For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LindaKMansfield@cs.com
Cell: 317-201-0729
RLR/Andersen Works Hard
During Testing at Homestead Thursday
HOMESTEAD, Fla., Feb. 28 - RLR/Andersen Racing didn't complete as many laps
as it hoped during the open Indy Pro Series test Thursday at Homestead-Miami
Speedway, but the Palmetto, Fla.-based team still ended up fifth and 12th on the
time charts at the end of the day with its two Dallaras.
Matt Lee of Syosset, N.Y., who is looking for sponsorship in order to run a
full season in IndyCar's development series, ran a lap in 28.6248 seconds (an
average of 186.761 miles per hour) for the 1.5-mile oval at the end of the day
to place fifth in the rundown in the RLR/Andersen No. 25. His fastest lap was
the 79th and last one he ran Thursday. He only did two laps before the lunch
break due to a clutch problem, and Thursday's test was only his third time on
an oval.
The Best Friends Animal Society No. 5 driven by Andrew Prendeville of Las
Vegas was plagued by a fuel pick-up problem. Prendeville was seventh at
lunchtime with a 28.8296-seconds lap, one of 74 he ran before the break. He ended up
12th at the end of the day with a lap in 28.7764 seconds (185.777 mph). His
fastest lap was also run during the heat of the afternoon, as it was recorded
on his 116th trip around the oval out of the 124 he completed.
The competition is so fierce in the series that 12th place was just 0.2236 of
a second off the fastest time of the day, which was set by Raphael Matos in
the morning with a lap in 28.5528 seconds (187.232 mph) on the 46th of the 53
laps he ran before lunch. Lee's best lap in the much warmer afternoon was just
0.0720 of a second off Matos's top time.
RLR/Andersen Racing, which is sponsored by Allied Building Products, will
continue to work hard to prepare for the Indy Pro Series season opener here on
Saturday, March 29. It hopes to announce the name of the driver who will join
Prendeville on its two-car Indy Pro Series team within the next 10 days.
A total of 21 drivers posted times Thursday.
For more information see andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com.
Post-testing quotes follow:
Andrew Prendeville: "The Indy Pro Series looks like it will be even more
competitive this year than it was last year.
"Our team is working well together and we're ready for Homestead."
Matt Lee: "It was an interesting day. We got a late start; I think it was
2:20 before we really got going because of the problem with the clutch. But
once I got going I felt really good, especially in the draft. I really got
comfortable running close with the other guys.
"The RLR/Andersen crew did a great job getting the car back together after
the clutch problem. The engineering department also did a great job to give me
a good car for this track. I hope to be able to compete in the race here too;
we're working hard on sponsorship."
Dan Andersen (team co-owner): "I'm generally pleased with the results. We
were able to work on different set-ups, and it was a practice day, after all.
"Despite losing a lot of laps, Matt Lee proved he definitely can drive fast
on an oval in addition to a road course. We knew he was fast on road courses
due to his background in Formula BMW and Atlantics, but with very little
practice he was fast on an oval too.
"Andrew had a frustrating day, but we learned a few things that should help
us on race day."
About Allied Building Products Corp.:
Allied Building Products Corp., headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., is
one of the largest roofing and siding distributors in the United States. Founded
in 1950 with five employees and two trucks, today it is a $1.8 billion
building material distribution company with over 3,500 employees, more than 200
branches in 30 states, well over one million square feet of office and warehouse
space, and an inventory of approximately 85,000 products, from residential
roofing and siding to doors, windows, waterproofing, manufactured stone, interior
products and commercial roofing systems. For more information see
alliedbuilding.com.
About Andersen Racing:
Andersen Racing strives to provide the best and most comprehensive training
possible for future open-wheel superstars while giving its marketing partners
media exposure and hospitality opportunities at some of the most prestigious
events in North America. It provides a unique, three-step program utilizing
multiple entries in three different series: the F2000 Championship (webcast), Star
Mazda (televised on SPEED) and the Indy Pro Series (televised on ESPN2). In
2008 it will field multiple entries in 42 races in 19 states and provinces at
some of the best facilities on the continent, including the famed Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
Andersen Racing's principals, brother Dan and John Andersen, have extensive
experience in series administration as well as team management. They've worked
with many of today's top open-wheel stars, including several Indy 500 winners.
Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. It is the
official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing, which competes in the IndyCar
Series and the American Le Mans Series. In addition, its F2000 team is also
the official factory team of Van Diemen. The team is headquartered at Andersen
RacePark, an 18-acre facility in Palmetto, Fla. that includes a 1-mile test
track. For more information see andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com.