 #Race
#2 :
Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg
Race 2 of
17
Marco Andretti on the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:
"I've
never been hungrier to get back to the race track, especially
after the misfortune at Homestead. I've got a lot of confidence
heading into the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg because
I think the NYSE car has an awesome shot of getting a win.
I love the track and the city of St. Petersburg. Andretti
Green Promotions does a great job putting together one of
the very best events in all of motorsports."
Eddie
Jones, Race Engineer, #26
NYSE Dallara/Honda/Firestone, on the Honda Grand Prix of
St. Petersburg:
"I
think the NYSE team emerged very strong on the road courses
coming out of 2006. Based on those results, I certainly
expect to carry that sort of performance into this weekend
at the Honda Grand Prix."
*
This will be Andretti's second start at the Honda Grand
Prix of St. Petersburg in an IndyCar Series race. He finished
15th in the 2006 event after a broken driveshaft ended his
day.
*
In 2005, Andretti made his Indy Pro Series debut at St.
Petersburg. He started on the pole, led 22 laps and drove
to his first of three Indy Pro Series victories.
*
Andretti became the youngest driver (19 years, five months,
14 days) to win a major open-wheel race when he took the
checkered flag at Infineon Raceway on August 27, 2006.
*
This will be the 975th major open-wheel racing start in
Andretti family history. Marco is following in the open-wheel
racing footsteps of his father, grandfather, his uncle Jeff
and second-cousin John.
*
He finished seventh in the 2006 IndyCar Series driver championship and
collected the IndyCar Series Bombardier Rookie of the Year
award.
*
Andretti finished second at the 2006 Indianapolis 500 in
what was the second-closest finish in the history of the
event. He joined both his father and grandfather in earning
the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honor.
*
He made six starts in the Indy Pro Series in 2005, collecting
three victories (St. Petersburg, Indianapolis road course
and Infineon Raceway), five top fives and three pole positions.
___________________________
The race was first run as a Champ Car event
in 2003. When the race returned in 2005, it switched to the
Indycar series, and marked the first non-oval event of the
Indy Racing League. Also, starting in 2007, the American
Le Mans Series will hold their second race of the season
on this course as part of race weekend.
Features the Indycar, Indy Pro, American Le Mans, and drifting
teams plus concerts, airshows, Miss Honda Grand Prix competition,
autograph sessions, celebrity sightings and more!
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