Mikhail Aleshin to Test and Race with SPM at Sonoma; Jack Harvey to Participate in Sonoma Test |
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Topics: Mikhail Aleshin, Jack Harvey
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Monica Hilton
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
August 5, 2015
For more information contact:
Monica Hilton
monicah@spmindycar.com
608.669.3211
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Indianapolis, IN - August 5, 2015 - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) announced today that Mikhail Aleshin will rejoin the team for the upcoming test at Sonoma Raceway on Thursday, August 20 and the Verizon IndyCar Series season finale on Sunday, August 30.
The 28-year-old, Russian driver competed last year with SPM and will pilot the No. 77 SMP Racing Honda car.
"I'm very happy to come back to IndyCar," said Aleshin. "It's a great competition, and means a lot to come back to my American family and to race in front of the great fans. I want to say thank you to SMP Racing, Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson for giving me this opportunity.
"I really like Sonoma Raceway. It's a great, fast track with multiple technical corners. I had good results when I was there last season. It's not always easy to take part in the last race of such a strong championship year, and the car is different from last year, but it was never easy during my career so I guarantee that I will do my best."
Team owner Sam Schmidt added, "We're really excited to have Mikhail back for the season finale. We all feel we have unfinished business from 2014, so I'm pleased that we could put this deal together."
Aleshin will spend the full day in the car for the Sonoma test on the 2.385-mile, 12-turn, natural-terrain road course. SPM Indy Lights driver Jack Harvey will make his IndyCar debut, splitting the day with veteran SPM IndyCar driver Ryan Briscoe in the No. 5 Arrow Electronics car.
"First of all, I need to thank everyone at SPM and Racing Steps Foundation for making this test happen," said Harvey. "This kind of opportunity is everything I've been working for since I was nine years old in go-karting. I want to give a good account of myself, and show the team I'm ready and capable for a full-time IndyCar ride. The test will be the best time to prove it.
"I've raced at Sonoma once before and had a double-victory, so I'm feeling happy and confident that my first IndyCar test is at a track I've had success at in the past. This will be another fantastic memory for me, and hopefully the start of a new chapter in my racing career."
In just over two weeks, the Verizon IndyCar Series heads to Pocono Raceway for the 15th race on the 2015 circuit, before heading back to Sonoma Raceway for the season finale. The ABC Supply 500 will take place on Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m. ET and the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma is scheduled for Sunday, August 30 at 4 p.m. ET. Both races will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
About Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt and Canadian businessman Ric Peterson. Schmidt was paralyzed (quad) in 2000 after an accident during testing at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. SPM fields cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Lights Series presented by Cooper Tires. SPM is the most successful team in Indy Lights Series history with sixty-five race wins and seven championships. In addition, SPM won the coveted Indy 500 pole position in 2011, and has won five Verizon IndyCar Series races between 2013 and 2015.
About Conquer Paralysis Now:
Conquer Paralysis Now is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to cure paralysis, formerly known as the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. The organization is leading the charge for a cure through funding scientific research, medical treatment and technological advances benefiting those paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, stroke or diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's or in other ways. For more information, visit conquerparalysisnow.org .