Indy Lights - Citizenre To Support Stefan WIson At Las Vegas

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 12, 2011: Andretti Autosport announced today that solar electric systems provider Citizenre Corporation will serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 5 Firestone Indy Lights car driven by Stefan Wilson for the season finale race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16.

Founded in 2005 and based in San Diego, Citizenre was the first to bring "solar power for rent" to a national residential audience. In 2006, Citizenre introduced an industry breakthrough solar electricity rental product for residential photovoltaic (PV). The company's vision of "PV for all" captivated thousands and sparked an unprecedented surge in U.S. residential leasing.

During the intervening recession, the drop in PV component prices enabled Citizenre to bring affordable PV to average homeowners in several states throughout the western U.S.

The Citizenre program packages solar power for consumers in a simple and smart way: Citizenre pays for, installs, owns and operates the solar installation, while the customer only pays a flat monthly rent for the solar electricity produced.

"We are pleased to be the primary sponsor of Stefan's final race of the season, a time when he is on the verge of great success," said Citizenre CEO David Gregg. "He's young and highly focused. He quietly and methodically makes it happen. We feel his positive attitude and strong work ethic are the kinds of attributes that parallel those of our own company."

Wilson clinched his second Firestone Indy Lights win of the 2011 season with Citizenre as an associate sponsor in the Kentucky Indy 100 on Oct. 2. Starting on pole, Wilson won the 67-lap race with a 3.1136-second victory over championship leader Josef Newgarden. The finish was Wilson's first oval victory, after his Firestone Indy Lights win at the streets of Toronto, and his ninth top-five finish this season.

"I'm really excited to have Citizenre on board as my title sponsor in Vegas," Wilson said. "It was great to give them a win in Kentucky, and I think the team has a good shot to do well at the finale this weekend, also. Renewable energy and preserving the environment is something I'm personally very passionate about, so it's an honor to represent Citizenre at the track. I'll be working hard to make it back to the top step of the podium in the Citizenre car at Vegas!"

Wilson, a 21-year-old driver from Sheffield, England, previously competed in two Firestone Indy Lights seasons. He most recently earned three top-five finishes, including one podium finish, in 11 starts in 2010. Wilson is the younger brother of IZOD IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson. Stefan began racing karts at the age of nine and competed nationally and internationally for several years before launching his single-seater career.

With one more race in the 14-event series, Wilson now has a seven-point advantage over Esteban Guerrieri for second place in the championship points standings. The Firestone Indy Lights season will conclude Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the Firestone Indy Lights is part of INDYCAR's Mazda Road to Indy driver development ladder program. Andretti Autosport is currently the only INDYCAR team with entries in all levels of the Mazda Road to Indy, and has secured multiple victories in each series in 2011.

To Citizenre, tying into the Indy races represents the progression of technology and the advancement of the auto industry, which Gregg believes will see a major shift in the next century as people transition to electric vehicles. "This is where it starts," Gregg said. "These drivers are at the cutting edge and will be driving this awareness."