Luhr to run for Sarah Hartman Racing at Sonoma (Update)
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| Lucas Luhr |
This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' today. Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) will expand with partner RW Motorsports to a two-car IZOD IndyCar Series team for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 25.
With the combined efforts of Rotondo Weirich (RW) and Muscle Milk, American Le Mans Series (ALMS) LMP1 championship points leader Lucas Luhr will race his first laps in an open wheel car for SFHR.
“Bringing RW Motorsports to the top level of open wheel racing has long been a dream of mine, and through our partnership with SFHR, it has always been the intention to see that idea come to fruition," Steve Weirich, owner of RW Motorsports, said. “Lucas [Luhr] has great strengths as well and I am looking forward to bringing a driver of his caliber to the IZOD IndyCar Series. Sonoma is a great venue for us as well as IndyCar and we know the synergy of this entry will produce a great result."
The 34-year-old driver for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing drives an HPD ARX-03a P1 prototype in ALMS, making him familiar with Honda-powered cars.
“I am very excited about driving for RW/SFHR in Sonoma," Luhr said. “I have wanted to drive an IndyCar for quite some time and when this opportunity came up I was very happy to say yes straight away. I would like to thank Steve Weirich, RW, Sarah [Fisher] and Mr. Hartman, as well as Honda HPD for introducing us. I’d also like to give a very big thank you to my team owner Greg Pickett at Muscle Milk for allowing me to accept this challenge in the middle of the season."
Adding Luhr behind the wheel in Sonoma is a step of growth for SFHR and RW, who plan to continue expanding the young IZOD IndyCar Series team, which moved into a brand new state-of-the-art facility in Speedway, Ind. earlier this year.
“As we continue to raise the bar at SFHR, we are always looking for the next level to stay ahead of the curve," SFHR team principal, Wink Hartman said. “Adding Lucas [Luhr] to the Sonoma event for us is not only exciting, knowing his championship abilities, but will give us a sounding board towards two-car efforts in the future. We know that’s where we would like to be as a team, and this is one step towards our exploration of that ability."
“One of the big keys to success of this program will be the opportunity we will be able to provide Lucas [Luhr] for two days of testing," said SFHR co-owner, Sarah Fisher. “It will be a great opportunity overall to give Josef [Newgarden] the chance to work with a teammate."
To give Luhr seat time in an open wheel car before his IZOD IndyCar Series debut, Luhr and SFHR will participate in a manufacturer test in Sonoma on August 13.
“I know I have a lot to learn in a very short time," Luhr said. “It’s not going to be easy, but it’s a great challenge. I know Sonoma having raced there in the past and I am looking forward to working with everyone at RW/SFHR and preparing for the race."
Open testing in Sonoma will begin on Wednesday, Aug.21, with practice and qualifications following on Friday, Aug.23 and Saturday, Aug.24. For the latest updates from RW Motorsports follow @RWMotorsports on Twitter, and for the most recent SFHR updates follow @SFHRindy on Twitter and Instagram.
07/26/13 Word is that former Audi driver Lucas Luhr will drive for Sarah Hartman Racing at Sonoma. Does this meaning Audi is testing the waters and will make the jump into IndyCar as long rumored?