New Zealand Racer Will Join Growing Kiwi Racing Force in Firestone Indy Lights Series
by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com
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New Zealander Christina Orr tests to join Indy Lights. |
Another New Zealand racer is preparing to join the Firestone Indy Lights series.
Twenty-one year old Christina Orr tested at rural Putnam Park east of Indianapolis last week, earning kudos from one of the Indy Racing League's most-respected authorities on Kiwi racing prodigy: Mr. Ron Dixon.
"Christina Orr’s test went very, very well," said Dixon in his weekly blog entry for NZRacer.com. "Christina was testing an Indy Lights single seater at Putnam Park road (circuit) course just outside of Indianapolis earlier in the week."
"She went out there and started doing 1:11 second laps (the track record is just under a minute). Each time she went out she reduced it more and more, ending up at the end of the day in the 1:03's."
"If we took her back a day later I believe that she would have been in the 1:01's."
According to Dixon the Kiwi hopeful will earn her oval racing license in July. It's unclear if she'll see competition in the waning rounds of 2008, or use the summer prep to advance onto the Indy Lights grid in 2009.
"It (the Indy Lights Dallara six-speed V-8) is not an easy car to drive and there is a lot more horse power than she is used to," continued Dixon, "but at the end of the day you couldn’t get the smile off her face."
Orr Ready to Challenge International Field of Indy Lights
Orr proved a quick learner by taking the wheel of a Formula First machine at the wee age of twelve years and winning the winter round of racing, then finishing second in the year's overall championship. Her move into Formual First was preceded by six years of racing karts.
She turned heads with her skills in Toyota Racing during only her second full season behind the wheel, earning a fifth-place standing in the championship.
Christina will join the Cunningham brothers (Mitchell and Wade) at Brian Stewart Racing, recently signed Jonny Reid at Integra Motorsports, and second-year man Marc Williams of Alliance Motorsports in a five-way Kiwi force that is finding American shores quite favorable to their racing careers.
Ron Dixon is father of New Zealand IndyCar Series star and 2008 Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon, and an Indy Lights Racing series spotter on race weekends.
Great photo - shame you didn't credit the photographer - you only had to ask (southspeed)
Posted by: Kevin Thomson | December 23, 2009 at 12:42 AM