2009 IRL Team Reports: HVM Racing

IRL Team reports for the 2009 IRL season

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mlittle
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Post by mlittle » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:32 am

Ernesto Viso visited fellow countryman Alex Cabrera in Japan

Caracas, Venezuela (September 14, 2009 / Prototipos & Media Racing) -- One of Venezuelan driver EJ Viso's passions is baseball. And he follows this particular passion every single time there is an opportunity. It doesn't really matter if the game is played in his natal Venezuela, the United States, or Japan!

While getting ready for the IndyCar Series race at Motegi, Japan, Viso attended the Orix Buffaloes versus Seibu Lions match played in Tokyo, and wa s able to get together with one of the most famous stars on Japanese land, Venezuelan slugger Alex Cabrera.

Cabrera, who plays for the Buffaloes, played against his old teammates at the Seibu Dome, located 35 minutes from Tokyo.

"It was great to have the chance to get together with Alex Cabrera in Japan," said EJ Viso. "He is not just a fantastic player, but also a race fan, and there is a chance that he will go to Motegi over the weekend for the IndyCar Series race. I was invited to the game by my personal sponsor, Arai, the company responsible for manufacturing the helmets I use. It was a great experience. I thank Mister Kimura and Arai for the invitation. I really enjoyed the time with Alex, another Venezuelan representing our flag beyond the country borders."

Viso usually checks baseball matches in the cities he is racing at, and if time allows, he attends the games to support his fellow countrymen, like he did last year at San Francisco with Omar Vizquel, and at Detroit, with Maglio Ordoez and Carlos Guillen.

EJ Viso will have a very busy schedule in Japan, and will visit later this week the Arai factory and the Honda headquarters where he will personally thank the company's employees for all the support provided to the IndyCar Series.
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Post by mlittle » Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:05 pm

HVM Racing's E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos battled the tricky track of Twin Ring Motegi to qualify 18th and 19th respectively for Saturday's Japan Indy 300.

Viso's No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara was the second car out in Friday's qualifying session, which was moved up half an hour to try to beat some anticipated rain. He clocked in an average speed of 197.443 miles per hour with a total lap time of 1:50.8571.

Doornbos went out ninth in the No. 33 HVM Racing Honda Dallara, which had developed some understeer issues since the afternoon practice session. He recorded an average speed of 196.756 with a total lap time of 1:51.2442.

The HVM Racing team has enjoyed the hospitality of the Japanese fans and looks forward to putting on a good performance for Saturday's Japan Indy 300. Versus will televise a recorded broadcast of the qualifying session Friday at 6 p.m. ET and will air the race live Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Comments from HVM Racing Team Principal and Owner Keith Wiggins after qualifying at Motegi

"Our qualifying results are clearly not where we want to be. But we'll keep working hard and focus on tomorrow's race."

Comments from PDVSA HVM Racing Driver E.J. Viso after qualifying at Motegi:

"It's another one of our tetric qualifying runs. Once again everything was looking great. We don't understand how we lost all the speed we built in the previous run in afternoon practice. However, it's a pretty uncommon track, so I think we'll have a good result because I think it suits our car."

Comments from HVM Racing Driver Robert Doornbos after qualifying at Motegi:

"It's great to be here in Motegi -- great facilities from Honda, great warm welcome from all the Japanese fans.

"We worked very hard in practice today. The crew did an awesome job since Chicago to improve the car. We were working in the right direction, and then starting in qualifying we picked up a huge understeer, and we're just slow. We just lost speed in qualifying, and we ended up not where we want to be. So hopefully we'll have better luck tomorrow. It's all about the car here. We put in a lot of effort and I really appreciate it, so thanks to all the guys."
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Post by mlittle » Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:06 pm

In a race that got messy with multiple cars hitting the walls on the track and pit road, HVM Racing's E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos stayed out of the fray and finished Saturday's Japan Indy 300 in 15th and 16th positions respectively.

Viso and Doornbos both came to Twin Ring Motegi having never driven the egg-shaped oval before, and the team worked through two practices Friday to devise the best approach to attack the asymmetrical and bumpy track. Viso's No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing Honda Dallara qualified in the 18th position and Doornbos' No. 33 HVM Racing Honda Dallara started in 19th.

Viso took off fast at the drop of the green flag, moving up four positions on the opening laps. But by Lap 34, he had dropped back to 17th. He remained in that section of the field for most of the race. Doornbos battled an understeer issue for the early part of the race, as well as a radio transmission problem. But the 33 crew worked to find a good balance for the car in the later laps and was making up ground when an untimely yellow pushed Doornbos back several positions and erased some of his progress.

Both cars ran clean races and avoided competitors' mishaps, with Viso finishing 15th and Doornbos crossing the finish line right behind him in 16th.

The HVM team now travels back home to Indianapolis to prepare for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 10.

Comments from HVM Racing Team Principal and Owner Keith Wiggins after the Japan Indy 300:

"We obviously still have to do some work. But I think we at least had stints during the race with both cars where they looked pretty good. It's just unfortunate, especially with Robert, that we lost out big-time to that yellow just after he had pitted."

Comments from PDVSA HVM Racing Driver E.J. Viso after the Japan Indy 300:

"We had a pretty smooth race again, but pretty off the pace of the fastest. Heading into the last race in Homestead, hopefully it will be better. I know the team has put intense work into the car to make it faster but we still need some more speed.

"I need to thank all the sponsors and say that it was great to meet with all the Herbalife and Arai people here in Japan."

Comments from HVM Racing Driver Robert Doornbos after the Japan Indy 300:

"It was a long race. Most of the damage was done yesterday by qualifying so far in the back. We didn't have a very good first stint, with the car having a lot of understeer still, so we made a big change.

"I had to send codes with the radio button because I couldn't speak -- they couldn't understand me in the pits. So double click was yes, one click was no. So when they would ask how the set-up was, it was a bit difficult to explain it like that. Once we got more front wing, the car was getting better. We had a very solid third stint, where I was just following (Tony) Kanaan for about 30 laps on the same pace and the same pace as the leaders. But then we dropped five places with an unlucky yellow.

"But it was a good experience. And we'll work hard for Miami."
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