Last night around 5:15PM (Pacific) as Don Kay went off the Air from his weekly Autosport Radio Show, he threw out the little tidbit that Junior Strous who was apparently in the audience would be driving for HVM Racing and an announcement would be following shortly… So here’s the Press Release that was awaiting me this morning in the No Fenders mailbox.
HVM Racing Launches Indy Lights Program with Strous
Dutch Driver Eager to Take Winning Ways to IZOD IndyCar Series
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (March 10, 2010) -
HVM Racing will participate in the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season with a car driven by Junior Strous, with the intention of progressing the Dutch racer to the IZOD IndyCar Series. The 23-year-old driver won two races and led the FIL championship standings in 2009 before having to stop his season early. He will pilot the Shell/HVM Racing car, beginning with the series-opening Streets of St. Petersburg (Fla.) on March 28.
HVM Racing team principal and owner Keith Wiggins recognizes the benefits of a ladder system to develop drivers for the premier-level IZOD IndyCar Series and welcomes the opportunity to work with the young driver.
"Junior is a proven talent," Wiggins said. "He's won races, so we know he has good skills behind the wheel. We will start him in a (Firestone Indy) Lights car and plan to do some testing with him in the big car at some point this season also. I have no doubt that with continued development he will be in an IZOD IndyCar Series car in the future."
"I'm now closer to reaching my ultimate goal and that's racing the big IndyCars," Strous said. "If I have a chance to improve my position, I'll always go for it. The HVM partnership offers me good opportunities both for the short and long term in my racing career. HVM is the place to be to achieve my goals."
Strous will run with sponsorship from Shell and the European-based Car Channel Television Network. Car Channel has acquired the live television broadcasting rights for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights in the Netherlands.
"The IZOD IndyCar Series has a large fan base in Europe," said Etienne Marijnissen, CEO of Car Channel. "Junior driving for Keith Wiggins and HVM is a great development for European televisions viewers, who will get a better understanding and feeling for the fast and exciting Indy Racing League. We will follow Junior and the team on and off track. It will be an exciting racing season in the highest level of motorsports."
HVM Racing currently fields the No. 78 Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing entry, driven by Simona De Silvestro, in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
