Hunter-Reay pays dividends for Vision Racing

Ryan Hunter-Reay lost his Rahal ride last year when sponsor Ethanol did not renew

Ryan Hunter-Reay was Indy Racing League rookie of the year in 2007. He won rookie honors at the Indianapolis 500 in 2008 after not competing in the event in '07. But his team, Rahal-Letterman Racing, lost its primary sponsor and withdrew from the IRL, meaning Hunter-Reay did not even have a ride in this year's IRL.

He didn't, that is, until a week before the season opener April 5 at St. Petersburg, Fla. That's when he reached an agreement to drive for Tony George's Vision Racing.

All Hunter-Reay did was go out and take second place at St. Petersburg, the highest finish for Vision Racing in its five years of existence. Ryan Briscoe won.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to race for Vision. They are a top-notch IndyCar team and extremely professional," said Hunter-Reay, a former Champ Car driver from 2003-05 who will compete in this weekend's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

"We have a huge opportunity here to compete for wins all season, and (St. Pete) was an example of that. We've just brushed the surface and it's going to be exciting to watch our progression through the rest of the season."

Hunter-Reay refers to the Long Beach course as "The best American street circuit ever." Press Telegram