AFS and Andretti team to run Saavedra in Indy Lights

AFS Racing has become the co-entrant and primary sponsor of Andretti Autosport's No. 27 Firestone Indy Lights entry, which will be driven by series veteran Sebastian Saavedra. The 21-year-old will also pilot the Andretti Autosport/AFS Racing No. 25 Automatic Fire Sprinklers Chevrolet in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 and potentially two to three other IZOD IndyCar events.

The Columbian native will be the official test and reserve driver for Andretti Autosport's three full-time IZOD IndyCar Series entries. The opportunity will offer valuable IndyCar seat time for Saavedra, aiding in strengthening his career.

Saavedra finished third in the championship and was awarded Rookie of the Year honors during the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season while driving for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport. He made his IZOD IndyCar Series debut with Bryan Herta Autosport at the 2010 Indianapolis 500, and ran a partial IndyCar season with Conquest Racing in 2011.

The AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport pairing has enjoyed success together in the past, having won two Firestone Indy Lights championships in 2008 (Raphael Matos) and 2009 (JR Hildebrand). AFS/Andretti also joined forces in 2009 and 2010 with IZOD IndyCar Series entries piloted by Franck Montagny and Adam Carroll respectively.

Prior to making his IndyCar Series debut at the Indianapolis 500, it is expected that Filippi will test at a yet-to-be-determined location prior to Rookie Orientation at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Other program details will be announced at a later date.

RLL returns to full-time IZOD IndyCar Series competition in 2012 for the first time since 2008. That season saw Ryan Hunter-Reay finish seventh in the final series standings, marking the 11th consecutive year that a RLL driver finished the year in the top-10 in driver points. The winners of the 1992 IndyCar championship as well as the 2004 Indianapolis 500, RLL Indy cars have finished in the top 10 in more than half of its 587 career series starts.