Saturday, December 05, 2009

IMIS SHOW A SUCCESS

Thanks for everyone that stopped by our booth at the IMIS show this week.
We had a great turnout and we look forward to seeing more of you in Orlando at the PRI show!

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Test for the Champ

2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand will fulfill a young race driver's dream when he joins Force India F1 for a two-day test at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain on Dec. 1-3

Hildebrand, 21, from Sausalito, Calif., will be joined in the rookies-only test by Scotsman Paul di Resta, whose cousin, Dario Franchitti, won the 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship.

"I'm ecstatic about being given the chance to drive a Formula One car for the Force India F1 Team," said Hildebrand, who is currently in England preparing to drive the Mercedes-Benz-powered Force India VJM02 Formula One car. "I know it will be a challenge but I'm ready to take it on, and look forward to getting as much as I can out of the whole experience. It's an incredible way to cap off an already very special year and I'm very grateful for the opportunity."

Hildebrand's test-drive follows an impressive showing in Force India's F1 simulator in England last month.

"We are delighted to have Paul and J.R. join us for the young driver test," says Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India.

"Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we've always said, nationality isn't the primary selection criteria - it's talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both."

Hildebrand was introduced to Mallya several years ago and following his Firestone Indy Lights title-winning season, was invited to try out the team's F1 test simulator.

"I thought I did quite well," Hildebrand said. "I knew there was room to improve but I felt I accomplished my goal, which was to learn and improve throughout the day. It took a while for the team to analyze the data but when I got the call to say I was going to have a chance to drive the car I was ecstatic. It couldn't have come at a better time."

By indycar.com

Hildebrand named to All-American Team

2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand is among the seven drivers honored with first-team honors on the 2009 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association's All-America team.

Hildebrand, who won four races en route to the Firestone Indy Lights title, was the top vote-getter in the at-large category. It's the second time Hildebrand has been named to the All-America First team. He also was a selection in 2006 after winning the F2000 Championship.

"I'm honored to be included in such a fantastic group," said Hildebrand, who is testing a Formula 1 car for Force India at Jerez in Spain. "I have to thank the members of AARWBA for recognizing my season and including me on the team again."

2009 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, who won five races and the IndyCar Series championship in his return to the series after a year in NASCAR, earned his second first-team honor by earning the most votes in the open-wheel category. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves earned the second-team honors in the voting of more than 300 members of the media.

Franchitti and Hildebrand, along with the rest of the first team - NASCAR Sprint Cup star Mark Martin, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., NHRA Top Fuel Champ Tony Schumacher, Rolex Sports Car Series co-champs Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney and World of Outlaws titlist Donnie Schatz - will be honored at the 40th AARWBA banquet Jan. 16 in Brownsburg, Ind.

The winner of the Jerry Titus Award, which is awarded to the top vote-getter over the seven categories, also will be announced at the banquet.

By indycar.com staff Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Hildebrand named to All-American Team

IndyCar.com

JR Hildebrand to Test Force India F1

IndyCar.com

Motor Racing Goes Green!

MOTOR RACING GOES GREEN WITH NEW
ZERO-EMISSION ELECTRIC CAR SERIES

EV CUP LEADS THE WAY

The world's first 'green' motor racing series, based totally around zero emission electric cars, has been launched in London, with plans to have cars racing across Europe in 2011.

The pioneering new series, known as the EV (Electric
Vehicles) Cup, is working with vehicle manufacturers to bring together a range of electric-powered cars to race at top circuits throughout Europe.

A new, London-based company, EEVRC Ltd, has been set up to introduce and run this new racing sector, which aims to help the car makers change the image of electric vehicles, from being local runabouts to high-performance, highly-desirable cars.

The EV Cup events initially plan to feature three different sectors of cars. The City and Sports classes will use race-prepared production cars, while the Prototype class will feature innovative new models. Already EV manufacturers THINK, Ginetta, Lightning Car Company and GreenGT have expressed their support for the series.

In 2010, EV Cup will hold a number of promotional events in the UK and mainland Europe, aimed at giving the public and would-be competitors a chance to sample the high power delivery of these innovative, green electric cars.

In 2011, the series is provisionally planning a six-race programme of events at top motor racing circuits in the UK, France and Germany. The organisers will work with the national and world-wide governing bodies to establish a unique, new set of rules for electric cars, with particular emphasis on safety.

Says Managing Director Sylvain Filippi: "We are creating an opportunity for the EV manufacturers to promote their vehicles in a new and exciting way. We want to show that green motor sport is a reality - and an exciting one at that."

The team at EV Cup have a wealth of experience in the motor industry, electric vehicle development and motor sport, all three sectors of which are seen as paramount in making this green concept motor sport take off.

Directors Sylvain Filippi and Andrew Lee have eight years'
experience within the electric vehicle sector. Race Director Grahame Butterworth has more than 30 years experience within motor sport as a competitor, organiser and sponsor. Most recently he introduced the innovative Fun Cup endurance series to the UK, where it is now flourishing.

Further details of the series and photos for download can be viewed at http://www.evcup.com.

Ends

FURTHER GENERAL ORGANISATION INFORMATION:
Sylvain Filippi
Tel: +44 (0)207 812 0578
Email: sfilippi@eevrc.com
Andrew Lee
Tel:+44 (0)207 812 0589
Email: alee@eevrc.com

FURTHER RACE INFORMATION:
Grahame Butterworth
Tel: +44 (0)1427 875900
Email: gbutterworth@eevrc.com
[Distributed by CDWrite on behalf of EEVRC Ltd.