Big Weekend Ahead for Rising Star Racing

Josef Newgarden heads a formidable lineup for Rising Star Racing

INDIANAPOLIS (20 May 2015) – Rising Star Racing's Neil Alberico, Spencer Pigot, and Josef Newgarden are all preparing for one of the biggest weekends in motorsport. Each will be competing in Indianapolis this weekend as the international focus sharpens on the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The run up to the 500 will see Pigot make his debut on the big oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday in the Freedom 100 Indy Lights race. Alberico will return to Lucas Oil Raceway just down the road from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Pro Mazda Freedom 90 event Saturday afternoon. And of course the weekend will culminate with the long awaited Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon with Newgarden starting ninth of the 33-car field.

Spencer Pigot will make his race debut on the famed IMS oval Friday

Pigot has raced twice before at Lucas Oil Raceway in Pro Mazda competition and stood on the podium both times. Now having made the step up to the Indy Lights Series with Juncos Racing after winning the Pro Mazda championship last year, Pigot is looking forward to racing for the first time on the big 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

"Indianapolis is the most famous track in the world, so to finally get to race on it will be a great experience," said Pigot, who will look to add his name to the list of winners who have gone on to find success in the 500. "I think we will be good on the ovals. We were very quick in pre-season testing at Homestead and I think that if we just continue where we left off, we'll be alright. The first test on Monday was really exciting, hopefully we can find some more speed."

The Freedom 100 will begin on Friday at 12:30 PM ET and will be televised LIVE on NBC Sports beginning at 12:00 PM ET.

Neil Alberico will look to continue his strong early-season form in Saturday's Pro Mazda Freedom 90 at Lucas Oil Raceway Park

Alberico heads into the Lucas Oil Raceway event second in the championship with his eyes on a return trip to the podium. The event is just one of two ovals on the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tires 2015 calendar and Alberico, who has already scored three victories this year, is eager for the first oval of the year.

"I absolutely love this event!" enthused Alberico, who drives the No. 3 Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing entry. "I won this race with the Cape brothers a couple years ago in USF2000 so I'd say this event loves us as well. We have turned the page on the first half of the season, and we are looking to finish the second half strongly starting with Indy. Ovals are a whole different ball game, and it's one we are very much looking forward to playing."

The 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 gets underway on Sunday and Newgarden is looking forward to a good run with his Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing squad in the No. 21 Century21 Chevy. Newgarden overcame a scary crash to qualify his spare car ninth on the grid and he'll look to convert that starting position into another Verizon IndyCar Series victory, this time on the biggest stage in motorsport.

"CFH Racing has been amazing, we've got all our cars in the field and that's pretty much all you can ask on qualifying day," said Newgarden. "Obviously we'd like to be a little higher, disappointed we're not a little faster, sitting in the top-10 is pretty good, it's comfy enough. We've got a great racecar with the Century 21 car. We should be able to race to the front and you never know, it's the Indy 500. You always have a chance to win this thing."

In addition to the race events, it will be a busy week with the drivers also participating in several other opportunities. A Racecraft 1 Simulator Seminar and Oval Clinic will be held for the Mazda Road to Indy drivers Wednesday afternoon ahead of the weekend.

All three Rising Star Racing drivers will appear at the Rathskeller located at 401 E. Michigan Street as special guests ahead of the Edwin McCain concert on Thursday evening.

The Verizon IndyCar Series will be back on track Friday for Carb Day as well as the annual pit stop competition. Newgarden will also take part in a mass autograph session at IMS on Saturday as well as a public drivers meeting and the Indy 500 Festival Parade through downtown Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis 500 will be televised LIVE on ABC beginning at 12:00 PM ET on Sunday, May 24.

Rising Star Racing