Matsuura Ready for Race Kosuke Matsuura [Kohs-kay Mat-sur-ah] Fast Facts: * This will be his 3 rd Indianapolis 500 * Qualified on the inside of the Third Row in seventh position with a four-lap average of 225.503 mph, his best starting ...
Matsuura Ready for Race
Kosuke Matsuura [Kohs-kay Mat-sur-ah] Fast Facts:
* This will be his 3 rd Indianapolis 500
* Qualified on the inside of the Third Row in seventh position with a four-lap average of 225.503 mph, his best starting position at Indianapolis
* This was his third top-10 qualifying effort at Indy (eighth in 2005 and ninth in 2004)
* Was the 2004 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year and American Dairy Assn. of Indiana Fastest Rookie of the Year
* Claimed his best result in the Indy 500 in 2004, finishing 11th
* Is one of only six Japanese drivers to have competed in the Indianapolis 500 (Tora Takagi, Hiro Matsushita, Hideshi Matsuda, Shigeaki Hattori and Shinji Nakano)
* Best finish by a Japanese driver to date was fifth (Takagi in 2003)
* Is in his third season of IndyCar Series competition and will be making his 37 th career start
* Earned IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2004
* Is currently sixth in the 2006 championship standings with three top-seven results
* Best finish to date this season was sixth at Homestead
* 26 years old from Aichi, Japan
* Currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana
* Made his US racing debut in 2004 in the IndyCar Series
* Finished third in the 2003 Formula Renault V6 Eurocup Championship with three wins and eight podiums
* Finished second in German F3 competition in 2002 with two wins and six pole positions
* Won the 2000 Japanese Formula Dream Championship with six wins and eight pole positions
* Is part of team owner and ex-Formula One driver Aguri Suzuki's ARTA (Autobacs Racing Team Aguri) Project driver development program
* Is an avid golfer
Kosuke Matsuura, #55 Panasonic ARTA Dallara/Honda/Firestone -- Starting 7th:
"This was our last run before the race. Everything feels okay, but I think we had a little too much downforce for today. For the race, the weather should be a lot warmer and I think we will be okay. The car has a pretty good balance."
-www.superagurifernandezracing.net
