Roth Racing
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Roth Racing is a race team owned by Canadian real estate magnate and racecar driver Marty Roth. It currently competes in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series.
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[edit] 2004-2005
It was founded in 2004 when Roth purchased the Indy Pro Series equipment of Panther Racing and a new Dallara IndyCar chassis and competed in three Pro Series events and the Indianapolis 500 with Roth driving. The team ran a full Pro Series schedule with Roth finishing 8th in points in 2005 as well as the Indy 500 in conjunction with PDM Racing where Roth provided his chassis and funding and PDM provided their Chevrolet engine lease and technical expertise.
[edit] 2006
Roth sold his Pro Series equipment following the St. Petersburg race in April 2006 to focus on IndyCars and specifically his attempt to qualify for the 2006 Indianapolis 500. However, the team never managed to hit on a comfortable set-up for the race car and Roth crashed on bump day trying to find the speed necessary to bump PDM Racing rookie Thiago Medeiros from the field. The team then regrouped and participated in several tests on intermediate and large ovals and returned to the series at Michigan International Speedway in July and ran at Kentucky and Chicagoland to close out the season. Sponsored by Barabco, Roth managed to finish all three of the races he competed in though his best finish was eighteenth. Roth ended up twenty second in points just behind P. J. Chesson.
[edit] 2007
The team returned in 2007 to race on specific ovals and ran at Homestead and Kansas sponsored by Fountain Powerboats. Handling problems forced him to withdraw early from both races. Roth Racing returned to Indianapolis but wrecked the car on the 148th lap. Shortly after Indy, the team decided to participate in the IRL's new TEAM program to race full time. Roth then decided to purchase Sam Schmidt Motorsports' IndyCar equipment and move into a larger shop in Indianapolis with the goal of expanding to a two-car operation. The team returned to the series in the 2007 finale at Chicagoland Speedway with the second car driven by P. J. Chesson and both cars finished the race, although several laps down. The team was sponsored by Dussault Apparel's Gene Simmons "Moneybag" clothing line.
[edit] 2008
The team announced on November 26, 2007 that they had signed Jay Howard to drive their second car for the 2008 IndyCar Series season and that Marty Roth would compete full-time in 2008 Sponsored by Cirrus Aircraft. Roth qualified well at Homestead starting eighth but Howard crashed while qualifying. Both cars left the race due to to handling. The team began to struggle after Miami. Roth has not finished a race and Howard's best finish is thirteenth. The team engineer left after the Kansas race and was replaced by Vision Racing's Larry Curry. On the morning of Pole Day Roth hired veteran John Andretti to drive the team's #24 car replacing Jay Howard and he quickly posted the team's highest speeds of the month. Team president Margaret Roth confirmed that Howard will return after the Indy 500. However, on May 30 it was announced that Andretti would continue in the #24 car in the Milwaukee Mile and Texas Motor Speedway races. On June sixth Roth offered Andretti a deal that would keep him in the 24 car for the rest of the season which he has not yet accepted but says he is leaning toward it. [1]
[edit] References
- ^ Roth Racing holds onto John Andretti, Indianapolis Star, May 30, 2008
[edit] External links
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