Davison (and Yacaman) to test for Andretti team
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| Gustavo Yacaman |
Correction: Andretti Autosport announced today that driver Gustavo Yacaman will test the No. 28 (not the No. 27) 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series car on Nov. 10 at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla.
Yacaman, a 20-year-old from Cali, Colombia, recently finished the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season in fourth place with one win and nine top-10 finishes. In 2010, Yacaman recorded four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in the Firestone Indy Lights. During his rookie year in the series in 2009, he secured two top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes in 14 races, despite missing one race due to a back injury.
Yacaman began karting at a young age in his homeland, winning numerous Colombian and Bogota city karting championships in various classes. In 2005 at the age of 14, he won the Stars of Karting title in the Junior ICA division. The following year, he was named Rookie of the Year in Spanish Formula BMW after finishing fourth in points. Yacaman then moved on to compete in the Spanish Formula Three Championship for several years, recording two wins and several podium finishes.
Also an avid triathlete, Yacaman recently competed in the Ironman 70.3 in Miami and finished 36th in his age group. He also leads a non-profit organization called Admira La Vida (Admire the Life), which focuses on promoting environmental conservation in Colombia.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
"Gustavo will be a great addition to the IZOD IndyCar Series test this week. He had quite a few strong performances during this year's Firestone Indy Lights season, and he was always one to watch. We're pleased to give him some seat time in an IndyCar at Palm Beach."
GUSTAVO YACAMAN, DRIVER:
"It's a dream come true for me to have the opportunity to drive the IZOD IndyCar Series car, especially for Andretti Autosport. I have worked really hard my whole career for an opportunity like this one. I couldn't be more prepared both mentally and physically for this test. I want to thank Michael [Andretti] and the whole Andretti Autosport team for the opportunity. I am looking forward to Thursday and hope to learn as much as I possibly can."
11/08/11 Colombian Indy Lights driver Gustavo Yacaman will also test the No. 27 Andretti Autosport IndyCar Thursday.
11/07/11
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| James Davison |
Andretti Autosport announced today that driver James Davison will test the No. 27 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series car on Nov. 10 at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla., and according to AR1.com sources, may get the ride this year if the test goes well.
The 25-year-old Australian is no stranger to INDYCAR. Davison's first experience in the Mazda Road to Indy came in 2007, when he finished second in the Star Mazda Championship with three wins, three pole positions and three additional podium finishes. In his rookie Firestone Indy Lights season in 2008, Davison secured one win, one pole position and five top-10 finishes. He also received the "Most Improved Driver" award. The following year he earned four podiums (including one win), 14 top-10 finishes and three pole positions to finish second in the Firestone Indy Lights championship.
Earlier this year, Davison competed in a Daytona Prototype in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car race at Laguna Seca Raceway, leading seven laps on debut. He also has experience racing in the Champ Car Atlantic Series for Team Australia and won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Formula BMW during the United States Grand Prix weekend.
Davison is a third-generation driver, with his grandfather Lex Davison a four-time winner of the Australian Grand Prix and his father Jon a former Formula 5000 competitor. His cousins Alex and Will Davison are also V8 Supercar drivers.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
"We're glad to be able to offer James the chance to test an IZOD IndyCar Series car this week. He was a tough competitor for us in the Firestone Indy Lights series a couple of years ago, and has gained some experience in sports cars since then, so we think he'll be able to transfer a lot of knowledge to the IndyCar at Palm Beach."
JAMES DAVISON, DRIVER:
"I'm really excited to have my first IZOD IndyCar Series test with Andretti Autosport at Palm Beach. I have worked very hard for an opportunity like this and I fully intend to maximize it. The team's Indy 500 and IndyCar Series championships give me full confidence in the people working with me. I'm looking forward to getting back on track, and hopefully this will give me some good experience for any possible opportunities in 2012. I must thank Michael [Andretti], J-F [Thormann] and everyone at Andretti Autosport for this opportunity."
We have updated our 2012 IndyCar Silly Season page accordingly.