Tag: Sausalito

For those of you following the progress of Northern California native, J.R. Hildebrand in his rookie year in the IZOD IndyCar Series, it has been an exciting week. J.R. has been impressive in each new challenge and it continued this week in Indianapolis. The leader in the Rookie of the Year standings all year, showed that he is not your average rookie, completing the rookie orientation in a little over an hour and was the fastest on the track. Another NorCal rookie is former NASCAR Sprint Cup and Formula One driver Scott Speed from Manteca, CA. The following is a press release from Panther Racing.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – (May 12, 2011) – It took National Guard Panther Racing driver JR Hildebrand just over an hour to complete the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s four-phase Rookie Orientation Program on Thursday afternoon, and by the end of the day the 23-year-old Californian was the fastest of the seven rookies who participated. Hildebrand was joined on Thursday by fellow IZOD IndyCar Series rookies Scott Speed, James Hinchcliffe, James Jakes, Ho-Pin Tung, Charlie Kimball and former Panther Firestone Indy Lights driver Pippa Mann.

“This is pretty cool being at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and part of the big show for the first time,” Hildebrand said. “This is why we’re all here – everybody wants to compete in the Indianapolis 500, and it’s a big deal when you get to be a part of this event. We were actually able to complete all four phases (of ROP) in just three runs so we’re happy to get that out of the way. You can definitely feel how much quicker it is compared to the Firestone Indy Lights car, 20-30 mph quicker, and that makes a big difference all the way around the track.”

Hildebrand posted a quick lap of 221.533 mph, 40.6260 seconds and he turned a total of 68 laps on the day. Hildebrand’s teammate Buddy Rice, driver of Panther’s No. 44 entry, was on hand for the majority of the day and was quick to assist Hildebrand with nuances of the Speedway’s tricky 2.5-mile oval. Rice and Hildebrand had come to the track on Wednesday afternoon and did some laps in a road car together in preparation of Hildebrand taking his first laps today.

“It’s such a big help having Buddy Rice around as well,” JR continued. “He and I have gotten along really well and we came out here yesterday just shooting the bull about what’s going on on the racetrack and he shared some little things he’s picked up over the years, I know he’s going to be a great teammate and a great addition all around to the team. The two of us together can definitely propel things forward for the entire team throughout the month.”

ROP consists of four phases a driver much complete to participate in practice for the Indianapolis 500. The driver must complete: five laps between 200-205 mph; 10 laps between 205-210 mph; 10 laps between 210-215 mph and 10 laps above 215 mph.

Hildebrand is the current leader in the IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year point standings. He made two starts at Indianapolis during his Indy Lights career, finishing runner-up in 2009, the year he won the series championship, and led the race on two occasions for a total of 23 laps.

“In terms of the feel of the car; I’ve always said the Indy Lights car is a great proving ground for the IndyCar – the feel is very similar and they’re both on Firestone tires and both on Dallara chassis,” Hildebrand continued. “We were flat chat all the way around during our last run when getting through the last phase of ROP so it’s very special to be here and able to take this all in, especially on a day like today when there’s not a lot of people out here.”

He becomes the third Panther rookie to attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, joining Tomas Enge (2005) and Mark Taylor (2004). Enge started in the 10th position and was running inside the Top Ten when he was taking out by Danica Patrick, who spun during a Lap 154 restart during her rookie season. Taylor started 14th and finished 30th after contact with fellow rookie Ed Carpenter early in the race.

Open Day at Indianapolis is Saturday when the track will be open for all drivers and teams hoping to make the 33-car field for the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. Pole Day qualifications will take place the following Saturday with Bump Day commencing a week from Sunday to solidify the ‘500’ lineup.

The 95th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race will be broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, May 29th at 12:00 pm (ET) with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, XM Channel 145 and Sirius Channel 121.

www.JRHildebrandRacing.com – www.pantherracing.com – www.NationalGuard.com

SAO PAULO, Brazil – (April 30, 2011) – Panther Racing and IZOD IndyCar Series rookie driver J.R. Hildebrand qualified in the 22nd position Saturday afternoon on the Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil for tomorrow’s Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle. Hildebrand had finished in seventh position it the practice session preceding qualifications but the team was unable to advance into the second round of knockout qualifications and will start in the 11th Row alongside local favorite Tony Kanaan.

Hildebrand posted a best speed of 108.888 mph, 1:23.8443 seconds, which was actually faster than Kanaan’s speed of 108.401 mph but the rookie starts behind TK because the drivers were in separate groups during the first round of qualifications.

In 2010, with former driver Dan Wheldon, Panther started in the 18th position but was unable to overcome its starting position, and a broken front wing during the race, to finish in fifth position in the inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 11-turn, 2.6-mile temporary street circuit. Hildebrand has shown the same ability to move to the front of the field; in St. Pete he climbed from 24th-to -11th, advanced from 15th-to-13th at Barber after initially falling a lap down and back to 25th, and moved up from 27th-to-17th in the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

He has completed all of the possible 275 laps of IndyCar competition this season, one of only seven drivers (Kannan, Franchitti, Power, Meira, Tagliani and Servia) to do so through the first three races of the season – and the only rookie. Hildebrand is the current leader of the IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year point standings. Sunday will mark his sixth career IndyCar Series start, as the 23-year-old Californian made two starts with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in 2010 in addition to his three races this season with Panther.

Team Penske driver Will Power captured his fourth consecutive pole position and will be joined on the front row by Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay.

The Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle will be broadcast live on VERSUS on Sunday, May 1st at 12:00 pm (EST) with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, XM Channel 145 and Sirius Channel 121.

JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda, had this to say:

“We definitely know that the National Guard car is really good, and we were able to make good of it in the second practice but then we were going so much quicker from second practice to qualifications that it put me in a little bit of a bind with the gearing in the car because I was going so much faster through the corners that I was having to reconfigure the gears that I was running this morning. I’m disappointed; we were in a tough group but I feel like I could have gotten a couple more tenths out of the car and, even being in the group that we were in, I felt like after the second practice that we’d have a shot to advance to the Top 12. Like I said, the car is going to be really good tomorrow and I’m bummed about starting in the back, but it does leave us some options as far as strategy in the race.”

– Panther Racing, Press Release

I recently learned about a Northern California race car driver who is competing in the highly competitive IZOD IndyCar Series. His name is J.R. Hildebrand and he is from Sausalito, in Marin County. He was born on January 3, 1988 which makes him just 23 years old. At 14, he started racing Go Karts at Infineon Raceway. He later graduated from Redwood High School in Corte Madera where he played varsity baseball and was a National Merit Scholar. He was accepted by MIT, but has had to put his college plans on hold. Last December, J.R. signed a multi-year contract to drive the #4 National Guard car for Panther Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. After the first race at St. Petersburg he is the leader in his pursuit of the Rookie of the Year award.

The following is a press release from Panther Racing about J.R. Hildebrand and the race this Sunday, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

LEEDS, Alabama – (April 7, 2011) – The National Guard Panther Racing team was forced to leave the IZOD IndyCar Series open test at Barber Motorsports Park a day early due to an on-track incident that caused minor damage to the No. 4 car. But following the St. Petersburg race the team returned to Leeds, Alabama last Tuesday for a private test day to make-up for the day they missed earlier in the month. Driver JR Hildebrand was nearly two seconds quicker during the test, giving both driver and team high expectations as they return to the 17-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

“At the Barber test we did here last week on my fifth hot lap we had gone faster than we had all day during the IndyCar open test,” Hildebrand explained. “That was refreshing for all of us, especially that we were able to have a super-productive solid one-day test here which has left all of us on the National Guard Panther Racing team feeling really positive moving forward. Since that initial test we found out what some of the glaring issues were and by Sunday of the St. Pete weekend we completely understood why we hadn’t started that weekend on such a high note.”

Hildebrand led all IZOD IndyCar Series rookie drivers at St. Petersburg with an 11th-place finish in his debut with Panther Racing. The 23-year-old Californian was two turns away from a Top Ten finish when he was given the chrome horn* from Danica Patrick in Turn Nine, causing him to spin and lose positions to both Danica and Justin Wilson. IndyCar officials penalized Patrick for avoidable contact and placed Hildebrand in front of the Andretti Autosport driver for his 11th-place finish.

Sunday will mark Hildebrand’s first start at Barber although he tested at the track last season with Andretti Autosport in addition to the two test days he ran the No. 4 car with Panther in 2011. Last season, in Panther’s only start at the scenic racetrack, then-driver Dan Wheldon overcame a qualification crash and 23rd-place start to finish on the lead lap in 11th place.

“The team is quite confident with where we are and I certainly understand there is a learning curve,” Hildebrand continued. “But I also understand I’m with a strong group of people to help that curve and we’re all really excited moving forward.”

The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama will be broadcast live this Sunday on VERSUS at 3 p.m. (ET) with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, XM Channel 145 and Sirius Channel 121.

*”Chrome horn” reference is patented and trademarked by Paul Tracy. The reference in this press release was used without permission.

Photos courtesy of Panther Racing.

Panther Racing Press Release

For more info on J.R. Hildebrand, go to www.jrhildebrandracing.com.