Category: Other Series PR

[media-credit name=”IZOD IndyCar Series” align=”alignright” width=”360″][/media-credit]Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1.      Kanaan enjoys Prelude experience

2.      Ebrahim, Fan Force United part ways

3.      Mayors meet in Toronto

4.      Of note

1. Kanaan enjoys Prelude experience: Finishing fourth in his heat race at the eighth Prelude To The Dream at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway on June 6 bolstered Tony Kanaan’s confidence heading into the 40-lap feature.

Unfortunately for the KV Racing Technology driver, other drivers had difficulty handling the Dirt Late Modelstock cars on the half-mile, 24-degree-banked oval. Kanaan, competing in the charity event at the Tony Stewart-owned racetrack for the third consecutive year, placed 22^nd after being taken out early. Only 15 of the 26 starter were running at the finish.

“As usual, we received great hospitality from Tony (Stewart) and everybody there,” said Kanaan, who was one spot behind Stewart in his qualifying heat (Danica Patrick crashed in the heat). “It was for a good cause. We were doing much better this year. It’s too bad we got caught up in someone else’s wreck, but overall it was fun.”

Kanaan had finished 24^th and 27^th the past two years.

Kyle Busch became the sixth different winner, and Stewart was runner-up. Net proceeds from the HBO pay-per-view telecast will support Feed The Children, a U.S.-based charity that domestically has helped more than 365,000 families since 2009 through its Americans Feeding Americans Caravan.

For the top-10 finishers, Feed The Children will send a food truck to each driver’s hometown or city of choice.

“As a promoter, I’m honored (all the drivers) were that committed to doing this with us to benefit such a good cause as Feed The Children,” said Stewart, a three-time winner. “Really, ‘honored’ is the best word I can think of to describe it.”

2. Ebrahim, Fan Force United part ways: Firestone Indy Lights team Fan Force United has announced that it has released its first-year driver, Armaan Ebrahim.

“Armaan is a fine young man, and we are quite sorry that this partnership has not worked out as we had hoped,” team co-owner Chris Williams said. “Armaan has worked incredibly hard for the team, as has everyone involved, but for whatever reason, things did not click and we did not get the results that we all required. We separate from Armaan with no hard feelings, and wish him the best of luck in whatever direction his careertakes. It has been a pleasure to work with him, and to have him as part of our team and part of our families. We do want to make sure that everybody knows that Armaan lived up to all of his obligations to the team, and that this is a mutual decision taken on both of our parts that is related strictly to our on-track goals for the year. Given the right circumstances, we would love to be able to work with him again. It is always difficult to take such steps, and we can only wish that things had turned out differently.”

Through the last Firestone Indy Lights race in Detroit on June 2, Ebrahim, driving the No. 24 JK Tyre/AMG sponsored machine, had posted finishes of eighth (St. Petersburg), 12th (Birmingham), 12th (Long Beach), 13th (Indianapolis), and 10th (Detroit). He experienced tire issues (Birmingham) and engine problems (Long Beach, Indianapolis) in three of his five starts.

“These are trying times, as Armaan had very much become part of the family,” co-owner Tyce Carlson said. “We want to thank Armaan for all of his hard work. Armaan showed a lot of character and made a great deal of progress in what was a difficult situation for him personally, as he left home, friends, and family to travel halfway around the world in order to move up to the most difficult level of competition than he has ever experienced. Everybody associated with him should be quite proud of him, as not only is it clear that he has developed the talents and skills to succeed at the top levels of our sport, but also because he is a great ambassador for the sport and for his home country of India.”

Talking about what comes next for the team, team co-owner Scott Williamson indicated that this is not the end of the group’s Firestone Indy Lights run.

“Fan Force United intends to continue in Firestone Indy Lights competition for the remainder of the 2012 season, and we hope to be making announcements in that regard in the very near future,” Williamson said. “At this time, we do want to say thank you to both our new and long-time fans for your support and understanding.”

3. Mayors meet in Toronto: IZOD IndyCar series driver James Hinchcliffe (aka “the Mayor of Hinchtown”) met Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at City Hall on June 4, during which Mayor Ford presented Hinchcliffe a proclamation welcoming him to the 2012 running of the Honda Indy Toronto.

The event, which will be held for the 26th time, takes place July 6-8 on the streets surrounding Exhibition Place. The circuit is already under construction.

Hinchcliffe, driver of the No. 27 GoDaddy.com car for Andretti Autosport, is a native of suburban Toronto and will compete in the race for the second year.

For the third year in a row, the Ontario Honda Dealers Association is sponsoring Free Friday on July 6. Through spectator and Ontario Honda Dealers Association donations, more than $200,000 has been raised for Make-A-Wish the previous two years.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti is the reigning race champion.

The next night, Hinchcliffe (left) threw out the ceremonial first pitch and watched the game between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

4. Of note: Almost 20.3 million people watched at least one minute of the Indianapolis 500 on ABC on May 27, with the average viewer watching a total of 70 minutes of the race…Chevrolet, who returned to enginemanufacturer competition this season after a six-year absence, has won three IZOD IndyCar Series races at Texas Motor Speedway: Jeff Ward, 2002; Sam Hornish, Jr., 2002; Tomas Scheckter, 2005.

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Firestone 550 on June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Milwaukee 100 on June 15 at The Milwaukee Mile. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. (ET) on June 21. NBC Sports Network coverage of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will be televised at 5 p.m. on June 7.

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]Lonestar Love: After two straight races that saw Team Penske finish outside of the top three, a trip to Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) is just what the doctor ordered. Team Penske has seven IZOD IndyCar Series wins in its history of racing at Texas Motor Speedway. Currentdrivers Helio Castroneves, Will Power and Ryan Briscoe have captured the checkered flag at TMS along with Sam Hornish Jr. (two of his wins were win another team) and Gil de Ferran for Team Penske. The 2011 twin races at Texas saw Team Penske continue its success with finishing positions of third (Power), sixth (Briscoe) and 10^th (Castroneves) in the first race and first (Power), third (Briscoe) and fourth (Castroneves) in the second race of the weekend.

Texas Three Step: Castroneves owns three wins at Texas Motor Speedway (2004, 2006 and 2009), which ties him with former IndyCar and current Penske Racing NASCAR driver Sam Hornish Jr. for the most IndyCar wins at the track.

Premier Pole Performance: Team Penske comes to Texas as the team to beat during qualifying. With pole positions earned by Power (St. Petersburg, Sao Paulo), Castroneves (Barber Motorsports Park) and Ryan Briscoe (Long Beach, Indianapolis), Team Penske has won five of the six poles in 2012 and has a record 208 pole positions in its open-wheel racing history.  

First of Many: Power won the second race of the Texas dual events in 2011 for his first career oval win. Over the course of his career, the 2010 and 2011 Mario Andretti road course champion has 18 wins with 17 coming on road/street courses.

Looking to Rebound: Team Penske enters the Firestone 550 coming off its first two-race span without a win in 2012. Despite notearning a victory in Rounds 5 and 6, Briscoe’s fifth-place result in Indianapolis and Power’s fourth-place finish at Detroit’s Belle Isle continued Team Penske’s streak of placing a driver in the top-five of every race in 2012. 

One For The Thumb: Castroneves (St. Petersburg) and Power (Barber, Long Beach, Sao Paulo) combined to win the first four races in the 2012 season. There has never been a season in the 44-year history of Penske Racing that began with four consecutive victories until 2012.

Leader of the Pack: With three race victories and two pole positions, Team Penske’s Power leads the IZOD IndyCar Series championship standings with 232 points. Teammate Castroneves is not far behind in third place with 177 points and Briscoe is currently in eighth place with 142 points. 

Bowtie Bonanza: Team Penske is proud to be a contributing member of Chevrolet’s highly successful return to IndyCar competition. Paced by the performance of Team Penske drivers, Chevrolet has taken nine of 18 combined top-three finishes and 26 of 36 combined starting spots in the top six over the first six races of the season. 

Premier Partners: Team Penske is proud to continue its relationship with existing partners and welcome several new sponsors to its family in 2012. Briscoe will compete with Hitachi as a sponsor of the No. 2 car at Texas, AAA Insurance will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 3 car driven by Castroneves at Texas and Power will drive the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske for the entire season.  Team Penske also features IZOD, Shell and Pennzoil, PPG and Penske Truck Rental as primary sponsors in 2012 along with associate sponsors Coca-Cola, Meijer, PTC and SKF.

Meet Team Penske: All three Team Penske drivers will meet fans and sign autographs on two different occasions this weekend. The first opportunity will be at the IZOD IndyCar Series autograph session at Texas Motor Speedway from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday evening. The second will be at the Team Penske merchandise trailer with Castroneves and Rick Mears signing from 2:30 – 2:50 p.m. CT on Friday and Briscoe and Power signing from 4:00 – 4:20 p.m. CT on Saturday.

Legacy of Success: Team Penske continues to set the standard of success in open-wheel racing. Throughout its storied history, the team has posted 163 race wins, 12 National Championships and 208 pole positions. In addition, Penske Racing has won the Indianapolis 500-mile race a record 15 times. Across all of its disciplines, Penske Racing teams have produced 357 major race wins, 418 pole positions and 23 National Championships.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE FIRESTONE 550

Ryan Briscoe: “I am excited to go back to Texas with the No. 2 Hitachi car, where there is always great racing. I think with the data we have from the early testing it should be a special event and a lot of fun for the driversand fans. This is a great opportunity to bounce back from Belle Isle and I am eager to get Hitachi and Chevrolet into the winner’s circle on Saturday.” 

Helio Castroneves: “The racing is really exciting in Texas and I am looking forward to doing it again in the AAA Insurance car. We get to do it this time with the Chevy engines which have been great so far and should make the racing even better. The last time I was in the AAA Insurance machine we won the pole (at Barber) so hopefully the good luck carries on to Texas. We have had some great finishes here in the past and hopefully we can do that again to get some good points.”

Will Power: “I am looking forward to driving the Verizon car in Texas this weekend. This is one of my favorite ovals and is a place where I have won before which makes it even better. I have a lot of family in the area so it is always fun to come here. I like our chances with the Chevrolet engines this weekend so hopefully we can get another win for Team Penske.”

FAST FACTS 

Drivers:

Ryan Briscoe: No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Helio Castroneves: No. 3 AAA Insurance Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Will Power: No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet

Event:

Firestone 550
Texas Motor Speedway
(1.5 mile oval)

When:

Qualifying – Friday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m. ET (Taped qualifying coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network)

Race (228 laps) – Saturday, June 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET (Live on NBC Sports Network)

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]When the IZOD IndyCar Series stables its high-powered horses in Texas this weekend for the Firestone 550, Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) will be working to turn the tables on a string of unfortunate events that has kept the team from a high finish the past two weekends.

SFHR and Newgarden come to Texas after a 15th-place finish last weekend at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. After sustaining a punctured tire from the deteriorating track surfaceNewgarden was knocked off of his fuel strategy. Then the No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car was hit from behind and spun near the end of the race by Simona de Silvestro.

Two weeks ago at the famed Indianapolis 500 Newgarden qualified seventh, making him the highest qualifying rookie since 2005 when Danica Patrick qualified fourth for her debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Unfortunately the No. 67 car wouldn’t catch gear on its first pit stop and Newgarden fell a lap down early on.

After fighting back the entire afternoon Newgarden found himself back on the lead lap within the final half of the 500-mile race only to have his car role to a stop with no power on the backstretch on Lap 161.

Newgarden is not worried about the bad luck sticking around for long, however.

“I’m not superstitious, and I try really hard not to be,” he said. “I think luck in racing is all a cycle. You have to let it play out and it will turn around and come back to your favor. You just have to be patient.”

Looking to the Firestone 550 at TMS, Newgarden is eager to put the lessons he learned at his IZOD IndyCar Series oval test at TMS in early May to use in race conditions.

“I think it’s going to be difficult to run flat throughout the entire race because of the mandated wing settingsfrom INDYCAR,” Newgarden said. “That will be a challenge for everybody, including the veterans, thisweekend.”

In recent years IZOD IndyCar Series action at Texas Motor Speedway has been marked by nail-biting pack racing where a fraction of an error from any driver had magnified consequences.

The 2012 Firestone 550 presents a question mark however because teams and drivers are unsure of what to expect from the new cars during race conditions. Similar to every other track on the this year’s IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, Texas provides a whole new list of unknowns since having no data from the past forces guesswork from drivers and engineers.

“We’ll have to wait and see what the new car does to pack racing at Texas,” Newgarden said. “I think the cars will tow up really well so it will be interesting to see what happens to the racing product.”

SFHR and Newgarden take to the Texas Motor Speedway for the first IZOD IndyCar Series practice session on Friday, June 8 at 12:30 p.m. The Firestone 550 will be run on Saturday, June 9 at 7:45 p.m. CT.

Notes

• As a 21-year-old rookie in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Newgarden can still walk around various race trackswithout being identified as a driver. At the Long Beach Grand Prix, the Nashville-native interviewed fans incognito to hilarious results: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcF1km_eiA

• Newgarden’s highest finish on the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule came in his series debut at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March where he started 19th and finished 11th.

• Newgarden currently sits in 21st position in the IZOD IndyCar Series driver point standings.

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]RACE ADVANCE NOTES/QUOTES—- Dallas, Texas, June 7, 2012

Fast Facts:

Oriol Servia

^ This weekend will mark Servia’s 4th start at Texas Motor Speedway. Last year he started 14th and finished 21st in race one and in race two he started 17th and finished 15th. In 2008, he started 16th and finished 26th due to contact.

^ In the last six races combined, Servia has gained a total of 73 positions (7 positions in St. Pete to finish 16th, 13 positions in Barber to finish 13th, 7 positions in Long Beach to finish 16th, 12 positions in Brazil to finish 11th, 23 positions in Indianapolis to finish 4th, and 11 positions in Detroit to finish 5th).

^ The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix marked the second top-five finish in a row for Panther DRR and Oriol Servia.

^ This year’s Indianapolis 500 marked a career-best result in the race for Oriol Servia and Panther DRR. It was the Spaniard’s fourth start and he finished the day with his best result for the race. It was the same story for the team. The race was Panther DRR’s 13th start and their best result for the Indianapolis 500 race as well.

^ Servia qualified 27th for the 96th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and finished a career-best at the IMS track with a 4th place result. After a last minute stop due to a tire going down in the early part of the race, Servia went a lap down for most of the event as a result. During the last stint, Servia got his lap back and went from 18th to 4th place in 20 laps.

^ Valspar will be the primary on the No. 22 machine this weekend. The Valspar Corporation is one of the largest global coatings manufacturers in the world, providing coatings and coating intermediates to a wide variety of customers and applications. Since 1806, Valspar has been dedicated to bringing customers the latest innovations, the finest quality, and the best customer service in the coatings industry.

^ Last year Oriol Finished fourth in IZOD IndyCar Series standings….Recorded 11 top-10 finishes, with a best of second at New Hampshire and Baltimore….Among three drivers to be running at the finish in all 17 races….. Led all drivers in laps completed (2,103 of 2,011)….Oriol was the only driver to finish in the top 10 in first five races of the season.

Panther DRR

^ This weekend will mark Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s 18th time to compete at the 1.5-mile oval. The team has started at least one car in every race at the track since 2000. In 2001, Robbie Buhl finished team best of 3rd in 2001. DRR has led a total of 33 laps at Texas Motor Speedway.

^ It was announced in May that the Indianapolis-based squad has united with two-time IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing to form a strategic alliance on Oriol Servia’s entry for the remainder of the 2012 season. The No. 22 Panther/DRR team will utilize Panther’s second Chevrolet engine lease and work in conjunction with the No. 4 National Guard team and driver JR Hildebrand.

Oriol Servia, No. 22 Panther DRR, on momentum going into Texas: “I’m super happy with our momentum and I want to continue getting top-five results for Chevy. You need to be getting those top-fives to really start getting some podiums and you need to be on the podium all of the time to really start getting some wins. We are doing the right steps and we’re trying to be solid in the top-five, so hopefully a couple podiums will fall in our lap soon and then we can start focusing on wins. We are doing a great job and we are performing like the top team that we are. Texas will be a little bit of a different weekend and we are just going to try and get the most points that we can.”

Back on Track: Panther DRR will be back on track this weekend for the Firestone 550 in Fort Worth, Texas. The race is scheduled for Saturday, June 9th at 8:00 pm ET. Live coverage will be on the NBC Sports Network and the IMS Radio Network. Please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com for more updates.

About Panther DRR:

Panther DRR will be entering its 13th season of full-time competition in 2012, making it one of the longest-tenured teams in IZOD IndyCar Series 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. DRR now has over 305 starts to tuck under its belt and has qualified a total of 31 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 IZOD 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.

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]Andretti Autosport, IZOD IndyCar Series
Race Preview: Firestone 550

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus SodaChevrolet, No. 28

Following a seventh-place finish at the Detroit ChevroletGrand Prix at Belle Isle, Hunter-Reay is seventh in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings – only eight points behind third place after six races. In the season’s previous oval race, Hunter-Reay qualified third and started on the outside of the front row for the Indianapolis 500.

“We plan to carry over our speed from Indy to the high banks of Texas. We chose not to test at TMS because we were focusing on Indianapolis so we have a bit of an unknown, but I’m really confident we can roll off the truck with a good race car that can win this weekend.”

Did You Know: Hunter-Reay resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., but was born in Dallas in 1980. His ninth-place finish in the second Texas race last year started a hot streak for Hunter-Reay that has propelled him to 13 top-10 finishes in the last 17 races.

Marco Andretti, Team RC Cola Chevrolet, No. 26

Marco has been consistently strong at Texas, finishing third there in 2010 and fourth in 2009.

“We’re always strong there, so that gives the whole team confidence going into the race. We didn’t test there (earlier in the season), but we’re really well prepared, so it’s not a drawback. I love night races – that’s something I’ve always liked about racing at Texas. The fans love it as well. I realize it’s dangerous to run three-wide there in packs, but I enjoy the tight racing, and most of all, it’s fun for the fans.”

Did You Know: Last year at Texas, in the twin-race format with the random draw for the starting lineup in the second race, Marco drew the 27th starting position but gained 21 positions to finish sixth.

James Hinchcliffe, Team GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, No. 27

Hinchcliffe heads to Texas Motor Speedway ranked fourth in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship points standings. This will be his thirdIndyCar start (last year race format featured twin races) at the 1.5-mile oval.

“I think Texas Motor Speedway is the closest relevant racetrack to Indianapolis and obviously the team had quick cars there and we’re hoping that translates. It’s a bit of a different aero kit and certainly a different style of racing, but we’ve been competitive on every track so far this season and I’m hoping to keep that streak alive for the Go Daddy Chevy.”

Did You Know: Hinchcliffe recently traveled to Texas Motor Speedway where he helped Northwest ISD give away a Chevrolet Camaro to a high school freshman. The give-a-way was part of the district’s academic achievement program.

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]FLYING FRENCHMEN

On Feb. 18, 1910, a Frenchman proved to Texans that France does produce brave and daring men capable of accomplishing amazing feats. It was on that day that Frenchman Louis Paulhan completed the first manned flight of an aircraft over Texas ground.

Though the flight came a few years after the Wright brothers’ well-documented successful flight in North Carolina, Paulhan’s flight was historic for his country and Texas, where it took place.

Fast forward more than 102 years, and another Frenchman would like to make history in a brave and daring profession. Frenchman Simon Pagenaud, driver of the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car, would like to be the first French driver to win an IndyCar race on the famed high-banks of Texas Motor Speedway.

Pagenaud will join the rest of the IZOD IndyCar Series drivers when they race Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in the Firestone 550 race. Though a rookie, he enters the Texas race sitting sixth in points, but is only six points out of third place, currently held by Helio Castroneves.

Texas will only be the rookie’s second oval race, but it is not out of the question that Pagenaud could win. He practiced and ran well in his first Indianapolis 500, completing all 200 laps. In addition, Pagenaud passed his IndyCar rookie test at TMS in April, so he is familiar with the 1.5-mile tri-oval track.

Pagenaud is not only now familiar with the TMS track and pit lane, he is up on TMS traditions and history. He wants to be the first Frenchman to wear the cowboy hat and fire the six-shooters in Victory Lane Saturday night.

“SIMON PAGENAUD (Poitiers, France)
Though you are going from a street course (Detroit) to an oval, how can you carry the momentum from your podium finish to Texas?
“Having such momentum is always very important in this stage of the season. It is great for the team, the crew, myself and everyone working on this HP program. We know the road courses are where we are strong, so scoring maximum points is important in our quest to a solid championship. My approach with the oval is to learn and absorb as much as possible to become an expert at this exercise.”

What was you first impression when you saw Texas Motor Speedway in April?
“It looked impressively banked and made me think of the gladiators arena.”

What were your impressions after taking your first laps around TMS in an IndyCar?
“On my first lap going into the banking was a funny feeling initially. The car went there, but my head was not quite there with it yet. It was a little bit like being on a plane which takes a sharp descent.”

• Before he could compete on an oval in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Pagenaud had to complete an oval rookie test in front of series’ officials. The rookie passed his oval test at Texas Motor Speedway on April 5 under the direction of IndyCar series director Beaux Barfield.

• The Firestone 550 will be Simon Pagenaud’s 24th start in a major open-wheel race. He has nine IZOD IndyCar starts and 14 Champ Car races under his belt.

• Pagenaud enters the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway sixth in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship with 171 points. However, he is only six points out of third place. Pagenaud trails Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe, who are tied in fourth, by five points (176-171) and Castroneves in third with 177 points. .

• So far in 2012, there have been 610 laps of competition. Pagenaud has completed the most of all IZOD Indy Car Series drivers this year. He and the HP team have completed 609 laps of competition to date.

• Pagenaud joins Dario Franchitti, Ed Carpenter and E.J. Viso who have been running at the finish of every IZOD IndyCar Series race in 2012. Pagenaud also leads the Sunoco Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year standings.

• The Firestone 550 will be the 66th time a Sam Schmidt-owned car has lined up on an IZOD IndyCar Series grid. Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports co-owner Davey Hamilton was in the cockpit of the No. 99 car when SSM made its first race in March 2001 at Phoenix International Raceway.

• With Honda sweeping the podium at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, it has tightened the INDYCAR EngineManufacturers championship. Chevrolet leads with 48 while Honda has 41. Lotus trails with 24.

Driver: Simon Pagenaud
Hometown: Poitiers, France
Car: No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Series: Round 7 of 16 in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series
Standings: 6^th[media-credit name=”GRand Solutions, LLC” align=”alignnone” width=”600″][/media-credit]

[media-credit name=”IZOD IndyCar Series” align=”alignright” width=”360″][/media-credit]Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1. Teams have aero options for Texas

2. If you missed it: Simon Pagenaud-Charlie Kimball conference call

3. XYQ forms partnership with INDYCAR, will sponsor Milwaukee race

1. Teams have aero options for Texas: Three diverse oval racetracks are on the schedule the next three weekends, starting with the Firestone 550 on June 9 under the lights on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.

A week later, it’s the Milwaukee IndyFest Presented by XYQ on the Milwaukee Mile. Then it’s the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on the .875-mile Iowa Speedway, also a night race, on June 23.

“We’re in the middle of a really tough stretch regardless of the types of tracks we go to,” said Ed Carpenter, owner/driver of the Chevrolet-powered No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. “There’s so much to learn still with the new car, especially on ovals. It’s a big challenge and it’s all about who’s getting it figured out the fastest. There’s an opportunity for anyone to go into one of these races and get a big win.”

Two days after the Indianapolis 500, Carpenter was among 19 drivers to get a feel for the new car on the Milwaukee oval. He’ll join 18 others to test at Iowa Speedway on June 12 (Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand, Panther/DRR’s Oriol Servia and Dragon Racing’s Katherine Legge will test June 13), and he participated in the 11-car Open Test at Texas Motor Speedway on May 7.

“I’m definitely lucky to be getting time at all these places,” he said. “I feel good about Texas but still have a little work to do to get the car where we want it at Milwaukee. I’m excited to get to Iowa; I think that’s going to be a good race for us.”

Separate tests were conducted in February and May at Texas to set the baseline and confirm the aero package for the high-banked oval. Scott Dixon was quickest of 11 car/driver combinations during the May Open Test at 24.6644 seconds (212.371 mph).

“Comparing it to the old car, we’re not that far off (on lap times),” INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips said. “We’re running as much as 70 horsepower less than the old car, so the efficiency of the car is significantly improved.”

INDYCAR last week issued a technical bulletin for the Texas aero package to distinguish it from the one used on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval (the initial oval race of the season):

Musts
• Rear wing mainplane between minus 5 degree and minus 10.5 degrees
• Standard speedway rear wing endplate
• Standard rear wheel guard

Optional
• Two-thirds radiator inlet shutter

Can’t use
• Rear wheel infils
• Sidepod top deck
• Underwing strakes and sidewalls

Front and rear wickers are an area teams can experiment with during the 12:30-1:45 p.m. (local) pre-qualifying practice session to add or remove downforce.

Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, appreciated the range of options on the car afforded by the sanctioning body.

“Instead of coming here with a 10-degree rear flap that created more pack racing and people didn’t have the options to try to separate themselves and create different strategies or be fast for 20 laps but have to lift later on in the stint, there are options,” said Dixon, who won the 2008 race at Texas on the way to his second series championship. “It will be difficult to drive for a race stint, which I think is good.

“Having the car in a situation where you can take a lot of downforce off it’s pretty difficult and qualifying could actually be difficult for a change. At Texas, that’s pretty big.”

2. If you missed it: Simon Pagenaud-Charlie Kimball conference call: Earlier today, IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Charlie Kimball and Simon Pagenaud participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to preview theFirestone 550. Selected quotes from the interview are below.

Q. Simon, Talk about the season so far. As a rookie has it been what you’ve expected since the start of the season? 

SIMON PAGENAUD: I think it’s going even better than I expected, to be honest. I think the team has been quite fantastic, providing me such a good car, and Honda obviously as you know, I’ve had such a long relationship with Honda, and they’re really stepping up their game, which is great to be part of such a development aspect of racing. All in all, I’m really happy where I am at the moment. We are attacking the most difficult part for me with the ovals. It’s all going to be about learning and experience building. We are looking forward to it.

Q. Charlie, talk a little about year two in the IZOD IndyCar Series and the differences between this year and last. 

CHARLIE KIMBALL: Well, I think the momentum we picked up toward the end of last year, laying the foundation as a team ‑‑ last season there was nothing on January 1st, and then we showed up at the first race and had a pretty good result there, began a good season, let’s put it that way there, and then built through the momentum all season, and then at the end of the year really started to hit our stride, and that carried into the beginning of this year. And as you said, every time we’ve seen the checkered flag this year, we’ve been inside the Top 10, having a couple of mechanical problems at Barber and Long Beachhurt us a little bit in points, but knocking on the door of the Top 10 heading into this difficult stretch, as Simon said, with five straight race weekends, it’s nice to have some momentum, especially coming off a very successful month of May with an eighth‑place result and building through the summer and hopefully to continue to move up the points table.

Q. Simon, you get to experience another new experience for IndyCar drivers with your first nighttime oval race at Texas. Are you looking forward to getting on the track and just experiencing driving under the lights at Texas? 

SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, I do really look forward to it. I think it’s first and foremost, driving on an oval is completely new to me, but I realize that first my rookie test at Texas was a lot of fun. I was just hoping to get some traffic around me and see how it was, and then obviously Indianapolis was quite something as well in my career.

I think Texas, there’s not much practice, so obviously the most I can learn, the best for the future. I think as a rookie and I would say as a novice in this season, it’s all going to be about learning as much as I can. But under the lights should be a lot of fun for the fans and quite tricky for us, but it should be good fun.

Q. Charlie, I know you’ve had a camera crew following you. You’ll be a featured driver on an episode of INDYCAR 36 coming up here in a couple weeks. Does knowing the camera crew is going to be around you for 36 hours at Texas change the way you prepare for the race? 

CHARLIE KIMBALL: I don’t think it changes the way I prepare at all. It adds an element, and I’ve got to be a little more aware of what’s going on. But I think that the nice thing about the IndyCar 36 is that it gives an insight to all the fans and everybody interested in racing to see how we prepare. So ideally we shouldn’t change anything when the camera crews are there, so everybody gets an understanding of what really goes on behind the transfer of the doors and the drivers lounge. Hopefully we’ll be able to give that insight and also give people a better understanding of what diabetes is for me and what it means to manage it, using all the tools that I have available before I ever get anywhere near stepping in a race car.

Q. Question for Charlie: You had the chance to test here last month. Did you get a chance to run much in traffic, or was most of it in single car runs, and what do you think is going to be the effect of this aero package with this car on this track? 

CHARLIE KIMBALL: Well, we did a little bit of both. We ran on our own and doing some Q thins and then in some traffic. The package we ran in traffic had a little more downforce and a little more drag than what we’ll be allowed to run this weekend. So I think you’ll see some really good racing.

Last year, I felt like the races at Milwaukee, Loudon and Iowa, the short ovals, drivers were really having to drive the car and pedal the car, especially halfway through towards the end of the tire and fuel stint, was some of the best IndyCar racing I’ve seen or been involved in. So I think the aerodynamic package that the IndyCarSeries has come up with for Texas will create some great racing this weekend.

Running in traffic with enough downforce to run right behind someone full throttle isn’t a huge amount of fun or a big challenge for drivers, but when you have to start pedaling it as the tires go away, that’s when you really see cars and drivers come to the fore.

Q. For Simon, getting your first race now on a 1.5‑mile oval, I know Indy and here are two completely different animals, but what’s kind of your expectations going into this time of event for the first time?

SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, I think the main thing is to take things one step at a time. Obviously it’s going to be a huge learning curve for me. But in the meantime, it’s still a race car and four corners. I just have to understand what the car does, see what the others are doing in traffic, and try to understand the racetrack. I’ve been watching Indy, especially with what Dario was doing, how he came back to the front.

So I’ve been watching the race from last year’s, and it’s definitely a great show. As Charlie said, it’s going to be a lot about pedaling the car this year, so it should be a little bit more rewarding for the drivers. So we’ll see.

I think there’s different grooves you can use at Texas, which I think is great for the fans and also for us, gives us different opportunities and different ways to set the car up.

I think finishing the race is very important for my learning curve in the future.

3. XYQ forms partnership with INDYCAR, will sponsor Milwaukee race: INDYCAR announced today it has entered into a partnership with XYQ, which will see the augmented technology company and application service provider named as the entitlement sponsor of the June 15-16 Milwaukee IndyFest at the Milwaukee Mile.

The IZOD IndyCar Series race at the historic oval in West Allis, Wis., will be named the Milwaukee IndyFest Presented by XYQ.

XYQ will create a wireless application called the Milwaukee IndyFest WayFinder, designed to help fans navigate at-track activities through geo-coordinate technology. The smartphone application will be available for download in the Android Marketplace as well as at iTunes.

“The Milwaukee IndyFest is a great opportunity to utilize our technology to help modernize the guest experience at the oldest track in the country,” said John Marcum, founder, XYQ Inc. “This real-time application service will allow fans to find everything they need at the track to ensure they don’t miss out on any of the on- and off-track action during race weekend. We feel the synergy between the sport and our company is a great way to highlight our technology in a way that will benefit the fans.”

Under the agreement, XYQ will be the official Augmented Technology and a New Media Partner of INDYCAR, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.

“The technological capabilities we will see from XYQ at Milwaukee are just the start of how we can activate this new partnership to further enhance the at-track experience,” said Greg Gruning, executive vice president, corporate business development, INDYCAR. “The combination of XYQ’s high-speed, real-time capabilities and cutting-edge technology are a great fit for our sport, and we are excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for this partnership.”

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Firestone 550 on June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Milwaukee 100 on June 15 at The Milwaukee Mile. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. (ET) on June 21. NBC Sports Network coverage of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will be televised at 5 p.m. on June 7.

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]DETROIT – (June 6, 2012) – It is back to oval track racing for the Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 teams, this time at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). On the IZOD IndyCar schedule since 1997, fans have been treated to competitive racing with close finishes.

“Heading back to an oval means a shift in not only setup for the cars, but the mental approach to the racing for our Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 teams and drivers,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager for the IZOD IndyCar Series. “Having an early-season test to establish a baseline, and then another test to measure the results has provided valuable information to them for this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. Our Bowtie teams and technical partners are focused and working hard on optimizing the cars to compete for the win.”

Four current Chevy drivers have TMS victories on their resumes. Helio Castroneves has taken Team Penske to the Winner’s Circle three times (2004, 2006 and 2009). His teammates have also scored wins at TMS. Ryan Briscoe won in 2010 and Will Power wore the Texas-sized winner’s cowboy hat in 2011.

Before heading to Texas for the Firestone 550, KV Racing Technology and former TMS winner (2004) Tony Kanaan will make a trip to fellow Team Chevy driver Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway to compete in the ‘Prelude to the Dream’. Wednesday night’s race will mark the third time the 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion has participated in the charity event.

“Racing on ovals has always been an integral part of IndyCar racing,” Berube concluded. “And TMS has long been a fan favorite. We have several teams and drivers who have had great success at the track over the years. We are looking forward to leading the continuation of the great, tight racing we have seen all season.”

While 2012 marks the debut of the all-new Chevy V-6 direct injected twin turbo charged purpose built engine fueled by renewable E85, the Bowtie brand competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines. During that period, Chevrolet drivers notched three wins at TMS – 2002 (both races that season) and 2005.

For this event the Corvette Grand Sport will take center stage. All of the 13 Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 drivers in the field for Saturday night’s race will follow the white 2012 model of the iconic nameplate on the pace laps prior to the green flag of the 228-lap race.

For the fans, the Chevy Racing display will provide the opportunity to get up-close to many vehicles from the full Chevrolet line-up. There will be a test drive for fans to take a spin in their favorite model. Also on display will be a variety of parts and accessories from Chevrolet Performance customers can get from their local Chevy dealer for their own Chevrolet. Crate engines will be on display, and interactive games will entertain fans of all ages. Several of the Chevrolet IndyCar stars will make appearances at the Display throughout the race weekend. Fans should visit the Display for the driver line-up and times. The display will be open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Firestone 550 is scheduled to start on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET) with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.

Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com.

Fans can follow Team Chevy on Team Chevy Facebook, @TeamChevy on Twitter and on Google+.

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V-6

FAST FACTS

FIRESTONE 550

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

JUNE 8-9, 2012

• · Chevrolet has won three previous IndyCar races at Texas Motor Speedway
  • § Jeff Ward, 2002
  • § Sam Hornish, Jr., 2002
  • § Tomas Scheckter, 2005

• · Four current Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 drivers have victories at Texas Motor Speedway
  • § Helio Castroneves, Three (3) wins (2004, 2006, 2009)
  • § Tony Kanaan (2004)
  • § Ryan Briscoe (2010)
  • § Will Power (2011)

• · After five races, seven (7) Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 drivers are in the top-10 in the standings:
  • § 1. Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, 232 (3 wins)
  • § 3. Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Chevrolet, 177 (1 win)
  • § 4. James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 Team Go.Daddy.com Chevrolet, 176
  • § 7. Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Chevrolet, 169
  • § 8. Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 IZOD Chevrolet, 142
  • § 9. Tony Kanaan, No. 11 GEICO/MOUSER Electronics Chevrolet, 141
  • § 10. Oriol Servia, No. 22 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet, 129

• · The all-new Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 has won four of the five races in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Season
  • § Streets of St. Petersburg – Helio Castroneves
  • § Barber Motorsports Park – Will Power
  • § Streets of Long Beach – Will Power
  • § Streets of Sao Paulo – Will Power

[media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]Notes & Quotes: Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway

Mike Conway: No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda

· Mike Conway on racing at Texas: “Previously at Texas, if you had to lift [off the throttle] because you couldn’t keep it flat due to the car’s setup, you went backwards. You have to have a good car and you have to be able to go flat the whole race. If you can’t get that, then you are going to struggle to move forward. We have to work as much as we can on race setup and get it really dialed in. The track is wide and has many different lanes, so we have to have a good car in trafficand one that’s good in all the lanes.”

· No. 14 will incur 10-spot grid penalty due to engine change: The ABC Supply crew will change their Honda engine this week prior to the race weekend. Although close to its scheduled 1800-mile rotation change, the engine is being replaced in the shop rather than after practice at the race track. The No. 14 will be assessed a 10-spot grid penalty after qualifying on Friday.

· Past performance at Texas: Conway’s debut at Texas in 2009 was plagued with gearbox issues, so he started and finished 19th; he didn’t race there in 2010 because he was recovering from injuries sustained at Indy. In 2011, there were problems during pit stops so his best finish of 17th came in the second race last year. The Foyt team’s best finish at Texas came in 1998 when they won with Billy Boat. The year before Boat had taken the checkered flag first but USAC Scorers ruled that he finished second and gave the win to Arie Luyendyk the next day (but Foyt still has the trophy).

· The Firestone 550 marks the 24th IndyCar race to be held at Texas Motor Speedway since the inaugural race in June, 1997. The 228-lap race returns to its single race format this year. There have been 17-different winners in the past 23 races with Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. the only 3-time winners.

· ABC Supply roofing customer, Clear Fork Roofing, located in Abilene, TX, won the ‘Your Name Here’ contest for theFirestone 550 at Texas. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Guests Gary Day and Laurie Bramlett will receive selectedmerchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with A.J. Foyt and Mike Conway.

· Cosme Mesa will be the ABC Supply Honorary Crew Member of the race this weekend. Mesa works in San Antonio as a truck driver for the Company which has employed him since 2005.

· ABC Supply will entertain over 500 guests at Saturday’s race. Prior to 2012, the company had entertained over 35,000 guests at IndyCar races since it began sponsoring A.J. Foyt’s team in 2005.

· The Firestone 550 will be shown live at 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday, June 9 on the NBC Sports Network.

· For more information on the Foyt Racing program, please check our web site: www.ajfoytracing.com.