Ladders

KV Racing Technology put in a sensational team effort at Twin Ring Motegi Saturday and scored two Top Ten positions in qualifications with E.J. Viso and Japanese star Takuma Sato starting eighth and tenth for Sunday's Indy Japan 300. Viso, driving the No. 8 PDVSA — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, recorded his best oval qualifying performance of the year with a fourth row starting spot in the 300-mile event on the fast 1.5-mile oval track north of Tokyo. The 25-year-old Venezuelan recorded a two-lap average of 199.487 miles per hour to lead the three-car KVRT contingent in the next to last round of the 17-race IZOD IndyCar Series. Sato and his Lotus—KVRT squad were a remarkable story Saturday at Twin Ring Motegi. The seven-year Formula One star makes his Motegi debut Sunday, but Saturday started rocky for the 33-year-old IndyCar rookie. A part failure early in Saturday morning practice caused Sato and his machine to spin and slide into the Turn One wall. The KVRT crew, with co-owner Jimmy Vasser also pitching in to assist in the repairs, forged a tremendous effort in the garage area to rebuild the No. 5 Lotus—KVRT Honda/Dallara/Firestone in time to collect 27 laps in the afternoon practice session. For qualifying, Sato had the home crowd on their feet with a two-lap average of 199.191 m.p.h. taking the fifth row starting position in the 25-driver field. The Tokyo native is the fastest Japanese driver this weekend at Motegi. Helio Castroneves won the Motegi pole position in a Team Penske 1-2-3 qualifying sweep. Sunday's Indy Japan 300 will start at 1 p.m. Japanese time and will be televised at 11 p.m. EDT Saturday on the Versus Network in North America. Young Brazilian driver Mario Moraes will start 20th in the No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car with a speed of 196.460 m.p.h. DRIVER QUOTES: E.J. VISO -- #8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "We have been strong all day in practice and qualifying. I am happy with the improvements we have done on the PDVSA – KV Racing car. I worked with Takuma to help him on the setup and he had a good qualifying as well. We are now in a strong position for Sunday's race here at Motegi. We have had a good race car on the oval tracks this year, so I expect to be very good for the race. This track has such different turns. Turns One and Two are flat on the throttle and Turns Three and Four are much more difficult for a driver. You really have to work with roll bars and the weight jacker to adjust the car through the tighter Turns Three and Four. I feel good going into the Motegi race." TAKUMA SATO -- #5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "I think KV Racing Technology won the day. It's a great result for the whole team. After we had such a difficult situation in the morning, the whole team, crew members from all three cars, came together to work on my car. I really appreciate all the mechanics and everything they did. It was a great job. Even though I only ran a few laps during the second practice, I want to thank the engineers for giving me a car that gave me the confidence to attack the most challenging oval in the series during my qualifying run. I also have to thank the fans. They are really behind me. The next step is to review all the data from today and hopefully we will have a good race tomorrow."

Takuma Sato has been keeping a pace similar to his 230-mile per hour IndyCar for the past two weeks in Japan. Sato, the seven-year Formula One veteran, will make his first Japanese racing performance in three years this Sunday in the Indy Japan 300 at the fast Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval. But the 33-year-old Tokyo native has been in high demand off the track with a variety of appearances in his native country. Taku's last competition in Japan was at Fuji Speedway on September 30, 2007, so his enthusiastic fans and sponsors are anxious to see him behind the wheel of the #5 Lotus—KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry. From his Denver home, Sato left for Tokyo on Sept. 7 and hasn't slowed down since his arrival. Sato has already made six day appearances in Japan including autograph sessions, media conferences, dealer visits and two Research & Development ride and drive programmes. On Friday at the track this week, a huge contingent of Taku fans are scheduled to meet the driving star at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit for a 'special student and fan day'. On Saturday and Sunday, Sato will be appearing on numerous television and radio shows and visiting with guests of his Japanese sponsors before the 300-mile race. "It will be a very busy weekend at Motegi," he said. "I knew this race would be a big one when I came to the IZOD IndyCar Series. It will be fun to race in front of the home fans. I look forward to the entire experience of the race and the event."

The new Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 makes its racing debut this weekend (28th-29th August 2010) in the hands of Lotus rookie driver Ollie Hancock. Lotus Motorsport has entered the Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 in the "Invitation" category of the European GT4 Championships as part of a year long development programme prior to a full GT4 championship assault in 2011. The GT4 will also be made available as a customer race car to privateer racing teams. With 360 PS and weighing in at just 1190 kg, nearly 200 kg less than the road going Evora, the new Evora GT4 carries the Lotus Type Number 124 and represents part of Lotus' new strategic GT motorsport programme, further details of which will be announced at the Paris Motor Show on the 30th of September 2010. Liveried in striking Lotus Motorsport Green with a yellow twin-stripe running down the centre, the Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 brings the iconic colour scheme back once again to sports car racing. The Evora Cup/GT4 will debut just a matter of hours after Lotus announced the new 350 PS, supercharged Evora S road car, to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. Information about the new Evora S can be found here http://www.grouplotu...s/image/536.pdf. Already, the Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 has undergone a punishing and extensive development programme with Lotus Racing's F1 driver Jarno Trulli, experienced GT racer Johnny Mowlem and Lotus Motorsport's own Product Manager Gavan Kershaw as part of the development team. Lotus Motorsport's IndyCar driver Takuma Sato and 1996 Champ Car winner, Jimmy Vasser have also given extensive feedback having driven the Evora Cup/GT4 at the legendary Laguna Seca race circuit in early August, giving Lotus' newest race car a most diverse and comprehensive pedigree. Accompanying the Evora's debut will be four ultra lightweight Lotus 2-Eleven GT4 race cars, two of which will be entered in the Lotus Motorsport colour scheme and run by NFS Racing Dubai. The other two cars will be run by Team Scuderia Giudici, who currently lead the GT4 "Super Sports" Championship category. For those who can't make the journey to the Nürburgring in the beautiful Eifel region to see the Evora Cup/GT4 making its first racing appearance, then GT racing fans will have an opportunity to see a second Evora Cup/GT4 in the slightly less hilly surroundings of Norfolk where Lotus Motorsport's Product Manager Gavan Kershaw will be giving demonstration laps during the Snetterton round of the British GT4 Championships also over the weekend of the 28th and 29th of August. A video of the new Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 and a road going Lotus Evora being driven at Laguna Seca, including commentary by Takuma Sato and Jimmy Vasser can be found at: http://www.lotusfile...EvoraCupGT4.mov.