HVM Racing Signs Robert Doornbos

Robert Doornbos

HVM Racing will run two cars in the IndyCar Series for the remainder of the 2009 season after signing Robert Doornbos to drive for the team through 2010. The deal returns the Dutch driver to the team for which he won Champ Car Rookie of the Year honors in 2007.

Doornbos will drive the No. 33 car beginning with this weekend’s race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The addition gives PDVSA HVM Racing team driver E.J. Viso a teammate to work with – a benefit he previously had for only one race this season when Nelson Philippe drove for HVM in the Indy 500.

The 27-year-old Doornbos drove for HVM Racing in 2007 when the team competed in Champ Car under the name Team Minardi USA. He celebrated victories at Mont-Tremblant and San Jose, finished the season third in the championship standings and captured Rookie of the Year honors.

“I am very happy to rejoin (HVM team principal and owner) Keith Wiggins, (HVM engineer and strategist) Michael Cannon and HVM Racing," said Doornbos. “I was very successful with this team in 2007. My mission is to become Rookie of the Year again with this young and eager team. I like to thank Keith for his confidence in my driver skills and look forward to the first race for HVM next weekend."

“We are happy to have Robert return to the team," said Wiggins. “He had a very good year with us in ’07 and he has a great deal of experience behind the wheel, so he will be a good addition to our team. And, of course, everyone in our organization knows him and likes him, so we’ll just be picking up where we left off with him two years ago."

Doornbos’s career includes stints in Formula One, Formula 3000, Superleague Formula and A1 Grand Prix. He made 12 starts in the IndyCar Series this season for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, earning four Top-10 finishes before joining HVM Racing. HVM PR