Charlie Kimball Signs With Team PBIR in the Firestone Indy Lights
JUPITER,
FL (March 24, 2009) - - Palm Beach International Raceway today announced that
Charlie Kimball will pilot the No. 35 Team PBIR Firestone Indy Lights car for
the 2009 season.
"We are very excited about the partnership between Charlie and Team PBIR," stated
Kane Williams, Palm Beach International Raceway Vice President of Motorsports. "He
is a talented driver and will be an asset to our team both on and off the track."
The 24-year-old has forged a high-profile open-wheeled racing career including
four race wins in the 2003 US Formula Ford 2000 Championship taking third-place
finish in the final point standings. In 2004, Kimball made the jump to European
Formula car racing where he achieved two race wins and five poles in the prestigious
British Formula Ford.
For the 2005 season, the Southern California native graduated to British Formula
3 where he won five races, becoming the first American to win a British F3
race in 13 years. His results earned him a second-place finish in the point
standings, only eclipsed by his much more experienced teammate. In 2006, Kimball
became the first American to win a Formula 3 Euro Series race when he won at
Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
Kimball then moved up to the 2007 World Series by Renault before having his
season cut short in October. He was sidelined prior to the final two races
with a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. However, his determination to achieve
greatness in racing never halted. He worked with a team of diabetes specialists
to return to optimal physical form and to the racetrack.
After achieving a better understanding of his diabetes, Kimball returned to
the Formula 3 Euro Series and finished second in the opening round of the championship
and his first race with diabetes in 2008. Now in 2009, Kimball moves back to
racing in the US where he will be able to continue his racing dream as well
as help educate people about diabetes.
In their inaugural Firestone Indy Lights season, Team PBIR brings a wealth
of engineering and chassis setup experience. The combination of the driver
and the team is destined to produce impressive results.
"I am really excited to drive for Team PBIR," stated Kimball. "While
they are a new team, the infrastructure, engineers and team manager have been
involved in the sport for long time. It is also neat to have people involved
that shaped IndyCar Champions and Indy 500 winners working with me behind the
scenes. All that experience will give me the tools that I need to get on the
track, win, and be successful."
The No. 35 team makes their debut at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
(Fla.), April 3 - 5, 2009.
"I have not raced in the U.S. since 2003 and it is nice to come home.
While I haven't raced on the Streets of St. Petersburg before, I have raced
on street circuits at Macau, Pau and Monaco so I have some good experience.
They all have their own unique quirks, but the most important task is getting
to St. Pete and having our first practice session. That will really show us
where we stand and we will build from there."
About Charlie Kimball:
Charlie Kimball is a successful young American racing driver forging a career
in the highly competitive world of open wheel racing. He has spent the last
few years racing in some of the most competitive racing categories in the world
including British Formula 3, Formula 3 Euroseries and the World Series by Renault.
The 2009 season sees Kimball returning to the United States as he challenges
for the title in the Firestone Indy Lights Championship.
For more information, please visit www.CharlieKimball.com, or email Charlie@CharlieKimball.com.
Also, please follow him on his blog www.CharlieKimball.blogspot.com.