Andretti Green Racing Nabs Panther Racing Ace

Mutoh Becomes Second 2007 IPS Star to Land Premium Ride in IndyCar

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

Super Aguri Panther’s Hideki Mutoh. Photo: AllanBrewer

Super-Aguri Panther Racing's Hideki Mutoh has been tapped to fill 2007 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti's seat at perennial Indy Racing League powerhouse Andretti Green Racing.

The news comes on the heels of the announcement of 2007 Indy Pro Series champion Alex Lloyd's recruitment to the expansive Chip Ganassi Racing operation.

The twenty-five year old Mutoh appeared to have the inside track to an IndyCar ride at Panther after building a strong relationship with team co-owner John Barnes and running a sizzling eighth his first time out in the big cars at Chicagoland Speedway in September.

Fate stepped in as Franchitti opted out while on top of the open-wheel world for a possible full-time schedule in NASCAR, and the Indy Pro Series runner-up snared one of the best fenderless gigs in the world.

“Hideki starts in our training program right away," said AGR team co-owner Kim Green of the hire. "He’ll be spending a lot of time at the race shop, which is great for him from a communication standpoint. We’ll then be trying to get into an in-depth rookie test schedule before the season.”

“(At Chicagoland) he showed he could mix it up with the best side by side, working the traffic and still being sensible in the race car," continued Green. "We’re just delighted to have the opportunity to bring him on board and hopefully take him to that next level, which is the winner’s circle."

“Although Hideki did not win the championship last year, he did very well his first year of racing on ovals in a very tough and competitive series. I think that validates him moving up to the IndyCar Series."

“We believed as a company in the Indy Pro Series since we got involved two years ago,” Green concluded. “Those race cars are difficult to drive, and a driver that can run up front with those race cars and win can make it to the next step, which is the IndyCar Series."

Swift Climb Up the Ladder Hallmark of Panther Drivers

After cutting his teeth in Japan running in Honda's Formula Dream series, a project aimed at developing talent for racing's most elite levels of competition, Mutoh roared onto the Indy Pro Series scene with consistently fast motoring from the first 2007 springtime practice sessions at Homestead Miami Speedway to a win at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 16th in the first of two Liberty Challenge races supporting the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

Mutoh went on to score his first oval victory under the lights at Kentucky Speedway on August 11th, prompting an emotional podium ceremony that put emphasis to how quickly and determinedly the young Japanese star progressed in a single year of competition under Barnes' tutelage flying the Panther banner.

“Everybody at Panther thinks the world of Hideki Mutoh and we enjoyed being able to work with him this past season,” Barnes said in a statement on the team's relaunched website PantherRacing.com.

“This was a good opportunity for him, but we certainly would have enjoyed having him in a Panther car. Our relationship as driver and team has changed, but I know our friendship never will. He is a phenomenal talent and an even better person.”

The route from Panther to AGR was trod several years earlier when another promising young hopeful made the same journey on his way to an Indianapolis 500 victory and the 2005 IRL championship. That driver's name was Dan Wheldon.

Wheldon in turn followed another familiar name who won two championships behind the wheel of the much-admired bright-yellow Panther Pennzoil Chevrolet: Sam Hornish Jr.