Larrison to contest Firestone Indy Lights races with Belardi team

Mike Larrison has joined Belardi Auto Racing to race all ovals on the 2012 schedule, as well as the street course race in Baltimore.

Competing in racing since he was 4 years old, Larrison has competed in motocross, karting, USAC and Must See Racing's Xtreme Sprint Series. He is also a part of the Davey Hamilton Racing family, driving for the INDYCAR veteran's sprint car team.

"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity I've been offered by Belardi Auto Racing to drive the No. 19 TruFuel/Royal Oak Charcoal Firestone Indy Lights car in the 2012 racing season," Larrison said. "I can't thank all of my sponsors TruFuel, Calumet Specialty Lubricants, Royal Oak Charcoal and Turtle Wax enough for all the doors they have opened for me the past few years. I'm really looking forward to racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Freedom 100 on May 25. This has always been a dream of my father and I—for me to be able to race there. My father grew up just off 16th Street right outside the Speedway, and I grew up only 15 miles away in Avon, Ind."

Larrison holds multiple American Motocross Association championships and accumulated five Midwest karting championships in just six years. He won two Indy Karting Series championships with 14 race wins, holds a USAC regional rookie of the year title and the world record for fastest car on a quarter-mile paved oval at Slinger Speedway in 2010.

In 2011, Larrison finished 11th in the Xtreme Sprint Series and was later sidelined with back and foot injuries sustained in a crash at Kentucky Speedway while testing with Andretti Autosport.

He completed his rookie test at Iowa Speedway on May 3, and is scheduled to make his Firestone Indy Lights debut with Belardi Auto Racing on May 25 during the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"It's all about me revamping myself," Larrison said. "I plan on running Indy and all of the oval races, so I need to get laps and I need Indy to sign-off that I am ready for these cars, which they have, so this has been quite an accomplishment.

"Things haven't changed much with these cars since I was last in one. It was just a question of me getting comfortable with the car."