Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has announced a deal with Sage Karam to run in the 2019 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with support from WIX Filters.

Check out the full Dreyer & Reinbold Racing release below:

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GASTONIA, N.C. (Feb. 28, 2019) – WIX^® Filters announced today it is returning to the 2019 Indianapolis 500 set for May 26 with a continuation of its partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as chief technical partner for the team’s No. 24 Indy 500 entry and driver Sage Karam.

Now in its 80th year of production, the global manufacturer of filtration products begins its seventh season of a multi-level partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, including serving as the Official Technical Partner and oil filter of the team, within several racing forms including the Indy 500 and ARX Rallycross.

“Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and WIX Filters have formed a tremendous partnership for many years now and we’re very excited to continue our technical relationship for another year at the legendary Indy 500 with talented young driver Sage Karam,” said Jeff Blocker, director of sales for WIX. “Dennis Reinbold’s racing team is very experienced and always comes to the world’s biggest race with a solid chance to contend for victory. And Sage has been outstanding to work with on and off the race track. Each year, Sage charges up the Indy 500 field and puts the WIX car in contention and we look forward to another strong performance this year with the No. 24 WIX Filters race car.”

Many racing teams have relied on the performance and quality of WIX Filters for over 50 years, and in return, the race track provides exceptional testing grounds for the WIX engineers.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, which has entered and qualified 38 cars in the Indy 500 dating back to 1999, has taken Karam to impressive Indy 500 run in each of his previous four runs in the DRR machine at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway including winning the “Hard Charger” Award as a rookie in 2014. Last year, DRR fielded two drivers in the Indy 500 with Karam in the No. 24 WIX Filters car and veteran J.R. Hildebrand in the No. 66 Salesforce car.

“Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and WIX Filters have enjoyed a great seven-year partnership and we’re thrilled to bring WIX back to the Indy 500 in 2019 with Sage,” said Dennis Reinbold, team owner. “WIX has been a leader in its category for 80 years and has made numerous valuable contributions to motorsports industry as well as to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. We want to put WIX Filters in the winner’s circle this year and Sage will be a solid contender.

“I can’t wait to be back with WIX and DRR for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 and I’m looking forward to putting our No 24 WIX Filters Special in victory lane,” said Karam, the 23-year-old Nazareth, Pa., racer.  “This year is WIX Filters 80th anniversary, and I’m excited to help them celebrate throughout the year and represent them on the track. Make sure to follow my social pages along with WIX for behind the scenes race coverage and giveaways.

“WIX Filters is so well known around the world and their staff is outstanding to work with at the track and off. Our WIX IndyCar was a great-looking machine last year and I’m anxious to see this year’s livery as well. Working with a global brand like WIX Filters brings a lot of prestige to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and I’m honored to be a part of this partnership.”

The Dreyer & Reinbold Racing family has a great legacy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway dating back to the 1920s with legendary car builder Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, who built cars for the entire front row in 1931. Reinbold, Dreyer’s grandson, has qualified every car he has entered as car owner in the Indy 500 and has recorded four top-10 finishes including a best of fourth in 2012.

“It’s hard to believe this Indy 500 will be my fifth with DRR and each year we have had a strong race car,” Karam continued. “We’ve run in the top 10 each time and we just need to get to that checkered flag again. My racing mindset has improved each year and I’m ready to take the No. 24 WIX Filters DRR car to the front on May 26.”

Karam will enter his sixth career Indy 500 and fifth with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team. But in 2014 as a rookie for DRR, Sage won the “Hard Charger Award” with a spectacular drive from 31st to ninth.  In 2016, Sage drove from 23rd to fourth before retiring from the event on lap 94 in DRR machinery. Last year, he came from 24th to sixth on lap 154. Karam also won the Indy Lights point championship in 2013.

Karam will take the No. 24 WIX Filters DRR IndyCar to the IMS oval for the first time on Tuesday, May 14 when practice rounds open on the famed oval.  Qualifying for the 103rd running of the Indy 500 is set for Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19.  The start for this year’s Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 26.

For more information on WIX, please visit wixfilters.com.

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About WIX Filters

Since 1939, WIX^® Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Part of the MANN+HUMMEL family of brands, WIX’s product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks, off-road equipment and manufacturing applications. For more information, visit www.wixfilters.com or any of our social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was founded in 1999 by Indianapolis car dealer Dennis Reinbold. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold family dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoaff and Babe Stapp in the 1927 Indy 500. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s which many started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets as well as quarter midgets called Dreyerettes. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and has fielded a variety of drivers including Buhl, Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Ryan Briscoe, Al Unser Jr., Townsend Bell and Sage Karam. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified all 38 drivers for the Indy 500 in its history.  DRR, who campaigned in the Red Bull Global Rallycross for the first time in 2015, captured the 2016 Red Bull GRC Lites championship in 2016. The DRR team recorded five main event victories, 23 heat race wins and eight fast qualifying honors.

INDYCAR has announced the 2019 IndyCar Series schedule. The highlight of the release is the freshly announced addition of Circuit of the Americas in addition to the already announced WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. See the full release below:

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INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018) – INDYCAR released its 2019 schedule today featuring 17 events, a newly announced race and a new event finale. All the action will be showcased in INDYCAR’s first full season with NBC Sports Group.

Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the permanent road course in Austin, Texas, will make its debut on the IndyCar Series schedule on Sunday, March 24. It will be the second race of the 2019 season.

“COTA is one of the finest motorsports facilities in the world and Austin is a happening city. This a natural fit for the IndyCar Series,” said Mark Miles, president and CEO of Hulman & Co., which owns INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Indy car racing has a large and passionate fan base in Texas with a hunger to attend more races. This added date will allow us to deliver both oval and road course events to the state in a single season.”

INDYCAR recently announced a four-year agreement with Texas Motor Speedway, which has hosted 30 Indy car races since 1997. The 2019 race on the Fort Worth superspeedway will be Saturday, June 8 under the lights.

Circuit of the Americas founder and chairman Bobby Epstein said the track’s fan base has been excited to see INDYCAR race at COTA “from Year 1.” The permanent road course opened in 2011. At more than 3 miles, COTA will be the second-longest circuit on the 2019 INDYCAR schedule, behind only Road America (4.048 miles).

“It’s going to be spectacular,” Epstein said. “Our entire team at COTA is excited to welcome the teams, drivers and visitors to our great city, and we know Austin will give them a warm welcome.”

For the ninth consecutive year, the IndyCar Series season will kick off in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday, March 10. The 1.8-mile temporary street circuit in the Gulf Coast city includes a runway of Albert Whitted Airport. St. Petersburg first hosted Indy cars in 2003 and has continuously since 2005, providing the perfect warm-weather backdrop to usher in the new season.

INDYCAR’s 2019 season concludes Sunday, Sept. 22 with the championship race at the legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, which has hosted 22 previous Indy car races, the most recent in 2004. The permanent road course near Monterey, California, was last the site for an Indy car season finale in 1996.

The centerpiece of the 2019 schedule again includes two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the INDYCAR Grand Prix will be held for the sixth time on the road course, on Saturday, May 11. The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 on the historic 2.5-mile oval will take place Sunday, May 26.

A focal point for INDYCAR has been maintaining date equity with racetracks. The 2019 IndyCar Series schedule accomplishes that with a pair of minor exceptions for good reason:

• Barber Motorsports Park’s event shifts two weeks forward to Sunday, April 7. That early April date was the slot that the scenic permanent road course in Birmingham, Alabama, held on the schedule for the first four years of its nine-year run to date;
• Iowa Speedway returns to a night race at the overwhelming request of fans on Saturday, July 20. It moves back on the calendar by two weeks. Next year’s IndyCar Series race will be the 13th on the bullring oval in Newton, Iowa.

Proof of INDYCAR’s track diversity lies in the 2019 schedule that features races on seven permanent road courses, five temporary street circuits and five ovals. Other schedule highlights include:

• The Grand Prix of Long Beach returning for the 36th consecutive year (Sunday, April 14). Outside of the Indianapolis 500, the event on the iconic Southern California street circuit is the longest running in the sport;
• Detroit is the site of the season’s only doubleheader race weekend (Saturday-Sunday, June 1-2). It will be the seventh time that two Indy car races will be contested on the same weekend on the temporary street course;
• The streets of Toronto, another popular staple event, returning to the schedule (Sunday, July 14). The urban street circuit in the cosmopolitan Canadian city has been home to 34 previous Indy car races dating to 1986;
• Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, returning for another late-summer race under the lights (Saturday, Aug. 24). Officials at the 1.25-mile oval recently staged a second straight impressive event in the sports-hungry St. Louis market.

“INDYCAR has worked to deliver a consistency and cadence to the schedule and that is reflected again in 2019,” Miles said. “We’ve added races at a pair of tracks that know how to put on fantastic events, while returning to tracks where INDYCAR has longstanding relationships on familiar race dates.

“The diversity of next year’s schedule will continue to make what we believe is the most challenging and competitive championship in motorsports.”

Nearly half of the 2019 races will air on network television as part of a previously announced multiyear media rights deal with NBC Sports Group that will significantly increase INDYCAR exposure. Broadcast times will be confirmed later, but eight races, including the Indianapolis 500, will air on NBC. Nine races will be on NBCSN, with all track activity and additional exclusive content available on NBC Sports Gold, the direct-to-consumer product that will bring subscribers closer to INDYCAR racing than ever before.

The complete 2019 IndyCar Series schedule is as follows:

Date: Track
March 10: Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida
March 24: Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
April 7: Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama
April 14: Streets of Long Beach, California
May 11: INDYCAR Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
May 26: 103rd Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval
June 1: Streets of Detroit, Race 1, Detroit, Michigan
June 2: Streets of Detroit, Race 2, Detroit, Michigan
June 8: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas*
June 23: Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
July 14: Streets of Toronto, Canada
July 20: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa*
July 28: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
Aug. 18: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Aug. 24: Gateway Motorsports Park, Madison, Illinois*
Sept. 1: Portland International Raceway, Portland, Oregon
Sept. 22: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, California
(*-night race)
(Schedule subject to change)

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has announced a deal with Sage Karam to run in the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with support from WIX Filters.

Check out the full Dreyer & Reinbold Racing release below:

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GASTONIA, N.C. (March 1, 2018) – WIX® Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products, announced today that it will serve as chief technical partner for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s No. 24 Indy 500 entry with young driver Sage Karam in the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500.

WIX Filters, now in its 79th year of production, and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing are entering their sixth year of a multi-level partnership, including serving as the Official Technical Partner and oil filter of the team, within several racing forms including the Indy 500 and Red Bull Global Rallycross.

“DRR has been a phenomenal partner for WIX the past few years and we are thrilled to continue that relationship at the world’s biggest auto race,” said Jennifer Gibson, brand manager for WIX. “Sage Karam has been a charger at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his first Indy 500 events. We can’t wait to see him drive the No. 24 WIX Filters IndyCar at more than 230 mph in May.”

Race teams have relied on the quality and performance of WIX Filters for 60 years, and in return, the track provides exceptional R&D testing grounds for WIX engineers.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, which has entered and qualified 36 cars in the Indy 500 dating back to 1999, has run single-car entries in the Indy 500 for the past six years after being a multi-car operation through 2011. Now DRR enters Karam with the new Verizon IndyCar Series body kits for the Dallara cars.

“We are very pleased to bring WIX Filters to the Indianapolis 500 with Sage for the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ in 2018,” said Dennis Reinbold, team owner of the Indy-based DRR organization. “WIX Filters has been a great technical partner for many years and we are thrilled to have the company back for this great race. WIX is a valued sponsor and has made numerous valuable contributions to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, both on and off the race track through our six-year partnership. The WIX brand means quality and performance, which is what we’re all about. We hope to put WIX Filters in the winner’s circle in 2018.”

“Sage has become a strong competitor for us in his three previous races with our team,” continued Reinbold. “And he has shown the potential to contend for the coveted victory at the Brickyard. Now, I feel confident about our chances with Sage.”

Like WIX Filters in racing, the Dreyer and Reinbold Racing family has an impressive legacy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway dating back to the 1920s with legendary car builder Floyd “Pop” Dreyer. Reinbold, Dreyer’s grandson, has served as a car owner in the Indy 500 since 1999 and has recorded four top-10 finishes including a best of fourth in 2012.

“It’s always exciting to enter and prepare for the world’s biggest auto race,” said Karam, who came from 31st to ninth as an Indy 500 rookie in 2014. “It’s great to have a global brand like WIX Filters come with us to this year’s Indy 500. WIX Filters has helped race teams at all levels win and they are perfect to be a part of our 2018 team.”

“This year marks my fourth appearance at the Brickyard with the Dreyer & Reinbold team and I have produced a contending car each year. I expect that to be the case this year. I’m anxious to try the new IndyCar body kits on the legendary 2 1/2-mile oval this May.”

Karam, the 22-year-old driver from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, will enter his fifth Indy 500 and fourth with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team. Sage won the “Hard Charger Award” as rookie competitor in the 2015 Indy 500 and put on a sensational drive from 23rd to fourth in 2016 before retiring from the event on lap 94 in DRR machinery. Karam won the Indy Lights point championship in 2013.

Karam will take the No. 24 WIX Filters DRR Dallara IndyCar to the IMS oval for the first time on Tuesday, May 15 when practice rounds open on the famed oval. Qualifying for the 102nd running of the Indy 500 is set for Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. The start for this year’s Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 27.

For more information on WIX, please visit wixfilters.com.

####

About WIX Filters

Since 1939, WIX® Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Part of the MANN+HUMMEL family of brands, WIX’s product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks, off-road equipment and manufacturing applications. For more information, visit www.wixfilters.com or any of our social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was founded in 1999 by Indianapolis car dealer Dennis Reinbold. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold family dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoaff and Babe Stapp in the 1927 Indy 500. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s which many started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets as well as quarter midgets called Dreyerettes. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and has fielded a variety of drivers including Buhl, Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Ryan Briscoe, Al Unser Jr., Townsend Bell and Sage Karam. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified all 36 drivers for the Indy 500 in its history. DRR, who campaigned in the Red Bull Global Rallycross for the first time in 2015, captured the 2016 Red Bull GRC Lites championship in 2016. The DRR team recorded five main event victories, 23 heat race wins and eight fast qualifying honors.

Belardi Auto Racing has announced that Aaron Telitz will return with the team for the 2018 Indy Lights season.

Check out the full Belardi Auto Racing release below:

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BROWNSBURG, IN (December 28, 2017) – Belardi Auto Racing is pleased to confirm its first driver for the 2018 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season. The reigning Indy Lights Team Champions will welcome back American star Aaron Telitz for the coming season, with full intent on running the entire 10-weekend schedule. Telitz currently has a partial budget for the season, and he and his management team continue talks with prospective marketing partners. The 26-year-old is confirmed to start the season, and will once again be paired with Belardi’s staff of experienced race engineers to pick up where they left off last year, having dominated the wet weather action in the season finale at Watkins Glen.

“I’m incredibly excited about how our team is developing for 2018, and being able to run Aaron again next year is such a huge positive for our organization,” offered team owner Brian Belardi. “As a rookie last year, he showed us his talents immediately, winning the opener at St. Petersburg. As he continued to develop in the car, he became even more impressive. I believe that his performance in the rain at Watkins Glen is a real indication of just how good Aaron is and how good he could become. We’re thrilled to have him back.”

The Minneapolis, MN resident scored a pair of wins during his freshman Indy Lights campaign in 2017, bookending the year with wins in the opening round in St. Petersburg and the wet finale at Watkins Glen. Telitz drove the Soul Red Mazda Scholarship car in his rookie season, having won the title in the 2016 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. The two Indy Lights victories from this past year push his Mazda Road to Indy total to 10 wins, adding to a pair in USF2000 and six in Pro Mazda during his 2016 championship season.

“It’s a great feeling to be coming back with Belardi Auto Racing to have another go at the Indy Lights Championship,” Telitz enthused. “This will be the first time in my career that I get to drive for the same team in back-to-back years. The continuity is already there and we will be a force from the drop of the green flag at St. Pete.”

“As always, funding could be a limiting factor for me this season as I will be working to finish out my budget throughout the season,” Aaron continued. “Brian has been gracious enough to work with me and figure out how we can make it work this year. I want to offer a massive thanks to my long-time partner Rice Lake Weighing Systems, who have been with me since Formula Fords and continue to ensure my racing career is able to flourish. Also thanks to Morrie’s Auto Group, PPG, Assured Automotive, Styled Aesthetic, Liberty Engineering, and Bell Helmets, who are all on-board to assist in my run at the championship in 2018. I know that we will have our work cut out for us, but I’m confident that we can get the job done and bring the Driver Championship back to Belardi in 2018!”

Telitz will be back in the car in late January, once the testing blackout has ended. The season will kick-off in less than three months with the opening doubleheader at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the March 11-13 weekend. Belardi Auto Racing intends to run at least three cars this season, with the potential for a fourth seat for the right driver.

INDYCAR released the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule on Thursday afternoon and it includes a couple noteworthy changes from 2017. Phoenix International Raceway, to be called ISM Raceway in 2018, has moved up to the second event of the season on April 7, 2018 after a later date in 2017 due to Phoenix hosting the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four. Portland International Raceway replaces Watkins Glen International on Labor Day weekend as INDYCAR and WGI couldn’t agree on a 2018 date.

Check out the full INDYCAR release below:

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017) – Consistency and stability, plus the return of a favored track in the Pacific Northwest, highlight INDYCAR’s announcement of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule that again contains 17 races.

Sixteen of the 17 races from this year’s exciting and momentum-building season return in 2018, with most falling in the same spot on the calendar to further capitalize on their date equity. The newcomer to next year’s schedule is Portland International Raceway, which hosted Indy car races under CART and Champ Car sanction from 1984-2007, including what is still the closest race finish in Indy car history on a road or street course. The Portland event is set for Labor Day weekend in 2018.

The 2018 season will feature the highly anticipated introduction of universal aero kits to be used by all teams. The new kits offer a car look more sleek, bold and reminiscent of favorite Indy cars of the past. The aerodynamics involved are expected to make the already intense competition even stronger by allowing cars to run closer together and provide more passing opportunities.

“The strength and consistency of the Verizon IndyCar Series’ 2018 schedule is something all of us should be proud of,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Company, which owns INDYCAR and the Verizon IndyCar Series. “We’re also looking forward to continuing the upward trend of the series through the introduction of the universal aero kits, which testing has shown to be an exciting product.”

Indicative of its status as the most diverse and demanding racing series, the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule features a virtual even mix of road courses, street courses and ovals. Five temporary street-course races will be held, starting with the season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 11. Six races will be conducted on permanent road courses, including iconic tracks such as Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the Sept. 16 season finale at Sonoma Raceway.

Befitting the hundred-year history and tradition of Indy car racing, six oval tracks are on the schedule. Three are short ovals, including the last race using the original start/finish line at Phoenix Raceway on April 7. Three will be held on superspeedways, including the centerpiece of the schedule, the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 27.

For the eighth consecutive year, the 2018 season kicks off in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the 1.8-mile temporary circuit set up on city streets and a runway of Albert Whitted Airport. The Gulf Coast city has hosted Indy cars continuously since 2005 and provides the perfect warm-weather backdrop to usher in the new season.

Phoenix Raceway, which will be rebranded ISM Raceway in 2018, is the second stop on the schedule, returning to the first weekend in April after vacating that date this year to not conflict with the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four taking place in nearby Glendale, Arizona. The 1.022-mile oval that has hosted 63 Indy cars races dating to 1964 is undergoing a $178 million renovation that will see the start/finish line moved to the Turn 2 dogleg area following the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series race.

“We’re thrilled that the Verizon IndyCar Series Phoenix Grand Prix will return to April 6 and 7 under the lights,” said Bryan Sperber, Phoenix Raceway president. “Our race fans will be treated to the stars of the IndyCar Series racing at record speed at Phoenix at a time of year that delivers chamber of commerce weather.”

The Portland International Raceway event is set for Aug. 31-Sept. 2 on the 1.967-mile permanent road course and will be operated by Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which also promotes the Verizon IndyCar Series events at St. Petersburg, Toronto and Mid-Ohio. The return to Portland takes INDYCAR back to an important market rich with race fans and sets up a West Coast swing to finish the season, with the Portland event followed by the Sonoma finale.

“INDYCAR couldn’t be more excited to again race in front of one of our strongest fan bases,” Miles said. “Portland International Raceway has produced thrilling road racing throughout Indy car history – the 1997 finish still stands as the record for the closest finish on a road or street course – and the timing of our return couldn’t be better given the bold new look our cars will have in 2018. We expect this will be a show fans won’t want to miss.”

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he attended the Indianapolis 500 as a young man and is excited to see the sport come back to his city.

“INDYCAR racing brings excitement and thrills to a city and to race spectators,” Wheeler said. “The return of INDYCAR racing to Portland will give us terrific international exposure, a great deal of revenue, new jobs and an exciting experience for race fans”

Other schedule highlights include:

Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach: The race on April 15 will mark the 35th consecutive year for Indy cars on the iconic Southern California street course, the longest-running relationship for any event on the schedule outside the Indianapolis 500;
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear: The event at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park returns as the only doubleheader race weekend on the schedule, June 2-3;
KOHLER Grand Prix at Road America: In what has become a wildly popular event with fans since rejoining the schedule last year, the 2018 race is set for June 24;
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park: On the heels of a virtual sellout crowd in INDYCAR’s return to the 1.25-mile oval this year after more than a decade away, excitement is already brewing in the St. Louis region for the 2018 race on Aug. 25.

Official track activities for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season begin with two days of open testing at Phoenix Raceway on Feb. 9-10.

All races on the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule will be broadcast by longstanding television partners ABC and NBCSN, as well as the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network. The final broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.

This morning INDYCAR released renderings of the 2018 universal aero kit in superspeedway configuration. Check out the full release below.

(Click on the above image for a high-resolution photo of the car images for media use. Note that the main center image is of the 2018 superspeedway car configuration, with the outline of the current superspeedway configuration superimposed over it for comparison. Secondary images in the upper right and lower left show concepts for the rear wing and front wing in the 2018 street course/road course/short oval configuration.)

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, March 29, 2017) – The design of the car to be used in Verizon IndyCar Series competition in 2018 is coming more into focus.

INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the premier North American open-wheel racing series, released new images today of the universal aerodynamic bodywork kit that will be used by all competitors in 2018. Following along with this year’s INDYCAR theme of “NEXT,” the computer-generated images are the next evolution of the car’s development process and provide more detail than concept sketches released in January.

“While this remains a work in progress, we are encouraged with where the development of the 2018 car stands,” said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations. “The look of the car is bold, the performance data from simulations is meeting targeted goals and safety enhancements built into the design will be substantial.”

Frye said INDYCAR is on target to begin testing the car by mid-summer. Verizon IndyCar Series teams will still choose between Chevrolet and Honda engines for competition next season, but all cars will be outfitted with the universal kit that covers the Dallara IR-12 chassis that has been used since the 2012 season. As with the current aero kits provided by Chevrolet and Honda through the end of this season, the universal car will come in two configurations: one for superspeedway ovals and the other for street courses, road courses and short ovals.

The supplier of the universal kit has yet to be announced, but its look is sleek and reminiscent of past Indy car favorites. Tino Belli, INDYCAR director of aerodynamic development, said the kit has been successfully reverse-designed to start with its desired appearance and build in functionality from there.

“We’ve been working on the aerodynamics to suit the look, rather than the other way around,” Belli said.

A key component of the new car is for it to generate most of its downforce from underneath instead of on top. This will improve racing and passing opportunities by decreasing the turbulent air that the Indy car leaves in its wake.

“We’re working on creating more of the downforce from the underwing,” Belli said. “The hole in the floor (of the undertray on this year’s car) will be sealed for the road courses and short ovals, but will still be open for the superspeedways.”

Belli added that simulations show the new car meets INDYCAR’s aerodynamic targets and additional safety enhancements include side impact structures in the sidepods and repositioned radiators to assist in reducing the severity of side impacts by crushing on impact.

Other noticeable features in the new car images include a lower engine cover that provides “a more traditional Indy car look,” according to Belli. Turbocharger inlets are moving to the inside of the radiator inlet ducts.

The rear wing and front wing main plane are smaller in the new car look and the centerline wicker from the nose of the car to the cockpit is tapered. The rear wing in the road course/short oval configuration is lower and wider. The fins on the leading edge of the sidepods of the current car will be removed or minimized on the 2018 car.

Though there is still work to be done, Belli feels that INDYCAR has achieved “97 percent” of its goals when it set out to create the new car’s look and efficiency.

DETROIT (Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017) – As INDYCAR works toward a universal aerodynamic bodywork kit for all Verizon IndyCar Series cars in 2018, the development process is well under way.

Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations, unveiled a series of initial concept drawings for how the car might look during a media roundtable at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Without revealing specific details to how the cars and their accompanying aerodynamic bodywork will look when they hit the track for the 2018 season, Frye offered the first visual peek into the future at INDYCAR’s NAIAS exhibit in the Motor City.

The drawings were completed months ago, but they give the first concept designs that will cover the Dallara IR-12 chassis. The images revealed will not be what the cars wind up looking like in 2018, but they provided the first public direction of the process.

INDYCAR will share more details of the development process in coming weeks, including another public update following the 2017 preseason’s open test Feb. 10-11 at Phoenix International Raceway. The goal is to have a car built for display at the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil in May, with on-track testing in the summer.

INDYCAR previously announced a development freeze for the upcoming season, which means teams will use the aero kits offered by Chevrolet and Honda for the 17 races. The season opens two months from today, March 12, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, June 3, 2016) – INDYCAR announced today a multiyear agreement with United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental provider and a team partner with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, to become the official equipment rental company of INDYCAR and the Verizon IndyCar Series.

“This is tremendous news for INDYCAR and the Verizon IndyCar Series and we’re excited to kick off our partnership with United Rentals,” said Rod Davis, chief revenue officer of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “This is another great partner to add to our series and it’s always great to see trusted brands like United Rentals investing in both our teams and the series. INDYCAR has a lot of positive momentum surrounding the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and we’re grateful United Rentals is part of that success.”

In April, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced that United Rentals would serve as the primary sponsor on Graham Rahal’s No. 15 Honda entry for this weekend’s Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans and as a major associate sponsor on the car for the entire 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

“United Rentals looks forward to working with INDYCAR to support world-class racing with our vast equipment fleet and technology platforms,” said Chris Hummel, chief marketing officer of United Rentals. “We are also thrilled to launch the ‘Turns for Troops’ program, continuing our longstanding support for military veterans in partnership with INDYCAR and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.”

The new “Turns for Troops” program, sponsored by United Rentals, will help American military veterans with major injuries sustained while serving their country. The program will fund access to education, state-of-the-art rehabilitation programs and technologies that address a variety of combat-related injuries. Through Turns for Troops, United Rentals will donate $50 to SoldierStrong, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping American military veterans, for every lap completed by Rahal during the 2016 race season.

To learn more about the program and opportunities to directly support SoldierStrong, visit www.turnsfortroops.com.

United Rentals offers expert construction and industrial equipment rental, trench safety, temporary power, climate control, fluid transfer, tool management and technology services through the largest customer service organization of its kind in North America: 897 rental branches in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitedrentals.com.

For information on the Verizon IndyCar Series and its 16-race schedule, visit www.indycar.com.

About United Rentals:
United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world. The company has an integrated network of 897 rental locations in 49 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The company’s approximately 12,700 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others. The company offers approximately 3,300 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $8.73 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index® and is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Additional information about United Rentals is available at www.unitedrentals.com.

About the Verizon IndyCar Series:
The Verizon IndyCar Series is the premier open-wheel racing series in North America, competing on a challenging and diverse combination of superspeedways, short ovals, permanent road courses and temporary street circuits. The Verizon IndyCar Series conducts races in the United States and Canada – all available in high-definition television worldwide through comprehensive, long-term agreements with ABC, NBCSN, ESPN International, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and Canal+ in France. The Verizon IndyCar Series continues to be the fastest, most diverse and most competitive racing series that features an international cast of star drivers and venues. For more information about the Verizon IndyCar Series, visit www.indycar.com.

About SoldierStrong:
SoldierStrong, previously known as SoldierSocks, helps American patriots literally take their new steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing the most innovative technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help our returning service men and women to continue moving in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes toward direct support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life. Our organization works to remind those men and women who sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful. Learn more at www.soldierstrong.org.