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Meira joins Foyt for the ’09 Indy season
Saturday, September 27, 2008 | No comments posted.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Vitor Meira, the Indy Racing League’s most experienced non-winner, will drive for A.J. Foyt Racing in the 2009 IndyCar Series.
The 31-year-old Brazilian, who has a series-record 93 career starts without a victory, drove the past three years for Panther Racing, which earlier this week hired former Indianapolis 500 and IRL champion Dan Wheldon.
“I am definitely going into 2009 with a little extra motivation,” Meira said Thursday. “I have raced against the (Foyt) team for many years and have heard cool things about them. Many people would give an arm and a leg just to meet A.J. and I am getting to work with him, I think that says it all.”
Meira was the Indy 500 runner-up to Wheldon in 2005 and to Scott Dixon this year.
He replaces Darren Manning, who drove for Foyt the past two years without a win, and will make his debut with Foyt next month in a non-points race at Surfer’s Paradise, Australia.
Foyt, a four-time winner at Indianapolis as a driver and the owner of the winning car at Indy in 1999 with Kenny Brack behind the wheel, said it was “time for a change” for next season.
Foyt said he has long admired Meira because he’s “a hard racer who charges all day long.”
“He should have won a lot of races but he hasn’t had the best luck. I believe we can change that and I’m looking forward to working with him,” he said.
The 31-year-old Brazilian, who has a series-record 93 career starts without a victory, drove the past three years for Panther Racing, which earlier this week hired former Indianapolis 500 and IRL champion Dan Wheldon.
“I am definitely going into 2009 with a little extra motivation,” Meira said Thursday. “I have raced against the (Foyt) team for many years and have heard cool things about them. Many people would give an arm and a leg just to meet A.J. and I am getting to work with him, I think that says it all.”
Meira was the Indy 500 runner-up to Wheldon in 2005 and to Scott Dixon this year.
He replaces Darren Manning, who drove for Foyt the past two years without a win, and will make his debut with Foyt next month in a non-points race at Surfer’s Paradise, Australia.
Foyt, a four-time winner at Indianapolis as a driver and the owner of the winning car at Indy in 1999 with Kenny Brack behind the wheel, said it was “time for a change” for next season.
Foyt said he has long admired Meira because he’s “a hard racer who charges all day long.”
“He should have won a lot of races but he hasn’t had the best luck. I believe we can change that and I’m looking forward to working with him,” he said.
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