Group Lotus Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro delivered European media a scoop Jan. 11 at the Autosport International Show relating to the North American-based IZOD IndyCar Series: Dragon Racing will be a Lotus partner team with Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais and England’s Katherine Legge forming the two-car team for the 2012 season.
Raise your hand if you saw that coming.
On Jan. 16, Dragon Racing principal Jay Penske confirmed all facets of the deal on this side of the pond.
"We are very pleased to be able to announce this new and exciting partnership with Dragon Racing, a team which has demonstrated its potential and which we believe will achieve great success thanks to the Lotus IndyCar engine and the security of a major backer,” Berro said.
“Last year was Lotus' first foray into this prestigious open-wheel series since Jim Clark won the Indy 500 back in 1965. We have a tremendous legacy in this sport, and are determined to become winners again. The American market is one of the most important to Lotus in terms of road car sales, hence our aggressive marketing strategies through U.S. auto racing.”
Bryan Herta Autosport, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing also are Lotus partner teams.
Owned by Penske, Chairman and CEO of digital media and publishing company Penske Media Corporation, Dragon Racing debuted in the IZOD IndyCar Series in the 2007 Indianapolis 500 with driver Ryan Briscoe (finished fifth). The team ran six races in ’08 before making the jump to full-time status in 2009 with driver Raphael Matos, who earned Rookie of the Year honors.
Gil de Ferran, the 2003 Indianapolis 500 champion and former sporting director of the Honda Racing Formula One team, joined the team as president and managing partner before the start of the 2010 season. Matos finished 14th in the championship standings, with four top-10 finishes.
Penske took over sole ownership of the team in 2011, with Paul Tracy and Ho-Pin Tung combining to compete in six events.
“The combination of having the technical support of Lotus as a factory team, the financial backing of a game-changing company TrueCar as a primary sponsor and the unquestionable driving skills of Sebastien and Katherine makes us a force to be reckoned with in 2012,” Penske said.
Bourdais, who turns 33 on Feb. 28, competed in nine road/street course events in 2011 with Dale Coyne Racing, with five top-10 finishes (including four in a row). The four-time Champ Car champion and former Formula One driver darted between continents as he also competed as a Peugeot Sport factory driver in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
Legge, 31, a British Racing Drivers Club "Rising Star" winner, earned three victories in the 2005 Toyota Atlantics season. She competed in Champ Car in 2006 with PKV Racing and 2007 with Dale Coyne Racing before moving to Europe to compete in DTM with Audi. She returned to the States in 2011 to again seek an IZOD IndyCar Series ride.
"You can tell that Jay is ultra serious about having a winning team because he has signed one of the best drivers available in IndyCar ... Sebastien Bourdais," said Legge, who will drive the No. 6 TrueCar entry. "To have Seb as a teammate will be amazing, and I intend to learn everything I possibly can from him. He is such a talent and has a wealth of experience.
“I am very proud to be driving in the 2012 IndyCar Series for Lotus Dragon Racing, with the gracious support of my sponsor TrueCar. Lotus, Dragon and TrueCar have put together an amazing program that I have every faith will succeed and win races."
The Lotus engine program, which was announced in November 2010, has come together quickly under the direction of John Judd’s Engine Developments Ltd. in England. The 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine made its on-track debut Jan. 12 at Palm Beach International Raceway with HVM Racing’s Simona de Silvestro behind the wheel.
“The engine has performed extremely well so far, and we and our partners are very pleased with the results,” said Berro, who unveiled the powerplant at the auto show. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do before the start of the season, but I couldn’t be happier with the progress we’re making.”
