Mario Moraes, still seeking a top-ten placing in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings, turned in an outstanding qualifying performance Friday to lead the three-driver KV Racing Technology squad at the fast 1.5-mile oval at Kentucky Speedway.

Moraes enjoyed his best 2010 qualifying run with a speed of 216.879 mile per hour to record the seventh starting position in Saturday's Kentucky Indy 300 set for 8:45 p.m. (EDT).

Ed Carpenter surprised the field Friday by winning pole position with a 217.933 m.p.h.

Driving in hot, windy conditions, Moraes took his No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car machine into the top-three in the early portion of the 27-car qualifying round. The track conditions were a stark contrast to the morning practice session that was halted due to rain showers.

Moraes, the 21-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had qualified in the top-ten twice this year before Friday's two-lap effort, and now seeks his first podium oval run in 2010. Moraes placed third last year at the 1.5-mile oval at Chicagoland Speedway. Last Saturday, Mario ran with the leaders in fourth before a late-race pit stop relegated him to 17th at the finish.

IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato will start 14th in the No. 5 Lotus — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry in his Kentucky Speedway debut. The Formula One veteran clocked a two-lap average of 216.265 m.p.h. and will start next to Alex Tagliani in the eighth row in the 200-lap feature.

E.J. Viso, in the No. 8 PDVSA — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, had a wild ride in qualifying and will start 22nd on the grid. Viso's mount was affected greatly by the windy conditions that caused the car to have oversteer early in the two-lap run. The 25-year-old Venezuelan made adjustments in the cockpit during his qualifying attempt, but had to settle for 214.595 m.p.h.

DRIVER QUOTES:

MARIO MORAES -- #32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "The KV Racing car felt pretty good despite the windy conditions this afternoon. The track was so different this morning with the cool, cloudy weather. Then, this afternoon we had sunny and windy conditions. Almost the opposite. The wind makes a different feeling in the turns. You want the car to be neutral, no oversteer or understeer. That is difficult with the windy conditions, but I think we'll have a good car for Saturday night's race. It is supposed to be cooler and that could change the setups too."

TAKUMA SATO -- #5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "We struggled to find the balance in qualifying today. I think the reason was because, in morning practice, it was much cooler and we had some moisture. This afternoon, it was dry and much hotter. These big changes in conditions really affect the car and I think it caught out other teams also. I am confident we will find the balance and prepare the car for the race in the next session tonight." "

E.J. VISO -- #8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "On my qualifying run, the car was too positive on the front end. I had a big oversteer. I could have lost the rear of the car. I didn't want that to happen, so I adjusted my bars in the car and survived that qualifying run. The track was so different from the morning practice with the heavy air and cool temperatures. Then we had the sun and windy conditions in qualifying. I feel pretty confident for the race. We have been coming from the back on the ovals this year, and we have driven into the top-five several times. I think we can do that again here."

Takuma Sato will aim to maintain his strong oval form this weekend as the IndyCar Series heads to Kentucky for the Meijer Indy 300.

In his rookie season at the wheel of the #5 Lotus-KV Racing Technology entry, the former F1 racer has impressed with his speed on the high-speed oval circuits, having run as high as third at Iowa and fifth in Kansas.

Taku also came through the field in the famous Indianapolis 500 to run as high as sixth, having started the race from 31st on the grid.

Last weekend, Taku looked well placed for a maiden oval top-ten finish in Chicago before an incident on pit-lane with team-mate EJ Viso saw him forced to retire, but he heads to Kentucky confident of running strongly.

"It was such a refreshing change and a great excitement to be back on an oval last week and we were competitive there," he said. "I heard that Kentucky will be a little bumpier, but a similar venue as we had in Chicago last week.

"I hope we can repeat our performance and show the speed we had and have a good race."

The KV Racing Technology drivers — Mario Moraes, E.J. Viso and Takuma Sato — have had excellent oval track cars this year.

With the IndyCar Series moving back onto the ovals for the last four rounds of the 2010 season, Takuma Sato was looking forward to replicating his early-summer form - which included a top-three run at Iowa Speedway back in June - when the teams arrived at Chicagoland Speedway in Illinois.

Sato and his Lotus-backed, #5 KV Racing Technology Dallara-Honda did indeed repeat that performance in the Saturday-evening event. But unfortunately, another thing that was repeated was a frustrating exit from the race, preventing a strong result. And this time it was even more frustrating, as a blameless Sato was powerless to do anything to prevent a collision with his own team-mate in the pit-lane before half-distance had even been reached.

Only one hour of practice was laid on before qualifying at the Chicagoland track, which is in the town of Joliet, around 90 minutes' drive from Chicago. "It was nice to be back on the ovals after two months away," pointed out Takuma. "Your body can easily forget how you feel when you go to an oval. It's a pleasant surprise when you go out the first time – you don't realise how much g-force you push down and how much speed you can carry. It's physically thrilling.

"It's a very smooth 1.5-mile oval, and the radius means the banking is very big, allowing you to go fast very easily. It took only a few laps to go flat. We worked on race set-up as usual, and then tried a qualifying simulation at the end. I was only 19th quickest, but most importantly was happier with the balance – I had a good set-up."

With Taku drawn to run late in the qualifying line-up, this proved beneficial as he was able to learn lessons from the earlier runs. The result was 10th on the grid, a hugely encouraging performance.

"Chicagoland is one of those ovals where you usually require the minimum-distance line, so you just drive as low as possible, close to the white line to make the shortest distance. My starting position was quite late and I saw some of the quick drivers were going slightly higher than the white line, which normally wouldn't make any sense. But going quickly is a balance between distance and scrubbing off speed – the shortest line means more steering lock, whereas if you have a freer car you can go quicker. My team-mate Mario Moraes went for the shortest line, and it seemed to be a little bit of a struggle. As I had a similar set-up I did a different thing, and it worked. I just tried to minimise the steering angle and I was very happy with my position. We're only talking about a few ten-thousandths of a second, but that makes a big difference to your position on the ovals! It's all about the details."

There was then a half-hour practice session to enable teams to work on a set-up for running in the pack at Chicagoland, which is renowned for its incredibly close racing and tight finishes. "I wasn't necessarily quickest, but I was able to go low and high on the banking and I felt comfortable," said Sato.

And then to the race... All was looking fine, with Taku running on the edge of the top 12, sitting right behind reigning champion Scott Dixon for some of the time. "The start was packed! Two-wide was normal, and occasionally three-wide was unbelievable! I really enjoyed it. The start was good. I lost a couple of positions but overtook a couple and it was looking good. The understeer was a little bit strong from early on, even though I tried everything with the anti-roll bar and weightjacker, but it was all under control. I knew what I wanted and this was making the foundations."

But bizarrely, for the second race weekend in a row, Sato had a puncture... "We had some yellows and after the restart I felt something was wrong. The understeer got worse and worse, and because that was putting a hard time on the right-hand tyres it was getting even worse. The team radioed that I had a slow puncture, and they already knew something was wrong under the yellow.

"I had to come in early to replace the tyre, stopping under green conditions, and I lost a lap. Back on track I was alone, at a circuit where you really need to be in the pack, but I was happy with the balance and my pace was pretty good. When all the leaders stopped I unlapped myself, and it was a good surprise to be back up to 13th place. I was making positions up when I saw Dan Wheldon coming up behind. Because my pit-stop window was now different I needed to save fuel, so I let him go and just followed him as close as I could, to make one block of car. I was saving fuel and we were catching the front pack."

While Wheldon would go on to miss out on victory by just a tiny fraction of a second in a thrilling finish, Taku would not get much further: "When another yellow came, it was good timing for us because now everybody would stop and I was back in the game, and I was confident I could match the speed of the leaders.

"My pit-stop was fantastic, the guys worked really well, but as I was steering out of the pit box there were cars coming in the high-speed lane, so my guys radioed that I couldn't yet join the high-speed lane. Fine, but then I got a sudden hit, and I had no idea what was happening."

Unfortunately, team-mate EJ Viso was released into the side of Taku's car and the collision put them both out of the race. "I'm so disappointed," said Sato. "Everything seemed to be under control – I was even back in the game after a problem, and I was sure I would be able to challenge to the top field just like a Iowa."

Still, there's a very quick turnaround before the teams head south for next weekend's race at Kentucky Speedway, another 1.5-mile oval that should suit Taku's speed on these ovals. "I've heard it's bumpier, but I'm looking forward to it and I am focusing fully on this. It's extremely important for me to have a good race there, as it's just one race before my home event at Motegi."

Lotus-KV Racing Technology IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato failed to finish the Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 on Saturday at the lightening fast Chicagoland Speedway.

Takuma, who qualified tenth in the #5 Lotus — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry, put in a strong showing early on in the 200-lap event and was running in the top-ten on the 1.5-mile oval.

He then fought back from an early problem due to debris on the track and ran consistently with Dan Wheldon, who eventually took the runners-up spot, to battle with the lead pack.

Unfortunately though, he was forced to retire from the race on lap 80 due to damage sustained in a pit incident with team-mate, EJ Viso.

"I am extremely disappointed tonight," Taku reflected. "This is a very exciting track as we expected. It was fantastic to race two and three wide on the track. I really enjoyed the first part of the race.

"But I had a puncture from some debris on the right rear tyre and had to pit. I got a lap down because of that, but we worked our way back onto the lead lap and I made it. I was excited because I could run right with the lead group.

"We had perfect timing with the yellow flag coming out and I made my second pit stop. Now were absolutely back on the game. It was a great stop from my crew. However, I pulled out of my pit, another car came out of his pit and I was hit. Unfortunately, it knocked us out of the race.

"We had good speed today though and I hope we can carry that into the race next week in Kentucky."

Mario Moraes was anxious to return to the site of his best IZOD IndyCar Series finish, the lightening fast Chicagoland Speedway.

Takuma Sato will start the latest round of the IndyCar Series from inside the top ten after a solid showing in qualifying at Chicagoland.

On his return to oval action, Taku was in impressive form at the wheel of the #5 Lotus – KV Racing Technology end as he lapped the 1.5 mile oval at an average speed of 214.945mph.

That means the former F1 racer will line up tenth on the grid for the Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300, sharing the fifth row of the grid with Ryan Hunter-Reay.

"I am very happy with how today went," he said. "We worked on race trim for most of the morning session and the qualifying set-up.

"During qualifying I watched how other drivers took the racing line so I could get a better understanding. I am really pleased to be starting tenth and look forward to the race."

Formula One veteran Takuma Sato had never

driven an oval track until April, but on Friday, the driver of the No. 5 Lotus — KV Racing Technology

Honda/Dallara/Firestone car continued to impress the IZOD IndyCar Series with his

oval track skills by qualifying in the top-ten at Chicagoland Speedway.

Sato, 33, turned in another oval top-ten qualifying performance

on the 1.5-mile oval with an average speed of 214.945 miles per hour to

gain a fifth row starting position in Saturday's Peak Antifreeze & Motor

Oil Indy 300.

The series rookie was less than two-tenths of a second off polesitter

Ryan Briscoe's time on the lightening fast oval track south of Chicago.

Sato had never driven the Chicagoland Speedway oval until this

morning, but his strong efforts at Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa

gave him a solid background to be immediately fast this weekend.

Sato, whose best oval start was seventh at Iowa, will start alongside

Ryan Hunter-Reay in the fifth row in the 200-lap feature set for 7

p.m. (CDT) and will be televised live on Versus.

E.J. Viso, in the No. 8 PDVSA — KV Racing Technology Honda/

Dallara/Firestone entry, recorded the 16th fastest speed with a reading of 214.210 m.p.h.

The Venezuelan driver, who'll start next to former series champion Scott Dixon, was close to

clocking identical lap times (just 7-thousands of a second apart) in his two-lap qualifying effort.

Viso is coming off a career-best third place in the previous oval race at Iowa Speedway

in June when he came from 19th on the starting grid.

Mario Moraes, looking to repeat his third place finish last year at Chicagoland Speedway,

took the 21st starting spot Friday with a 213.458 m.p.h. in the No. 32 KV Racing Technology

Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine.

DRIVER QUOTES:

TAKUMA SATO -- #5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "I

am very happy with how today went. We worked on race trim for most of the morning session and the

qualifying setup. During qualifying I watched how other drivers took the racing line so I could get a

better understanding. I am really pleased to be starting 10th and look forward to the race tomorrow."

E.J. VISO -- #8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "We

were pretty happy with the car in the morning practice session. The car was stable in the my qualifying

run. We had almost identical lap times. We needed some speed for qualifying but it is an extremely

long race. I feel we have a good race car for Saturday. We have come from behind in other oval races

this year. So, if we can get a good setup for Saturday night, we can do that again."

MARIO MORAES -- #32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY

HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "I think Chicagoland is a great track and we had a great race here

last year to take third. Unfortunately, I don't think we have the same speed as last year right now. But we

are working on the speed now and I think we have a pretty good car for the race on Saturday. We'll work

on the car's setup tonight for the race and be ready to go."

After the recent run of road and street courses, Takuma Sato will return to oval action this weekend in the latest round of the IndyCar Series.

It's more than two months since the former F1 racer competed on an oval and Sato will hope to repeat the kind of form that saw him run inside the top three at Iowa back in June at the wheel of the #5 Lotus-KV Racing Technology entry.

While the Iowa race ultimately ended in disappointment after Taku was involved in a misunderstanding with a backmarker while making his way through traffic, the pace shown leaves him in buoyant mood heading to Chicagoland for Saturday's Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil 300.

"Time has passed so quickly and it is hard to believe that we now are going to the final four oval rounds for 2010 season," Taku said. "Racing on ovals was something totally new for me in this my first year in the IndyCar Series, but I enjoyed them and, after experiencing a variety of four ovals in the first half of the season, I now have a much better understanding.

"I am really looking forward to being back on an oval this weekend and my first visit to Chicagoland Speedway."

Sato will again have veteran IndyCar racer Roger Yasukawa acting as his spotter during the race weekend.

It has been over two months since the IZOD IndyCar Series has raced at an oval track, but the three KV Racing Technology drivers — Mario Moraes, E.J. Viso and Takuma Sato — believe they can race with the leaders at the drop of the green flag in Saturday night's Chicagoland Speedway 300-mile event.

It was a tough weekend for Takuma Sato in the latest IndyCar Series round at the Sonoma road course in California, but the Japanese star looked set for a rewarding tenth-place finish in the closing laps...

Then came a mystery problem on the final restart, which left Sato with no grip at the front and contributed to a late collision. After a pit-stop, he rejoined to finish a disappointed 18th.

For the second race running, Sato and his KV Racing Technology team had the opportunity to get in some pre-event testing with their Lotus backed Dallara-Honda. But it did not go as planned.

"We had such a strong race in Mid-Ohio, and the test there had been very productive and it was great to understand the whole thing," said Taku. "We brought our successful package to Sonoma, but it just didn't work out. This circuit requires a different philosophy and we couldn't find the right set-up. But that was also very valuable information – it's the way to learn.

"So the test was good, and we studied and came back and hoped the car would be stronger. But conditions were different for practice and we seemed to be missing something fundamental – it wasn't comfortable and we couldn't find good speed. It was no one thing – just balance and grip.

"Sonoma is a stunning circuit, different to any track I've ever driven. The elevation changes are massive and the TV pictures only really half-show that. Turn one and two are like a wall – like Eau Rouge at Spa, but here you have to brake and turn 90 degrees. It's a very challenging circuit for driver commitment – you can really enjoy it if you have a balanced car."

Qualifying proved a disappointment, with Sato taking ninth-fastest time in his group to line up 17th on the grid.

"No one made it from KV," pointed out Taku. "The warm-up was the only hope we could get it back together and finally found something positive after changing the set-up a little."

There was a dramatic start, with Sato having to steer into the run-off to avoid the rolling Dan Wheldon before the startline!

"An accident shouldn't happen before the start – everyone was too close," he said. "I saw Dan was launched up in air, then immediately after I heard the race was aborted so I wanted make sure that I avoided a second accident and the debris so had to go wide and slow down and lost a couple of places. I was sure I could go back to where I was before the start, because I hadn't even crossed the startline when I lost the places, but I couldn't."

After that Taku settled down into a rhythm, and would run in company with Bertrand Baguette and Raphael Matos for most of the race.

"I could follow guys and save fuel, and commit to attack," he said. "Today was fun because I overtook a number of cars. We decided to make a short first stint and long second, different from normal but because of that I would have an opportunity to gain positions. Today, I always caught someone in front all the time so it was very positive and exciting."

Bit by bit Sato worked his way up the order, and was sitting pretty in the top ten when the final caution flags flew. Then his race turned sour…

"After the restart I was so struggling for grip, particularly at the front, and we are looking at what the problem is. I had massive understeer. I was braking much earlier but locking up, just like in a Formula 3 race at Donington in 2001 when I had a slow puncture. The car was wobbling too. I tried to hang on but couldn't.

"Danica Patrick and Alex Lloyd came past and they were just getting into the corner at the end of the back straight – I tried to avoid them but the damage or problem was so severe I just couldn't make the car turn and unfortunately I tangled with Danica. After that I had flat tyres and came into the pits, and finished a lap down."

So ends the run of road and street courses, and now the series returns to the ovals, with a trip east to the Chicagoland track, around 30 miles out of Chicago, for the next round on Saturday.

"The race was positive after a difficult start, and I was determined to get back to the front to do what we were able to in Mid-Ohio," Taku said. "It's a shame we couldn't achieve what we wanted, but now my brain needs to shift completely and go into oval mode. Our oval races earlier in the season were encouraging, so hopefully we can pick up from that and take good momentum into my home race at Motegi."

Takuma Sato missed out on a top ten finish at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma after being forced to make a pit-stop late in the race.

Taku had started 17th at the wheel of his #5 Lotus-backed KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara but ran consistently in the top ten on his first race outing at Infineon Raceway.

However, despite making a number of impressive moves for position during the race, Taku ultimately ended the race in 18th place after being forced to make an unscheduled late stop to replace a punctured tyre.

"It was a difficult weekend for our team as we couldn't find the speed we wanted," the former F1 star said. "However, in the race, we were able to start getting things together. I had many exciting side-by-side moments and with 15 laps to go I was running tenth.

"However on the final restart, it looked like we had a mechanical problem causing me to lose over two seconds a lap. I had to run wide and tangled with Danica [Patrick] causing me to do a quick pit stop. It was a shame we had to end like this, but overall we can take some positives with us from this race."

E.J. Viso led the three-driver KV Racing Technology contingent in qualifications Saturday for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at the Infineon Raceway.

Viso, who led nine laps in his Infineon Raceway debut in 2008, just missed the second round of time trials on the 2.30-mile, 12-turn road circuit in the Napa wine country with a speed of 106.727 miles per hour. Driving the No. 8 PDVSA—KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, Viso had posted a speed fast enough to advance to the second qualifying round but lost out in the final minute of action.

Viso will start 15th in Sunday's 75-lap main event that is televised on Versus at 5 p.m. (EDT). IZOD IndyCar Series point leader Will Power won the pole position with a 108.337 m.p.h.

Takuma Sato, the rookie racer with three Firestone Fast Six qualifying appearances this year, recorded a speed of 106.687 m.p.h. in the No. 5 Lotus - KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry. Sato leaped to fourth in the qualifying session but, like Viso, was bumped from a top-six position and failed to advance to the next round. Sato will start 17th in the 25-driver field Sunday.

Mario Moraes, driving the No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, clocked a speed of 106.630 m.p.h. Saturday and will start 20th when the green flag drops at 5:45 p.m. (EDT).

DRIVER QUOTES:

EJ VISO – No. 8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "It was a very disappointing qualifying, not only for me but for everyone on the team. It's frustrating that no one from KV Racing Technology made it into the top-12. We worked last week on improving the car and its seems the changes we made didn't help us this weekend. Today, the track is totally different and that's why we have found it hard to get the right balance with the car. We'll have to make adjustments and be ready for the race."

TAKUMA SATO — No. 5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE:

"I am very disappointed. We seemed to be missing something fundamental. We couldn't find the right balance and grip out there. When I changed to the alternate (red) tire, I was able to get better grip but that was irrelevant because the rest of the field also improved. We will go over all the data tonight and prepare for warm-up and the race tomorrow."

MARIO MORAES – No. 32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "We knew we would be in a tough qualifying session today. We jumped into the top-six early in the run. But we didn't have the speed to advance to the next round. We'll have to utilize a fuel strategy for the race. Last year we came from 14th to fourth. We will work on the plan tonight and be ready for the race on Sunday."

Lotus-KV Racing Technology IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato was seventeenth in qualifying at Infineon Raceway on Saturday ahead Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

The Formula One veteran, who has already made it into the Firestone Fast Six three times this year, recorded a speed of 106.687 mph in the #5 Lotus - KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry.

Sato leaped to fourth early on in the qualifying session but, like his team-mate E.J. Viso, was bumped from a top-six position and failed to advance to the next round.

"I am very disappointed. We seemed to be missing something fundamental. We couldn't find the right balance and grip out there," Takuma explained.

"When I changed to the alternate (red) tyre, I was able to get better grip but that was irrelevant because the rest of the field also improved. We will go over all the data tonight now and prepare for warm-up and the race tomorrow," he concluded.

Lotus-KV Racing Technology IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato was twentieth in opening practice at Infineon Raceway on Friday ahead Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

The Formula One veteran, who is making debut at the track in the #5 Lotus-KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, recorded an average speed of 104.090 mph.

"It was a reasonable day," Taku said. "The track conditions were slippery at the beginning of the practice session. But we also had a little struggle with the balance of the car.

"At the end, the track and weather conditions got better but we need to get more grip. We wanted to try some more things with the car. But we ran out of time today.

"We will analyze the data now and hopefully, we can put everything together and be ready for a strong run tomorrow," summed-up Taku, who qualified third at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago and who has qualified for the Firestone Fast Six in all three of the previous permanent road circuit events at Barber, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio.

Mario Moraes, who finished fourth last year at Infineon Raceway, led the KV Racing Technology three-car lineup Friday in the opening practice round for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Moraes, driving the No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, posted an average speed of 104.831 miles per hour on the demanding 2.30-mile, 12-turn circuit north of San Francisco. Dario Franchitti was the fastest Friday at 105.889 m.p.h.

Moraes, who has three top-ten road course showings in 2010, scored his best road racing finish here a year ago in the KVRT machine when he came from 14th to fourth in the 75-lap contest. Moraes is seeking a better qualifying spot this year in an effort to challenge for a podium placing on Sunday. Hot track conditions made for a slippery surface Friday.

E.J. Viso, who led nine laps at the Sonoma event in 2008, drove his No. 8 PDVSA — KVRT Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry to a speed of 104.382 m.p.h. Viso is seeking to return to the Firestone Fast Six qualifying round on Saturday. He made the Fast Six at Edmonton.

Formula One veteran Takuma Sato, a rookie in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series, made his Infineon Raceway debut today in the No. 5 Lotus-KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car. The Japanese star recorded an average speed of 104.090 m.p.h. Sato, who qualified third at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, has qualified for the Firestone Fast Six rounds in all three of the previous permanent road circuit events at Barber, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio.

Qualifying is set for 2:30 p.m. (PDT) Saturday with Sunday's race scheduled at 2:45 p.m. (PDT). The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be televised live on the VERSUS Network.

DRIVER QUOTES:

MARIO MORAES – No. 32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "Overall, it was a good day. I really like this track. It is one of the most challenging on the circuit. We are looking over the data and we had a couple of things that posed a problem. We had a brake problem. The brakes are being changed for Saturday. Unfortunately, we are in the hard qualifying group but we really want to make the top six out of there. We need to work harder to get into the second qualifying round. Last year, we finished fourth here. We need to really work on the fuel strategy for Sunday to make it a two-stop race."

EJ VISO – No. 8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "The track surface was different today from where it was last week (in testing). The things that worked for us last week didn't really work today. We need to analyze the data that we had from last week with the data from today. If we can get the information sorted out, I think we can be good for qualifying. This is a track where you can overtake. But you really want to qualify up front and race with the fast guys earlier in the race. That is our goal for Saturday."

TAKUMA SATO: No. 5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE:

"It was a reasonable day. The track condition was slippery at the beginning of the practice session. But we also had a little struggle on the balance of the car. At the end, the track and weather conditions got better but we need to get more grip. We wanted to try some more things with the car. But we ran out of time today. We will analyze the data from today. Hopefully, we can put everything together and be ready for a strong run tomorrow (Saturday)."

KV Racing Technology IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato is looking forward to the challenges of the tough Infineon Raceway road circuit this weekend in the 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Sato has shown impressive displays on road courses this year, and comes off a testing session last week on the 2.303-mile, twelve-turn track with solid optimism. The F1 veteran has been spectacular this year in his maiden campaign on the permanent road circuits by qualifying in all three Firestone Fast Six rounds, including a season-best third two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio.

Driving the stunning green-and-gold No. 5 Lotus - KVRT Honda/Dallara/Firestone car, Sato has continued his learning curve as a rookie in the 17-race IZOD IndyCar Series with impressive road course speed.

In addition, the Japanese ace has been just as strong on the oval tracks, a completely new racing form for the open-wheel veteran. At Iowa he as ran as high third and he battled in the top five in his first oval outing at Kansas, but the road circuits are his 'home' and the 33-year-old clearly expects to be in contention in both qualifying and the race this weekend at Infineon.

"It was my first visit to Infineon Raceway when we had a test there last week," he acknowledged, "and I really enjoyed driving at this great venue. We did various set-up work at the test and we collected very valuable data, so I hope we can have a very strong race weekend. It is indeed a very challenging circuit with huge elevation changes; you just can't see how steep the hills are on pictures… I think racing there will be very exciting and spectacular."

The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma is the final road race for the series in 2010, and will be televised live on Sunday on Versus at 5pm EDT.

The three KV Racing Technology drivers — Mario Moraes, E.J. Viso and Takuma Sato — are looking forward to the challenges of the tough Infineon Raceway road circuit this weekend in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Once upon a time (last week) at the Lotus headquarters in Hethel. The Communications Team were hard at work thinking about the kinds of things communications people think about. Imagine the scene.....

Silence......

Suddenly a voice pipes up: "Guys, we need a press release for the IndyCar race in Long Beach next weekend. Something clever. Quirky. Creative. Any ideas?"

Uncomfortable silence....

And then a question (and any PR person worth their salt will tell you there's no such thing as a stupid question): "Long Beach was on the F1 calendar – didn't Lotus win in Long Beach?"

Answer (like a gunshot or a backfire): "3rd of April 1977. Mario Andretti!"

Silence (but you can hear the brains ticking)....

And then out of nowhere (but slightly to the left): "When was Takuma Sato born?"

Stunned silence.

"What the heck has that to do with Long Beach?"

Silence and stifled giggles......

A few swift mouse clicks later: "Taku was born on the 28th of January 1977."

Silence....

Then (to the sound of numerous light bulbs clicking on): "Ah. Well. There we go. Good job."

So this little story explains why we the Lotus crew ended up in a Norwich pub to celebrate the idea and raise a toast "To the 33rd birthday of Taku and Mario's win and the ongoing success of Lotus.

The End.

Quotes:

Takuma Sato: "Long Beach is such a historical place for motor racing. Even though I've never been there I know the race is always an exciting one with a great atmosphere. I am getting a more comfortable feeling every time I jump in the car. I am getting used to the whole environment so I am pleased about this coming back to back race weekend especially after Barber where I collected many positives."

Claudio Berro: "The results of the past few races don't concern me too much, they're definitely not reflective of Taku's ability to perform long term. What matters most is the steady progress he and the team have made with the car, the more time spent out on track, the better he gets and the closer the team gets to the perfect set-up. I have every faith in Taku, if he can keep his cool and maintain his determination and focus, I have no doubt that he'll do us proud."

LEXINGTON, OHIO (Aug. 7, 2010) — Rookie Takuma Sato is becoming a fast learner on the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series after another stellar road racing qualifying performance Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Sato, a Formula One regular for seven years, moved to the IndyCar Series this year and continues to impress in his No. 5 Lotus - KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry. Sato drove his car to third in qualifications Saturday for Sunday's Honda Indy 200 feature. The Japanese star was only bested by Will Power and Dario Franchitti in the ten-minute Firestone Fast Six final round with a speed of 120.545 miles per hour. Power's 120.965 reading won the pole position.

Sato's third starting spot is the best qualifying showing this year for the KV Racing Technology team that saw four top-ten finishers in the last race at Edmonton. Sato, still learning each track on the IndyCar Series, recorded his third Firestone Fast Six of the year, all on permanent road circuits

Sato qualified sixth at Barber Motorsports Park and fifth at Watkins Glen.

E.J. Viso, who made the Fast Six at Edmonton two weeks ago, looked to be on his way to a repeat appearance in the second qualifying round in the No. 8 PDVSA—KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine. However, Viso just slid wide on his fast lap and recorded the eighth fastest speed at 120.478 m.p.h.

Mario Moraes, fourth in Saturday's morning practice despite an injured right wrist, just missed the second qualifying round (Top 12) in the No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car and took 16th at 119.925 m.p.h. Moraes will be seeking his fourth top-ten road racing finish in Sunday's 85-lap main event that will be televised live on Versus-TV at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

DRIVER QUOTES: TAKUMA SATO -- #5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "I'm very pleased with the result today. I was able to improve each session. We tested here last week which helped me and my engineers a lot. We spent both practice sessions working on improving the car and each change we made led to more positive results. Qualifying was tough as everyone was so close in times so I am pleased we made it to the Firestone Fast Six again. For us to do it here, we needed a very balanced car and I am thankful to all my crew and hope to give them a good result tomorrow."

E.J. VISO -- #8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "Our PDVSA car felt good in the session. But the grid is so tight that you can't make a little mistake. I was pushing the car so hard. I was fast enough on my final lap (in the second qualifying round to advance to the Firestone Fast Six) but I slid wide under braking at the end of the back straightaway and missed the apex. I couldn't get it back in time to get a good lap. So we'll start eighth in the race."

MARIO MORAES -- #32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "After practice this morning, we were fourth. I thought we would be in good position for the second qualifying round. But I made a slight mistake on my fast lap and we missed the second round by just a tenth or so. We have come from behind on the road courses this year to finish well. I think we can do it again on Sunday here."

"It was so nice to have some testing last week, something we missed for a long time and it was the first time since Barber test back in February! We had many different things to try and evaluate which are almost impossible to be done over a race weekend due to the limited track time. So it was a useful day for us to complete and was successful. Mid-Ohio is a challenging road course with a few aggressive elevation changes which makes some corners completely un-sighted, narrow and fast but I enjoyed driving there. The field was again very tight but I feel very positive after the test so hopefully we will be competitive this weekend."

Still, "it was a good race", said Taku after his best result to date in his Lotus-backed KV Racing Technology Dallara-Honda.

After the tight confines of Toronto, the teams had moved west to the Alberta track of Edmonton, which is much wider.

"This is a truly unique circuit," said Sato. "It's kind of a street course but the corner speeds are a lot higher and we were using road-course tyres, and the bumps are just unbelievable! The infield section is quite nice, and gives you a good rhythm, but with 14 corners in just over 60 seconds you are always turning, even on the straights, which are so wide you don't know where you're driving at first and you're always crossing from right to left to take the line for the next corner."

Practice was split into three sessions, two on Friday and one on Saturday. Despite a couple of incidents, one of which sent him onto the grass and into some extremely large puddles, Sato showed well and was fifth fastest in second practice.

"I went into the carwash!" he joked. "Every circuit is new to me, so I have to run from the beginning to learn and need some extra laps meaning I don't usually have a new tyres at the end of the session when the circuit is nicely "rubbered in" and people generally set a quick lap with it. But the second practice was stopped by so many yellow flags that my run on new tyres came 'accidentally' late, so I was able to do a quick time."

Unfortunately, that momentum wasn't carried through to qualifying. Taku was drawn in what would have become known as the 'Group of Death' if it were a World Cup tournament.

"There were the three Penske cars," he said, "Dario Franchitti from Ganassi, Justin Wilson, Paul Tracy - a very competitive group compared to the other one, and also we were the first group to run, which means the track was very green."

Sato was seventh in the group, narrowly missing out by less than a tenth of a second on the top six who progressed into the second round of qualifying and having to make do with 13th on the grid. His time would have comfortably qualified him from the second group, which ran with faster track conditions.

"I did everything I could," he said, "but with the lower temperature and slippery conditions our car didn't react well. It was an unlucky moment."

That put Taku in a long train early in the race. He ran 14th, part of a snake of cars being held up by Tomas Scheckter, but just after the ten-lap mark Scheckter pitted, Sato passed his fellow Japanese Hideki Mutoh and then decimated a nine-second gap to Marco Andretti so that he was battling with the American by the time of the first pitstops. After the stops he carried on fighting with the likes of Andretti, Moraes and Tracy, but was struggling.

"It was an exciting race, with lots of battling and overtaking," he said. "I enjoyed it. On the second stint I was struggling with the prime tyre due to slightly optimistic tyre pressures. It worked well once I got the tyre temperatures up, but the balance had dramatically changed. It was getting better towards the middle of the stint, but every time there was a restart it was difficult again."

Sato made an early final pit-stop, allowing him to set a scorching pace on the alternate red tyres on a clear track. That meant that, by the time the stops had shuffled out, he was running eighth, right on the tail of Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay. Unfortunately, he was also in the vicinity of Hunter-Reay's team-mates Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan…

"I got good grip on the tyres and was happy with the balance," Taku said. "I was quickest on the track at that time and set the fourth fastest lap overall, and was battling Hunter-Reay for position. But when we both lapped the Andretti cars, Danica let Ryan go and then blocked me, which was very unfair. I communicated with my team, 'what's going on?', and they said they were working on it. I don't know what the officials were doing but I was held for 15 laps. It was getting silly."

Then there was the drama of a final restart with three laps remaining

"PT ran wide at the chicane, then I was alongside and pushed away by him!" Taku said. "I nearly lost it but just hung on the position. On the back straight Scheckter let the other guys lap him, but when it was my turn he came back onto my line and I had to hold, and then Tony Kanaan came from behind and hit me. That was very disappointing."

Taku spun down to tenth, although was promoted to ninth after the race as winner Helio Castroneves did not take a drive-through penalty. With road-course circuits at Mid-Ohio and Sears Point coming up, it was an encouraging weekend.

"It was good momentum that I really need to carry through to the next race," he said. "We had a lot of positives today and learned a few things. I'm really looking forward to the road courses coming up."

EDMONTON, Alta., Canada (July 25, 2010) — Paul Tracy led a four-driver Top Ten performance for KV Racing Technology Sunday on the rough tarmac at the City Centre Airport before an enthusiastic racing crowd at the Honda Indy Edmonton.

Tracy, the oldest driver in the field at age 41, had the crowd on their feet throughout the 95-lap feature with the No. 15 Honda Canada—Make A Wish—Motegi Wheels—KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry with a solid sixth place finish. Starting from his 15th position, Tracy kept his aggressive reputation by passing five drivers in the first two laps and ran as high as fifth before taking his second consecutive sixth spot in the Alberta city.

The Las Vegas resident made a valiant passing maneuver for fourth with two laps remaining but Penske driver Ryan Briscoe held off the challenge and moved Tracy wide. Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to slip by for the fifth spot ahead of the No. 15 driver.

The bumpy 1.96-mile, 14-turn circuit near downtown Edmonton always provides wild action and Sunday's competition didn't disappoint. While Tracy was the focus of many Canadian fans, the other three KV Racing Technology drivers also performed well.

An impressive drive was turned in by Mario Moraes, who came from the 14th starting spot with a superb fuel mileage drive to place seventh in his No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car. It was the Brazilian's third top-ten road finish in 2010.

E.J. Viso, driver of the No. 8 PDVSA — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine, started sixth Sunday after a tremendous qualifying performance. However, a mid-race tangle with Simona de Silvestro hurt Viso's chances for a possible top-five finish. The 25-year-old Venezuelan fought his way back to finish eighth, his best road placing in 2010.

Formula One veteran Takuma Sato, driver in the No. 5 Lotus — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone mount, turned in an impressive performance in his debut on the tough Edmonton track as he raced into seventh late in the event. However, Sato's car was hit from behind on the final lap and the Japanese star lost two positions for ninth overall.

Sunday marked the first time KVRT had four drivers finish in the Top Nine in a race.

DRIVER QUOTES:

PAUL TRACY, #15 HONDA CANADA—MAKE A WISH—MOTEGI WHEELS—KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE, Finished 6th: "It was a good finish for the Honda Canada– Make A Wish–Motegi Wheels–KV Racing team today. Our goal was to make money for Make A Wish these last two weeks and they raised over $112,000 for the two races. It feels great to help the kids and the families. My second goal was to have a good time. Then we wanted a good finish and we pulled it off today. It feels so good to race in front of the Canadian fans. They really enjoy their racing. Both Toronto and Edmonton support these events so well. It is tough to come in as a spot driver and perform well. This place is so hard and physical on a driver. So coming from 15th and finish sixth feels very good. I just wish we could get the car figured out earlier in the weekend to get a better starting spot. With a better qualifying, I think we can race with the leaders. Overall, today was good for the whole KV Racing team. I wish I could race again this year."

MARIO MORAES, #32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE, Finished 7th: "It was a good race for our KV crew. I was trying to be patient with the tires in the first stint. We were able to run long on fuel in the first stint and that helped us. I am happy with the top-ten finish after the problem we had in qualifying. We had some great pit stops and a great team effort in the race. Now, I hope we can continue that momentum in two weeks at Mid-Ohio."

E.J. VISO, #8 PDVSA — KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE, Finished 8th: "It was definitely a tough race. I made a couple of mistakes early in the race. But overall, my PDVSA – KV Racing crew did a great job with a strong qualifying performance. The car was good in the race. We were in a fuel conservation mode and I lost a few positions. I considered it a racing incident with Simona (de Silvestro). She didn't give any space and I think she didn't see me. So we banged tires. The officials gave me a drive-through penalty and that didn't help us going back in the pack. But we recovered well and we got back to eighth. We want to be ready for Mid-Ohio now after the team did a good job this weekend."

TAKUMA SATO, #5 LOTUS - KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE, Finished 9th: "It was a good day for the Lotus - KV Racing Technology team. I enjoyed racing here and the race itself was very exciting. There was a lot of side-by-side and overtaking on this circuit, which I experienced a lot of today. On the last stint, I was so frustrated being stuck behind a lapped car. Its okay for a few corners or even a lap, but it held me up for so long, almost 15 laps. We tried to speak to their team to ask them to move over but for some reason it wasn't happening. On the last restart, my teammate PT (Paul Tracy) went wide and onto the grass. I was alongside him when he came back on track forcing me wide and nearly losing it, but I managed to hold on and and keep position. Later TK (Tony Kanaan) hit me from behind and spun me round, so I lost a couple of positions on that lap, but he did apologize to me after the race. That was a shame but it was still a good day for the Lotus team."

E.J. VISO TAKES ON PENSKE, GANASSI TEAMS

IN FIRESTONE FAST SIX QUALIFYING AT EDMONTON

KVRT Driver Scores Sixth With Sato, Moraes & Tracy 13th, 14th & 15th

EDMONTON, Alta., Canada (July 24, 2010) — E.J. Viso must have felt like he was "David" against "Goliath" Saturday in IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying at Honda Indy Edmonton on the 1.96-mile., 14-turn City Centre Airport circuit.

In the ten-minute Firestone Fast Six qualifying session, Viso, in the No. 8 PDVSA — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry, battled the likes of the Penske and Ganassi teams in a wild shootout that saw thunder and lightning less than a mile away from the track. The stellar qualifying lineup of Will Power, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe fought against the lone KV Racing Technology driver in an attempt to capture the pole for Sunday's 95-lap main event that starts at 4 p.m. MDT. While the rain was close to the circuit, the track surface was dry.

Viso, with his best qualifying performance of the year, posted the sixth fastest speed of the day with a reading of 115.282 mile per hour. Power, the defending race winner, won the pole at 116.991. The 25-year-old Venezuelan KVRT driver jumped to the top of the speed charts in the first two minutes of the special Firestone event and later ran as high as fourth before settling for a third row position.

F-1 veteran Takuma Sato just missed a position in the second round of qualifying Saturday and will start 13th in the No. 5 Lotus — KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car. The series rookie was just one-tenth off the fastest six in the first qualifying group that included Power, Castroneves, Briscoe and Franchitti. Sato's speed was 114.713 m.p.h., just missing the transfer spot.

Mario Moraes, looking to repeat his top-five finish at Watkins Glen, will start next to Sato in the 14th position after also coming up short of a transfer spot in the second group of first round time trials. Moraes, the youngest series regular at age 21, recorded a speed of 114.317 m.p.h. in the No. 32 KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine.

Canadian star Paul Tracy, a top-seven performer in practice on Friday and Saturday, will start 15th in the feature with a speed of 113.961 m.p.h.. Tracy, driving the No. 15 Honda Canada — Make A Wish— Motegi Wheels Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry, has never finished worse than sixth at Edmonton in five races on the bumpy tarmac at City Centre Airport and will be the crowd favorite Sunday.

DRIVER QUOTES:

E.J. VISO -- #8 PDVSA – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "I am definitely happy today. This is our best qualifying in road courses and ovals this year. We felt we could do this kind of performance all season, but we had so many obstacles early in the season. Now, I feel we are in position to do this all of the time. After Iowa (where he finished third), things are changing in our direction. I really want to thank everyone on the No. 8 PDVSA crew and KV Racing Technology for giving me a great car. The car was very consistent today and the team did a tremendous job. I look forward to the race after this qualifying run today."

TAKUMA SATO -- #5 LOTUS – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "The first group was the toughest group today. I didn't get a good feeling during the first run with the primary tires. However, when we went to the alternate tire, the car was getting better and it looked like it was all coming together. Unfortunately the times were so close that we missed the top-12 by less than a tenth of a second. I tried everything we had but we just couldn't find the grip so I'm very disappointed we didn't make it through to Q2 today."

MARIO MORAES -- #32 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "Unfortunately, my KV Racing car had some understeer in qualifying. We couldn't put a lap together to reach the Top 12. We just missed out at the end of session. Overall, our balance in the car is pretty good for the race. I hope to get a good start and move up in the race."

PAUL TRACY — #15 HONDA CANADA — MAKE A WISH — KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "We were put in the hardest group possible today. There were three Penskes, a Ganassi car, Wilson and others. That group was just stacked with a lot of fast guys. It's a shame because we just didn't have enough to transfer to the second round. We missed by a little today. It's tough to start 15th on Sunday. I really wanted to start further up in the grid for the Make A Wish, Honda Canada and Motegi Wheels people. We had been a top-seven car all weekend leading into qualifying. I'm disappointed for everyone. We'll have to drive through the field again in the race."

TAKUMA SATO, #5 LOTUS - KV RACING TECHNOLOGY HONDA/DALLARA/FIRESTONE: "Edmonton will be another adventure run for me! This place is again a very unique circuit as it is based on an airfield and well known to be possibly the most physical place because of its short straights, constant corners and, of course, the famous bumps… So the car set up will be unique as well but KV Racing had strong cars there last year so I feel positive for the weekend".

The Japanese rookie will start 13th on the quirky City Centre Airport circuit after clocking 114.713mph in the #5 Lotus-KV Racing Technology Dallara-Honda, ending the short session just a tenth of a second off the fastest six drivers in a group that included points leader Will Power, multiple Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, the third Penske driver Ryan Briscoe, reigning champion Dario Franchitti and last weekend's polesitter Justin Wilson.

"The first group was the toughest group today," Sato confirmed, "I didn't get a good feeling during the first run with the primary tyres. However, when we went to the alternate tyre, the car was getting better and it looked like it was all coming together.

"Unfortunately, the times were so close that we missed the top twelve by less than a tenth of a second. I tried everything we had, but we just couldn't find the grip so I'm very disappointed we didn't make it through to Q2 today."