KV Racing Technology will run Mario Moraes in the No. 32 Banco Panamericano machine during the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series championship. His return makes for a three-car program at KVRT, including the No. 5 entry of former F1 driver Takuma Sato and the No. 8 PDVSA/Herbalife car for E.J. Viso.
Moraes was a rising star in 2009 for KVRT, managing a 14th-place finish in the championship and three top-five finishes in the final four races — including his first IRL podium finish at Chicagoland Speedway. Considering the growth of KVRT over the off-season and his own momentum at the tail end of last season, Moraes stands to improve even further in his third IndyCar campaign.
“We are very pleased to have Mario back in the seat with KVRT,” team GM Mark Johnson said in a press release. “Mario showed last season he can be very competitive and is in the process of becoming one of the top talents in the series. He has grown and matured on and off the race track over the last year due in part to the support of his family and the many positive influences in his life.
“Mario finished the 2009 season with very strong results, and I would expect more of the same starting this weekend in Sao Paulo.”
Moraes becomes the seventh Brazilian driver on the grid for Sunday’s season-opening Sao Paulo Indy 300 (11:30 a.m. ET, Versus). He joins Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira, Ana Beatriz, and Mario Romancini.
You can check out Moraes getting involved in last year’s wild finish at Chicagoland below. He wound up third in the blue-and-orange No. 5 car that night. Video credit goes to YouTube’s “MrNews70.”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
DI6Na58Wi-o[/youtube]
