Foyt signs Meira for 3rd year

Vitor Meira

Driver Vitor Meira, chief engineer Jeff Britton and longtime sponsor ABC Supply are returning to A.J. Foyt Racing for the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

"I am really glad to have both ABC Supply and Vitor back with us," four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and team owner A.J. Foyt said. "ABC has been with us since 2005 and their loyalty and support means a lot to me. Over my career, I have always had just one or two main sponsors at a time. It works for me and I think it works for them because they usually work into long-term deals. ABC has stood by my team through some tough times recently and I'm planning to give them some great times this season.

"Working with Vitor has been good. It's taken us a little time to adjust and having a full season under our belt with Vitor and Jeff will help us going into 2011. I look for us to have a good year."

Meira, who returned to the team for a full season in 2010 after suffering injuries in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, recorded six top-10 finishes with a best of third in the opener in his native Brazil. Over 114 IZOD IndyCar Series races, Meira has 63 top-10 finishes.

"I am really happy about working with A.J. Foyt and his ABC Supply team again," said Meira, who turns 34 on March 27 (the date of the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg).

"Being able to continue the progress that we made at the end of last year will make for a good season this year. We know the areas that we have to work in to improve and we have already started to do that in the off season. Besides that, ABC Supply is an awesome sponsor and I really enjoy working with their people. They make great use of the racing program throughout the year, not just during the racing season, and I think that benefits everyone because it keeps the IndyCar name out there 12 months of the year."