KV Racing Technology looking for strong results at Edmonton Indy

Tony Kanaan, KV Racing Technology w/SH Chevrolet

Photo by: xpb.cc

Kanaan, who pilots the No. 11 GEICO | MOUSER ELECTRONICS– KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Firestone machine, is coming off a hard fought fourth place showing in Toronto (started 17th), which tied his season-high on a street/road circuit. It was the 37-year-old Brazilian’s third consecutive top-four finish coming off a season-high second at Milwaukee and a third at Iowa. Kanaan will be making his fifth appearance at Edmonton where he has earned a best starting position of 11th in 2011 and has scored two top-10 finishes, fourth last year and a ninth in his Edmonton debut in 2008.

“We had a good result here in Edmonton last year,” said Kanaan. “We are just trying to build on the positive things we have done the last few races. The team has been working really hard developing the car and hopefully we can get that first win we have been looking for this year.”

Kanaan is sixth in the championship race with 267 points, 68 points out of first place but, just 34 out of second. He has finished nine of the first 10 races this year (DNF at St. Petersburg due to a non-team related component failure) and has now finished in the top-six, six times with three top-three showings (Milwaukee, Iowa and third at Indy). Three of his top-six finishes have come on street circuits, the fourths at Toronto and Long Beach plus a sixth at Detroit.

Barrichello, in the No. 8 BMC | EMBRASE – KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Firestone entry, is looking to build on a solid performance in Toronto that saw him contend for a top-five finish, but have to settle for an 11th place showing when he had to make a final stop late in the race for a splash of fuel. The 40-year-old Brazilian, whose previous racing experience in Canada consisted of competing in 18 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix events (best starting spot of third in 2000 and 2002 and best finish of second in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2004) will be contesting his first Edmonton Indy. Barrichello, a 19-year veteran of F1, is considered a rookie on ovals and street or road circuits where he has not tested so, like Toronto, he will benefit from additional track time at in Edmonton.

“Edmonton looks like a fun race,” Barrichello said. “I love the atmosphere in Canada and the Edmonton race should be no different. I hope to learn the track fast and have my best weekend yet.”

Barrichello is currently sits 16th in the championship standings with 183 points, just 32 points out of 10th. He has finished eight of the 10 races this year (both his DNFs, Detroit and Texas, came as a result of non-team related component failures) earning five top-10 results (season-high seventh at Iowa, an eighth at Barber; ninth at Long Beach and 10th at Brazil and Milwaukee). In addition, he has finished 11th twice, Toronto and Indy, where he won the Chase Rookie of the Year Award.

Viso, behind the wheel of the No. 5 CITGO | PDVSA – KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Firestone car, had a weekend to forget in Toronto. He started in the back of the field after being penalized his two fastest qualifying laps, worked his way into the top-10 with solid driving and the help of a good race strategy, but then fell victim to a mechanical problem and finished 20th. The 27-year-old Venezuelan, who will also be contesting his fifth Edmonton event, has started in the top six twice in four previous races with a best qualifying spot of fifth last year (started sixth in 2010). He has a best finish of eighth in 2010.

"I am happy to be back at the new Edmonton, which was updated and changed last year,” Viso said. “It is a place where hard racing will happen once again this year and I am looking forward to it."

Viso is 19th in the standings with 172 points. The 27-year-old Venezuelan has finished eight of the 10 races this year and neither of his DNF’s were his, or the team’s fault (component failure in Texas and victim of an incident in Iowa). Viso has scored three top-10 finishes this season, a season-high fifth at Milwaukee, an eighth at St. Petersburg and a ninth at Brazil, but has been in contention in several other events before becoming the victim of what can only be described as bad luck. He has had some success in street/road qualifying making the Firestone Fast Six a team-high twice qualifying a season-high fifth at Long Beach (started 15th due to a penalty assessed an unauthorized engine change) and at Detroit.

KVRT has enjoyed some success at Edmonton, especially recently. In 17 total starts going back to 2005 the team has qualified in the top 10 a total of 10 times with eight top-five starting spots and one pole, Takuma Sato last year. They have finished in the top-10 nine times with three top-five showings and a best finish of fourth last year by Tony Kanaan. In the team’s last seven starts at Edmonton they have finished in the top-10 five times including placing four cars in the top-10 (Paul Tracy, sixth; Mario Moraes, seventh; E. J. Viso, eighth and Takuma Sato, ninth in 2010).

Source: KV Racing