Taku To Celebrate Lotus Old And New At Indy

The new and the old will be celebrated at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today [Thursday] as two Lotus cars will circle the famed 2.5-mile oval to mark the return of one of racing's greatest marques to one of its most hallowed arenas.

KV Racing Technology driver Takuma Sato will drive the #5 Lotus–liveried Dallara-Honda alongside the Lotus 38 driven to seventh place by Bobby Johns in the 1965 Indianapolis 500, which will have KVRT co-owner Jimmy Vasser at the wheel for the two-car, two-lap demonstration.

Following the exhibition, the #5 Lotus - which Sato qualified 31st for the blue riband 2010 event - will be wheeled to the Pagoda Pavilion for a special photo with Jim Clark's 1963 Lotus, which the Scottish rookie placed second to Parnelli Jones.

Later still, Sato will unveil a special edition helmet he will wear during this year's Indy 500. The helmet, which will debut during the drivers' media availability time at the Brickyard Pavilion, features the beautiful Lotus logo and photos of the #5 2010 Lotus and the #82 1965 Jim Clark Indy-winning Lotus. The helmet will be auctioned off for charity.

This year's Indy 500 marks the return of Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time since 1969, when Art Pollard qualified twelfth. Ironically, Mario Andretti crashed his Lotus in practice and won the race in a year-old Hawk.