For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LindaKMansfield@cs.com
Cell: 317-201-0729
RLR/Andersen Racing Signs Prendeville
For 2008 Indy Pro Series Season
PALMETTO, Fla., Jan. 4 - RLR/Andersen Racing is pleased to announce that it
will again field a car for Andrew Prendeville in the Indy Pro Series in 2008.
The 2007 season was the first for both Prendeville and the Palmetto,
Fla.-based team in the Indy Pro Series, the official development series of IndyCar.
Prendeville, who moved from New Jersey to Las Vegas over the Christmas
holiday, recorded seven top-10 finishes in the Indy Pro Series last year. He ran as
high as second in his first race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
set the fastest lap of that race, and went on to finish fourth. He gave
RLR/Andersen Racing its first podium in Indy Pro Series competition by finishing third
in the next-to-last race of the season.
RLR/Andersen Racing strives to provide the best possible training for future
open-wheel stars and give them one central home during the time they race in
support series. It fields multiple entries in the F2000 Championship Series,
Star Mazda and the Indy Pro Series, and it is the official development team of
Rahal Letterman Racing. Prendeville is a perfect example of the team's work,
as he is one of its former F2000 drivers.
"We are thrilled that Andrew has decided to do a second year with us in the
Indy Pro Series," said team co-owner Dan Andersen. "Based on his first-year
effort, we believe very strongly that he will be a winner in 2008. He has
talent, discipline and focus, and he will challenge all year for the title."
"All of us had to learn about the cars and most of the tracks last year, so
this year we will be much better out of the box," added John Andersen, team
co-owner and its Indy Pro Series team manager.
"Kansas Speedway is the only new venue on the schedule," elaborated
Prendeville, 26. "I will have raced at all of the tracks before except for that one.
That wasn't the case in 2007, when most of the tracks were new to both the
team and me. Not having to learn a new track from scratch on the race weekend
will definitely help.
"I feel far better prepared for the 2008 season than I was at this time last
year," Prendeville continued. "We did four test days in October which allowed
us to solidify a lot of things and answer some questions we hadn't had time to
work on during the 2007 season.
"I'm very happy to be working with the Cape brothers again," added
Prendeville, referring to engineers Dominic and Nicholas Cape. "I'm also very happy
that Will Paul, my lead mechanic, will be back with us. The continuity of working
with the Capes and having the same lead mechanic as last year should be very
beneficial.
"I think the preparations that we've been making in the last four months will
pay off at the season opener at Homestead, and carry through the rest of the
season," he predicted.
"We'll again donate signage on my car to the Best Friends Animal Society,"
added Prendeville, referring to America's largest no-kill animal sanctuary
located in Kanab, Utah. "We'll be expanding our Racing Laps for Best Friends
program in 2008; details will follow soon.
"I also hope that fans will tune in to 'Dogtown,' a new weekly TV series
about Best Friends that will debut on the National Geographic channel tonight,
Friday, Jan. 4," added Prendeville. "National Geographic has produced three
episodes, which will air at 9 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 4, Jan. 11 and Jan. 18. If the
series proves successful, additional episodes will be produced and broadcast."
The 16-race 2008 Indy Pro Series season begins Saturday, March 29 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. The complete schedule is posted at
indycar.com/pro. The races are televised on ESPN2.
For more information on the team, see andersenracingteam.com and
andersenracepark.com. For more information on Prendeville, see andrewprendeville.com and
racinglapsforbestfriends.com. Best Friends' Web site is at bestfriends.org.