KV Racing Technology

Tracy, a two-time Toronto winner (1993 and 2003), always seems to live up to his nickname of the “Thrill from West Hill” when he races through the streets of Exhibition Place.

Last year was no different as the Canadian legend, winner of 31 career IndyCar races, drove a brilliant race from his 15th starting position to contest Helio Castroneves for second. But Tracy’s rival wasn’t up for letting him pass in turn three and both crashed in turn four on the 2.84-km, 11-turn track.

Now, Tracy seeks a little revenge with his beautiful No. 15 Honda Canada—Make A Wish—KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry when the track opens Friday morning. Tracy returned to road racing action at Watkins Glen two weeks ago when he piloted the Dreyer & Reinbold car to 14th. This race will be Tracy’s 18th Toronto start.

KV Racing Technology, co-owned by former champion Jimmy Vasser and entrepreneur Kevin Kalkhoven, has entered four drivers for the Honda Indy Toronto with young star Mario Moraes, former GP2 sensation E.J. Viso and veteran Formula One racer and IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato joining Tracy in the four-car assault in the Toronto streets.

Moraes, the youngest regular in the series at age 21, comes to Toronto off his best finish of the year — fifth at Watkins Glen. The Brazilian figures to be a contender this weekend in the No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car after impressive road racing runs this season. His last street race, Long Beach, saw Moraes come from 15th to 6th.

E.J. Viso, driver of the No. 8 PDVSA — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine, has been playing catch up in the past two races with a third (from 19th) at Iowa and 11th (from 25th) at Watkins Glen. Viso is always a strong street-course racer and should be in the middle of the action in Toronto.

Formula One veteran Takuma Sato, in the No. 5 Lotus — KV Racing Technology entry, will make his Toronto debut, but the personable Japanese star is no stranger to Canada, where he competed at Montreal in F-1 competition. Sato, who qualified a season-best fifth at Watkins Glen, finished sixth in 2007 and 10th in 2002 at Montreal. This will be his fourth street event in 2010.

DRIVER QUOTES:

PAUL TRACY, #15 HONDA CANADA – MAKE A WISH – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE:

“It is always exciting to return to Toronto. It’s my hometown and the race I always want to win. I thought I was close to winning last year when I came from the back to challenge for the win. Now, I look forward to this year’s event with a little bit of revenge after last year’s race. It is tough to come in as a part-timer against the top teams. It’s like Wayne Gretzky now putting on skates and playing the playoffs. I have had nearly a year out of the car. The Watkins Glen race help get the rust off for me. Now, I’m ready to do battle.”

MARIO MORAES, #32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE:

“I am looking forward to going back to Canada. The KV Racing Technology team gave me a fast car at Watkins Glen two weeks ago so we know we have the car and the ability. I’m also looking forward to having Paul (Tracy) back with the team. He has a lot of experience at this track and hopefully with his knowledge, the whole team can have a successful weekend.”

E.J. VISO, #8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE:

“Toronto is a really nice track and a great place to come back to.

It’s a mixture between St. Petersburg and Long Beach, with some good bumps and the long straight. This is definitely a place where mechanically you need to be pretty soft in order to find good braking, traction and grip in the slow corners. We have made good progression over the last two races and, hopefully, I will have a good result here.”

TAKUMA SATO, #5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE:

“This will be my second visit to Toronto – my first one was after the Canadian GP at Montreal three years ago when I visited Honda Canada and got a really warm welcome. It was so nice to see all the enthusiastic employees and then enjoy a great evening dinner downtown where they had such a great atmosphere. So I really enjoyed the last visit. Now I am coming back there for racing which is very exciting! The Toronto street course has a great history and the KV team was very competitive last year so I am looking forward to having a strong weekend.”

- KV Racing Technology Press Release

Graham Rahal

The younger Rahal, who started three of five Izod IndyCar Series events for Sarah Fisher Racing while seeking full-time work, will race the No. 30 Dallara/Honda with a sponsor to be named before practice begins May 16 for the 94th edition on May 30.

After previously saying he wanted his son to drive for another team to establish his own identity, Bobby Rahal said Tuesday that the timing was right for the generational merger at the Brickyard.

“I think he has proven he belongs and I’m thrilled to have him,” said the three-time CART champion, referring to his son’s historic 2008 St. Petersburg victory that made him open-wheel racing’s youngest winner at 19 years, 93 days.

“It’s flattering when your child wants to do what you do, even better when he wants to do it for you.”

- USA Today

IZOD IndyCar Series Logo

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines

1. Power ready for season-long battle

2. Inside the numbers: St. Petersburg

3. City estimates increase in Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg attendance

4. Junqueira joins FAZZT Race Team for Indianapolis

5. Solid debut for Yacaman, Cape Motorsport w/ Wayne Taylor Racing

1. Power ready for season-long battle: Just in case Will Power wasn’t cognizant of the calendar, Dario Franchitti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Justin Wilson – and a host of other IZOD IndyCar Series drivers – will quickly remind him that the 2010 season is a marathon, not a sprint.

There are still 15 races to be contested (eight ovals and seven road/street courses).

Power followed up his victory in the opener March 14 in Brazil with a 0.8244-of-a-second win in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 29. The Verizon Team Penske driver  leads the IZOD IndyCar Series standings by 44 points over the second-place trio of Franchitti, Hunter-Reay and Wilson.

Power became the first driver since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2001 to emerge victorious in the first two races. He’ll attempt to match Scott Dixon (2007, Watkins Glen-Mid-Ohio), Dan Wheldon (2005, St. Petersburg-Indianapolis) and Kenny Brack (1998, Charlotte-Atlanta) for a series-record three consecutive wins in the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union on April 11. He’ll enter the event as a favorite after topping the time charts during an Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park last month.

“I’m just aware that it’s only race two of 17,” said Power, who picked up the three bonus points at St. Pete by earning the PEAK Performance Pole Award and leading the most laps (50 of 100). “To win a championship doesn’t matter if you win two races and then have a heap of bad ones. You’ve got to win as much as you can. You’ve got to go into every race thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to win.’ But if you can’t, you have to make the most of it, and that’s my thinking.”

Power’s teammate, Ryan Briscoe, maintained a similar thought process in ’09 – in which he had three victories and a series record-tying eight runner-up finishes – and it led him to the championship-deciding race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Briscoe, who started 19th (his lowest ever on a street/road course) charged through the field to finish third in the No. 6 Team Penske car. Teammate Helio Castroneves was fourth.

“He’s got a good lead but it’s early and there is a lot of racing to go,” Briscoe said. “There are lots of different tracks to come, obviously. At Penske, he’s got a car that’s going to be strong at all of the races this year, and it’s going to take a lot to catch him.”

Team Penske has finished either first or second in the past 13 street/road course races (since Mid-Ohio in 2008).

“Obviously, it was a great result overall for Team Penske,” Penske Racing president Tim Cindric said. “Will has really come out of the box well in the Verizon car. To have three out of the top four spots puts us in a good position to challenge for the championship early on in the season. But we have to take it one race at a time and continue to execute when opportunities are there.”

Wilson finished second, Franchitti was fifth and Hunter-Reay wound up 11th at St. Pete. Raphael Matos followed his third place in Brazil with an eighth-place effort – after starting 23rd – and is 47 points back of Power. Five teams are represented in the top five.

“I think (the championship is) wide open, and obviously Will had a great start to the season,” Wilson said. “But the field is so deep this year. You’ve got to race the whole way.”

2. Inside the numbers: St. Petersburg: Numbers to note following the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the second of 17 races in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

2 – Drivers who have won the first two races of an IZOD IndyCar Series season: Will Power (2010) and Sam Hornish Jr. (2001). Hornish went on to win the championship.

5 -Teams represented in the top five of the series point standings.

8 – Different leaders, tying the record set in 2008 for most leaders at St. Petersburg

10 – Lead changes during the race, including three on-track passes for the lead in the first six laps.

15 – Cars on the lead lap, one short of the series record for most cars on the lead lap in an event.

16 – Positions improved by Ryan Briscoe, the highest number of positions gained by any driver. Raphael Matos and Danica Patrick gained 15 and 14 positions, respectively.

34 – Consecutive top-10 starts for Scott Dixon – extending his IZOD IndyCar Series record.

3. City estimates increase in Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg attendance: City of St. Petersburg officials are “extremely pleased” with attendance of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg despite an extra day of activity to contest the thunderstorm-delayed IZOD IndyCar Series event.

“The city’s Police, Fire and Special Events staff are taking a look at the daily crowd estimates for the four days of the event and have not released a figure yet,” said city Grand Prix Coordinator Kevin Dunn. “We are confident with the additional day of racing we met or exceeded the city-estimated attendance of 160,000 from last year.”

City stormwater crews began work early Monday, clearing the track of standing water to make it suitable for racing. Dunn credits the exceptional efforts by city departments, the Grand Prix and Indy Racing League officials, to give the race the green flag.

City officials originally estimated downtown streets affected by the race would be back to normal by April 9, with all other areas open by April 18. Because of the unusual circumstances, motorists and pedestrians could see scheduled road re-openings delayed up to 24 hours. Crews are also optimistic about meeting the previously scheduled reopening of the airport runway on April 1.

4. Junqueira joins FAZZT Race Team for Indianapolis: Alex Tagliani didn’t forget Bruno Junqueira’s gracious act at last year’s Indianapolis 500, and the Brazilian driver will compete for a starting berth this May in a second FAZZT Race Team car.

Junqueira qualified a Conquest Racing car on Bump Day in the 30th position. But he stepped out of the entry for Tagliani, who had failed to make the field because of a crash in qualifications.

“Because we have enough sponsorship to run a second car at Indianapolis, we felt it important to give that chance to Bruno,” said Tagliani, who is competing full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series with the first-year FAZZT Race Team. “Last year, with Bruno as the second driver in the team I was at, he let his spot in the field go after I had a mishap in qualifying. And it turned out, I had a pretty good race at the Indy 500 so it is nice way to say thank you to Bruno for what he did for me last year.”

Tagliani started 33^rd and finished 11^th, earning Chase Rookie of the Year honors. In two IZOD IndyCar Series races this season, he has finished sixth (St. Petersburg) and 19^th (Brazil, started second but was involved in contact early).

Junqueira, a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, started from the pole at Indy in 2002 and has led 52 laps.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to compete for the FAZZT Race Team at the Indianapolis 500,” said Junqueira, who has competed in the race five times and will drive the No. 33 entry. “The team will give me the resources and support to compete in a car that has the capabilities of winning at the Indianapolis 500. To win at Indianapolis has always been a dream of mine.

“I’ve had some very competitive opportunities at Indianapolis and in each year I’ve led laps and scored two top-five finishes at the Speedway. I hope that in 2010 I am able to complete my dream of a win at Indianapolis since I have been so close in the past.”

Tagliani, Jim Freudenberg, Andre Azzi and Jason Priestley are co-owners of FAZZT Race Team.

“When we formed the FAZZT Race Team, we had a few goals in mind,” Freudenberg said. “One of those goals was that if we had the opportunity to field a second entry at Indianapolis that we wanted to put Bruno in that car. Bruno is an extremely talented driver and is the perfect complement to our current program.

“We are also excited that Bruno will be piloting the No. 33 car at Indianapolis as that is the car number he drove to the pole position in 2002, and we are hoping that number will serve him well again in 2010.”

Opening Day at the Speedway is May 15.

5. Solid debut for Yacaman, Cape Motorsport w/ Wayne Taylor Racing: Gustavo Yacaman could describe his debut with Cape Motorsport with Wayne Taylor Racing as a wet and wild race.

The Colombian finished fifth in the opening round of Firestone Indy Lights on the streets of St. Petersburg after making two separate charges to the front. Yacamán started 10th and was able to avoid an incident on the first lap and found himself near the front of the field when the first full-course yellow flew on Lap 1.

After the restart, he claimed second place by Lap 4 and remained there until he missed a turn going into 4 on Lap 15 and was forced onto the run-off area. He quickly recovered and worked his way back into the field, ultimately finishing fifth.

“It was a really hard and long race,” said Yacamán. “I had a good start on the outside, and I was able to make up some positions. I was really cautious on the restart, but I was able to move up to second place before they stopped the race due to conditions. From then on, it was a really long race. I made a couple of mistakes going into Turn 4 that cost us a podium finish. But at the end of the day, I kept it off the wall and a finished a solid fifth. I really want to thank all my crew for their support and determination during the weekend. They did a great job.”

***

The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues April 11 with the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union at Barber Motorsports Park. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 3 p.m. (ET) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Grand Prix of Alabama April 11 at Barber Motorsports Park. The race will air live on indycar.com.

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

Race Distance: 180 mi./289.7 km (100 laps on the 1.8-mi./2.897-km temporary street course).

Television/Radio Broadcast: Live – Sunday, March 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, IMS Radio Network, XM Radio 145 and SIRIUS Radio 211.

Firestone Firehawk Race Tires Supplied:
* Primary (black-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 702, each entry gets six sets (24 total tires);
* Alternate (red-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 342, each entry gets three sets (12 total tires);
* Wet-condition (rain) tires with grooved tread pattern: 336, each entry has five sets available. Firestone is utilizing its softer, street-course rain tire at all road/street events in 2010.

Per series regulations, all cars must use at least one primary set of tires and one new alternate set during the race, each for a minimum of two green-flag laps, unless rain tires are used – then teams are free to use their tire allotment as they see fit.  Firestone Racing is bringing proven street-course tire specifications to St. Petersburg. The primary (black-sidewall) tires are the same as the primary spec used two weeks ago in Brazil. This primary spec is the most durable in Firestone’s current street-course tire inventory. The alternate (red-sidewall) tires are identical to the 2009 alternates from Long Beach and Toronto, and constitute Firestone’s softest current street-course spec. The Firehawk alternates are identical in body construction to the primaries but contain a softer tread compound which provides more grip and faster lap times, yet trades off compound durability in exchange for those shorter-term advantages.

From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: “The 2010 season got off to a rousing start in Brazil and we are expecting another fine event this weekend. The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is among our favorite races, in part because of the great exposure the Firestone brand receives as Official Tire of the event and the excellent relationship we have built with the Green Savoree Racing Promotions group. Reliable tires with the right amount of grip are pivotal on a challenging street circuit like we’ll see this weekend. The Firehawk specifications for St. Pete have already proven their worth in race conditions from Canada to Brazil, so we’re confident that they will once again answer that call.”

Firestone “Tire-ific” Move of the Race: Following each IndyCar Series race again in 2010, Firestone Racing will nominate three drivers who best utilized their Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. Fans can go to www.indycar.com and vote for the nominee they believe made the most “Tire-ific” move of the race. The $10,000 prize winner from Brazil – nominees are Ryan Hunter-Reay, Vitor Meira and Will Power – will be announced in pre-race activities Sunday.

- Firestone, Press Release

Target Chip Ganassi Racing

Race:

NOTES/NEWS

Team History at St. Pete: TCGR has competed at St. Petersburg from 2005-2009 with three top-fives including Dario Franchitti’s fourth place finish in 2009 and Scott Dixon’s second place finishes in 2006 and 2007.

Sao Paulo Indy 300 Recap: Dario Franchitti earned his 24th Indy car pole and became the third driver in IZOD IndyCar Series history to lead the last lap in one season and then lead the first lap in the next season. Franchitti led a race high 29 laps and finished seventh. Scott Dixon started seventh and got caught up in a multi-car incident in the first turn. Having dropped as far back as 19th, Dixon finished sixth after an impressive charge to the front to challenge for a top-five.

Dario Franchitti and the No. 10 Cottonelle Team

Cottonelle to Sponsor No. 10 Car of Dario Franchitti at Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: Target Chip Ganassi Racing announced recently that Cottonelle will serve as the primary sponsor of its No.10 Honda Dallara for reigning IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

King of the Streets: In making his 200th start, Franchitti will also be making his 45th start on a street course (35 starts in CART and 10 starts in the IZOD IndyCar Series). Franchitti grabbed his second open wheel win in the 1998 Molson Indy Vancouver street race and has won eight of his 23 open wheel races on street courses.

Dario by the Numbers: St. Petersburg marks Franchitti’s 86th start in the IZOD IndyCar Series and his 19th Indy car start with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Franchitti has claimed two IndyCar championships (2009/2007), the 2007 Indianapolis 500, 23 victories and 24 poles in his U.S. Indy car career (CART, IRL) with 120 top-10 finishes.

In the Beginning: Franchitti made his first open wheel start with Hogan Racing at the 1997 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway and earned his first Indy car win at the 1998 Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. In 1998, Franchitti entered his first full season in the CART series and went on to score three wins, nine top-fives,11 top-10s, five poles and took third in the championship.

Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Team

Dixon Hits the Streets: Sunday’s race at St. Petersburg marks Dixon’s 23rd start on a street course. Having run his first street race at the 2001 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, he has placed second three times on a street circuit (Denver 2002, St. Petersburg 2006 & 2007). Dixon grabbed his first street course pole at the Detroit Indy Grand Prix in 2008, and won the 2008 Edmonton Indy.

Road Course Success: In 41 Indy car races on road and street courses Dixon has claimed seven wins, 17 top-fives, 25 top-10s and has led 244 laps.

- Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Press Release

Bryan Herta Autosport

BHA team owners Bryan Herta and Steve Newey are eager to begin their second season of competition following a hectic but immensely productive off-season. The team moved to a new race shop in December, brought two new drivers into their stable with the signing of talents Stefan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra, added key personnel, welcomed the William Rast brand as a full-season sponsor and announced their first foray into the IZOD IndyCar Series with a bid in the Indianapolis 500.

In addition to BHA, both Wilson and Saavedra made their Indy Lights debuts at St. Petersburg last year. The race marked the start of a partial season of competition for Wilson, who contested six races with the First Racing/Walker Racing team. He netted a best finish of fourth on the streets of Toronto. Saavedra began a full season of Indy Lights under the AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing umbrella garnering Rookie of the Year honors with two wins and seven podium finishes.

Of Note:

• Wilson made his U.S. racing debut at St. Petersburg last year, claiming a best result of 13^th in the Indy Lights double-header after falling out of the top 10 due to an on-track incident involving several cars
• Saavedra qualified on pole for the second leg of the double-header at St. Petersburg last year and finished second
• Key personnel hires at BHA include engineer Brian Page, son of veteran broadcaster Paul Page, who hails from Andretti Green Racing, and crew chief Don Lambert, who brings over 20 years of experience in open-wheel competition from Vision Racing, Fernandez Racing and Mo Nunn Racing amongst others

Stefan Wilson, #28 Forsythe Solutions Dallara/Firestone: “I am really looking forward to this weekend. I had a so-so race here last year. It was my first race and only my second day in the car after a shakedown test. I jumped in with a very steep learning curve but I felt we were competitive even straight out of the box. Unfortunately, I made a few unlucky mistakes that cost me some decent finishes. I am looking forward to coming back with a bit more experience and with a really competitive team in Bryan Herta Autosport. Our pre-season testing has gone well. The first time I drove the car I was impressed with how well it handled. I have gelled really well with the team and enjoy working with my engineer Brian Page. I am very excited to have Sebastian as a teammate. He brings a lot of experience with a full season of Indy Lights and I know that is going to help me. He knows what a good car feels like and what we want to achieve. It is great that he is entered in the Indy 500. It really strengthens the whole team. It will be exciting to be there and witness my team compete and, hopefully, it will give me a lot of experience as that is what I am striving to do next year. For now, I am looking forward to the race this weekend. This is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar and I am looking for a good finish here. I am confident we will be a really strong force to be reckoned with this season.”

AT-A-GLANCE… 20 years old from Sheffield, England… currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana… younger brother of IZOD IndyCar Series race winner Justin Wilson… will be making his seventh Firestone Indy Lights start… contested a partial season with First Racing/Walker Racing in 2009 earning a best finish of fourth at Toronto from six starts… tested the 2008 McLaren-Mercedes championship-winning Formula 1 car in the fall of 2009 as part of his prize for winning the 2007 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award… finished fourth in the National Class of British Formula 3 in 2008 with three poles and four wins… finished second in 2007 Formula Palmer Audi competition – his first full season of car racing – with four wins and nine podium finishes… at age 17 became the youngest-ever winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award and youngest-ever member of the British Racing Drivers Club…made his car racing debut in 2006 in the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy… started racing cadet karts at age 9.

Sebastian Saavedra, #29 William Rast Dallara/Firestone: “St. Petersburg is one of my favorite tracks, and I am very confident coming here for the second time after the good results last year. Testing has gone great. Our main objective was to get to know each other and start working together, for me to learn how Steve [Newey] works and for him to know how I work. I am very happy with how everything has come together. My relationship with Stefan is great. He is a very good driver who wants to win and that has helped us to have a very good relationship. We have been working well together to make the cars as good as possible. We found some very interesting things at our last test at Sebring which worked very well and will help us this weekend. I think we both will have cars capable of winning. We have the right tools, the right engineering and the right mentality to come to this first race.”

AT-A-GLANCE… 19 years old from Bogota, Colombia… currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana… will be making his 16^th Firestone Indy Lights start… earned Rookie of the Year honors and finished third in the 2009 Indy Lights Championship with AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing with two poles (St. Petersburg/Toronto), two wins (Kansas/Toronto) and seven podium finishes… finished second and was Rookie of the Year in the 2008 ATS German Formula 3 Cup with four poles, three wins and eight podium finishes… made his car racing debut in 2006 at the age of 15, contesting two years in Formula BMW winning three of six races in Asia and claiming one win, four podiums and six top-six finishes in eight rounds of U.S. competition… began racing karts at age 10 winning the Colombian championship in 2003 and finishing fourth in the Brazilian championship.

About Bryan Herta Autosport:

Founded by veteran driver Bryan Herta and noted race engineer Steve Newey, Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) debuted in Firestone Indy Lights competition in 2009 claiming one win, five top-five and 15 top-10 results. Herta, an accomplished racer, has won in every series he has contested including the IZOD IndyCar Series, American Le Mans Series and CART in addition to garnering Skip Barber Formula Ford, Barber Saab and Firestone Indy Lights championship titles. Amongst his career highlights are a third-place finish in the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and victory in the LMP2 class at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007. Newey’s racing career spans over 20 years and includes design and race engineering positions in Formula One and winning the 1992 Champ Car World Series title as the race engineer for Bobby Rahal. He was also instrumental in assembling both the Patrick Racing and Mo Nunn Racing teams. For more information, visit www.bryanhertaautosport.com.

- Bryan Herta Autosport, Press Release

IZOD IndyCar Series Logo

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines

1. Franchitti to make 200th open-wheel racing start

2. Castroneves a guest on ‘Sports Soup’ on VERSUS

3. Star Mazda Championship, USF2000 join in at St. Petersburg

4. KYMCO USA sweepstakes kicks off in St. Petersburg

5. William Rast joins Bryan Herta Autosport as sponsor

1. Franchitti to make 200th open-wheel racing start: Dario Franchitti has numerous memories and personal/team accomplishments during his motorsports career. Another will be marked this weekend in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg when Franchitti joins Tony Kanaan (210) and Helio Castroneves (211) as active IZOD IndyCar Series drivers with 200 open-wheel racing starts.

“It’s definitely a milestone,” says Franchitti, who has 13 IZOD IndyCar Series victories in 84 races. “There are a lot of good memories, a lot of fun. I’d say it’s a milestone but hopefully there will be more along the way.”

Franchitti, who is tied for 15th on the all-time Indy car victory list, wants to add to the memories.

“The first 200 have been a lot of fun and let’s hope we can reach another couple of big milestones and be as competitive and have as much doing it,” he says.

Franchitti by the numbers

• Has covered 41,792.15 miles in open-wheel racing career.
• Of 23 victories, nine have been on a street course, three on a road course and 10 on an oval.
• Has raced with four different teams in 12 years: Hogan Racing, 1997; Team Green, 1998-2002; Andretti Green Racing, 2003-07; Target Chip Ganassi Racing, 2009-present.
• In four starts at St. Petersburg, has claimed three top-five finishes with a high of third in the inaugural event in 2005.
• Will make his 45th start on a street course (35 in CART and 10 in IZOD IndyCar Series).
• Of 199 races, has been running at the end of 140.
• Has finished on the podium 60 times in open-wheel racing career.
• In past two seasons (2007, ’09), has only finished outside the top 10 in only three races: 2007 – Michigan, 13th; 2009 – Kansas, 18th, Watkins Glen, 15th.

2. Castroneves a guest on “Sports Soup” on VERSUS: Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves will be doing his best John Wall impersonation in a March Madness sketch while promoting the IZOD IndyCar Series season during an appearance on “Sports Soup” March 23 on VERSUS. Check local listings.

Castroneves, a former “Dancing with the Stars” champion, also appeared on the season premiere of the hit ABC show March 22. He’s in Southern California to promote the April 16-18 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

IZOD IndyCar Series drivers have fanned out across the country to participate in media activities in support of upcoming races at Barber Motorsports Park (Will Power), Kansas Speedway (Raphael Matos) and St. Petersburg (Ryan Hunter-Reay).

3. Star Mazda Championship, USF2000 Championship join in race weekend: The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the USF2000 Championship will run on the same weekend with the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights for the first time in St. Petersburg as part of the Road to Indy program.

Both series also will run alongside the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway in June. The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear opened its season last weekend at Sebring International Raceway with Tristan Vautier taking the checkered flag.

4. KYMCO USA sweepstakes kicks off in St. Petersburg: KYMCO USA, in conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series, Andretti Autosport Team IZOD driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and Team IZOD sponsor AirTran Airways, is launching the “Live Like an IZOD IndyCar Series Driver” sweepstakes, giving fans the opportunity to win a trip to the IZOD IndyCar Series season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The sweepstakes launch will coincide with the IZOD IndyCar Series race on the streets of St. Petersburg on March 28. During the six month sweepstakes period, fans will have the opportunity to pick up a free entry coupon at IZOD IndyCar Series events by visiting the IZOD IndyCar Series Fan Zone and at participating KYMCO dealerships. After entering their information and code on the sweepstakes Web site, the winners will be notified by Sept. 15.

The grand prize is a weekend trip for two to the season finale race, including airfare provided by AirTran Airways, hotel and race tickets along with VIP credentials so they can truly “Live Like an IZOD IndyCar Series Driver.” First prize is a KYMCO UXV 500 Side X Side Off Road Vehicle and there are two second prizes: KYMCO Driver Autographed Super 8 49cc Scooters.

“We are so happy to be able to work with the IZOD IndyCar Series on this promotion and further integrate our fan bases,” said Rick Pawelka, KYMCO USA Marketing Director. “The IZOD IndyCar Series drivers have been very enthusiastic about our product and really enjoyed signing the two scooters we’re giving away.”

KYMCO USA is the official scooter and off-road utility vehicle of the Indy Racing League.

5. William Rast joins Bryan Herta Autosport as sponsor: William Rast has partnered with Bryan Herta Autosport as primary sponsor on the No. 29 Firestone Indy Lights car driven by Sebastian Saavedra.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, William Rast was launched in 2005, and has evolved from a denim-only line into a complete lifestyle collection sold worldwide.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with such a globally recognized, forward-thinking and exciting brand,” team co-owner Bryan Herta said. “William Rast’s enthusiasm and creativity is infectious, and we are looking forward to developing innovative ideas to showcase their premium lines. They add considerably to our already high level of momentum heading into the start of the season this week.”

***

The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues March 28 with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 3:30 p.m. (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at 12:45 p.m. (ET) March 28. The race will air live on indycar.com.

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

KV Racing Technology

“We are very excited to have E. J. join our driver line-up for 2010,” said General Manager Mark Johnson. “We have been in talks with E. J. for quite some time now and successfully tested him at Sebring. Over the last two seasons he has impressed both Jimmy (KVRT co-owner Jimmy Vasser) and I with his race craft and growth as a driver. E. J. brings IndyCar and oval experience to our team, which will be extremely valuable as we progress through the season. I would also like to welcome commercial partners PDVSA, Herbalife, CANTV and SBA Airlines to the KVRT organization. We look forward to working with all of them.”

E.J. Viso

Viso, 24, spent the last two IndyCar Series seasons competing for HVM Racing. His best finish is a fourth at St. Petersburg in just his second IndyCar race. He also led his first career IndyCar Series laps at St. Petersburg (12).

Viso joins Takuma Sato, who signed with the team last week, in a two-car effort for KVRT during the 2010 IndyCar Series season.

About KV Racing Technology:

KV Racing Technology was established in 2003. The Indianapolis-based team will contest its eighth open-wheel season and third in the IndyCar Series in 2010. KVRT is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 Indy Car Series Champion, Jimmy Vasser. Veteran motorsports manager Mark Johnson is the team’s General Manager. KVRT has earned two victories, the first by Cristiano da Matta in Portland in 2005 and the second by Will Power in Long Beach in 2008. They have captured two poles, Tristan Gommendy at Mont Tremblant in 2007 and Vasser at Milwaukee in 2005 (Power captured the pole at the 2008 Surfers Paradise, Australia exhibition race).

- KV Racing Technology Press Release

KV Racing Technology

Viso ran 103 trouble-free laps (171 miles) posting an unofficial fast time of 53.89 seconds. This was KVRT’s first test of the off-season.

“KV Racing Technology had a successful test today and I am very pleased with the way both the team and E. J. performed,” said KVRT General Manager Mark Johnson. “This was our first pre-season test and it went off without a hitch. The team did a great job preparing the car and it performed flawlessly. The engineering staff had a solid plan and we accomplished everything on our check list. I also want to complement E. J. on the job he did. This was his first test with our team and he was professional and worked well with the engineers and crew. Based on his feedback and the plan the engineers had in place we were able to collect some valuable data.”

Johnson went on to say, “At this point, we will sit down with E. J. and discuss further plans for the 2010 IndyCar Series season. I do anticipate testing him again at the IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber next week.”

E.J. Viso

Viso, 24, spent the last two IndyCar Series seasons competing for HVM Racing. His best finish is a fourth at St. Petersburg in just his second IndyCar race. Viso also led his first career IndyCar Series laps at St. Petersburg (12).

About KV Racing Technology:

KV Racing Technology was established in 2003. The Indianapolis-based team will contest its eighth open-wheel season and third in the IndyCar Series in 2010. KVRT is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 Indy Car Series Champion, Jimmy Vasser. Veteran motorsports manager Mark Johnson is the team’s General Manager. KVRT has earned two victories, the first by Cristiano da Matta in Portland in 2005 and the second by Will Power in Long Beach in 2008. They have captured two poles, Tristan Gommendy at Mont Tremblant in 2007 and Vasser at Milwaukee in 2005 (Will Power captured the pole at the 2008 Surfers Paradise, Australia exhibition race).

- KV Racing Technology Press Release

No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

It was only the second DNF for the team this season, dating back to the opening race of the season in St. Petersburg when Wheldon was knocked out of the race following on-track contact with Robert Doornbos. Entering the Chicagoland race weekend, Wheldon and Panther had completed more laps (2,169 of a possible 2,113) than any other driver/team combination in the series.

Wheldon qualified 11th for the race, and slipped back to 16th during the first stint of the race as Panther’s driver struggled with front grip. A new set of Firestone tires and a front wing adjustment injected some life into the team’s No. 4 car, as Wheldon returned to the field in 16th and quickly made a charge to the front. In the next 25 laps Wheldon passed nine cars, including all four Andretti Green Racing cars of Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Hideki Mutoh, along with additional competitors Graham Rahal, Justin Wilson, Oriol Servia, Raphael Matos and Mario Moraes.

A yellow on Lap 92 for a single-car crash involving Mutoh packed the IndyCar field, and the National Guard team had a flawless pit stop, but as Wheldon went to launch back into pit lane the half-shaft on the No. 4 car broke and left the car lifeless in its pit box.

The IndyCar Series will take a break for the next two weekends before making the trip overseas for the Honda Indy Japan at Twin Ring Motegi.

Dan Wheldon, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

“We lacked a little bit of front wing and were a little bit conservative at the start, but we put the wing back in our first pit stop and then had a great racecar. The car was working really well and once I got back to the front I was just sitting behind Tomas (Scheckter) and Ed (Carpenter) just trying to save as much fuel as possible to open our window a little bit, so we could have a shorter stop to get some track position. But unfortunately when I went to leave the pits I had both drive shafts break, which is something I’ve never had happen before. It’s unfortunate, and one of those things, but we’ll just move on.”

- Panther Racing Press Release

No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara – E.J. Viso

Starting Position: 20th

Finishing Position: 17th

No. 33 HVM Racing Honda Dallara – Robert Doornbos

Qualifying Position: 22nd

Finishing Position: 18th

Notes:

- The PEAK Indy 300 featured plenty of back-and-forth passing and three-ride racing, but the two HVM Racing cars saw most of their action in the middle and back of the pack of Saturday night’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. E.J. Viso and the No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara finished 17th, and Robert Doornbos finished 18th in the No. 33 HVM Racing Honda Dallara.

- Viso started in the 20th position and spent most of the race battling for and exchanging positions with Sarah Fisher and Mike Conway. He advanced as high as 15th, but lost ground on his fourth and final pit stop when he entered his pit at an awkward angle in anticipation of the No. 98 car exiting the pit box behind him. The 13 crew had to straighten the car before servicing it with fuel and tires.

- Starting 22nd, Doornbos looked for speed at the drop of the green flag. The crew made some tire pressure adjustments throughout the night, but the car ran at the back of the pack. With less than 15 laps to go, they were forced to make an unscheduled additional stop for a punctured rear tire. Doornbos drove a smart race, avoided contact, and finished 18th.

- HVM now returns to Indianapolis to prepare for the overseas trip to Twin Ring Montegi in Japan next month.

Comments from HVM Racing Team Principal and Owner Keith Wiggins after the PEAK Indy 300:

“E.J. did quite a bit of battling for position and looked like he could make a run, but then we had the miscue in the pits that set him back a few spots. And with Robert’s car, we just never found the speed to push forward.”

E.J. Viso

“Aside from the result, I think this was one of the most fun races I’ve had on an oval. I like running close to cars. I just wish we would be able to run the whole race with them. But unfortunately, we have what we have.

“Things went pretty smoothly until the last pit stop. I screwed up my entry into the pit because I thought (Jacques) Lazier was coming out of his pit, so I hit the brakes.

“Basically it was a pretty smooth race. We had a stable car, comfortable to run with traffic, but it’s obvious we were lacking a lot of speed.”

Robert Doornbos

“It was everything we could do to find speed in the car tonight. I wanted to be up there and play with the leaders, but the car wouldn’t allow us to do that tonight.

“It was not an enjoyable night and no fun to do. We need to forget it and move on and improve on our issues.”

HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its eight years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums since 2001. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned its drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. In 2008 with driver E.J. Viso, the team earned seven top-10 finishes, including a fourth at St. Petersburg in its inaugural year in the IRL Championship.

- HVM Racing Press Release

No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

Wheldon posted a quick lap of 106.733 mph, 1:17.6782 seconds, and will start alongside Andretti Green Racing driver Danica Patrick. In the final stages of the second round, Wheldon was on pace to improve his position but was trailing Ryan Briscoe who went slightly off course on two occasions that slowed the No. 4 car. Tomorrow’s 75-lap race will be the final non-oval event of the season, as the IndyCar Series championship will be decided on oval tracks at Chicagoland, Japan and Homestead – courses that Wheldon (all three) and Panther (Chicagoland, Homestead) have been victorious on in the past.

The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be held Sunday August 23 at 5 p.m. (EST) with live coverage provided by VERSUS and IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM channel 211.

Dan Wheldon, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

“The team has done a really good job; we had a couple of bad races and it was frustrating for everybody involved. But we found something at Mid-Ohio in the race that definitely helped me get the feel I need from the racecar and since then we’ve had a really good run. We were quick in the test here last week and we’ve been quick yet today. I even felt like there was a touch more in the car, but the No. 4 National Guard team has worked really hard and we’re hoping for a good race tomorrow where we can get back on track.”

- Panther Racing Press Release

· Ryan Hunter-Reay on racing at Edmonton: “I like racing there because of the atmosphere and I’m a big fan of airport road courses. They’re usually really fast and flowing which makes for good racing like Cleveland back in the day. They end up being fun because you’re using airport runways and taxi ways where you can actually get a lot of corner speed. What makes it challenging is the fact that it has road course type corners and street course type corners in it — all at the same track. It has a very smooth flowing fast section and on the other side it has a very bumpy section so it’s a small window to nail the set-up. I think there’s a little bit of a compromise in the set-up but if you make the car good over the bumpy stuff, it’ll be good over the smooth section.”

· RHR on what it takes to win at Edmonton: “You have to be very strong in the fastest corners which are the two last two, 13 and 14, and then the back fast right hander — turn 9 — because those turns lead onto the only passing zones on the track. I think those are the keys. You have to be quick in the really fast chicane and the very fast right hander at the back side of the track.”

· Last year at Edmonton, Hunter-Reay started 13th and finished eighth; Darren Manning started 18th in the No. 14 and finished 10th.

· On his weekend off: “On Friday and Saturday I was in Florida with my mom and then Saturday night I came out to California. I did some cycling and surfing on Sunday.”

· Life in the Fast Lane: A.J. Foyt and his family jetted into (and out of) Napa, California on Saturday, July 18th to attend the wedding of his grandson A.J. IV (Anthony) to Casey Irsay, daughter of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. Larry Foyt was the Best Man and had been in California most of last week as there were extensive activities planned for the wedding party and guests. The newlyweds flew to a 5-star resort in Jackson Hole, WY for their honeymoon.

· Toronto performance: Hunter-Reay started 12th (tied with his best start of 09 and the No. 14’s best start of 09) and finished 7th for his best finish with the Foyt team. It was also the ABC Supply team’s best finish this year to date.

· Past Performances on road courses in 2009: At Watkins Glen, Hunter-Reay started 21st but never made a lap; he was eliminated in a multi-car crash on the first lap. At Long Beach he started 12th and finished 11th driving for Vision Racing while the No. 14 started 20th with Vitor Meira and finished 14th. At St. Petersburg, Hunter-Reay started 14th and finished 2nd while Meira started 17th and finished 9th.

· Brickyard Interview: A.J. Foyt and Tony Stewart’s joint interview, taped at the yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this month, will be shown as part of the pre-race show.

· The Rexall Edmonton Indy will be shown live Sunday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m. ET on Versus.

For more information on the Foyt Racing program, please check these web sites: www.ajfoytracing.com and www.ryanracing.com

- Foyt Racing Press Release

Conquest Racing Logo

Honda Indy Toronto

Streets of Toronto, 1.75-mile, 11-turn street course

July 10 – 12, 2009, Race #10 of 17

Race Distance: 80 laps

Live Broadcast: (US) ABC 1:00 p.m. ET, (Canada) TSN 1:00 p.m. ET

HONDA INDY TORONTO PRE-RACE NEWS & NOTES

Oh Canada!

Conquest Racing and Canadian Alex Tagliani are back in action this weekend at the Honda Indy Toronto. After taking a hiatus from the streets of Toronto last season, the team is looking forward to returning to the 11-turn 1.75-mile street course. Conquest and Tagliani’s record on street courses this season includes two top-ten finishes at Long Beach and St. Petersburg. The team put in good performances on both tracks and looks to continue their strong form in Toronto.

King Tut Returns

Conquest Racing is welcoming back King Tut as a partner for this weekend. Arts and Exhibitions International have extended their partnership with the team in order to help promote the upcoming King Tut Exhibit, which will be on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario starting in November.

Toronto by the Numbers

Although this will be the first time that the IndyCar Series races on the streets of Toronto it will be the ninth start for both Conquest Racing and Tagliani. In eight starts at the Canadian event, Conquest Racing has a best start of fifth (Justin Wilson, 2004) and a best finish of ninth (Charles Zwolsman, 2006). The team also has four top-ten finishes on the 1.75-mile track. As for Tagliani, the Canadian driver has two-podium finishes (2nd in 2001 and 3rd in 2005) with seven top ten-finishes.

Your Chance to meet the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year

Alex Tagliani will be keeping busy at a number of appearances this week giving you a chance to meet this year’s Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Wednesday night Alex Tagliani will be present at the Yonge-Dundas Square festivities starting at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, the Canadian driver will be signing autographs at the Sears store located at 290 Yonge Street in Toronto from noon to 1:30 p.m. before signing more autographs on Friday at the King Tut booth located in Thunder Alley at the track. Tag will be present from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at that event.

Lucky winners

Fans, who get an autograph from Tag on Friday during the autograph session at the King Tut booth, will also get a chance to win a limited-edition pair of Alex Tagliani sunglasses.

QUOTEBOARD

2009 IndyCar Series starts: 4

Best start: 7th (St. Petersburg)

Best Finish: 10th (twice, St. Petersburg, Long Beach)

Points Standings: 21st (75 points)

Overall IndyCar Series starts: 7

Best start: 7th (St. Petersburg – 2009)

Best Finish: 4th (Australia, 2008 – non-championship event)

“I’ve been really looking forward to this race and racing back home in Canada. It’s an important race for me and it’s always a pleasure to be in front of the home crowd. The Toronto track is a really fun and challenging track. What I like most about it is that there is a good mix of different types of corners, which makes going into each section of the track different from the next.

We’ve done well on street courses this season and I think Toronto will be no different. Hopefully we can give our Canadian based sponsors like a good finish. I’m also really excited to be promoting the King Tut Exhibit once again, it’s such an awesome exhibition, and everyone needs to go see it.”

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Team Owner

“We’re really excited to be heading to Toronto this weekend. It’s always a great city to go to for a race and we’re happy to have it back on the schedule. We’ve had good performances on the street courses this year and we are confident we can continue our strong form. We’re also extremely pleased to be partnered again with the King Tut Exhibit and Arts and Exhibitions International.”

- Conquest Racing Press Release