Announcers King, Luyendyk, Lee Head up Versus Shows

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:41:47 -0500

By Dave Lewandowski
indycar.com

Mike King's voice fills the studio as he just begins talking about his new role as chief announcer of Firestone Indy Lights broadcasts on VERSUS.
"There's definitely a difference between calling an IndyCar Series race on radio and then playing to pictures on television," said King, who since 1999 has been the radio voice of the IndyCar Series. "I believe I need to bring that same energy to the (Firestone Indy) Lights series. That's the way I do races. While you cut down a bit on the descriptive part television announcing, you still have to be excited about great racing.
"My style is the way I feel about racing. I'm essentially the guy in the stands jumping up and down rooting for all of them and wanting to see a great race. Until someone says to me calm down I don't plan to calm down."
King will be joined in the broadcast booth by analyst Arie Luyendyk Jr., while veteran Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network announcer Kevin Lee will patrol pit lane. VERSUS will feature Firestone Indy Lights races in an hour-long show each Monday after events.
King, who also was the pit reporter the past two seasons during ESPN2's Firestone Indy Lights same-week highlight shows, will continue to be the chief announcer for the IMS Radio Network's coverage of the IndyCar Series.
"(For) ESPN, I didn't get a chance to see the racing as well as I'd like to other than watching the big screen," King said. "There were times I was down there as a pit reporter screaming my lungs out watching some of the races. Now to be able to be in the booth and calling it will make for the best of both worlds for me."

The Firestone Indy Lights season kicks off with a doubleheader on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 4-5. King, a North Carolina native, says his enthusiastic calls represent his attraction to the sport.
"No one has ever said to me call a race this way," King said. "My training when it comes to doing play by play for open-wheel racing came from being a public address announcer at the Terre Haute Action Track, a short track where sprint cars, midgets and Silver Crown cars really put on a show. But they're by in large 30-lap dashes. When you have that situation, everything you do is on the top rung energy-wise. I remember the first time when I settled into the booth at Walt Disney World Speedway to call an IndyCar race, I remember thinking, 'Wow, it's the same.' I feel the same, but what I realized was trying to call a 200-lap race at the same energy level as you do a 30-lap race it winds you. After the first few races I remember my abdomen aching because you're pushing it out there for 2½ hours. So I had to adapt."
Not much adaptation is necessary to accommodate other voices on the telecasts. Luyendyk has filled in on occasion for analyst Davey Hamilton on the radio broadcasts, and King has up to six turn reporters at road/street course events. Luyendyk, 27, son of the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, has made 62 Firestone Indy Lights starts dating to series' 2002 inaugural season.
"I'm definitely excited about the opportunity," said Luyendyk, who recorded his first series victory in the 2008 season finale at Chicagoland Speedway. "No one on the team knows more about the Firestone Indy Lights drivers, teams and cars than me so that's going to be an advantage for me on the broadcasts."
Luyendyk had hoped to be behind the wheel of an IndyCar Series car this season, but couldn't attract sponsorship. He said joining King in the booth will be a fun way to stay involved.
"It is not a career change for me because I still have a passion to be an IndyCar Series driver," he said. "It's just another new experience and another interesting job."
King said he's looking forward to the breathing room of the hour-long shows, which will allow Lee to "tell a lot of stories from the pits," allow Luyendyk to develop detailed analysis and put the spotlight on the up-and-comers with their helmets off.
"It's a great series and ladder system," he said. "Now as opposed to owners saying, 'Where do I go to find talent?' Now the cup is overflowing. To some degree, some veteran IndyCar drivers are looking over their shoulders. That's the way it's supposed to be - a series is supposed to develop and expose great young talent to IndyCar Series owners so that when it comes time to expand the team or make a move to replace a driver, you know where you're going."

Supporting Our Troops

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 17:22:32 -0500

Firestone Indy Lights driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. will join NASCAR drivers Geoffrey Bodine and Scott Wimmer and NHRA drag racer Hillary Will on a tour of United States military bases as part of the Racing Heroes 2008 Goodwill Tour.
The tour, which begins on Dec. 9 and concludes on Dec. 20, will include visits to U.S. military bases in Iraq and Kuwait. The program focuses on raising spirits and providing inspiration to servicemen and women serving abroad.
"The drivers visit will have a tremendous impact on the troops," said David Chavez, president of Pro Sports MVP, which organized the tour. "We are certain that the tour will be very entertaining and a welcome and needed break from the routine."
The participants will attend autograph/photograph sessions, lead clinics and demonstrations, hold meet and greets, and visit hospital patients and staff.
"I'm looking forward to going over there and meeting the troops," said Luyendyk, who finished fourth in Firestone Indy Lights points in 2008 with a win at Chicagoland Speedway.

Luyendyk Enters SuperNats XII with Support from Mo's Gold

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 01:49:19 -0400

In the world of motorsports, few races can be billed as the race of the year, but time and time again the SKUSA SuperNationals have been dubbed the pinnacle karting event of the year. This year marks the twelfth running of the prestigious race, and as usual, it is poised once again to be “the race of the year”. Held every year in Las Vegas, Nevada the SKUSA SuperNats attracts the best karters in the country to an all out battle on the famous “strip”. This years event will be held at the Rio and karters around the country will be racing around the casino on a course created by Rock Moran.

Arie Luyendyk Jr. will compete in his first SKUSA SuperNats event on his ICC FA Kart with TM power supported by Mo’s Gold Automotive Cleaner and Polish. Mo’s Gold is the official cleaner and polish for the Indy Lights Series as well as the ARCA Re/Max Series and is a crew chief favorite when it comes to keeping fast machines clean. Any vehicle looks and feels "race car" fast - at a pitstop-price - with a Mo’sGold finish!

This will be Luyendyk’s first kart race of the year and after a great year in Indy Lights Luyendyk looks to claim victory in sin city. The event will be one to remember and if you are attending be sure to drop by the “2 Wild Karting” tent to meet Arie and receive a free sample of Mo’s Gold.

For more information on SuperNats XII please click here

For more information on Mo’s Gold please click here

Luyendyk's First Win Caps Racing Rebirth

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:29:04 -0400

By Arni Sribhen
indycar.com

Shortly after winning the SunRichGourmet.com 100, Arie Luyendyk Jr., received one of the two checkered flags that Indy Racing League starter Bryan Howard waved as he crossed the start-finish line.
The driver's father, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, asked if Howard had signed the keepsake, which the starter gives to each first-time winner. He wanted his son to remember everything about the moment.
"It's been a long-time coming," the elder Luyendyk said. "He's had a lot of opportunities and chances before where he's missed out on them. There have been 'ifs' and 'buts' but finally he got the job done, so it's awesome."
Luyendyk Jr., the only driver to compete in every season of the Firestone Indy Lights history, earned his first career win in the 2008 season finale at Chicagoland Speedway. He passed his teammate and 2008 Firestone Indy Lights champion Raphael Matos on a Lap 67 restart and held off Ana Beatriz for the win.
"It was a great run," Luyendyk Jr. said. "I think in years past, you've seen a lot of impatience here and you've seen a lot of side-by-side racing for the lead. Sorry it couldn't have been a better show, but it definitely benefited me the most. That last restart I knew I needed to get it done. It was a good opportunity. I poked my nose through there. He wasn't able to close the door in time. It's a great feeling to finally get that win.
The win capped a rebirth in the racing career of the second-generation driver, who finished second to A.J. Foyt IV in the inaugural Firestone Indy Lights season under the IRL sanction, but had yet to tally his win in more than 60 starts. That changed with his signing with the AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing team at the beginning of the season.
"The season has been great," Luyendyk Jr. said. "I think I exceeded a lot of expectations out there this year, and hopefully people noticed that. I feel a little bit robbed of the top three just because I had the knee injury that really held me back at Infineon and had a couple really poor finishes there.
"But, overall I think a pole position and a win this year and lots of podiums, it's been a great year. Working with Rafa, he's been definitely the most enjoyable teammate to work with. I can't say enough about the crew. The crew has been great. They've been awesome to work with. My engineer has just been a breath of fresh air. "
Another key in the development is maturity. No longer a young driver with a famous name, Luyendyk Jr., now 26, has committed to his craft in hopes of following his father's path in the IndyCar Series.
"I think a lot of letting go of the frustration of not winning was the biggest thing," Luyendyk said. "Everyone always saying, 'When are you going to win your first race? When are you going to win your first race?' Then when you're in the car, you're overly aggressive. Instead of thinking about the big picture, you're thinking about getting ahead of the car in front of you and you'll do anything for it. I think that patience really paid off today. It's been like that all year basically.
"I can't take all the credit. It's just I think knowing that I'm 26 years old and I want to be an IndyCar driver and I need to make it happen. I needed to make changes to my style."

Indy Lights Round 16: Sunrichgourmet.com 100

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 16:54:09 -0400

Luyendyk Jr. Wins First-Career Firestone Indy Lights Race;
Matos Claims Championship with Third-Place Finish

JOLIET, Ill. (Sept. 7, 2008) – Arie Luyendyk Jr. took advantage of a late restart to charge around
teammate Raphael Matos and grab his first career Firestone Indy Lights win Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. And, while Luyendyk Jr. celebrated his landmark race victory, Matos laid claim to his first-ever Firestone Indy Lights championship.

Matos started from the pole and Luyendyk Jr. started in third, but the two teammates hooked up
immediately on the opening lap and ran 1-2 for the first 66 laps of the 67-lap race. When Matos’ championship rival, Richard Antinucci, crashed on lap 26, the championship was his and he was able to race his teammate for fun the rest of the way.

Luyendyk Jr., who ended the season ranked fourth in the standings, was content behind his teammate until the final restart with one to go and then he took his shot. He turned down underneath Matos on the restart, made the pass stick and then held off a charging Ana Beatriz to get win No. 1 in his 62nd career series start.

Arie Luyendyk Jr., #26 Targus/Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing Dallara/Firestone:
“It was perfect. This is a dream scenario – me winning the race and Rafa winning the championship. It’s more than words can describe. Green, white, checkered is always nerve-wracking. We got a good restart,
thank God, and Rafa and I worked beautifully today. Ana (Beatriz) was definitely a tough competitor. My Firestone tires held up beautifully, it was amazing. The car was so consistent from lap one to the end. AGR, AFS, Targus, my sponsor, everyone helped out. It was just a beautiful weekend.”

Raphael Matos, #27 AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing Dallara/Firestone:
"It was the best third-place finish of my life. We had a plan today for me to win the championship and Arie to win the race. He really deserved to win a race this year, and it worked perfectly for us. I'm very happy for him and I'm really happy for the AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing team. They deserve this championship as much as I do."

Gary Peterson, owner, AFS Racing:
“This has been a long time coming. It’s been a lot of hard work from a great team The owners of AGR and our crew have just been fantastic. We’ve just had great cars all year and the drivers have done a great job. Everybody came together. It’s a real team and it’s been just awesome to be involved in it.”

Michael Andretti, co-owner, Andretti Green Racing:
“The combination of AFS and AGR has really worked well together. Rafa just never let us down and Arie has been such a good teammate. Gary has been such a great partner. We’ve spent a couple years together now and we’re hoping it will go for many, many years to come.”

2008 SunRichGourmet 100 Race Results
Pos. Name Laps Pos. Name Laps

1 Arie Luyendyk Jr. 67
2 Ana Beatriz 67
3 Raphael Matos 67
4 Bobby Wilson 67
5 James Davison 67
6 Jonathan Klein 67
7 Robbie Pecorari 67
8 Logan Gomez 67
9 Mike Potekhen 67
10 Daniel Herrington 67
11 Jonny Reid 67
12 Micky Gilbert 67
13 Pablo Donoso 67
14 Cyndie Allemann 67
15 Brandon Wagner 67
16 Christina Orr 66
17 Sean Guthrie 66
18 Tom Wieringa 66
19 Brent Sherman 66
20 Tom Dyer 63
21 Richard Antinucci 25
22 J.R. Hildebrand 7
23 Dillon Battistini 0
24 Wade Cunningham 0