Franchitti, who won six days earlier at Iowa Speedway, earned the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by Advance Auto Parts at another short track. Driving the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, he recorded a four-lap average of167.315 mph on the 0.75-mile Richmond International Raceway.

In 2007, Franchitti started from the pole based on driver points because qualifications were rained out, led 262 laps and won the SunTrust Indy Challenge. Of course, he’d appreciate a similar result.

Scott Dixon (166.638 mph) will join his teammate on the front row – his highest start of the season. Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves (165.931) and Ryan Briscoe (165.749) will share Row 2.

Graham Rahal (165.218) will start fifth and Raphael Matos (164.928) sixth – his best on an oval this season. E.J. Viso (164.629) also posted a season high on an oval in seventh, and will share Row 4 with Hideki Mutoh (164.575).

Mario Moraes was uninjured in the day’s only accident when he spun his No. 5 KV Racing Technology car off of Turn 4 in the final practice.

***

The IndyCar Series drivers Raphael Matos and Mario Moraes added to the festive, family atmosphere of a churrascaria during a July 24 dinner at Texas de Brazil in Richmond, Va., by acting as hosts and explaining the menu and drinks.

“I think what’s great is that everyone loved it,” said Matos, a rookie driving for Luczo Dragon Racing. “It was great to open their eyes to the Brazilian culture, the Brazilian way of serving.”

Brazilian steakhouses offer cuts of slow-roasted Angus beef, lamb, pork, chicken and sausage served by strolling gauchos, who carve the offerings off the spit.

“I think I better stick to race car driving for a living because I’m not a very good server,” Matos said. “I enjoyed greeting the guests and explaining the menu and traditional Brazilian drinks.”

Moraes’ service with a smile included unfolding napkins for guests and pouring water.

“I think it was good for me to have only one day working as a server,” said Moraes, who drives for KV Racing Technology. “I’d rather stick to making reservations in a restaurant. It’s much easier.”

***

Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart didn’t have time to properly thank driver Davey Hamilton for the ride in an Indy Racing Experience two-seater at Richmond International Raceway.

A pat on the left shoulder and a thumbs up sufficed before Hamilton was off again, another thrill-seeker in the back seat on the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval.

“I don’t know how fast we went, but I know it’s a lot faster than I’ve gone,” said Smart, who took over the Rams’ program in April after being an assistant at the University of Florida. “I thought he was going to start out slow, but he just accelerated out of the box and he just going faster and faster. I wound up holding on for my life and it ended up being a lot of fun.

“I wanted to tap him on the shoulder and see if he would switch spots with me. It was like an extreme version of being on a rollercoaster.”

Though it was Smart’s first visit to the facility, he’s watched many IndyCar Series races on TV.

“I always had a lot of respect for what (IndyCar Series drivers) do and now I have about 10 times more respect because they go twice as fast as I just did,” Smart said. “I can’t imagine being out there with 20 other cars.”

***

Firestone has a new tire specification for Richmond International Raceway, which was developed from atire test at the track last fall. The Firehawk spec features a new carcass construction for Richmond designed to reduce understeerover the course of a long run, paired with new compound formulas for all four tire positions. The racetrack also has the largest tire stagger (0.60 of an inch) of any this season.Stagger helps cars turn more smoothly on oval tracks and is created by producing the right-rear tire with a slightly larger diameter than the left rear.

***

SPC Justin Jones from Roanoke, Va., is Panther Racing’s National Guard Hometown Hero for the SunTrust Indy Challenge race weekend.

He joined the National Guard in November 2005 as a communications specialist and was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in September 2007. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement medal for his service. SPC Jones is currently using his National Guard benefits in pursuing his degree in Application Development at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Jones will join Panther Racing driver Dan Wheldon for the IndyCar Series autograph session (7:30 p.m. June 26) at Richmond International Raceway, where he’ll sign a “Hero Card” with his picture and biographical information. A copy of the Hero Card is framed and placed inside the team’s hospitality area for the rest of the season.

***

Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing has “supersized” its entries for the SunTrust Indy Challenge this weekend. Robert Doornbos’ No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing entry is also carrying McDonald’s logos and sponsorship on its wings and sidepods this weekend joining the Graham Rahal’s No. 02 McDonald’s Racing Team car.

PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE QUALIFYING NOTES:

· This is Dario Franchitti’s second PEAK Performance Pole Award of 2009 and the eighth of his IndyCar Series career. His last pole came at Texas

· This is Franchitti’s second pole start at Richmond International Raceway. He also started on the pole here in his last IndyCar Series appearance in 2007, when he led 242 laps and won the race.

· Scott Dixon qualified a season-best second. His previous best was third at Texas.

· Ryan Briscoe qualified fourth, ending his streak of four consecutive front row starts.

· Raphael Matos qualified sixth, his career-best performance on an oval.

· E.J. Viso qualified seventh, his career-best performance on an oval.

PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE QUALIFYING QUOTES:

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, PEAK Performance Pole Award winner): “I enjoy the short tracks. We started on pole here in ’07, but that was based on points. I actually had to earn it today. The Target car was fast. Dixie (Scott Dixon) and I are both starting up front, so it’s a good day for Team Target. I enjoy the technique of racing on short ovals, the way you have to set the car up. Things come at you quick here. It’s a really fun discipline of our series and I really enjoy it.”

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, qualified second): “After some changes in practice, for a couple of laps we were just trying to feel the car out. The car was really good and should have been closer to pole if not on pole and I kind of let that down. We have a good car for the race and fantastic with two cars on the front row and hopefully we can keep it that way at the end.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske, qualified third): “The No. 3 Team Penske car was pretty good in practice this morning, especially in Turns 1&2, but unfortunately on my third qualifying lap, I had a huge moment. I’ll tell you, it may not look that bad on TV, but when you’re in the car it’s pretty intense. This place is so fast, I didn’t have enough time to fix or readjust the car. I am not sure how I was able to hold it together, and I was just trying to finish the run safely, so I definitely lost some speed. Thankfully, I was able to save it and Team Penske ended up in a decent starting spot (third) for tomorrow’s race.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske, qualified fourth): “I was really happy with my qualifying run today. We weren’t too confident with the car in practice, but I was pleasantly surprised with the progress we made. I have to say, my engineers did a great job, and I think we really improved the Team Penske car a lot between practice and qualifying. It doesn’t really matter where you start here as long as you’re in the top six or eight. So, I think we should be in fine shape for tomorrow. It’s a big race for us, Richmond is home to our partner Philip Morris, so we always aim to do well.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 02 McDonald’s Racing Team, qualified fifth): “The McDonald’s boys were working extremely hard today because we certainly weren’t on pace earlier today. We still have a little bit too much understeer we’ve got to work on but we made big gains from earlier today and we’re closer to the pace of some of these guys so we’ve got to be pretty happy.”

RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 2 US Marines Luczo Dragon Racing, qualified sixth): “I was a little too conservative on the first lap and the modifications we made right before qualifying didn’t work. Starting position is so important here and sixth is a good spot. After I got up to speed the car felt really good, it was consistent and I think we’ll have a good car tomorrow. You have to have a smart strategy here. It’s a long race, the conditions will be difficult at night and the car changes a lot. We’re very fortunate to have our pit too, there’s a lot of space on the way in and out. Hopefully that will help us tomorrow.

E.J. VISO (No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing, qualified seventh): “I think we did a good job. This little achievement shows that testing is very important, and obviously, the development we did here a couple weeks ago is paying off right now. It’s also important to qualify close to the front at this track, being one of the most difficult tracks to overtake in the championship and being such a criminal track last year in the race. Less than 10 cars finished, and that means that were many accidents. Obviously, you want to be as close to the front as possible to have fewer risks in front of you.”

HIDEKI MUTOH (No. 27 Formula Dream, qualified eighth): “I think we have a decent car. I wish we could’ve started farther up the field, but you never know how the race will unfold. The track was getting better as qualifying went on, so I really don’t know where we would’ve qualified if we went out later. I hope to make my way through traffic tomorrow night and have a strong finish.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Boost Mobile/Motorola, qualified 10th): “It has been a frustrating day for the whole team. We were really strong here last year, and we are completely off our marks this year. We have to put our heads together and hopefully we can figure out what we can do between now and tomorrow. Richmond is a difficult track to pass on, so we are we need to be strong on the start, any restarts and in the pits to make up for it.”

***

The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues June 27 with the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 8 p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Corning 100 on July 4 at Watkins Glen International. The race will be telecast at 11 p.m. on July 6.

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

E.J. Viso Headshot

Venue: Richmond International Raceway, 3/4-mile oval, Richmond, Virginia

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

Lap Time: 1:05:6020 total lap time
Speed: 164.629 miles per hour
Qualifying Position: 7th

Notes:

Recent testing at Richmond International Raceway proved to be valuable for HVM Racing Friday. E.J. Viso’s No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara qualified seventh for Saturday’s SunTrust Indy Challenge with a speed of 164.629 miles per hour and a total lap time of 1:05:6020. The result is HVM’s best qualification result on an oval in the series to date and Viso’s best oval qualification in his career.

HVM tested at Richmond International Raceway on June 10 in preparation for the season’s remaining short ovals, and the information gathered put the team in a good position going into the race weekend. The No. 13 car was strong in the morning practice session, posting the sixth-quickest time.

The team is looking for back-to-back top-10 finishes at Richmond. Last year, Viso finished 10th after starting 19th.

The SunTrust Indy Challenge starts at 8 p.m. Saturday on Versus.

Comments from HVM Racing Team Principal and Owner Keith Wiggins after qualifying at Richmond:

“It’s nice to get a good result in qualifying after all the preparation we did at the test session and the weeks leading up to the race. Our previous qualifying efforts on ovals this year have not been up to expectations, so we knew we had to make some improvements.

“It will definitely be good to start closer to the front. This race can get rough, which we saw last year.”

Comments from PDVSA HVM Racing Team Driver E.J. Viso after qualifying at Richmond:

“I think we did a good job. This little achievement shows that testing is very important, and obviously the development we did here a couple weeks ago is paying off right now.

“It’s also important to qualify close to the front at this track, being one of the most difficult tracks to overtake in the championship and being such a ‘criminal’ track last year in the race. Less than 10 cars finished, and that means there were many accidents. Obviously you want to be as close to the front as possible to have fewer risks in front of you.”

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

Vision Racing

Carpenter has five previous attempts at Richmond International Raceway. In his debut at the track driving for Cheever Racing in 2004, he finished in the 16th spot due to an accident. In 2005 he finished 12th and in 2006 Carpenter recorded his best finish at Richmond when he started 13th and finished eighth. In 2007 Carpenter started 15th and finished 10th and last year he finished just outside of the top-ten, in the 11th position.

Most recently, making his third IndyCar Series start at Iowa, Carpenter drove the No. 20 Menards car from the 13th spot to tenth where he held on to record his second-consecutive tenth place finish this season and fourth top-ten finish overall.

Last weekend, Carpenter was also able to move two spots in the IndyCar Series championship point standings, going from 14th up to 12th in the standings. He now has 126 points (115 points behind leader).

Overall, Vision Racing returns to Richmond International Raceway for the fifth time. The team’s best finish at Richmond came in 2006 and 2007 when Tomas Scheckter finished in the seventh spot. Carpenter also has two top-ten finishes at the track.

The Vision Racing Wellness Tour, supported by team sponsor Lilly USA, will make an important pit stop for a second consecutive year at Richmond International Raceway providing racing fans with FREE diabetes screenings; complete with A1c testing and risk factor assessment, along with cholesterol and blood pressure testing. The Wellness Tour mobile unit (bus) will be located behind the main grandstands and will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, race day at the Richmond International Raceway.

IndyCar practice resumes again Friday evening at 9 p.m. for a thirty minute session. So far Carpenter’s best lap in practice came at 158.618 mph. Carpenter will add to the 69 practice laps he’s accumulated thus far later Friday evening.

On Saturday June 27th, race day at Richmond International Raceway, Vision Racing will also be launching their new and improved team website, www.visionracing.com at 3 pm ET.

Qualifying and Practice Results and Quotes: (June 26, 2009)

Ed Carpenter – No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Qualifying Position: 14th

Qualifying Speed: 163.824 mph

Top Speed in Practice: 158.618 mph

Overall Rank in Practice: 19th on speed chart

Number of Laps in Practice: 69

On qualifying:

“We made big changes to the No. 20 Menards car between practice and qualifying. We came here with something way different than we ran here last year thinking it would be better. It didn’t really work out that way so between practice and qualifying we changed everything. Definitely happy that we improved from practice and moved up quite a bit. It’s hard to go qualify when you are running a completely different set up than what you ran in practice but the guys did a good job in getting the car better for me. We have a few cars between us and the front and that will be a challenge here but we’re up for it.”

###

About the SunTrust Indy Challenge: The 300 lap/ 225 mile SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway will air live on Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET on VERSUS, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Vision Racing: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing, Press Release

1. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 167.315

2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 166.638

3. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 165.931

4. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 165.749

5. (02) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 165.218

6. (2) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 164.928

7. (13) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 164.629

8. (27) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 164.575

9. (23) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 164.441

10. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 164.197

11. (24) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 164.129

12. (06) Robert Doornbos, Dallara-Honda, 164.071

13. (4) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 163.843

14. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 163.824

15. (18) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 163.506

16. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 162.780

17. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 162.634

18. (14) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 162.506

19. (5) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 160.895

20. (98) Jaques Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 153.176

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

Andretti Green Racing Logo

Patrick, driver of the #7 Boost Mobile/Motorola car, will start in the 10th position. Kanaan, driver of the #11 Team 7-Eleven entry, will start 17th. Andretti, driver of the #26 Team Venom Energy car, will start in the 16th position. Mutoh, who drives the #27 Formula Dream car, will start eighth.

Live coverage of tomorrow’s nights race will be provided by Versus, starting at 8 p.m. ET, be sure to tune in!

Driver: Danica Patrick
Car: #7 Boost Mobile Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Danica Patrick:
“It has been a frustrating day for the whole team. We were really strong here last year, and we are completely off our marks this year. We have to put our heads together and hopefully we can figure out what we can do between now and tomorrow. Richmond is a difficult track to pass on, so we are we need to be strong on the start, any restarts and in the pits to make up for it.”

Driver: Tony Kanaan
Car: #11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Tony Kanaan:

“It’s hard to gage were we really are since we only had four laps of practice today. I’m really disappointed; I was looking forward to getting back to this track. I won the race from the pole last year, so I know we are capable of doing well here. We will regroup tonight after practice and see what we need to do to make the most out of the race tomorrow.”

Driver: Marco Andretti
Car: #26 Team Venom Energy Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Marco Andretti:

“We definitely have our work cut out for us tomorrow. I wasn’t happy with my first qualifying lap and then from there we just weren’t able to build the speed we needed. The #26 car was strong here last year and we’ll keep working to get back to that point. I’m for sure glad that I’ll have Kyle (Moyer) on my side tomorrow. I’m confident he can get us up front and I think once we’re there the Venom car should be able to have a strong finish.”

Driver: Hideki Mutoh
Car: #27 Formula Dream Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Hideki Mutoh:
“I think we have a decent car. I wish we could’ve started farther up the field, but you never know how the race will unfold. The track was getting better as qualifying went on, so I really don’t know where we would’ve qualified if we went out later. I hope to make my way through traffic tomorrow night and have a strong finish.”

- Andretti Green Racing, Press Release

Panther Racing National Guard

Panther’s driver posted a four-lap average speed of 163.843 mph, after running lap speeds of 162.452, 162.738, 164.858 and 165.356 mph.

Wheldon started in 20th place in 2004, the year he won the Richmond race while driving for Andretti Green Racing. In his six career starts at the track, he has never finished outside of the Top Ten and has collected a total of four Top Five results. The team is currently in sixth position in the IndyCar Series points standings and only five points away from fifth-place Danica Patrick.

Panther has had similar success at the shortest track on the IndyCar calendar – Hornish finished second in 2001 before a victory here in 2002 which included a last-lap pass of Team Penske driver Gil de Ferran for the win. Hornish collected another Top Five in 2003 when he finished fourth and in 2005 team driver Tomas Scheckter was able to collect a fourth-place finish as well in the No. 4 car. Most recently, former driver Vitor Meira finished second-place at RIR in 2006 and ninth the following season in the Delphi car.

Meira was running well last season before he was hit from behind by John Andretti, forcing the team into a 20th-place finish.

The SunTrust Indy Challenge will be broadcast live on Saturday, June 27th on Versus at 8 p.m. (ET) with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, IndyCar.com and XM Sirius Channel 211.

Dan Wheldon, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

“In practice this morning the National Guard car was quite quick and we made some changes prior to qualifying and fixed one of our problems, but actually made another one worse. I’m not sure if it’s the different track conditions or the changes we made, but the car was just loose. It’s a bit unfortunate, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes. We’re working very hard together as a team and I have no doubt the No. 4 car will be moving up pretty quickly in the race. We’re work our way towards the front.”

- Panther Racing, Press Release

IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter participated in a Q&A session this week, discussing the upcoming races at Richmond, Watkins Glen and Toronto. Below are select quotes from his interview followed by “Five Questions with Ed Carpenter.”

Ed Carpenter

· 28-year-old competing in his sixth full season in the IndyCar Series

· Drives the No. 20 Menards Vision Racing entry

· Ranks 12th in points with four top-10 finishes in his last five starts

· Has 89 career starts, recording 25 top-10 finishes

· Enjoys home improvement projects

· Welcomed second child and first son Ryder on June 1

***

Q. This will be your fifth start at Richmond, last three years you’ve been right around 10th: 8th, a 10th and 11th. What does it take to put together a top‑10 run at Richmond?

ED CARPENTER: To put together a top‑10 run, you just kind of have to persevere and stay out of trouble, but to be in the top five, you have to have a really good car. Last year there, I had my hands full and just had to worry more about surviving than really trying to race anybody.

And we have put a lot of work into the setup we are going there with this year, so hopefully we’ll have a car that I can be competitive and aggressive and try to run up front with.

Q. You rank 12th in points, which if you can maintain or improve upon that, that would mark your highest finish in the season standing. Has the season met your expectations?

ED CARPENTER: It has not quite met my expectations. I made a couple of mistakes at St. Pete, Long Beach, where we could have had higher finishes. And then as far as our performance on the ovals, finally in Texas we had a little bit better run that we are happy about. But the other ovals really we have not been that happy with the performance we put out there; especially compared to last year, I don’t feel like we have done quite as good of a job.

So we have been working really hard to try to turn that around and get things going in the right direction again. Like you said, we are 12th in points, which my goal is definitely to be inside the top 10. So hopefully we can go to Richmond this weekend and have the run that we are planning on running and get ourselves back up in the top 10.

The points are definitely very tight, and you’re still able to make a pretty good move in the points if you have a good run or a bad run.So it’s important to go out and try to score some points at Richmond before we get back to road courses.

Q. The IndyCar Series introduced the alternate‑tire concept on the road courses this year for the first time. What was your experience with them the first two races, and how much does it affect the strategy?

ED CARPENTER: I definitely like it. Both at St. Pete and Long Beach, the reds were worth lap time, and they worked quite well on the car in the race. I think we need to do a little work to get the balance sorted out switching between the tires. But it definitely brings an element to the race.

At St. Pete, there were guys that were better on reds at the end of the race. That made it interesting, and it seemed like Long Beach kind of the blacks were more the trend at the end of the race.We’ll see how it plays out at these upcoming races.Watkins Glen will be the first time we have taken it to a permanent road course, so I’m sure that will change the dynamics again.

Five Questions with Ed Carpenter:

1. What’s the biggest home improvement project you’ve worked on?

“I’ve got a long list of stuff like that. Probably the biggest was when I lived in my house in Speedway before I got started on home improvement projects, didn’t really know what I was doing. I was going to re-stain the existing kitchen cabinets. My roommate at the time was helping me out with it. He went to work, and while he was gone I just changed my mind and decided I was going to redo the whole kitchen. So he got home and the whole kitchen was in the driveway basically where I had tore it all out. I didn’t really know what I was getting into, but it turned out really well.”

2. What is the last thing you bought at Menards?

“I was working on some plumbing stuff at my house so I bought some copper pipe and copper fittings.”

3. What is your favorite meal?

“My favorite meal is probably Mexican. I really like Mexican food.”

4. New York Yankees – love ‘em or hate ‘em?

“I’m not a big fan. Cubbies fan.”

5. What is the street car that you drive?

“Right now I’m driving a Honda Pilot, and I have an Acura MDX that should be here before the end of the month.”

***

The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues June 27 with the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 8 p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Corning 100 on July 4 at Watkins Glen International. The race will be telecast at 11 p.m. on July 6.

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

SunTrust Indy Challenge – June 27, 2009

Richmond International Raceway

Vision Racing

§ WELLNESS TOUR IN RICHMOND- The Vision Racing Wellness Tour, supported by team sponsor Lilly USA, will make an important pit stop for a second consecutive year at Richmond International Raceway providing racing fans with FREE diabetes screenings with A1c testing and risk factor assessment, along with cholesterol and blood pressure testing. The Wellness Tour mobile unit (bus) will be located behind the main grandstands and will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, race day at the Richmond International Raceway.

§ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: After forming and joining the Indy Racing League in 2005, Vision Racing is celebrating its fifth season of competition in 2009. Since the team embarked upon IndyCar Series competition, eight drivers have piloted five (Nos. 2, 20, 21, 22, 90) different team entries. Those drivers have combined for an additional 45 top-10 finishes, plus 10 top-five finishes, three more podium finishes and 42 laps led. Over the previous four years the quest for the team’s first victory has been top priority and Vision Racing is confident that year five will be the season where that it happens. The team’s best ever finish occurred in the 2009 season opener as Ryan Hunter-Reay drove from 14^th to finish second in the race. That podium finish also put Vision second in the championship point standings which was also its’ the highest-ever ranking. The SunTrust Indy Challenge will be the team’s 74^th IndyCar Series event since their first season in 2005.

§ ON OVALS AND SUPERSPEEDWAYS: The team’s best finish on an oval is third scored by Tomas Scheckter at The Milwaukee Mile in 2006 and again in 2007 by A.J. Foyt IV at Kentucky Speedway. However, the team’s overall best finish came on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. in the 2009 season-opener when Ryan Hunter-Reay finished in the second position. In the team’s most recent oval affair, the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway, Carpenter started 13^th, and finished tenth giving him his second consecutive top-ten oval finish and fourth top-ten oval finish for the season. The best oval finish this season was recorded by Carpenter in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 when he drove from 17^th to finish eighth.

§ FIND US ONLINE, ANYTIME: The 2009 season for Vision Racing includes the great social media experiment. Vision Racing has established itself in the realm of online social media and networking via accounts at Twitter.com, Facebook.com and YouTube.com this season; allowing fans, friends, followers and even members of the media the opportunity to closely follow and interact with the five-year IndyCar Series participant. In addition, RACERSITES.com is working on a redesign of VisionRacing.com which is set to launch in June 2009.

§ ON LOAN: Considered a win-win situation for all involved, Vision Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay will be taking over piloting duties of A.J. Foyt’s ABC Supply entry for the remainder of the 2009 IndyCar season in a deal that began at Iowa. Hunter-Reay, who drove the No. 21 Vision Honda Dallara to a second place podium finish in the 2009 season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida, and is currently 11^th in the IndyCar Series Championship driver points standings, will have his driving services transferred to A.J. Foyt Racing as a temporary replacement for the injured Vitor Meira.

§ 2009 TEAM HIGHLIGHTS: This season’s highlight to date came in the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. when Ryan Hunter-Reay started 14^th and drove all the way to finish in second place. Since then, Carpenter has added four top-ten finishes at Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa.

§ AS SEEN ON TV: Patrick Dempsey joined Vision Racing prior to the 2006 season, taking on a new role that has been making hearts race in a literal way as a team co-owner. Known for his scene-stealing turns in such ’80s nostalgia classics such as Can’t Buy Me Love and Loverboy, Patrick Dempsey continues to please America with his explosive charisma and versatile talent. Dempsey is the star of the ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Dempsey’s no stranger to the racetrack when he’s not in front of the camera. A true racer at heart, he’s currently driving professionally in Grand American Cup class sports car racing with Dempsey Racing, formerly Hypersport. He raced a Ferrari F430 GT with Team Seattle in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and also competed in the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

§ A TEAM WITH A VISION: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George, their daughter Lauren George and actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition and second year of Firestone Indy Lights racing. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and Indy car racing.

Ed Carpenter – No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone:

Birthday: March 3, 1980; Hometown: Marshall, Ill.; Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.

Coming off consecutive top-ten finishes at Texas and Iowa.

§ AT RICHMOND: Carpenter has five previous attempts at Richmond International Raceway. In his debut at the track driving for Cheever Racing in 2004, he finished in the 16^th spot due to an accident. In 2005 he finished 12^th and in 2006 Carpenter recorded his best finish at Richmond when he started 13^th and finished eighth. In 2007 Carpenter started 15^th and finished 10^th and last year he finished just outside of the top-ten and in the 11^th position.

§ BABY ON BOARD: Just as planned, Carpenter and wife Heather (Pettigrew) welcomed their second child into the world on June 1^st as the 8 lb. 1 oz., 20 inch long Ryder Carpenter arrived on his due date. Big sister, Makenna was born in October 2007, while the couple was married November 8, 2005 on the Island of St. Thomas.

§ TWEET, TWEET: With the birth of his second child, son Ryder, Carpenter decided it would be the perfect time to make his debut on Twitter.com as well; joining Vision Racing’s twitter efforts. You can view Carpenter’s Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/edcarpenter20 and follow the team at www.twitter.com/visionracing.

§ MOST RECENTLY: Making his third IndyCar Series start at Iowa, Carpenter drove the No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone from the 13^th spot to tenth where he held on to record his second-consecutive tenth place finish this season and fourth top-ten finish overall. He was able to move two spots in the championship point standings again this week, going from 14^th up to 12^th in the standings. He now has 126 points (115 points behind leader).

§ 2009 SEASON: This is the sixth full season in IndyCar Series competition for Carpenter and the seventh season that he has participated in overall. Carpenter is looking to build off top-ten finishes earned on the ovals of Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa. The SunTrust Indy Challenge will be Carpenter’s eighth event of the 2009 IndyCar Series season and sixth consecutive oval.

§ LEADER LAPS: In his fifth IndyCar Series start in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 92^nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2008, Carpenter recorded his first laps led in an IndyCar. He led the field for three laps under caution and finished an Indianapolis 500 career-best, fifth. His most recent leader lap came this season at Texas Motor Speedway when Carpenter was credited for leading one lap. He has a total of four (4) career-leader laps.

§ BACK WITH MENARDS: The No. 20 Vision Racing machine again features the most recognizable car on track as it carries the day-glow yellow color of Menards for the second consecutive season. Menards returned as the primary sponsor of the No. 20 Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, driven by Ed Carpenter. The Menards sponsorship also continues a long-lasting relationship between the home store retailer with Carpenter. The 28-year-old driver carried the Menards livery in 2002, with Sinden Racing in Firestone Indy Lights competition and well before that his days of dirt track racing behind the wheel of quarter midgets.

§ NEW VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT: Carpenter still has the same view from the cockpit that he’s always had, but fans of the driver will notice a different look coming from his cockpit this season as his helmet is carrying the distinct colors and logos of the premium jean and clothing retailer, William Rast, for the 2009 season.

§ ED “CARPENTER”: Carpenter and his arsenal of power tools have been busy again this past off-season as he has been knee deep in a house flipping project with a long time friend as well as occupied with rehab projects around his own home. Of course, Menards has been an essential part of Carpenter’s home repair ventures. Prior to his current real estate investment, Carpenter and his “do-it-yourself” mentality crafted his home repair skills with his first home and family heirloom. The home is located in Speedway, Ind. was purchased as new in 1955 by stepfather Tony George’s parents, Elmer and Mari George. Tony grew up in the home as a boy and for a time, drivers A.J. Foyt and Roger McCluskey lived in the basement.

§ DOUBLE DUTY: Ed Carpenter made history in September 2003 at Chicagoland Speedway when he became the first driver to compete in a Firestone Indy Lights event and an IndyCar Series event on the same weekend.

§ INAUGURAL BRICKYARD WINNER: Carpenter won the inaugural Firestone Indy Lights Firestone Freedom 100 in 2003 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Making him an inaugural winner at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with Ray Haroun (Indianapolis 500), Jeff Gordon (Brickyard 400), and Michael Schumacher (United States Grand Prix).

§ BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: Carpenter graduated from 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament qualifying Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind., with a marketing degree in May 2003.

§ DID YOU KNOW? Carpenter enjoys water skiing, snowboarding, hunting and cycling. His racing heroes include Al Unser Jr., A.J. Foyt, and Lance Armstrong and he has two dogs; a Rottweiler named Bentley and a Chihuahua named Rosco.

§ ED AT-A-GLANCE: Carpenter is participating in his sixth season in the IndyCar Series, and his fifth with his second team in Vision Racing. The 28-year-old made his IndyCar debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003 for PDM Racing, which made him the first driver to compete in an IRL Indy Pro Series event and an IndyCar Series event on the same weekend. Carpenter, who has been with the team since it’s inception in 2005, is determined to make his sixth season overall, the best for both he and the team. Last year Carpenter recorded seven top-10 finishes, two top-fives and his first leader laps.

o Highest Career Start: 4^th – Michigan International Speedway, 2006/Vision Racing

o Highest Career Finish: 5^th – Chicagoland Speedway, 2006/Vision Racing

– Homestead-Miami Speedway, 2008/Vision Racing

– Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2008/Vision Racing

o Laps Led: 4

o Top-5′s: 3

o Top-10′s: 25

o Starts: 89

o Running at Finish: 62 (69.6%)

Fast Stats – 2009 IndyCar Series Results

Ed Carpenter – No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone:

###

About the SunTrust Indy Challenge: The 300 lap/ 225 mile SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway will air live on Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET on VERSUS, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Vision Racing: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing, Press Release

Andretti Green Racing Logo

Who:

Driver: Danica Patrick
Car: #7 Boost Mobile/Motorola Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Danica Patrick Facts:
-Patrick has four top-five finishes thus far in the 2009 season.
-Patrick finished third at the 2009 Indianapolis 500, her highest career finish in that event.
-Patrick is currently fifth in the championship point standings.
-Patrick won her first IndyCar Series race in 2008 at the Indy Japan 300.
-Patrick had three top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 2008 and finished sixth in the final IndyCar Series point standings.

Danica Patrick on the SunTrust Indy Challenge:
“I had a strong car last year in Richmond. The track is a challenge, but I enjoy the track. The race is exciting and I think we give the fans a good show. I think the #7 will be competitive this weekend. We have been consistent this season, and consistency is what wins championships.”

Driver: Tony Kanaan
Car: #11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Tony Kanaan Facts:
-Kanaan started from the pole and won the 2008 SunTrust Indy Challenge.
-Captured his first podium finish in 2009 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, with a third-place finish.
-Kanaan is currently seventh in the championship point standings.
-Finished third in the 2008 IndyCar Series championship.
-Has led over 2,500 laps throughout his IndyCar Series career and won the 2004 IndyCar Series championship.

Tony Kanaan on the SunTrust Indy Challenge:
“I won in Richmond last year, the Team 7-Eleven car was strong all weekend. We started from the pole and lead most of the race. It’s always nice to go back to a track were you have a record of previous wins. It’s almost been a year since I won the race so I hope we have a good weekend.”

Driver: Marco Andretti
Car: #26 Team Venom Energy Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Marco Andretti Facts:
-Andretti started second in the 2008 SunTrust Challenge.
-Andretti is currently eighth in the championship point standings.
-Won his first career pole position when he claimed the pole at Milwaukee (2008), the same place where his father (Michael) recorded his first pole position.
-Andretti finished the 2008 IndyCar Series season seventh in point standings with 363 points.

Marco Andretti on the SunTrust Indy Challenge:
“I’m looking forward to returning to Richmond this weekend. I think the #26 has some unfinished business there. We were really strong last year and we in a good position to win the race. Unfortunately we changed our strategy somewhere throughout the night and I think that costs us in the end. Hopefully we’ll have better luck for Team Venom Energy this time around.”

Driver: Hideki Mutoh
Car: #27 Formula Dream Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Hideki Mutoh Facts:

-Mutoh finished third at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 last weekend.
-Mutoh is currently 10th in the championship point standings.
-Mutoh posted a 10th place finish in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, which was his second top 10 at the 500 in two career starts.
-Mutoh captured the 2008 Bombardier Learjet Rookie of the Year award by finishing 10th in the IndyCar Series championship.

Hideki Mutoh on the SunTrust Indy Challenge:
“I was unable to finish the race last year in Richmond, but I hope to this time around. Tony won the race there last year and AGR has always been strong there. We had a great finish last weekend in Iowa so I hope we can keep the momentum going for the #27 car and have another a good result this weekend.”

- Andretti Green Racing, Press Release

1. Bonus points keep Briscoe in the points lead
2. Two top-10s for Dreyer & Reinbold
3. Hildebrand maintains points lead
4. Romancini’s charge takes him to second in points
5. Public to vote for Firestone “Tire”-rific move of the race

1. Bonus points keep Briscoe in the points lead: Ryan Briscoe has led the most laps by wide margins in the past three IndyCar Series races and what does he have to show for it? Runner-up finishes in each of those events.

Still, Briscoe leads the championship chase by three points over two-time race winner Dario Franchitti heading into the SunTrust Indy Challenge this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. That’s considerable consolation to the second-year Team Penske driver.

He’s been the beneficiary of six bonus points by pacing the field in laps led (154 of 225 at Milwaukee, 160 of 228 at Texas and 85 of 250 at Iowa). Not even halfway through the schedule, Briscoe has led 509 laps. The record is 899 by Scott Dixon last year.

“I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong,” said Briscoe, who finished second to Franchitti in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer on June 21. “We’re doing an extraordinary job as a whole team. It’s going to be like this for the rest of the season. It’s going to be very close. Every race we go to, it’s going to be tough.”

Maybe he can receive additional perspective from teammate Helio Castroneves, who recorded three consecutive second-place finishes in the second half of the 2008 IndyCar Series season to put him in position to keep the pressure on points front-runner Dixon.

Dixon was 48 points clear of Castroneves pointing to Richmond last year. Castroneves finished second to Tony Kanaan, and Dixon was third in the race under the lights on the 0.75-mile track. Castroneves, driving the No. 3 Team Penske car, reeled off a string of seven (of eight) races in which he didn’t finish lower than third (including two victories). The championship was decided in the season finale.

As Briscoe forecasts, he’s poised for a similar scenario. Dixon is 12 points off the lead, and the top five (Castroneves is fourth and Danica Patrick is fifth) are separated by 52 points.

“We’re just going to have to keep on our game and keep doing what we’re doing,” said Briscoe, who has finished 15th and 21st in his Richmond visits. “Hopefully, we’ll start with those last few laps instead of the first few laps.”

***

2. Two top-10s for Dreyer & Reinbold: When the green flag dropped to start the Iowa Corn Indy 250, there was no holding back for Tomas Scheckter. The IndyCar Series veteran, making his third start for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, rocketed his No. 23 MonaVie entry past six cars into the top 10.

Scheckter spent most of the 250 laps in the top 10, including three stints running in second. He ended up sixth, his best finish since 2007.

“It was a good race,” Scheckter said. “I made up a lot of positions in the beginning, and I just have to thank everybody at MonaVie. The car looks beautiful. Everyone on the team did a great job.”

The finish was the best this season for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, and coupled with Mike Conway’s eighth-place finish, gave the team two cars in the top 10 for the first time since the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

“We had good cars all weekend, and it’s really too bad that qualifying got rained out or we would have started up further in the cycle,” team co-owner Dennis Reinbold said.

Conway, a rookie, earned his first career top-10 in his eighth start.

“It was a tough race,” Conway said. “We started from the back with what happened with qualifying. We kept it steady at the start, but even when you are trying to stay out of trouble and everything is happening around you, it makes it difficult. At the restart, we just tried to gain positions, but it was hard with the bumps through (Turns) 1 and 2, because your car can get really loose, so we were just trying to hang on.”

The team will look to continue its success June 27 at Richmond where it finished eighth last year.

“We go to Richmond next weekend, and our setups are good on short tracks, so I’m looking forward to it,” Reinbold said.

***

3. Hildebrand maintains points lead: J.R. Hildebrand needed some luck to maintain the point lead in the chase for the Firestone Firehawk Cup.

The driver of the No. 26 ARPRO machine was penalized for blocking while running in second position, but was able to stay on the lead lap as the caution flag flew as he was heading to pit lane to serve a drive-through penalty.

After restarting as the final car on the lead lap, Hildebrand, the race’s polesitter, was able to pass several cars to finish sixth and maintain a 16-point lead over Mario Romancini.

“(The) race was definitely frustrating for us,” Hildebrand said. “We started on the pole, so we knew we had a good car. We also knew we were fighting a bit of understeer in qualifying. With such big condition changes before the race, it made it really tough to get the car set up, and the understeer continued to get worse throughout the race. After the drive-through penalty, we lost position and had to fight our way back up. It’s difficult to pass here, and the understeer wouldn’t allow us to get close enough to other cars.”

***

4. Romancini’s charge takes him to second in points: It wasn’t the charge to the podium finish he recorded at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or the domination he displayed at the Milwaukee Mile, but RLR/Andersen Racing’s Mario Romancini charge from 13th to fourth in the Miller Lite 100 on June 20 at Iowa Speedway was almost as impressive.

The 21-year-old Brazilian drove the final portion of the race with a broken weightjacker, which prevented him from making in-cockpit adjustments to his No. 5 car during the last 25 laps of the 115-lap race.

“It was a good race for the championship,” Romancini said. “I had a problem with my weightjacker; it wasn’t working for the last 25 laps or so, which made it very, very difficult. The car had a lot of push, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I was up to third, but then I got blocked by (Daniel) Herrington, and then (James) Hinchcliffe and (Ana) Beatriz passed me. There wasn’t anything I could do about it. Still, it was a very, very good result for us, especially with the problem with the weightjacker.”

Despite missing the podium on an oval for the first time this season. Romancini once again won the $1,000 Force For Earth Hard Charger award.

“It is very difficult to pass here,” he said. “I was just trying to take advantage of other people’s mistakes. I was able to pass both on the inside of Turn 1 and to the outside of Turn 3, so that proves I had a good car and we did a good job.”

Even more importantly, the strong finish moved Romancini to second place in the championship point standings. He trails J.R. Hildebrand, 227-211, heading into the Corning 100 on July 4 at Watkins Glen International.

***

5. Public to vote for Firestone “Tire”-rific move of the race: Fans will have the ultimate say in who receives a $10,000 race bonus from Firestone each week. After each IndyCar Series race, Firestone executives pick three “Tire”-rific Moves of the Race, on-track moves where the drivers had to rely on their Firestone Firehawk tires. Fans can vote for the winner at www.indycar.com.

From the Iowa Corn Indy 250, fans can choose from:

Dario Franchitti, whose frenetic in and out laps, coupled with quick pit work, put him in the lead for good on Lap 200.
Tony Kanaan, who opted for fuel only on an early stop and put 106 laps on a set of Firehawks.
Tomas Scheckter, who passed six cars on the outside on the first lap on his way to a sixth-place finish.
The winner from the Bombardier Learjet 550k was Danica Patrick.

***

The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues June 27 with the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 8 p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Corning 100 on July 4 at Watkins Glen International. The race will be telecast at 11 p.m. on July 6.

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

Richmond International Raceway Logo

WHAT: A licensed professional will drive passengers in the IndyCar Street Legal Two-Seater down West Broad Street in exchange for a $20 donation, with all proceeds benefiting Richmond International Raceway CARES—the track’s charitable account. Richmond International CARES assists charities, causes and events in the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area that focus on—but are not limited to—youth, education and recreation.

WHERE: Sign-ups and rides take place at:

Big Al’s Sports Bar & Grill
3641F Cox Road
Richmond, VA 23233
804-270-4454

WHEN: Wednesday, June 24

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

WHY: The IndyCar Street Legal Two-Seater is in the Richmond area to promote the SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series weekend at Richmond International Raceway. The SunTrust Indy Challenge, scheduled for Saturday, June 27, will feature all of the IndyCar Series drivers, including Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti.

WHAT ELSE: Tickets for the SunTrust Indy Challenge, scheduled for Saturday, June 27 “under the lights” at Richmond International Raceway, are available by calling 866-455-RACE (7223) or by visiting www.rir.com. Tickets are $35 (reserved) and $30 (general admission). Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections.

The weekend begins on Friday, June 26, with NBC12 Pole Qualifying for the IndyCar Series and the USAC Sprint Car Series Rotondo Weirich Showdown race. Friday’s $15 tickets include an autograph session with all of the IndyCar Series drivers. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

- Richmond International Raceway, Press Release

Richmond International Raceway Logo

The IndyCar Series made history by debuting at Richmond International Raceway’s ¾-mile D-shaped oval in 2001, making it the shortest track the series visits annually. The following year, Sam Hornish Jr. claimed the checkered flag at Richmond International Raceway and won the series championship. In 2003, Scott Dixon repeated Hornish’s feat; in 2006, Hornish again won the SunTrust Indy Challenge, along with the series title; and in 2007, Dario Franchitti captured both the race at Richmond International Raceway and the IndyCar Series title.

To go a step further, successfully maneuvering an IndyCar Series ride at Richmond International Raceway will equal overall success in the series. Here’s a look at the past eight series champions and their finishes at Richmond International Raceway during their championship runs:

Year Eventual Series Champion Finish at Richmond International Raceway

2001 Sam Hornish Jr. 2nd

2002 Sam Hornish Jr. 1st

2003 Scott Dixon 1st

2004 Tony Kanaan 5th

2005 Dan Wheldon 5th

2006 Sam Hornish Jr. 1st

2007 Dario Franchitti 1st

2008 Scott Dixon 3rd

The statistics show that of the past eight series champions, each driver has finished in the top five that year at Richmond International Raceway. That evidence would suggest that Richmond—a true “driver’s track”—can only be tamed by the most elite drivers in the series.

Additionally, the 2001 SunTrust Indy Challenge winner—Buddy Lazier—was the series runner-up; the 2004 SunTrust Indy Challenge winner—Dan Wheldon—was the series runner-up; the 2005 SunTrust Indy Challenge winner—Helio Castroneves—finished sixth in points that year; and the 2008 SunTrust Indy Challenge winner—Tony Kanaan—finished third in points that year. This means that of the eight years the series has run at Richmond International Raceway, the winner has finished at least second in the final point standings six times.

Although it’s no guarantee since there is tremendous talent throughout the series, it may be a pretty good prediction to say that someone who finishes in the top five at this year’s SunTrust Indy Challenge will make a run for the series championship.

The IndyCar Series visits Richmond International Raceway June 26-27 for the SunTrust Indy Challenge weekend. Danica Patrick, 2009 Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves, 2008 series champion Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti, Dan Wheldon, Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal and the rest of the IndyCar Series drivers will return to America’s Premier Short Track as they reach speeds of 180 mph! Tickets for Saturday, June 27, include the SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series race, which will be preceded by the James River Grounds 100 USAC Silver Crown Series race. Tickets for Saturday night are $35 (reserved) and $30 (general admission).

The weekend starts Friday, June 26 with NBC12 Pole Qualifying for the IndyCar Series and the USAC Sprint Car Series Rotondo Weirich Showdown race. Friday’s tickets are $15 and include admission to an autograph session featuring all of the IndyCar Series drivers. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admission sections with a ticketed adult both nights. For tickets and information, please call 866-455-7223 or visit www.rir.com.

About Richmond International Raceway:

Richmond International Raceway, known as America’s Premier Short Track, offers great night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts all of its major events, two NASCAR Doubleheader weekends featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series and an open-wheel racing weekend featuring the IndyCar Series, under the lights on a ¾-mile D-Shaped oval. The unique layout traditionally produces exciting side-by-side racing, yet drivers reach high enough speeds for a superspeedway feel. Combined with first-class amenities and a focus on the fans, guests at Richmond International Raceway can expect to experience what “Racing Perfection” truly is. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online.

- Richmond International Raceway, Press Release

Richmond International Raceway Logo

This unique opportunity is an exclusive part of the $15 ticket to NBC12 Pole Qualifying for the SunTrust Indy Challenge race and the USAC Sprint Car Series Rotondo Weirich Showdown race. Friday’s ticket also includes practice for the IndyCar Series, as well as practice and Pole Qualifying for the USAC National Sprint Car Series and Silver Crown Series.

Tickets for the Saturday, June 27, SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series race at Richmond International Raceway are on sale now. Reserved seats are $35 and general admission seats are $30. Saturday’s ticket also includes a seat for the James River Grounds 100 USAC Silver Crown Series race. Tickets for the Friday, June 26, NBC12 Pole Qualifying for the IndyCar Series and the USAC Sprint Car Series Rotondo Weirich Showdown race, as well as the autograph session with all of the IndyCar Series drivers, are $15. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admission seating with a ticketed adult both nights. For more information, please call the Richmond International Raceway ticket office at 866-455-7223, or visit www.rir.com.

- Richmond International Raceway, Press Release

Richmond International Raceway Logo

The Indy Paddock Zone Fan Hospitality package is the best way to experience the thrills of open-wheel racing at Richmond International Raceway. For $104, fans will receive a general admission ticket for Friday, June 27, featuring NBC12 Pole Qualifying for the IndyCar Series, a seat for the USAC Sprint Car Series Rotondo Weirich Showdown race and admission to the IndyCar Series driver autograph session, as well as a reserved seat for Saturday, June 27, featuring the SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series race and the James River Grounds 100 USAC Silver Crown Series race, a weekend Pre-Race Pit/Garage Pass (must be 18 years of age or older) and admission to the climate-controlled Indy Paddock Zone hospitality area on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The hospitality area on Saturday includes the appearances by Patrick, Andretti, Franchitti, Coons Jr. and track president Doug Fritz, an all you can eat dinner buffet, unlimited sodas and water, three beer tickets for guests 21 years of age and older (with valid ID), music and interactive games, prizes and more!

Patrick became the first female driver to win an IndyCar Series race last season with her victory at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. Additionally, she has been named the IndyCar Series’ most popular driver multiple times. She is currently fifth in the driver point standings, finishing in the top-five four times in six starts.

Andretti, the son of open-wheel great Michael Andretti and grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti, burst onto the IndyCar Series scene by finishing second at the Indianapolis 500 during his rookie year (2006). That same season, he finished fourth in his first-ever visit to Richmond International Raceway.

Franchitti earned his first SunTrust Indy Challenge victory in 2007, after finishing second in 2005 and third in 2006. Following his IndyCar Series championship in 2007, he bolted for a season in NASCAR before returning this year to the open-wheel series.

The Pre-Race Pit/Garage pass allows entry to the IndyCar Series garage area and pit road area on both Friday and Saturday. The passes expire one hour before the start of the USAC races. To take advantage of the Pre-Race Pit/Garage pass, guests must be 18 years of age or older with a valid ID. Additionally, no coolers are allowed in the Indy Paddock Zone hospitality area, on pit road or in the garage.

To purchase the Indy Paddock Zone package, tickets to the SunTrust Indy Challenge or for more information, call the Richmond International Raceway ticket office at 866-455-RACE (7223) or log on to www.rir.com.

About Richmond International Raceway:

Richmond International Raceway, known as America’s Premier Short Track, offers great night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts all of its major events, two NASCAR Doubleheader weekends featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series and an open-wheel racing weekend featuring the IndyCar Series, under the lights on a ¾-mile D-Shaped oval. The unique layout traditionally produces exciting side-by-side racing, yet drivers reach high enough speeds for a superspeedway feel. Combined with first-class amenities and a focus on the fans, guests at Richmond International Raceway can expect to experience what “Racing Perfection” truly is. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online.

- Richmond International Raceway, Press Release

E.J. Visio - Photo: LAT Photographic

Driver E.J. Viso paced the No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara around the track for 125 laps, using four sets of tires. Changes to the car made it progressively faster over the course of the day and Viso finished with the third-best overall time among the drivers testing.

HVM will use its test findings when it participates in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 21 at Iowa Speedway and when the team returns to Richmond International Raceway on June 27 for the SunTrust Indy Challenge.

Comments from HVM Racing Driver E.J. Viso after testing at Richmond:

“Everything went very smoothly. We were able to test lots of things and we are definitely in a much stronger position for the next short oval races.

“We did some work on setups to find more speed and grip. I believe we could have gone faster but we ran out of time to run different gear ratios.”

Comments from HVM Racing Team Manager Vince Kremer after testing at Richmond:

“We improved steadily and went progressively faster all day. We worked through some setups to make the car comfortable to drive, and the driver was happy and encouraged with the results.

“We feel like we made good gains and we’re encouraged to come back in a couple weeks to see how we do.”

About HVM Racing

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