Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Partners with AFS Racing for Indy 500
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| Jay Howard to drive #7 |
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) announced today it will begin a partnership with AFS Racing for a co-entry in the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500. The partnership between the two teams will see SPM personnel utilizing AFS Racing’s equipment. The No. 7 One Cure Schmidt Peterson Motorsports/AFS Racing Honda entry for this year’s Indianapolis 500 will be piloted by IndyCar veteran Jay Howard.
The Gary Peterson-helmed AFS Racing has a long history in motorsports which has seen success as a two-time Indy Lights championship-winning organization (2008 – Raphael Matos, 2009 – J.R. Hildebrand), competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series, as well as its current LMP2 entry in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with drivers Gustavo Yacaman and Sebastian Saavedra.
Sam Schmidt, co-owner of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports noted, “Gary and I have been fierce competitors in Indy Lights for quite some time, but in spite of that, he and Tammi have become great friends off the track. Although he has decided to go sportscar racing, he still has a tremendous passion for the Indy 500 and everything it means in the world of motorsports. Gary brings not only quality assets to the program, but also vast experience and knowledge which will be very valuable throughout the month."
“I look forward to continuing my history in INDYCAR thanks to a good friendship with SPM," said Gary Peterson, owner of AFS Racing and Automatic Fire Sprinklers. “Together, with Ric and Sam, we have a strong passion for the 500, and seeing my car be part of the 102nd running is very exciting. We have previously competed together with Martin Plowman and more recently, last season with Sebastian Saavedra. Based on that experience, I know what a quality program SPM has and how much they want to win."