ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT TO FIELD THREE AT SEVENTH ANNUAL CHRIS GRIFFIS MEMORIAL OPEN TEST
Three drivers in the Mazda Road to
Indy ladder series will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of
Andretti Autosport’s Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Dallara IL-15 cars this
weekend for the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test.
With over 40 drivers representing
12 countries in 2016’s test, Australian Anthony Martin, 2017 Pro Mazda
Championship runner-up and 2016 USF2000 Championship winner, will join Colton Herta and Ryan Norman at the test, piloting Andretti
Autosport’s Indy Lights machines around the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.
Debuting in 2011, the test honors
Chris Griffis, a longtime member of the motorsports community who led the
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports w/ Curb-Agajanian Indy Lights organization before
passing unexpectedly in September 2011.
The two-day event will feature
all three tiers of the Mazda Road to Indy on track at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway’s Road Course Circuit Saturday, Oct. 21, and Sunday, Oct. 22. Open to
the public, this year’s test will have live timing available through
IndyCar.com, IndyLights.com and the RoadtoIndyTV app.
Colton Herta
“I think the test is going to be
interesting. Hopefully, the weather plays out nicely. You can switch up pretty
quickly from cold to hot this time of year, and we hope to have weather on our
side. Indy was a place where, I think, we struggled for race pace, so I’m looking
forward to getting back and seeing what we can do. I’m super excited to get the
testing going. I think we just need to get the balance right – that’s the main
thing. Hopefully, we can get the balance sorted out and more to my liking. We
had great qualifying pace at Indy, we qualified P2 there for the second race of
the weekend, but want to work on long run pace.”
Anthony Martin
“The time has finally come to jump into an Indy Lights car. I
am so excited to be testing at Indianapolis with Andretti Autosport, and I am
looking forward to working in a professional environment with everyone, eager
and ready to learn more. The Mazda Road to Indy program has given me the
opportunity to move forward and advance my motorsport career, having goals when
I first came to America in 2015 to do the best I could in USF2000. I turned
that into a championship win in 2016, earning a scholarship from Mazda to move
up the ladder to Pro Mazda. I can’t wait for what my future holds in this new
challenge!”
Ryan Norman
“I
can’t wait to get back into the car at the Chris Griffis Memorial this weekend.
I absolutely love Indianapolis Motor Speedway and we showed good speed in the
races this past year. I’m looking forward to building off that experience, and
working with Andretti Autosport toward a successful test.”
Editor’s Note: Andretti Autosport planned to complete a four-car test, however due to illness, Dalton Kellett will not participate in the Chris Griffiths Memorial Test this weekend.
