INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES - April 23, 2013
1. Long Beach technical penalty update: There were no technical penalties issued following the IZOD IndyCar Series race on the streets of Long Beach on April 21.
2. Sato's win makes headlines in Japan: Takuma Sato's victory in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was big news internationally, especially in his homeland to start the work week.
NHK, Japan's largest TV Network, devoted a long segment early in its national news broadcast to the first Japanese winner of an Indy car race. He was the main story on Yahoo Japan and on the front page of all the major Tokyo newspapers (a first for IndyCar racing since Danica Patrick won at Twin Ring Motegi in 2008). "Likes" and Facebook comments on the main indycar.com story showed a ten-fold increase.
"We all did banzai (traditional Japanese exclamation meaning long life) when 'Taku' received (the) checker(ed) flag," relayed GAORA Sports TV director Keiichi Inamine, whose network broadcast the early-morning (in Japan) race. "We took photo with all members in our studio."
Following a visit April 22 to Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, Calif., by Honda team drivers, Sato returned to Tokyo for what was to be a brief vacation before the May 4-5 Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle in Brazil. Those plans certainly will be altered as Japan's most-famous race car driver and now a national hero will be inundated with media requests.
That he could bring some positive news to his countrymen still recovering from the earthquakes and tsunami of March 2011 and facing threats from North Korea and China is another reward.
"I think it's great news from sporting point of view for the Japanese all over the world," Sato said. "Any win is really great news for us, particularly that we had such a tragedy with the earthquakes. People are still on the way back; 300,000 people still don't have a home, have temporary living.
"This hopefully is good news to cheer them up and hopefully, yes, this is just a start, and to bring more IndyCar excitement and enthusiasm to Japanese fans to know it. Motor racing people already know IndyCar is special. Unfortunately, we don't have Indy in Japan, but hopefully this is a little start to recover and not so long time I'd love to go back to Japan with the series."
The victory was the first for A.J. Foyt Racing since Airton Dare won at Kansas Speedway.
"I've been in Victory Lane a lot myself (67 times) and I know what that's like," said team owner A.J. Foyt, who watched the race on NBC Sports Network from home because of chronic back pain. "I am so glad to see them there. I'm sorry I couldn't be there with everybody but I'm glad it shows they can win without me.
"And now they're going to have to win with me because I will be at Indy."
3. Jourdain to race Indianapolis 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan team: Michel Jourdain Jr., who brought Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing wins in Montreal and Milwaukee in the Champ Car World Series in 2003, will drive for the team again in the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 26.
Jourdain, who finished 19th in the race last May, made his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1996. Office Depot Mexico returns as the primary sponsor of Jourdain's No. 17 entry and Grupo Indi and Grupo Multi return as associate sponsors.
He will have Graham Rahal, who was runner-up April 21 in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and James Jakes as teammates.
"I am very happy to compete in the Indianapolis 500 again," said Jourdain, 36. "It has been a year since I have been in the car but I will take the same strategy as last year and build up speed little by little. We have good confidence because we ran pretty well last year, especially Takuma (Sato).
"I'm sure the car will be really good and with it being a three-car team we should be able to progress much faster. I'm happy to be working with Bobby (Rahal) and the guys again as well as with Bruno (Couprie) my engineer, who I worked with last year. I have worked with Office Depot Mexico for over 11 years now and I am thankful that they will be the primary sponsor again. I'm also happy to have Grupo Indi and Grupo Multi back again as associate sponsors. Hopefully we can give them all a great result in the Indy 500."
Jourdain became the youngest driver to start a Champ Car race to date when he drove at Long Beach in 1996 at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 12 days. He made 152 starts in CART and Champ Car from 1996-2004 plus three INDYCAR starts, including the 1996 Indy 500 where he qualified eighth and finished 13th and the 1996 race in Las Vegas where he finished second in a 28-car field.
He won races in Montreal and Milwaukee in 2003 with Team Rahal and moved to RuSPORT for 2004 when Team Rahal focused solely on the Indy Racing League that season.
"I am very pleased to have Michel join the team again for the Indy 500," said team co-owner Bobby Rahal, who was in Mexico City for the announcement. "I think that last year for his first race back after a number of years out of an Indy car he did a very good job. He quickly got with the program at Indy and was running competitively in the race and I think that one year later most of the rust is off and he will be much more prepared because he knows what to expect.
"From a car standpoint, we should be even more competitive than we were last year so I am really pleased to have Michel back. He is a great young guy and it's a pleasure to have him, Office Depot Mexico, Grupo Indi and Grupo Multi back. It should be a good event for everybody."
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The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on Sunday, May 5 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be televised live at 11 a.m. (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211 and
www.indycar.com. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Firestone Freedom 100 on Friday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network live, during the network's coverage of Carb Day.
Media Contact: Amy Konrath, INDYCAR, 317-331-7437, akonrath@indycar.com
Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=17339.msg107184#msg107184
