Andretti IndyCar team reveals 2016 liveries

Ryan Hunter-Reay's livery

The Andretti Autosport IndyCar team Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz and Alexander Rossi head to Phoenix International Raceway this week as part of the Verizon IndyCar Series official pre-season open test and Phoenix "Prix View" event. While not the first outing of the year for the Indianapolis-based team’s Verizon IndyCar Series squad, the two-day training session will mark the debut of the drivers’ 2016 paint schemes.

While each driver will continue to carry the colors of their respective primary sponsors, the team’s liveries tie together for the 2016 season with a nod to the history of the Andretti Autosport foundation. Each of the team’s Honda-powered machines will don a unified color stripe, starting at the forward cockpit and running through the rear of the car. This element of the car liveries was inspired by the livery of Mario Andretti’s 1972 Indy car, which later became the inspiration for the helmet design worn by all three generations of the Mario’s lineage – and still carried by Marco today. The unified look will also carry through to the Indy Lights machines of Shelby Blackstock, Dalton Kellett and Dean Stonemason, all on track today at Phoenix International Raceway.

"As we enter a historic season of Indy car racing, with the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, I’m proud to be able to bring this design element into our field of cars," said Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti. "My father was an inspiration to me in my career, and remains an inspiration and major supporter to our industry. To carry a little history with us is something special."

Race fans and media are invited to the "Prix View" Inaugural Testing Event at Phoenix International Raceway on Feb. 27. The event will feature nearly the entire field of drivers and teams as they prepare for the 2016 season and the Verizon IndyCar Series return to Phoenix with an April 2 race date. The free access test day will feature two on-track practice windows along with a driver autograph session. Visit PhoenixRaceway.com for more information and follow the weekend on social media with #PrixView.

The green flag will fall on the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series championship on March 13 with the opening round of competition on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. broadcast live on ABC. Andretti Autosport will field four full season Verizon IndyCar Series entries with Andretti (No. 27 Snapple Honda), Hunter-Reay (No. 28 DHL Honda), MuÃ±oz (No. 26 Honda) and Rossi (No. 98 Honda). Additionally, Andretti is currently slated to have three full season entries in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires with Blackstock (No. 51 Starstruck Mazda), Kellett (No. 28 K-Line Mazda) and Stoneman (No. 27 Stellrecht Mazda) while a fourth entry remains in the works. Keep up to date on all things Andretti via Twitter with @FollowAndretti.