Andretti Autosport, currently working in a joint venture with AFS Racing, is in its fifth full season of Firestone Indy Lights competition in 2010 and is looking for its third-consecutive championship.
The team made its entry into Firestone Indy Lights in 2005 with then-18 year-old Marco Andretti, who claimed three wins-from-pole as part of a limited schedule during the team’s debut season.
Andretti Autosport made the jump to fulltime and multi-car competition in the series in 2006 with driver Jaime Camara and Jonathan Klein. Camara gave the team a win at
2007 saw the team drop back to a single-car program with Camara before creating its partnership with AFS Racing prior to the 2008 season.
Led by drivers Raphael Matos and Arie Luyendyk Jr., AFS/Andretti won a quarter of the races on the 16-race schedule and claimed its first series title with Matos.
2009 was more of the same, but this time with drivers J.R. Hildebrand and Sebastian Saavedra. The duo combined to win six-of-15 races during the year, including a stretch of three straight in the month of July that positioned both drivers as serious championship contenders. Ultimately, Hildebrand came away with the title and Saavedra finished a strong third.
AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport is focused on trying to win an unprecedented third-consecutive series title in 2010 and has armed itself with drivers Martin Plowman and Charlie Kimball for the effort.
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS
The Firestone Indy Lights is the premier ladder series for drivers and teams striving to compete in the IndyCar Series and the
The Firestone Indy Lights features open-wheel, single-seat, open-cockpit cars with front and rear wings.
Firestone Indy Lights cars are powered by a normally-aspirated, 3.5-liter V-8 engine.
Firestone Indy Lights cars produce approximately 420 horsepower and reach top seeds of approximately 190 MPH on superspeedways.
The Firestone Indy Lights is one of the most cost-effective developmental series in motorsports. All competitors use spec Dallara chassis, Firestone Indy Lights V-8 engines and Firestone Firehawk tires to help contain costs.
As a benefit to teams which also run in the Firestone Indy Lights, IndyCar Series teams are granted additional test dates throughout the season.
The complete Firestone Indy Lights schedule is available through live webcasts on IndyCar.com. FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS DRIVERS More than 20 drivers who have competed in the Firestone Indy Lights have raced in the IndyCar series. Graduates of the series include Marco Andretti, Hideki Mutoh, Ed Carpenter, Jay Howard and Raphael Matos.
