Motorsports Mondial

Photo: MiguelCostaJr

Andretti Autosport adds Beatriz for Sao Paulo, Indianapolis: Andretti Autosport will add Ana Beatriz to the team’s driver lineup for two IZOD IndyCar Series races in 2012.

Beatriz will race for Andretti Autosport in her hometown event, the São Paulo Indy 300 (April 27-29), and then attempt to make her third Indianapolis 500 start in May as a co-entrant for Andretti Autosport with operational support from Conquest Racing. Beatriz will race the No. 25 Chevrolet sponsored by Ipiranga, one of Brazil’s iconic petroleum and convenience retail companies.

 “Driving for Andretti Autosport is the biggest opportunity I’ve had in IndyCar and my career,” Beatriz said. “I am very honored to be part of Michael’s (Andretti) team for Brazil and the Indy 500. I would like to thank my management team, Andre Ribeiro and Augusto Cesario, for putting this deal together with Michael, John (Lopes) and JF (Thormann). Also I am very happy to have Ipiranga supporting me again for these races and Andretti couldn’t be a better fit. I am very much looking forward to working with the team, Marco (Andretti), James (Hinchcliffe) and Ryan (Hunter-Reay).”

The 27-year-old Beatriz will drive the fourth entry for Andretti Autosport at São Paulo, joining teammates Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay. For the Indianapolis 500 she will pilot a fifth Chevrolet-powered car for Andretti (Sebastian Saavedra will be the team’s fourth driver in an AFS Racing co-entry). Beatriz completed a test session with Andretti Autosport in March at Sebring International Raceway.

“I’ve been watching Bia for a few years,” said Michael Andretti, Chairman, President and CEO, Andretti Autosport. “She was very strong in Firestone Indy Lights, and I was impressed by the pace she showed there. This opportunity is a good fit for us as a team. Brazil is an important, growing market for many of our sponsors, so to have a Brazilian driver and Ipiranga come aboard with us made a lot of sense. This opportunity came to us late so we are grateful for the operational support provided by Conquest Racing.”

Beatriz, who goes by the nickname ‘Bia,’ came up through the Brazilian karting and open wheel ranks before she entered Firestone Indy Lights in 2008. She was the first woman to win in the series with a victory at Nashville in 2008, and she followed-up with a second oval win at Iowa in 2009. Beatriz has 20 previous starts in the IZOD IndyCar Series, with a career-best finish of 11th at Toronto in 2011. She made her first IndyCar start in 2010 at the São Paolo race. She is the first Brazilian woman to start in the Indianapolis 500, where she has twice finished 21st.

Beatriz’ addition to the grid in Brazil means that a total of 27 cars will make the trip to Sao Paulo for the third Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 on April 29. INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard said provisions were made to bring 27 cars to Brazil.

 “After the decisions had been made, our promoter BAND  asked us to add Ana Beatriz to the field, and we were happy to accommodate that request without limiting the field for the race,” Bernard said.