Andretti Autosport announces sponsorship for Hinchcliffe and Brabham, move to Honda power

[Source: Andretti Autosport press releases]

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JAMES HINCHCLIFFE TO RETURN TO ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT IN 2014 WITH UNITED FIBER & DATA

FONTANA, Calif. (Oct. 19, 2013) – IZOD IndyCar Series multiple race winner James Hinchcliffe will return to the team with which he captured his first career victory. The reigning series champions, Andretti Autosport, confirmed today that the Canadian fan favorite will pilot an Andretti Autosport Indy car for the 2014 IndyCar championship.

Hinchcliffe’s No. 27 machine will don the colors of United Fiber & Data (UFD), a tech company, founded by three members of the multi-platinum rock band LIVE and their Think Loud Development company. UFD will also serve as a major associate on the No. 25 and No. 28 cars piloted by Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay, respectively. In addition, Andretti announced earlier today that the company will serve as the primary sponsor for Pro Mazda Champion Matthew Brabham as he transitions to Indy Lights in 2014.

The 26-year-old Hinchcliffe will make his 50th IndyCar career start at Auto Club Speedway this weekend. Hinchcliffe has recorded three wins and 25-top 10 finishes in his previous 49 starts. The Toronto-native joined Andretti Autosport before his 2012 sophomore year in the open-wheel series.

Based in York, Penn., United Fiber & Data offers a complete suite of all-fiber networking and broadband solutions and also served as a major associate sponsor of the No. 25 machine of Marco Andretti for the 2013 season.

United Fiber & Data will feature a 400-mile fiber optic line running between New York and Virginia and will operate out of different data centers across Pennsylvania (Allentown, Lancaster, Reading and York).

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:

“We are very happy to announce that Hinch will be back with us and that United Fiber & Data will be growing their sponsorship role. Hinch is a great addition to our team, and Chad (Taylor), Bill (Hynes) and everyone at UFD have become a true part of the Andretti Autosport family. We have a great friendship and partnership in UFD, and we look forward to sharing in many more wins together.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE, DRIVER, NO. 27 UNITED FIBER & DATA CAR:

“It’s great to be back with Andretti. Obviously, this has been home for the last two years and we preach so much about chemistry in this team and to keep it together is awesome. I want to, first off, thank GoDaddy for the last two years and the support past that they’ve given to this team. But, I’m really excited about UFD and being able to work with those guys. I think we can do a lot together and it’s great to be back working with Michael (Andretti), Ryan (Hunter-Reay) and Marco (Andretti) and everyone on the team.”

CHAD TAYLOR, CHAIRMAN, UNITED FIBER & DATA:

“UFD’s title sponsorship of James Hinchcliffe further extends our belief in Andretti Autosport’s championship caliber team. No doubt the ‘Mayor of Hinchtown’ will carry the United Fiber & Data IndyCar to Winner’s Circle and hopefully a series championship! ‘Gotta live, gotta live in Hinchtown.'”

BILL HYNES, DIRECTOR, UNITED FIBER & DATA:

“United Fiber & Data is excited to expand our multi-car affiliation with Andretti Autosport. Our title sponsorship of James Hinchcliffe represents UFD’s long-term commitment to harnessing speed and technology for our state-of-the-art fiber infrastructure and redundant data facilities. Both our clients and employees have experienced the thrill of IndyCar racing. We look forward to many more Winner’s Circle celebrations with the official ‘Mayor of Hinchtown’ and the Andretti Autosport family of championship caliber drivers.”

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PRO MAZDA CHAMPION JOINS UNITED FIBER & DATA FOR 2014 INDY LIGHTS ENTRY

Matthew Brabham to remain at Andretti Autosport for 2014 racing season

FONTANA, CALIF. (Oct. 19, 2013) – Pro Mazda Championship’s 2013 Champion Matthew Brabham will pilot the United Fiber & Data/MAZDASPEED car with Andretti Autosport for the 2014 Indy Lights season. The 19-year-old from Boca Raton, FL garnered 13 wins and 15 podium finishes during the 2013 season – both new series records – clinching the title at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres in August.

The third-generation racer will showcase the colors of United Fiber & Data (UFD) – a tech company based in York, Penn. who offer a complete suite of all-fiber networking and broadband solutions, who also currently serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 25 IndyCar driven by Marco Andretti. UFD will feature a 400-mile fiber optic line running between New York and Virginia and will operate out of different data centers across Pennsylvania (Allentown, Lancaster, Reading and York).

Along with the help from UFD, Brabham brings along the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development scholarship provided to him by the Mazda Road to Indy (MRTI) for winning the Pro Mazda Championship – one of the biggest incentives of the ladder program to develop up-and-coming drivers. In addition to winning the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship, Brabham clinched the USF2000 title in 2012 making him the only driver to do so thus far in the history of MRTI.

JF THORMANN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT

“We are pleased to have both Matty and UFD back with Andretti Autosport. Matty is a force to be reckoned with on track and UFD has grown to be a strong partner for the team. I think the combination is a solid first step in our mission of earning yet another championship.”

BILL HYNES, DIRECTOR, UNITED FIBER & DATA

“United Fiber and Data is excited to further expand our support of Andretti Autosport as we share the vision of Michael Andretti; developing the drivers throughout the different levels of racing toward their march to Indy! We are very excited to have Pro Mazda Champion Matthew Brabham pilot the United Fiber & Data / MAZDASPEED car in Indy Lights.”

MATTHEW BRABHAM, DRIVER, UNITED FIBER & DATA/MAZDASPEED

“I’m really excited to be moving into Indy Lights next year. I remember seeing the Indy Lights cars for the first time in St. Petersburg when I was racing USF2000 there last year; I was blown away by how quick they were and how cool they sounded. It’s going to be a fun year, and I’m very pleased to be on board with Andretti Autosport for a second year. Especially so after the fantastic year we shared this year in the Pro Mazda Championship. I’m so grateful to Chad (Taylor) and Bill (Hynes) with United Fiber & Data and Mazda for giving me this incredible opportunity for next season!”

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ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT AND HONDA RACING ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR INDYCAR ALLIANCE

FONTANA, Calif. (Oct. 19, 2013) – IndyCar champions Andretti Autosport® announced today that the team led by racing legend Michael Andretti will return to IndyCar Series competition in 2014 with Honda-powered machines as part of a multi-year agreement.

“We look forward to working with Honda again; for us, it’s like being back home. I have no doubt that together we will see great success,” said Michael Andretti, the team’s Chairman, President and CEO.

The Indianapolis-based team has competed as part of Team Chevy for the last two seasons, winning the championship in 2012 with Ryan Hunter-Reay. Prior to the return of the IndyCar manufacture competition in 2011, Andretti captured three series championships with Honda (2004, 2005, 2007), as well as two Indianapolis 500 victories (2005, 2007). Since its inception in 2003, Andretti Autosport has captured 48 IndyCar Series victories – 39 of those under Honda power.

“We’re extremely happy to welcome Michael Andretti and his Andretti Autosport organization back into the Honda Racing family,” said Art St. Cyr, President, Honda Performance Development. “As many of you will remember, the Andretti organization played a major role in Honda’s success during the previous era of manufacturer competition in Indy car racing, and we’re looking forward to adding more victories and championships to an already impressive total.”

Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994 and has played an active role in the growth of Indy car racing – as both a Manufacturers’ Championship competitor and single engine supplier – since joining the series in 2003.

The company scored its first of nine consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories in 2004. Honda won Manufacturers’ Championships in 2004 and 2005, and captured the drivers’ championships with Andretti drivers Tony Kanaan (2004) and Wheldon (2005).

Honda became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006, and supplied racing engines to the full, 33-car Indianapolis 500 field each year from 2006-2011. For a record six-consecutive years, the ‘500’ ran without a single engine failure, and the 2010 Indianapolis 500 marked Honda’s 100th race win as a manufacturer and engine supplier in IZOD IndyCar Series competition.