Paretta Autosport Launches Team Bid With Simona de Silvestro For 105th Running Of The Indy 500 (UPDATED)

Longtime motor culture business and competition executive, Beth Paretta takes the plunge and opportunity to make a difference in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock and forms a team to compete in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. This effort is designed to make the most out of preparing those of the female gender at having a serious shot of a full-time career at the highest levels of professional motorsports. Image Credit: Joe Skibrinski via NICS (2021)

Paretta Autosport Launches Team Bid With Simona de Silvestro For 105th Running Of The Indy 500  

From support given through a longtime professional relationship between Roger Penske and Beth Paretta, IndyCar's Race For Equality & Change announcement provides another element at establishing a serious developmental step into a top-level racing series for the fairer gender. Penske, Chevrolet, and even Porsche Motorsport are pleased with the possibilities of this breakthrough agreement and formation of Paretta Autosport. 

Past Indianapolis 500 "Rookie Of The Year" Simona de Silvestro is tapped to be the tip-of-the-spear giving great promise for the success of this union and agenda.

#Indy500 - #Porsche works driver and five-time #Indianapolis500 competitor @simdesilvestro will start for Paretta Autosport at this year's 500-mile race. The new #IndyCar squad will integrate women in the team to ensure that it provides various job opportunities. All details ⬇️ https://t.co/uE3V0s04Uy

— Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) January 19, 2021

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Conference

Tuesday, January 19, 2021 - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Jimmie McMillian - Chief Diversity Officer, Penske Entertainment

J. Douglas Boles - President, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Beth Paretta - Team Principle, Paretta Autosport

Simona de Silvestro - Driver, Paretta Autosport
(video feed from Switzerland)

Press Conference Begin
(truncated video of ZOOM Call begins later in the transcript)

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Great so see some familiar faces back here at the world's greatest race course. It's a good day here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before we introduce everyone up on stage we do want to recognize Roger Penske. Good morning to you, sir. Chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is here. Up on stage, on the far right, we say good morning to Jimmie McMillian who is the chief diversity officer of Penske Entertainment. In the middle, Beth Paretta, long time automotive and motor sports executive and certainly no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Another no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, J. Douglas Boles is here, the president of IMS. And joining us via Zoom all the way from Switzerland, we say good morning and/or good afternoon to Simona de Silvestro, a veteran of the NTT IndyCar Series, who appeared in five Indianapolis 500s after being named the rookie of the year back in 2010.

We are here this morning to witness the launch of a brand new race team in the NTT IndyCar Series, which will begin its journey at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 500, the 105th running this coming May. And this team will only grow from that exciting race, perhaps with an eye on a full-time ride. We'll see what, we'll get Beth's thoughts on that, the 2022 season of the NTT IndyCar Series. It will be known as Paretta Autosport, with Beth Paretta as the team owner, part of the female-owned and managed race team integrating female members to ensure opportunities on the competition side of the team, along with operations and administrative roles.

Team Penske will provide technical support, with Simona returning to the NTT IndyCar Series to drive the No. 16 Chevrolet-powered entry. All told, it becomes yet another initiative of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar's Race For Equality & Change announced last July. If you've been following this, it's the latest step in a series of really groundbreaking events over the last several months covering any number of sports around the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, first things first, turn your attention towards the monitors for a brief first look at Paretta Autosport.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with Beth. Congratulations. What an awesome day. A long time coming for you. There was a similar announcement some five years ago for a team that was entitled Grace Autosport, but it's all coming to fruition now. What a journey for you, Beth.

BETH PARETTA: Thank you, Dave. Thanks to everyone here and thanks to everyone on Zoom. Yeah, first, I am grateful for the opportunity to officially announce the start of this program. It has been a long time coming, a lot of hours, a lot of flights, a lot of meetings, but we are here. There's been a lot of talk lately about representation and that is a very real thing. We hear about the importance of role models, examples, mentors, for people to have the opportunity to see themselves in the women on the grid and in pit lane.

Just a bit of background about why I'm doing this, why we feel it's necessary, why I have been driven to put this together. I've worked with women engineers who only decided to follow the engineering path after they saw another woman in that role. I'm guilty of that myself. I only pursued the job as an automotive executive after I saw another woman in a role that I thought that maybe I could do one day. And -- even though I've seen examples of men in those roles for years.

But change is happening and there is some momentum by we're sort of able to create opportunities for women by shining the spotlight on their stories, because the way that people identify and feel a connection to what they see is innate and we can't change that, but we can change the focus and we can shine that spotlight on the members of this team and their stories, and what will that mean, what will that do.

Maybe some of those girls watching from home can become fans that might not have ever thought that something like this was possible for them. Maybe some of them will be inspired to join us. Others might be captivated by the idea of racing and perhaps pursue education in STEM and ultimately choose a career in a related field. All of those outcomes would be success. Let's be clear. There are women in racing. We all know each other. And in the past several years there have been, there's been some progress with programs to get more female racing drivers on the grid, from all female driving lineups in sports cars, the W Series, these are all great strides.

But we believe that there's a lot more to do and even more opportunity. A race team is just that, a team. Many people with varied roles, all critical to getting the car on the grid and running at its best. When the Race For Equality & Change was announced, I was so pleased. I hoped that it meant that there was a real commitment and investment in our collective future, as race fans, as racers, and as a series.

IndyCar is competitive, exciting racing, with a talented field and great venues and a very loyal fan base. But it should also be said that the IndyCar paddock has the most women working in all levels, on teams, in the series itself, and at the track, and that should be celebrated. This has always been a welcoming paddock, to me and to other women.

But now, under the stewardship of Roger Penske and the management here, it is just getting stronger. So, after the announcement for Race For Equality & Change, I called Roger, as you do, and asked if we could talk. But the reality is we started talking about this years ago. I've had the good fortune, having worked with Mr. Penske since 2007, first on the automotive side of things with Aston Martin, and then when I was at FCA as the director of SRT and motor sports. We were partners with Team Penske and won the NASCAR Cup Championship in 2012, which was actually the first Cup Championship for team Penske in NASCAR.

So last year, we sat down and he described the great work that they have been doing here at IMS and with the IndyCar series. I talked about the foundational work that I've been doing these past several years and how I would like to now, the work I've been do you think is off the track, with schools, educational partners, museums, working on curriculum to tie what we do at the track to what kids are learning and to inspire them to pursue educational pathways in STEM that could lead to robust career tracks.

When we sat down, I said that I would like to now bring it full circle and get back to the track to promote gender equality. So with that, I'm proud to say that Paretta Autosport will have a technical alliance with Team Penske, will start with the 2021 Indy 500 with plans to grow from there.

I also reached out, soon after, to Simona de Silvestro, and learned quickly that she was aligned with my goals, our goals. And with her remarkable talent and experience here at Indy, it was an easy choice to invite her on board. What's different here is this is a full program. 

We will strive to incorporate more women into the team. I've always believed that with aptitude, interest, and the right attitude, the rest can be learned. We all started somewhere. We want Paretta Autosport to be the place to welcome, train, and support professional growth in all facets of the team. Eventually we hope it will be a team of women running the car, and that can and will inspire others to become mechanics, to become engineers, to become drivers, to become team owners. Racing is for all of us, and working together we all win.

Before I hand it back to Dave, I need to thank a few people. First and foremost, I want to thank Roger Penske, Mark Miles, and Jimmie McMillian for their vision and commitment to IndyCar and the Race For Equality & Change. To Bud Danker and Jonathan Gibson for their support in the business side to help put this all together. Thank you to Doug Boles. You've always offered support to me and this program and I thank you for that. And your tie matches the color palette.

A special thank you to Chevrolet, Mark Reuss and Jim Campbell. They have valued this mission from the start and I can't wait to hear our Chevy-powered IndyCar power up for the first time at testing.

I want to also thank Porsche for allowing Simona to join us for the month of May and more.

And one last thing, I'm sitting here, and that's my name right there, but I'm forever grateful to Stacy, Christian, Paul, John, Ron, Linda, Heather, and Barbara. You've helped me so much and I can't thank you enough. So it is my name, but there's a lot of people standing behind me and with me today.

THE MODERATOR: Great. Awesome. We do have a shot of the car, if I'm not mistaken. If we can go ahead and put that up again up on the monitors. Tell us a little bit about that, Beth.

BETH PARETTA: Well, you see the logo. I have to say that the person that has helped me with the graphics is my very best friend from my whole life, and she did a lot of the work that you see, kind of with the branding, and that, we always do a livery. In fairness, as we grow and add sponsors, that livery will change. But that shows you a little bit of sort of the look and feel and where, how we're starting out.

The 2013 Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston was the third and final doubleheader of the 2013 IndyCar Series season. Simona de Silvestro, coming off a fifth place at Baltimore, posted her best finish [Podium @ P2 with Scott Dixon P1 & Justin Wilson @ P3] in the KV Racing Technology-prepared [Chevrolet] car and was her IZOD IndyCar Series high. “Finally. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time," De Silvestro said. "It seemed like a pretty good car the whole weekend.  I qualified up there and then the race went actually pretty good. Hopefully tomorrow we can even better it. (The circuit is) definitely tough because you don’t have that much time to relax. The straightaways are really bumpy so you really have to be on top of the car every time. I think to finish P2 , I think you want to do it again anytime.” Image Credit: #WachsServices (2013)

THE MODERATOR: Awesome. Once again, joining us via Zoom, again, we say hello to Simona de Silvestro.

Simona, another shot now at the Indy 500 in a much different way. How exciting is this for you?

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Oh, well, yeah, thank you. And, yeah, Hi from cold Switzerland. For me, it's quite special to be back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, especially virtually, and I can't wait to come during the month of May.

I'm very happy, actually, that today is the day that I'm finally able to announce that I'm joining Paretta Autosport. It's quite a special day. I think it's something that I've worked for my entire life, to get a proper shot at this race, and I think it's super exciting that it's finally happening. And when Beth actually called me a few months ago and told me about this opportunity, and I think literally an hour later, I was on a Zoom call with Roger Penske and Bud Danker. It was quite surreal, that it all happened so quickly, and for me to really come back to the Speedway with a constellation like this, with the association with Team Penske, it's really, to be honest, as a driver, a dream come true and I think it's something that is really special.

I think it's going to be the best opportunity yet with everyone involved believing in the same goals. So I think we can be really successful when we come in May. And I really hope that along this journey we will inspire more women to follow their dreams and also create some pretty cool opportunities for them to join and for them to follow this pretty amazing journey.

I would really want to thank, actually, Beth, Roger Penske, Bud Danker, for choosing me to steer this entry, and I know it will be successful. And also from my part, I really have to thank Porsche for giving me the green light to participate in this iconic race. So, yeah, I'm super excited, and, yeah, I can't wait to actually be for real back on the starting grid soon enough.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Great stuff. Let's also bring in Jimmie McMillian now. And it's certainly an important day, none more so than IndyCar and IMS Race For Equality & Change that was announced last July.

Jimmie, what does this day mean?

JIMMIE MCMILLIAN: Thank you, Dave. First of all, I want to congratulate Beth, and I want to congratulate Simona on this very important day. Just sitting here, I can't help but stop smiling and feeling the buzz and the excitement. We have always had women in our sport. We have had a long history of successful drivers, nine women, who have raced at the Indianapolis 500. We have had women who owned cars.

But I've also seen the disappointment from years that we have not had women that competed and I can tell that you this is super exciting as I look out amongst what I know and see every day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the NTT IndyCar Series, which is not just women in the sport, but leaders. We are led by superstar phenomenal women every single day. It's one of the things that I probably hear the most. When people come in the building they think is a male-dominated support. I take orders from women all the time around here, as many of us do, right, Doug? And so, I think that needs to be reflected on the track and this is a powerful moment that matches our goals for the Race For Equality & Change when we're talking about not just walking it, but actually walking what we talk, living what we preach, and creating the opportunity for people to actually be able to see something and know that they can be it.

And that's what I think Beth and Paretta Autosport represents. We know that what we did with Force Indy was create a pipeline for folks to come in as engineers, as drivers, as an owner, but also in other areas, from HR to marketing, to sales, to learn how to run and operate a team under the very best in Roger Penske and under his tutelage and the tutelage of Tim Cindric and the folks at Penske Motorsports.

We're going to create that same opportunity now for women in the sport with Paretta Autosport. That's very important because once we get that pipeline flowing, I think we won't be able to stop it. I'm looking forward to not only seeing a team on the grid, but seeing the team compete. I think this sends a message. When we see Simona go out and try to qualify, there will be a buzz, there will be an excitement, there will be a part of all of us, whether you're a man or a woman, that will want her to win, that will want her to be successful because of what it represents. I have a mother, I have cousins, I have a number of women in my life that I look up to and I know the strong person they are, I know some of them can drive better than me, and I know some -- I believe that Simona's going to prove that she can win the Indianapolis 500, and I'm going to be there cheering for her.

So this is a super special moment and I want to thank Roger Penske again. I want to thank Bud Danker and john than and the entire team, Mark Miles, Doug Boles. This Race For Equality & Change, this journey that we have all been on has been made all the better by the fact that our leadership is 1000 percent supportive and energized and moving towards that every single day. This is a real diversity initiative. This is not pretend or fake. This is something we can all believe in and cheer for.

THE MODERATOR: Quick reminder for our reporters. We're going to take questions here. Please head to the standing microphone to do that.

J. Douglas Boles, Roger Penske, Beth Paretta, & Jimmie McMillian (L to R) at IMS to unveil the addition of Paretta Autosport to the rarified paddocks of the IMS. Image Credit: Joe Skibrinski via NICS (2021)

First things first though, bring in Doug Boles. And of course, women have been racing here since the great Janet Guthrie in 1977. To own a team certainly is a different level. You can't underscore the importance of something like that.

J. DOUGLAS BOLES: No, you can't. And congratulations, Beth, again, and Simona. You know, I sit here and I'm, like Jimmie, I have a huge smile on my face. I love days like this when you get to be surrounded by really passionate people who love our sport and in particular, passionate people who love our sport who are trailblazing, and this is a trailblazing day and I'm really excited to be part of it. Women have been involved at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Beth alluded to, for a long time. In fact, we have had an owner, female owner, dating back to the '20s. And then the last 25 years, it's really been the rule, not the exception, that a female's competed in the Indianapolis 500.

But this takes it to another level. Here we're talking about not just a driver, but we're talking about a driver and owner, but we're not just talking about a driver and owner. Beth's vision, and I think our vision, is this gives folks an opportunity, women an opportunity to get involved in the sport beyond the driver and beyond the owner piece and I can't wait to watch that come to fruition.

As I sat here today, and even yesterday, thinking about this announcement this morning, it's the beginning of a new year, it's an opportunity to reflect on what happened last year, and anticipate what's coming up in the new year. A lot of things have happened over the last year. Roger Penske took stewardship of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on January 6th. Shortly thereafter, we had an Xfinity car testing on our road course and we made a announcement that the Pennzoil 150 was going to be held on the road course. That's turned into now the Cup cars and the IndyCar weekend in August.

We talked about Force Indy announcement, which has been an awful lot of fun to watch since last July. The Force Indy team now is testing, testing before Christmas, they have tested after Christmas, getting ready to compete here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Beth and Jimmie both talked about this. It's important for our fan base to grow it, that if we're going to be more diverse as a fan base, we need to be more diverse as a series and as a race. We want people to know that when they come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that they see people like them competing and owning cars here at the race, and that's one of the really, really exciting things about this opportunity.

What I'm looking forward to this year is just that passion that you see from Beth and you see from Jimmie, but that really starts with Roger Penske and the entire Penske Entertainment organization. This is going to be an awful lot of fun. I can't wait to watch you guys compete on the racetrack. I can't wait to see Simona back here, our Rookie of the Year from 2010. Those of you that followed the NTT IndyCar Series over the last several years, you're very familiar with Simona de Silvestro. There is nobody better in a race car than Simona. She's a fierce competitor, and with the right equipment, she can win the Indianapolis 500.

THE MODERATOR: With that, we'll turn things over to the reporters that are in person here at the Speedway. If have you a question, go ahead and make your way over to the standing microphone located to the right.

FLASHBACK - HVM's Simona de Silvestro has finished only three of nine races this season and was black-flagged after 10 laps in the Indianapolis 500 because her Lotus/Judd powered DW12 was too slow. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

While we wait for that to happen. Simona, just back to you quickly. 2015 was your last 500, how much have you been ready to get going again here at IMS?

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Yeah, I'm really excited. You know, I've, the Indy 500 has always been the race that, if it was possible, that I wanted to do. And to be honest, to come back, yeah, how we are now, with this team, with Beth making this happen, I think it's really cool and I really think we have all the ingredients to be super successful. And to be honest, I can't wait for the next few months to go by so we can get started.

THE MODERATOR: The count down is on. There's no question about that. Let's go ahead for questions.

Q. Congratulations, Beth. This is quite the script already and we await a huge finale, if not this year, in the coming years, so great work.

In the beginning when you had this vision, how high of a mountain did it seem? Bring us back to the early days of this goal.

BETH PARETTA: Yeah, it was quite a mountain. You have an idea you set forward, and in fairness, it's definitely a story of just not giving up, not taking no for an answer. Sometimes you have, back in 2016, so in '15, I announced the intention to run in 2016 and after announcement set off on putting everything together, and we actually were very, very close. I had an engine deal from Chevrolet. I had a partner, a team partner, that we were going to run with. In fairness, Roger and his team were offering some support on, some logistic support, and ultimately the team that I was going to work with, the terms of the deal changed, and so then I had to set out to then find somebody else to work with and then look for different other equipment.

And it came down to the wire and it was four weeks before the Indy 500 and I had to take the tough decision to pull the entry because it wasn't right. The vehicle, the car that we had was not raceworthy, really. I mean, could we have maybe put it together down to the wire? Maybe. But I wasn't willing to do that because there's extra scrutiny on a program like this. Everybody's watching, and you bear that responsibility.

Although I had to take that tough decision, that's what happens in racing. And if you're doing it the right way, you make those tough decisions and make those calls.

So once that was done, I took a little bit of time off and then really was right back in it within six months on the educational side of things because that really was the driver of: How do we tie what we do every day to create this sort of pipeline of fans and make the most of it? It's such a wonderful platform. Racing is applied STEM. It's STEM in action, so there's so many things that we can do with it. And that's a thing that I'm sure many other racing teams are finding, that's very appealing to partners. Sponsor partners really like that connection and so that's what I was working on, sort of -- and the funny thing is, it's very, to put a car on a grid as a one-off, sure, you can do that. It's not easy, but people can do that. But to build a program takes a lot more time and I was more interested in a program that was sustainable than an entry.

Q. A follow-up to that: Was there something, then, that made this click? Was there something that just said, yes, now it's time, now is the time to do this?

BETH PARETTA: Yeah, I mean, seeing the commitment from the Series and from Roger and his team, it was, maybe we were early six years ago, because I had conversations with many people, people, some people instantly got it. It clicked. Some people, it didn't. It clicked with Roger from the beginning. It clicked with Mark Miles. It clicked with everybody that's, honestly, in this room.

But I think seeing the momentum last year, last year was such a difficult year with everything, with COVID, so that kind of put a monkey wrench into a lot of things for everybody. But when I saw these sort of announcements happening, it was thinking, like, okay, maybe this is definitely the place where we would fit best, and also, in fairness, be able to elevate the programs the other programs that they have, like the announcement with Force Indy. These are all real. It's, they're not a slogan. They're real change, so I think it was really seeing that and seeing the momentum.

And in fairness too, these are the things that are visible, but when I sat down and talked with Roger and the rest of the team, they're doing so much here at IMS and throughout the Series that you don't see, that has to do with diversity and equality, and they're very real things. And that should be applauded too. So when you see that somebody's approaching something so holistically and making, and having real action items, there's nothing better than that.

Q. How would you describe the importance of inclusion to little boys and little girls who are watching what you're doing right now?

BETH PARETTA: Well, I think, it's funny, I mean, I didn't grow up in a racing family. I grew up as a racing fan and I could not have dreamed this for myself. I'm at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway right now. I didn't grow up with parents that took me here every May. But it's that idea that if you find something that you are, that you love and that you work hard at, there are -- and maybe the result isn't a race team, but there's somewhere that you can fit. There's somewhere for you. And from the very beginning, and yes, is, my focus is on that sort of 10-year-old girl because you can affect a kid's trajectory of what they want to be when they grow up from 10 to 12. And even though I work, we'll have female engineers, the reality is young boys are still going to get the same lesson. The girls will see that it's a female engineer; the boys will get the lesson. So it's really for all kids.

But the idea of working hard and sort of following your passion can lead really in amazing -- if you're open to the opportunity, your life can take turns that you wouldn't have ever scripted for yourself and I think that's sort of the end story here.

But I do, I have always had this idea of the opening ceremonies of the Indy 500 are some of the most, it's, the rich pageantry of the 500 is amazing. The energy here, if you ever have the opportunity to be here in person, it's like nothing else. There are 300,000 people here. There's just this energy. And when you think about, so I grew up watching it on TV, right, and so there's those iconic things that we all are familiar with and there's that lineup of the starting grid and that when the teams are out there early on and there's that sort of swooping crane shot and the idea of seeing a line of women with matching uniforms, okay, you might say that's cool, but to a 10-year-old girl watching that from home, it hits differently.

Q. I know it's early, but I'm sure you've talked to potential partners, sponsors. What has been the response so far?

BETH PARETTA: We have had some amazing conversations already. Obviously, it's a little tough before you announce because your conversations are a little bit more brief, so we're grateful for today because now the cat is out of the bag. But we have had some great conversations and we will announce sort of where that's going. But yeah, it's already, already happening, which is great.

Q. This is absolutely fantastic news for you guys and for the sport in general. How beneficial do you think it's going to be for you to have the likes of Team Penske kind of behind you in terms of this entry with their kind of success at Indy and that kind of thing?

BETH PARETTA: Well, they have won 18 times. It goes beyond just the technical support. I mean, even just in the past few months just sort of, in fairness, Mr. Penske has always been a bit of a mentor and I think a lot of people will say that, those who know him. And he's been very generous with just ideas and thoughts, and that is sort of that intangible stuff that I am extremely grateful for.

But the technical partnership, to just be able to not come in completely cold and have that, sort of that shared understanding of, and of course, it's great for Indy, but as you expand, to understand how to approach races at other tracks too. It's invaluable.

Q. First question, Beth, since you're going to be involved with Team Penske will your shop initially be down here in North Carolina?

BETH PARETTA: That's a great question. Yes, we are starting out close to Team Penske in North Carolina for the sake of logistics, yes.

Q. And also, the benefit of having, I mean, Simona's kind of been part of this package for so long that you know that you could always depend on her when you finally got this deal together, granted there were probably some obstacles you had to overcome, but how valuable is that to know that she was on board from the very beginning?

BETH PARETTA: Well, that makes it a lot, certainly a lot easier. It also helps it when we're talking to partners because we can point to her experience here. And in fairness, too, beyond IndyCar, she's been racing full-time in other series and, again, as a factory Porsche driver. So she's certainly a very accomplished driver behind the wheel, and so whenever have you that story to tell it makes things a lot easier.

In fairness, too, like I say, the alignment to what we're doing here, that's key. When you have the privilege to build a team, I always say that you're lucky if you can find -- really the first goal is to find people who have sort of the same approach to things, the same attitude, and that makes for winning combinations. I think that as Simona and I have gotten to know each other, it works really well, and I think that that's, that always, that will contribute to our success on the track.

Q. A question for Simona. Welcome back. You've been out of site, but never out of mind. You talk to a lot of the race fans every year around Indy 500 time. And on social media and everywhere else when they talk about drivers that could run Indy, your name is always one of the big names that's always talked about. Just how important has that been to you, because you really made quite an impression during your time that you did run over here full time.

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Yeah, it's quite special, and like you mentioned, I've seen those Tweets about my name getting put in there and I think it feels really special in the sense because that means people really saw what I was able to do on the racetrack and I think that's pretty cool, for sure.

Maybe now it took a bit of time to come back, but I think 10 years ago when I was there and kind of making my stride, I think I've grown quite a lot as a driver, and especially IMS I think has really built me especially from my character side as well. I've had lots of highs and pretty big lows at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

So I think to come back like this, I think it's something I think that is all coming together. To get the right opportunity, I think this is the one, to be honest. And yeah, I'm super excited and I think that I'm pretty grateful that the fans are welcoming me back with open arms and hopefully we can put on a really good show when we're on track out there.

Q. Question for Beth. Congratulations. Had a question, if you were to go all the way back to like your Dodge SRT the marketing days of the racing program and all of that, would you ever have thought that you would be here at IMS announcing your own IndyCar team that will be racing in the Indy 500?

BETH PARETTA: Yes and no. I think that I'm a racing fan and I have been -- I was that kid like in the grandstands -- and finding a place for myself in racing is sort of always seemed to be where I would go, maybe what my destiny would be. You talk to anybody that's known me for a long time and none of this is surprising to them. They might have seen it even before I did.

But, yeah, I mean when I had my responsibility at FCA what's important there is, although the racing was very high profile I also was working on the brand side and running sort of the business and marketing for the performance brand SRT.

And working for a car company I saw in realtime that there were, there was a phenomenon that was happening where engineers were retiring at a faster rate than they were being backfilled -- and regardless of gender. So there was a critical need to get more engineers and such and people in technical careers in the pipeline.

And so seeing that in realtime and then on the racing side being on the business side of racing, I saw the business model as it has been and it's evolved in a few different ways over the years, but realistically I saw that in a lot of ways the business model needed some more, needed to evolve even more and that partners, to have, in order to have long-term partners, you need to have something very compelling and it's more than a sticker on the side of a car.

We have gone through phases, we can all look at if you're race historians, we all know how the business side has evolved and it looked very much like it needed to evolve again. And partners were leaving, racing sponsors were leaving the sport and how do you solve that.

And maybe I think, although I'm a racer, I'm also a business person at my core and it was sort of like that business problem to solve, it was like a business case. And I thought, okay, we need to do more with it, there is more here, there is more content here, there are more stories to tell and they're very interesting stories. I'm biased because I find them interesting, but I thought, well if I find them interesting then maybe other people can too.

And by telling those stories and by then also connecting it to education, you can then talk to a whole different category of sponsors that might not have ever considered being part of the IndyCar grid or any race grid for that matter.

So I think that the impetus behind it was, let's get more women involved and let's do more with racing.

Q. And just a follow-up, so you have this season running the Indy 500, are there plans to do more in 2022?

BETH PARETTA: Yeah, I mean I would like to, selfishly, I would like to see if we could do even do another race or two this year, but it has to do with scheduling and what sponsors may or may not want. But I know that there's already interest from some to do a few more races even this year, so we'll look at that.

But my hope is that we could maybe even run a full season next year. But always pushing forward, but we'll see how it pans out.

Q. I had a question for Simona. Simona, congratulations this, is great news. Would you say that this would be one of the biggest opportunities of your life?

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Well, you know I think I've been really lucky in my career so far, especially now the last few years with getting good opportunities. Also at the end of last year for me to join Porsche as a works driver I think it's quite special, but I think for sure in my IndyCar career, especially as a driver being associated with Team Penske, with having Beth putting really this program together, I think it's, yeah, my best shot at it, I would say.

I'm really excited about it and I think that throughout my career I worked really hard to get to this point. I think that it's finally time that it's here and, to be honest, I'm super excited that it's happening while I'm still racing and I'm still as competitive as I can be.

So I can't wait and, yeah, you know, it's definitely all the stars are aligned at the moment, so I'm really excited about it.

Q. Welcome to a first-time owner in the paddock, that's quite rarified air. But from a culture standpoint, you bake a cake and all the ingredients are important and you, one looks at this from a third person where I am out here in Los Angeles and it looks like an absolutely wonderful looking cake. You've got so many decades of dedicated and focused motor culture participation. You mentioned, Beth, that you were hoping to get a race or two and of course I'm out here near Long Beach and we didn't get to see any IndyCar out here on the West Coast. When are we going to see cake by the ocean?

BETH PARETTA: Oh, I like what you did there. I love Long Beach, I have been fortunate to be with teams that have raced at Long Beach many times. It's one of my favorite races on the calendar. And I love that they, it's later in the year this year, right? So kudos to the city of Long Beach because obviously moving any city race is a, that's a mountain to climb in and of itself.

Q. Season finale as well.

BETH PARETTA: Yes. Yes. And in fairness, later in the season, timing might work, but we'll push for that, believe me. I'll push for any race. I mean, I'll race in a parking lot outside of a Kroger, I'll show up to.

Q. For Simona, of course cake by the ocean is one of your main characteristics, having won at Long Beach Grand Prix. Now it's the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix, but you won it when it was the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix and also you were Rookie of the Year in Indy 500. So how would you like to see at least a minimum of two races this year?

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Well, if you know me, you know as many times I can get into a race car I will take the opportunity. I think this is just the beginning of this program and I think right now I think we will really focus on the 500 and, yeah, we never know what the future brings. Three years ago would I have said that I was going to be back at the 500 so quickly? Maybe not. So we never know what happens, but the thought is always here and me as a driver I will always be ready for any opportunity that comes up.

Q. Well you were in an odd way a stand out with the Lotus effort and it was, again, something that was ushered in as a first of and now you're on a second wave of a first of and we look forward to seeing you out on the track with such a great assortment of ingredients that will bring you to the track.

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Thank you.

Q. One question for both Beth, so people may be wondering, what kind of ultimately led to Simona getting the ride and what do you see from her that maybe others don't, for those who might be into the sport over the past few years since she last ran in 2015?

BETH PARETTA: Sure, that's a great question, because you haven't seen her in a couple of years. But if you look at her total combined experience at IMS, but also, like I said, she, the broad experience she has in other series, she's been racing full-time even though we haven't seen her here in some very competitive series. Including NV 8 Super Cars against Team Penske and that, they were also comfortable with her capabilities. And I think she's just a great fit, she's done really well here and I think it's a really great opportunity and we could have a shot to have some good results.

Like I said, honestly, the fact that it's a really good fit for the mission. So beyond just behind the wheel, I think we're very aligned and that means a lot to me.

Q. Simona, you brought it up earlier, that you feel more prepared, more focused. What has the time period between 2015 to now made you better as far as a competitor? Is this more or less being versatile or just more or less getting the experience all across the world?

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: Yeah, I think it is a lot of factors. I think I'm a bit older as well. I think I see the picture a little bit differently and know as well really what I need in the car to be quick and, yeah, for sure I think the experience as well. I've been so lucky to be racing in so many different cars at the end of the day and I think that that can help a lot. But I'm super excited to get back into an IndyCar. I think from a driving style point of view I think it's definitely so far the one that has fitted the best to me. So, yeah, just getting to, getting the chance to get back into an IndyCar I think I'm really happy about it.

And, yeah, I think I've grown. I think the time I've grown quite a lot, the things that I've experienced are I think going to be really good for my future and, yeah, I can't wait to get going.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you very much Kate. By the way, September 26th is the date of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and I'm also interested in cake right now, I don't know about you guys. But for now we're going to break here, join us for a socially-distanced photo op at victory podium here at the speed way. Thank you.

[ht: FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports]

... notes from The EDJE

UPDATE:

NIX ... the "cake by the ocean" with Simona de Silvestro for Paretta Autosport.

2021 ADAC GT Masters calendar

14/16 May - Oschersleben, Germany
10/12 June - Red Bull Ring, Austria
8/10 July - Zandvoort, Netherlands
5/7 August - Nürburgring, Germany
9/11 September - Lausitzring, Germany
30 September/2 October - Sachsenring, Germany
21/23 October - Hockenheim, Germany

ENDS

TAGS: NTT INDYCAR SERIES, 2021, 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Cake By The Ocean, Beth Paretta, Simona de Silvestro, Chevrolet, Race For Equality & Change, Team Penske, The EDJE

Lookin' Back At A Grand Time Not Found In Modern Wuhan Virus America

1957 GMC 100 Suburban - ImageCredit: Norm Huvers, Visual Storyteller via FB Group Great Old Classic Cars - 1-17-2021

Lookin' Back At A Grand Time Not Found In Modern Wuhan Virus America

Finds On Facebook

My father purchased a used 1956 version of this model formally used by Lockheed Burbank as a Facility Personnel Vehicle. He used it to take Boy Scout Troop 31 and 32 members on planned monthly caravan weekend camp outs. 

This 1956 GMC Carryall Suburban is finished in Seminole Brown and Dover White over a color-keyed interior, and it is powered by a 270ci inline-six backed by a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission. Notice the hood in 1956 had a special logo element vent. Image Credit: Bring a Trailer Shared By Chris Tunnah via Pinterest saved to Boats & Cars (2019) 

  

The previous owner had the vehicle for about ten years, and the selling dealer acquired the truck in 2019. No Reserve: 1956 GMC Carryall Suburban for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $30,000 on July 16, 2019 (Lot #20,949) | Bring a Trailer. Image Credit: Bring a Trailer Shared By Chris Tunnah via Pinterest saved to Boats & Cars (2019)

Later, this became one of the first vehicles I drove on a regular basis late and post Hollywood High School years. The model was outfitted with a straight 6-cyl., single carburetor, 3-speed automatic transmission with the shifter on the tree, back entry was a drop tailgate style as opposed to side-by-side doors (similar model pictured above). 

Lake Drive-In hospitality building located on the South Shore near Metcalf Bay. The building housed the cinema equipment, refreshment center, rest rooms, and a room facing the screen for indoor seating. Image Credit: Steve Swanson via cinematreasures.org (2013)

Lake Drive-In street side signage along side of Highway 18 leading between Boulder Bay and Red Ant Hill on the South Shore of Big Bear Lake. Image Credit: Monica via cinematreasures.org (2009)

What a great and fun vehicle to have on summer nights to take in a drive-in movie in Big Bear Lake. Yes, with the rear facing the screen, bench seating removed, lying on a full mattress with plenty of pillows. 

Those experiences so beats up on this modern living experience of the digital age - just lays it asunder.

... notes from The EDJE

TAGS: 1956, 1957, GMC 100, Suburban, Carryall, Finds On Facebook, Great Old Classic Cars, Norm Huvers, Lockheed Burbank, Boy Scouts, Troop 31, Troop 32, Hollywood, California, The EDJE

Two Teammates, Different Paths For AJ Foyt Racing As Kellett Joins Bourdais In 2021 Paddock

Dalton Kellett from Stouffville, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, started his first INDY 500 August 23, 2020 at P24 and finished P31 after completing 24 laps (Contact) - before this first opportunity to compete in the big show, he said, “I am very excited to be doing this, It is a huge moment in my racing career. I’ve been building up to this for many years. I know I sound calm and cool about this but beneath the surface I am very excited. This is a huge opportunity and I am so thankful." Image Credit: AJ Foyt Racing (2020)

Two Teammates, Different Paths For AJ Foyt Racing As Kellett Joins Bourdais In 2021 Paddock

Dalton Kellett, who starts his second year association with AJ Foyt Racing,  joins four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Sebastien Bourdais. Kellett will be driving the newly designated No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA Chevrolet along side of Bourdais in his No. 14 (TBD) Chevrolet.

“Being paired with Sebastien will be a great opportunity to continue to learn from one of the most experienced veterans in the field. I can’t wait to get back on the track for off-season testing and back behind the wheel in 2021.”

In eight races in 2020, Kellett scored a best finish of 20th twice at Road America.

NTT IndyCar Series News Conference - Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Larry Foyt - President AJ Foyt Racing
Dalton Kellett - Returning Driver (first full season), No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA Chevrolet

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES video conference. Today we are happy to be joined by AJ Foyt Racing team president Larry Foyt and their newly announced second driver for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Dalton Kellett, who will return to drive the No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA Chevrolet.

Congratulations, gentlemen, on your announcement today. Larry, would you like to kick us off and tell us how the deal came about and how great it is to have Dalton back?

LARRY FOYT: Sure, Kate, thank you. Obviously, we got to work with Dalton a little last year. He was part of the three-driver rotation in the 14 car, and obviously, the goal was to get him full-time. 2020 was even tougher for him than we expected it to be being a rookie with limited track time and having to deal with shorter race weekends, but he really rose to the challenge. I think he impressed a lot of people and we were just happy we were able to get him full-time.

THE MODERATOR: And Dalton, do you want to talk about the opportunity that you have now for 2021 to be with the team full time?

DALTON KELLETT: Yeah, I'm very excited. Thanks, first of all, everyone for joining our little press conference here. This is the biggest Zoom call that I've been on this year.

As Larry said, it was a challenging year for veterans and rookies alike, but I'm really excited to be back in the No. 4. So same team, different number. Learned a lot last year, and that was with limited track time, limited testing. So being full time in the 4 car is going to be a great opportunity. I can't wait for the season to get started.

THE MODERATOR: Well, I'm excited for your sophomore season, as well. You were one of my favorite rookies of 2020.

Q. It was a difficult year for a lot of drivers basically with the schedule changing and being so fluid, but for you, it was even more difficult because of how limited it is. Now that it's going to be full time, how important is that going to be for you to build upon your career and try to get as much experience as you can, especially working with a guy like Sebastien?

DALTON KELLETT: Yeah, that's a good point and I think having Seb on board is going to be a great asset to the program. I'm really looking forward to working with him. We had a great test earlier in the off-season at Barber Motorsports Park in October, and seeing how he works with the engineers and how exacting he is with his feedback and what he wants out of the car was pretty eye-opening.

So I think he's going to be a great asset and looking forward to working with him. Yeah, it was tough as a rookie with limited track time. But it was, like I said, going into next year, just capitalizing on the increased amount of testing and the closer to full-length weekends that we're going to have is going to be really important, and that's going be to the goal to kind of hit the ground with -- hit the ground running.

Q. A lot of guys out there would love to have a full-time ride in IndyCar. What was it about Dalton that made you decide to bring him back?

LARRY FOYT: Well, we had already started working together, you know, and the relationship was there. When we started it was not meant to be a short-term relationship. We were really just continuing what we started and really looking forward to watching him progress and seeing how Seb can help his learning curve in IndyCar. Because like Dalton touched on, it's huge to have a multi-time champion to be able to learn from in this day and age. I think it's a great opportunity for Dalton. We're excited.

Q. With his engineering degree and everything, is he almost like having an engineer in the cockpit of the race car?

LARRY FOYT: Well, we'll see. I wasn't on his car last year. I was on the other car, so I didn't get to hear a ton of his audio and feedback but during some of the tests when I was able to, I listened in and the feedback was really good.

I think what he was talking about, that Barber test, Seb has some trust in Dalton that we were able to run both cars through some different programs like a proper-two car team. For a rookie to be able to contribute to the team was really helpful.

Q. You sort of touched on this in the last question, but what did you see from Dalton this past season?

LARRY FOYT: Yeah, well, the thing sometimes you see someone's body of work in racing as they are coming up through the series and as they jump into the bigger car, you don't know what to expect, right. You just have to see, okay, how is he going to adapt to the bigger tire, more horsepower, and what we saw was he really adapted well. And he was great at looking at data, improving himself, going quicker.

I think he can really surprise a lot of people and that's what we see in him and that's why we wanted to get him full time.

Q. As a follow-up, what are your expectations for the upcoming season, for not just Dalton but the entire Foyt team?

LARRY FOYT: Well we want to win races. We obviously feel Seb can and we feel Dalton can, as well. Really, this is only his first year in IndyCar. That's a lot to ask. We're not going to be pushing him on that.

The biggest thing is let's go, let's keep improving. Let's get faster and faster, and I think Dalton has got the right mindset for that.

Last year, I think he knew the situation everybody was in with COVID, with some of the races getting cut, some of the sponsorship getting cut due to that. It was tough on teams and we had kind of put him in a tough spot because it's like, hey, we really want you to go out there and do your best but we don't want you to be out there crashing cars, which rookies a lot of times are going to make that mistake.

But Dalton did a good job to stay, to just to keep getting quicker on a good pace and not overstep the bounds too much because we really needed that as a team. He's a really good team player. That's the thing, we have to see where we shake out as a seem with Seb leading the program and starting to get some of our -- hopefully driving our setups and direction for Dalton to feel and also contribute to.

So there's a lot going on but I think we showed in St. Pete some of our basic setups, hopefully aren't too bad, and I think we'll be competitive.

Q. Firstly, happy Christmas. Secondly, how much is this going to benefit you guys in terms of consistency with Dalton returning, given that Seb is obviously new to the program this year, how much are they going to complement each other do you think with Seb's experience, but also the fact that Dalton's been with you guys kind of last season, as well, albeit kind of on a partial program?

LARRY FOYT: Yeah, thanks, good to see you all the way from Ireland. I think -- and Dalton can probably answer to that, too, because I do like to sit in in a lot of the debriefs in the engineering room and just hear them talk about things.

We saw -- you know, I was able to see sides of it from Tony trying to help a rookie like Matheus, and also as Dalton came into the fold and listening to how Tony speaks to Dalton and how Seb speaks to Dalton. It's interesting, and I think everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and different ways of explaining things.

I think Seb is definitely very analytical, as is Dalton. They both bring that mindset in that's going to be really interesting to the way they look at data, talk about the race car, and so you know, maybe even Dalton can answer to some of that. But I think they are going to get along splendidly and I think it's a really good pairing.

As a 2020 rookie contender, Dalton Kellett shared driving duties driving the No. 14 last year with Tony Kanaan and Sebastien Bourdais with a primary focus on road courses. Image Credit: Doug Mathews via NICS (2020)

Q. And for yourself, Dalton, there's a few points that Larry kind of picked up on there. If you wouldn't mind kind of going into a bit more detail into those, but also for yourself, you're stepping up to a full-time position this year, or next year. What do you think are going to be the challenges to that, but equally, what are you most looking forward to, as well?

DALTON KELLETT: I'll tackle the first question first. I think as far as working with Seb, and as a rookie, even though last year was tough, I've been pleased with great teammates and having really experienced teammates and that really showed and it really helped me get up to speed at Indy last year, I think having guys like Tony, Charlie there, that was great. Coming on with Seb is going to be a big part of the program.

What I've seen from him so far is that as Larry said, he's very analytical. He's very demanding, more so than me. I think as a rookie it can be kind of tough to come in with the confident and the kind of, this is what I want, and it has to be this way; and justifiably because you're a rookie. You don't quite have the pedigree to kind of say those things.

But also just seeing what it is that he is exacting about and kind of tailor in my feedback and kind of my expectations as far as what I want out of the car. I think that's going to be the -- at least one of the first things I'm going to learn from Seb.

In looking at data and from a simulator day and from some time testing at Barber, it seems like we have pretty complementary driving styles, and when we do like an ABA change and kind of compare apples-to-apples, do the same change on my car and then replicate that on his car. Our feedback seems to be relatively similar. You don't want -- it can be tough when you have one guy that, say, you make a rear spring change and the feedback is different, that can make it difficult for the engineers. It seems like we have kind of similar driving styles, which I think is going to help.

Moving on to your second question, the big challenges this year. I mean, it's a challenge but it's also a good thing. We're going to have a full schedule. I'll get to experience my first full-time year in IndyCar. There will be a lot more travel than we had this year and new tracks, even though I came up through the road at Indy, there's a few tracks I haven't raced on, like Long Beach and we have the Music City Grand Prix coming up which we are all excited for; so there will be some learning opportunities there.

I think last year, Indy was my only oval race, so there will be three ovals. So kind of coming to grips with the IndyCar on an oval. I would say that the Foyt team showed well at Texas last year, so really excited for that, and just excited to be here full-time and back with the team. It's going to be a good year.

Q. Dalton, I know we've talked already a lot about how difficult last year was to be a rookie with the limited track time and testing and everything. I know even though it may not have shown in the results that you put together, was there a time in the season where things started to feel easier or where you felt a little bit more comfortable in the car, if there's anything that comes to mind?

DALTON KELLETT: Yeah, I think for the -- the high point of the year for us was definitely Indy, even though it didn't end the way we wanted, but just with our pace and teammates and where we were. I was really happy with how that progression went during the month. I was definitely happy that we passed that milestone of kind of being comfortable and competitive there.

I think Mid-Ohio was kind of a bit of a turning point, like I say, even though the results weren't quite there. But we had chances for some really good performances in qualifying that were kind of curtailed just by circumstances, whether it was seeing when the yellows came out or the rain and all that. But I felt like our race pace was decent there. Just it was more of a question of extracting the potential that was there, which I think is where we kind of missed on this year.

So I think that's going to be sort of the theme this year is putting everything together and kind of making the most out of what we have, and I think having Seb there has kind of shown that we're starting off from a point that's relatively good, so we have a good base to work from.

Q. You mentioned earlier that this was always the plan to hopefully go full-time with Dalton, and you brought him in with the intention of hopefully building on what you guys have. As you had already put a veteran driver next to him, was it really important for you guys when you were looking at options for that seat to have someone that you guys could maybe stay with long term versus maybe another veteran that's around maybe three or four more years?

LARRY FOYT: Definitely was in our thought process for sure. It only makes sense to try to do that, right, because you want to have someone in your system that you're growing with. We don't currently have an Indy Lights team, something like that. It's something we've looked at and something we'd love to have in the future to keep young guys kind of in our system and coming up through our way of things.

But yeah, no, I think it's a perfect fit. When Seb came available, we felt like he did have some very good years in him. He's very hungry right now. And also, I think for Dalton, it made Dalton more excited because I think it took our team to another level, and it can help Dalton's career immensely. So that's where I think that came about.

Q. I know the K-Line sponsorship, the primary sponsor on the car for next year, I know that was -- from what I had heard, a pretty solid sponsor and someone that is an excited backer of Dalton. When you guys are making these decisions, how difficult is it to kind of weigh what comes with the driver with sponsorship versus the results they have put on the track and the age of the driver? I know there's so many things you have to weigh when you are making these decisions. How does sponsorship at times play into that?

LARRY FOYT: Well, you have to have sponsorship to be able to compete, no doubt. You certainly can't do it on race winnings alone. Every team out there, that's probably the majority of my day, honestly, is spent on sponsorship stuff. During a pandemic, it's extremely difficult.

So no, it's just a great relationship that we already had with K-Line, obviously through Dalton, but they are just super people, super company, and we wouldn't have done this if we didn't think Dalton can do well on track.

So at the end of the day, that trumps everything, and we just think there's a lot of potential there that people just haven't seen yet, and we think we can get it out of him.

Q. You mentioned in the fall that there would be a chance for you to move into a third full-time car with the right opportunity. Where are you on that? Is there a chance we could see that in 2021 or has the timeline moved as far as that's concerned?

LARRY FOYT: I would say no in 2021; barring I win the lottery or something like that. It's something on our radar for sure. I'm a big person who thinks growth is important to any business, but it has to be done the right way.

I think we suffered some growing pains as we went to -- from one car to two car a few years back that we are finally getting over. But at the same time, it just has to be the right situation. We did look at some deals, and just felt like it wasn't the right time at this -- at this juncture. We really wanted to focus on Seb and Dalton for this year.

I'm sure we'll see, we typically run three cars at Indy. We'll see if that comes about. But really wanted to focus on the two cars for 2021.

Q. Going through this process, there was a lot of drivers who were probably trying to get after this particular seat, and with all the seats starting to get taken up within IndyCar, was it a stressful period for you going through this ordeal and how relieved are you that it's done?

DALTON KELLETT: Yeah, you know, going into the off-season without something signed for the following year is always -- you were a driver yourself, you know how that feels; the uncertainty, not knowing where you're going to be next year. I was happy we had already had conversations that were relatively well-progressed, and I think having it signed even this early is great because it gets us really moving on to 2021 and we can just focus on testing and getting ready for St. Pete.

Q. And quick question for Larry. Sort of a similar question for you, as well. A lot of drivers out there, I heard Romain Grosjean may be one of those drivers going after that seat in particular. What sets Dalton apart from a lot of other drivers that you have already spoken with? Is it the reason that he's gone through the Road to Indy ladder system and has that experience with IndyCar?

LARRY FOYT: Well, honestly it goes back to what I touched on earlier. I think we knew where we were headed, even middle of last year. It wasn't something -- I know there was an article about Grosjean, but really there wasn't a conversation there to be honest other than, you know, kind of a "Hi, how are you," nice-to-meet-you thing.

I think we kind of knew what way we were going with Dalton from the beginning. It was kind of in the plan of doing a part-time, getting him some seat time and then working up to the full deal.

Darren Manning works a lot with Dalton. He's obviously a good friend of mine and I really trust and respect his opinion, so before we even put Dalton in a car, I spoke with Darren a lot about how Dalton drives and things like that.

So this has kind of been the plan, so this will be a really good chance for Dalton to get a full year, get more comfortable, get more seat time and then we can really see what he can do.

Q. What do you think the areas are Foyt can improve for next season? Obviously you're coming from a more inexperienced background, so what are you going to need from the team to really fight for Top-10s, Top-5s and wins next year, which is kind of what the team seems to be aiming at for next season?

DALTON KELLETT: I think the big thing that we're going to be focusing on is consistency across the program and having myself and Seb on board is going to be -- we're going to work well together, and when you have two drivers -- as I kind of touched on earlier why, it seems our driving styles are relatively complementary.

So from the direction of where the setup is going, I think that's going to be pretty consistent and helpful for both of us to have like a plan that we are kind of working towards.

I thought the team did a great job last year in Atlanta. I think we obviously have to continue working there and making sure that stops are quick and all that, but they were great last year. Even on the 41 car, which was a third-car crew, that can always be hard to put that together for the month of May, but we had a great crew there. So continuing with that with practice and everything.

And then for my side of it, like I said, putting everything together and just extracting the potential that we have in myself and the car and kind of putting our best foot forward.

Q. What's your focus on for next year? Seb was a big part of that in terms of being the spearhead of the on-track stuff and the setup direction, but is there any personnel changes or anything you're kind of looking at within the team that needs to change to extract that performance for next year?

LARRY FOYT: Yes, we have beefed up our engineering staff a little bit over the winter. I think we'll be probably, as we figure out exactly what places people will be in, we'll be putting that out here shortly. So we did beef that up.

We have had some new mechanics come on board. Just trying to field the weaknesses or wherever you feel you have a weakness. Pit stops have become so important, just from -- just everything is so tight. You see the speeds and the lap times through the whole field. You cannot lose anything on pit road, you just can't, not to mention what it does to a driver's psyche. We all know in this wind screen, it's hot, and these drivers are out there giving it all they can. You lose a couple spot in the pits, they will tell you about it, so you don't want to do that.

That's the biggest thing as a team. I think you touched on it. Top-10s are the goal here at first and solid qualifying. I think we lacked some pace on some of the permanent road courses that we'd like to add. Outside of Mid-Ohio, I thought Dalton was doing a great job at Mid-Ohio and showing some pace there. But Indy GP and places like that, we didn't fare very well, so we're going to work on that.

Q. First of all, I would like to congratulate Dalton and I'm looking forward to meeting you in the No. 4 car. And this question is for Larry. With Dalton in the No. 4 car and Seb in the 14, is there any word about Charlie Kimball will be doing anything with a team next season?

LARRY FOYT: Thanks, Asher. Good to hear from you. Yes, we really like Charlie. I don't know what's going to happen with Charlie next year. I know he's looking at some opportunities, so we'll just have to see where that falls. But great driver, and I'm sure he'll land somewhere, and we'll just have to see what happens.

But yeah, looking -- we'll see. We haven't figured out what we're going to do with our third car at Indy yet. Don't know for certain, but we will see. But yeah, Charlie and everything ended on really good terms, and he understood what we were doing, but enjoyed the year with him for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks to all of you for participating today.
[ht: FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports]

Kellett has a degree in engineering physics from Queens University in Canada. That allows the driver to better understand the communication between driver and the engineering staff.

Bourdais has a very analytical approach to his style of driving as well, making this a very cerebral combination for Foyt’s team for the 2021 season.

... notes from The EDJE

TAGS: Dalton Kellett, Sebastien Bourdais, Larry Foyt, AJ Foyt Racing, 2021, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Chevrolet, K-Line Insulators USA, The EDJE

Team Penske To Mentor First Diversity Focused Open-Wheel Race Team Dubbed FORCE Indy

The team’s debut race will be at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where it will compete in the support race for the NTT IndyCar series on March 5-7, 2021. “When the IMS and IndyCar acquisition happened a year ago, I was pleased to learn of the work Rod Reid was doing,” said IMS chairman Roger Penske at the announcement. Image Credit: Chris Owens via NICS (2020)

Team Penske To Mentor First Diversity Focused Open-Wheel Race Team Dubbed FORCE Indy

It was announced that in order to place some teeth into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES management agenda of inclusiveness, a new team focusing on African American involvement in motorsports is entering the Road to Indy series starting competition next year. This team effort will be mentored by Team Penske’s state-of-the-art operations in order to help it get off the ground successfully. The team is named FORCE Indy and will be managed by Coach Rod Reid, NXG Youth Motorsports President and CEO.

FORCE Indy will initially field an entry in the USF2000 series, which has the lowest barriers to entry of the Road to Indy ladder, and will look to advance all the way up to the NTT IndyCar series as the program develops.

The Cooper Tires USF2000 series is the first official step in the Road to Indy feeder series program, followed successively by Indy Pro 2000, Indy Lights, and finally the full-season ride in the NTT IndyCar series.

NTT IndyCar Series News Conference - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA - Thursday, December 3, 2020

Rod Reid - NXG Youth Motorsports President and CEO

Jimmie McMillan - Penske Entertainment Corp. Chief Diversity Officer

J. Douglas Boles - IMS President

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. My name is Dave Furst with the NTT INDYCAR Series. Great to see you on a special day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I want to welcome Roger Penske, chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, kind enough to join us here this afternoon. Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp.

Up on the desk, we welcome and say hello to Jimmie McMillan, the chief diversity officer with Penske Entertainment Corp. In the middle, Coach Rod Reid, 40 years of auto racing experience, some outstanding work with NXG Youth Motorsports as the president and CEO.

The only man allowed to wear a suit today, J. Douglas Boles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Incredibly exciting news today as we witness the launch of a groundbreaking and completely diverse team in open-wheel racing, called FORCE Indy. It will be led by Coach Reid, the principal. A team that will focus on diversity through mechanics, engineers, of course the drivers, but other key staff and personnel throughout the race team. Of course, it will do so under the mentorship of Team Penske, the legendary open-wheel race team, motorsports in a whole.

FORCE Indy will compete and open things up, the first race will be the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship opener at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, comes up in March. Going to be here before we know it.

We'll start with Jimmie on the far right. You've seen firsthand the passion that Coach Reid brings each and every day. This is also a part of the broader Speedway, IMS Race for Equality and Change. How important is this day?

JIMMIE McMILLAN: As an African American male, I cannot understate the importance of today. Someone who did not grow up with the sport, but grew to fall in love with the sport over time and over being introduced to it by others. I have strived to spread that love to other African Americans, people of color. This is a pivotal morning.

All morning I've been thinking about this might be one of those: Where was I when it all started? To have the opportunity to be here with Coach Reid, it's just amazing.

I've had the chance over the past six years to work with Coach Reid in the NXG program. And to see his heart, his passion, his dedication to provide opportunities to many folks, many kids who wanted to get into racing, their parents didn't know how, didn't know anything about the sport, but they brought their kids to Coach Reid.

I happen to be one of those parents. My sons are participating in the program. My son I know is watching from him, looking at coach, thinking, There's a future for me.

This is very pivotal for the Race for Equality and Change that we are undergoing right now. I could tell you under our leadership, certainly under Roger Penske, but also under Mark Miles, Bud Denker, Doug Boles, Allison Melangton, Jay Frye, we are all committed to changing this sport. It is an everyday laser focus on what we can do to move the needle.

This is a significant move. To have Coach Reid at the helm, I can tell you the team is being led by the right person to take this initiative in the right direction. This is not about a driver, it's not even about Coach Reid just as an owner, but this is about the commitment to provide opportunities throughout the sport, whether it's accounting, HR, legal, marketing. There's so many ways in which we can be more involved and more engaged in this sport.

Through that we're going to service the fans we already have. There have been people of color following this sport for a long time. For them, this will be a happy moment.

We hopefully also will introduce new people to this thing that we love called auto racing. As part of the Race for Equality and Change, this is a big step. This is also a big step in our social construct for providing equality and equal opportunity for people of color in all areas of our lives.

THE MODERATOR: Coach Reid, you were wearing a mask when you walked in, but I could tell you were smiling ear to ear. This is an important day, a dream come true in many ways. What does this day mean to you?

ROD REID: I have spent, as you say, almost 40 years. I won't go deep into the timeframe (smiling).

I've had an opportunity to see the sport from back when I was in my teens coming to the Indianapolis 500 all the way through to being involved with one of the first African Americans to run in Super Vee. We always dreamed of having a black enterprise that would be oriented towards people of color.

I want to be clear. This is not the first time that we've had black ownership in cars or teams. But I think this is one of the first times we will be able to do something that's sustainable because of the support and the interest from folks like Roger Penske and the Penske organization, we've been able to start on this path.

I kind of see this two way. One is that we are inviting the black community to come into motorsports through our effort as FORCE Indy. We are also inviting the motorsports industry to embrace seeing and having the presence of African Americans and people of color in the pits, in the paddock, in other places in motorsports.

I want to be very, very clear that we are about diversity. We are about more than just me as a principal and the drivers. As a matter of fact, one of our core projects that we've engaged in in terms of putting this team together is to make sure that we have those positions like mechanics and engineers and others in the mix.

Today I want to talk about who I'm really celebrating, the stars of Force Indy. That is these three gentlemen sitting in front here. That's Stu Kelly, Nadeem Ali and Derek Morris. They are part of the beginning and initial core crew that we're having. They have been spending a tremendous amount of time working so far to get us to where we are today.

I just want to mention very quickly that they're not just guys that love racing. They all individually have been doing that. Stu has been drifting. That Nadeem has been involved heavily in go-karts. Derek has run stockcars. They have good backgrounds from the university level, both in engineering, management, et cetera.

They've all come through Nexgeneracers, the NXG Youth Motorsports. That's what this is about, to bring those and give opportunity to those who not only deserve it but have worked towards this opportunity, getting a chance from us being able to say, I can now be involved in motorsports.

I want to applaud those guys, and thanks for being part of FORCE Indy.

THE MODERATOR: There is so much, as you know, most everyone in this room, that goes into putting a race team together, forming a race team. Rod, what does the fact that Team Penske is going to be there as a mentor, what kind of impact is that for this team?

ROD REID: There's no question that being mentored by the best in the business is a big plus for FORCE Indy. We have been just so honored to be a part and to be able to have an alliance with the Penske organization that will actually support us, give us the tutelage, if you will, to go and become successful.

They have, without question, Team Penske has earned I believe like 18 Indy 500 wins, 16 championships. They're absolutely the best. We're going to have an opportunity to align with them. We're going to start off in Concord, North Carolina, so that we can really learn, then we hope to bring that team back here to Indianapolis.

It's an invaluable experience to be working with the Penske organization.

THE MODERATOR: Doug, certainly an exciting day, but really for the industry as a whole this is a pretty exciting day. You worked with Rod for years and years now. What kind of drive does this guy have?

J. DOUGLAS BOLES: He's certainly driven. The thing I love most about Coach is how passionate he is, but how unselfish he is. You see that in the three guys he's called out here.

He's had a dream since the 1980s to develop a team like this where it wasn't just about an African American driver or African American owner. It was really about an African American business in a space that hasn't always seen a lot of African Americans in it.

For Coach to take along immediately guys that have been through racing, have been through the NXG Youth Motorsports program that's been here for 15 plus years, 2300 underrepresented youth have come through the program because of Coach Reid.

His commitment to come out here on weekends, take these kids, introduce them for a different sport. Jimmie talked a little bit about it. It's not just about the sport. It's about how do you introduce them to a lot of life skills that our sport teaches, trying to show them opportunities here.

The one thing I want folks to take away, I think Coach does too, this is not just about a race team this, this is a business.

When people see this announcement and they think, I don't know anything about racing, to Jimmie's point, it is a great opportunity to learn it. More importantly, it's a great opportunity for people that are interested in accounting, PR, marketing, things that aren't necessarily in motorsport, to be involved in our sport as a whole.

It's a great day for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fantastic day for Coach Reid and for Penske Entertainment Corp. This is a huge day for motorsports internationally as a whole to have this announcement today. We can't wait to see it flourish over the next few years, see where it goes, because this is just the beginning. It's not stopping at USF2000 we hope as we go forward, this is just a beginning, a continuation of Rod's dream.

Dewey Gatson, better known as Rajo Jack or his pseudonym Jack DeSoto, (July 28, 1905 – February 27, 1956) was an American racecar driver. He is known as one of the first African American racers in America. He received the nickname RAJO from the parts he used to improve the performance of the many client cars he worked on throughout his career (see later exhibit).  Image Credit: Driving Line (2016)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I noticed you're going to run No. 99. Explain the importance of that, why you chose that number.

ROD REID: It's so important for us to know where we've come from. There's a lot of history. African Americans have been in motorsports ever since the beginning of the car, the sport itself.

A gentleman in the 1920s by the name of Dewey Gaston, he went by the nickname Rajo Jack. He actually ran No. 33 for a lot of years, was very, very successful with that number.

RAJO MOTOR COMPANY was famed for producing improved functioning head and valve solutions for people who wished to greatly improve the overall power and reliable performance of the Ford Motor Company cars they owned. Dewey Gaston became a "go to" resource and distributor for this company's solutions at his shop located in Pasadena, California. Image Credit: Driving Line (2016) 

He was staging a comeback in the early '50s, late '40s. He brought a car that he thought would be extremely successful. That car was a big block engine, thought he was going to put it up front. It was No. 99. He was never able to win in that car. I think he finished the best with like a fourth in one of his races. Then he stopped.

I thought it would be fitting for us to take on that heritage and use the No. 99 to move forward. With the help of the Penske organization, we wanted to put No. 99 in the winner's circle.

Q. Are the plans to run one USF2000 car or two?

ROD REID: We're actually working on that. There are a lot of moving parts. If you follow USF2000, they have some rule changes and so forth. Right now we're going to start with one car. We are currently vetting drivers. We're going to work on getting that announcement to you guys as soon as we determine that. For right now I think we're going to start off the season with just one car.

Our hope is that we will grow an organization that can serve more than just one driver.

Q. Rod, you mentioned already what an impact you feel like this can be for the entire racing community. Could you maybe expound on that a little bit. What do you feel like from your experience around this sport the last 40 years, what does this day mean for motorsports?

ROD REID: Well, I think first of all, it demonstrates visually that there's a commitment on the part of the leadership in motorsports, especially when we look at again I talked about the best in the business, a gentleman like Roger Penske, who has had an opportunity to really see what we do, and do something about it. This Race for Equality and Change is an unbelievable program that's allowed us to sort of have a stage.

But I think looking broadly at the black community in particular, there hasn't really been this invitation to the black community to say, You know what, motorsports is important to you, should be important to you as it is to all of us, we welcome you. We want you to come in as fans, enthusiasts, potentially having a career in motorsports.

If the community doesn't know about it, are not aware of it, not exposed to it, I don't think that's going to happen. I think that's important.

Why is that important for motorsports? Because now we won't overlook the kind of talent you see sitting in the front row. I think there's other talent across the board, people of color. I think motorsports can benefit from having all of our entire community involved in the sport.

Q. How does having a team that's based around this diversity initiative, how much more powerful do you feel that can be compared to we've have a couple black drivers in INDYCAR in the past, some other folks throughout the paddock, but having an entire team centered around that, how much more powerful do you feel that can be?

ROD REID: I think one of the things that will happen is that others along the pit road will see us, we hope throughout the ladder system. We hope there are other teams, not just USF2000 teams, but up the ladder, INDYCAR will say, I'm used to seeing these guys, maybe there's some talent over there.

Our idea is to grow that talent so maybe we have an a mechanic that's working at a Ganassi, maybe have someone driving a trailer or working in the office. What we're trying to do is have someone in PR like Tracey Royal Communications, having them be a part of the community as a whole.

I think there's a strong opportunity for the entire motorsports community to see this.

Q. Jimmie, you've only been in your position for a couple months. You mentioned at that point how much potential you saw in diversity in INDYCAR. Looking ahead, how can this team serve as a jumping off point for what you want to do?

JIMMIE McMILLAN: Absolutely, it's a pipeline or a fuel line, if you will, where we're going to push a lot of energy, a lot of opportunity for a variety of folks who haven't got that opportunity thus far.

If you look at the sport, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that despite efforts by others, the sport still remains largely white. Some of the things that we've heard in our process of trying to evaluate those issues is a lack of applicants, a lack of people who have interest in the sport or who apply for positions when they're available, people who don't have the training that they need to jump on a team or be a part of a team in some way.

From my viewpoint, there's also a lack of education. Some of it is because people are not interested in the sport or they're not interested in coming to the race because they don't see anyone who culturally looks like them. This is going to be a great step to do that merger that Coach Reid is talking about where the sport is reaching out to the community, but now you've given the community a reason to come to the racetrack and root for a team. This is going to be tremendous in that effect.

Also, as we continue to grow and develop, we don't expect for folks to stay with FORCE Indy forever. As Coach Reid said, we're trying to graduate, matriculate people and hope they populate, like pipeline or fuel line, the entire sport. That we can get that going in a way that creates opportunity amongst other teams.

It's not the only pipeline, but other teams start to realize there are talented African Americans and people of color that can do work and be valuable assets to your team.

When we talk to the teams, they say that. They're very interested in two things, one getting younger, and two getting more diverse. They just need a pathway and help to do it.

Thankfully we have this opportunity thanks to Mr. Penske and Rod and everyone here. We have a real opportunity to create change in motorsports.

Q. We've seen so much action around the social justice initiative this year. What do you feel in your experience can the impact be of Roger Penske putting his support behind this?

JIMMIE McMILLAN: It's daily effort. I can tell you that. Every day it's the top of my agenda. I have a whiteboard with a number of initiatives. The energy and enthusiasm and the effort and the work that is going into changing everything from how we do business internally as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, INDYCAR and IMS Productions, who we hire, who we have in leadership, all the way to our community relationships, the work we've done with NXG to raise over half a million dollars to support that program, continuing to grow sponsors, the opportunities we're looking at in terms of the entire paddock, talking to the teams, helping them also to diversify, now this. That's all in a very short period of time.

I think the job we all have is to get the work done to sustain the momentum that Roger has started and sparked in all of us to keep the momentum going. That is something that we didn't have. We haven't had. When you have it, you give it to people like the people you see in front of you, these three young men, you give it to a Coach Reid, I think you're going to see some amazing and incredible results.

I just hope our fans are out there and they're ready and willing and able to come to the track and cheer this team on and cheer these young men on. I'm sure there are going to be young women, as well. To cheer them all on as they really do something historic.

ROD REID: Back in May when so much pain was in the country, I think all corporations that had any sensitivity to what's going on in our world, in American companies, I say that very, very warmly, that American companies all of a sudden opened their eyes and said, There's a lot of injustice. This just didn't start happening this year.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Penske early on when he took over the property. One of the things we talked about was this whole notion of a lot of African Americans not feeling welcome. Why is that? Part of it is that invitation. Part of it is that whole notion that we aren't really here. I think that's the biggest difference when you talk about how has it impacted.

Now we have strong leadership in corporations, especially here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We have a lot of strong leadership who is saying, We want to make a difference. Not just because it's the moment, but because we want to do something that's not only sustainable but that is genuine. I think that is the biggest benefit from what happened.

We can always talk about the negative part. But I think when we look around the room here, we can say that FORCE Indy, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all of the organizations that operate in this sport are taking a good look at what we're doing. I think it's a reason to celebrate.

Q. Doug, this is an 18-race season, USF2000. They're going to be here at the road course Grand Prix weekend. This is a very competitive series. Oliver Askew, Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay.

J. DOUGLAS BOLES: If you look back at the Road to Indy Series, especially starting at USF2000, we have had 25-ish drivers that ran Indianapolis 500 this year that had come up through one of the rungs of that ladder. 100 plus I think over the history of Indy.

It is the place to begin, to cultivate as Coach said not just the drivers, but the mechanics, the team leaders, the folks that will make a difference not just on FORCE Indy but hopefully over time we're making a difference across the paddock and teams.

It is really competitive. I've gotten to know Coach, I know how competitive he is. I have a lot of confidence that this team is going to come out of the box and be competitive.

One of the things we talked about, I'm really excited about, you mentioned INDYCAR Grand Prix weekend, the 2300 kids over the last 15 years who have had an opportunity to race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the racetrack he sets up every time he's here. Hopefully we have an opportunity to bring them out, get them to an opportunity to compete as they have the last few years on INDYCAR Grand Prix weekend over in the parking lot by the museum. But connect them directly to this brand-new team that will be competing here, to really begin to build that bridge that we haven't had from NXG Youth Motorsports to real professional motorsports. That's going to be a fun day when the kids get to see what they have an opportunity to do.

Q. How big of an opportunity do you think this is for the sport as a whole, particularly in the U.S., given what's going on at the moment?

ROD REID: I think it's a great opportunity for the sport if they can take a look at our example. This should be like wildfire. I mean, people should go, You know what, we think we really want to take a look at potential talent out there.

I don't mind if all of a sudden there are three, four, five different organizations that are wanting to come through the Road to Indy that are considering being diverse. I think that would be a home run for us.

Q. Can you take me through how all of this came together, how all of you have had to work together to make this possible.

ROD REID: I can tell you that it was a blessing to sit down with Mark Miles, Doug Boles, be reintroduced to Roger Penske. A quick side-bar. We talked about the fact that we had been in the same company, I had met him back '80s, '90s, I can't say how long ago. I was five years old, Roger (laughter).

But we had a chance to connect and reconnect, if you will, and talk about what Nexgeneracers, the NXG Youth Motorsports was doing here at the Speedway. We knew that we had had a partnership, even though it wasn't a formal one, for a lot of years, with us being able to bring those kids and those families into the track perhaps for a lot of them the first time.

We started there. Just kept talking. Said, You know what would be a good way to continue this relationship? We talked about the fact that I think having a presence on the track, being part of the show, is a real key thing.

That's how it kind of came about.

Q. I understand Myles Rowe had a test in USF2000 back in July. Have either of you spoken with him at all, are in talks with him at this point?

ROD REID: We have spent the last couple months vetting a lot of drivers, maybe those who are testing cars, maybe those who have been overseas in the UK driving, those who are in other support series, F4, et cetera.

I can tell you there's a lot of talent out there. There are a lot of deserving drivers. Our goal is to sit down and make a decision and choose one of them that we think fit our criteria.

Very quickly, that criteria includes being an American, it includes being someone that has been given an opportunity to go from karts to cars as part of that transition. We're also looking for someone that is youthful and can grow with us as we start to develop our team.

Probably the most important thing is they've got to fit what our mission is. We're really all about the full team. This is not just about the driver, as you've heard from everyone here.

Q. Rod, how important is it to be based in North Carolina near Team Penske's shop?

ROD REID: We thought initially with the alliance that we've been able to have, again I'll just talk about how thankful I am that they've agreed to work with us, we thought that would be a good place to start.

I mentioned that we hope to come back to Indianapolis in short order. But I think it's extremely important to have an opportunity to work with the best. That's why we're there.

Q. A few miles from Team Penske's shop is GoPro motorsports complex. They host a lot of major karting events. How involved have you been with that facility, see some potential talent?

ROD REID: We've been there a couple of times. At least I've had a chance to go down. I think my crew of guys here have had a chance to go over there and have a little fun.

I think that track, and there are many other tracks from coast-to-coast, that we have young drivers. There are a couple of young ladies that have been competing in go-karts that we know about. Those are working in an area down in NOLA.

I think it's across the board that there are really good opportunities for young people in karting to get into the sport.

Q. You said earlier you will start with Formula 2000. Are there plans in the long-term future to move up to Indy Lights or INDYCAR?

ROD REID: We think it would be a great opportunity to move up the ladder as we become more proficient at what we do. Our focus is going to be on learning as much as we can, using what we learn. We will measure our success by how well we can do in the garage and on the track.

Moving up I think would be a natural progression, as anyone would in motorsports. So absolutely those are things that we would consider.

Q. This project FORCE Indy, is it just concentrating on African American drivers or just also to other people in Europe in any kind of motor racing?

ROD REID: Our focus is heavily towards American drivers, men and women, that typically would not have an opportunity to touch motorsports. That would be our focus.

When we talk about people of color, having a diverse team, we fully will go beyond whether they're black and brown or other. But our focus right now is definitely on American drivers and crew and engineers, et cetera.

Q. Next year obviously marks the 30th anniversary of Willie T. breaking the color barrier. How significant is to it have a team operating under the FORCE Indy banner? How will you incorporate Willie knowing he's an international history maker in what he's done?

ROD REID: I think it's fantastic. I've been really fortunate enough to have known Willie, was around before he came to Indianapolis. He actually was running Trans-Am when we were doing Super Vee, if you recall that.

I think it's fantastic this celebration for him next year. I'm hoping there are a lot of opportunities for him to kind of showcase who he is. I know he's got a movie out and things like that.

We definitely applaud his efforts.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much.
[FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports]

What is common to this trade of motorsports, FORCE Indy has yet to come to an agreement with a main title sponsor and is still vetting young drivers for its first ever entry. 

Coach Rod Reid has already been considering numerous drivers, and believes there is plenty of talent available. This grand FORCE Indy effort will grab all of our attention come 2021 - stay tuned.

... notes from The EDJE

TAGS: FORCE Indy, Rod Reid, NXG Youth Motorsports, Jimmie McMillan, Penske Entertainment Corp., J. Douglas Boles, IMS, Cooper Tire, USF2000 series, 2021, The EDJE