By Dave Lewandowski
indy500.com
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Alex Lloyd appreciates the timing of three of the largest personal and professional events in his 22 years.
First was the Indy Pro Series driver championship, which he captured in record fashion. A month later came the birth of his first child with wife, Samantha. Now, two weeks since welcoming Ava into their home, is the announcement that 2007 Freedom 100 winner Lloyd will be moving to the IndyCar Series.
Chip Ganassi Racing announced the addition of Lloyd to the team's Driver Development Program, which most likely will include a combination of IndyCar Series races, Rolex Grand Am Series races and testing. He will join a team featuring 2005 IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon and 2003 champion and '07 championship runner-up Scott Dixon.
"I wanted to make sure I'm in a place where I can have good prospects for the future and not just in 2008, and I felt that by joining this team I have the opportunity to do well, and if I perform well to be there for a long time," said Lloyd, who recorded an Indy Pro Series-record eight victories, including five in a row to commence the 2007 season.
"I can really learn the traits of the IndyCar Series and grow within the team. I feel that although I won't be doing a full season next year, the races that I will be doing I will be in one of the best cars out there with a team I've admired for years way before I came over (to the United States from England). For me, that's actually a more exciting thing than saying I'll be doing a full year in a midfield car.
"I'm happy they have given me this opportunity to be able to drive for them, and get some races in and see how that progresses in the future. I'm sure over the next four to eight weeks we'll have a clearer idea what our plan will be. I'm looking forward to get going in whatever aspect that might be."
Lloyd, a native of Manchester, England, tested with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in August at Sebring, Fla., with permission from Sam Schmidt Motorsports. He recorded laps comparable to ones posted by Scott Dixon. Later that month, Lloyd competed for the team in a Grand Am race at Infineon Raceway – in addition to participating in an Indy Pro Series double-header weekend in the No. 7 Lucas Oil/Isilon Systems/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car.
"He is a talented driver and a perfect candidate for our development program," Target Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull said. "In the span of 10 days, he took the wheel of two very different race cars for the first time. He showed at Sebring that he is ready to race an IndyCar, and then at Infineon Raceway for the Grand Am event, proved under race conditions that his skills were immediately equal to the best drivers in the very competitive high-horsepower Daytona Prototypes."
Lloyd, who finished runner-up to 2007 United States Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton in the UK Formula Renault Championship in 2003, earned three poles and a victory in seven Euro Formula 3000 races in 2004. He joined AFS Racing in 2006 for his first Indy Pro Series race on the streets of St Petersburg, where he qualified on the front row and earned a podium finish.
In 2007, Lloyd started from the pole five times and from the front row in every race there were qualifications. He paced the field with 399 laps led, 751 laps completed, 13 top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes (tie).
"Everyone at Sam Schmidt Motorsports is extremely proud of what we were able to accomplish with Alex in 2007," team owner Sam Schmidt said. "We recognized his tremendous ability and potential in 2006 when he drove a partial season, and I'm glad that we were able to maximize those talents last year.
"Of course, the championship and multiple records are great, but we are ultimately in this business to graduate drivers to the next level. Alex is the total package, and we have no doubt that he'll be very successful driving for TCGR.
"He has legitimately earned the shot, and I applaud Chip (Ganassi) and Mike for supporting the system."
***
2008 Indianapolis 500 tickets: For information about tickets for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, 2008, visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com or call the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally.
Related Stories
- 2009 Firestone Freedom 100 Scheduled For May 22 At IMS
- Two-Time Indy 500 Winner Castroneves Honored As Top Racer
| Indianapolis 500 Talkback | Post Comment |
|
|
|