Lotus Places Two Drivers In Top-10 After First Day Of Practice For Bal

After several delays to make sure the track was in proper condition

KV Racing Technology – Lotus got in 75 minutes of practice

and placed two drivers in the top-10 on the speed charts

during the opening day of the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix

in Baltimore, Maryland.

Takuma Sato, No. 5 KV Racing Technology – Lotus, led the

way with a lap of 82.9705 seconds (88.513 mph) on the

2.04-mile, 13-turn temporary street circuit placing him

seventh on the practice report. Tony Kanaan, No. 82 GEICO

– KV Racing Technology – Lotus was ninth with a time of

83.1990 seconds (88.270 mph) while E. J. Viso, who spent

much of the session in the top-10 before experiencing a

mechanical problem, ended up 23rd with a lap of 84.4138

seconds (87.000 mph).

Sato, 11th in the standings with 250 points, said, "First of

all I have to say I am very impressed with the venue and the

enthusiasm of the fans. It is really great."

The 34-year-old from Japan, who has finished in the top-10

six times including his first three IndyCar top-five finishes

(career-high fourth on the road course at Mid-Ohio, fifths at

St. Petersburg and Texas) so far this year went on to say,

"It was a good practice session. The track has got a unique

characteristic. It has a smooth high-speed section and a

bumpy concrete section. It is a very interesting and fun

track. It was important to have a trouble free first session,

which we did, and collect valuable data."

.

Kanaan, sixth in the championship race with 305 points said,

"I had kind of a short practice run today. Looked like every

time I left the pits a full course yellow came out, so I don't

think I got the amount of laps I'd like to get being at a

completely new track. As expected from a street course the

track is very bumpy and also narrow because of the walls on

both sides. I hope that tomorrow we can get some more laps

in to improve our car before qualifying. Starting up in front

here will be crucial in order to get a good result."

The 36-year-old Brazilian has finished in the top-10 eight times this season including six top-five showings and two podiums (second at Iowa and third at St. Petersburg). Kanaan has finished in the top-10 in five of the eight street/road races this year, including three top-five finishes and a podium (St. Petersburg, third; Edmonton, fourth; Mid-Ohio, fifth also placed sixth at Barber and eighth at Long Beach).

Viso, 18th in the standings with 202 points, is coming off a road/street course season-high tying ninth place finish last weekend in Sonoma. Commenting on today's practice he said, "It's a fun street course, but high frequency bumps. This is asking a lot from the setup of the car especially in the faster corners with the braking and traction, which we will be working on again tomorrow. I was running in the top-10 for most of the session until I had a mechanical failure in the last 16 minutes and the others drivers were able to put on new tires and set faster times. I am looking forward to tomorrow."

The 26-year-old Venezuelan, who after a rough start to the season, has now finished in the top-10 four times this year, twice on ovals, a season-high seventh in race one at Texas and 10th in the second plus the ninths at Toronto and Sonoma. His career best finish on a road/street course is fourth at St. Petersburg in 2008 (overall career-high, third in Iowa).

There will be another practice session tomorrow from 9:05 – 10:05 a.m. followed by qualifying at 12:10 p.m. The Baltimore Grand Prix will be broadcast live, Sunday, September 4 on Versus at 2:00 p.m. ET