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15-YEAR-OLD RACER ZACH VEACH LAUNCHES ANTI-TEXTING APP, PRESENTS MESSAGE ON DISTRACTED DRIVING TO PEERS DURING SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM
Joliet, Ill. (July 27, 2010) – Zach Veach, 15-year-old Andretti Autosport race car driver in the USF2000 National Championship series presented by Mazda, launched a Droid anti-texting application today as a part of a Teen Safe Driving day at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill. in conjunction with Mazda North America.
The mobile application, urTXT, automatically alert others that the individual is driving and will text the recipient back later. The application will be sold for $0.99 in the Marketplace for Droid with a percentage of proceeds to benefit FocusDriven, an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using their cell phones and the group that Veach is the national spokesperson for.
Veach, a native of
On April 30, Veach attended The Oprah Winfrey Show for her “No Phone Zone” day where she profiled heart-breaking stories of the consequences of texting while behind the wheel. Veach spoke to the audience before the show about his interest in helping educate others about the dangers of texting through his racing efforts. He also spoke with Winfrey after the show about his campaign, which led to Veach campaigning on Winfrey’s behalf in obtaining the signatures of 33
As a part of the teen safe driving day held at Autobahn Country Club, Veach presented a message to other teens on his involvement in campaigning against texting and driving. He also encouraged all attendees to sign Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone” petition at the seminar, which would put them in the company of other’s Veach has gained support from including CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
All attendees of Ziggy’s Safe Driving day were made eligible to partake in the event after signing up at two area Mazda dealerships—Autobarn Mazda and Continental Mazda, after test-driving a new Mazda 3. During the event, all the teen drivers received four tickets to the Harrah’s Grand Prix July 30 through Aug. 1, a copy of Veach’s anti-texting app., a voucher for a signed copy of Veach’s soon-to-be-released book, a Zach Veach Official T-shirt and two students went home with new Dell Inspiron notebook computers.
For more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com.
ZACH VEACH, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT, DRIVER
“With the rising number of deaths and accidents related to distracted driving, seminars like the one today are becoming more and more important. I can’t imagine if any of my friends were hurt because of texting and driving, so I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone. I’m really excited about the new iPhone and Droid apps. Even if they save just one life, it’s worth it.”
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About urTXT
urTXT is an anti-texting application available for download in the Marketplace for Droid. The application was developed by 15-year-old Andretti Autosport race car driver Zach Veach, who competes in the USF2000 National Championship presented by Mazda. The app. alerts the sender of the text message that the recipient is driving and will respond to their text once they are finished driving. The app. is pre-loaded with 10 default messages or consumers can create their own. The app. is available for download for $0.99. For more information, please visit www.zachveach.com.
About Ziggy’s Safe Driving
‘Ziggy’s Safe Driving’ was developed by 15-year-old race car driver Zach Veach, nicknamed Ziggy, who competes in the Indy Racing League’s ‘Road to Indy’ USF2000 Championship Series for Andretti Autosport. As part of Ziggy’s Safe Driving” program, Veach presents messages to other teens on his involvement in campaigning against texting and driving. The program also details tips and tricks for being safer drivers on today’s roads. The first event is being held at Autobahn Country Club in
About Zach Veach
Zach Veach is a 15-year-old autoracing driver that competes in the Indy Racing League’s ‘Road to Indy’ USF2000 Championship Series for Andretti Autosport. Veach began his racing career at age 12 in go-karts. It was in 2007, where Veach caught the eye of Dave Fisher, father of IZOD IndyCar Series driver and team owner, Sarah Fisher. For the next two years Fisher [Dave] coached and developed Veach’s talent, as he did with Fisher [Sarah] in the early stages of her career. By the middle of 2009, in just 16 months, Veach had progressed from entry-level karting to Formula BMW. In late 2009, Veach signed with Jensen Motorsport to compete in the Atlantic Championship Series, before it folded in early 2010. Veach has created a safe-driving initiative: Ziggy’s Teen Safe Driving Campaign, with seminars and supportive school programs to be held in race markets where Veach competes in 2010. He’ll release his first published iPhone and Droid application, due out in mid-2010, to help consumers avoid dangerous text messaging while driving. Further, he’s set to author a book, due out on his 16th birthday, “99 Things You Wish You Knew Before You Turned Sixteen,” set to be released this fall. For more information, please visit www.zachveach.com.
About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis, Ind., Andretti Autosport is led by racing legend Michael Andretti. Andretti Autosport, which is the winningest team in Indy Racing League history, fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in the Firestone Indy Lights series in a joint venture with AFS Racing and two cars in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.
About AutoBahn Country Club
Autobahn is a 3.56-mile country club road course located 45 miles southwest of Chicago in Joliet, Ill. Autobahn features four race circuits including a Karting circuit. For additional information visit www.autobahncountryclub.net.
By Rachel Schrage
July 24, 2010 – Nick Ford recently returned to his ninth season as a mechanic on the Team 7-Eleven car after an accident during the lead up to the
“It was tough to miss Indy,” Ford said. “There were a lot of mixed emotions, it was a well deserved result for the team, but sitting on the couch, I was a mess. I’m not the kind of person who can watch a race on TV. There’s no information at your disposal.”
On May 24, 2010, Ford was working at the shop when fuel ignited and left him with burns on his right hand and arm, which required a skin graft. After weeks of absence and recovery, Ford is glad to be back to work.
“It’s good to be back and to see everyone and to contribute to the team. It’s also trying because I don’t always have a lot of energy, but that’s getting better. I get sore a lot, and sometimes it’s difficult to work around my injury.”
During his time away, there was an outpouring of support from fans, the team, the drivers, and even from other teams. Well wishes came from up and down pit lane, from Facebook fans and followers on Twitter.
“The support from the team, the fans, and the paddock is humbling. You don’t realize how many people you know and how many people care. It really is like a family. I want to thank everyone for that. Thanks for the support!”
Though he has resumed work at the shop, Ford has yet to return to traveling with the team, something he is very much looking forward to. He says he won’t start out on the pit crew right away, but he’s hoping to be back in the thick of things by the end of the year.
By Rachel Schrage
July 20, 2010 – This weekend’s IZOD IndyCar Series race at
“We were really happy with the way the car was performing throughout the whole race in
Patrick’s sixth-place finish was the GoDaddy.com team’s best result on a street course this season. Marco Andretti finished eighth and Tony Kanaan took fourth place for Team 7-Eleven. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who drove to a third-place finish, said the entire race was as difficult as a qualifying session.
“I don't recall the last time I had my hands full like that,” said Hunter-Reay. “It was like qualifying the whole time out there. I don't remember having to push that hard in a while just to keep the car between the walls. But, that's
All four Andretti Autosport drivers were excited about good results at
Ryan Hunter-Reay said, “We salvaged a good points finish and that's what counts. This is a great finish for Andretti Autosport. This is a great team and it's looking good from here."
July 14, 2010 (via IndyCar.com) – The annual
Ninety years later, the words provided inspiration to the seven-member committee hand-picked to research, review and recommend the 2012 chassis/engine strategy, and created the backdrop for the IZOD IndyCar Series’ long-term competition objectives.
Attributes of safety, raceability, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, relevant technology, American-made, green and modern look have been rolled into the chassis strategy selection that was rolled out in the form of 3D renderings at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
The platform is a universal road/oval rolling chassis with an enhanced driver safety cell and anti-wheel lock design that will be produced by long-time IZOD IndyCar Series partner Dallara Automobili at a state-of-the-art facility to be built on
The IndyCar Safety Cell will serve as the base, with bodywork (aero kits of front and rear wings, sidepods, engine covers) an open development area. Any manufacturer (including inhouse by teams) will be able to produce aero kits for the chassis with stipulations that the parts receive approval from the IZOD IndyCar Series, be available to all teams, undergo safety testing approved by the IZOD IndyCar Series and have a maximum price of $70,000. Each team will be allowed to purchase two aero kits per car each season.
Dallara’s rolling chassis will cost $349,000 -- a 45 percent price decrease from the cost of each of the 26 cars that will compete this weekend in the Honda Indy Toronto. Dallara's aero kit the first year of the program will be available for $45,000, increasing to the $70,000 ceiling the second year. Total weight will drop 185 pounds to 1,380, with a minimum weight determined once variables with suppliers, including engine weight, are determined.
“We were really facing a difficult challenge because there wasn’t a clear directing where to take the series for that next generation,” committee member and IZOD IndyCar Series president of competition and racing operations Brian Barnhart said. “In fact, some of the challenges we faced were in contraction to each other because there was a mandate from the participants to reduce the cost of participation yet at the same time there’s the desire from both participants and the fans to see some competition.
“Historically, increased competition means increased costs. What’s really excited is we feel we’ve achieved a solution that solves both of those challenges. It looks as if we’ll create an opportunity for competition, innovation and relevant technology while reducing the cost of participation nearly in half in running costs.”
Increased will be the economic impact on the local and state levels with the production facility and supporting motorsports industries. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels announced that Indiana-based IZOD IndyCar Series teams will receive a grant to defray the initial costs of transitioning to the new chassis.
The companion 2012 engine strategy, which was announced June 2, includes turbocharged engines (to allow for flexibility in power) with up to six cylinders and 2.4 liters of displacement, tuned to produce between 550 and 750 horsepower to suit the diverse set of racetracks on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedle. An overtake assist system will provide a time-limited gain of up to 100 HP, and ethanol will remain the fuel.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the search for our 2012 car as we feel we’ve met our objective of opening the door to competition and creating the opportunity for different looking cars to compete on the track,” IZOD IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard said. "This car puts everything all of our stakeholders want on the racetrack: safety, competition on and off the track, diversity, efficiency and more.
“The new car also is a cost-effective package that positions the series for tremendous growth and enhances the series’ relevancy to future automotive technology, while respecting the tradition of innovation in open-wheel racing.
“For the past two and a half months, a group of seven experts from various disciplines in motorsports, led by retired four-star General William Looney, have come together to review, research and recommend a future car. This is one of the biggest decisions the IZOD IndyCar Series will make this decade and these exceptionally bright minds have worked diligently with the best interest of the future of the sport in mind. I would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication to this process.
“Personally, it has been amazing to see how over the course of this process the ICONIC Advisory Committee started with drastically different visions and opinions, but in the end were able to funnel down to unanimous decisions.”
Committee members include Barnhart; Tony Cotman, a two-time Indianapolis 500 crew chief who served as vice president of operations for the Champ Car World Series and oversaw its implementation of a new chassis; Gil de Ferran, the former sporting director for Honda F1 and current IZOD IndyCar Series team managing partner; Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway; Rick Long, longtime developer of high-performance racing engines and co-founder of Speedway Engine Development; Tony Purnell, former technical consultant to the FIA and found of Pi Research; Neil Ressler, former chairman of Jaguar Racing in F1 and principal design engineer for Ford.
The Indy Racing League received proposals from five potential chassis manufacturers – BAT Engineering, Dallara, DeltaWing Racing Cars, Lola and Swift Engineering – and the committee entertained their presentations. At the same time, committee members solicited information and input from current IZOD IndyCar Series team owners, fans, current and former open-wheel racing drivers, manufacturer and sponsor stakeholders and internal marketing research.
Their vote was to build upon the rolling chassis platform to extend the opportunity of open competition and design diversity while holding the line on costs of participation.
“After reviewing all the intriguing designs that were presented to the ICONIC Advisory Committee, we felt this was the best direction to provide the diversity fans desired while making it the best value for the teams in the series,” Purnell said. “This new strategy, which is on the leading edge of motorsports worldwide, will revolutionize the sport by opening the door for multiple manufacturers to produce parts of the car. And it is not just limited to chassis manufacturers.
"It’s our goal to reach out and challenge the automotive industry as well as aerodynamic companies. So come on Ford, GM, Lotus, Ferrari. Come on Lockhead and General Electric. Come on you young engineers who might be working in small shops and garages. We've done our best to provide the framework for you to showcase your technical prowess without the need for a major raid on your piggybank."
The new chassis/engine platform on the racetrack seems like a long way off, but for the manufacturers and sanctioning body officials it’s just around the block. Barnhart said technical staff and facilities will be enhanced to test and approve parts for production and monitor technical rules to be written. The Dallara chassis, which was designed as an oval race car but modified when the Indy Racing League added street/road courses in 2005, will continue its yeoman’s effort through the remaining eight races this season and 2011.
“We’re very excited about it, but it will create some challenges and there isn’t a lot of time,” said Barnhart, who initially estimated it would take 18 months from design to delivery. “It will here before we know it.”
For additional information and photos, please visit www.indycar.com.
HUNTER-REAY CONFIRMED FOR REMAINDER OF 2010 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES SEASON
TEAM AND INLAND INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP UNVEIL "RACING FOR CANCER" INITIATIVE
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 4, 2010) – Andretti Autosport announced today that Team IZOD driver Ryan Hunter-Reay is set to run the remainder of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season after a group of team sponsors stepped up collectively to fund the effort.
In addition to confirming Hunter-Reay’s full-season participation, the team also unveiled a new charitable initiative connected to the #37 entry called “Racing For Cancer.” The program, which was developed by Tom Vossman – chief executive officer of team sponsor Inland Industrial Services Group – will raise money for cancer research and other charitable causes in honor of Hunter-Reay’s mother,
Although Hunter-Reay was originally slated to run only a partial schedule with primary sponsorship from Phillips-Van Heusen and its IZOD brand, Andretti Autosport continued to seek additional funding to grow the program to fulltime status. A season-opening runner-up finish in Sao Paulo increased interest in Hunter-Reay’s situation and then a dominating race win at the Grand Prix of Long Beach – a win he dedicated to the memory of his mother – drove awareness even higher and prompted the team’s sponsor family to rally behind the effort.
During the past several weeks, a number of Andretti Autosport partners have collaborated on a series of marketing and business-to-business deals which have galvanized Team IZOD from a part-time effort to a fulltime team capable of competing for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series championship. Hunter-Reay enters today’s series event at Watkins Glen ranked seventh in points, just 49 points behind the leader, Will Power.
In addition to the efforts of Phillips-Van Heusen and its IZOD brand, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inland, AirTran Airways, Comfort Revolution, The Michael Fux Foundation, Exel and
The car will continue to sport the primary sponsor scheme of Team IZOD with the exception of a race at Chicagoland Speedway and an event to-be-determined where Ethanol
The “Racing For Cancer” program officially launches today at www.RacingForCancer.org and will raise funds during the remainder of the 2010 season and beyond. Those funds will be donated primarily to two national charities -- The Michael Fux Foundation and LIVESTRONG – and will drive marketing, promotional and awareness campaigns in support of The Michael Fux Foundation and its beneficiaries.
The Michael Fux Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars through its existing charity work, champions numerous causes including Down’s Syndrome, autism, cancer and heart diseases. The foundation works extensively with Miami Children’s Hospital, which last fall unveiled the new
As part of their support for Hunter-Reay and Team IZOD’s car number “37,” and in honor of Hunter-Reay’s mother, a number of Andretti Autosport team sponsors have committed to making $37,000 donations to “Racing For Cancer.”
The first official donation to the effort was made by Team 7-Eleven driver Tony Kanaan, who is also putting forth $37,000.
RYAN HUNTER-REAY, DRIVER, #37 TEAM IZOD CAR:
“I can’t even begin to describe my sense of relief, appreciation and excitement as we look forward to a complete season while challenging for the IZOD IndyCar Series championship. So many different people, organizations, companies and partners pulled together to make this a reality and I have to thank them for their belief in me.
“Andretti Autosport and Michael Andretti have been so supportive in so many ways. They have really dug deep to not only get me and the #37 car on track this season, but to keep it there. As I’ve been saying all along, this team is incredibly good at what it does and that’s why we’ve not only won together already, but we are now making it a full-season effort.
“I really have to thank IZOD, Dr Pepper Snapple Group,
“I am honored to announce my new position as global ambassador for ‘Racing For Cancer.’ Thanks to Tom Vossman and his endless dedication for the cause, I am able to complete the 2010 season and race in honor of my mother,
“I also have to thank Michael Fux for his personal support and making the ‘Racing For Cancer’ program a reality.”
JOHN LOPES, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
“We are thrilled that Team IZOD and Ryan Hunter-Reay are now fulltime family members of Andretti Autosport. We are humbled by the generous support of all our sponsors, but particularly by IZOD, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, ICM-Ethanol USA, Inland Industrial Services Group, AirTran Airways, The Michael Fux Foundation, Exel and IES for their staunch support of Ryan, our team and its charitable efforts.
“We want to thank Michael Fux and Tom Vossman for serving as inspirations for the ‘Racing For Cancer’ platform.”
TOM VOSSMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, INLAND INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP, AND FOUNDER, RACING FOR CANCER:
“We are excited to be part of such a worthwhile cause – to not only contribute to these good charities, but to also help promote the global cancer awareness campaign to all the fans, sponsors and their employees. I could not be more proud to have Ryan as our global ambassador and to launch this effort in memory of his mother,
MICHAEL FUX, THE MICHAEL FUX FOUNDATION:
“I am very happy to help further Ryan Hunter-Reay’s career with this team and to play a role with the ‘Racing For Cancer’ program. There is no greater feeling than helping children in need and this is another opportunity for me to do that.”
STARKE TAYLOR, VICE PRESIDENT OF SPONSORSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, PHILLIPS-VAN HEUSEN:
“It seems very appropriate that the backdrop for this announcement be Watkins Glen over the 4th of July weekend as it was here two years ago that the seeds for this moment were planted.
“Ryan Hunter-Reay and Team IZOD have become popular players in this series, and we’re confident that the public will rally around the ‘Racing For Cancer’ initiative and allow all of us to make an impact that reaches far beyond the footprint of the IZOD IndyCar Series.”
About Racing For Cancer
Racing For Cancer, Inc, a
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AFS RACING BECOMES CO-ENTRANT OF ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT'S #27 IZOD INDYCAR FOR RACES AT WATKINS GLEN AND MID-OHIO
AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLERS (AFS) WILL ALSO SERVE AS PRIMARY SPONSOR OF THE CAR AT MID-OHIO
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 1, 2010) - AFS Racing has become the co-entrant of Andretti Autosport's #27 IZOD IndyCar Series car, which will be driven by newcomer Adam Carroll at Watkins Glen International and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport pairing has enjoyed success together in the past, having won the past two Firestone Indy Lights championships and is seeking an unprecedented third title in 2010 with another two-car effort. AFS/Andretti also joined forces for an IZOD IndyCar Series entry last season at Infineon Raceway for driver Franck Montagny.
Carroll, who dominated the 2009 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season on the way to a series championship, will debut the entry this weekend at Watkins Glen under the banner of Team Boost Mobile. Carroll's season will then continue in early August with a drive at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in a car that will carry primary sponsorship from AFS, one of the nation's largest multi-family automatic fire sprinkler contractors.
Additionally, both Dr Pepper Snapple Group, with its Snapple brand, and Inland Industrial Services Group have joined the effort as associate sponsors of Carroll's upcoming races.
For more information about AFS Racing and Andretti Autosport, please visit www.afsracing.com and www.andrettiautosport.com.
GARY PETERSON, OWNER, AFS RACING:
"This is a good step for AFS Racing and we're looking forward to working directly with a great, young talent like Adam Carroll. He tested well at Mid-Ohio this week and we're excited to work with him at these two events. AFS Racing would like to make a move to the IZOD IndyCar level at some point in the future and this is a good step in that direction."
MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
"AFS Racing and Andretti Autosport have enjoyed a lot of success together and this effort will hopefully be more of the same. This is good for us as it helps us take our IZOD IndyCar Series program closer to where we want it to be and it enables
