Author: krystin

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Welcomes Sponsor Quaker Chemical

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) competes in one of the most competitive and technologically advanced racing series in the world – the IZOD IndyCar Series. Racing and winning over the competition requires high endurance and performance products.

As an official SFHR sponsor and technical partner, Quaker Chemical Corporation seeks to create proprietary greases and lubricants specifically engineered to combat the forces of friction, heat and wear for the unique demands of the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Team – including in the car driven by Josef Newgarden in the IndyCar Series and in the car to be driven by Bryan Clauson in the Indy 500.

“This is a great opportunity for Quaker to expand our advanced lubrication technology into the motorsports world,” said Joe Berquist, Quaker VP and Managing Director North America. “We believe that both parties will greatly benefit from this exciting partnership; it provides us the opportunity to develop advanced engineered products and services in a real world, highly competitive test environment.”

Quaker’s engineers will be working alongside the SFHR technical staff to develop technology for advanced lubrication and greases designed to provide SFHR with an “on- track” advantage in the IZOD IndyCar series. This ongoing research and development technical alliance will allow Quaker to continually develop superior lubrication technology for use within its core industries and customers.

“We proved last year that SFHR can compete against the best in IndyCar racing, and that we can beat the best,” said car owner Sarah Fisher. “Like any good team, we are looking for a competitive advantage, and we feel Quaker Chemical Corporation will help us do just that so we can win on a regular basis.”

About Quaker Chemical Corporation:

Quaker Chemical Corporation is a leading global provider of process chemicals, chemical specialties, services, and technical expertise to a wide range of industries including steel, aluminum, automotive, mining, aerospace, tube and pipe, coatings and construction materials. Quaker’s products, technical solutions, and chemical management services enhance customers' processes, improve their product quality, and lower costs. Quaker's headquarters is located near Philadelphia in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. For more information on Quaker Chemical, visit www.quakerchem.com.

About Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing:

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) was established in 2008 and is owned by former driver Sarah Fisher, the youngest woman ever to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the first woman to run a full IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, and businessman Wink Hartman. SFHR has competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2008, earning its first victory in 2011 at Kentucky Speedway.

Newgarden finds familiarity in an unfamiliar place

Rookie Josef Newgarden heads to the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 this weekend for his first IZOD IndyCar Series race outside of the U.S., and the 21-year-old driver is looking forward to the Brazilian street course because of the similarities it has with another international circuit at which he does have experience: the famed Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy.

“The circuit in Sao Paulo reminds me of Monza with the way the straights work,” Newgarden said. “I thought Monza was a great track, so I’m really excited to get to Brazil.”

With three events in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar series under his belt, Newgarden and the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing team find themselves in 22nd position in driver point standings. Newgarden started on the outside of the front row in the series’ last race in the Streets of Long Beach, Calif., but had contact with driver Dario Franchitti on the first turn of the first lap that ended his day.

“I’ve been thinking about Brazil since the day after the race in Long Beach,” Newgarden said. “The package that we’ve had at other street races this year is going to work well in Brazil.”

Newgarden is looking forward to tackling the 11-turn temporary street circuit in his No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car.

“With the long straights we’ll see high speeds from some drivers, and there are big braking zones,” Newgarden said. “It’s certainly something that suits my driving style.”

Notes:

New kids on the block: Both Josef Newgarden and his Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing team are new to Brazil. 2012 will mark Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s debut race in the Streets of Sao Paulo. SFHR and Newgarden have had strong showings on the other two street circuits of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar series season however, and expect to have an equally strong package for the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300.

Dollar General will join Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing to sponsor the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car for the 2012 Indianapolis 500. SFHR scored its first-ever victory in 2011 at Kentucky Speedway with Dollar General onboard as a primary sponsor.

Newgarden had fun with fans at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach when he went incognito to interview them about himself and the Sarah Fisher Hartman Race Team. It turns out race fans can have a difficult time identifying drivers when they aren’t dressed in their firesuits. Watchthe video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcF1km_eiA&feature=youtu.be

SFHR team owners Sarah Fisher and Wink Hartman hired USAC open wheel star Bryan Clauson to drive a second car for the team in the 2012 Indianapolis 500. Clauson will join SFHR for the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program on Thursday, May 10.

Event Broadcast Schedule:

The Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 will air live on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) beginning at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, April 29.

Bryan Clauson to Drive For Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in Indy 500

Short track, open wheel racing fans will see a familiar name and a familiar car number when practice begins May 12 for the 96th Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.

USAC open wheel star Bryan Clauson has been hired by Sarah Fisher and Wink Hartman to drive the No. 39 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing/RW Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in this year’s ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’ Clauson, from Noblesville, Ind., is a multi-time USAC national champion and has won several races behind the wheel of his family-owned No. 39 USAC midget.

Clauson will be a teammate to another young American driver, Josef Newgarden, from Nashville, Tenn. Newgarden drives the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car fulltime in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Clauson and Newgarden were teammates in the Firestone Indy Lights Series in 2011.

“It’s an awesome opportunity for me to enter the Indianapolis 500 with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing,” said Clauson. “It’s almost surreal just talking about it. For me to be attempting to make the race with Sarah’s team is just phenomenal. With her background in sprint car and midget racing and her continued involvement at that level, this is just a good fit for me. I’m also proud to be an Indiana boy driving for an Indiana team.”

"I’m also excited about the continuity we’re building into the program,” added Clauson. “My car number will be No. 39 and I’m bringing along some of my short track supporters with me like Rotondo Weirich.”

Clauson won back-to-back USAC National Drivers Championships in 2010 and 2011 for his performance in all three major USAC open wheel divisions. He also won the USAC National Midget Championship in 2010 and 2011and has more than 26 USAC wins.

In addition, Clauson had four top-five finishes in Firestone Indy Lights racing in 2011. His best finish was third at Iowa Speedway driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

"It's quite an honor to bring a USAC champion to the Indianapolis 500,” said Fisher. “I am very fond of my roots in short track oval racing, and watching Bryan at some of these events really brings back memories. Personally knowing his background, I have complete confidence in his credentials, talent and capabilities, and look forward to working with him at Indy. It will be exciting to fill out our team roster with both of the Road to Indy Champions from last season, really solidifying the ladder program.”

The pairing of Clauson and Newgarden is a strong statement for the Road to Indy program. In addition to Clauson’s USAC National Drivers Championships, Newgarden won the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights Championship.

"INDYCAR continues to focus on strengthening ties with USAC as a path to the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500," said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. "After a strong oval debut in Firestone Indy Lights last season, it made sense to utilize our USAC National Drivers Championship scholarship to enter Bryan in the Indianapolis 500. Not only is Bryan one of the most talented USAC drivers, his participation in the Indy 500 will attract the interest of short track fans across the country."

It’s more than a coincidence that SFHR has hired two American drivers for its Indiana-based operation. The team is proud of its Indiana roots and routinely flies an American flag in its pit box.

"SFHR is happy to welcome Bryan to the team,” said Wink Hartman, co-owner of SFHR. “We've been working toward this program for quite some time, and I feel we are prepared to present a first-class effort for the entry. Working with young American talent fits this team and its values perfectly, and we are working hard to find a primary sponsor for Bryan to match that platform. We are also thankful to have the support of all our partners, including Honda, for this program and the excitement the total package brings."

Not lost on Clauson is the fact he is joining an emerging IZOD IndyCar Series team that already has a victory in its portfolio.

“With its performance so far this year with Josef on the road courses, combined with the fact it ran strong at Indy and won the last oval race in 2011, SFHR is proving it is a first-class team. I can’t wait for ROP.”

Clauson and Newgarden both passed their INDYCAR oval test at Texas Motor Speedway on April 5. They will both participate in the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program on May 10.

Practice for the Indianapolis 500 begins Saturday, May 12. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” takes the green flag at Noon ET on Sunday, May 27.

High Hopes End Early for Newgarden in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif., Sunday, April 15, 2012 – Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing had high hopes for a strong finish in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday after starting on the outside of the front row, but contact on the first lap of the race with Dario Franchitti ended Newgarden’s day.

“I got alongside him and gave him the inside lane, but I got touched on the exit and went right to the wall,” Newgarden said. “If he was braking alongside of me, I would have just given him the lane and tucked right in.”

The damage sustained to the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car was too substantial for Newgarden to continue.

“It was a difficult day for us, and I feel really bad for the SFHR crew,” Newgarden said. “They put together an unbelievable race car, and I think we had a shot at a good finish today.”

Rookie Newgarden caught the eye of many IndyCar veterans on Saturday in qualifying when he drove his car to the seventh starting position. After penalties sustained by Chevrolet-powered cars for unapproved engine changes, Newgarden’s Honda-powered car moved up to the second starting position.

Despite an abrupt end to SFHR’s race in Long Beach, the team moves forward with knowledge gained from the solid result in qualifications.

“It’s always best to get back on the race track and start working again after something like this happens,” Newgarden said. “I think we’ll have just as strong of a package in Brazil as we did in Long Beach, and hopefully we can apply it to get a good result.”

By winning Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Will Power continued Team Penske’s dominance of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Team Penske has won all three races so far this season, and Power went back-to-back with his win today and at Barber Motorsports Park two weeks ago.

It was Power’s 17th career Indy car win and his second at Long Beach. He beat Simon Pagenaud Sunday by .8675 seconds.

Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay followed Simon Pagenaud across the line in third place, but he was penalized for late-race contact and moved back to sixth position. The penalty moved his teammate, James Hinchcliffe, up to third place. Rounding out the top five were KV Racing’s Tony Kanaan and Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand.

There were nine lead changes among seven drivers. Pagenaud led twice for a total of 26 laps, 10 more than any other driver.

Three caution periods allowed the yellow flag to wave for 12 laps.

On the strength of his back-to-back wins, Power leaves Long Beach with a 24-point lead in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship over his teammate Helio Castroneves (127-103). Pagenaud is third with 100 points. Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon is fourth with 96 points, while James Hinchcliffe is fifth with 95 points.

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Sao Paolo Indy 300 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 29.

NOTES:

Newgarden gave Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing its best-ever start on a street course when he qualified his Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in seventh position. The team’s best qualifying effort on a street course improved even more when Newgarden was bumped up to the second starting position after penalties were accessed to Chevrolet-powered cars for unapproved engine changes.

Newgarden had fun with fans at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach when he went incognito to interview them about himself and the Sarah Fisher Hartman Race Team. It turns out race fans can have a difficult time identifying drivers when they aren’t dressed in their firesuits.Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcF1km_eiA&feature=youtu.be

Rookie Newgarden Sails to the Front Row in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 14, 2012 – Rookie Josef Newgarden sailed through Saturday’s qualifying for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to qualify seventh with a lap of 1 minute, 9.0697 seconds at 102.575 mph.

However, Newgarden’s Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car will actually start second in Sunday’s race because all 11 IZOD IndyCar Series cars powered by Chevrolet engines incurred a 10-spot grid penalty after unapproved engine changes. Newgarden will move up to the front row alongside Dario Franchitti.

“We wanted to qualify up front outright, but we have a good spot to start from tomorrow,” Newgarden said. “The car was just unbelievable.”

For the first time in his IZOD IndyCar series career, Newgarden advanced out of the first round of knockout style qualifying with the fastest speed of his group of thirteen drivers. He went on to miss advancing to the Firestone Fast Six by one position.

“I’m bummed we didn’t make it to the Firestone Fast Six because I think we had a little more speed to pull out of the car,” Newgarden said.

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing has made a steady improvement in qualifying for the first three races of the 2012 Izod IndyCar Series season.

“The coolest thing for the team is that each time we’ve qualified, we’ve ended up higher than the previous race,” Newgarden said. “We haven’t gone backwards yet.”

Ryan Briscoe qualified on pole position with a lap speed of 1 minute, 08.6089 seconds. Briscoe will move back to the 11th starting position after being penalized for his Chevrolet engine’s unapproved change. Dario Franchitti will start from pole position.

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will air live on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, April 15.

Of Note:

During the Saturday morning practice session and qualifying, Newgarden was unable to hear his team on his in-car radio. Despite the setback, Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing scored their best qualifying effort yet. The team is working to rectify the issue for race day.

Scott Pruett, a seasoned driver with more than 10 starts in the Long Beach Grand Prix, stopped by the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing transporter to give Newgarden a few words of advice. “If you stay patient and wait for the other drivers to make mistakes, the race will come to you,” Pruett said to Newgarden in the SFHR transporter. “You’ll be amazed how high your position is at the end of the race if you keep your driving clean.”

In 2011 Newgarden competed in the Firestone Indy Lights race on the Streets of Long Beach and finished 13th. He started the race in third and led 31 laps before a crash ended his day. Newgarden went on to win the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights championship.

Life in the fast lane made easier with cmcglobal

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, April 13, 2012 – Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) will make 16 stops at race tracks in three different continents during the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season, and the team now has an industry leader in travel and event planning to help with its layers of logistics throughout the season.

Indianapolis-based cmcglobal, a company that specializes in meeting, convention, trade show, special event and destination management needs, has signed a season-long sponsorship with SFHR beginning with this weekend’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

“cmcglobal is thrilled to begin this exciting new partnership with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing,” Jeff Cummings, president of cmcglobal, said. “Sarah and her entire crew represent the best of the best in open wheel racing.”

The partnership is a natural fit for a racing team that sends more than 25 employees and sponsors to events all over the U.S. for races, appearances and testing. For a typical race weekend, team logistics include more than 60 hotel room nights in addition to air and ground transportation needs.

“Working with cmcglobal is exciting because we will be able to draw on their vast experience with travel and event planning to provide the best care for our team and sponsors on race weekends,” said Sarah Fisher, owner of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

About cmcglobal:

Indianapolis-based cmcglobal operates meetings and events worldwide. Drawing from the expertise of its highly-skilled professionals, the company has provided comprehensive logistic and event planning services to a variety of customers in a multitude of destinations since 1997. For more information on cmcglobal, visit www.cmcglobal.com.

About Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing:

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) was established in 2008 and is owned by former driver Sarah Fisher, the youngest woman ever to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the first woman to run a full IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, and businessman Wink Hartman. SFHR has competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2008, earning its first victory in 2011 at Kentucky Speedway.

Newgarden By the Numbers

Racing is a numbers game. What number is a driver on the starting grid? What lap number is the best to pit on? How many tenths of a second can be shaved off a qualifying lap?

IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden has a few shocking numbers in his arsenal, but the 21-year-old Tennessee native enters the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach with a cool head and strong showings at the previous two events of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

Following are a few of Newgarden’s numbers that might warrant a head scratch:

Newgarden was just 11 years old when fellow IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves won his first race on the storied Streets of Long Beach in 2001.

At 21, Newgarden is the only IZOD IndyCar Series driver that was born in the ‘90s. The average age of an IndyCar driver is 30.

Newgarden sat in his first go-kart at age 13. Eight years later, he was hired by Sarah Fisher to pilot the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car.

It would be easy for most 21-year-olds to get caught up in racing’s dizzying numbers game, but Josef Newgarden and the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing team will take each of the 85 laps in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach one at a time to battle for a number at the top of the finishing order.

After starting 15^th, Newgarden drove into the top-10 twice in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, the most recent race of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series. Contact with Ed Carpenter near the end of the race damaged Newgarden’s front wing, and he finished 17^th.

In 2011 Newgarden competed in the Firestone Indy Lights race on the Streets of Long Beach and finished 13^th. He started the race in third and led 31 laps before a crash ended his day. Newgarden went on to win the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights championship.

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s only other appearance at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was in 2010, when driver Graham Rahal finished 22nd

On April 6, Newgarden participated in a helmet/shoe exchange with Indiana Pacer Leandro Barbosa. According to Newgarden, Barbosa’s size 14 tennis shoes are a tight squeeze in the cockpit of the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car.

Newgarden will appear on an episode of the TV show “Day Jobs” with country musician Hunter Hays on Wednesday, April 19^th at 10 p.m. ET. “Day Jobs” airs on the Great American Country (GAC) network, and follows country artists as they step back into the jobs they had before they made it big in the music industry. Newgarden spent time with singer Hunter Hays at the IZOD IndyCar test in Sebring, Fla. in early March.

QUOTES

JOSEF NEWGARDEN-Driver

The Streets of Long Beach are known as a street circuit that requires driver skill to excel. What has been your experience there?

"Long Beach has long straightaways, which provides for good speed. You also have to have a good compromise on your downforce levels. It’s a tricky track with a couple of manhole covers that can bite you. I certainly caught the wrong end of one last year in the Firestone Indy Lights race. I ended up in the wall very late in the race when I was in the lead. Hopefully I’ve learned from those lessons and can apply the track knowledge I have to make it easier for us going there in an IndyCar."

With your first two IZOD IndyCar races under your belt, how are you feeling in your car?

"I feel great in the car, and it’s been a really good transition from Indy Lights. Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing has made it easy on me. I love the car and I love working with the group of engineers and mechanics on the team. It’s fun trying to get ahead of other teams and figure out the new car quicker than everyone else."

EVENT BROADCAST SCHEDULE

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will air live on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, April 15.

Josef Newgarden Race Report: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

DATE: April 1, 2012
EVENT: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
SERIES: IZOD IndyCar Series
LOCATION: Leeds, Ala. (2.38-mile, 17-turn street circuit)
START/FINISH: 15th/17th (Running, Completed 90 of 90 laps)
WINNER: Will Power of Team Penske

LEEDS, Ala., Sunday, April 1, 2012 – Rookie Josef Newgarden drove his Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car into the top 10 twice during Sunday's Honda Grand Prix of Alabama before contact with another car forced him into a 17th-place finish in just his second IZOD IndyCar Series race.

From his 15th starting position, Newgarden was climbing his way through the field when he was forced to pit to fix front wing damage after contact with Ed Carpenter. “I didn’t expect Ed to slow so much in the flat-out chicane and I just got caught out,” Newgarden said.

After the contact Newgarden was forced to pit immediately to change the front wing of his car.

“We were on a really great strategy and Josef was moving up through the field,” Sarah Fisher, owner of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, said. “Having to pit to repair the damage threw us off of a strategy that I think would have had us close to a top-10 finish.”

Newgarden lost a lap to the leaders of the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama during the unscheduled pit stop, but got the lap back shortly thereafter when a full-course caution was thrown on lap 66 for a spin by Katherine Legge.

Unfortunately, Newgarden’s tires went away from him on the last restart and he was not able to gain back the positions he had lost.

“On the last run I lost a ton of grip in the Firestone reds (tires) and I couldn’t carry any speed into the corners,” Newgarden said. “Our reds were a little older than the other teams and that hurt us.”

Team Penske continued its dominance of Barber Motorsports Park Sunday. Will Power won his second consecutive Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama by holding off Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon over the final 25 laps. Power’s margin of victory was 3.3709 seconds.

The win was Power’s 16th of his IndyCar career and maintained Team Penske’s perfect record at Barber. Helio Castroneves won the event in 2010.

Dixon finished in second place for the second consecutive week. It is Dixon’s third consecutive runner-up finish at Barber.

Rounding out the top five were Castroneves, Ganassi Racing’s Graham Rahal and Sam Schmidt Motorsport’s Simon Pagenaud.

There were nine lead changes among five drivers. For the second week in a row, Dixon led the most laps with 38, one more than his 37 in St. Petersburg.

All but three of the 26 starters were running at the finish. There were two caution periods for a total of seven yellow flag laps.

On the strength of his win in St. Petersburg and his third-place finish Sunday, Castroneves leaves Barber Motorsports Park with a two-point lead in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship over Scott Dixon (86-84). Power is third with 77 points. Andretti Autosport’s James Hinchcliffe has a two-point lead over Pagenaud (60-58) to round out the top five in points.

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 15 on the streets of Long Beach, Calif.

Notes:

You’re pretty fast for a rookie: On lap 56, Newgarden had the 5th fastest lap in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Only race winner Will Power, Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud and Marco Andretti turned faster laps than Newgarden.

Looking to Long Beach: After the first two events of the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule rookie Josef Newgarden is 15th in the driver point standings. With two races under his belt, he is ready to apply the knowledge he has gained in the first two races to the streets of Long Beach.

“I think we’re learning and getting better each time we’re on the track,” Newgarden said. “Eventually we’re going to get it all put together and be right up there.”

Standing out from the crowd:When the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car was painted last winter, the colors blue, white and silver were chosen as a way to stand out from other cars in the IndyCar paddock. Unfortunately, teams for the cars driven by Simon Pagenaud, Katherine Legge and Takuma Sato had the same idea and all feature similar liveries of blue and white. To help Newgarden’s No. 67 car stand out at Barber Motorsports Park, the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing team added orange to the car’s nose and rear-view mirrors.

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QUALIFYING REPORT FOR JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

DATE:  March 31, 2012
EVENT:  Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
SERIES: IZOD IndyCar Series
LOCATION: Barber Motorsports Park (2.38-mile, 17-turn road circuit)
NEWGARDEN:  15^th (1:10.6851 at 117.139 mph)
POLE WINNER: Helio Castroneves of Team Penske (1:10.4768 at 117.485 mph)

LEEDS, Ala., March 31, 2012 – Rookie Josef Newgarden will battle his way to the front of Sunday's 2012 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama from the 15th starting position after he turned a lap of 1 minute, 10.6851 seconds at 117.139 mph in qualifying Saturday.

After a strong day of practice on Friday in which he finished fourth in the overall combined speed chart for the IZOD IndyCar Series, Newgarden’s speed in his No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car fell short in qualifications on Saturday.

“The car was great and it drives really well, it was just my fault for not getting more out of it,” Newgarden said. “The field is so tight, we really only needed a couple of tenths.”

Newgarden is confident in his team’s ability to field him with a car that can move up in the field on race day.

“I don’t think we’re going to change too much for the race,” Newgarden said. “We’re in a good spot with the car.”

Helio Castroneves qualified on pole position with a lap speed of 1 minute, 10.4768 seconds. Castroneves won the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorsports Park.

James Hinchcliffe, Scott Dixon, Mike Conway and JR Hildebrand claimed the remaining top five qualifying positions. The 2011 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama winner, Will Power, will start the race from ninth position.

The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama will air live on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) beginning at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, April 1.

Of Note:

•Newgarden will appear on an episode of the TV show “Day Jobs” with country musician Hunter Hays on Wednesday, April 19th at 10 p.m. ET. “Day Jobs” airs on the Great American Country (GAC) network, and follows country artists as they step back into the jobs they had before they made it big in the music industry. Newgarden spent time with singer Hunter Hays at the IZOD IndyCar test in Sebring, Fla. in early March.

• In 2011 Newgarden competed in the Firestone Indy Lights race at Barber Motorsports Park and finished sixth. Newgarden went on to win the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights championship.

• Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s only other appearance at Barber Motorsports Park was in 2010, when driver Graham Rahal finished 17th.