Alex Tagliani To Drive For Bryan Herta Autosport
It seems like the perfect combination on paper. The team that won the Indianapolis 500 last year has hired last year’s Indianapolis 500 pole winner to be their driver.
Bryan Herta Autosport announced that Alex Tagliani will drive for them in 2012.
With six top-10 finishes last year and two pole starts, BHA co-owners Bryan Herta and Steve Newey wanted to hire Tagliani due to his experience.
“We are very proud to have Alex Tagliani join our team for our first full season of IndyCar competition,” Herta said in a press release. “He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the program, and is the perfect fit for us and our sponsor partners. Together with Todd Malloy and Brian Page in engineering, and the Don Lambert-led crew, Alex has the full support of a very talented group of professionals behind him.”
Tagliani will be behind a Lotus next year, as BHA previously announced it’s factory partner. On January 12th, BHA is expected to reveal the team’s primary sponsor.
“I’m really happy to drive for BHA,” Tagliani said. “Having known Bryan for a long time, I recognize that he’s a nice guy with genuine integrity. I believe that he and Steve Newey deserve to own a great IndyCar team, and I’m honored to be part of the building of BHA’s 2012 program.
“It’s also a great honor for me to represent the Lotus brand as a factory partner. Lotus has so much history in the world of motorsports. As a team, we have a lot of work in front of us and while challenging, it will be fun to be at the core of both engine and team development. BHA has a great group of people and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Veteran race engineer Todd Malloy has already been re-signed by the team to lead the engineering efforts for the team.
Tagliani’s first task will be to lend his experience to the Lotus engine testing program, followed by team testing scheduled to begin in early February. The IZOD IndyCar Series kicks off the 2012 season March 25 on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Don Thomson Jr. To Crew Chief for J.R. Fitzpatrick in 2012
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Thomson Jr. hangs up his helmet as a driver for 2012 after winning seven Canadian championships and driving the EHR/Team 3 Red Dodge last year.
“I am really excited about this next chapter in my career and glad to be back at Fitzpatrick Motorsports, the Hamilton, Ontario native said. “I am comfortable here, I know the way the system works here and John is really committed to put the best product on the track for J.R. and our sponsor partners. I have also known J.R. since he was eight years old and he has grown to become the best driver in the series so I really want to be part of whatever he does up here.”
Before moving to EHR for 2011, Thomson had spent four years racing for Fitzpatrick so it was no surprise that shortly after the season, discussions started between J.R. Fitzpatrick, Thomson and team owner John Fitzpatrick.
“I know Thomson well and I know what he brings to the team,” John Fitzpatrick said. “We were a pretty formidable program, winning eight championships between him and J.R. during the CASCAR days and I expect his transition to Crew Chief here to be pretty seamless.”
The role of pit boss and adviser to Fitzpatrick isn’t a new role either as he built and crewed a late model program in the early years and was there for Fitzpatrick’s first laps behind the wheel of a CASCAR.
“I am really pumped to get this season started,” J.R. said. “I had a lot of good runs last season and Thomson’s addition to the team will only make us stronger. The new car should be great and to have another championship caliber mind working in the shop gives me great confidence.”
Fitzpatrick is looking for his first Canadian championship since winning the CASCAR championship 2006. Last year, Fitzpatrick finished third in points with 10 top 10s in 12 races.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season gets underway May 20 on the road course at Mosport International Raceway. The Championship will be comprised of 12 races in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
