Category: Other Series Racing

[media-credit name=”hometracks.nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]SONOMA, Calif. – Greg Pursley set a track record in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West qualifying on the road course at Sonoma on Friday to win the pole for the Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200.

The defending series champion turned a lap of 77.331 seconds (92.641 mph) around the twisting 1.99-mile road course, eclipsing the record of 77.887 seconds set by David Gilliland in 2007.

Pursley’s teammate Dylan Kwasniewski, who leads the championship standings, was second quickest – with a lap of 77.981 seconds (91.869 mph). Three-time series champion Eric Holmes was third quickest, followed by Michael Self and David Mayhew. Derek Thorn, David Gilliland, Cameron Hayley, Johnny Borneman and Austin Dyne completed the top 10.

While it marks Pursley’s second pole this season and the 13th of his career, it was his first at Sonoma.

“It’s unbelievable,” Pursley said of his record run. “Practice went really well today. It’s probably the best car I’ve had here.”

Pursley, who drives the No. 26 GPM/Star Nursery/Real Water Ford for car owner Gene Price, has one top five in four starts at Sonoma – a fourth-place finish in 2011. In two previous road course events this season, Pursley won at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah and finished third at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

This event is the eighth on a 15-race schedule this season. It is the third of four road course races on tap for the series in 2012.

The Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 is set to go green start at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.

* Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender

[media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]Newton, IA – June 22, 2012 – Alex Tagliani hit the track on Friday evening for a brand-new, heat race format qualifying session to determine the starting grid for Saturday night’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 race at Iowa Speedway, where he will start in P9.

The IZOD IndyCar Series entrants were divided into three groups based on the results of the second practicesession earlier in the day. Tagliani and his Team Barracuda – BHA crew were P11 in practice, placing them in the second heat race.

The Canadian driver battled his way to the front, setting the fastest lap of any heat race, and held on until only a few laps were left. The team looked at the heat race format as another opportunity to practice under race conditions. It allowed Tagliani and his engineers to analyze the proper setup for Saturday night’s race under the lights.

“For Team Barracuda – BHA, this was a good way of learning what the car is going to need to be quicker tomorrow,” said Tagliani. “If we want to run up front tomorrow night, we’re going to have to make some changes but I think we’re on the right track.

“The new qualifying format seems like a lot of work for our guys. We spent a lot of the day in Tech. I think the IZOD IndyCar Series has been putting on some great qualifying runs, from Indy to Texas to Milwaukee, so I would stay with that. When you have a car that can steal the pole because of a good run, it gets the fans up on their feet. We’ll see what the fans say – obviously we want to make it interesting for them. It’s a good learning curve.”

The estimated green flag for the Iowa Corn Indy 250 will take place on Saturday, June 23 at 9 p.m. CST (local). The 250-lap race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network, preceded by the taped qualifying broadcast and pre-race activities. The entire broadcast starts at 6:30 p.m. CST. Fans can also listen to the radiobroadcast on IMS Radio Network and Sirius (XM 94 and Sirius 212).

About Bryan Herta Autosport

Founded by veteran driver Bryan Herta and noted race engineer and team manager Steve Newey, Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) has been a race-winning team in Firestone Indy Lights competition since 2009 and recently won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dan Wheldon in only its second IZOD IndyCar Series start. The Indianapolis, Ind.-based squad made its IndyCar debut in 2010 contesting the Indianapolis 500. New for 2012, BHA has formed a joint venture with Bowen and Bowers Motorsports, Inc. (BBM) to field a full time entry in the IZOD Indycar Series for Canadian driver Alex Tagliani. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen and Bowers Motorsports, Inc. is the coming together of leading sports and entertainment property development professionals, Chris Bowers and David Bowen, along with the financial managementexperience of Trapeze Asset Management Inc. For more information, please visit www.bryanhertaautosport.com.

About Barracuda Networks Inc.

Barracuda Networks combines premises-based gateways and software, virtual appliances, cloud services, and sophisticated remote support to deliver comprehensive content and network security, data protection and application delivery solutions. The company’s expansive product portfolio includes offerings for protection against email and Web threats as well as products that improve application delivery and network access, message archiving, backup and data protection. Coca-Cola, FedEx, Harvard University, IBM, L’Oreal, and Europcar are among the more than 150,000 organizations protecting their IT infrastructures with Barracuda Networks’ range of affordable, easy-to-deploy and manage solutions. Barracuda Networks is privately held with its International Headquarters in Campbell, Calif. For more information, please visit www.barracudanetworks.com.

[media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]NEWTON, Iowa (June 22, 2012) – Helio Castroneves secured a front row start for Saturday’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 by leading Team Penske in a unique new heat race format.

Castroneves finished second in Friday’s third and final heat race, which consisted of the fastest-eight drivers from the second practice session and determined the starting order for the first four rows of Saturday’s race around the .875-mile oval. Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe finished fifth, while Will Power finished sixth in Friday’s final heat race and they will occupy the third row on tomorrow night’s starting grid.

Castroneves, the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion, started third in the heat race but quickly moved his No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Dallara/Chevrolet past Marco Andretti for second place. Castroneves finished the 30-lap race 1.4671 seconds behind heat race winner and Saturday’s polesitter Dario Franchitti.

“At the end of the day, I’m glad (INDYCAR) tried something different (for qualifying),” said Castroneves said. “The Penske Truck Rental car is starting on the front row and that’s what I care about.”

Briscoe, who has never finished outside the top-10 in four previous starts at Iowa, began the third heat race in the fifth position and he finished fifth in the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. The Long Beach and Indianapolis 500 pole winner finished 6.5813 seconds behind the leader.

“The heat race was definitely a sprint race and I think we were able to learn some things about how the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinish (car) will perform in tomorrow’s race,” said Briscoe. “I felt like I had a good car and a couple lanes opened up for some good racing. It should be a fun race tomorrow, we are starting fifth and hopefully we’ll have a good race.”

Power, who continues to lead the IZOD IndyCar Series championship standings, finished sixth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. Saturday will mark the sixth time in nine races in 2012 that Power will start among the top six.

“These heat races were a good chance for the Verizon Team Penske crew to get some racing under our belts and have a better understanding of what to expect during the race,” said Power. “I like the way the car feels and we are ready for a good performance in the race tomorrow.”

The unique heat format, used for the first time at Iowa Speedway, placed the drivers in heat races according to their lap times from Friday’s second practice session.

“I like it, but I don’t love it,” said Castroneves. “Honestly, it was a little bit more risky in the practice session because we had to take more chances then to make sure we got into the final heat race. Other than that, it was OK. For something being used for the first time, it was positive.”

Taped coverage of the heat races will be shown Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network while live coverage of the 250-lap race is scheduled  to begin at 10 p.m. ET.

Follow the IndyCar action all season long on IndyCar Mobile. Download it now by calling **INDY on yourVerizon Wireless phone.

June 22, 2012 (St. Petersburg, FL) – Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC., owners of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, are pleased to announce that the St. Petersburg City Council voted unanimously yesterday to extend its race agreement until 2017. Going into its 9^th year, the annual event has become a tradition for the city and showcases some of the best racing that North America has to offer along the picturesque St. Petersburg waterfront.

“We very much appreciate the continued support of the City of St. Petersburg City Council, Mayor Bill Foster and his staff. We enjoy and value a tremendous partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County and sponsors and will continue our efforts to stage a quality international sporting event showcasing our community to the world,” said Tim Ramsberger, Vice President and General Manager for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “We are proud of our accomplishments over the past eight years and look forward to many more years of providing extraordinary exposure and economic impact to St. Petersburg and region.”

The event features three days of on- and off-track activities for people of all ages to enjoy. From local talents to international performers, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a local success putting forth a great community effort.

“St. Petersburg hosts many events, but none heightens our city’s visibility as much as theHonda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg,” said Mayor Bill Foster. “Each year, we welcome more than 150,000 race fans from nearly every state in the country, Canada, South America, Japan andEurope. The race also brings beautiful images of our city to 180 million homes in 171 countries around the globe. That’s exposure we can’t buy. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. has been a great partner with us in bringing a great race, and great exposure to our city.”

The 9^th edition of the race will take place March 22-24, 2013 and tickets are set to go on sale in November. Formore information on the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, please visit: www.gpstpete.com

Young Canadian Qualifies in Fifth Position and Hopes to Continue Top-Five Finishing Streak

NEWTON, Iowa, Friday, June 22, 2012 – Racing is all about the numbers, for better or for worse. Car numbers, track lap times, miles-per-hour, number of laps on track – it all adds up. Today, for young Canadian David Ostella, the magic number at the end of the day was lucky number five.

The No. 22 Global Precast/LiUNA/Xtreme Coil Drilling entry of Team Moore Racing began the qualifying run this evening on the banks of the 7/8-mile tri-oval of the Iowa Speedway for the Sukup 100 from the fifth position in the qualifying draw.

Determined to continue his momentum fresh off his career best fourth place finish at Milwaukee last weekend, Ostella pushed “the loud pedal” as hard as he could and produced a fast warm-up lap of 157.588 mph. He steadily gained ground on the two-lap qualifying run to settle into a provisional second place position on the grid.

As the qualifying session progressed, Ostella faced a late bump by Tristan Vautier of Sam Schmidt Motorsports, who swept the pole at the end of qualifying with his teammate Esteban Guerrieri sliding into second. Despite the last minute shift down the grid, the 20-year-old was decidedly pleased with his two-lap average of 158.939 mph, and his fifth place position on the starting line-up for tomorrow’s 115-lap race.

“The Team Moore crew has worked so hard to give me a great car for qualifying today and I am really happy with where we are starting tomorrow,” he said. “We worked hard to dial in the set-up earlier in practice and I am just looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and doing the best we can and see if we can continue our top-five finishing streak.”

With a decided knack for high-speed oval racing based on his recent fourth place finish at Milwaukee IndyFest and his previous fifth place qualifying effort at the Freedom 100 in Indianapolis, his career best at the time, Ostella is gaining ground and getting his rhythm back as season heads into the halfway point.

“I feel so much better this weekend about everything,” the Maple, Ontario native said. “I was sick in Milwaukee and spent most of my weekend trying to sleep and recover, which made my fourth place finish so amazing. I think the adrenalin kicked in and helped me feel better and improve my performance. I have a much better outlook coming into this weekend and thanks to the support by my family and all of my sponsors and contributors. I hope to put on a great show for all the Iowa fans tomorrow.”

Firestone Indy Lights teams and drivers will have one final 45-minute practice session at 2:10 pm on Saturday, just prior to the Sukup 100, which begins at 6:40 p.m. Central.

Follow David Ostella on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Weekend Schedule: (All times local)

Saturday, June 25

2:10 -2:55 p.m. – Firestone Indy Lights practice
6:30 p.m. – Sukup 100 pre-race
6:40 p.m. – Sukup 100 (115 laps/100 miles), NBC Sports Network (Taped) 11:59 p.m., Saturday June 25)

[media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]In a radical departure from its standard single-car qualifying format for ovals, the IZOD IndyCar Series implemented a time trial format for this weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. Tonight’s qualifying consisted of three separate 30-lap ‘Heat Races’ to set the field for Saturday night’s race.

Rookie Katherine Legge’s lap times in today’s second practice session landed her in the second heat race to determine her position in the field. While the format is familiar to fans across the Midwest, it is not something the UK native has often experienced.

“The heat race format definitely adds a different element for the fans,” said the TrueCar Racing driver. “It also gives you an opportunity to see how your car will develop over a stint. So why not try it? Why not try something different.”

Legge and her Dragon Racing crew chased setup issues in practice today, resulting in lap times that put her 23rd in a field of 25 cars entered this weekend. The pilot of the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing entry would have to start the second heat race in eighth position.

“The car was much better in the heat race than it was in practice today,” continued Legge. “We had a really good test here recently, so we thought we would come back with a really good car for this weekend’s race. Seemingly, it wasn’t like that, but my crew are some of the best and worked really hard to correct that. We have a little bit of work left to do, but we made some progress and we look forward to tomorrow night. I am really just happy to have the opportunity that TrueCar and my other sponsors have provided. We hope to give them a great show.”

Legge made up two positions during the heat race, finishing sixth in her group to ultimately start 19th in tomorrow night’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. The race at Iowa Speedway will be held under the lights on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. Central Time, live on NBC Sports Network.

About Katherine Legge:

Birthdate: July 12, 1980
Hometown: Guildford, England
Residence: Indianapolis
Marital Status: Engaged
Website: www.katherinelegge.com
Twitter: @katherinelegge (personal) and @KatOnTrack (for on-track updates)
Facebook: katherineracing

Career Highlights

Named to drive for TrueCar-Dragon Racing in 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season … Competed in European-based DTM touring car series as factory Audi driver from 2008-10, driving for Futurecom TME, Abt Lady Power and Team Rosberg … Drove in Rolex 24 at Daytona for Robinson Racing in 2007 … Competed in Champ Car World Series in 2006-07 for PKV Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, becoming first female to lead Champ Car race … Recorded five top-10 finishes in Champ Car in 2006 … First woman to win major open-wheel race in North America, with three victories in Toyota Atlantic in 2005. Finished third in series … Earned Formula One test with Minardi in 2005 … Drove for A1 Team GB in A1 Grand Prix, tested Champ Car in 2005 … Raced limited schedule in British and North American Formula Renault championships and Can-Am championship in 2004 … Competed in limited British Formula 3 schedule in 2003 … Competed in British Formula Renault in 2001-02, wininng pole in 2002 at Oulton Park with track-record lap … Earned British Racing Drivers’ Club “Rising Stars” honor in 2002 … Became first woman to win pole in British Formula Ford Zetec championship in 2000 … Competed in karting from 1990-99.

About TrueCar, Inc.

TrueCar, Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better carbuying experience for dealers and consumers. Consumers want a hassle-free car buying experience anddealers want high-quality sales velocity. TrueCar helps achieve these goals by providing unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealersand consumers can communicate with each other. TrueCar’s market-based information provides bothconsumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally. TrueCar’s communications platform then allows informed, ready-to-buy consumers to communicate directly with participating dealers. Some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations rely on websites powered by TrueCar to help educate their members and customers who are in the automotive market. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, and has offices in San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX. After experiencing dramatic growth since 2006, TrueCar is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information. TrueCar’s participating dealer partners have sold over 500,000 new vehicles to TrueCar users nationwide.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook.

Andretti Autosport, IZOD IndyCar Series
Qualifying Report: Iowa Corn Indy 250

[media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]Marco Andretti, Team RC Cola Chevrolet, No. 26

Marco Andretti started first and finished third in today’s final qualifying heat race. He was the quickest in each of the two practice sessions today and will start Saturday night’s race from the third position. Andretti won the Iowa Corn Indy 250 last year after starting 17th.

“We really wanted to get the pole, but we were a little off on our gearing for the car. We can work on that for tomorrow – that’s really the race that counts. We were pretty good, but we need to give ourselves a little more grip and we can be right there. The RC Cola car was fast all day, so we just need to tune on it a little bit to get back out front when it really means something. We can win it from there.”

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

Hinchcliffe gained two spots during the top-eight heat race and will start tomorrow’s race from the fourth position.

“I think we learned a little bit tonight. I’m actually glad, almost, that we had heat races this weekend because, with so little practice we had so little time to work on our race cars and (the heat races) gave us a good taste of what we are going to see tomorrow night. Obviously, the track conditions will be a bit different, but we learned a bit. It was nice to move the Go Daddy car up a couple of spots because it was tough to pass out there. Ryan (Briscoe) got a bunch of different runs on me, but it’s so tough to hold the bottom of the racetrack and our carwas working pretty decent up high. We were struggling off of Turn 2 and he was getting some good runs on us. That last lap I started really pushing up the track and my spotter told me Ryan was going high – I had to really try and get out of it; I feel bit bad there so, sorry to him for that. But overall, not a bad night and I’m happy to bestarting on the outside of Row Two.”

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

Hunter-Reay will start tomorrow’s race from the seventh position, after starting seventh in third heat race.

“I think we had a pretty good day. We checked our first box off the list, which was making the fast-eight heat race. We treated the heat as a test session instead of an actual race. We found some things that might work for tomorrow night and we definitely found some things that didn’t. We didn’t race very impressive, but we kept our starting position of seventh. The Andretti Autosport crew was able to learn some things, which is good. We could have been more aggressive, but we felt like the big picture was to learn more for tomorrow night and that’s what we did. Thanks to all of my guys for their hard work and also to DHL and Sun Drop.”

KANAAN AND VISO WILL BE PENALIZED 10 GRID POSITIONS FOR UNAUTHORIZED ENGINE; BARRICHELLO TO START 11^TH 

[media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]NEWTON, IA – June 22, 2012 – KV Racing Technology driversTony Kanaan, Rubens Barrichello and E. J. Viso technically qualified ninth, 13^th and 16^th respectively for tomorrow’s Iowa Corn 250 on the .875-mile Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.  However, after penalties are assessed for unauthorized engine changes, it is predicted that Barrichello will start 11^th, Kanaan 19^th and Viso, last.

In a departure from normal single-car oval qualifications, three 30-lap heat races were held today to set the starting grid for tomorrow’s race.  Qualification groups were determined by lap times recorded in today’s second (45-minute) practice session.

• Heat race No. 1 consisted of even-numbered positions, starting with the 10th-quickest practice time overall, and determine the even-numbered positions in the starting field from 10th down.
• Heat race No. 2 consisted of the odd-numbered positions, starting with the ninth-quickest practice time overall, and determine the odd-numbered positions in the starting field from ninth down.

• ·         Heat race No. 3 consisted of drivers ranked one through eight by combined practice times.  Results of Race 3 determined the first four rows, with the winner taking the pole position.

Barrichello in the No. 8 BMC | EMBRASE – KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Firestone entry, was ninth after the second practice session with a fast lap of 17.4353 seconds (184.591 mph)  just missing a chance to compete for the pole.  He therefore ran in heat race No. 2.  He started in the pole position, but dropped to third on lap six when both Alex Tagliani and teammate Tony Kanaan slipped past.   Barrichello held station for the remaining 24 laps holding off Justin Wilson who made several attempts at passing.  The third place finish in the odd-numbered heat race initially put Barrichello 13^th on the grid, however after the penalties are assessed to other drivers, he will move up at least two positions putting him 11^th tomorrow on the inside of row six. 

“For a rookie it was a great day because I could do a 30 lap mini race,” Barrichello said.  “I wasn’t sure whether I had a car to win, but it was good to race Tagliani and Kanaan and learn the high and low lines.  My car was a little loose in places, but I feel more confident now for the race tomorrow.”

Kanaan, in the No. 11 GEICO | MOUSER ELECTRONICS – KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Firestone machine, was 15^th on the speed charts following the second practice with a lap of 17.5121 seconds (183.781 mph), so he also ran in heat race No. 2 which he won after going by Barrichello on lap six, then passing Tagliani on lap 20 and running away from the field over the final 10 laps of the race.  The win would have put him ninth on the starting grid however, due to a 10 grid spot penalty he will receive for an unauthorized engine change, which was necessary due to high mileage, it is estimated that Kanaan will start 19^th tomorrow on the inside of row 10.

“Great job by the GEICO | Mouser guys,” Kanaan said.  “It’s doesn’t help getting a 10 grid penalty, but we will just have to battle from the back.  We have a good car.  It was nice having the 30 lap race so I can see how my car will react in the race tomorrow and I’m pleased with how it felt.”

Viso, driving the No. 5 CITGO | PDVSA – KV Racing TechnologyChevrolet/Firestone car, was 14^th on the second practice reportposting a fast lap of 17.4940 seconds (183.972 mph) putting him in heat race

No. 1 where after starting third he finished fourth, which would have put him 16^th on the grid.  However, Viso was also penalized for an unauthorized engine change and will lineup near the back of the field.

“Iowa is a place that has provided me with a lot of satisfaction by giving me my first podium finish back in 2010,” Viso said.  “This race is going to be very challenging.  I am startingfrom the back of the field as a result of a penalty given to us by IndyCar because we changed the engine under the minimum mileage.  This will also be a difficult race because of the change in the downforce rules.  We are running a lot less downforce than in the past.  Looking ahead, I have a lot of faith in the car that my crew is going to give me.  So far I have had strong cars that have allowed me to fight hard in the races.  That is what I am looking forward to doing tomorrow.”

Barrichello, who will contest just his third career oval race (he did not start in Texas because of a non-team related component failure) and first at Iowa, has qualified in the top-10 twice in nine races this year, both times on ovals, (10^th in his Indianapolis 500 and a season-high fifth last weekend at Milwaukee, started third due to penalties).  The 40-year-old Brazilian and Formula One veteran has fared well on ovals in his rookie IndyCar season  In two starts, he has notched his first top-10 oval performance placing 10^th  last weekend in Milwaukee and finished 11^th, earning the Chase Rookie of the Year Award, at Indy.  Barrichello has had four top-10 performances in the first eight races this season and currently sits 16^th in the championship standings with 138 points, just 35 points out of 10th.

Kanaan, who will be contesting his sixth race at Iowa, has qualified in the top-10 five times in six attempts here although because of the penalty he will only have four top-10 starts at Iowa.  Kanaan’s best starting position here is third which he achieved last year.  In five previous races he has finished on the podium twice including a win in 2010 (the 15^th and most recent of his 15-year career) and a second last year.  Kanaan has qualified in the top-10 a team-high seven times this season (season-high sixths at Barber and Milwaukee), but a penalty in Long Beach and the one here means he has only started five of nine races in the top-10.  Kanaan has qualified in the top-10 for all four oval events this year.  This will be the first time he won’t start in the top-10 on an oval.  The 37-year-old Brazilian, who has been strong in the oval races, has earned four top-six finishes this season including a season-high second at Milwaukee (third at Indy).  He is eighth in the championship race with 200 points, 74 points out of first and second in the A. J. Foyt Oval Championship with 101 points just seven points behind the leader.

Viso, who will be contesting his fifth race at Iowa, has a best qualifying position of 13^th in 2008 and a best finish of third, his IndyCar career-high in 2010.  He has qualified in the top-10 five times this season including making the Firestone Fast Six, the final round of street/road course qualifying twice and twice on ovals (an Indy 500 career high ninth, eighth at Milwaukee, started fifth due to penalties).  His career best oval qualifying effort is a sixth at Milwaukee last year. Viso has qualified a season-high fifth twice, first at Long Beach (started 15^th due to a penalty assessed an unauthorized engine change) and at Detroit.  The 27-year-old Venezuelan has scored three top10 finishes including a season-high fifth last weekend at Milwaukee (the third top-five performance ofhis career) and is 14^th in the standings with 148 points, just 25 points out of 10^th place.

In the first practice session, Kanaan led the team with the 11^th fastest lap posting a speed of 182.422 mph.  Viso was 13^th on the speed charts with a lap of 181.984 mph while Barrichello was 24^th with a speed of 178.001 mph.

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 will be broadcast live on Saturday, June 23 on NBC starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.

KV Racing Technology was founded in January 2003 and joined the IndyCar Series in 2008.  The Indianapolis based team is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 IndyCar Champion Jimmy Vasser.  Veteran Motorsports manager, Mark Johnson, is the team’s General Manager.  Johnson is assisted by Team Manager Tom Wurtz, Technical Director Eric Cowdin and Operations Manager Steve Moore.

For more information about KV Racing Technology visit: www.kvracingtechnology.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kvracingand Facebook: www.facebook.com/kvracingtechnology