Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing Edmonton Advance Notes Race: Edmonton Indy on Sunday, July 22 (2:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) Track: Edmonton City Centre Airport (2.25-mile street course) Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada NOTES/NEWS Follow CGR on Twitter: Follow @CGRTeams for official updates from Chip Ganassi Racing’s IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball. Team Manager John Cummiskey on Edmonton: “The Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing team is looking forward to racing in Edmonton. It’s always good to race in Canada and Edmonton is a great city with an exceptional fan base. With Midas now onboard with the Service Central family, we need to have a good result and score some points to climb the leader board. We did not have a good weekend in Toronto and really need to improve our qualifying to help our overall results.” Push to Pass: Starting last weekend at Toronto, push to pass returned to the IZOD IndyCar Series for the remaining road and street course events of the 2012 schedule. The overtake assist feature, introduced to the series in 2009, allows a driver to add turbocharger boost and additional RPM with the press of a button on the steering wheel to complete a pass. The additional boost is added for a pre-determined amount of time, which will be determined by INDYCAR depending on the circuit. Honda Power: Honda remains second in the manufacturer point standings with 68 points, -13 back to Chevrolet with 81. Lotus remains third with 40 points. Now that’s Teamwork: Since their introduction into the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2011, the Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing and Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing teams have a combined total of 54 starts. In that time, they have scored five podiums, six top-fives, 17 top-10s and led 60 laps. There’s an App for that: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and SapientNitro SM recently re-launched an updated mobile application, which is one of the first for the high-velocity world of racing. The application brings fans updated driver and event information, and exclusive content in one centralized and expansive mobile experience, bringing to life the rich heritage and legendary success of CGRT. The unique mobile application conveys the high-octane rush of the racing experience for a team that competes at the highest levels in three series – NSCS, IZOD IndyCar Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Click here to visit the iTunes Application store and download the CGRT mobile app. Graham Rahal and the No. 38 Service Central Team Follow Graham on Twitter: Follow @grahamrahal for updates as the driver of the No. 38 Service Central Honda completes his second season with Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Oval Leader: Rahal has completed 903 laps on ovals this season, making him the only driver to run every lap thus far. Edmonton Rewind: The Service Central team took the green flag for the 2011 Edmonton Indy feeling confident after posting the sixth-fastest time during the morning warm-up session. Rahal was ill-fated when another car made contact with the No. 38 during the first lap, causing severe damage to the rear wing, suspension and gear box. The incident ended the day for the Service Central team and resulted in a 25th-place finish. Street Stats: The driver of the No. 38 Service Central Honda has made 19 starts on street courses in his IZOD IndyCar career. He has earned one win (St. Petersburg, 2008), one pole (St. Petersburg, 2009), two podiums and led 42 laps. He has an average start of 9.4 and an average finish of 13.2. Rahal’s in Canada, eh?: Each Summer, Rahal and his family visit their cabin in the small Canadian town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. With two Canadian-based races falling in the month of July, Graham and his family have spent their time in-between races at this location to go jet skiing, boating, four-wheeling, lobster hunting and visiting the local Farmers' Market in the town square. On some of their most recent boating trips the family had the opportunity to catch whale sightings and have beach-side bon fires. Fundraising, Faster than a Cheetah: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course recently partnered with the Graham Rahal Foundation and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for a fundraising effort in conjunction with the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge & Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on August 3-5, 2012. Mid-Ohio will have daily and weekend admission tickets on sale at www.midohio.com/zoo, with $5 of each sold going to Rahal’s foundation. The first 1,000 tickets sold will come with a voucher for free admission to the Columbus Zoo in 2012 and a Graham Rahal autographed hero card. All fans that purchase these special tickets will be entered to win a VIP experience at the Columbus Zoo and a meet and greet with Rahal during the Mid-Ohio race weekend. Fans that have already purchased tickets to the event are invited to call 800-MID-OHIO (643-6446) to donate $5 to the Foundation, as well. During the event weekend, fans also have the opportunity to donate to the Graham Rahal Foundation at most concession and souvenir stands. Throughout the Mid-Ohio race weekend Rahal will be wearing a zoo-themed helmet and gloves. Following the race, Rahal’s helmet will be auctioned off with all proceeds benefitting The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Raise Our Flag: Rahal and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams will help support the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and their “Raise Our Flag” campaign by donating a stitch in America’s flag for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. “Raise Our Flag” is an official United States Olympic fundraising program with donations providing housing, training and equipment for the most elite athletes in America. Find more information here: https://raiseourflag.teamusa.org/Content/index.aspx#!home Toronto Recap: Rahal finished 23rd in the Honda Indy Toronto on the Streets of Toronto, Ontario. The result came in his 87th IZOD IndyCar Series career start and fourth at Toronto. The Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing team started the race from 10th and showed strength early-on by advancing to ninth within the first lap on the 1.75-mile, 11-turn street course. Rahal would work his way up to sixth position by lap 22 of the 85-lap race and hold the position for two laps until an on-track incident two laps later. On lap 24, the No. 38 Service Central Honda got into the marbles and caused Rahal to make contact with the exit of the turn one wall. The incident caused him to retire from the race early-on and finish in 23rd position. In the Points: Following Toronto, Rahal dropped from 10th position to 11th in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings with 205 markers, -130 points behind points leader Ryan Hunter-Reay. Rahal on Edmonton: “I am really looking forward to Edmonton. After Toronto I felt I left empty handed and really questioned where things went wrong. I know we should perform better, and I let the team down. I have turned my focus to finishing this year on a strong note. I want to compete up front and win for this team, and I know we can do so. Edmonton is a great track. Last year, we were taken out on the first lap but I look forward to going back and hopefully doing a great job. It’s important for us to get a good result and carry on to my home race in Mid-Ohio with some positive momentum!”
