BHA Drivers Wilson, Saavedra Ready to Challenge in Long Beach

Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Round Three - Firestone Indy Lights Series
Streets of Long Beach, California
Sunday, April 18 - 10:40 am PT

The Firestone Indy Lights Series heads to the streets of Long Beach, Calif., this weekend for the third stop on its 2010 schedule. The challenging 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary downtown circuit is a driver and fan favorite, and a "hometown" race for BHA co-owner Bryan Herta, a former Long Beach polesitter and podium finisher in CART competition, who resides in Valencia.

Sebastian Saavedra Credit: ROn McQueeny/Indy Lights

BHA drivers Stefan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra both made impressive debuts at Long Beach last year. Wilson claimed his career-best Indy Lights starting position of third and Saavedra rebounded from a 17th-place grid position to finish eighth in only his second series event.

It will be a busy week for BHA on and off the track as it welcomes California-based King Taco Restaurants, which joins the team for the second consecutive year at Long Beach and will be primary sponsor of Wilson's #28 entry. William Rast, primary sponsor of the #29 car piloted by Saavedra, is also headquartered in downtown Los Angeles.

Wilson has two top-six finishes to his credit this season, including a podium finish in St. Petersburg, and sits third in the championship standings

Saavedra claimed his first podium of the 2010 season and eighth career Firestone Indy Lights podium at Barber Motorsports Park last weekend; he is currently fifth in the championship rankings

Stefan Wilson, #28 King Taco Dallara/Firestone: "I am really looking forward to Long Beach. I qualified on the second row there last year and was very fast in the race, running fourth until the input shaft broke just four laps from the end. I feel really confident going there and hopefully we can repeat St. Pete and be on the podium again. I love the track. Long Beach has such a great atmosphere and great history. It is one of the jewels on my calendar and I really want to have a great weekend there."

AT-A-GLANCE - 20 years old from Sheffield, England... currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana… younger brother of IZOD IndyCar Series race winner Justin Wilson… will be making his ninth Firestone Indy Lights start… contested a partial season with First Racing/Walker Racing in 2009 earning a best finish of fourth at Toronto from six starts… tested the 2008 McLaren-Mercedes championship-winning Formula 1 car in the fall of 2009 as part of his prize for winning the 2007 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award… finished fourth in the National Class of British Formula 3 in 2008 with three poles and four wins… finished second in 2007 Formula Palmer Audi competition - his first full season of car racing - with four wins and nine podium finishes… at age 17 became the youngest-ever winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award and youngest-ever member of the British Racing Drivers Club…made his car racing debut in 2006 in the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy… started racing cadet karts at age 9.

Sebastian Saavedra, #29 William Rast Dallara/Firestone: "I love the street courses and Long Beach is one of my favorites. We had a very good car last year and were very fast, so I come into the weekend with some good experience. With [engineer] Steve Newey, I am sure we will have a great car. We have a lot of confidence and momentum coming into the weekend and we will, as always, be looking for points for the championship battle."

AT-A-GLANCE - 19 years old from Bogota, Colombia... currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana… will be making his 18th Firestone Indy Lights start… earned Rookie of the Year honors and finished third in the 2009 Indy Lights Championship with AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing with two poles (St. Petersburg/Toronto), two wins (Kansas/Toronto) and seven podium finishes… finished second and was Rookie of the Year in the 2008 ATS German Formula 3 Cup with four poles, three wins and eight podium finishes… made his car racing debut in 2006 at the age of 15, contesting two years in Formula BMW winning three of six races in Asia and claiming one win, four podiums and six top-six finishes in eight rounds of U.S. competition… began racing karts at age 10 winning the Colombian championship in 2003 and finishing fourth in the Brazilian championship.

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