Kimball Completes First IZOD IndyCar Series Test at Barber
March 2, 2011
Kimall Completes First IZOD IndyCar Series Test at Barber
BIRMINGHAM, AL - Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie driver Charlie Kimball completed their first test on Tuesday, March 1st at Barber Motorsports Park.
Kimball, who was announced December 16th in Indianapolis as the driver of the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen Honda Dallara, tested the 2.38-mile permanent road course and turned his first laps in an Indy car.
"Charlie’s first test in an Indy car went great," said Team Manager Mitch Davis. "He remained focused and professional throughout the practice. It was like he had been driving Indy cars for years and we were very impressed. Once we scrubbed off a few laps and Charlie got up to speed, we continued to get faster as the team made adjustments toward the end of practice. By the end of the day, we had met all of our expectations and felt accomplished."
Kimball, turned 58 laps with a best time of 1:12.300.
"Completing my first test with Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing reminded me how grateful I am to be a part of this team," said Kimball, who will compete for IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2011. "The crew allowed me to focus on turning my first laps and getting up to speed, which is exactly what we did. Overall, I’m thrilled with the results from the test and I can’t wait to get back in the car."
Up next for Kimball and the team is the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test on March 14-15 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Notes of Interest:
About Charlie Kimball
Kimball, 25, began racing go-karts at age nine, and was later accepted into Stanford University and chose to defer admission to follow his dream to become a race car driver. He finished the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights Series season in fourth place with five podium (top-three) finishes, including four second-place finishes. Prior to his diabetes diagnosis in 2007, Kimball shattered the European stereotype that "Americans are not fast" by becoming the first American in 11 years to win a British Formula 3 race. He went on to secure two track records and several F3 victories in both Britain and Europe. Kimball has also raced in the Formula 3 Euroseries and the World Series by Renault. With Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, he will become the first licensed driver with diabetes in the history of INDYCAR to race at the highest level of the series. Follow Kimball and his work with Novo Nordisk on Twitter @racewithinsulin or www.novonordisk-us.com.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 87 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone therapy for women. Novo Nordisk's business is driven by the Triple Bottom Line: a commitment to social responsibility to employees and customers, environmental soundness and economic success. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs more than 30,000 employees in 81 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). For more information, visit www.novonordisk-us.com.
About Diabetes
In the United States one in 13, or 23.6 million people, have diabetes[i], a condition in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Poorly or untreated diabetes can lead to a long list of health complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, high blood pressure, blindness, nerve problems and amputations[ii]. Prescribing information for Levemir® and NovoLog® is available by contacting Novo Nordisk at 1-800-727-6500 or visiting Levemir-us.com and NovoLog.com.
Chip Ganassi Racing Teams 2010 Recap:
Team owner Chip Ganassi had an historic year in 2010. After wrapping up the GRAND-AM Rolex Series Championship, Ganassi claimed his second championship of the season by winning the IZOD IndyCar Series title for the third straight year. In addition, Ganassi became the first owner in history to win what has become known at the Triple Crown of American Racing by winning the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same season. Also, on the weekend of Aug. 6, for the first time in team history Ganassi brought home wins in all three series when Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won the GRAND-AM race in Watkins Glen, Juan Pablo Montoya won the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Watkins Glen and Dario Franchitti won at Mid-Ohio in the IZOD IndyCar Series. In all, Ganassi's teams shattered a team record with 19 total victories (previously 14) across the three series, and now boast 134 total wins since 1994..
[i] 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates07.htm.
[ii]National Institute Health of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases. National Diabetes Education Pro Web site,http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/FS_AsAm_Eng.pdf. Accessed January 2007.