Seven Atlantic Championship Grads Ready for Indianapolis 500

BROWNSBURG, May 21, 2009: When the green flag falls on Sunday’s 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 33-driver starting field will include seven drivers with previous experience in the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.

Leading the contingent of Atlantic graduates will be Graham Rahal, who starts fourth in the No. 02 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing machine with a four-lap qualifying average of 223.954 mph (2:40.7470). It will be Rahal’s second Indy 500 start. The son of racing legend and another Atlantic graduate, Bobby Rahal, Graham finished second in the 2006 Atlantic championship. Meanwhile, the elder Rahal—who won the 1986 Indy 500—is the owner of the No. 17 machine that Spain’s Oriol Servia will start from the ninth row.

Row 4 includes a pair of former Atlantic competitors. Starting on the inside will be Danica Patrick in the No. 7 Andretti Green Racing entry with a four-lap average of 222.882 mph (2:41.5205). Patrick, who competed in the full 2003 and 2004 Atlantic seasons, won Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 with a fourth-place result, her best in four “500” appearances.

On the outside will be 2007 Atlantic champion Raphael Matos in the No. 2 Luczo Dragon Racing machine at 223.429 mph (2:41.1252). Matos is making his Indianapolis 500 debut weekend and is one of the leading contenders for the coveted Rookie of the Year title. Former Atlantic graduates have won Rookie of the Year honors in two of the last three Indianapolis 500s and a total of 10 times since Howdy Holmes became the first Atlantic grad to win Rookie of the Year in 1979.

Starting 13th and on the inside of the fifth row will be Paul Tracy in the No 15 KV Racing Technology machine at 223.111 mph (2:41.3545). Tracy competed in Atlantic in 1987, and will be making his sixth Indianapolis 500 start on Sunday. Starting on the outside of Row 6 will be 2005 Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon in the No. 4 Panther Racing entry at 222.777 mph (2:41.5969). Wheldon competed full time in the 2000 Atlantic Championship, and is one of seven former Atlantic drivers to have won the Indianapolis 500.

Starting next to each other on the 11th row are the final two Atlantic grads in the 2009 Indy field, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alex Tagliani. Hunter-Reay, who won Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors last year, starts 32nd for his second “500” in the No. 21 Vision Racing machine at 220.597 mph (2:43.1934). Hunter-Reay competed full time in the Atlantic Championship in 2002.

Tagliani, meanwhile, will make his first Indy start on Sunday from the 33rd position in the No. 36 Conquest Racing entry. Tagliani replaces Bruno Junqueira, who qualified the No. 36 machine last Sunday. Tagliani was an Atlantic Championship regular from 1996 through 1999.