2009 IRL Team Reports: KV Racing Technology

IRL Team reports for the 2009 IRL season

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Post by mlittle » Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:06 am

KVRT'S MARIO MORAES FINISHES INDYCAR CAREER HIGH FOURTH IN SONOMA

SONOMA, CA - - AUGUST 23, 2009 - - Round #14 2009 IndyCar Series season - - KV Racing Technology driver Mario Moraes finished an IndyCar career high fourth today in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

Moraes started 14th, but took advantage of a first lap melee to move into eighth place. Driving a smart, focused and smooth race the talented Brazilian battled his way into fifth place by lap 13 where the #5 Azul -- Votorantim -- KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car remained until the final stint. Following his last pit stop, Moraes who was nursing his brakes, took advantage of a wounded Helio Castroneves to take over fourth place on lap 62 of the 75 lap contest. In the closing laps he briefly dropped to fifth, but quickly responded by passing Hideki Mutoh to move back into fourth where he finished.

"The last two weeks have been really tough for me, but it felt good to get back into the car and have a good race," Moraes said. "The KV Racing Technology team did a great job today, in fact for the whole weekend. In qualifying we had a little problem, but we went back to our original plan. In morning warm we thought the #5 Azul -- Votorantim car was fast and I think moving up 10 places in the race today proved it. I would like to thank again the whole KVRT crew for everything and also the fans for all the support over the last two weeks."

Moraes, 20, the second youngest driver in the series, is in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT. He made his 29th career start, 12th on a road/street course and second on the 2.303-mile, 12-turn Infineon Raceway permanent road course today. Today's fourth place showing surpasses his previous high of seventh at Watkins Glen last year. It is the first top-five finish of his IndyCar career, sixth career top-10 finish, third top-10 finish of the season and his second consecutive top-10 performance at Infineon Raceway (placed 10th last year). Since joining KVRT, Moraes has earned career high finishes on seven of the 13 tracks this season (did not race at Mid-Ohio), and has now earned his career best
road/street course finish and career best oval finish, ninth at Milwaukee. Moraes earned 32 points today and picked up one place in the standings. He is now 18th with 213 points.

Today's fourth place showing is KVRT's best in two races, three starts, in Sonoma.
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Post by mlittle » Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:06 am

KVRT'S MARIO MORAES HAS MOMENTUM GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND'S PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND MOTOR OIL INDY 300

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- AUGUST 26, 2009 -- Round #15, 2009 IndyCar Series season -- KV Racing Technology driver Mario Moraes will be looking to carry the momentum he gained from last weekend's IndyCar career high fourth place finish at Sonoma into this weekend's Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300, August 28-29, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joilet, Illinois.

Moraes has consistently been among the fastest drivers for much of the season, particularly in qualifying, but a series of incidents, the majority a result of just plain bad luck, have prevented him from taking full advantage of that speed. However, last weekend in Sonoma, everything came together and as a result Moraes heads to Illinois with not only a fast car, but momentum. This weekend's race also provides Moraes with the opportunity to finish something he started four weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway, like Chicagoland a 1.5-mile oval. After starting 16th, Moraes rocketed through the field and was running in fourth place after just 18 laps. With an incredibly quick car Moraes seemed a shoe-in for at minimum a top-five finish, but bad luck intervened and while entering his pit box he was hit from behind by one competitor then T-boned by another damaging his car and forcing an extended stop for repairs essentially ending his race.

"KV Racing Technology has worked very hard all season and we have shown that we have a very fast car," Moraes said. "Unfortunately, we have not always had the results we have wanted. Last weekend, everything went the way it should in the race and we showed what we are capable of doing. We had a very fast car on the last oval in Kentucky and I am confident we will be fast at Chicagoland, so I am looking forward to another good result."

Moraes, 20, the second youngest driver in the series, is in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT. He will be making his 30th career IndyCar start and 18th on an oval this weekend. The talented and determined Brazilian, behind the wheel of the to #5 Azul -- Votorantim -- KV Racing Technology -- Votorantim Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine, will be making his second appearance at Chicagoland, Last year, in his Chicagoland debut, Moraes qualified 27th and finished 21st.

Prior to this season Moraes had never qualified higher than 10th on any circuit and never higher than 20th on an oval. Since joining KVRT for the 2009 season, he has qualified in the top-seven in six of 11 events (Iowa and Kentucky qualifying cancelled, did not compete in Mid-Ohio), with two top-five starting spots, including a career high fourth in Watkins Glen and an oval career high fifth at Milwaukee. Moraes has also earned career high finishes on seven of the 13 tracks this season and with career best performances on a road/street course, the fourth at Sonoma, and on an oval, ninth at Milwaukee. The fourth place finish in Sonoma was his first top-five finish, his sixth career top-10 showing and his third top-10 performance this season. Moraes is currently 18th in the championship standings with 213 points.

KVRT will be contesting its second race, and making its third start, at Chicagoland. Last year Will Power qualified 10th and finished fifth while Oriol Servia started 12 and finished 17th.
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Post by mlittle » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:50 am

MORAES QUALIFIES EIGHTH FOR PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND MOTOR OIL INDY 300

JOLIET, IL - - AUGUST 28, 2009 - - Round #15 2009 IndyCar Series season - - KV Racing Technology driver Mario Moraes qualified eighth for tomorrow's Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

Moraes, competing for the second time on the 1.5-mile D-shaped tri-oval, posted a four-lap average of 214.331 mph. The native of Brazil will grid the #5 Azul -- Votorantim - KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine on the outside of Row #4.

"The KV Racing Technology team did a great today," Moraes said. "It's good to be back on an oval and I am looking forward to the race tomorrow. I have learned this year that even if you start in the back, like we did in Kentucky when qualifying was cancelled, if you have a fast car, which we do, and drive a smart race you can finish in the front. So starting eighth tomorrow, I think we can have a good race."

Moraes was ninth on the speed charts following morning practice with a speed of 215.759 mph. In qualifying he went out fifth of the 23 cars making an attempt and ran four consistent laps that varied by only .0113 of a second (.095 mph) between the fastest and slowest lap.

Moraes, who is coming off a career high fourth place finish last week on the road course in Sonoma, is in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT. He will be making his 18th career oval start tomorrow. This is Moraes' best starting position at Chicagoland. Last year he qualified 27th and finished 21st. Moraes has qualified in the top-eight five times out of six on ovals (Iowa and Kentucky qualifying cancelled) and seven times in 12 total attempts (DNR in Mid-Ohio) this year. He has earned two top-five starting spots, including a career high fourth at Watkins Glen and an oval career high fifth at Milwaukee. Prior to joining KVRT for the 2009 season, Moraes had qualified in the top-10 in just one IndyCar event and never higher than 20th on an oval.

Moraes' eighth place starting spot is KVRT's best in three attempts, two appearances, at Chicagoland. Last year Will Power qualified 10th (finished fifth) while Oriol Servia started 12 (finished 17th).
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Post by mlittle » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:07 am

KV RACING TECHNOLOGY AND DRIVER MARIO MORAES TO CONTEST FIRST RACE IN JAPAN; TEAM HAS MOMENTUM HEADING INTO FINAL TWO EVENTS OF SEASON

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 -- Round #16, 2009 IndyCar Series season -- KV Racing Technology and driver Mario Moraes will carry the momentum of two consecutive strong performances when they make their first appearance at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi, Japan for the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 Mile, September 18-19.

Moraes, who has benefitted from a superbly engineered and prepared car, has shown the potential to finish in the top-five and contend for podiums for much of the season. However, it was not until the last two races that his speed and talent have truly come to the forefront. The determined Brazilian, behind the wheel of the to #5 Azul -- Votorantim -- KV Racing Technology -- Votorantim Honda/Dallara/Firestone machine, earned the first top-five performance of his young IndyCar career three weeks ago with a fourth place finish on the Infineon Raceway road course. A week later he followed up with his first podium performance, an outstanding third place finish on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway oval. Moraes has scored 67 points in the last two races and picked up three spots in the standings. He is currently 16th in the championship race with 248 points, but just 68 points out of 10th place with two races remaining.

"I really want to thank everyone at KVRT for their hard work this season. It has been great to see all the work pay off especially the last two races, but we have to keep going and finish the season strong because the last impression is what everyone remembers," Moraes said.

Commenting on the race in Japan, Moraes, who arrived in the land of the rising sun on Saturday to adjust to the time change and experience the culture, said, "This will be first time I have raced at Twin Ring Motegi and the first time for KV Racing Technology. After the last two ovals (Kentucky and Chicagoland) we know we have a very fast car and even though the layout of the track in Motegi is different I am confident we can have a good race."

Moraes, 20, the second youngest driver in the series, is in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT. He will be making his 31st career IndyCar start and 19th on an oval this weekend. Prior to this season Moraes had never qualified higher than 10th on any circuit and never higher than 20th on an oval. Since joining KVRT for the 2009 season, he has qualified in the top-seven in seven of 12 events (Iowa and Kentucky qualifying cancelled, did not compete in Mid-Ohio), with two top-five starting spots, including a career high fourth in Watkins Glen and an oval career high fifth at Milwaukee. Moraes has also earned career high finishes on eight of the 14 tracks this season with career best performances on an oval, the third at Chicagoland, and on a road/street course, the fourth at Sonoma.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:07 am

MORAES EARNS FIRST INDYCAR CAREER FRONT ROW STARTING POSITION

WILL START SECOND IN TOMORROW'S BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300 MILE

MOTEGI, JAPAN - - SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 - - Round #16 2009 IndyCar Series season - - KV Racing Technology driver Mario Moraes earned the first front row starting position of his young IndyCar career qualifying second today for tomorrow's Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 Mile at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan.

Both Moraes and KVRT made their debut on the unique1.5-mile eggplant-shaped TRM oval, which requires drivers to shift gears each lap, a success. The talented Brazilian, who went out 13th of the 23 cars making an attempt, qualified with a four-lap average of 201.504 mph running four very consistent laps that varied by only .1379 of a second (1.021 mph) between the fastest and slowest lap. The qualifying run put Moraes at the top of the grid until the very end when Scott Dixon, going out last, snatched the pole. Moraes will grid the #5 Azul -- Votorantim - KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone car on the outside of Row #1.

"This is my first time here in Japan and at Motegi and I am so happy to have earned my first front row starting position," Moraes said. "The KV Racing Technology team has worked so hard all season and I really want to thank them. It is going to be a long race, but we will change a few things tonight and I feel confident because we already have a fast car, so hopefully we can have a good result tomorrow."

Moraes began the day by recording the sixth fastest lap in morning practice with a speed of 199.046 mph. In the afternoon session, he practiced with the second group and improved both his time and position despite the fact the team worked extensively on their race setup while running in traffic. Moraes recorded the second fastest speed in his group, 200.332 mph, which also placed him fifth on the combined practice report.

Moraes has now qualified in the top-eight six times out of seven on ovals (Iowa and Kentucky qualifying cancelled) and eight times in 13 total attempts (missed Mid-Ohio) this year. He has earned three top-five starting spots, including today's career high second and a road/street course career high fourth at Watkins Glen. Prior to joining KVRT for the 2009 season, Moraes had qualified in the top-10 in just one IndyCar event and never higher than 20th on an oval.

Moraes, 20, in his second IndyCar season, will be making just his 19th career oval start tomorrow. The talented and personable Brazilian is working on a streak of consecutive top-four finishes after earning the first podium of his career on the Chicagoland oval following a fourth place finish on the road course in Sonoma. Moraes has scored 67 points in the last two races and picked up three spots in the standings. He is currently 16th in the points with 248.

Tomorrow's race will be broadcast live on Versus on September 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET on Versus.
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Post by mlittle » Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:49 am

Motegi: KV Racing race report
Racing series INDYCAR
Date 2009-09-19

MORAES HAS THIRD CONSECTIVE IMPRESSIVE PERFORMACNE
FINISHES FIFTH IN BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300 MILE

MOTEGI, JAPAN - - SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 - - Round #16 2009 IndyCar Series season - - KV Racing Technology driver Mario Moraes had his third consecutive impressive performance finishing fifth today in the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 Mile at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan.

Both Moraes and KVRT made their debut on the unique1.5-mile TRM oval a success today, but it was not without a lot of hard work and a little luck. Starting a career high second in the #5 Azul -- Votorantim -- KV Racing Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry, Moraes fell in line in third place at the start of the race. The talented and determined Brazilian ran in third until the first round of pit stops when the team experienced a glitch while refueling forcing them to make their next stop out of sequence. The second stop dropped Moraes to 20th and down two laps. However, the team fought back. Working from a well planned race strategy and getting solid pit work from his crew, Moreaes showed veteran skills as he battled his way, in a brilliantly prepared car, back into the top-10 midway through the race. At that point a timely caution flag allowed the team to get back on the lead lap and back in pit stop sequence. Moraes then used his speed to fight his way into the top-five where he briefly got as high as fourth before settling for fifth.

"I am happy for the KV Racing Technology team. They did a great job all weekend," Moraes said. "We started second, but I fell in line in third at the start of the race. Then on the first pit stop we had a problem refueling and had to come in again. That put us two laps down. But, the whole team fought back and we got some luck with a yellow flag to get back on the lead lap, in fuel sequence and finished fifth. It is our third consecutive top-five finish, so I am happy about that."

Today's fifth place performance is Moraes' third straight top-five showing. He earned his IndyCar career first top-five finish a month ago in Sonoma then followed up with the first podium of his career, a third place showing, three weeks ago at Chicagoland. Moreaes earned 30 points today moving him into 15th place in the standings with 278 points. In the last three races Moraes has scored 97 points and picked up four spots in the points race.

Moraes, 20, the second youngest driver in the series, is in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT. He made his 31st career IndyCar start and 19th on an oval today. Moraes has earned five top-10 finishes in 15 starts this season (three top-10's last year) including the three top-five showings with the one podium performance. He has earned career high finishes on nine of the 15 tracks this year (missed Mid-Ohio) including career best performances on an oval, the third at Chicagoland, and on a road/street course, the fourth at Sonoma.

Next up for KVRT is the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. The race will be broadcast live on Versus at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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Post by mlittle » Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:52 am

KV RACING TECHNOLOGY AND DRIVER MARIO MORAES LOOKING TO FINISH 2009 SEASON WITH STRONG SHOWING

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- OCTOBER 6, 2009 -- Round #17, 2009 IndyCar Series season -- KV Racing Technology and driver Mario Moraes will be looking to finish the 2009 IndyCar Series season with a strong showing this weekend in the Firestone Indy 300, October 9-10 at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

Moraes, who is working on a streak of three consecutive top-five finishes, has demonstrated the skill and determination to consistently contend for podium finishes during the last quarter of this season. Driving the brilliantly engineered and prepared #5 Azul -- Votorantim -- KV Racing Technology Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry, the native of Brazil earned the first top-five finish of his young IndyCar career with a fourth place showing in Round #14 at Infineon Raceway. A week later he followed up with his first podium performance, an outstanding third place finish, at Chicagoland Speedway. In his last race, at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, Moraes earned his first front row starting position after holding the pole until the final car made its attempt, then drove a hard fought race in which he had to overcome adversity to finish fifth.

Moraes, who is in his second IndyCar season and first with KVRT, has scored 97 points in the last three races and picked up four spots in the standings. He is currently 15th in the championship race with 278 points and has a legitimate shot at finishing in the top 12 (25 points out of 12th place). He finished 21st in the standings last year.

"Homestead was the first oval I ever competed on and I remember thinking to myself 'what am I doing here'," Moraes said. "But now, having raced on ovals for two seasons and having a good car, I am a lot more comfortable. When you have a car that is fast and that you have confidence in, it makes a big difference on an oval. I want to thank everyone at KVRT for their hard work this season. I have learned a lot this year and am looking forward to a good result in Homestead."

Moraes went on to say, "You always want to have a good race, but for me, this race is very important. For the first time my entire family is coming from Brazil to see me race and I live in Miami, so I will have a lot of friends coming. But the main thing is to finish the season with a good result so we can enjoy the off-season and go into next season with momentum."

Moraes, 20, the second youngest driver in the series, will be making his 32nd career IndyCar start and 20th on an oval this weekend. Moraes has earned five top-10 finishes in 15 starts this season (three top-10's last year) including the three top-five showings with the one podium performance. He has earned career high finishes on nine of the 15 tracks this year (missed Mid-Ohio) including career best performances on an oval, the third at Chicagoland, and on a road/street course, the fourth at Sonoma. Moraes has qualified in the top-eight six times out of seven on ovals (Iowa and Kentucky qualifying cancelled) and eight times in 13 total attempts (missed Mid-Ohio) this year. He has earned three top-five starting spots with career best qualifying efforts on an oval, second in Japan, and a road/street course career high fourth at Watkins Glen. Prior to joining KVRT for the 2009 season, Moraes had qualified in the top-10 in just one IndyCar event and never higher than 20th on an oval.
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