KV Racing Technology INDYCAR Team Confirms Chevrolet Engines for 2012

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Pressing in place the latest piece in the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series puzzle for team complexions, the KV Racing Technology team formally contracted with Chevrolet engines. In a news release dated November 1st, team co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven stated “Chevy has a proven history of innovation and success in motorsports and we look forward to continuing that legacy.” Jimmy Vasser, the other significant part of the KV Racing Technology organization, spoke delightly on the powerplant choice. “I am very excited Chevrolet is returning to IndyCar racing and that we will have the opportunity to work with them. I have a long personal history with Chevrolet. My first car was a 1969 Camaro, my first podium was with a Chevy engine in 1993 at Phoenix and, I am proud to say, that I am a Chevy dealer. We look forward to a very successful relationship with Chevrolet for many years to come.” Vasser said.

Collecting four poles in the past 2011 season, KV Racing Technology had been a most improved team on the racing circuit thanks to the additional of Brazilian veteran Tony Kanaan and the maturing of the second-year driver Takuma Sato and EJ Viso. Though winless in the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series, the team concluded the year with a best finish of 2nd place by Kanaan at Iowa Speedway. While all team competed with the spec Honda Racing Development V-8 engine, the 2012 season will be the first time KV Racing Technology will be powered by another engine supplier.


The KV Racing Technology's team engine choice resolves one unanswered question involving the race organization but opens to door for several more inquires. Electing to be powered by the Bowtie brand, the team's relationship with Group Lotus appears to be reaching an impasse. Will Group Lotus continue to associate with KV Racing Technology in the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series? If not, could Lotus be taking their support to other team?
With reports that the Lotus INDYCAR Series powerplant will be ready for the 2012 season, the presence of the promised Lotus V-6 engine is yet to be completely confirmed. Being created in partnership with John Judd's Engine Developments Limited, only HVM Racing has formally admitted they are competing with the powerplant. 

The announcement of Chevrolet engines could also lead to questions on the driver line-up situation for the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series. Will long-time Honda pilot Takuma Sato leave the team in favour for one powered the Japanese auto brand? Tony Kanaan has also been a long-time Honda driver since the 2001 CART World Series driving for Mo Nunn Racing. However, Kanaan does has a one-race outing at the 2002 Indianapolis 500 with Chevrolet power. KV Racing Technology will likely want to maintain their three-car operation into the new season.

The latest major team establishing their 2012 engine choice, KV Racing Technology joins Penske Racing, Panther Racing and Andretti Autosport in opting for the Ilmor-designed Chevrolet powerplant. Significant teams left unattached to 2012 engine plans remains the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as well as Newman/Haas Racing.

KV Racing Technology Starts Deep in 2011 Honda Indy

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

After a momentum-changing oval stretch for KV Racing Technology, the three-car was confident they could carry their fortunes into the Honda Indy of Toronto. The second Friday session, de facto team leader Tony Kanaan maintained a top-10 time through both practice rounds. In the afternoon practice Friday, Kanaan and the #82 team posted a 5th fastest time of 1 minute, 1.013 seconds.

In Saturday qualifying, the Lotus green vehicles were off the pace with the likes of Penske Racing and the Chip Ganassi Racing cars. After time trials, all three drivers for KV Racing Technology starts deeply entrenched in the second half of the race lineup order. In 19th place, the sophomore driver Takuma Sato starts the #5 car well off the pole position the Japanese driver captured at Iowa Speedway. In morning practice, Sato was 8th fastest on track for the IZOD INDYCAR series. Through the follow-up practices, Sato and the #5 KV Racing Technology team were unable to improve their pace falling down the time sheet.

One position ahead of Takuma Sato, EJ Viso has had a more progressive improvement on the Toronto street circuit. Capable of just a 19th quickest time in the first session Friday, Viso and the #59 team moved up to 8th by Saturday's practice. Mentioning the team was trying different setups in the Saturday practice ahead of qualifying, The #59 car was not fast enough to move the Columbian driver out of the first round qualifying session.

Providing the team-best run, Tony Kanaan is positioned 16th for the start of the Honda Indy of Toronto. Last season, Kanaan started 11th for Andretti Autosport on route to a 4th place finish. In post race comments, Tony Kanaan commented on the qualifying effort saying, "We left with seven minutes to go and on my fast lap I got blocked twice and missed out on moving up to Q2. I believe that I had a top-six car, so it's a shame that we're going to start mid-pack."

A drastically improved team over last season, the Honda Indy race for KV Racing Technology is still an opportunity to observe a front-running team in the making for the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR series.

Paul Tracy Set to Drive Toronto Honda Indy Race

Photo Credit: CNW Group


Presented in Toronto on Tuesday, Paul Tracy's car will a collage of sponsorship heavily featuring Make-A-Wish Canada. Honda Canada and the Toronto Blue Jays will also be recognized on the blue and white KV Racing Technology race car as he competes in July for the Honda Indy of Toronto.

Coming only a few short days following Paul Tracy's missed opportunity to make the Indy 500 field, the 41 year old Canadian open wheel star flew from Indianapolis stinging with disappointment for recent on-track appearance. "After leaving here (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) on Sunday with our tail between our legs and waking up in Toronto and still not feeling very good with how the weekend went, we were there to make an announcement about racing in Canada." Upon landing in Toronto, the press conference would bring a change in attitude to the driver. "Jimmy (Vasser) and I both got up in the morning and had breakfast." Tracy said. "We were both still crying in our cereal bowl about how Sunday went. When we got to the venue where the car was, there were a half-dozen kids there. Your heart just sank. You think you've got troubles, and you've got kids there that are sick. It kind of put things in perspective that life's not so bad for me because I didn't qualify for the Indy 500."

The partnership between Paul Tracy, KV Racing Technology, and Honda Canada carries on from last year where his #15 car was spotlighted tangling with Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves through turn 3. Representing the Canadian Wounded Warriors cause, Make-A-Wish is the supported charity in 2010.

With no offense to FAZZT Race Team full-time driver Alex Tagliani, Tracy is likely to serve as the irrefutable hometown hero of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar visit for this Canadian round. Tracy has won twice in 1993 and 2003 on the streets of Toronto garnering an overwhelmingly positive fan reaction. Winning in Toronto as well as at the now defunct Molson Indy round in Vancouver, Paul Tracy is also the only Canadian to win an CART and/or IndyCar Series event.

Paul Tracy Misses Cut for 2010 Indy 500

Photo Credit: Chris Jones

After a Thursday qualifying session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Paul Tracy and the #15 Geico car appeared a lock for the 2010 Indy 500. A single lap run resulted with a strong 226.322 mile per hour average speed for Tracy allowed him and his KV Racing Technology team to feel positive about the two-days of qualifying. On Pole Day, confidence went out the window as they fell short of make the top 24 cars leaving the team hopes teetering the final Sunday qualifying known as Bump Day.

Earlier in the Bump Day qualifying session, Paul Tracy and the #15 KV Racing Technology team entered a four-lap run at 223.892 miles per hour. Electing to better their time, a decision was made to withdraw the time in order to let Tracy achieve a better run. Attempting the run just 6 minutes to the end of the qualifying session, the #15 Geico-sponsored car could not even find the speed to equal their prior qualifying performance. As time ran out on Sunday, Tracy was left without one of 33 spots for this year's Indy 500. Sadly, the previous four-lap run which had been abandoned by the #15 KV Racing Technology team would have been enough to beat the #29 car of Sebastian Saavedra for the 33rd starting position.

"The decision to withdraw our time and re-qualify was a team decision. We win as a team and lose as a team. I just feel bad for the whole team." a disappointed Paul Tracy commented adding "It wasn’t for a lack of trying". Paul Tracy admitted that the car just didn't have the handling in the warmer weather of Bump Day. The normally intense open wheel driver was very composed despite what was obviously a lost opportunity to run the biggest race of the year in the IZOD IndyCar Series. However, on Paul Tracy's Twitter feed a true sense of frustration can not be hidden. One posting read " I can't tell you how crappy I feel , I gave it everything I had , I guess it was better that being at home watching".

No reminder is needed to explain how difficult the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been on Paul Tracy. In many people's eyes, the Canadian driver won the 2002 Indy 500 but had the true victory taken away under arguable circumstances where Helio Castroneves was declared in front of Tracy during the final laps. Having qualified 29th that year, Tracy had been reminded of his effort of 2002 after Saturday's qualifying.

Barring any developments through the upcoming week where Tracy could gain a substitute driver role in the Indy 500, the Canadian flag will flown by Alex Tagliani in the FAZZT Race Team's #77 car. However, even a back-up driver spot seems unlikely since Paul Tracy has been reported heading to Toronto shortly after the Bump Day fiasco.

As for Paul Tracy, it's safe to assume that this will not be the last time we'll see the West Hill, Ontario native racing an Indy car for 2010. With the two Canadian rounds of the IZOD IndyCar arriving in less than two months, the races are concern to be heightened by some announcement involving Paul Tracy participation.

Paul Tracy Returns to Indy with KV Racing

To the rejoicing cheers of open wheel racing fans (especially Canadian fans) Paul Tracy has been officially named as an entry to the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Announced at a press conference in Long Beach (the site of his first IndyCar victory in 1993), 41 year-old Tracy will pilot a fourth car within KV Racing Technology backed by insurance company Geico. The second year in a row driving the #15 car, Paul Tracy started 13th and finished 9th in the 2009 Indy 500.

Attempting to make his 7th start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, many fans of Paul Tracy would assert that the Canadian driver is actually an Indy 500 winner. In the 2002 race, Tracy running a one-off IRL event for his CART organization Team Green. Fighting his way up to second with only two laps to go, Paul Tracy ran down the lead Penske Racing car of Helio Castroneves. Having closed the distance on Castroneves, Tracy drew alongside the Penske-owned vehicle out of turn 3. At the same time, a two-car crash occurred on the other end of the track drawing caution on lap 199 just as Tracy peaked in front of Castroneves. In what has been the most controversial outcome in Brickyard race history, Helio Castroneves was declared the leader at the point of caution despite inconclusive evidence that the caution truly came out before Tracy's pass. Protesting the result, Team Green and Paul Tracy filed an official appeal. The IRL continuously defended the race results placing Castroneves in the lead and Tracy in 2nd place at the point of caution. It has long been believed that Paul Tracy was a victim of the than separated state of open wheel racing in North America.

With Paul Tracy only confirmed for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, it's reasonable to stay tuned for some announcements placing the popular driver in additional 2010 IZOD IndyCar events. Specifically, the two upcoming IZOD IndyCar rounds in Toronto and Edmonton are likely to see "The Thrill from West Hill" return to entertain his home country fan base.

Adding to an ever-filling contingent of drivers contending for 1 of 33 prized starting spots in the 2010 Indianapolis 500, the upcoming qualifying in the coveted Brickyard is shaping into a suspenseful outing for the IZOD IndyCar Series racers. On top of the regular 25-car field with teams and cars committed for the 2010 full-season, a growing list of quality Indy-only entries is certainly going to provide a high stakes competition simply to make the 500 mile race.

Mario Moraes Added to KV as Last Minute Addition to 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series

Photo Credit: IndyCar Media

KV Racing Technology has resigned Brazilian Mario Moraes just in time for the Sao Paulo, Brazil street race proceeding this weekend as the 2010 IZOD IndyCar season opener. Assigned to drive the #32 Banco Panamericano for the full 2010 schedule, a joyous Moraes commented in the team release saying "Being in the car to start the season is very important for me especially since the first race is in my hometown. KVRT is one of the best teams in the IZOD IndyCar Series and I am looking forward to working with everyone on the team again. Hopefully we can continue the success we enjoyed at the end of last season.".

A student in world racing at a young age, Mario Moraes' not so distant youth consisted of experience in British F3 and FTR 1600. Spending two seasons in the IndyCar Series driving first for Dale Coyne Racing in 2008, Moraes found his competitive footing during the last part of the 2009 schedule with KV Racing Technologies. Garnering 3 top-5 finishes in the final 4 races of 2009, Mario Moraes prospects in the IZOD IndyCar Series appeared promising following the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale with KV Racing Technology rumoured to resign him for 2010. However, as months went by, KV Racing Technology added some confusion to Moraes situation by hiring EJ Viso and Takuma Sato last month. To the relief of Moraes, KV Racing Technology added a third car as team General Manager Mark Johnson explains. "Mario showed last season he can be very competitive and is in the process of becoming one of the top talents in the series."
The 11th hour announcement regarding Mario Moraes is the 5th driver to be named to a full-time IndyCar ride through the past 11 days. With IZOD IndyCar practice and qualifying for the inaugural Indy 300 on the streets of Sao Paulo scheduled Saturday, expect the field for the open wheel driver/team lineup to be well-established for 2010.

KV Racing Adds EJ Viso to 2010 IndyCar Series Lineup

Entering into the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series, KV Racing Technology cars will be piloted two fresh faces to the team. On Monday, KV Racing named EJ Viso to the 2010 driver roster joining the already-announced Takuma Sato. Having been named to test for the KV Racing Technology just a week ago, news of EJ Viso's 2010 plans in IndyCar come hardly as a surprise. Viso's addition to the team also coincided with KV Racing naming several new sponsors that included at least three companies tied to Viso home country of Venezuela. It's fair to say that Viso's presence made this sponsorship possible.

The 24 year-old EJ Viso briefly resided as a test driver in Formula 1 for the now-defunct Spyker MF1 Team. While Viso formative years involved stints in GP2 and British Formula 3, he was no stranger to the United States racing stage. Amongst his leading career achievement to date is the East division champion in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge series in 2001.

Having spent two eventful seasons with IndyCar team HVM, EJ Viso earned a devious reputation in his rookie season as being somewhat reckless. However, Viso was also seen for being a super fast drivers. In his first season, Viso posted his career best finish in only his 2nd race, a 4th on the Streets of St Petersburg. While earning the valuable respect of competitors in his second season, the HVM racing effort nested only a single top 10 finish for 2009 with a 7th place at Waltkins Glen.

Already signing two drivers for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series, a notable absence is KV Racing's driver for the past two seasons Mario Moraes. Either KV Racing Technology will add a third car to the lineup or Moraes will be looking elsewhere with time ticking away on the start of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series on the Streets of Sao Paulo in less than three weeks.

Ex F1 driver Sato to wheel KV Racing's IndyCar effort

After a month of speculation, KV Racing Technology has named former Formula 1 pilot Takuma Sato as a newcomer to the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series. Announced in time for an open IndyCar test slated for last week at Barber Motorsport Park, KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser expresses that Sato's knowledge and experience will be a valued asset through this new relationship.

Having started in 90 Formula 1 races for Jordan, BAR, Honda and finally Super Aguri, (the most F1 starts for any Japanese driver) Sato's best career effort came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he finished 3rd in the US Grand Prix. In May 2010, Sato will return to the track to race on the more traditional 2.5 mile oval rather than the improvised road course for the Indy 500.

As a Japanese driver will has exclusively supported the effort of Honda Racing, it might be fair to say that the sole engine supplier to the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series might have been able to assist with networking one of their home country's most successful drivers with a team Spending 2009 as a healthy scratch from the grand prix grid, Takuma Sato declares it ".. a very exciting time for me and my supporters" claiming to look forward to the new challenge.

KV Racing Technology has been mentioned as a multi-car team for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar series with last year's driver Mario Moraes all-but confirmed to be joining Sato with the race team.