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[/media-credit]RACE ADVANCE NOTES/QUOTES—- Dallas, Texas, June 7, 2012
Fast Facts:
Oriol Servia
^ This weekend will mark Servia’s 4th start at Texas Motor Speedway. Last year he started 14th and finished 21st in race one and in race two he started 17th and finished 15th. In 2008, he started 16th and finished 26th due to contact.
^ In the last six races combined, Servia has gained a total of 73 positions (7 positions in St. Pete to finish 16th, 13 positions in Barber to finish 13th, 7 positions in Long Beach to finish 16th, 12 positions in Brazil to finish 11th, 23 positions in Indianapolis to finish 4th, and 11 positions in Detroit to finish 5th).
^ The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix marked the second top-five finish in a row for Panther DRR and Oriol Servia.
^ This year’s Indianapolis 500 marked a career-best result in the race for Oriol Servia and Panther DRR. It was the Spaniard’s fourth start and he finished the day with his best result for the race. It was the same story for the team. The race was Panther DRR’s 13th start and their best result for the Indianapolis 500 race as well.
^ Servia qualified 27th for the 96th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and finished a career-best at the IMS track with a 4th place result. After a last minute stop due to a tire going down in the early part of the race, Servia went a lap down for most of the event as a result. During the last stint, Servia got his lap back and went from 18th to 4th place in 20 laps.
^ Valspar will be the primary on the No. 22 machine this weekend. The Valspar Corporation is one of the largest global coatings manufacturers in the world, providing coatings and coating intermediates to a wide variety of customers and applications. Since 1806, Valspar has been dedicated to bringing customers the latest innovations, the finest quality, and the best customer service in the coatings industry.
^ Last year Oriol Finished fourth in IZOD IndyCar Series standings….Recorded 11 top-10 finishes, with a best of second at New Hampshire and Baltimore….Among three drivers to be running at the finish in all 17 races….. Led all drivers in laps completed (2,103 of 2,011)….Oriol was the only driver to finish in the top 10 in first five races of the season.
Panther DRR
^ This weekend will mark Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s 18th time to compete at the 1.5-mile oval. The team has started at least one car in every race at the track since 2000. In 2001, Robbie Buhl finished team best of 3rd in 2001. DRR has led a total of 33 laps at Texas Motor Speedway.
^ It was announced in May that the Indianapolis-based squad has united with two-time IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing to form a strategic alliance on Oriol Servia’s entry for the remainder of the 2012 season. The No. 22 Panther/DRR team will utilize Panther’s second Chevrolet engine lease and work in conjunction with the No. 4 National Guard team and driver JR Hildebrand.
Oriol Servia, No. 22 Panther DRR, on momentum going into Texas: “I’m super happy with our momentum and I want to continue getting top-five results for Chevy. You need to be getting those top-fives to really start getting some podiums and you need to be on the podium all of the time to really start getting some wins. We are doing the right steps and we’re trying to be solid in the top-five, so hopefully a couple podiums will fall in our lap soon and then we can start focusing on wins. We are doing a great job and we are performing like the top team that we are. Texas will be a little bit of a different weekend and we are just going to try and get the most points that we can.”
Back on Track: Panther DRR will be back on track this weekend for the Firestone 550 in Fort Worth, Texas. The race is scheduled for Saturday, June 9th at 8:00 pm ET. Live coverage will be on the NBC Sports Network and the IMS Radio Network. Please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com for more updates.
About Panther DRR:
Panther DRR will be entering its 13th season of full-time competition in 2012, making it one of the longest-tenured teams in IZOD IndyCar Series competition. Current Co-Owners, Dennis Reinbold and Robbie Buhl, first teamed in full-time competition at the Walt Disney World Speedway in January of 2000. With Buhl behind the wheel, the two owners tasted victory in their debut race. DRR now has over 305 starts to tuck under its belt and has qualified a total of 31 cars for the Indianapolis 500. In its history, the team has boasted a championship list of alumni drivers. Besides Buhl, the team has run Indianapolis 500 winners, Al Unser, Jr., Buddy Lazier, and Buddy Rice, along with IZOD IndyCar Series race winner, Ryan Briscoe. The team has one of the longest lines of heritage in American open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 as Dennis Reinbold’s grandfather, “Pop” Dreyer, built leading roadsters that raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
