IPS: Troy Hanson test preview

Endurance Racer Troy Hanson readies for Indy Racing League / Indy Pro Series Rookie Test

Rolex Sports Car Series driver Troy Hanson is set to test with Michael Crawford Motorsports, Tuesday, February 21st on the famed 1.33 mile Nashville Superspeedway tri-oval. The Hollywood, California resident is no stranger to the Indy Pro Series, which is the development series for the IndyCar Series. Troy was the General Manager for Ryan Hampton's IPS effort with CGF Racing back in 2002. "It is great to be back in the IPS. To be a part of the entire IRL experience again, only this time as a driver is something I've been looking forward to for a long time."

Hanson is a former driver for Team Lexus, the factory Lexus race team, in the Grand American Cup Series. He has also raced for TC Kline BMW and most recently with SigalSport Porsche, driving the #04 Centrix Financial Porsche GT3 in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

"I am really looking forward to getting the car and having the opportunity to showcase my talent. This the first time I'll be racing on a full oval. All the races in the Rolex / Cup Series are on road courses, some of which incorporate an oval. At Daytona, for example, we will utilize about 3/4 of the oval before entering the road course portion of the track. And despite only using 3/4 of the oval, we'll still reach speeds nearing 190 mph in the Porsche GT3. So the sensation of speed and the banking shouldn't feel much different." Hanson adds, "Our first goal is to pass the Rookie Test and then finalize our sponsorship deals to insure we'll be on track in March. We are working on a few deals now and will be making a big announcement in the very near future. I'd also like to thank all the staff in the IRL office and the gang at Hollywood Poker for making all this possible."

-thr