VICS: Andretti Autosport Looks For Success in Season Opener

Finally we have the first race of the 2016 IndyCar season upon us and no other team is more ready for it then Andretti Autosport.

The team enters the year with four teams, following a key game changer during the off-season. Right before the season started Andretti merged with Bryan Herta and together they will fieled the No. 98 car driven by F1 driver Alexander Rossi. Andretti also fields the No. 26 car driven by Carlos Muñoz, the No. 27 car driven by Marco Andretti and the No. 28 car driven by Ryan Hunter Reay.

Muñoz is entering his third race at St Pete and he is ready to get back in the car. Carlos has been working out a lot in the off season preparing for 2016 and is ready to get things going in St. Pete, as he hasn’t finished in the top ten nor has he had a podium finish on the Florida street course.

“Finally the season is starting,” he said. “We’re heading to the first race of the year and I think we are coming into the race in a better position than last year. The team, myself and Honda have worked hard to be 100 percent ready. Looking forward to a good beginning to the year. It is always important to start strong. We will see where we are. We have to do the best job possible. St. Petersburg is like a home track for me so it is good to be back.”

Andretti is also ready for the season opener and no one has been training harder than Andretti. He has been running, lifting and even boxing to help prepare him for the race. St. Pete has been good but also bad for Andretti, as he won there in the Indy Lights series but also has flipped on the first lap during the 2011 Indy car race. However despite that in the 10 races he has raced in the IndyCar Series, he has two top-five finishes and three top-ten finishes.

“We’re heading to the season opener coming off of a few good tests for the No. 27 Snapple Honda,” he said. “We are ready to go racing. I feel as prepared as ever physically, and in a good place with my driving. Honda has been working hard and has closed the gap as well, so we are in a good position all around. St. Pete is the perfect setting to kick off the 2016 season and the Snapple team is ready to get things going.”

Hunter Reay is also ready to kick things off for the 2016 season. St Pete is his home track as he lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife Beccy and two kids. The past series champion has raced at St Pete eight times and in those 8 times he has three top-five finishes and four top-ten finishes.

“After a long offseason, I can’t wait to get back to racing behind the wheel of the No. 28 DHL Honda,” Hunter-Reay commented. “We concluded the 2015 season with great momentum, capturing two race wins. As a team we’re ready to build on that form with a revised aero kit from Honda on the road and street courses. The new aero package will take some tweaking and working with to find the sweet spot to suit the specific needs at a track like St. Pete, but we’ve had some productive tests leading up to the season opener. It’s hard to believe this will already be my seventh year with Andretti Autosport, we’ve won 13 races together and we’re hungrier than ever for more.”

Rossi is new to IndyCar and has never raced on the streets of St. Pete so this will be a new experience for him. However he is in good hands with veterans Andretti and Hunter Reay as well as Muñoz to help gather information on car handing and other things.

“Finally racing season is upon us after what has been a very interesting winter for me, he said. “I haven’t been a part of the team for very long, but I think that we are making progress as a group on a daily basis, and I cannot wait to get to St. Pete and continue building on what we started last week in Sebring. I don’t really know what is waiting for me this weekend or really this year, but I have always had very high expectations of myself and I will be looking to put the No. 98 in a positive position right from the beginning. From what I have seen, the track looks great to drive and is in a fantastic city, so it should be a pretty special season opener.”

So far looking good for the Andretti Autosport drivers in St. Pete. After practice ended for Friday, Muñoz was listed as seventh, Andretti was 11th, Hunter Reay 12th and Rossi 13th. Next up is qualifications on Saturday March 12 followed by the race on March 13.