NOTEBOOK: HERTA IN TO REPLACE FRANCHITTI.Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services Valencia's Bryan Herta will drive the No. 27 Honda entry for Andretti Green Racing Andretti Green Racing is an auto racing team that competes in the IRL IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series. Early years in CART Founded in 1993 by Barry Green and Gerry Forsythe as Forsythe Green Racing in the Indy Racing League The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based open-wheel racing series. The League consists of two series, the premiere IndyCar Series for the remainder of the season, team officials announced Thursday. Herta, a Hart High of Newhall graduate, will be entered in Saturday night's race at Richmond International Raceway Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series. . Andretti Green Racing driver Dario Franchitti, injured in a motorcycle accident this season, will have back surgery that will keep him from racing until next year. Herta will be driving Franchitti's entry. ``This is an unexpected surprise,'' Herta said. ``It was a shock to find out about Dario, but I'm glad I have a relationship with Andretti Green Racing and that I got the call.'' Herta drove as a substitute driver for Franchitti and Andretti Green Racing in the IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway is a superspeedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas -- the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track layout is very similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor on June 7. He finished fifth in his IRL debut. --A short story: IRL cars crashed in bunches the first two times the series ran at Richmond - a classic NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. bullring. And as series points leader Tony Kanaan prepares to compete for the first time on the three-quarter-mile oval, a test session and information from other drivers have him expecting a race Saturday night that's really close, really grueling and really fun. ``This place is amazing,'' Kanaan said during a test last month. ``It reminds me of my go-kart times. ``It is so short and you have the possibility to drive a little bit sideways, which we don't get to do with these cars very often with the ovals.'' The first two SunTrust Indy Challenge The SunTrust Indy Challenge Presented by XM Satellite Radio is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. The event debuted as a Saturday night race in 2001. events brought fans a combination of what they know - NASCAR-like bumping and spinning - and what they don't - blistering speed. Buddy Lazier won the series debut in 2001, leading a record 224 of the 250 laps and pulling away from the field at a speed unlike anything NASCAR fans had seen. There also was plenty of contact, and nine of the 20 starters failed to finish. Last year, only 13 of 22 cars were running at the end, and Sam Hornish Jr. passed Gil de Ferran Gil de Ferran (born November 11, 1967) in Paris, France to Brazilian parents, is a former racing driver. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for the Penske Honda Team and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500. with less than two laps to go and won by 1.8 seconds. |
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