. To feel the speed, I always have to get used to it to go 220 mph. I’m very happy to have a chance to race here with A.J. Foyt. It’s a great team, and A.J. is a great team owner. I’m learning a lot from him. Let’s hope we can have a good week. It rained a little bit, but we were able to do some good laps. We found a good direction to go, so that was very good for the first day.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “It was part of our plan actually not to practice. Last year we didn’t practice here, and it kind of turned out to be a good thing. I was sick I was in the hospital with really bad bronchitis so I missed the first day. To run on a very consistent basis, sometimes it’s better to wait for a little bit of rubber not because it’s quicker but because the track is not going to burn tires so quickly. The plan is to get out tomorrow, but the only thing that is going to dictate whether we go out is the temperature. If it’s the way it was today and if it’s green, we’re going to go (out).”

***

1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan was at the track today, serving as a judge in the Celebration of Automobiles with fellow “500″ winners Parnelli Jones and Johnny Rutherford.

DANNY SULLIVAN: (On how the excitement of this year): “It’s always good to be back here. I don’t get back often enough. I was surprised how many drivers are still around. It’s pretty staggering how many guys have competed in the Indy 500 and how many champions are here, as well. I was riding around with Johnny Rutherford this morning, an old teammate and always great fun to be with. And Parnelli’s out here, Al (Unser) Jr., Rick (Mears); I saw Arie (Luyendyk). It’s a great group of people.”

***

SUNDAY’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

The Michael Andretti Foundation

Under DePinto’s leadership, 7-Eleven continues to stand as the premier company in convenience retailing. Globally, there are approximately 40,900 stores worldwide of which more than 8,400 stores are in North America. 7-Eleven is a longtime sponsor of Andretti’s IndyCar team, Andretti Autosport and most-notably served as primary sponsor for the team’s 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series championship-winning team.

Before his appointment as chief executive of 7-Eleven in 2005, DePinto was president of GameStop Corporation. He also has held executive positions at PepsiCo, Inc. and Thornton Oil Corporation.

DePinto is a board-director of 7-Eleven, Inc., OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX), Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), The Dallas Chamber of Commerce, SMU’s Cox School of Business and The National Italian American Foundation. He is a member of the Advisory Councils for Outlook Leadership, The Pro Players Foundation, the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth and is a Network of Executive Women Champion. He also is an active member of the Business Executives for National Security.

A native of Chicago, Ill., DePinto earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering management from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He and his wife, Ingrid, and their four sons reside in Southlake, Texas.

The Racing Round Up Gala will benefit the Children’s Museum in the new Perot Museum of Nature & Science with a portion of proceeds going to Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway. Event-goers will have the opportunity to meet the IZOD IndyCar drivers of Andretti Autosport, including Marco Andretti, Mike Conway, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Danica Patrick.

The standard charitable donation for this limited event is $250 per person, or $350 per person for VIP access. For more details on the event and ticket sales, please visit www.MichaelAndrettiFoundation.com.

One-time donations to benefit the Museum of Nature & Science can also be mailed to The Michael Andretti Foundation at 7615 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268.

###

About The Michael Andretti Foundation
Based in Indianapolis The Michael Andretti Foundation is a 501(c)(3) foundation established by open-wheel racing legend Michael Andretti to help people who have shown need and to help promote programs for better health, education and welfare of North America’s children and citizens. For more information about The Michael Andretti Foundation, click here.

Contact: Ryann Rigsby 610-909-7312

About Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of our 12 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott’s, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Peñafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose’s and Mr & Mrs T mixers. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.drpeppersnapple.com.

About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,400 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are more than 40,900 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $62.7 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2009, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start, #3 among Top 100 Global Franchises by Franchise Direct, among G.I. Jobs magazine’s Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers, #3 in Store Growth by Convenience Store News, #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies, #6 in AllBusiness AllStar Franchise ranking and #29 among Top 100 Chains in Food Service. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven recently was selected by three diversity publications as a company offering the best career and franchisee opportunities. In addition, Symphony IRI recognized 7-Eleven in its 2009 Shopper-Centric Marketing Innovation program, and 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year from PL Buyer because of the company’s private-label brand initiative. The company is franchising its stores in the U.S., and is expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.

- Andretti Autosport/The Michael Andretti Foundation, Press Release

Newman / Haas Racing (NHR)

Pre-Race Notes

Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 Nestlé – Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 Nestlé –FAST FACTS

Round 4 of 17 in the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series

DATE: Saturday – Sunday, April 30-May 1, 2011

QUALIFYING BROADCAST: Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on Versus

RACE BROADCAST: Live on Sunday at 12 noon ET on Versus

RADIO BROADCAST: The race will air on IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 & Sirius channel 211

INTERNET BROADCAST: Timing & Scoring of each practice session and qualifying is offered on www.indycar.com

TRACK LAYOUT: 2.6-mile, 11-turn street course

RACE LENGTH: 75 laps / 195 miles

2010 WINNER: Will Power

2010 POLESITTER: Dario Franchitti

NHR POLES IN BRAZIL: 1 – Christian Fittipaldi in 1999

NHR PODIUMS IN BRAZIL: 1 – 3rd place by Christian Fittipaldi in 1999

NEWS & NOTES:

SEVENTH RACE IN BRAZIL FOR NEWMAN / HAAS RACING

Newman/Haas Racing competed in CART-sanctioned events in Rio de Janeiro from 1996-2000 with drivers Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi*. The best start for the team on the 1.86-mile, D-shaped oval in Rio was by Brazilian Fittipaldi who earned his first CART pole in his homeland in 1999. The team’s best finish in Brazil is third, also by Fittipaldi in 1999. After winning his first pole, Fittipaldi was hoisted on the shoulders of his fans in what was a spirited Brazilian celebration. In 2010, the team competed in the inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series event here with Hideki Mutoh who crashed on Saturday morning but the team was able to repair the car for qualifying. Mutoh narrowly missed progressing to Round 2 and started 14th. After a Lap 1 crash that was set off by Sato, he moved up as high as sixth but was in seventh when he drove over “marbles” and fell back to 15th. After a pit stop later in the race, he lost control of the car and made contact with the wall and retired 20th. (*In 1997, Brazilian Roberto Moreno filled in for Fittipaldi in Round 5 in Rio after Fittipaldi was hit by Gil de Ferran in Round 2 in Australia and sustained a broken leg.)

Telemundo driver Oriol Servia and Sprott driver James Hinchcliffe are each looking forward to their first race on the 2.6-mile street course in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the challenges a two-day weekend on a new course will present.

SERVIA ON BEING RANKED FOURTH

Servia’s highest season-ending rank in recent years was second place in 2005 with Newman/Haas Racing. He is currently ranked fourth after three of 17 events with 80 points and is one of only four drivers to have finished in the top-10 in all three races so far. The others are Dario Franchitti, Will Power and Tony Kanaan. “It is awesome to be fourth in the point standings, especially because I feel we are just starting to warm up as a team,” said Servia. “Yes we have done well but we definitely have not peaked yet so standing fourth in points already makes us all more confident of what we can accomplish together. We will just focus race by race like we have been until now. We do have a lot of work ahead of us and we are more excited than ever to keep improving.”

JAMES ON HIS FIRST RACE AND TRIP TO BRAZIL

“The travel is one of the best and worst parts of the job!” said Hinchcliffe, who finished fourth in only his second Indy car race in Long Beach. “I love getting to see new places, so this being my first trip to Brazil, I am very excited. The down side is you are working while you are there without a lot of down time, so you really only get to see the airport, the hotel and the race track. Having said that, you normally get a good enough feel for the place that you know whether or not it’s somewhere you would want to go back to. I am already getting the feeling I want to go back to Brazil and I haven’t even set foot on the continent yet!”

ORIOL ON PERFORMING ON “A DIFFERENT STAGE”

“I am always looking forward to the overseas races. I think it is because we are on a different stage than usual and because we want to showcase our championship that international races always have a special energy. I do love traveling and I love Brazil. Unfortunately this time I don’t think we will have time to see much more than just the neighborhood where the race takes place.”

ORIOL AND JAMES ON SPEAKING PORTUGUESE, BRAZILIAN DRIVERS AND FANS

“I have spent a lot of time in the last 10 years with (Cristiano) Da Matta, (Bruno) Junqueira and (Tony) Kanaan,” said Servia. “You are forced to pick up their language quick unless you want to be the center of all their jokes! In Brazil, racing stands almost as a sacred sport. They have had so many good drivers. I have (Ayrton) Senna as a favorite but we cannot forget other greats like Emerson (Fittipaldi), Rubens (Barrichello), Nelson (Piquet), Gil (DeFerran), Cristiano (Da Matta) and on.”

Added Hinchcliffe: “I have had a few Brazilian teammates, but if I am totally honest none of the Portuguese they taught me is really appropriate for, well, anything! But I have heard that the fans there are fantastic. They are very enthusiastic and very loyal to their drivers. One of my racing heroes is from Brazil. I don’t think it would be a surprise to anyone that it is Senna. He was, and still is, a legend in the sport.”

ORIOL ON THE STATEMENT “NEWMAN / HAAS RACING IS BACK”

Many have recently said “Newman/Haas Racing is back” and although the team did made gains over the off-season, they maintain they have been capable of this performance. Servia explains his theory. “Newman/Haas Racing is one of the winningest teams in racing history, period. Like everything else in racing, and teams in particular, you go through cycles and sometimes it is the low points that motivate the highs. I don’t know why the results didn’t come as often in the last year or two but what I know for sure is that Newman/Haas Racing has won a lot and they know how to win and it is exactly what every member of the team wants to do again. We are all aiming very high.”

0 TO 177 MPH (EXPECTED TOP SPEED) IN 10 LAPS?

The first practice session on Saturday is a 30 minute session for rookies and non top-10 competitors. This will give James an opportunity to get up to speed and learn the track before the rest of the field, including Oriol, joins him on track for a 45 minute session for all cars afterward. Both drivers understand the additional challenge they will face this weekend. “It is a new track for both James and I and it doesn’t help the fact that is only a two day weekend,” said Servia. “We watched last year’s race and the team has put a very detailed event preparation document together to get us familiarized with the layout and the setup of the car as much as possible. I do have a bit of a disadvantage for not having been here before but I hope that by the time we qualify we have grasped the most important parts of the layout. I know we will have a good car and that always helps.”

“Learning new tracks is always a fun challenge,” added Hinchcliffe, who is only five points from the lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. “Drivers typically love getting the chance to run somewhere new because it levels the playing field and every one of us thinks we will learn it faster than the other guys and have an advantage! But most of the other drivers have been to this track before, so for me it’s about preparing as well as possible using data and video footage. Usually you have a really good feel for how to drive a new track in about 10 laps. You will improve a little bit every lap, but for the most part after 10 laps you are 98 percent there.”

ONLY 1 PREVIOUS RACE IN SAO PAULO; EQUALIZER FOR ALL OR NOT?

The series has only raced on this track once. It would be understandable to think that would be better for Servia and Hinchcliffe since other drivers and teams would only have one year advantage on them. Others who will be making their first starts here include Sebastien Bourdais, Graham Rahal, James Jakes, Sebastian Saavedra, Charlie Kimball and JR Hillenbrand. Hinchcliffe would actually prefer that the series and NHR had raced here for many years instead of only one. “I actually think it is more of a disadvantage because the team has less information to pass along from over the years to help get me up to speed, and I haven’t raced there in any of the junior formula. So the guys that have been around here before will definitely have a big advantage.”

ORIOL AND JAMES DISCUSS THE UNIQUE LAYOUT AND “MASSIVE” STRAIGHTS

“For what I can see on TV, it seems to be a track with a couple of long straights followed by hard braking zones,” said Servia. “It also seems a bit bumpy and slippery so all that put together indicates that we need a car with good braking and power down and luckily it is what I felt was our strength in Long Beach. It is hard to see what other track it compares to, if any, but at first glance it reminds me of the street race we used to have in Houston.”

“This track is pretty unique in its layout,” added Hinchcliffe. “It has a lot of 90 degree corners, which is sort of typical of street tracks, but then it also has these massive straights, which you don’t always see! It puts a lot of emphasis on the setup compromise from an aerodynamic point of view. You want the downforce for the corners but the straights are so long that you want to trim it out. I bet we will see a bunch of different aero setups there.”

IMPACT OF REDUCED TRACK TIME OF A TWO-DAY RACE EVENT

Although Long Beach was a three-day weekend, Hinchcliffe ran limited laps on Friday due to a fire in his race car. The team prepared his back-up car for the afternoon session and the early part of the hour-long practice was spent checking the installation of the engine and etc. Fortunately he had competed on the track five times before his Indy car street racing debut there this year. It will be his first time to drive on the 2.6-mile track on the streets of Sao Paulo, and his second street race in an Indy car. “For sure the loss of track time in Long Beach was covered up by the fact that I knew a lot about the track from previous experience,” said Hinchcliffe. “So the two day schedule in Brazil makes the fact that it’s a new track even tougher for me! Every lap will be super valuable. We really can’t afford to have any issues in practice, not only because I need as many laps as possible but also since the two-day schedule leaves very little turn around in between sessions should something go wrong.”

“Well you must have all your “sensors” on every lap, every inch of the track,” added Servia on the reduction from the usual three-day street race to a two-day event. “You need to quickly identify every little detail that can make a difference: a different line in the corner that has better grip, different places to brake to avoid some bumps and etc. It is noticing some detail that others have not appreciated that usually gives you an advantage over the competition.”

JAMES ON WHETHER HIS EXPECTATIONS HAVE INCREASED AFTER COMPETITIVE EFFORTS

“Not really. Obviously we had a good qualifying run in Barber and a good race run in Long Beach but it’s important to stay grounded and remember this is still my rookie year and there will be a lot of days when things don’t go our way or days when we just won’t be as competitive. It can be really easy to get used to being in or around the top 10, and for sure that will be the goal, but if we have a 15th place kind of day we need to understand that that really isn’t a terrible result all things considered. For me the biggest things are still being as close to Oriol as possible and to try and be top rookie each week.”

ORIOL AND JAMES ON JET LAG AND GENERAL TRAVEL LAG

“It is something that always affects you but it does to everybody so you just hope it does a bit less than the others,” said Servia on the toll traveling long distances takes on the body and the five-hour time difference he will experience from Pacific time. “I am going a day earlier than most drivers for that same reason.”

“Long flights are way better than big time changes, so I think this race will be pretty straight forward,” countered Hinchcliffe. “No one loves spending a night on an airplane. Unless of course you have your own, which I do not! But when I was racing A1GP and was traveling to places like Asia and Australia a lot, I became very good at sleeping on planes. I had to. It was self preservation! Since this flight is just an over night and you arrive in the morning on almost the same time zone, I don’t think it will be much of an adjustment at all.”

JAMES ON WHAT HAS SURPRISED HIM MOST ABOUT BEING AN INDY CAR DRIVER & ORIOL ON SAME

“The support from the fans has surprised me a lot,” said Hinchcliffe. “It has been incredible seeing how passionate some race fans are and how many there really are out there. It’s very cool, and very humbling. Even at the autograph session in Long Beach, there were probably a dozen fans that came to Oriol and said how happy they were to see him back in the car. You could see how moved even he was by it and he has been doing this a while. It is amazing how much what the fans say and do impacts you.”

“After having a year off last season I have to say it has been amazing the support I got on my return from the fans,” added Servia. “It seems I was not the only one thinking that my Indy car chapter still had many chapters to be written. It is very comforting to have such great fans. It makes a difference. Thanks to all.”

JAMES ON INDY CAR PIT STOPS AND LIMOUSINES

“It’s like trying to parallel park a limousine at 60 MPH! It’s weird because you come off the track where you are doing 170+ mph and 50 or 60 mph feels SO slow. Then all of a sudden you are turning into a small box that has half a dozen human beings staged in a rectangle only a few inches bigger than your car and then, boom, 60 feels real quick! It’s tough to wrap your mind around that, but very important to do so. I really enjoy pit stops because it helps people understand how much of a team sport racing really is. That and I love the precision involved. As a driver, precision is king. The pit stops are a whole new way to show your skills in terms of getting into the box, hitting your marks, getting out. It all happens in slow motion but then is over in the blink of an eye. On top of all that, you’re supposed to do big, smoky burnouts, which is pretty damn cool!”

NHR ON ROAD AND STREET COURSES

Since being formed by Carl Haas and Paul Newman in the fall of 1982, the team has earned a total of 107 wins and 109 pole positions. Eighty of their 107 wins and 90 of their 109 poles came on road and street courses. The team’s previous win on a road/street course was in Detroit by Justin Wilson on 8-31-08. Their previous pole on a road/street course was in the St. Pete season opener by Graham Rahal (4-4-09).

- Newman / Haas Racing Press Release

The Milwaukee 225 Featuring The IZOD IndyCar Series

Bolling has been named Vice President, Marketing and Promotions, while Blattler will serve as Media Relations Director at the nation’s longest running auto racing facility (since 1903).

The Milwaukee 225 weekend, a INDYCAR classic won by the likes of A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Rick Mears, Tom Sneva, Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Paul Tracy and all three Unsers, features seven unique competitions this year with action from the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Roiad to Indy Mazda Series, US F2000, USAC Silver Crown, USAC Midgets and USAC .25 Midgets (on a special short track).

“We are very happy to welcome Keri and Tom to the Milwaukee 225 staff,” said R. Christopher McGrath, executive director of the Milwaukee 225. “Both have extensive backgrounds in the sports industry and will give our company outstanding guidance in their respectively fields leading into the race weekend.”

Bolling will be charged with design and implementing of marketing and promotional strategies for the Milwaukee 225. She recently served as director, Sales/Marketing/Promotions, West Coast Division for Major League Baseball. The Marquette University MBA graduate oversaw individual team promotion events nationally and internationally including annual Spring Training camps and the World Baseball Classic.

Blattler, a veteran motorsports publicist for 30 years, will be guiding the Milwaukee 225 media relations activities and race weekend media center. The California native served as a media consultant for Miller Brewing’s racing programs for 17 years and worked with Rahal Letterman Racing for 15 years including the Indy500-winning effort with driver Buddy Rice. Blattler also has worked at a variety of sporting events including the Super Bowl, Indy 500, Daytona 500, NBA All Star Game and 20 races at the Milwaukee Mile oval.

Tickets for the June 18-19 Milwaukee 225 are now available through the www.milwaukeemile2011.com website or by calling 800-722-3840. Tickets also are sale for the Milwaukee 225 office at the Wisconsin State Fair Park.

- Milwaukee Mile Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

LONG BEACH, Calif. –

Conway is the first first-time winner of an IZOD IndyCar Series race since Briscoe in Milwaukee 2008. It was Andretti Autosport’s first victory since June at Iowa Speedway. Five different teams were represented in the top five.

“His comeback is now complete,” said team owner Michael Andretti, whose first and final Indy car victories came at Long Beach. “The first time we put him in a race car, I could tell he had potential. I’m just so happy he was able to (win) this early and win one of the greatest races here in Long Beach. I’m just so proud of him and the whole Window World Cares team.”

Dario Franchitti, the reigning series champion, finished third to move back into the championship points lead. James Hinchcliffe, competing in his second IZOD IndyCar Series race, was fourth, and Alex Tagliani gave Sam Schmidt Motorsports a season-high fifth place.

Earlier in the day, Sam Schmidt Motorsports won the Firestone Indy Lights race with Connor Daly behind the wheel of the No. 77 Mazda Road to Indy/SSM car. Daly inherited the lead when the car of teammate Josef Newgarden nosed into the Turn 8 tire barrier of the 1.968-mile, 11-turn circuit and went on to win under caution.

DAY 3NOTEBOOK:

Did you know that Marco Andretti is a lefty?

Three games under .500 in this young season — and after putting Hong-Chih Kuo on the disabled list with a back strain — the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for some left-handed relief.

He threw out the ceremonial first pitch – with longtime Dodgers manager and Baseball Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda catching — April 16 at Dodger Stadium. It was a ball, high and away.

During infield warm-ups, the Andretti Autosport driver of the No. 26 Team Venom car joined his grandfather, 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, Lasorda and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly on the field. They also greeted fans in Autograph Alley.

***

Former IZOD IndyCar Series driver Hideki Mutoh was to make his TV debut as driver analyst of the Gaora broadcast of the race in Japan. … The Indianapolis 500 and the Port of Long Beach have something in common — in 1911, when Ray Harroun won the inaugural 500 Mile Race, the first ship docked at the port with a load of redwood lumber from Northern California, which was unloaded by hand onto mule-drawn wagons.

FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH POST-RACE NOTES:

· This is Conor Daly’s first win in Firestone Indy Lights. The win comes in only his third series start. His previous best finish was second at St. Pete.

· Daly’s father Derek won the Toyota Celebrity race in the pro division in 2000 at Long Beach.

· This is Estaban Guerrieri’s career best Firestone Indy Lights finish, his previous best finish was 6th at St. Pete

· This is Stefan Wilson’s second consecutive podium finish of the season, Stephan finished second last weekend in Barber.

CONOR DALY (No. 77 Mazda Road to Indy/SSM, winner Grand Prix of Long Beach): “It’s pretty unbelievable. You know, I got here late and didn’t get to practice Friday. I wish I could have run the first session but just missed it. The car was fantastic, again, the Sam Schmidt Motorsports team does a great job what they do preparing the cars, and that made it just a little bit easier to kind of jump in and find the limit. The whole race I was really just learning the track still. I kind of saw a few things Josef was doing, and my car was really consistent through the whole race, so I was able to kind of find little bits here and there and just be able to start putting quicker and quicker laps together. And when I got up right behind him, I was kind of worried because when I had the best run my car skipped third gear and went to fourth and the next lap it did the same thing. So it was a bit of a stressful situation because I saw Esteban closing on me pretty quickly when that happened, and I just had to really concentrate on getting the car from third to fourth gear. Eventually I caught back up to Josef, and he unfortunately went off, and it was tough to see that when Sam Schmidt Motorsports was in that position for one, two, three, but I’ll take it.”

ESTEBAN GUERRIERI (No. 7 Lucas Oil/Sam Schmidt Motorsport, finished second): “I had a very good start. I had a good run in the first corner, but straight away, I started suffering a lot of understeer and I started to push instantly from the beginning. I got passed and I got passed again, so I was third. I got into a pace, and it was OK, but still I wasn’t the quickest out there. I was just trying to maintain my rhythm. In the end, there was a restart and I didn’t have a very good traction, so I got passed, so I was fourth. There were crashes for Josef and Dempsey so I got up to second. It’s not too bad to finish on the podium, but you want to win when you start up from pole, but it’s not every day you can do it.”

STEFAN WILSON (No. 5 Andretti Autosport): “We had a bad qualifying session yesterday. We looked like we were in good shape, and we definitely felt like the car deserved to be much higher than a P 6 starting position. Anyway, a few quick laps would have put us on the front, and unfortunately the yellows caught us out and we had to start from P 6, and really going into the race really wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew that turn 1 would be crucial and I thought it was going to be very tight, and I’m glad that I was able to maintain my position through Turn 1, and then we had a good race car and were able to pressure guys into mistakes. Right at the end there I was keeping up with Esteban on the cold tires, and I felt if we had an extra couple laps we could have had a chance to get by, and then it turns out the next corner Josef made a mistake and went off, and that elevated me to a podium finish and took away the rest of the race. All in all, I’m very pleased. The second consecutive podium in two weeks, so I’m pleased with that, and it’s good points, and it’s just nice to be here on the podium at Long Beach.”

DEREK DALY (Former driver, Conor Daly’s father): “I’m just thrilled he gets to surround himself by such great people and good equipment and he gets this opportunity to learn and display his god given talent. And at a place like Long Beach where there was an option for him to drop the race from his schedule because he was still in Barcelona (Spain) on Friday. He said ‘No. This is such a mega event, I want to be here. I don’t care how much travel and how tired I am, I want to be here.’ And he was rewarded for it.”

SAM SCHMIDT (Team owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “It’s a bittersweet moment. We got the victory with Conor and that’s fantastic. We got a win for the Mazda Road to Indy program. I’m just disappointed for Josef who worked so hard to get to the front and had led most of the race, and he didn’t get to finish at all. He’s obviously a phenominal driver. He’ll have his opportunity for time in victory lane. I’m also proud of Esteban. He showed great patience and brought it home in one piece on the podium. And I’m proud of Victor as well. He started 11th and advanced to sixth which is his best finish of the year. We just need to get him up with the other guys.”

PETER DEMPSEY (No. 36 Pulse/O2 Racing Technology): “I just missed the downshift into the corner on the back straight. I got into neutral and didn’t have any engine break. It was my own mistake and I want to apologize to my team 02 Racing Technology because it is my own error and they worked so hard all weekend to give me a good car. I don’t even know what to say. I feel bad for the guys on my team who performed well all weekend. We were leading with three Sam Schmidt Motorsports cars behind me and pulling away comfortably and pushing the limit to be there. Unfortunately I just made my first mistake of the season at the most unfortunate time. Apart from that it was a great start to the race today and the Firestone tires were working great for us. I need to move forward and look to the ovals now.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 11 RoboPong/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “This is probably the toughest moment I have had in my career. It is not something you can plan for. It is certainly the first time this has happened to me and it isn’t a fun feeling to have. I think I just caught the drain ditch and it popped me up on the ground. I hadn’t hit it all weekend, so it caught me off guard when it happened. It just caught the front end up and it was very difficult to save it. It is too bad for all the guys. I thought we were going to have a great weekend here and it is unfortunate that it finished the way it did. There is a long season ahead of us and I am anxious to test on an oval this week.”

TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH POST-RACE NOTES:

· This is Mike Conway’s first career win. It is his 26th career start in the IZOD IndyCar Series. His previous best finish was third place at Infineon in 2009.

· The last first-time winner in the IZOD IndyCar Series was Ryan Briscoe in 2008 at Milwaukee.

· This is Andretti Autosport’s second consecutive win at Long Beach. The team won last year with driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. Team owner Michael Andretti won the event twice as a driver (1986, 2002).

· Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe finished second, his best finish of the 2011 season.

· Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti finished third. Dario has finished on the podium in all three races to date this season.

· Newman Haas Racing’s James Hinchcliffe finished fourth in only his second start in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

· Sam Schmidt Motorsports Alex Tagliani finished fifth, his best finish of the season.

TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH POST-RACE QUOTES:

MIKE CONWAY (No 27 Window World Cares, winner Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach): “It feels awesome. As soon as I got in the lead, I was thinking of winning already. I knew I had to forget about it and get with the job at hand. The car was great. I could push all the time and control the gap. I can’t thank everybody at the team Andretti Autosport for this result for the Window World Cares and DHL car. My guys hung in there all day. I made a mistake on a pit stop when I locked up. I thought our day might be done, but we had to hang in there and push all the way. On the restarts the car was awesome and it just came to life.” (About pass for the lead): “I made the same move on Dario (Franchitti). It was like they were struggling to get temperature in the tires. My car was good to go. I just took my time and picked my point, and was able to pull away.”

MICHAEL ANDRETTI (Owner, Andretti Autosport): “I am so happy. His comeback is now complete. He impressed me right away. The first time we put him in a race car, I could tell he had potential. I’m just so happy he was able to (win) this early and win one of the greatest races here in Long Beach. I’m just so proud of him and the whole Window World Cares team. They had a tough time on that pit stop, and they were able to overcome.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, finished third): The car was really quick everywhere except for turn into the straight and down the straight. I think with the gear ratio and setting up for the wrong parts of the track made it hard for me to pass anyone because of the gap they would get coming out of the hairpin. It was an interesting day for me. It has been a long time since the radio failed. After the first stop, it went out so we were getting wrong signals and mixed calls. I caught a little bit of luck to get on the podium because the other guys took each other out. I almost got caught up in one incident because I locked the wheels up and we did the best we could to avoid the incident. I struggled on the out lap after my last pit stop and I don’t know if it was the car or something I need to work on but we lost a lot of time there. Overall it was a good day for Target Chip Ganassi Racing to be on the podium and I am pleased to be first in points for the championship running

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Penske Truck Rentals, finished second): “Mike Conway was in a class of his own today and there was nothing I could do. He was so much faster when he made that move on me. I really thought we were going to bring the #6 Penske Truck Rentals car to victory lane this weekend. It is a great day though as we started twelfth and moved our way up to second place.”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 19 Boy Scouts of America): “The run was going much better than I thought it would be because we made up some positions. I passed Danica then I passed Marco and I things were going all right. And then the car, the car was definitely a lot tougher to drive than you’d like but overall it was still about as good as we were going to get it. We could do decent mileage with the pace we had so it was all right. We’re still lacking grip, but I think we are making progress. It was an interesting race but they sent Marco out and he had no idea I was going to use that side and he just squeezed me there and that was it.”

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): “I am very, very happy with how competitive the Telemundo team is. We had a strong performance the whole weekend and the team keeps moving forward. But I do have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth because this was probably the best race car I have ever had in a race. I felt in control the whole race; I felt I was better than anybody around me. I felt I was better than the Ganassi’s, the Penske’s and we were just running our strategy. When the yellow came, it hurt us because we were just coming in that lap so that didn’t go our way but we were still strong and we still thought a podium was definitely in our future and then on the restart Helio was a little too optimistic and got into Power and just didn’t leave me anywhere to go because I was on the outside. I had to do a little bit of a circus maneuver to get back on track and that obviously cost us the podium there but we finished sixth and it could have been a lot worse. I’m happy with how we’re doing. We’re consistent, we’re always there and the wins will come. We are working hard and it’s paying off.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman Haas Racing, finished fourth): “The guys did such a good job getting the back-up car going this afternoon. We had to tweak on it a little bit, but I didn’t think we got the best out of qualifying, but we had a really good race, we were able to save fuel when we needed to, push when we needed to. There’s no doubt that we benefited from some other people’s misfortunes, but at the end of the day it was just such a great drive. The car was awesome and consistent. On that final restart anything could have happened and we managed to gain a spot. Huge thanks to Newman/Haas, Sprott and everybody on board here because it was great results after what happened at Barber.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports, finished fifth): “I think we had a better car than fifth, but not a winning car. We were struggling a bit with the balance on the blacks. The reds were going down pretty quickly for us – too quickly I would say. But, the team did a good job, the Bowers & Wilkins car all day, ran flawlessly other than one refueling problem. We were top-five all weekend, so I think that’s what we deserved.

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.”

TONY KANAAN (No. 82 GEICO – KV Racing Technology – Lotus, finished eighth): “It was a long day. We had a little bit of an issue with a pit stop and that cost us the race. We still finished in the top-10 which is a decent result. Things like that should not be happening, so we have to go home and fix it.”

E.J. VISO (No. 59 PDVSA – KV Racing Technology – Lotus): “I was having a good, clean race. We were running in the top-10. Then after my second pit stop I was attempting to pass another car and we made contact. I haven’t looked at the video, so I don’t want to say too much, but I thought it was a legitimate pass because the other driver had lost momentum after being overtaken by other car. It is a shame because I think we were in a position to have a good result. We will just have to try and get things going in Brazil.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Automobile Club of Southern California Team Penske): “First of all, the Auto Club Team Penske crew did a great job today. To be running inside the top-five for most of the race was just amazing. As far as the restart, I’m really not sure what to say. I feel terrible for Will (Power). I wasn’t even trying to pass, but we just made contact. Will is my teammate, and of course you just can’t take each other out. It’s just very unfortunate and I have to say I’m sorry to the team. Good job to Ryan, he deserved at least a second-place finish today. And Congratulations to (Mike) Conway on the win.”

PAUL TRACY (No. 8 Dragon Racing-Ralphs Grocery): “Today overall was a long, lonely day. Due to early penalties we stayed in the back of the field most of the day. However the car ran great and kept a consistent pace. The team performed well together and we were able to finish under the checkered flag.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “The Verizon car was strong today. It’s definitely not the finish we wanted. I’m not really sure what happened on the restart. I got hit from behind by Helio (Castroneves) but sometimes that’s what happens in racing – especially close racing like this with the double-file restarts. We drove back to finish 10th and made the most of it. It wasn’t a great day for points, but Verizon Team Penske will keep working hard and move forward.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing): “We had a good car but at the end of the stint we were hurting. And on both my outlaps we had problems—first with Rahal hitting me in pitlane and then Danica bumped wheels with me after my second stop outlap. Every time something happened in front of me, I had to make a choice where to go and it was never the right one! So I lost 4 positions but hey, it’s still another top 10 so we can’t complain—this ABC Supply team will have the result we deserve soon.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “I was really happy for the National Guard guys that we were able to hang in there and push to the end and I was able to rip off some of my fastest laps right there at the end of the race, and I felt like that was a good way to end it.” (About hitting the debris on Lap 67): “The coast was pretty much clear by the time I got down there and I just ended up running over a piece of debris and it just instantly destroyed the right-front tire. I got lucky because there were other guys having similar problems and it was if suddenly there was oil slick on the track because guys were going off right and left as they ran over stuff, which forced me to drive a little bit slower until I realized I had a serious issue. Then we had to pit again because we entered a closed pit and ended up at the end of the line, and following that I took back off and thought I had an issue with one of the rear tires and then pitted again under green. For me personally and for us as a group we just need to take what we can from this weekend and learn as much as we can going to Brazil, because that’s not going to be too much different.”

***

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 at by VERSUS.

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Victory marks Andretti Autosport’s second consecutive win at Long Beach and 37th IZOD IndyCar Series career win
“Mike just didn’t give up. After the hiccup in the pits, you’d think the race was over for him. But he just hung in there, made some beautiful passes and did what it takes to be a winner. From the moment he came here, he showed signs of brilliance. He’s been a great addition to the Andretti Autosport team.”

MARCO ANDRETTI, #26 TEAM VENOM ENERGY DRINK CAR

- Turned in a 26th place finish after a pit lane incident early in the race

“Today’s contact with (Sebastien) Bourdais was an easy one to be avoided. It was my fault completely, I just had no idea he was on my corner. But at the same time, he does have breaks and I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish. I clearly had the right away and would have beaten him at the line. It’s just unfortunate all around. The Venom car was coming on and we were the only car coming out on reds. I think we had a chance that stint. We tried to give it a go but the steering seized up and we had to call it a day.”

MIKE CONWAY, #27 TEAM WINDOW WORLD CARES CAR

- Secured his first victory in the IZOD IndyCar Series

“What a great result! It looked a bit difficult here earlier this weekend, but this morning I knew the car would be fast. It was really tough to overtake here, but they just told me to hang in there. The team did a great job; good strategy. I can’t thank the guys at Andretti Autosport enough, as well as everyone at Window World Cares and DHL, for putting their faith in me.”

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

- Ended the race in 23rd place, due to a gearbox issue

“We had a problem with the gear selector near the end of the race – basically we couldn’t shift. It’s frustrating because the DHL/Sun Drop car was running strong and challenging for the lead. I really think we could have gotten (Ryan) Briscoe once his tires started falling off. I was hoping for a second win here.”

DANICA PATRICK, #7 TEAM GoDaddy.com CAR

- Finished in 7th place

“I think we had a pretty solid day. We didn’t make any mistakes and raced clean. We made some passes out on the track, the guys did a good job in the pits, and a few on-track incidents worked in our favor. We came away with a pretty good day. I think this is a start of a good thing for the GoDaddy.com car.”

- Andretti Autosport Press Release

Window World Cares is Window World Inc.’s charitable foundation used for donations, community outreach programs, and other benevolent events. Since its creation in 2008, Window World Cares is responsible for raising more than $1.6 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – enough to operate the hospital for one day.

Although it maintains a large focus on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Window World Cares also helps sponsor the Veteran’s Airlift Command, which provides free transportation to injured soldiers, veterans and their immediate families.

Conway, who is in his first season with Andretti Autosport, posted a career-best qualifying result of second at Barber in 2010 before driving to a ninth-place finish on race day.

For more information on Window World Cares, please visit www.windowworldcares.com.

Mike Conway, driver, #27 Window World Cares car:

“This is a nice opportunity for me to represent a great organization in a high-profile manner and work with them to make a difference for those that are most deserving. Window World Cares has already done some great things in just three years and I hope oureffort this season will help them further along toward their goals.”

Tammy Whitworth, CEO, Window World, Inc. and co-founder, Window World Cares:

“Everyone at Window World and Window World Cares is thrilled to be part of Mike Conway’s IndyCar effort this year. We are very proud of the work we do with Window World Cares and love any opportunity we get to share our message with people that want to get involved and help out.”

Dana Deem, president, Window World, Inc.:

“Window World Cares is a terrific charitable program and is a huge part of Window World, Inc. We are always looking for new ways to make an impact for people that need our help. This opportunity to work with Mike Conway and Andretti Autosport is great for us and something we are very excited about.”

About Window World Cares:

Window World Cares is the charitable foundation of the nation’s largest replacement window company, Window World, Inc. Funds raised through Window World Cares are used for donations, community outreach programs, and other benevolent events. In addition to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Window World Cares also helps sponsor the Veteran’s Airlift Command, which provides free transportation to injured soldiers, veterans, and their immediate families. Since its creation in 2008, Window World Cares is responsible for raising more than $1,600,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – enough to operate the hospital for one day. Window World Cares is headed by Tammy Whitworth, wife of the late Todd Whitworth, former CEO of Window World. To learn more about Window World Cares and its charitable partners or to donate, visit www.WindowWorldCares.com.

About Window World, Inc.:

Window World Inc., headquartered in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is America’s largest replacement window company with offices in more than 200 cities nationwide. Founded in 1995, the company consistently delivers value to homeowners by combining quality products with excellent service at low prices. Window World sells and installs more than one million high-quality residential replacement windows annually. Additionally, through its charitable foundation Window World Cares, the Window World family provides funding for commendable community causes. In 2010, Window World Cares was named New Corporate Partner of the Year by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Visit www.windowworld.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 competes in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and 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

Newman / Haas Racing (NHR)

NHR earned its second of eight series championships to date in 1991 when Michael Andretti matched a CART-record eight wins and poles competing in the No. 2, and was rewarded with the honorary No. 1 to use the next season. Following that, Mario Andretti (1992), Sebastien Bourdais (2003, 2004), Bruno Junqueira (2005, 2006), Oriol Servia (2005) and Graham Rahal (2007) competed in a No. 2 NHR car. In total, the team has earned 20 of its 107 wins and 24 of its 109 poles running the No. 2.

Servia, driver of the Telemundo entry for NHR, will run the No. 2 beginning with the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park, April 8-10.

Servia first came to the team in 2005 as the replacement for Junqueira, who had just claimed the Champ Car points lead but suffered a season-ending injury in the Indy 500 on May 29. Servia competed in 11 of the 13 races for the team that season, which included earning his first Indy car win (Montreal) and pole (Surfers Paradise, Australia) as well as a total of seven top-three, 11 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes – all while competing in the No. 2 car.

“I am very happy about driving with the No. 2 again,” said Servia. “Not only does the number represent a lot of history for the team, I had the most successful Indy car season of my career while driving the No. 2 car for the team in 2005. In addition, our new sponsor Telemundo has a television channel, Mun2, and we can do some creative promotions together.”

The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Round 2 of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS) season, will take place April 8-10 at Barber Motorsports Park. NHR set the fifth and seventh fastest times at the open test at this track March 14-15 with Servia and Canadian James Hinchcliffe.

About Telemundo

Telemundo Communications Group, Inc. & Subsidiaries (“Telemundo”), a division of NBC Universal, is a world-class media company, leading the industry in the production and distribution of high-quality Spanish-language content across its multi-platform portfolio to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. Telemundo’s multiple platforms include Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network featuring original productions, theatrical motion pictures, news and first-class sports events, reaching 94% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 14 owned-and-operated stations, 46 broadcast affiliates, and over 1,000 cable affiliates; Mun2, is the lifestyle cable network for today’s culture connectors (C2s) – bicultural Latinos.

As the bilingual network that amplifies the Latinos experience, Mun2 is uniquely American and reaches over 35 million U.S. TV households nationwide on digital and analog cable, satellite and free television; Telemundo Digital Media, which leverages Telemundo’s original content for distribution across digital and emerging platforms including mobile devices and www.telemundo.com and www.holamun2.com; and Telemundo International, the company’s international distribution arm which has positioned Telemundo as the second largest provider of Spanish-language content worldwide by syndicating content to more than 100 countries in over 35 languages.

About Newman / Haas Racing

Newman/Haas Racing (NHR) was formed by actor/race car driver Paul Newman and racing entrepreneur Carl Haas and is one of the most successful open wheel racing teams competing today. In 2011 the team will participate in their 29th consecutive season of competition and will attempt to add to the eight championships, 107 race wins and 109 pole positions they have earned to date. For more information, log on to www.newmanhaasracing.com, www.newmanhaasdelivers.com or www.indycar.com.

- Newman / Haas Racing Press Release

The Michael Andretti Foundation

This limited event will include both live and silent auction packages featuring wine country travel packages, authentic racing memorabilia from the Andretti’s personal collection and once in a lifetime IndyCar experiences. Throughout the evening guests will also experience:

• A special greeting from Michael Andretti

• Live entertainment

• Guest appearances by INDYCAR drivers (including Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway and Danica Patrick)

In late 2012, the Museum of Nature & Science will open the new Perot Museum of Nature & Science, a 180,000-square foot facility, filled with ten permanent exhibition halls that include extensive information about engineering, energy, earth, and life sciences. One of the current Museum’s most popular areas, and undoubtedly one of the future Museum’s most anticipated spaces, is the Children’s Museum. In this area, the youngest visitors will playfully enjoy discovering their world through dynamic interactions with objects and phenomena, while developing literacy, science and math skills.

Funds will help support the design development and the educational programming within the Children’s Museum, thus improving and expanding the Museum’s overall early childhood education initiatives. The Michael Andretti Foundation is proud to support the Museum and help them “Inspire Minds Through Nature & Science”. For more information on the Dallas Museum of Nature & Science please visit http://www.natureandscience.org.

Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway cares for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. The organization has distributed more than $7.5 million in grants to local children’s organizations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.

The charitable donation for this limited event is $250 per person for a standard ticket, or $350 per person for VIP access. For more details on the event and ticket sales, please visit http://andrettiautosport.com/Foundation.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a one time donation to benefit the Museum of Nature & Science please mail your donation to The Michael Andretti Foundation at 7615 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268.

About The Michael Andretti Foundation

Based in Indianapolis The Michael Andretti Foundation is a 501(c)(3) foundation established by open-wheel racing legend Michael Andretti to help people who have shown need and to help promote programs for better health, education and welfare of North America’s children and citizens. For more information about The Michael Andretti Foundation, visit http://andrettiautosport.com/Foundation.

About Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of our 12 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott’s, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Peñafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose’s and Mr & Mrs T mixers. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.drpeppersnapple.com.

- Andretti Autosport for The Michael Andretti Foundation, Press Release