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Thursday, June 28
Lazier to drive for Sam Schmidt
ESPN.com news services
| |  | | | Lazier |
RICHMOND, Va. -- Indy Racing veteran Jaques Lazier will drive for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the SunTrust Indy Challenge on
June 30 at Richmond, team owner Sam Schmidt announced Thursday.
Lazier, from Vail, Colo., will be behind the wheel of the No. 99 Sam Schmidt
Motorsports Racing Special on the ¾-mile oval at RIR.
"I am enormously excited about the opportunity," Lazier said. "The team has
demonstrated with the assistance of Davey (Hamilton) and Richie (Hearn) that
they have what it takes to run up front.
"I already know several of the guys on the team, and I'm looking forward to
renewing those relationships and building new ones in a pursuit of giving
Sam his first top-five finish and ultimately the win."
Lazier has made three starts this season in the Northern Light Series, with
a best finish of ninth on June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished 22nd
at the Indianapolis 500 in May. Lazier, younger brother of 2000 Northern
Light Series champion Buddy Lazier, has made 18 career Indy Racing starts
with eight top-10 finishes.
Richie Hearn drove for Schmidt's team in the Radisson Indy 200 on June 17 at
Pikes Peak International Raceway, finishing ninth. He substituted for Davey
Hamilton, who suffered severe foot and leg injuries in a crash during the
Casino Magic 500 on June 9.
"The team was excited about a top-10 finish at Pikes Peak, and I want to
thank Richie for his fantastic efforts at the race," Schmidt said. "He did
everything we asked of him and is certainly a talent in the seat.
"It has always been my position that I want the most experience available,
given the budget limitations for our team this season. That being said, I am
very pleased to have Jaques join us for Richmond. He is one of the rising
stars of the Indy Racing League, and with the right opportunity I think
everyone in the garage area agrees that it's just a matter of time before he
follows in his brother's footsteps and wins races."
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