Ryan Hunter-Reay can now be called a full-time driver.
A group of team sponsors have decided to collectively fund Hunter-Reay’s program, ensuring that he’ll stay in the No. 37 Andretti Autosport machine for the rest of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The car will retain its current IZOD scheme, save for two other events (one of which being at Chicagoland Speedway) that will have the No. 37 running the colors of Ethanol USA.
“I can’t even begin to describe my sense of relief, appreciation, and excitement as we look forward to a complete season while challenging for the IZOD IndyCar Series championship,” Hunter-Reay said. “So many different people, organizations, companies, and partners pulled together to make this a reality and I have to thank them for their belief in me.
“Andretti Autosport and Michael Andretti have been so supportive in so many ways. They have really dug deep to not only get me and the No. 37 car on track this season, but to keep it there. As I’ve been saying all along, this team is incredibly good at what it does and that’s why we’ve not only won together already, but we are now making it a full-season effort.”
According to a team press release, the team is also beginning a charitable program called Racing For Cancer, which was developed by Tom Vossman, a CEO for team sponsor Inland Industrial Services Group. The program will raise money for cancer research and other causes in honor of Hunter-Reay’s late mother, Lydia, who died of colon cancer last year.
Several Andretti Autosport sponsors are pitching in with $37,000 donations to Racing For Cancer; the first official donation came from Hunter-Reay’s teammate, Tony Kanaan, who gave his own $37,000 sum to the effort.
“We are excited to be part of such a worthwhile cause — to not only contribute to these good charities, but to also help promote the global cancer awareness campaign to all the fans, sponsors, and their employees. I could not be more proud to have Ryan as our global ambassador and to launch this effort in memory of his mother, Lydia.”
You can learn more about the effort at RacingForCancer.org.
