China's Ho-Pin Tung has bagged the chance to compete for a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
Schmidt and Penske pin hopes on rookie IndyCar driver
China's Ho-Pin Tung has bagged the chance to compete for a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
IndyCar team owners Sam Schmidt and Jay Penske have hired Tung to drive in what will be his first stab at competitive oval racing.
Penske's Dragon Racing team will supply the car and crew for Tung's qualifier, while Schmidt Motorsports will cover sponsorship.
If Tung performs well at the qualifiers, he could become China's first driver to earn a place on the starting line in Indianapolis.
More than 43 driver-car combinations will vie for 33 starting places over the next two weeks.
Schmidt said: "Our goal is to have a very smooth (qualifying) week without any accidents, and it would be huge if he can qualify in the top-25. If we can keep in the race all day, we think he'll be a top 15 or 16 guy."
The Indianapolis track is renowned for its high speeds and unpredictable wind changes, a far cry from the European road courses Tung is used to.
But Schmidt believes his latest recruit will adapt well to oval racing.
"We've had no problem taking people like Alex Lloyd, Pippa Mann or Jay Howard from there and getting them to go fast on ovals," he said.
Sponsors
IndyCar officials have been pursuing the possibility of adding races in China and Brazil since 2009. A track in Tung's homeland would allow sponsors to make a dent in China's largely untapped advertising market.
With the Sao Paulo 300 now in its second year, it looks likely that IndyCar will arrive in China before long.
Japan has announced this year's Twin Ring Motegi event will be the final IndyCar race at the track. Development in China would allow IndyCar to maintain its Asian presence.
Series chief executive Randy Bernard believes a move to China looks likely. He said: "I wouldn't rule out 2012, I think it's in the future, I just don't know when yet.
"We've been talking very seriously with China, but until that piece of paper has been signed, it's still talk. It's no big secret we want to have a race in China. It would be a very big deal for us and our sponsors."
