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DTssmSwVMVc[/youtube]
Defending Formula Nippon champion and Brazilian native Joao Paulo de Oliveira will make his IZOD IndyCar Series debut this weekend at Twin Ring Motegi.
De Oliveira, 30, will take over the No. 34 Conquest Racing machine with sponsorship from Japanese wedding/funeral company Ceremony. Interestingly enough, de Oliveira won a Formula Nippon event a few weeks ago on the same Motegi road course that the IndyCars will tackle on Saturday night (11 p.m. ET, Versus).
“Joining Conquest Racing is an exciting opportunity at this stage of my career,” said de Oliveira in a Conquest release. “I have been following the IZOD IndyCar Series over the years and it’s a thrill to be making my debut in Japan.”
The Brazilian will certainly make for an intriguing story to watch, as while he has experience and victories on the Motegi road course in formula cars, he’ll also have to quickly adapt to a 650-horsepower IndyCar.
“[Twin Ring Motegi] has lots of hard braking zones, followed by long straights, so obviously, you need a good car under braking and traction,” said de Oliveira. “These are key factors if you want to go fast around there.”
De Oliveira also has past experience as a champion in German and Japanese Formula 3, a test driver for Williams in Formula One, and in sports cars with Japan’s Super GT series.
Through the first 15 events, Colombian rookie Sebastian Saavedra has driven the No. 34 machine in 14 of them, with a high finish of 11th at Sao Paulo in May. He failed to qualify for this year’s Indianapolis 500.
In the above video, you can take a ride with De Oliveira (in what I assume is his Formula Nippon ride) around the Suzuka Circuit, best known for hosting F1’s Japanese Grand Prix.
