Moraes becomes seventh Brazilian in Sao Paulo race (PA SportsTicker)
March 11, 2010
By TALES AZZONI Associated Press Writer
SAO PAULO(AP)—Mario Moraes reached a deal Thursday to drive in the IndyCar Series season-opener, becoming the seventh Brazilian to secure a ride in the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300.
The 21-year-old Moraes said he will drive for KV Racing for the entire 2010 season.
With the addition of Moraes, Brazil will have nearly a third of the drivers on the grid Sunday for the street race in South America’s biggest city.
“It’s another one to (go after) the gringos and another chance for us to win the race,” joked countryman Tony Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar points champion. “We are the majority on the grid so hopefully we will dominate this race.”
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, Vitor Meira, Raphael Matos, and rookies Ana Beatriz Figueiredo and Mario Romancini are the other Brazilians in the race. Figueiredo has not reached a deal for the full season yet.
“This race means a lot to all of us, there is no doubt,” Meira said. “We all went through a lot to get where we are and to be back in Brazil to race is incredible.”
Brazil will also have a car owner – former driver Gil de Ferran, who heads the Luzco Dragon Racing/De Ferran Motorsports team.
More than 40,000 Brazilians are expected to pack the grandstands of the Sambadrome. The stadium-like venue is where tens of thousands of revelers attended the traditional Carnival parades just a month ago.
Two Venezuelans also will race in the 24-car field – Milka Duno and E.J. Viso.
There will be five British drivers, three Americans, two Japanese, two Australians and one New Zealander, one Swiss and one Canadian.
“We pride ourselves for having such an international field,” said Terry Angstadt, president of the series’ commercial division.
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NEW DEALS: Dale Coyne Racing announced that 2007 Indy Lights champion Alex Lloyd will be driving for the team on Sunday.
Lloyd participated in the Indy 500 and the season-ending race in Miami last season, finishing eighth. He also drove in the 2008 Indy 500.
He won eight races and earned five poles in the Indy Lights, then called the Pro Series, on his way to the title in 2007.
Sarah Fisher Racing, meanwhile, reached a deal to have Graham Rahal drive for the team in St. Petersburg and Alabama.
“We are very enthusiastic about having Graham in the seat for the two road courses that start off our season,” Fisher said. “He has incredible talent.”
Rahal isn’t racing in Sao Paulo.
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LONG ROAD: Venezuelan Milka Duno will drive 195 miles in Sunday’s race. She had a much longer trip just to get here, though.
Duno traveled about 22,000 miles to arrive in Brazil after a series of commitments around the world.
She went from the United States to Malaysia to the United Arab Emirates and finally to Sao Paulo, traveling more than 47 hours on four different flights, through six airports, three customs checks and about 22 time zones.
“I’m really very excited about our first IndyCar race in South America and in front of the Brazilian people – I am South American after all,” she said. “But I’ll also be really excited about our second race of the season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, because it’s only about 250 miles from my home in Miami. I’ll probably drive there.”
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MILESTONE: The Target Chip Ganassi Racing team is celebrating its 20th anniversary in open-wheel racing.
The team has won seven championship titles and 74 races, including two Indy 500s.
The team is repeating its driver lineup from a year ago with Scott Dixon of New Zealand and reigning champion Dario Franchitti of Scotland. Dixon is a two-time IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2008 Indy 500, while Franchitti is a two-time champion and winner of the 2007 Indy 500.
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