Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (July 17, 2010)-

Today’s result is the team’s second career pole position. The last time that Dreyer & Reinbold Racing started from pole was in 2002 with Sarah Fisher at Kentucky. Additionally, this year will be DRR’s second year to compete at the 1.75-mile temporary street circuit. Last year the squad showed promise as Mike Conway made it into the Firestone Fast Six and qualified sixth. Both of the DRR cars were running high during the race, but it was ended early as both Scheckter and Conway were taken out due to contact.

Wilson amazed the crowd with each lap he turned during today’s qualifying. In the first session he went out on the Firestone Firehawk Primary (black sidewall) tires and turned the second fastest lap of the session, immediately advancing to the fast twelve. In the second session he clocked the fastest time of 60.52 seconds on the Firestone Firehawk Primary (black sidewall) tires. As a result, he moved to the Firestone Fast Six and still managed to save two sets of the Firestone Firehawk Alternate (red sidewall) tires for that session. He was able to save his “red” tires for the last stint and he posted a quick lap of 1 minute, 0.2710 seconds (104.827 mph), earning him his first IZOD IndyCar pole position.

Again, he quickly proved that he knows the Toronto circuit like the back of his hand. This will be his sixth year at the 1.75-mile temporary street circuit. Wilson competed in four Champ Car races at the track from 2004 to 2007. He won his first Champ Car race in 2005 at Toronto and led 10 laps after starting third. In 2006, he won the pole, led 10 laps and finished fourth. Last year, as the IZOD IndyCar Series made the return to Toronto, he finished fifth after starting fourth.

Earlier this season, Wilson earned DRR’s best result since team co-owner, Robbie Buhl, won in 2000 at Walt Disney World Speedway, as he came home with 2nd place finishes for the organization in St. Petersburg, Florida and in Long Beach, California. He started competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2008 and since then he has won on a street course (2008 Belle Isle) and a road course (2009 Watkins Glen). Wilson has also qualified in every Firestone Fast Six since 2008, except for two (2009 -Edmonton and 2010-Barber), which makes a total of 15 Firestone Fast Six Qualifying sessions he has advanced to. Out of those sessions he has qualified in the top-5 ten times. So far this season he has started 3rd in Brazil, 4th in St. Petersburg, 3rd in Long Beach and 6th in Watkins Glen.

After a year of not competing on a road/street course, Tomas Scheckter had a solid run in qualifying. As he diligently worked to make it into the fast twelve, he was barely nudged out in the end. The South African will start 19th (1:02.0426, 101.833 mph) on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Last year marked Schecker’s first start at the Toronto circuit. He started in 14th place, led six laps in 2009 start but was eliminated by contact with Alex Tagliani and Mario Moraes to finish 16th.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will be on track tomorrow for the tenth round of the IZOD IndyCar Series in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The race telecast will air live on Sunday, July 18th at 12:30 pm (EDT) on ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145, and Sirius channel 211. For more updates on the team, please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com.

What they have to say…

Justin Wilson, No. 22 Z-Line Designs: “It’s great. We’ve had a couple of tough races so to come back and get the pole here is just fantastic. Everyone at Dreyer and Reinbold has worked so hard. I’m very pleased for Z-Line Designs. It’s a good weekend so far. We have to keep it up. We’ll keep pushing for the race. It’s easy in this stage to sit back and relax, but we have a lot of work to do. It’s great that this is the team’s second career pole and I want to get their second career win. That’s the big picture we’re looking at but this is a great moment. After the difficulties at Watkins Glen and Iowa, it’s been tough. We’ve been working so hard, trying to stay focus and stay on track and not go off on a tangent.”

Tomas Scheckter, No. 24 MonaVie: “The MonaVie car felt alright. I think that I led the team a little bit in the wrong direction. We wanted to save some red tires for the race so now we are looking good for the race. Right now I’m just supporting Justin. He did a great job and I’m trying to learn as much from him as possible.”

About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing:

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is entering its 11th season of full-time competition in 2010, making it one of the longest-tenured teams in Indy Racing League competition. Current co-owners, Dennis Reinbold and Robbie Buhl, first teamed in full-time competition at the Walt Disney World Speedway in January of 2000. With Buhl behind the wheel, the two owners tasted victory in their debut race. The 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg marked Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s 200th series start. DRR now has over 250 starts to tuck under its belt and has qualified a total of 27 cars for the Indianapolis 500. In its history, the team has boasted a championship list of alumni drivers. Besides Buhl, the team has run Indianapolis 500 winners, Al Unser, Jr., Buddy Lazier, and Buddy Rice, along with IndyCar Series race winner Ryan Briscoe. The team has one of the longest lines of heritage in American open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 as Dennis Reinbold’s grandfather, “Pop” Dreyer, built leading roadsters that raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

More information on the team can be found at www.dreyerreinboldracing.com

More information on the IZOD IndyCar Series can be found at www.indycar.com.

- Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Press Release

Andretti Autosport

Will start tomorrow’s race in P10
“I think the Venom car is good, it just wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be. We’re still missing it a bit on set-up, but I was pleased to make it out of the first round. We’re starting inside the top ten in a very competitive field – anything could happen tomorrow.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, #37 TEAM IZOD CAR

Qualified for the race in P4
“It was a good effort. Fourth – we can work from there. It was very tight today, just as all the qualifying sessions have been this year on road and street circuits. (Justin) Wilson saved his set of reds for the end and that was the move of the day, for sure. We weren’t able to do that; we had to move on and take each step as it came.”

TONY KANAAN, #11 TEAM 7-ELEVEN/ NESTLÉ PURE LIFE CAR

Qualified for the Honda Indy Toronto in P8
“Qualifying was so close today and it always is. I missed making the Firestone Fast Six by four-thousandths of a second. But, it is what it is. Nowadays, that is what makes this series so hard and so exciting. We can definitely do it tomorrow. We’ve done it from 15th, so why can’t we do it from eighth?”

DANICA PATRICK, #7 TEAM GoDaddy.com CAR

Will start the race in P12
“I was pleased with our qualifying run today. It was great to advance out of our group, which had a lot of good cars in it. Today was a good step in the right direction. I’m happy with the GoDaddy car and hopefully we can have a decent day tomorrow.”

- Andretti Autosport, Press Release

IZOD IndyCar® Series

The Andretti Autosport driver, who won the last time the series visited a street course — at Long Beach in mid-April — raced to the top of the time chart with a lap of 1:02.1433 (101.668 mph) late in the second practice session as IZOD IndyCar Series teams opened preparations for the Honda Indy Toronto on the 1.75-mile, 11-turn circuit at Toronto’s Exhibition Place.

Justin Wilson, driving the No. 22 Z-Line Designs car for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, was second quick (1:02.1839; 101.602) and Helio Castroneves in the No. 3 Team Penske car was third (1:02.2550; 101.486).

It’s another tightly packed field as the top 13 cars were separated by less than a second.

Also on July 16, Toronto native James Hinchcliffe topped the time chart in the lone practice session for Firestone Indy Lights teams on the Exhibition Place course.

DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:
IZOD IndyCar Series technical information for the Honda Indy Toronto:

Honda overtake assist

Overtake assist was introduced to the series in August 2009 and will make its debut on the streets of Toronto in the Honda Indy Toronto.

The system employed by Honda Performance Development is an ECU software alteration. It is activated by the driver via a button on the steering wheel and provides an extra 200 RPM (about 10 horsepower) to the Honda Indy V-8 engine. Parameters are updated before each race weekend to meet the circuit layout.

For the 1.75-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place course:

15 uses

16 seconds duration each use

10-second recharge period between uses

Firestone Firehawk tires

Each car receives six sets (24 tires) of primary tires and three sets (12 tires) of the alternate (red-sidewall) tires.

The primary specification for Toronto is new in 2010, while the alternate spec is making an encore performance at the venue. The alternate spec was also used earlier this season at St. Petersburg and Long Beach.

The primary spec features new compounds and a slight tire construction change from the ’09 Toronto spec, but is designed to mirror the performance of the Firestone primary spec used at the previous street-course races this season. The alternate tires are identical in construction to the primaries but contain a softer tread compound to provide more grip and faster lap times, yet will trade off compound durability in exchange for those shorter-term advantages.

Aero package

Toronto is in the road course/short oval category of aero packages for the IZOD IndyCar Series. Here are mandatory and optional items for teams:

Rear wings: Tire ramps and sidepod extensions are optional.

Front wings: Wing flaps are open development area. Maximum of two elements per side is permitted and a divider is mandatory.

***

Carmen Jorda and Tonis Kasemets will race for Andersen Racing in the Firestone Indy Lights race this weekend in Toronto. Both drivers last competed in the series’ race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April.

Jorda, a native of Alcoy, Spain, finished 10^th in that event driving for the Palmetto, Fla.-based team but then sat out the three races. The 22-year-old who lives in Miami will be sponsored by ASAP Sports, NTGS.es, iHOLA!, Air Europa and pepetravel.com for the 50-lap Firestone Indy Lights race on Sunday morning that precedes the Honda Indy Toronto IZOD IndyCar Series race later that afternoon.

Tonis Kasemets, 36, is a native of Parnu, Estonia who lives in Mundelein, Ill. He finished sixth in the Long Beach Firestone Indy Lights race with Team PBIR. That was his only previous start in Firestone Indy Lights, but he drove in five Champ Car World Series races in 2006 for Rocketsport Racing. He was second in the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2005. Kasemets’ effort will be sponsored by Flexovit, a manufacturer and marketer of high-productivity abrasive products for the industrial, welding, and construction trades. Additional support will be provided by Northcentral Construction of Fond du Lac, Wis., and a local hotel, the Novotel Toronto North York located at 3 Park Home Ave. in North York, Toronto.

“We’re very pleased that Carmen is back with us for Toronto and the remainder of the year, and we know that she is very excited to be back behind the wheel again,” said team co-owner Dan Andersen. ”This is her first season racing in America and racing in Firestone Indy Lights, and she is determined to learn as much as possible at every event so she can compete for the championship next year.”

“We also welcome Tonis for this ‘one-off’ appearance,” Andersen continued.  ”I have known him for many years, and have watched him produce excellent results on a shoestring budget. He is one of those very talented drivers who deserves a chance, and it is our pleasure to have him in one of our cars at Toronto. I know he will run at the front.”

“It’s good to be back in the saddle again,” Kasemets said. ”Dan and I got to know each other in two-liter cars, and we’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve always tried to keep in touch, and perfect timing brought us together to do this race.

“I’ve driven at Toronto in both Champ Car and Atlantic, so I’m familiar with the track,” he added. ”Walt Preston [Andersen Racing's Firestone Indy Lights engineer] and I have known each other for quite some time too. We’re both old school, so we’ll try to come up with a good set-up, have some fun and get some good results.”

***

Open-wheel racing on the streets of Exhibition Place will receive facelifts each of the next two years.

The silver anniversary race in 2011 will have infrastructure and safety enhancements thanks to a $770,000 federal investment grant.

In 2012, the IZOD IndyCar Series’ new cars will make their first appearance on the circuit.

“Basically, the grant is going to allow us to replace a substantial amount of the barrier and fence,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner of Green Savoree Promotions. “Kim Green and I have to match those funds. Most of the barrier and fence here is 24 years old. Obviously, there have been so many advancements in design and technology of barriers and fencing. It’s going to be much safer for the drivers and fans, and it’s going to allows us to move in and move out much faster so less headache for the commuters in Toronto.

“We needed to tackle a development program and what that grant allowed was to advance our construction plans by a few years. It was a win-win-win for everybody.”

Green Savoree Promotions also owns the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which has grown each of its six years to be a destination race for fans in late March or early April (depending on where it lands in the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule). This is the second year in a row of the Honda Indy Toronto, which features the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights. It’s also the second year the event has been run by Green and Savoree, former co-owners of Andretti Green Racing.

With their feet on the ground and notepads spilling over with ideas and input, they are encouraged by the sponsor support and what they’ve seen and heard from the ticket-buying public.

“In the racing vernacular, when you race somewhere you know what kind of setup to come back with the next year,” Savoree said. “There were a lot of lessons we learned last year and applied the Honda process of reflection and went back to our offices here in Toronto and basically implemented a lot of changes.

“We used local vendors for the construction of the racetrack and it’s been just seamless. We also changed media agencies, ticketing agencies – a lot of things we learned even to the detail for the caterers for our suites. We’re looking forward to an exciting weekend from a commercial standpoint.”

***

Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti renewed acquaintances with Neil Lennon in Toronto of all places. Lennon, a star player for Celtic FC back in the day and now the Scottish Premier League team’s manager, met up with the fellow Scot at a pub.

He brought along team captain Scott Brown and up-and-coming midfielder James Forrest. Franchitti, a lifelong fan of Celtic FC, presented Lennon a Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew shirt. Celtic FC played a friendly against Manchester United at the Rogers Center on July 16.

FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS POST-PRACTICE QUOTES:

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 2 Xtreme Coil Drilling Team Moore Racing): “We’ve had a good street course car all year obviously at St. Pete and Long Beach so I knew we’d have a strong baseline. But this track is a little bit different; it has an interesting mix of high- and low-speed corners that are a little tough to set up for and it seems to get bumpier every year so that throws us another curveball. It’s also hot, so it was a slippery mess out there. I don’t think the car is perfect yet. I think there’s time in it and time in me, and that first session doesn’t mean much but it’s a good way to start off the weekend.” (About wanting to win in his home): “Watkins Glen was the one that got away, but I’ve been saying that was a lucky win for J.K. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. He was lucky. We were good. Luck runs out, but you don’t run out of good. J.K. has been quick on the road courses all year so it’s by no stretch going to be easy. They have a good package and we have a good package, so it just comes down to who makes the fewest mistakes.”

J.K. VERNAY (No. 7 Lucas /CJ/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “I’m quite happy because I didn’t know the track and the other drivers who are fighting for the championship know the track quite well, especially Hinchcliffe. The track is good, really quite bumpy, but we’re improving everything and learning, so in light of that I think everything really went very well.”

MARTIN PLOWMAN (No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers/KEP Printing): “Finishing P3 was not a bad way to start the weekend. I knew coming into this weekend that the team has had a strong car here. This is a track I really like. Overall the car was good this session. I just feel that the conditions didn’t really suit our setup really well. Once the track grips up, it will come to us. We’ll keep working hard and see what we can do tomorrow

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 26 Levemir FlexPen): “It was a good first practice, exactly what we needed. We made some big changes to the car, which definitely helped. We got caught out on the checkered right at the end, and the grip on a road course is always crazy the entire time. I know the No. 26 Levemir FlexPen car will be quick. We have a little more work to do tonight. We’re pretty close now, just a little bit more to come.”

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POST-PRACTICE QUOTES

RYAN HUNTER REAY (No. 37 Team IZOD): “It was a good day and it’s good to be back in Toronto. I love this place and it is great to see the fans turn out here in Toronto on Friday. The last street course we were on was Long Beach and the car was good. This is our first street course since then and our car is still good. Tomorrow is a new day. Most teams took new tires at the end of that session and so did we. We will see where we stack up, but I think we will definitely be top five tomorrow. I am pleased with how we started our weekend.”

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Team Z-Line Designs/DRR): “It’s always good to come back to Toronto. It’s a track that I really like and always have fun driving on. It’s obviously not the smoothest track we drive on but I think that adds character to the course. I want to thank everyone on the Dreyer and Reinbold Team who worked on the Z-Line Designs car; they gave me a good car today. It works really well and feels really good, but obviously we have plenty of room to improve. We have one area that we need to change, but hopefully after making those improvements tonight we’ll be able to go a little faster tomorrow.”

RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 2 HP de Ferran Dragon Racing): “We’ve had a reasonably good day. We had a few issues with the throttle sticking and that compromised the balance of the car a little bit, but it all worked out. The car was quite competitive and we know the track will continue to improve from a grip standpoint for qualifying tomorrow. We are just going to keep pushing and hopefully make the right changes for tomorrow.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom Energy):“We struggled pretty badly in practice today.  We went our own way set-up wise rather than using a similar set-up as my teammates.  It didn’t go as we had hoped, but the up side is that now we know exactly what we need to do.  We’ll make some changes and hopefully have the Venom car headed in the right direction tomorrow morning.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske): “It was good work by Team Penske today. It’s great to be back in Toronto and racing in front of these fans. We changed some things on the car from last year and it responded much better. We had two good practices but tomorrow is the real deal. We’ll keep working hard and see what happens tomorrow in qualifying.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske): “It was a pretty good day. The Team Penske car is very close on balance and we’re almost there. Today was really about managing our tires. I would have liked to run more laps, but we were saving our tires for qualifying and the race. Overall, we’re pretty happy with the car and I’m looking forward to running with new tires tomorrow.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “It is tough out there. The competition is so tight. No one really has a big advantage here. You have to be up on the wheel and really drive the car hard. The Verizon car is pretty good right now, although we do have a bit of work to do in order to get it right where it needs to be for qualifying.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 02 NHR/Quick Trim): “It’s nice to be back in an Indy car. It was a bit of a struggle this afternoon. We can’t seem to figure out what it is the car wants and I’m a little bit lost to be honest. I don’t really know too much of what we’re looking for. But this is similar to our Friday here last year and we qualified third, so hopefully it will play out that way again this year. But it is nice to be back in the car. Every time I get back in car it feels so good, especially here in Toronto, a place I really do enjoy.   I’m looking forward to tomorrow; I think we have a lot to gain. I’m hoping to put the Quick Trim car up front in qualifying.”

HIDEKI MUTOH ( No. 06 Formula Dream/Panasonic): “The track is very slippery which is the same as last year. I think we made good progress today. Each session, I went fastest and I understand the reason why I went faster which helps us know the direction to continue in. Now I have a teammate in Graham and fresh data to compare to which is helpful. Our position doesn’t look too good but I think we have potential. Today is only the first day and I have one more practice session before qualifying so I think we will be ready. I lost the backend of the car in Turn 1 and couldn’t stop before hitting the wall. I’m sorry to create extra work for the guys.”

PAUL TRACY (No. 15 Make A Wish – KV Racing Technology): “We started out pretty well this morning, but we had a little issue with the car in the afternoon. We really only got about five laps of running. We got the car back out to the pits with about two minutes to go, but we weren’t going to get the tires up to temperature in that amount of time, so we didn’t run. Right now, we’ll baseline off of E.J.’s car in the morning. Our cars were pretty similar to begin with and he ended up in the top seven today. He thinks the changes they made were quite good. That puts us up an extra set of tires on the rest of the field for Saturday. We’ll be ready to go in the morning.”

E.J. VISO (No. 8 PDVSA – KV Racing Technology): “I am happy as we have been making progress with the car each session. This is definitely a very tough place to race. It is a very unstable and bumpy track. You need a good car here, but you need to drive the track very precisely. There is a lot of direction change on this circuit. I have been working very closely with Bill (Pappas, engineer) and we have been improving the car with every run. The track was very slippery in the early portion of that session with the other cars running ahead of us. But in the last half of the session, the track felt like it was getting better and gaining more grip. We are looking for a good run on Saturday.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing): “I think today went pretty good. I had a bunch to learn since it was my first time here and we made more good changes than bad so I think we’re on the right road. The car was good here last year and it’s good again this year but we have to tweak it for the tires which are a little bit different from last year. We’re trying a few more things in the practice session before qualifying tomorrow. In the afternoon session today, I only got one clear lap and it wasn’t my best lap. Traffic was definitely an issue this afternoon so I don’t think our placing is a true indicator of where we are with the car.”

TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Team 7-Eleven/Nestle Pure Life): “The day was OK for Team 7-Eleven. Me and Ryan worked really well together today. We had the same strategy today, but tried a couple different options to see what was going to work. Obviously, his is working pretty well, so that makes me feel good. We’ll keep working tomorrow morning and see what happens.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy.com): “We made a few changes from the first practice session to the second and we were able to find some speed. I think the changes that we made gave us a much better idea on where we need to go for tomorrow. Overall I’m happy with today’s practice sessions and hope we have a strong qualifying run tomorrow for the GoDaddy car. ”

MARIO MORAES (No. 32 KV Racing Technology): “Overall it has been a good first day. I am pleased to be back here in Toronto, I really enjoy the track. We unfortunately didn’t find the right balance, but we will work on some things overnight and hopefully have a better day tomorrow.”

TAKUMA SATO (No. 5 Lotus – KV Racing Technology): “”It was a tough day. The circuit is extremely bumpy and slippery, especially on the concrete patches which made it very difficult to predict the setup of the car. Today was all about learning this unique track as quickly as possible. Tonight we will go over the data and hopefully improve the car for qualifying tomorrow.”

- Indy Racing League, Press Release

ESPN

NASCAR Nationwide Series Live from

The NASCAR Nationwide Series races in prime time at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis on Saturday night, July 17, and ESPN2 will have a live telecast in high definition. NASCAR Countdown airs at 7 p.m. ET, while the race telecast starts at 8 p.m. with the green flag at 8:15 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the series all season, with selected races airing on ESPN and ABC.

Also from Gateway, ESPN2 will air coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Dave Burns will be the lap-by-lap announcer, joined in the booth for analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and former Sprint Cup race winner Ricky Craven. Pit reporters will be Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch and Shannon Spake while reports from two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will originate from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Reporter Roundtable on NASCAR Now

The panel on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program will take on a different look on Monday, July 19, at 5 p.m. ET as three journalists who regularly cover NASCAR racing sit down with host Mike Massaro. NASCAR Now is ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Nate Ryan, motorsports writer for USA Today, will join Bob Pockrass, writer for SceneDaily.com and ESPN.com NASCAR writer David Newton as they discuss and debate the latest NASCAR news in the week leading to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the kickoff to ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the final 17 races of the season.

Half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now air Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at midnight (late Thursday night) with Ryan Burr hosting.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Mike Massaro, Nicole Briscoe, Allen Bestwick and Shannon Spake and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, and Ricky Craven, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and ESPN the Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

ESPN Classic Goes Back to 1998 Brickyard 400

With ESPN set to kick off its coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a live telecast of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 25, ESPN Classic is helping NASCAR fans get ready for the big event by re-airing some previous editions of the Brickyard 400.

Highlights of the 1998 Brickyard 400 from Indianapolis will air on ESPN Classic on Monday, July 19, at 2 p.m. ET.

NASCAR fans can enjoy a Brickyard Marathon on ESPN Classic starting on Friday night, July 23, and running through the night. The 1995 edition opens the marathon at 8 p.m., followed at 10 p.m. by the 2008 race. Highlights from the 2009 and 2007 races follow, with the inaugural Brickyard 400 from 1994 airing at 4 a.m. on Saturday, July 24.

IZOD IndyCar Series Live on ABC from Toronto

The IZOD IndyCar Series goes north of the border to Canada’s largest city this weekend with its annual race on the Toronto street racing circuit at Exhibition Place. ABC will have a live telecast of the race on Sunday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Marty Reid will call the action on the telecast with analysis from former IndyCar star Scott Goodyear. Reporting from the pits will be Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little and Vince Welch,

The event is the final of five races in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season to be produced by ESPN and air on ABC.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in Sonoma

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues its annual Western Swing this weekend with the Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and ESPN2 will air highlights of qualifying and eliminations. Qualifying action airs Saturday, July 17, at 11 p.m. ET, and coverage of eliminations airs Sunday at 6 p.m.

In the heart of Northern California’s high-tech region, the facility annually plays host to some of the tour’s most dramatic moments. A $70 million modernization project was completed in 2002 that included a new 660-foot concrete launchpad and led to scores of new track records. The event is usually blessed with pleasant weather that, combined with a quality racetrack, has yielded impressive performances, such as the sport’s second six-second Pro Stock Motorcycle pass in 2005. This year, the event is the middle leg of the Western Swing.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay presented by Lucas Oil on Sunday at 1 p.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

Also this weekend, ESPN2 airs highlights of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Pacific Raceways near Seattle on Saturday, July 17, at 6 p.m.

- ESPN Communications, Press Release

Michael Annett

Annett’s trip to Canada for Sunday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by
Dodge will be the first time he’s competed in a NASCAR event north of
the border, but as a former AAA ice hockey player for Team Illinois,
Annett has performed on the rink in games versus Canadian teams in Calgary
and Toronto.

“I’m really looking forward to traveling to Montreal this week. It
should be a good experience both on and off the track. It will be great to
catch up with the folks from HYPE Energy and get an insiders tour of
Montreal from them,” said Annett, “Getting back out on a road course
should be exciting too. The Watkins Glen race earlier this month was my
first road course race and we left with a top-20 finish. My experience
learning the course was very positive and productive. I’m eager to get
on the Montreal course and continue to improve on my road course skills in
the No. 15 HYPE Energy Drinks Toyota Camry.”

Primary sponsor, HYPE Energy Drinks has a strong presence in Montreal with
Unique Foods, a major national beverage distributor and the exclusive
Canadian distributor for HYPE.

HYPE’s interest in joining the Nationwide Series as a sponsor was
sparked by CEO, former Formula One driver and Le Mans winner, Bertrand
Gachot. No longer Formula One racing, Gachot has now turned his full
attention over to the marketing and branding of HYPE’s high-energy
beverage line.

“All of us at HYPE couldn’t be more proud of Michael Annett and
Germain Racing this season. Michael’s great performance for a rookie
driver has really energized all of our sales and distribution networks. We
are looking forward to seeing the No. 15 HYPE Energy Drinks car on the
track this weekend and hope for great success for the Montreal race,”
said Gachot.

The NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge is the second road course race
of the 2009 Nationwide Series season. On-track action at Circuit Gilles
Villeneuve’s 15 turn road course begins on Saturday with practice from 9
a.m. until 11 a.m. and again from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Qualifying for
the 74 lap road course race begins at 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, airing on
ESPN 2 at 9 p.m. The NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge kicks off at
2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Watch live on ESPN 2 starting at 2 p.m.

For more information on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com
and www.germainracing.com.

Visit www.hype.com for the latest HYPE Energy buzz and product information.

- Rising Star Management Group Press Release

Panther Racing National Guard

National Guard driver Dan Wheldon has been consistent in his first full season in Panther Racing’s No. 4 car, and the season’s final six races are comprised of some of Wheldon and Panther’s best tracks. After slipping to seventh in the IndyCar Series point standings following a Canadian swing that featured races in both Toronto and Edmonton, the team looks to get back on track and get back into the top five championship contenders by season’s end. Wheldon is currently just four points behind sixth-place Marco Andretti and 30 behind Danica Patrick.

The team’s consistency is highlighted by Wheldon completing 1,810 of a possible 1,828 laps this season, more than any other driver in the series. His eight Top Ten finishes are second behind only Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, who have nine total.

Panther’s Indy Lights team has won each of the past two races at Kentucky, in 2007 with Hideki Mutoh and last season with Dillon Battistini. Those drivers have led a staggering 132 of a possible 134 laps combined in those races, which each pilot leading all but one lap en route to their respective victories. Mutoh won from the pole in 2007 and Panther’s only other Indy Lights race at Kentucky came in 2003, when Mark Taylor won the pole position, but did not start the race the following day due to illness.

In 13 career IndyCar Series starts in Kentucky, Panther has twice started from the pole, won the race in 2003 with Sam Hornish Jr. and has amassed a total of four podium, five Top Five and eight Top Ten finishes. In Firestone Indy Lights, Panther has two poles, two victories and has never finished outside the Top Five. Wheldon has four Top Five finishes in his six starts at Kentucky, including three podium finishes and a best finish of third in 2004 and 2005. He finished fifth there last year with Ganassi.

The Meijer Indy 300 will be broadcast live on VERSUS next Saturday at 8 p.m. (EST), with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, www.indycar.com and Sirius XM channel 211.

Dan Wheldon, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

“When you look at all the races coming up, both myself and Panther Racing have had good results there. We should have competitive equipment on the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car and I hope to be driving well because Kentucky is the type of place where we should be good. We’ve been doing our homework and I’m pretty hopeful after looking at what happened at Toronto and Edmonton, we know the areas where we need to continue to work and that will only help us at places like Kentucky. Honestly, it should help us at all the tracks we go to, especially now that we know the path we need to follow.”

Martin Plowman, No. 15 Firestone Indy Lights

“After this stint of street courses I’m looking forward to get back on the 1.5 mile ovals. Back in the beginning of the year we had a good Top Five result in Kansas nearly missing a podium, so I can’t wait to get to Kentucky this weekend to get the result that we’ve been promising in the last few weeks.”

Pippa Mann, No. 16 Firestone Indy Lights

“I’m happy to go to Kentucky this weekend, a track that Panther had tremendous success in the past two years, winning with Dillon in 08 and Hideki in 07. I had a tough break the last time we went to a 1.5 mile track, so I’m looking forward to capitalizing on Panther’s achievements at Kentucky and bring home a good result.”

- Panther Racing Press Release

Tracy, in the #15 Edmonton Honda Dealers – Wounded Warriors.ca – KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine, made his fifth appearance on the 1.96-mile, 14-turn City Center Airport temporary street circuit and second in a row in his native country. Starting an IndyCar career high ninth he moved into sixth place on the opening lap following the incident with Moraes and essentially remained there throughout the 95-lap contest.

“I have mixed emotions about the race today,” Tracy said. “It was obviously a good race for the Edmonton Honda Dealers – Wounded Warriors.ca – KV Racing Technology car, but I have a bit of a heavy heart with Mario and myself touching on the first lap, which sent him spinning and I didn’t realize it had put him out of the race. I feel terrible for that and it has kind of put a damper on the rest of the weekend.”

Tracy went on to say, “Other than that, we had a little bit of a tire issue on the first stint and once we had the pressures right, the second and third stint the #15 car was pretty good and we just ran around, pretty much alone for the whole race.”

Moraes, contesting his second race in Edmonton, started seventh. The talented Brazilian, behind the wheel of the #5 Azul – Votorantim – KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone picked up 12 points and is in 17th place in the standings with 169 points.

Tracy, 40, made his third consecutive start, and fourth of the year, for KVRT today. Today’s sixth place finish is his best in five races this season and third best in seven career IndyCar starts behind a runner-up finish at the 2002 Indy 500 and fourth place showing here in Edmonton last year. Tracy has now finished in the top-six in all five of his starts in Edmonton. He previously ran for KVRT in Toronto, Watkins Glen and at the Indy 500. His other IndyCar starts were this year at Milwaukee, for AJ Foyt Racing, at Indy in 2002 and last year here at Edmonton for Vision Racing.

Moraes, 20, in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT, made his 27th career IndyCar start and 11th on a road/street course today. Prior to this season, Moraes had three career top-10 finishes, with a best showing of seventh at Watkins Glen and had earned just one top-10 qualifying spot,10th here in Edmonton. Since joining KVRT he has scored career high finishes on six of the 11 tracks, had two top-10 showings and earned his career best oval finish placing ninth at Milwaukee. His IndyCar career best finish is seventh at Watkins Glen in 2008. Moraes’ qualifying record has shown even more dramatic improvement. He has qualified in the top-seven in six of 10 races (Iowa qualifying cancelled), twice in the top-five, including an IndyCar career high fourth at Watkins Glen and an oval career high fifth at Milwaukee.

KVRT contested its fifth race, 10 starts, in Edmonton today. The team has now finished in the top-10 four times, two top-five showings with a best finish of fourth by Servia in 2006.

Note: Race fans in Toronto and Edmonton were given the opportunity to make a donation to Wounded Warriors.ca, a charity that benefits wounded Canadian veterans, and sign Paul Tracy’s fire suits at both events. Over $28,000 in donations were made, which Honda Canada matched. The total amount donated to the non-profit charity was $56,021.

Next up for KV Racing Technology is the Meijer Indy 300, July 31 – August 1, at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. The race will be broadcast live on Versus at 8:45 p.m. ET.

- KV Racing Technology Press Release

- TAKING THE VISION TO EDMONTON: Vision Racing and the IndyCar Series ventures to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and the Edmonton City Centre Airport for the second time. In the team’s debut at the 1.937-mile road course in 2008, they added driver Paul Tracy in the No. 22 Subway sponsored car along side the team’s regulars, Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV. Tracy made a lasting impression in his debut with the team in his native country as he battled the odds to work his way from a 15th place starting spot on the grid to run with the leaders, and narrowly missed out on a podium finish in his first outing for the Vision team in a collaborative one-race effort with Walker Racing. Fellow team drivers A.J. Foyt IV and Ed Carpenter finished 12th and 13th respectively. The team’s best road and street course finish came earlier this year on the streets of St. Petersburg when Ryan Hunter-Reay finished in the second position. Ed Carpenter’s best road/street course finish came at Watkins Glen when he took sixth place in 2006.

- NEW LOOK FOR CANADA: Vision Racing is pleased continue the running of William Rast branded livery in Canada as Carpenter will drive the No. 20 William Rast Dallara/Honda/Firestone entry for the second-consecutive race, after debuting the car two weeks ago at Toronto. William Rast, a People’s Liberation subsidiary known for its stylish high-end denim, is the primary sponsor on the No. 20 car this season for the IndyCar Series’ Canadian swing through Toronto and Edmonton.

While William Rast, a premium lifestyle brand with emphasis on stylish denim, has been a mainstay on the Vision Racing body work all season, it was also featured earlier in the year as a primary on the team’s No. 21 car driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April. However, the William Rast moniker has been featured on the Vision Racing entries at each event this season. Carpenter’s car will feature a grey matte finish, day-glow orange accents and of course, William Rast branding.

- 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 14th 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 Rexall Edmonton Indy will be the team’s 77th IndyCar Series event since their first season in 2005.

- SUMMER VACATION: Thanks to a mid-season break in the schedule this past weekend, team members got to enjoy some rare time away from the racetrack to spend with their families and friends. Team co-owners, Tony, Laura and Lauren George and driver Ed Carpenter, and their respective families spent their free time in the beautiful state of Montana before making the trek up to Edmonton for the race.

- ON ROAD/STREET COURSES: The team’s best finishes on a road or street course is second, recently scored in the 2009 season-opener at St. Petersburg by Ryan Hunter-Reay in his debut with the team. It’s is also the team’s highest finish overall. Prior to Hunter-Reay’s podium finish, the previous best road and street course drives include a fourth place finish scored by Paul Tracy in 2008 at Edmonton, and a pair of sixth place drives; one captured by Tomas Scheckter on the streets of St. Petersburg in 2007 and the other by Ed Carpenter in 2006 at Watkins Glen International

- FIND US ONLINE, ANYTIME: Just a couple of weeks ago, the team launched the newly remodeled www.VisionRacing.com. The site not only features great design and features, but also boasts its own fan site with additional content just for fans. The site is also the hub of the team’s social media experiment for the 2009 season. Vision Racing has established itself in the realm of online social media and networking via accounts at Twitter, Facebook and YouTube 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. Be sure to follow the team’s Twitter feed all race weekend long for behind the scenes info, pictures and maybe even an impromptu, trackside “tweet-up!” The team’s new site was designed by RACERSITES.COM.

- ON LOAN: Considered a win-win situation for all involved, Vision Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay has taken over piloting duties of A.J. Foyt’s No. 14 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 has transferred his driving services 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 14th 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

Birthday: March 3, 1980;

Hometown: Marshall, Ill.;

Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.

Making second career start at Edmonton.

- AT EDMONTON: Carpenter will be making his second start at the Edmonton City Centre Airport. Last year, driving the Vision Racing No. 20 Menards machine, he started from the 23rd spot and advanced ten places to finish in the 13th spot.

- MOST RECENTLY: Starting from the 19th spot on the grid in his debut on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Carpenter held on and persevered through a wild and exciting Honda Indy Toronto to finish the race in the 15th spot. He fell back as far as the 23rd spot after running as high up as 12th and overcame a pair of spins and contact with Graham Rahal to move his way back up through the field and finish in 15th. Unfortunately, Carpenter dropped one spot again in the IndyCar Series championship point standings to the 15th position with 172 total points (175 points behind the leader).

- BABY ON BOARD: Just as planned, Carpenter and wife Heather (Pettigrew) welcomed their second child into the world on June 1st as the 8 lb. 1 oz., 20 inch long Ryder Carpenter arrived on his due date. Young Ryder has been traveling the IndyCar Series circuit with his family at just a few weeks old; joining the schedule back in June for the Iowa event and tagging along ever since. 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.

- 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 of four top-ten finishes earned in the last six consecutive oval races. His top-ten finishes came on the ovals of Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa. The Rexall Edmonton Indy will be Carpenter’s eleventh event of the 2009 IndyCar Series season.

- LEADER LAPS: In his fifth IndyCar Series start in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 92nd 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. For the Canadian events at Toronto and Edmonton, Carpenter’s helmet will match his car as his No. 20 machine will carry William Rast primary sponsorship at those races.

- 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.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Conquest Racing Logo

“It’s always with great pleasure that we continue our partnership with Northlands and the Rexall Edmonton Indy,” stated Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing team owner. “It’s very exciting to be partnering with one of Canada’s best open-wheel racing events. The Rexall Edmonton Indy has become a premiere event on the IndyCar Series schedule and we’re proud to be associated with them.”

The Rexall Edmonton Indy runs from July 24-26, 2009, at the City Centre Airport in Edmonton, Alberta. Tickets are available now at all Ticketmaster outlets, or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. For more information on the Rexall Edmonton Indy, log onto www.edmontonindy.com.

Conquest Racing and Canadian driver Alex Tagliani will be back in action at 9:40 a.m. this morning for the third and last practice session before this afternoon’s qualifying at 2:05 p.m. (all times eastern).

- Conquest Racing Press Release

Honda Indy Toronto – July 10 – 12th, 2009

- Paul Tracy returns to Toronto for the second of three consecutive starts with KV Racing Technology. Tracy, who competed last weekend for the first time at Watkins Glen, was in the top-10 until a mistake on lap 29 caused him to lose control of his car thus ending his race.

- The 2009 Honda Indy Toronto will be Tracy’s 268th career start, sixth in the IndyCar Series, fourth this season, third with KVRT and 17th at Toronto.

- In 16 previous starts inToronto, Tracy has finished in the top-10 a total of 11 times with eight top-five showings, five podiums, two wins (1993 and 2003) and one pole.

- Toronto will be the second of three consecutive races Tracy will contest for KVRT. He ran Watkins Glen last weekend and will race at the Rexall Edmonton Indy, July 24-26.

- Tracy has made three IndyCar starts this year, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis for KVRT (finished 20th and ninth respectively) and Milwaukee for AJ Foyt, placing 17th.

- Tracy is in his 19th year of top-tier open-wheel competition. In 267 career starts (seventh all-time), Tracy has earned 31 career wins (tied for seventh all-time), 25 poles (ninth all-time), and 4,238 laps led (sixth all-time). He has 75 career podium performances, 102 top-five finishes and 142 top-10 showings.

- In the 15 seasons in which Tracy has competed in over 80% of the races, he has finished in the top-10 in the championship standings 10 times including eight times in the top-five, four in the top-three and captured the championship in 2003.
A native of Canada, Tracy, 40, currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

- KV Racing Technology Press Release

Power is scheduled to drive for Penske Racing at IndyCar Series events in Toronto (July 12), Edmonton (July 26), Kentucky (August 1), Sonoma (August 23) and Miami (October 10).

Upon joining Penske Racing prior to the start of the 2009 season, Power drove for the team throughout pre-season testing and in three of the first four events on the IndyCar Series schedule. He produced solid results, earning a pole position, two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

“Will has done a terrific job for Penske Racing and he has earned the opportunity to compete in more races,” said Roger Penske. “Will is a great asset to the team and we are excited to have him compete at these additional five races in the Penske Truck Rental Indy car.”

Filling in for three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves in the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, Power earned a sixth-place finish in the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg.

After Castroneves returned to the team in April, Power remained with Penske Racing and drove the No. 12 Team Verizon Wireless car. He won the pole position and finished second in Long Beach and enjoyed a strong month of May at the Indianapolis 500, earning a ninth-place starting position and running up front all race en route to a fifth-place finish.

“I am really looking forward to getting back on the track and driving for Penske Racing,” said Power. “I have learned so much working with everyone on the team this season and I plan to make the most of this opportunity to drive the Penske Truck Rental car at these five upcoming races and help the team however I can.”

Power, 28, will join Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, and Ryan Briscoe, driver of the No. 6 Team Penske entry, in the Penske stable at these five select events.

“We help hundreds of thousand of families move ahead every year,” said Jim Feenstra, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Penske Truck Rental. “The similarity in quality of product, people and dedication at every turn between Penske Truck Rental and Penske Racing creates great brand-building opportunities. We’re excited about seeing a proven success like Will Power drive the bright yellow Penske Truck Rental No. 12 in the IndyCar Series.”

A native of Toowoomba, Australia, Power was named the Champ Car World Series Rookie of the Year in 2006 and he produced three wins and six pole positions in two plus seasons in Champ Car. In 2008, Power won on the streets of Long Beach in Champ Car’s final race, and after joining the IndyCar Series, he earned his first series pole in front of his home crowd at Surfers Paradise, Australia. Power joined Penske Racing in January of 2009.

Penske Truck Rental is a service of Penske Truck Leasing. With one of the newest fleets, Penske Truck Rental provides do-it-yourself moves with clean, safe and reliable trucks as well as moving equipment, packing supplies and accessories.

Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, Pa., is a joint venture of Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and General Electric. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske operates more than 200,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, transportation and warehousing management, and supply chain management solutions. Visit www.GoPenske.com to learn more about the company and its products and services.

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 310 major race wins, 367 pole positions and 22 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

- Penske Racing Press Release