IndyProRacer.com: The Pro Racer's Resource Online

Daniel Herrington Moving Into the Indy Lights Racing Fast Lane

Jump to RLR Andersen Puts Racer Into Premium Seat

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

RLR Andersen’s Daniel Herrington. Photo: ChrisJonesIRL

North Carolinian Daniel Herrington is out to bust all your preconceived notions about your neighbors south of the Mason-Dixon line.

An honor student entering his senior year, enrolled in a tough engineering curriculum at North Carolina State, the just-turned twenty-two year old racer, turned his back on NASCAR to run open-wheel formulae beginning with Barber Dodge and Formula BMW on his way to Star Mazda and now to the Firestone Indy Lights Series.

Herrington put his best foot forward at Michael Crawford Motorsports this season by turning in first-class performances at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He turned in the second-quickest race lap at The Glen, then toured the tough Buckeye circuit quickly on his way to third-best on the timing and scoring roster in practice at the Mid-Ohio 100.

With Wednesday's (July 23rd) announcement of his move to RLR Andersen Racing, Daniel is reunited with the Andersen Brothers who were instrumental in his development in Star Mazda. Herrington earned three podiums in four races for the team before being sidelined for the remainder of the 2006 season with a leg injury he suffered in Montreal.

Busting Preconceived Notions

Daniel has followed the 'road less traveled' on his way up through the ladder ranks of formula racing.

"People see that I'm from North Carolina and say 'What are you doing in open-wheel racing?" he said from Indianapolis' Carmel suburbs. "I started in club racing when I was seventeen, and my friends were into sports cars, so I just moved up from there."

"It's all racing," he said of the perceived gap between the tin-tops and the fenderless crowd.

Herrington raced a part-time schedule with Speedworks Racing in 2007, concentrating on road courses. He turned in a third and sixth place finish at Watkins Glen in that year, then DNF'd at Mid-Ohio to end the campaign.

Herrington didn't give up on his dream of an open-wheel career, though, taking on spotting duties for Justin Wilson from Indianapolis in the current season and watching, learning how other racers tackle the competition.

When he made his return at The Glen last month, Daniel was ready.

"I got the itch to return to driving," he said. "Watching Justin and the others was very helpful and I learned a ton. Hanging around Rick Mears I picked up something new every time. It was definitely a worthwhile experience."

A collision with Wade Cunningham brought Herrington's Race One at Mid-Ohio last weekend to a close. He then focused his attention on the wet and wild second race that followed on Sunday morning.

"I was actually praying for rain," he said, "as I like driving in the wet. I drove in the rain in Star Mazda when we raced (at Mid-Ohio) and finished well."

"We started twenty-first and were up to eleventh, then I joined the fun off-track and broke the reverse cable and had to finish with only second gear. It was definitely an up and down day," he continued.

When Opportunity Knocks

Andrew Prendeville's departure from RLR Andersen's Indy Lights team created a vacancy at one of the plum spots on the grid.

Herrington benefitted from the contacts he made in the paddock while he recovered from his injuries and worked high above the race course in the stands.

"I was actually praying for rain," says Herrington of wet, wild Mid-Ohio

"I kept in touch with (Rahal Letterman team manager) Scott Roembke and Bobby Rahal, and when a spot came open after Mid-Ohio I gave them a call about driving for them and here we are."

He plans to contest the remaining Indy Lights schedule at Infineon Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway to complete the 2008 season.

Herrington has some distant experience on the four-corned tracks from his time at Star Mazda over the Milwaukee Mile.

On Thursday (July 24th) he'll test at the Kentucky Speedway's 1.5 mile oval in an attempt to earn his competition license ahead of next weekend's Kentucky 100 race.

"We'll spend the whole day there, preparing for the race," he said.

Indy Lights Racer Mark Olson's Blog

Report from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Friday, Practice Session 1 (9:40AM)

I was able to quickly get up to speed and was a full second per lap faster than my previous best lap (when we tested in June). Unfortunately, this was still 2+ seconds behind the rest of the field. We made a front wing adjustment which allowed me to get back to full throttle in turn one a lot sooner. We lowered the car which settled everything down and allowed me to get closer to flat through the turn 4-5-6-7 area of the track.

Friday, Practice Session 2 (2:25PM)

During this session, we were specifically working on the carousel turn and the keyhole turn. We worked on the line, getting in deeper, releasing the brakes earlier, and getting back to full throttle quicker. Made some good progress, but on the last lap of the session I found the limit on how deep you could go. I was still heavily on the brakes over a small crest on the entrance to the turn. As the car lightened up over the crest, the brakes locked putting me on the grass and accelerating me into the tire wall. I took the left front corner off the car, breaking the main plane and all the suspension bits. The track was 35 degrees hotter than the first practice session, and the IndyCars, the ALMS cars, and the IMSA Challenge cars had all been on track previously … causing less than ideal conditions. Everyone’s times trended slower in the second practice session.

Saturday, Qualifying (11:00AM)

For the first 20 minutes of the session, we ran old rubber and continued to work on various sessions of the track. With a few minutes left, we mounted fresh Firestones and tried to throw down a quick lap. I did get the quickest lap of the session, but I was never able to get a satisfactory lap in. I qualified last.

Saturday, Race #1 (5:25PM)

The start of the race was a mess. There appeared to be some miscommunication between race control and the starter. I think the teams were told that there was one more pace lap, when the starter threw the green flag. The field wasn’t even formed up. I was able to hang on to the back of the field for a while, but eventually as I made a little mistake here and a little mistake there I began to lose touch. About 1/3 of the way through the race, the leaders put me a lap down. As I was passed by the faster guys, I was able to follow them for a while and continued to learn a lot. About 2/3 of the way through the race, the leaders put me another lap down. Shortly thereafter, I got hit from behind by a faster car in the keyhole (video clip: http://www.indy500.com/videos/watch/1253-Bobby_Wilson_and_Mark_Olson_make_contact_at_Mid_Ohio_).It was unfortunate, because I was quickly reeling in one of the Panther Racing cars. Having been previously advised to maintain my line when being overtaken, I’m not sure what I could’ve done differently. The faster car seemed to have attempted a pretty low percentage banzai move up the inside. The contact spun me around and then flipped my car up into the air. He was able to continue on. I was able to refire and carry on. The contact bent my front sway bar, which dramatically altered the handling. I had to brake sooner in the turns and the car didn’t like turning left. Nonetheless, I was able to soldier in 19th place (out of 22 starters) with one lap being timed under my qualifying time.

Sunday, Warm-up (8:00AM)

The track was still moist and was very slippery. The entire field was 5 to 6 seconds off of their race pace. I was 19th quickest, 0.3 seconds behind 18th.

Sunday, Race #2 (10:35AM)

As we got belted into the car, the skies opened up and it rained buckets. The race was temporarily postponed 3 times waiting for lightening to pass through. The crew was allowed to change the car to a wet set-up. When the race started, it was impossible to see anything through the spray of the cars ahead. You couldn’t see a car directly in front of you, and you couldn’t see the edge of the track on either side of you. It was like flying in IFR conditions without any instruments. It was really a lot of work trying to tip-toe a 400HP, 1500 lb car around a full wet race track. Once the pack got spread out, you could see okay to try to hunt for the best traction possible. I could hang onto the back of the pack and there were several full course cautions that bunched us back off. I looped the car one time with the throttle at the exit of the keyhole, but was able to continue on (catching the field just a couple of corners later). With about 5 laps to go, I spun the car into the gravel trap at the end of the long back straight. I think that I just got in a little too deep and was still trailing the brakes while turning the car into the corner. The car immediately buried itself in the gravel, ending my day in 17th position versus a likely 11th place finish if I hadn’t made the mistake.

Next Race (for me):

Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA:

8/21/08 – Open Test from 12:45 – 4:30 PM

8/22/08 – Practice at 10AM

8/22/08 – Qualifying at 1:45PM

8/23/08 – Warm-up at 9AM

8/23/08 – Race #1 at 11:15AM

8/24/08 – Race #2 at 11:00AM

Mark Olson

Wild and Wonderful: James Davison Wins in Wacky Mid-Ohio Race Two Finish

Racer to Crew: Did I Just Win This Thing?

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

Wade Cunningham (L), James Davison and Pablo Donoso at Mid-Ohio race two. Photo: AndySallee

The winner radioed his crew in the pits asking "Did I just win this thing?" in a wacky, wet and wonderfully wild Mid-Ohio 100 Race Two on Sunday (July 20th).

In harmony with its recent past history of gripping and frankly unbelievable finishes (remember the closest professional racing victory ever at Chicagoland last year?) the Firestone Indy Lights Series served up what looked at times like a 'Keystone Cops' caper; but at its close provided more drama than the 'Dark Knight' ever dreamed.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports' James Davison reversed has ill-fortune on the oval at Nashville only one week before to win this rain-delayed slippery-noodle of an auto race after Kiwi Jonny Reid, a battle-tested and gifted open-wheel veteran, mistakenly pulled onto the pit road prior to the start/finish line, giving up a hard-fought victory to the surprised Australian.

"He made a mistake," said Davison of the last-lap faux pas in which Reid apparently mistook a backstretch flag station for the finish and backed off the throttle approximately one half mile from the actual mark.

Thoroughly convinced of his win, Reid pulled off the track without even taking a victory lap, failing to cross beneath the checkered flag of a race he clearly had won. "I feel badly for Jonny," said Davison, "he's such a good racer; but maybe the gods of racing were looking out for me today."

Davison faced plenty of rain-influenced drama of his own in the early stages of the race when a freshly-soaked race course that had recently been treated to seal the surface proved as slick as an ice-skating rink for the field of twenty-six competitors.

James skidded into the gravel trap nearly axle-deep early in the race, falling into fourteenth place before getting back on-track.

"Cars were going everywhere, dropping off the track. It was impossible to stay on," he said.

Wade Cunningham and Pablo Donoso Complete Race Two Podium

Alliance Motorsports' driver switch paid off handsomely for the Brownsville-based team as newcomer (to the team, not to the series) Wade Cunningham brought the second-place trophy home to the mantle.

Race winner James Davison. Photo: AndySallee

"I'm happy with second," the 2005 Indy Lights champion said. "I threw positions away at the first, then inherited some at the end. We had a 'dry' setup on the car despite the rain-tires; and the car really came on strong at the end (as the racing line dried)."

Wade was one of the first to identify the newly-sealed racing surfaces of the 2.258 mile road course as treacherous to speeding open-wheel racecars. "I think everyone knows that rubber and water don't mix very well," he said wryly from the podium afterwards.

Team Moore's Pablo Donoso finished third.

"It was a really hard race," said Donoso. "I had to be careful and just finish."

American Spirit Racing recorded its best finish of the season with Cyndie Allemann (overcoming multiple spins and trips into the grass) on fourth; while Davison teammate Ana 'Bia' Beatriz drove steadily (despite a looping spin down the frontstretch in front of the pits near mid-race) for fifth.

Championship points leader Raphael Matos of AFS Andretti Green Racing and series chief contender Richard Antinucci overplayed their hands multiple times trying to throw a knockout punch at each other. Rafa spun early, then again (this time into Bobby Wilson) and finally parked the bent car in frustration for eighteenth place.

Antinucci, easily on pace to retake the points lead with margin from his Brazilian counterpart, pressed to improve his position and spun twice before finally veering off-track in a three-car pileup with Logan Gomez and Robbie Pecorari (an altercation that yielded fisticuffs before it was broken-up by safety workers).

Antinucci finished fourteenth, enough for him to reclaim the series' points lead by a single slim point.

Race Recap

Rainshowers delayed the start of the race for one hour, washing the grip away, and predictably sending the cars at speed skittering across the asphalt. Brent Sherman was first to fall victim, spinning on the parade lap and dropping to the rear.

Roostertails flew as Reid pressed his pole advantage on Antinucci, and Raphael Matos spun, collecting Cyndie Allemann (who became stuck off-track, requiring an assist to move back on-course). Wade Cunningham also got loose and into the gravel trap as the green flag flew.

Arie Luyendyk Jr then spun in Turn 13, off course and stuck in the grass as well before track workers put him back right.

Jonny Reid leads in the wet. Photo: AndySallee

Up front Reid looked comfortable as Antinucci settled into second and Perera hung to third ahead of Jeff Simmons and James Davison.

After a brief yellow Bobby Wilson and J R Hildebrand went off course, while further down the circuit Franck Perera lost control, giving up third place. Davison then ran into the gravel as the caution flag flew again.

Reid took advantage of the next restart to pop further ahead of Antinucci as Jeff Simmons and Daniel Herrington ran off into the tire barriers, forcing retirement for both, in Turn 1 and Turn 2 respectively.

Again under yellow, Matos spun and forced Bobby Wilson off as both drivers retired with broken suspensions.

Lap 8 brought another restart, with Bia spinning down the front straightaway while Reid and Antinucci pressed on at the front. Behind them Mitch Cunningham passed Pablo Donoso, then Antinucci went off and re-entered the fray in fourth, then passed Donoso to claim third.

Perera spun a second time and retired, and Luyendyk spun to a halt as well, forcing another yellow flag for removal of cars from the race course.

The rain delay mandated a forty-minute time limit on the event (rather than the customary one hour limit of Indy Lights racing) and with ten minutes left, on Lap 11, the running order stood Reid, Mitch Cunningham, Antinucci, Donoso and Logan Gomez.

The race restarted on Lap 13 with the track drying somewhat. Antinucci attempted to pass M. Cunningham off the racing line, and spun falling out of the top ten. Allemann went off again into the gravel, then got back on, as Donoso claimed third, Davison moved up to fourth and Sean Guthrie took over fifth.

Yellow again, and sunshine overhead now, bringing Lap 15 when the racing resumed.

Reid charged ahead with M. Cunningham in tow. Cunningham dove inside of Reid to take the lead on this the first full lap of green flag in the race.

Three minutes left, and the racing line (but not the passing line) dry, Cunningham pulled away from Reid both on the rapidly-wearing rain tires. Behind them Antinucci went off again, then back on, losing more track position from eighth.

The leader Cunningham then spun unpressed, hit the tire barrier, and retired giving Reid the lead with one lap remaining.

Antinucci's day ended in frustration in Turn 4, on Lap 18, off the course in the grass with Logan Gomez and Robbie Pecorari.

The race ended fittingly under yellow again, timed out at 40 minutes on Lap 20 of a scheduled 40, with the order Reid, Davison, Wade Cunningham, Donoso and Allemann.

No, wait a minute, Jonny Reid slowed thinking the finish was at the same place on the backstretch as the flag station that marked the start; and after pulling onto pitlane with the race still underway, your winner is James Davison of Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

Reid Finishes Ninth in Confounding Result

Jonny Reid, an A1GP World Cup of Motorsport twice runner-up who has a sterling racing pedigree reaching into formula series back to his childhood, could only lament the lost opportunity with words of consolation. "I am really disappointed," he said. "I just came into the pits. There was no excuse for it."

"The yellow came out at the end, so I thought the race was over; it was done."

Reid blamed the confusion in part on a malfunctioning radio that succombed to electrical problems during the downpour that began the day, and a lack of communication with his crew that might have averted disaster.

"What confused me most was when the safety-car came onto the track, and then came off again," Jonny continued. "I dropped into first gear to follow it, then pulled off. I didn't know what to do."

"I lost, but it is going to make me hungrier for a win than ever before."

Championship Race Nearly Level at Conclusion of Round Twelve

Richard Antinucci (376 points) and Raphael Matos (375 points) go to Kentucky (the next event on the schedule, two weeks hence) with the Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver holding a one-point lead in the contest for the 2008 Firestone Firehawk Cup.

"I should have won this race five times today," said Richard. "It was hard, but we're still in good shape for the championship, and we'll go out and attack every race the rest of the way."

"It was very difficult today," added Rafa. "I couldn't see anything," behind the spray kicked up by cars ahead.

Ana Beatriz moved closer to the frontrunners, picking up thirty points for fifth place in the race and solidifying her hold on third in the championship chase, now only 44 behind on 332 points with two road courses and two ovals remaining.

RLR Andersen's J R Hildebrand (325 points) and Arie Luyendyk Jr (316 points) are fourth and fifth respectively.

---

Mid-Ohio 100 Race Two Winner James Davison Interview

---

Firestone Indy Lights Series Mid-Ohio Race Two Results

Firestone Firehawk Cup 2008 Cumulative Results

Matos, Antinucci Collide in Early AM Warm-Up at Mid-Ohio

Points Leader and Contender Bring Session to a Close with Crash

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

Just when you thought the Indy Lights Series championship race couldn't get any tighter, fate stepped in this morning at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to twist the thumbscrews just a little bit more.

Firestone Firehawk Cup points leader Raphael Matos poked the nose of the No. 27 car beneath the red and white No. 7 of Richard Antinucci as the pair entered the 90 degree right-hander at the end of the backstretch on the 2.258 mile road course at approximately 8:05 AM, bringing contact that knocked the left front suspension of Matos' car askew and sent both racers into the kitty litter at the outside of the turn.

Both drivers emerged from their race cars uninjured, and a civil discussion of the do's and don'ts of warmup practice ensued.

Antinucci's car looked essentially intact; however, the right front wing was broken from the front of the No. 27 car in addition to the suspension damage sustained.

The practice session was checkered after the incident with only a few minutes remaining.

Matos leads the series by three points over Antinucci, having overtaken the latter for the top spot in the standings Saturday (July 19th).

Matos and Antinucci stood on second and third for the session when the incident occurred. Team Moore's Pablo Donoso had the fastest clocking, with Guthrie Racing's Logan Gomez and Brian Stewart Racing's Mitch Cunningham fourth and fifth at the close.

The second Mid-Ohio 100 race is scheduled to begin at 10:35 AM.

---

Firestone Indy Lights Mid-Ohio Warm-Up Results

AFS Andretti Green's Raphael Matos Wins Mid-Ohio 100 Race One

Pre-Season Favorite Claims Lead in Chase for the Firehawk Cup

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

Raphael Matos takes the lead in the Indy Lights championship race. Photo: AndySallee

AFS Andretti Green Racing’s Raphael Matos left the field of twenty-two seeing crimson as the talented Brazilian drove off into the distance in the No. 27 red and yellow Dallara for a wire-to-wire victory in the first of two Firestone Indy Lights Series Mid-Ohio 100 races here at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Matos took the lead from pole and held off a brief challenge from second-place Franck Perera of Guthrie Racing and Sam Schmidt Motorsports’ Richard Antinucci on his way to an impressive win on the undulating north-central Ohio road course.

“I pushed hard, especially in the beginning,” Rafa said afterwards, “to build the gap to win. We’ll make some changes for tomorrow and try to do it again. We achieved our main goal: to move into the lead of the championship with this race.”

“I couldn’t stay close to him with no yellow today,” said Perera of the race run without a single full-course caution. “He was very strong on the race. Anyway, it’s good to be second and we’ll see what happens on Sunday.”

Rafa earned fifty points for winning the race, another two points for leading the most laps, and with one point for sitting on pole maxed out the calculator as he edged into the lead for the 2008 Firestone Firehawk Cup ahead of Antinucci.

“Matos deserved the win,” said Antinucci. “We lost the lead in the championship, but only by a hair. It’s still close and we’ll keep on trying.”

Integra Motorsports’ Jonny Reid took fourth place, just ahead of RLR Andersen Racing’s J R Hildebrand in fifth.

Race Recap

Daniel Herrington and Wade Cunningham went off-course on the opening lap, while Antinucci slipped past Jonny Reid for third as the cars passed the flag-stand for the first time.

Robbie Pecorari also went off, to retirement, on Lap 4 as his car experienced mechanical failure and required a lift back to the garages.

The trio of Matos, Perera and Antinucci soon separated from Bobby Wilson, Reid and Arie Luyendyk Jr; by Lap 7 the gap from third to fourth stood four seconds-plus as the leaders set a 1:16 pace around the circuit.

By Lap 14 Matos and Perera were lapping the back of the field with Antinucci fading back to a four-second gap on third.

Rafa picked up two points for ‘most-laps-led’ on Lap 21, giving him the maximum 3-pointer bonus allowed in tandem with the single point awarded the pole-sitter, and the lead in the Indy Lights championship on the track.

By Lap 30 the running order was Matos, Perera, Antinucci, Wilson and Reid; followed by RLR Andersen’s J R Hildebrand, SSM’s James Davison, Luyendyk Jr, Team Moore’s Jeff Simmons and Andrew Prendeville.

With eight laps to go the gap from first to next stood 3.5 seconds; then eleven more seconds to third when Mark Olson and Wilson collided in Turn 2, damaging the left front of the No. 7 Team E machine and sending Olson skyward for a brief, awkward flight.

The incident advanced Hildebrand to fourth, then he quickly gave up the spot to Reid.

Davison made contact with a lapped car, damaging his left front wing; but he continued until Simmons moved around him for sixth on Lap 38.

Luyendyk tried but couldn’t overtake Davison and came home eighth.

Prendeville and Simmons’ teammate Pablo Donoso took the ninth and tenth finishing positions at the checkered flag.

The winning margin was measured at 3.8841 seconds.

The field will invert the first four positions for Sunday’s Mid-Ohio Race Two.

Matos Moves Into First Place Toward the Firehawk Cup

Matos earned 53 points for his performance on Saturday, enough for him to overcome the fifteen point deficit behind Antinucci (whose 35 points earned for third allowed him to retain second place in the championship race). Ana Beatriz finished fourteenth but retained third place in the season-long competition, now 61 points off the pace.

Sunday’s race will put Reid on the point alongside Antinucci, with Perera and Matos on the second row as the field flip-flops the first four finishers. The race is scheduled for a 10:35 AM EDT start.

---

Firestone Indy Lights Mid-Ohio 100 Race One Results

Firestone Firehawk Cup 2008 Cumulative Results

---

Raphael Matos Mid-Ohio 100 Race One Winner Interview (Click to download MP3 audio)

Raphael Matos Wins Mid-Ohio 100 Pole

AFS Andretti Green Leads Field by Half a Second

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

AFS Andretti Green’s Raphael Matos. Photo: SteveSnoddyIRL

AFS Andretti Green's Raphael Matos remained atop the twenty-two car Firestone Indy Lights Series field gathered at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend as the Brazilian driver earned the pole for Saturday (July 19th) afternoon's first Mid-Ohio 100 race.

Matos held down the top spot from the green flag of the thirty minute road course qualifying session. His best lap of 1:13.1434 sec. or 111.135 mph was shy of Richard Antinucci's course record established in 2007 at MOSSC, but was a good half a second faster than Guthrie Racing's Franck Perera (1:13.6505 sec., 110.370 mph) who will share the front row.

Integra Motorsports' Jonny Reid was third-quick on 110.342 mph (1:13.6693 sec.), alongside Antinucci (110.300 mph) who will join him on row two.

Matos' teammate Arie Luyendyk Jr, Team E's Bobby Wilson, Alliance Motorsports' Wade Cunningham, Sam Schmidt Motorsports' James Davison (who spun at the tail end of the session, bringing out yellow), Michael Crawford Motorsports' Daniel Herrington, and RLR Andersen's J R Hildebrand round out the top ten starters.

Should Davison be penalized by officials for bringing yellow during the qualifying session Guthrie Racing's Robbie Pecorari (who was officially timed eleventh) will move up into the tenth spot, and begin the race on the outside of the fifth row later today.

---

Firestone Indy Lights Mid-Ohio Qualifying Results

Indy Lights Racers Matos and Reid Top TimeCharts on Friday

Mid-Ohio Road Course Finds Brazilian and Kiwi Fastest

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

AFS Andretti Green Racing's Raphael Matos and Integra Motorsports' Jonny Reid topped the timing and scoring in Firestone Indy Lights practice at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course outside tiny Lexington, Ohio on Friday (July 18th).

Matos' 109.564 mph (1:14.1920 sec.) lap was the day's best and came early in the day, as did Reid's 109.555 mph (1:14.5386 sec.) mark.

Guthrie Racing's Franck Perera turned in the fastest time in the afternoon session, on 108.523 mph, as the temperatures around the central Ohio area climbed and diminished aerodynamic grip for the Indy Lights contenders.

Other drivers of note included Michael Crawford Motorsports' Daniel Herrington, who toured the No. 6 Dallara at a speed of 108.719 mph in the morning, just ahead of Arie Luyendyk Jr on 108.690 mph.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports championship hopeful Richard Antinucci was sixth-quickest at 108.335 mph; followed by Team E's Bobby Wilson, Wade Cunningham in the No. 24 Alliance Motorsports car, RLR Andersen's Andrew Prendeville, and Team Moore's Jeff Simmons rounding out the top ten over both sessions.

In other news of interest, AFS AGR announced a triple-duty assignment for Rafa Matos: the team has added the Brazilian to its LMP2 driver lineup for Saturday's ALMS race. That makes three for the weekend, including the Indy Lights doubleheader.

"Mid-Ohio is a track I know well," said Matos of the challenge. "The biggest thing for me will be on the physical side. I’ve been prepared all year long, and I think I’m ready for it."

"I think it will be very important to be focused on the Indy Lights since we’re in the battle for the championship, and at the same time I want to help Acura and Andretti Green get another victory with the prototype team."

Indy Lights qualifying is scheduled for 11:00 AM EDT on Saturday. The pole contest will be streamed live on IndyCar.com with running commentary and live timing and scoring.

---

Firestone Indy Lights Mid-Ohio 100 Friday Practice Results (combined sessions)

Mid-Ohio Indy Lights DoubleHeader Pits Antinucci, Matos, Beatriz

Mid-Season Triple-Treat Awaits on Buckeye State Road Course

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

The 2008 Firestone Indy Lights Series season matures further with this weekend's crucial double-header for three drivers (Richard Antinucci, Raphael Matos and Ana Beatriz) who've raced their way to the top of the standings in pursuit of the Firestone Firehawk Cup.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports' Richard Antinucci will try to regain his balance on the same track that launched him onto an impressive 2007 run of firsts and seconds in this series one year ago, and was seminal in putting his name at the top of the list of preseason favorites for the current season.

Richard used a first-place finish here at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course outside Lexington, Ohio to shift his Indy Lights career into high gear as the 2007 season came to a close with champion Alex Lloyd already assured of the Cup. Driving with verve and confidence the Rome, Italy-born driver swept to the fastest laps in practice and, on the strength of pre-event testing at the 2.258 mile road course, moved past Lloyd on Lap 15 along the long backstretch and never looked back on his way to his first series victory.

Antinucci Seeks KnockOut Punch to Close Season

Antinucci will try to deliver a knock-out punch to AFS Andretti Green Racing's Raphael Matos, who stands only fifteen points to the rear in the championship chase.

Rafa, too, figures to benefit from the steady diet of roadcourse racing the next month will bring; however, the advantage definitely lies with Antinucci in familiarity and previous success over the circuits ahead. Matos has finished first in the opening event of each of the season's double-header contests to date, with wins at St. Petersburg and at Watkins Glen.

After a stop at Kentucky Speedway's oval on August 9th, the Brazilian will test Antinucci on another of the SSM driver's favorite courses: Sonoma, California's Infineon Raceway (August 23rd & 24th), where Richard took a first and a second place-finish in last year's contests. The season concludes at Chicagoland Speedway on September 9th, with the final oval race of the season.

Both Antinucci and Matos have struggled on the oval configuration, which is where Antinucci's teammate Ana Beatriz (third in points with a 39-point gap to the front) begins to loom large in the rear-view mirrors.

Richard Antinucci (L), Ana Beatriz and Rafa Matos: Contenders to the 2008 Firehawk Cup Photos: Ron McQueeney, Chris Jones, Ron McQueeney IRL

The 23-year old 'Bia' (she's still known internationally as Bia Figueiredo to many fans) has already proven she's equally fast as the top contenders on the street course at St. Petersburg and on the oval at Nashville where she recorded the series' first win by a female only one week ago.

She's bolstered her chances with unexpectedly strong performances on the four-cornered courses, including a podium finish at Iowa's little bullring; and shown the anticipated strength of her road-course driving ability at Watkins Glen with another podium.

Confidence growing, and the remaining four rounds equally split between roads and roundy-rounds, Bia could well drive to the front and take the championship trophy away from the boys in her Indy Lights rookie year.

A win on Saturday would also plump Bia's earning's for the year with a check from Firestone for $5000, an award originating with this 2008 season to the winner of consecutive races on the sixteen-event calendar.

---

TV Coverage of the Firestone Indy Lights Series Mid-Ohio 100:

• Indy Lights Series: Race: ESPN2 (tape-delay), 2:00 PM EDT, July 24th
• Talent: Bob Jenkins, Robbie Buhl (announcers); Mike King (pit reporter)
• Live streaming video coverage of Indy Lights Series Pole Qualifying (11:00 AM EDT July 19th) and the Indy Lights Series Mid-Ohio 100 (5:25 PM EDT July 19th and 10:35 AM EDT July 20th) is available at www.indycar.com

Track Schedule at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (all times local; subject to change):
Friday, July 18th

• 7:00 AM Indy Lights Series garages open
• 9:40 AM-10:25 AM Indy Lights Series practice
• 2:25 PM-2:55 PM Indy Lights Series practice

Saturday, July 19th

• 7:00 AM Indy Lights Series garages open
• 11:00 AM-11:30 AM Indy Lights Series Qualifying
• 4:55 PM Indy Lights Series pre-race
• 5:25 AM Indy Lights Series Mid-Ohio 100 Race One (40 laps, 90.3 miles), ESPN 2 (2:00 PM, July 24th)

Sunday, July 20th

• 6:30 AM Indy Lights Series garages open
• 8:00-8:15 Indy Lights Series warm-up
• 10:10 AM Indy Lights Series pre-race
• 10:35 AM Indy Pro Series Mid-Ohio 100 Race Two 100 (40 laps, 90.3 miles), ESPN 2 (2:00 PM, July 24th)

---

Firestone Indy Lights Mid-Ohio 100 Entrant List

Wade Cunningham Takes Mid-Ohio Alliance Motorsports Ride

2005 Series Champ Returns to Duty for Double-Header Weekend

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

Wade Cunningham. Photo: RonMcQueeneyIRL

From Alliance Motorsports media reports:

Former Indy Lights Series champion Wade Cunningham returns to the cockpit this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Mansfield, Ohio. The 2005 winner of the Firestone Firehawk Cup will compete for Alliance Motorsports in the eleventh and twelfth rounds of racing scheduled to commence Saturday morning in the Buckeye State.

The chance to drive the newly-liveried dark blue and white No. 24 car spurred the twenty-three year old racer to continue one of the most productive careers in the Firestone Indy Lights Series: one that has spawned thirty-five top five finishes in 44 starts, including seven poles and five victories.

Cunningham won the series championship in 2005, and narrowly missed winning again in 2006 when emergency surgery for appendicitis sidelined him early in the season. His close-quarters wheel-to-wheel oval-track duels with 2007 series champ Alex Lloyd were marvels of high-speed car control and driving skill.

Alliance Motorsports co-owner Tyce Carlson summed up the good fortune for racer and race team by adding, "We're fortunate to have Wade drive for us this weekend. Doug Zoster, our engineer, has been part of Wade' s successful runs in the past. We think this will be a positive for us and look forward to taking to the track on Friday."

Cunningham's four previous starts this season have come in the black and red Brian Stewart Racing car, which Wade has driven to a season's best finish of third at the Freedom 100 for the team and a total of three top-ten finishes.

Cunningham finished second in the first Mid-Ohio race in 2007 on his way to third-place in the end-of-season standings for AFS Racing.

Forsythe Racing Coming to Indy Lights in 2009

Former Series Champions Return with David Garza and James Hinchcliffe Aboard

by Allan Brewer
allan@indyproracer.com

From Forsythe Racing Media Reports:

On the same day that the IndyCar Series announced the return of longtime racers Derrick Walker and Paul Tracy to the grid, Gerald Forsythe's Forsythe Racing broke the news of its own return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series in 2009.

Forsythe Racing has a long and storied history of successful competition in the Lights division, stretching back to the days of much-missed Greg Moore and David Empringham in the mid-1990's; both of whom won titles in the series while racing for the team.

The team is owned by Illinois-based businessman Gerald Forsythe. Since the team’s inception in the early 1980’s it has scored multiple wins and championships with some of the most famous names in racing including; Paul Tracy, Greg Moore, Jacques Villeneuve, Al Unser Jr,, Patrick Carpentier, AJ Allmendinger, Danny Sullivan and Teo Fabi.

Mexican standout and regular A1GP World Cup of Motorsport competitor David Garza (who also teamed with Chip Ganassi Racing for their 2008 Daytona 24 Hours effort) will join another A1GP familiar, James Hinchcliffe, to kick off the team's initial season in the Indy Lights Series.

Forsythe Gathers Strength From Dynamic Driving Duos Past and Present

Forsythe Racing currently competes in the Atlantics Championship, and recorded a win with Hinch at the wheel over the Laguna Seca course in May of this year, boosting him into the hunt for the series' championship. James not only won, he dominated the California round: scoring the top spot on the podium after sweeping to fastest in both practice rounds and sitting on pole for the event. In tandem with the multi-talented and lightning-quick Garza, Forsythe looks set to be a challenger for the 2009 Indy Lights title from the outset.

“The opportunity to return to Indy Lights is obviously one that we’re relishing,” said Neil Micklewright, Vice President of Operations at Forsythe Racing Inc. “This is an extremely exciting time for Forsythe Racing as we’re once again in the thick of a title battle in the Atlantic Championship while we’re also looking to further bolster our race programs, starting with our Indy Lights announcement.

“As a company we have a tremendous pedigree in Indy Lights with numerous race wins and back-to-back championship victories with Greg and David in the mid-nineties. The series still offers drivers the chance to prove themselves and the level of competition remains as high as ever."

"FILS is a showcase of our racing excellence and desire to win," says Forsythe's Neil Micklewright

"You only have to look at this season’s results to see how tight it is at the top with six drivers winning already this year. We believe the Firestone Indy Lights Series offers Forsythe Racing an additional platform to showcase our commitment to on-track excellence and our desire to win.”

Moore dominated the 1995 Indy Lights Series for Forsythe Racing. The British Columbia native recorded an unprecedented 10 wins from 12 starts to claim the title and propel himself into a seat in the team’s CART line-up in 1996. Fellow Canadian Empringham, of Ontario, delivered a second straight Indy Lights title the following season notching three victories on his way to the title.

The 2008 Firestone Indy Lights Series consists of 16 rounds, all in support of Indy Racing League events, running on a mixture of ovals and permanent and temporary road courses with each race broadcast on ESPN 2 – www.indycar.com/indylights

Drivers interested in Forsythe Racing’s Firestone Indy Lights program should contact:

John Brunner: Tel: +1 317 216 9000, Cell: +1 317 908 1246, or email: john.brunner@fcremail.com