Arie Luyendyk Jr. Phoenix Pre-Race Release
For Immediate Release March 15, 2004 Media Contact: Janie Vogel (440) 808-1813, ilikeracing@comcast.net ARIE LUYENDYK, JR. PRE-RACE RELEASE "Phoenix 100" Phoenix International Raceway March 19-20, 2004 FAST FACTS 2004 MENARDS INFINITI PRO SERIES #5 Active Intl / Sam Schmidt Motorsports / Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone Driver: Arie Luyendyk Jr. (teammate to #11 Thiago Medeiros) Owner: Sam Schmidt Team Manager: Michael Crawford Crew Chief: Chris Griffis Chief Mechanic: Scott Fehr Engineer: Blair Perschbacher Websites: www.ArieLuyendykJr.com -- www.SamSchmidtMotorsports.com WHAT: "Phoenix 100" - Second race in 12-race 2004 season WHERE: Phoenix International Raceway, 1-mile paved oval WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2:45 pm (EST) DISTANCE: 100 laps/100 miles CARS: Dallara chassis; Infiniti Q45 engines; Firestone tires PAST RACE WINNERS: 2003 - Mark Taylor 2003 SERIES CHAMPION: Mark Taylor TV: ESPN2, 3:30-4:00 pm. (EST), March 25. FOLLOW ARIE JR. DURING RACE WEEKEND ACTIVITIES Via his website at www.ArieLuyendykJr.com - reports will be posted after each on-track session; Via www.indyracing.com/pro with live timing and scoring. HOMESTEAD RACE WEEKEND RESULTS (race #1 of 12, run February 29, 2004): Qualified: 2nd (28.191 mph, 189.629 mph) Finished: 9th (running in 3rd spot until accident on lap 22) Race Winner: Phil Giebler NOTE: Arie Jr. was the quickest driver overall in both practices on Friday for the "Homestead-Miami 100," with a time of 28.313 seconds and a speed of 188.818 mph. PREVIOUS PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY EXPERIENCE: Arie Luyendyk Jr. raced at Phoenix International Raceway during the 2003 IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series season, qualifying 15th and finishing 10th in the race (originally qualified 3rd, but a practice crash forced Arie Jr. to start at the back of the grid on race day). Arie Sr. Note: Arie Luyendyk, Arie Jr.'s father and two-time Indy 500 winner, qualified on the pole at PIR (a track record he still holds, 19.608 seconds, 183.599 mph) and won the IRL race there in 1996 and also won in 1991 when CART was competing at PIR; NEXT RACE: "Freedom 100" at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Saturday, May 22nd. The "Freedom 100" will be televised live on ESPN2 at 2:00 pm (EDT). ARIE JR. PRE-RACE QUOTES Quote from Arie Jr. on running with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2004: "I am really happy to have the opportunity to race for Sam this year. I know he's got good equipment, good personnel and an all-around good team, so I should be able to do very well there and hopefully win a race or two. Of course, we are still working on an IndyCar Series program for this year, and hope to have something in place soon. But I need to be in a race car as much as possible, and this ride is giving me the opportunity to do that and stay sharp as the 2004 season starts. I want to thank Sam for this ride - I hope I can reward him by landing in Victory Circle." Quote from car owner Sam Schmidt: "Arie Luyendyk Sr. and I were teammates on Fred Treadway's IndyCar team in '99 at Indy, and I still have that in my memory as one of my absolute best experiences as an IndyCar Series driver. He was a phenomenal teammate. Either one of us should have won (the Indy 500) in that year. So to be able to put this deal together to run Arie Jr. is great for everybody. I'm pleased to be running Junior. I think he has a great personality and I think he's got a lot of talent - hopefully our team can help show that." After a rough start to the year (being taken out in a crash at Homestead while racing for second, eventually finishing ninth), what is going to be your approach to the tough PIR oval? "We're going to go off of what we learned in pre-season testing. Because our car had to be rebuilt after the crash in Homestead, we'll have to take some time to shake the car down and make sure everything is bolted on and running properly. After that, we'll stick to our regular routine. I've gotten past thinking about the crash in Homestead - if I continue to be frustrated about it, I've already put myself at a disadvantage. I won't change how I approach the weekend as far as doing anything to avoid another situation like that as it wasn't my fault to begin with. If I hit the wall again, then I do. "Last year we got off to a good start at PIR, but we had an unfortunate practice crash which put us at the back of the grid for the start of the race. The emphasis this year will be to get the car good on long runs. You obviously want to be fast in qualifying, but the track is fairly difficult and the guys who have the best car late in the race will do well. One thing that will help will be that a lot of my friends and family will be there to support me, which will be really nice." What do you think about the new changes at PIR? "The changes will be good for racing. We'll be able to go two-wide through turns one and two, which we couldn't do before. It will be easier to be racy with everyone. The only thing that might be a bit harder is that we don't have the same reference points as before. But after two laps, you get used to the new configuration and it's not an issue. During the open test, it was my first time with the new track configuration, so I had to change my approach in the corners a bit and adapt to the changes. Once I got the hang of that, it's really the same." You were fast all weekend in Homestead and looked to be headed toward a great finish. Talk a little about the mental boost of being at the top of the speed chart in practice in qualifying? "It's never a bad thing to be fast any time you are on the track. Obviously, everyone wants to be quick every time. It's a little less important at tracks like Homestead and Texas because of the track length. But at Phoenix, if you are at the top of the speed charts for practice and qualifying, it typically reflects in the race. It will be important to be fast in practice at Phoenix because we don't have that much time before qualifying there." Your dad won at PIR in '91 and '96, currently holds the 1-lap track record, and he is now your spotter. Talk about how that will help you? "His experience really won't help me much except for what he typically does as my spotter. It's my third year in the Pro Series. If I don't know the line around the track by now, I'm in the wrong sport. If I do something wrong, he tells me - he really doesn't need to coach me too much anymore." Talk a little bit about the frustration that was a result of your Homestead crash? "It was really frustrating because in 2002 we could have won the championship if I hadn't crashed in the first race. Last year was bad all the way around, ending with the crash in Texas after sitting on the pole, and this year has not started off very good. It seems like every time we qualify on the front row, something bad happens in the race. We get ahead of the game in qualifying, then the bad luck hits. All of my good finishes last year came after I started on the back row. I seem to have had a lot of bad luck lately, and I tell myself that it will turn around soon. Maybe Phoenix will be the start of something good." PHOENIX INT'L RACEWAY SCHEDULE (all times local; subject to change) Thursday, March 18 5:00-9:00 pm - Tempe SPEEDFEST Driver Autograph Session Friday, March 19 10:00-10:45 am - Menards Infiniti Pro Series PRACTICE 1:50-2:20 pm - Menards Infiniti Pro Series PRACTICE 3:45 pm - Menards Infiniti Pro Series QUALIFYING Saturday, March 20 8:35-8:50 am - Menards Infiniti Pro Series WARM-UP 2:15 pm - Menards Infiniti Pro Series PRE-RACE 2:45 pm - Menards Infiniti Pro Series RACE (100 laps) DRIVER PROFILE A R I E L U Y E N D Y K J R. The B A S I C S . . . Age 22 Residence Scottsdale, AZ Birthplace Den-Bosch, Netherlands Height / Weight 6' 2", 175 lbs. Marital Status Single Website www.ArieLuyendykJr.com 2004 (after the conclusion of the "Homestead-Miami 100" at HMS): a.. Menards Infiniti Pro Series Point Standings: 9th b.. *2003 points - 7th; 2002 - 2nd; c.. Leader in IPS all-time consecutive starts with 20; d.. Finished in the top 10 for a record 10th consecutive race' e.. Leading the IRL Crew's "Most Popular Driver Award" polling after fan voting in Homestead; 2003 HIGHLIGHTS a.. Named the IRL Crew's "Most Popular Driver Award" winner for the Infiniti Pro Series; b.. Finished 7th overall in the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series, c.. 2nd in IPS laps completed; d.. 5 top-5 finishes; e.. Tied with Ed Carpenter for IPS all-time consecutive starts with 19; f.. Most consecutive IPS top-10 finishes with 11; g.. Won pole position during the "dreamerscandles.com 100" at Texas Motor Speedway, and also the "Michigan 100" at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway in August (the second year in a row for this accomplishment at that track). CAREER HIGHLIGHTS a.. Participated in the 2004 Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race at Daytona International Speedway, and was the fastest driver on the track before mechanical troubles sidelined car; b.. Finished second overall in the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series in 2002, with four second-place finishes in seven events; c.. Won the SCCA F2000 SoPAC National Championships on the strength of four victories in 2001; d.. Finished third at the FF1800 Marlboro Masters event in front of home crowd in Zandvoort, Netherlands, in 2001; e.. Wins in SCCA Regional and National races; f.. Wins in Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series; g.. Top-5 finishes in US FF2000 Series; h.. Wins in SCCA FF2000 National Series; i.. 5th in US FF2000 Oval Crown Championship (2001); j.. 3rd in SCCA FF2000 Valvoline Runoffs (2001); k.. Began racing karts in 1992. NOTES A R I E L U Y E N D Y K J R. Next Race: Arie Jr. will be participating in a limited schedule in the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series in 2004, racing in Homestead (2/29), Phoenix (3/20) and Indianapolis (5/22) while pursuing opportunities in the IndyCar Series. Gone Fishin': Arie Jr. took time away from preparing for the 2004 racing season to take part in an expedition to the Caribbean island of Grenada February 13-15 to explore issues related to the conservation of the ocean and its big bill fish. The outing was organized by the Oceanic Conservation Organization (OCO) in an attempt to educate and raise awareness for the plight of big bill fish and the efforts to conserve them and their environment. Invited by fellow driver Greg Ray, who with the OCO promoted this trip to Grenada, Arie Jr. had the opportunity to see first-hand the effects the fishing industry has had on big bill fish, and what is actively being done to preserve these creatures and their ocean environment. 24-Hour Marathon: Arie Jr. participated in the Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance sportscar race for the SpeedSource team on January 29-Feb. 1, 2004, competing in a powerful Daytona Prototype machine, the fastest on the circuit. The team's results were not as good as anyone expected due to lingering mechanical difficulties throughout the event that eliminated their efforts just short of 300 laps. But during one of two stints Arie Jr. was on the track, he set the quickest time of any driver on the course in some of the worst conditions experienced in this marathon race at any time in the history of the event (monsoon-like rain). Popular Arie: Arie won the IRL Crew's 2003 "Most Popular Driver Award" for the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series, copying the feat his famous father achieved by winning that same award the first year it was given for an IRL driver. Arie Jr. led the polling for this award at every track the Pro Series visited in 2003, finishing with a remarkable four times the amount of votes than his second-place pursuer, Aaron Fike. Arie was honored for winning the "Most Popular Driver Award" at the IRL Crew's yearly banquet in Indianapolis on November 8, 2003. Arie Jr. is once again leading the 2004 "Most Popular Driver Award" poll for the Pro Series after fan voting at Homestead. Arie's New Fan Club: Appropriately, Arie introduced a new Fan Club at the IRL Crew banquet! Membership benefits include: Official Certificate of Membership; 2003-04 Publicity Card Signed by Arie; Official Race Schedule; Appearance Schedule Select Track Ticket Discounts; Access to Special Members-Only Section on Arie's Website; Invitation to Members-Only Fan Club Parties; Special One-On-One Photo Opportunities with Arie; Merchandise Discounts; Official Laminated Membership Card / Assigned Membership Number; Monthly Newsletter With Exclusive News Written by Arie to His Fans Inclusion on Arie's VIP E-mail List To Receive Regular Insider Updates; VIP Access To Special Events; Sponsor Decal Giveaways; Product and Service Discounts, and much more! Individual memberships are $10.00, while family memberships (for up to four family members) are $25.00. For more information or to join, please call Janie Vogel at (440) 808-1813 or e-mail ilikeracing@comcast.net. Busy Off-Season: In preparation for a possible 2004 IRL campaign, Arie Jr. has been working every day on sponsorship and promotional programs to set him up for the proper funding to run in the IRL. Other activities that have kept Arie Jr. busy have included spending time in the Los Angeles area pursuing some modeling opportunities, as well as being utilized as a teacher/expert in various "ride and drive" programs for corporate clients. The IRL even sent a photographer to the Phoenix area to spend the day with Arie Jr. taking various lifestyle photos of him for use in 2004 sales, marketing and public relations materials. Arie Jr. and Sr. both attended the massive SEMA automotive trade show in Las Vegas in November, and Arie Jr. attended the PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis. In between official functions and meetings, Arie has been getting into his full off-season training routine, including weight lifting and running, in preparation for not only the 2004 IRL season, but possibly participating in a few half-marathons throughout the year A Model Driver: Arie recently signed a contract with the world-famous Ford Robert Black Modeling Agency in Scottsdale, Ariz. and the Ford Modeling Agency in Los Angeles, Calif. Look for Arie's pretty face on a billboard near you... Cataloging Arie's Career: 22-year-old Arie was featured in the Fall "Back To School" issue of the widely read Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, with a full page Q&A interview accompanied by a stunning full-page, full-color photograph. To view a portion of the A & F layout, visit Arie's website at www.ArieLuyendykJr.com, and click on the "media" link. European Flair: Scottsdale resident Arie is making waves in Europe, as the Italian version of Vogue Magazine tapped this rising star to feature in their recent July issue, with four pictures (two full-page color shots). To view a portion of the Vogue layout, visit Arie's website at www.arieluyendykjr.com, and click on the "media" link. Media Magnet: Arie's accumulated an impressive list of major media appearances in 2003, including: Italian Vogue (July, feature article and full-page, color photo); Abercrombie & Fitch Fall catalog (feature article and full-page color photo); Stuff Magazine (February, 2004); USA Today; Autosport; Racer Magazine; RPM2Nite (ESPN2); Spike TV - "Super 2nr"; USAToday; ABC Radio and the SPEED Channel. 2004 IRL MENARDS INFINITI PRO SERIES SCHEDULE 2/29 - Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL 3/20 - Phoenix International Speedway, Phoenix, AZ 5/22 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN 7/4 - Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, KS 7/17 - Nashville Superspeedway, Nashville, TN 7/25 - The Milwaukee Mile, Milwaukee, WI 8/1 - Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI 8/14 - Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, KY 8/22 - Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO 9/11 - Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, IL 10/2 - California Speedway, Fontana, CA 10/16 - Texas Motor Speedway, Ft. Worth, TX Many thanks to Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s 2004 supporters: Average Joe's · Borla · Bosch · DeCosta Co. · Evolution Eyes Hubbards · Momo · Plan Express · Pocket Choppers RE/MAX · Widmaier Chiropractic For more information about Arie Luyendyk, Jr. please visit his website at: www.ArieLuyendykJr.com