Blooming Blogger

Welcome to the Honda Indy Toronto, the 10^th race of the 2009 IndyCar^® Series season. John Griffin, vice president of public relations for the Indy Racing League, and Al Larsen, director of media relations for the Andretti Green Promotions, and their staffs are here to assist you. Please direct your questions and requests to anyone in the Media Center.

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TODAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):

7 a.m. – 7 p.m.	Garages open
8:50 – 9:50 a.m.	Firestone Indy Lights practice #1
10:10 – 10:40 a.m.	IndyCar Series practice (Rookies and teams outside top 10)
10:40 – 11:40 a.m.	IndyCar Series practice #1 (all cars)
Noon – 12:40 p.m.	Firestone Indy Lights practice #2
1:50 – 2:50 p.m.	IndyCar Series practice #2 (all cars)
3:10 – 3:55 p.m.	Firestone Indy Lights qualifying
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.	Firestone Indy Lights autograph session (Direct Energy Center)

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This is the first IndyCar Series event held in Toronto. Exhibition Place has previously hosted open-wheel racing from 1986-2007. Past winners of those events entered this weekend include: Dario Franchitti (1999), Paul Tracy (1999, 2003), Justin Wilson (2005) and Will Power (2007).

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Live timing and scoring reports from the Honda Indy Toronto will be available on the Internet at www.indycar.com. The live timing and scoring module provides statistical information, including track segment speeds, lap information and much more. Feature stories, reports, driver quotes and notes, and photos will be posted on the site each day. More detailed information, including media advisories and VNR coordinates, is available at www.indycar.com/media. The user name is media and the password is indycar. The username and password are case-sensitive. Real-time race information is also available via twitter at www.twitter.com/indycarpr.

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Four drivers entered in this weekend’s Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Toronto have competed on the circuit in other open-wheel series, including Oakville, Ontario native James Hinchcliffe. The other drivers who have previously raced on the Exhibition Place street circuit are: J.R. Hildebrand, James Davison and Richard Philippe.

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Team owner Dale Coyne was handing “Our First Win” victory cigars to various IndyCar Series owners, drivers and mechanics to commemorate his team’s win by Justin Wilson at Watkins Glen.

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FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS PRACTICE #1

At 8 a.m., the ambient temperature was 64 degrees with a relative humidity of 83 percent and winds from the east at 5 mph. Skies were mostly cloudy. The track temperature was 80, according to Firestone engineers.

8:50 a.m. – Start of session is delayed due to track cleanup in Turns 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

9:10 a.m. – GREEN. Session will be extended to 10 a.m. #44 Yacaman is off course in Turn 3. Car continues on course.

9:16 a.m. – #26 Hildebrand sets fastest lap at 1 minute 8.2448 seconds.

9:18 a.m. – #5 Romancini sets fastest lap at 1:08.0085.

9:23 a.m. – #21 Davison sets fastest lap at 1:07.4355.

9:26 a.m. — #7 Hinchcliffe sets fastest lap at 1:07.3963.

9:28 a.m. – YELLOW. #5 Romancini does a quarter spin to the right in Turn 5.

9:31 a.m. – GREEN.

9:33 a.m. – #26 Hildebrand sets fastest lap at 1:07.3265

9:37 a.m. – #21 Davison sets fastest lap at 1:07.1028 only to be bettered by #27 Saavedra 1:07.0719

9:38 a.m. – #19 Wilson sets fastest lap at 1:06.7669.

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Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer Brian Stewart is fielding a car for a race in his home country for the first time in nearly a decade.

Russian driver Sergey Mokshantsev will race for Brian Stewart Racing this weekend.

“If you take the names out of Canada, Brian Stewart is probably one of the best-known Canadian personalities in motor sports, right up there with the names Villeneuve, Tracy and Carpentier,” said Roger Bailey, executive director of the Firestone Indy Lights, who has known Stewart for more than 20 years. “And he’s certainly one of the best ambassadors of Canadian motor sports.”

Stewart, a native of Sutton, Ontario, has campaigned drivers such as Cristiano da Matta, Bryan Herta, Eric Bachelart and Paul Tracy over his long career as a mechanic and team owner.

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9:46 a.m. – #26 Hildebrand sets fastest lap at 1:06.5128

9:57 a.m. – YELLOW and CHECKERED. #3 Mokshantsev is tire barrier in Turn 8

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Conquest Racing announced today the addition of three partners for this weekend’s Honda Indy Toronto. Sears/CRAFTSMAN, the Hyatt Regency Toronto on King and The Keg Steakhouse and Bar will be featured on the #34 car driven by Canadian Alex Tagliani.

“It’s with great pleasure that we welcome Sears/CRAFTSMAN, the Hyatt Regency Toronto and The Keg Steakhouse and Bar to the team,” said Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart. “It’s an honor to be associated with such great companies at one of the best events of the season.”

INDYCAR SERIES PRACTICE 1

10:15 a.m. – GREEN. All cars permitted to do one installation lap before track is opened to rookies and teams outside of the top-10.

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Teams participating in this morning’s rookie and outside the top-10 session, were permitted to buy an extra set of primary (black) tires for use in this session only. Tires must be returned to Firestone prior to all cars taking to the track.

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10:20 a.m. – Two cars #24 Conway and #2 Matos are off course in the runoff at Turn 3.

At 10:30 a.m., the ambient temperature was 71 degrees and the track temperature was 94, according to Firestone engineers. Fastest of the session is #15 Tracy at 1:03.1480

10:45 a.m. – GREEN. Track is open to all cars. Fastest lap of the rookie and outside the top-10 session was #12 Power 1:02.7929.

10:47 a.m. – #5 Moraes has been penalized by IndyCar Series officials for failing to follow instructions from race control.

10:54 a.m. – #5 Moraes has served his penalty and allowed to return to the track.

10:59 a.m. – YELLOW. #12 Power has stopped on course in Turn 2.

11:01 a.m. – GREEN.

11:07 a.m. – YELLOW. #2 Matos makes light contact with the front of the car with tire barrier in Turn 8. Car returns to pit lane after assistance from the Delphi Safety Team.

11:09 a.m. – GREEN.

11:11 a.m. – #9 Dixon sets fastest lap at 1:02.3324

11:28 a.m. – #12 Power sets fastest lap at 1:02.2605

11:30 a.m. – #12 Power lowers fastest lap to 1:02.1733