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Simona De Silvestro's Race For Indycar Rookie Of The Year Comes To Mid-Ohio


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Lexington, August 5, 2010: With six races left in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, the race for this year’s rookie points champion is quickly approaching the finish line, creating a strong sense of urgency for series rookie Simona De Silvestro and her Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew. After a solid 9th place finish in Toronto and a strong running in 6th at Edmonton before contact from another driver, Simona brings momentum and speed into Mid-Ohio this weekend. The Mid-Ohio Sports Complex is no stranger to Simona. She has raced here in the past as part of the Formula BMW USA Series and then again as part of the Atlantic Championship Series and now she returns this weekend to compete in the Honda 200 Presented by Westfield Insurance as part of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

This weekend’s event is condensed with only 2 practice sessions, but Simona is ready to tackle the 2.25 mile famed road course. Last week Simona, along with other IZOD IndyCar drivers, participated in a test at the Mid-Ohio track and she ran a total of 53 trouble free laps. The test yielded valuable knowledge and data and her fastest lap was only 0.20 of a second off the fastest lap of the session. That top level speed is what Simona will look to bring to this weekend’s race in the No. 78 Stargate Resistance Dallara/Honda.

The race will be televised live on Versus TV on Sunday, August 8th at 2:30 pm EST. Radio coverage will be provided on XM Radio Channel 145 and SIRIUS Channel 211. Additional coverage will be provided at www.indycar.com .

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78: “I’m really looking forward to returning to Mid-Ohio this weekend and to a return to a road course race. I am very fortunate to be with the team that I have and it’s my hope to end this weekend on a very high note. We had a very productive test at Mid-Ohio last week and I’m hoping to bring what we learned and apply it to the race.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Owner: “Simona is gaining performance with every outing. We need to earn some valuable points and good finishes at this stage to reflect accurately the performance we have had. That is what we are focusing on. We hope to be steady Eddie.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal: “The team has had a valuable opportunity to test at this circuit last week and we hope to be competitive going into this weekend. Simona is getting more comfortable in the car with each passing session and we look forward to her continued progress.”