Archive for August 2012

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Junqueira to Substitute for Newgarden in Grand Prix of Baltimore

Veteran Bruno Junqueira will drive the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in this weekend’s Grand Prix of Baltimore as a substitute for the team’s full-time driver, Josef Newgarden, who was injured in last weekend’s IZOD IndyCar Series race in Sonoma, Calif.

Newgarden had surgery Tuesday to repair a broken left index finger suffered in a violent crash on lap 65 of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. He and team officials are focused on the IZOD IndyCar Series 2012 season finale at Auto Club Speedway, September 15 for his return.

“I’m really disappointed to not be in the car this weekend but I know Bruno will do a great job for SFHR,” Newgarden said. “I’ll be in Baltimore helping Bruno and the team in any way I can and focusing on healing for Fontana.”

Noting Junqueira’s IndyCar experience, Fisher said the team is confident it found the right substitute for this weekend.

“It is lucky that we were able to call on Bruno for this weekend's race,” said Sarah Fisher, co-owner of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. “He has had great results prior to climbing into the No. 67 car, and I hope we can give him the right platform to bring home a solid finish this weekend in Baltimore. I know Josef is disappointed in the circumstances, as we all are, but this team is being built around him and his seat will be ready for him when he’s ready. We look forward to a healthy and speedy recovery for Josef.”

SFHR co-owner Wink Hartman believes the No. 67 car will be in good hands in Newgarden’s absence from the cockpit.

“I am sure it will be difficult for Josef to stand by me in the pits during the Grand Prix of Baltimore, but I know he agrees that Bruno will take good care of the 67 car while he’s healing,” Hartman said. “SFHR will continue its success and Josef will be back in the seat soon.”

Junqueira, from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is currently competing full-time in the American Le Man Series presented by Tequila Patrón Prototype Challenge (PC) class. He sat on the pole for the Sebring 12 Hours race and just recently won at Mosport Park in Canada. He and his RSR Racing team have been front-runners all season.

“I am very happy to be back in IndyCar with SFHR for the Baltimore race weekend,” Junqueira said. “Sarah’s team is very organized and has been fast all season. They have done a great job with Josef and I hope to give them a good race weekend in Baltimore while Josef is healing.”

Of Note:

One weekend, 2 races for Junqueira:

Junqueira will pull double duty at the Grand Prix of Baltimore by driving in the IZOD IndyCar Series as well as the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón. Junqueira will drive in the sports car race for Rocketsports Racing on Saturday afternoon and then for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series on Sunday afternoon.

Junqueira Stats:

35-year-old Bruno Junqueira has eight CART victories and finished second in the CART championship three times. Junqueira qualified for the Indianapolis 500 eight times and started from the pole position in 2002.

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Newgarden Injured in the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma

Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) settled into a progressive march through the pack of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday, but their work was cut short when an incident with Dragon Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais knocked Newgarden out of the race.

On lap 65, Bourdais went off course in front of Newgarden. Bourdais then quickly veered back onto the track in front of Newgarden. The two cars collided sending Newgarden nose-first into the Turn-8 tire wall.

 

Newgarden was assisted from the car by the IndyCar Holmatro Safety Team and taken to the track’s medical center. The rookie driver injured his left index finger and will be evaluated further when he returns home to Indianapolis.

“We had a decent run and were trying to salvage what we could from this weekend in Sonoma,” Newgarden said. “We got an unlucky break with Bourdais when he got in trouble in front of me.

“Unfortunately, Bourdais came right across the track and I had nowhere to go,” Newgarden added. “I kept my hands on the wheel because it happened so fast and that’s when my finger got hurt. It’s the hardest hit I’ve ever had.”

The No. 67 SFHR Angie’s List Dallara/Honda/Firestone car sustained significant damage in the incident.

“Pretty much every body panel, the tub and the engine will need to be repaired,” Mike O’Gara, team manager for SFHR, said. “The first six inches of the tub are basically crushed. Every piece of suspension was damaged, so the car is pretty much a write-off at the moment.”

Newgarden and SFHR were scored in the 23rd position after the incident.

Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske won the GoPro Indy Grand Prix in Sonoma, which was his first win of the 2012 season. Will Power, who led for 57 laps, finished in second.

Dario Franchitti, Rubens Barrichello and Graham Rahal completed the top-five. The race was slowed by two caution periods for a total of 11 laps.

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to action next weekend for the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT on Sunday, September 2.

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SFHR Looking for Speed in Sonoma

IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) have struggled to find speed at the raceway in Sonoma, but Newgarden is prepared to dig deep and move up on race day in Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Newgarden qualified the No. 67 SFHR Angie’s List Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in the 23rd position with a speed of 107.666 mph on Saturday.

“We’re struggling here,” Newgarden said. “We started off on bad footing last week for the test in Sonoma, and we just haven’t been able to take the right steps to get closer to where we need to be. It’s just one of those confusing instances, but we’re trying to figure it out.”

The SFHR team takes an open approach to finding speed and welcomes ideas from all of its engineers and team members for ways to look for an edge on-track. Team members will put their heads together this evening and work to find a solution for race day.

“Not knowing where we’re missing the speed is the frustrating part,” Newgarden said. “Normally a lack of speed comes down to something that you can find and pinpoint, but we haven’t been able to do that. We’ve tried a lot of different things that have made sense, and it’s just not working for us. We’ve just got to try and take what we can get this weekend.”

Will Power of Team Penske claimed the pole position for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma with a lap of 111.116 mph, which is his fourth pole of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske qualified second with a lap of 110.881 mph and Sebastien Bourdais of Dragon Racing qualified third with a lap of 110.431 mph.

Helio Castroneves of Team Penske and Scott Dixon of Ganassi Racing round out the top-five of the starting grid for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

The GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, an 85-lap race around the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Sonoma road course, will air live on NBC Sports Network, Sunday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET.

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SFHR Brings a Mean, Green Driving Machine to Sonoma for Newgarden

The raceway in Sonoma, Calif., is a new animal to tame for IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden, but he’ll be equipped with a freshly painted mean, green driving machine as he tackles the twists and turns at Sonoma.

Newgarden’s car will become the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing/Angie’s List/Dallara/Honda/Firestone car for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, and the car has been painted green to reflect the brand identity of customer ratings giant Angie’s List.

“It’s always good to have a sponsor on the sidepods, and I’m hoping the new green color will bring us some luck,” Newgarden said. “It kind of looks like a mean, green, driving machine to me.”

The bright green is highly appropriate for the raceway in Sonoma in particular, as the track is known for its efforts to be a green, eco-friendly facility.

The raceway’s environmental initiatives are collectively known as a Sustainable Performance. One program, referred to as “Mowing Green,” may catch Newgarden’s eye as he navigates the track.

As part of the “Mowing Green” program, 3,000 sheep live at the raceway to help maintain the grasses and fire lanes around the facility. Newgarden doesn’t predict he’ll have to share his racing line with any of the raceway’s wooly residents.

“I’m pretty cautious about what I do to impact the environment, and I think it’s cool that the raceway in Sonoma has done so much on that front,” Newgarden said. “When I tested with my car at the raceway last week, I noticed that there was a lot of dirt around the track. Maybe my green car will bring a little brightness to the racing surface.”

Newgarden and the SFHR crew will be on track in Sonoma on Friday, August 24 for IZOD IndyCar Series practice. Qualifications for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma are Saturday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The green flag will drop on the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at 4:42 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 26.

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Kyle O'Gara Makes it 2 in a Row at Kalamazoo

Kyle O’Gara is starting to think his senior year of high school may be just what his racing career needed.

After completing his first week as a senior at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing development driver collected his second victory in a row on Saturday, August 18 at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway.

O’Gara topped the speed charts for the first two USAC/STARS D1 Midget practice sessions and won his qualifying heat race from the eighth position. The fastest six cars from the heat races were inverted for the feature race, so O’Gara started the 30-lap feature from fifth.

“My team just gave me a great car, and it was the fastest car on the track,” O’Gara said. “It was a new track for me, so I was still learning on each lap after I got the lead.”

He took the lead from Patrick Wilda, Jr. on lap 15 and never looked back. The No. 17-B RW Motorsports midget led until the checkered flag on lap 30.

“I’m really happy to get another win for the RW Motorsports team and for my sponsor Service Central,” O’Gara said.

Three races remain on the USAC/STARS D1 Midget schedule, two of which are at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill., the site of O’Gara’s first win in the series.

After the win at Kalamazoo Speedway, O’Gara returned to the halls of Roncalli High School to receive pats on the back from his fellow students.

“Roncalli gives updates of my racing results over the announcement system, so most of my friends know about my racing,” O’Gara said. “A lot of them don’t really know what it’s all about, but they’re learning about racing and are very supportive.”

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Josef Newgarden: #AskJosef Answered

SFHR launched a twitter campaign with its rookie driver Josef Newgarden called #AskJosef after the 2012 Mid-Ohio race. SFHR and Josef Newgarden fans were asked to tweet questions for the 21-year-old rookie driver with the #AskJosef hashtag.

Josef received questions ranging from his on-track performance to his love for all things Batman. Scroll through Josef's answers below:

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Catch Josef Newgarden and the SFHR team in action at Sonoma Raceway on Friday, August 17 for an open test. The public is welcome to attend from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.racesonoma.com.

The IZOD IndyCar Series will race in Sonoma at the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on August 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET. For real-time updates from Josef Newgarden and SFHR in Sonoma follow @JosefNewgarden and @SFHRIndy on Twitter.

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SFHR Development Driver Kyle O’Gara Wins at Grundy County Speedway

On a night when most of his Roncalli High School classmates were working out the details of getting to the first day of school, 17-year-old Kyle O’Gara was trying to figure out how he could get to the front of the pack in a USAC/STARS D1 Midget Feature after starting last.

If the 30-lap feature Saturday night at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill., is any indication, O’Gara had no problem getting to school on time Monday morning.

As the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) development driver, O’Gara drove the No. 17-B RW Motorsports midget from the back of the pack Saturday night to win his first-ever USAC/STARS D1 Midget feature.

Despite having a car that was fast as soon as it rolled off the trailer, O’Gara was forced to skip qualifications due to a rules infraction. As a result, he lined up last on the grid.

The young driver and his team were undeterred by the setback, and O’Gara charged quickly through the field.

“We started on the tail but were up 10 spots in the first two laps,” O’Gara said. “From there we took the lead on lap 13 and didn’t look back.”

O’Gara led the final 17 laps of the 30-lap feature to collect the win.

“I knew it was going to be a hard race to get up front, but I also knew we had the car to do it,” he said. “We were the fastest in the practice sessions and our heat race, and I was confident in the crew.”

O’Gara’s victory message to his Twitter followers included a message to one of his racing mentors – Bryan Clauson – who shares several connections to O’Gara. Clauson drove for SFHR’s IndyCar team in the 2012 Indianapolis 500, and he also frequently drives a USAC Silver Crown car for RW Motorsports, the team that prepared O’Gara’s winning car at Grundy County Speedway.

O’Gara frequently reaches out to Clauson for advice at various race tracks. The veteran driver also ends his messages to O’Gara by telling him where to park his race car at the end of the race.

This was O’Gara’s winning tweet:

@kyleogara “Parked the ‪@RWMotorsports‬‬ 17b in the circle tonight at Grundy County! Started 20th and came through the field in 13 laps.”

It was a message he couldn’t wait to share.

“BC (Bryan Clauson) tells me to park my car in victory circle every night, so that tweet was for him,” O’Gara said.

After the dust from O’Gara’s victory settled, he traveled back to his home on Indianapolis’s south side to prepare for the first day of his Senior year at Roncalli High School. Administrators there frequently work with O’Gara to ensure he doesn’t fall behind on school work due to his racing schedule.

“When I have to travel for racing, Roncalli works with me and helps me keep up with my work,” O’Gara said. “School has always been first and that is a huge thing with SFHR owners Andy and Sarah as well as my parents. I finished last year off with a 4.0 GPA because it’s really important to me.”

As for the future, O’Gara has his eyes set on racing in the Indianapolis 500.

“I would really like to be in Firestone Indy Lights in the next couple years and race in the Indy 500 eventually,” he said. “That’s something I’ve always dreamed about.”

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SFHR Finishes 12th in Fuel-Saving Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) rookie driver Josef Newgarden had a clean drive in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, but his hands were tied when the event turned into a fuel strategy race that left him the odd man out.

Newgarden brought the No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car home to 12th in the caution-free race.

Starting from the ninth position, Newgarden got a jump on his competitors and climbed to sixth on the first lap. On lap two he passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for fifth.

Newgarden and the team then settled in and systematically ticked off solid lap times and quick pit stops.

“I thought we had a very strong car today and turned out some really strong laps,” Newgarden said.

However, for the second IZOD IndyCar Series race in a row, there were no caution periods. SFHR strategized for three pit stops while several other teams made only two.

“We got unlucky with our strategy,” Newgarden said. “We ended up doing a lot of work for very little reward in the finish today. The strategy was really the only thing that hindered us.”

In July, team co-owner Sarah Fisher set out a goal for Newgarden and her team to complete every lap remaining in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Newgarden came one step closer to accomplishing Fisher’s goal in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

“I’m glad we finished the race today because it’s my job to make sure we finish each race,” Newgarden said. “Unfortunately we just couldn’t quite seal the deal for a top-10 finish at the end because we had to pit for more fuel.”

Scott Dixon of Ganassi Racing won the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, which marked his fourth victory at the track.

Will Power of Team Penske finished second and moved up to first in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series’ driver point standings.

Simon Pagenaud, Sebastien Bourdais and James Hinchcliffe rounded out the top-five at Mid-Ohio.

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio was the second consecutive caution-free race for the IZOD IndyCar Series, which has not happened since 1987.

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to action at the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on August 26th.

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True-Rookie Newgarden Composed at Mid-Ohio

Josef Newgarden is a true rookie at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but in qualifying on Saturday for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio he drove like a calm professional. With a clear purpose, he landed the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in the 10th starting position.

Newgarden was sixth fastest in his group of IZOD IndyCar Series’ knockout-style qualifying, which advanced him to the second round of qualifying.

In round two Newgarden faced off against the 12 fastest cars in the field and ended up 10th with a speed of 122.843 mph.

“It was an okay second session for us,” Newgarden said. “Unfortunately I didn’t really get a great lap in during the second round. I think we did a good job of getting as close as we could to the Firestone Fast Six, but we just needed a little more.”

Newgarden will be the only true rookie starting in Sunday’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Mid-Ohio is considered to be SFHR co-owner Sarah Fisher’s home track.

“It's cool to race here because it's sort of Sarah's home track,” Newgarden said. “It's a little added pressure but I like the challenge.”

Newgarden believes the tightly packed speeds in qualifications will make for a challenging race.

“I think we’re in the hunt for sure but it’s just very tight out there,” he said. “We’ll just get to work on a set-up for the race and see what we can do.”

Weather could also play a role in action during the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio as rain is in the forecast.

“I’ve never raced here before but I’ve heard it’s very difficult in the rain,” Newgarden said. “If it ends up raining that will be a big challenge for me.”

Will Power of Team Penske will start from the pole in Sunday’s race. Power’s speed of 123.825 mph narrowly beat the fastest lap of Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti at 123.360 mph.

Simon Pagenaud, Alex Tagliani and Scott Dixon round out the top-five on the starting grid for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Dixon was the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series winner at Mid-Ohio.

The green flag will wave on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio broadcast starts at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Newgarden and SFHR to Sport US Olympic Pride at Mid-Ohio

Rookie driver Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) are watching the Olympic Games in London just like the rest of the world, but while the games continue throughout the weekend the team has business to take care of in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

With a little ingenuity, the team has found a simple way to keep the US Olympians and their efforts in London top of mind during IZOD IndyCar action this weekend.

For the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, the No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car’s livery will feature “Go USA!” on its side pods.

“I’ve been watching a lot of the Olympics every night,” Newgarden said. “It’s been fun to see how our country’s doing especially since we’ve been knocking it out of the ballpark.”

Newgarden sees similarities between the training athletes go through to compete at the Olympic level and what he does to be at his best in his race car.

“They put their entire lives into their chosen sport,” he said. “Race car drivers are extremely dedicated to the physical training necessary to drive at their peek performance level in the sport and I think that’s exactly what the Olympians do.”

Newgarden’s favorite Olympic sport to watch is swimming, and the 2012 US swim team has not disappointed him.

“I really admire the commitment that each and every one of the swimmers have,” Newgarden said. “It’s been especially cool to see what Michael Phelps has achieved over his career. And now there’s other people like Ryan Lochte coming up and I’ve been watching to see how they do at these Games. I think training for swimming is similar to racing in the total dedication you have to give to the sport in order to compete at that level.”

With US Olympic pride on his car’s sidepods, Newgarden heads to the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in hopes of capturing a solid result for SFHR.

IZOD IndyCar Series practice at Mid-Ohio begins on Friday, August 3 at 2 p.m. ET. Action continues with qualifications on Saturday, August 4 at 11 a.m. The green flag drops on the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, August 5 at 1 p.m. The race will be broadcast live on ABC at 12:30 p.m. ET.

 

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Quotes:

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“JOSEF NEWGARDEN (Driver - Nashville, Tenn.)

After testing last week you tweeted that you loved driving at Mid-Ohio. What did you enjoy about it so much?

“I think it’s my new favorite road course because it’s a very fast track. It has a lot of high speed and high commitment corners. It’s just a great place to wheel a car.”

Mid-Ohio is a very popular track for race fans to attend. Why do you think it’s so fan-friendly?

“Mid-Ohio is one of those old school tracks where people like to go camping and be there all weekend hanging out with their friends. It’s cool to be able to do that at a couple of races during the year, and I think it really makes Mid-Ohio a special track.”

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Of Note:

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Newgarden Incognito: If you’re not sure who SFHR’s rookie driver Josef Newgarden is, you might not be the only one. Newgarden had fun interviewing fans undercover at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Watch the video>>