Series news and notes 2011-09-26

Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines:
1. Sarah Fisher Racing to field Angie's List car for Scheckter
2. Wheldon to drive Sam Schmidt Motorsports car at Kentucky
3. Brembo named IZOD IndyCar Series' exclusive brake systems supplier

Tomas Scheckter, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Photo by: IndyCar Series

1. Sarah Fisher Racing to field Angie's List car for Scheckter: Tomas Scheckter says though an IZOD IndyCar Series team offered him the opportunity to compete in more races there was a comfort level with Sarah Fisher Racing that was difficult to dismiss.

So that potential deal became a one-race partnership with the Indianapolis-based team -- the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships Presented by Honda on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- in the green and white No. 57 Angie's List Special.

Scheckter will be teamed with Ed Carpenter -- former teammates at Vision Racing -- who also is competing in the No. 67 Dollar General car this weekend in the Kentucky Indy 300. Carpenter, the 2010 pole sitter at Kentucky Speedway, has been the race runner-up the past two seasons. He tested at the 1.5-mile oval Sept. 23.

"If you see the ways these cars have been running on the ovals, especially Indianapolis with Ed, it was hard to pass up," said Scheckter, who has two victories in 118 IZOD IndyCar Series starts. "I think we have a very good chance at Vegas.

"Sarah and (husband, team manager) Andy (O'Gara) are one -- they want to win races and they spend the money in the right places. They have a good group of people here and it's a family organization that's about winning races. As a driver, you want to be a part of that."

Scheckter, who drove on the 1.5-mile, high-banked Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a rental car earlier this summer, said he expects two- and three-wide racing for the entire 200 laps.

"If I would have went out there (in an IZOD IndyCar Series car), I would have done the first lap wide open," said Scheckter, who turned 31 on Sept. 21. "That's the flow of the track, and I thinnk you'll see some of the best racing of the season there."

In three starts this season, he has a best finish of eighth (advancing 13 positions at Indianapolis).

"I used to race a lot with Tomas when I was in the car years ago and I know he has a huge desire to do extremely well and has a real knack at oval racing. In fact, I think he won the Michigan race that I led," said Fisher, whose team is running two cars for the first time this season. "He's a great talent and has been a great teammate to Ed Carpenter, so I think he brings a lot from that aspect. We look for some really great things at Vegas."

Angie's List -- a service in which members receive unbiased consumer reports and reviews about service companies in their area -- has been a commercial partner since the inception of Sarah Fisher Racing in 2008, but this is the first time to be the primary sponsor of a car.

"We're big racing fans and have enjoyed the partnership we've had with Sarah Fisher Racing," Angie's List founder Angie Hicks said. "We were looking for an event that we could put together, not only a racing opportunity but also an event for our customers. So we're making this a dual project.

"A lot of people don't realize that we're national so we'll be able to meet some of these customers face to face that we've only talked before on the phone."

Fisher, who gave birth to daughter Zoey on Sept. 13, will be at the Kentucky Indy 300 this weekend. So will Zoey.

"We're looking forward to taking her to Kentucky for her first race."

2. Wheldon to drive Sam Schmidt Motorsports car at Kentucky: To prepare for his high-stakes race on Oct. 16, Dan Wheldon will compete in the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2.

Some might call it a rehearsal or a refresher, but the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion sees it as another opportunity to beat the best on the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval. He's receiving an assist from team owner Sam Schmidt and IZOD IndyCar Series driver Alex Tagliani.

Wheldon will drive the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins at Magnolia entry for Sam Schmidt Motorsports -- the car that Tagliani has driven in 15 events this season, including earning the pole for the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.

"I can't thank Alex enough for letting me drive his car in Kentucky and to work with the team in preparation for Las Vegas," Wheldon said. "I know when I step into the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins at Magnolia Honda, I'll be stepping into a fast race car that's capable of winning. As a driver, that's all you can ask for. I'm really excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with everyone at Sam's team. They were a large part of our winning effort in May, and I'll do my best to get back to Victory Lane."

Wheldon will compete in the $5 million Go Daddy INDYCAR Challenge -- a race within the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships Presented by Honda race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16. Win from the rear of the field in a car jointly entered by Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Bryan Herta Auutosport and he'll split the prize fund with a sweepstakes winner. ENTER THE SWEEPSTAKES HERE

He has five top-five finishes in eight starts at Kentucky Speedway, starting and finishing third in 2010.

"I am incredibly excited to have Dan Wheldon driving the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins at Magnolia car at Kentucky," Schmidt said. "Clearly, this is an amazing opportunity for our team and sponsors. We are putting as much energy and resources into winning the Go Daddy INDYCAR Challenge as we did for the Indy 500 with the intent of making one lucky fan an instant millionaire and capping off a great rookie season for SSM.

"I also appreciate Tag's support of this program. Being a race car driver myself, it would be extremely difficult to step out of a car I helped develop, but Alex is a true professional and team player in our pursuit to win this prize."

Tagliani has three top-five and six top-10 finishes to go along with two PEAK Performance Pole Awards.

"I'm obviously not happy about sitting out Kentucky, but this is a very exciting opportunity," Tagliani said. "Dan and I are good friends, and I'm very jealous that he gets to run for the $5 million. But I fully support what INDYCAR has done to generate fan interest and will do everything I can to help the SSM team run Dan in Kentucky and prepare for the Go Daddy Challenge.

"I'm out to win the Vegas race, as well, and won't back off one bit, so Dan will be on his own when the green flag drops."

3. Brembo named IZOD IndyCar Series' exclusive brake systems supplier: Brembo has been named the exclusive supplier of brake systems for the new IZOD IndyCar Series car, which debuts in 2012. The agreement will run until at least 2015.

Brembo will initially deliver brake systems directly to Dallara, the manufacturer of the new IZOD IndyCar Series chassis. Brembo's North American racing operation headquartered in Mooresville, NC will provide parts and support to the teams throughout the season.

Brembo's design of the new brake system was based on the IZOD IndyCar Series' requirements for a reliable, strong yet lightweight system, that yielded high performance at a competitive cost. Unlike previous years, the series also wanted the same brake system to be used for both ovals and road courses, adding another challenge for Brembo's design team.

Employing its recent experience in F1, GP2 and at Le Mans, Brembo engineered a 6-piston, monobloc aluminum caliper machined from billet with titanium-radiated pistons (28/30/36 mm) weighing a mere 2 kg. The system will be used on all 4 corners of the new Dallara chassis. Brembo's 6-piston caliper will increase stiffness and performance of the system without comprising IndyCar's weight requirements.

This new innovative system will incorporate lightweight CER200 carbon-carbon discs (328mm x 30mm), similar to rotors used in Formula 1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and CCR400 carbon pads. These long-lasting components will allow the teams to run the entire season optimizing the quantity of components needed.

Brembo's history with open-wheel racing in America started in 1989 in the CART Indy car championship. Brembo supplied its first racing brake system to Ferrari in 1975 in the Formula One World Championship. Since then, the Italian company has invested heavily in research and development of highly innovative and technological products, offering high performance, while guaranteeing maximum reliability and safety.

Brembo is a world leader and acknowledged innovator of disc brake technology for automotive vehicles, with USD1.5 billion in revenues. Brembo supplies high-performance brake systems for the most important manufacturers of cars, commercial vehicles and motorbikes worldwide. Brembo also manufactures clutches, seats, seat belts and other components specifically designed for racing and is a leader in motorsports with more than 200 championship wins. Today the company operates in 15 countries on 3 continents with 35 production and business sites with a staff of 6,000 employees, about 10 percent of whom are engineering and product R&D specialists.

Brembo sells its products under the following brands: Brembo, Breco, Bybre, Marchesini, Sabelt and AP Racing.

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The next IZOD IndyCar Series event is the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2 at Kentucky Speedway. The race will be televised live at 2 p.m. (ET) by VERSUS and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is Kentucky 100 on Oct. 2 at the Kentucky Speedway. The race will be televised by VERSUS at Noon (ET).