The Frenchman turned a lap of 40.9459 seconds at 219.802 mph in the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car. The lap was good enough for 17th on the Day 5 speed chart.

His teammate, Townsend Bell, produced a lap of 40.9605 seconds at 219.724 mph in the No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car.

Rookie Josef Newgarden set the fast lap of the day stopping the clocks at 40.3977 seconds at 222.785 mph. Rounding out the top five on Tuesday’s speed chart were Marco Andretti (222.108 mph), Ryan Hunter-Reay (221.763 mph), James Hinchliffe (221.638 mph) and Dario Franchitti (221.623 mph).

A total of 30 drivers turned 1,632 laps during Wednesday’s six-hour practice session. In five days of practice, 31 drivers have produced 6,264 laps.

Practice resumes Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. ET.

QUOTES

Simon Pagenaud: “I think the gods of speed are helping me out this year because we are getting so much running since there is no rain. It’s great. We’re actually not running that much. In fact, I was so sad to get out of the car today. I was having so much fun. The track is not slippery when you get the car nicely dialed in. It’s not slippery, you just have to feel the air on the car and feel what the car is telling you through your butt. You really feel if you get under steer or over steer, and you really have to learn how to manage that from the car with the steering wheel and your foot. It’s a really fine line. You want to be neutral by yourself and safe in traffic. But traffic usually brings you understeer. So, it’s difficult to find the right balance. There is a lot more thinking and processing than on a road course.”

Townsend Bell: “I haven’t been two wide yet. We’re just trying to work our way up to it and use all of our experience the best we can. I was really happy with today. I had a lot of things we wanted to test, and we accomplished those today. We crossed a lot of things off our list, so I feel like we’re on top of things. The first two days, I felt like we were just catching up with the car being totally new for me and the engineers. I feel like we’re caught up now, and we can start applying everything we’ve learned to a more refined package moving forward.”

Rob Edwards, SSM General Manager: “We are exactly where we want to be. It’s challenging for all of us because we’re on a very different program from what we were on last year. In 2011, we were doing short runs and working on a lot of speed. This year, we’re working on longer runs and spending more time working on a race car with Simon. Townsend is on a similar program and that is really helping because we can try two things at one time to make sure we get the best package we can come race day.”

Pagenaud is not only a rookie at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he is a true rookie when it comes to oval racing. During the last 30 minutes of practice Tuesday, the Frenchman had his No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in the middle of a 15-car, 220 mph congo line.

“Running in traffic is definitely something else,” said Pagenaud. “It changes the balance of the car through the corner a lot more than I’m used to. So, it’s a matter of playing with the tools in the car and getting used to that. It’s definitely not easy to learn how to play the momentum game. But, I think we did a good job.”

Though he has no experience to which he can compare, Pagenaud knows the feel of a good race car – whether its on a road course or oval.

“We have a very good race car, and I feel very confident with it,” said Pagenaud. “I could stay with Helio and the Penske boys, and we stayed with Dario when he was doing some pretty quick lap times. So, we’re in the ballpark but I’m going to be learning every day.”

Pagenaud recorded a top lap of 40.9579 seconds at 219.647 mph in 68 laps of practice. It was his fastest lap this month.

His Sam Schmidt teammate, Townsend Bell, has quickly gotten the No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car up to speed. He turned 36 laps Tuesday with a top lap of 40.9748 seconds at 219.647 mph.

He was also part of the on track action in the last 30 minutes on the 2.5-mile oval. Bell was asked if the final 30 minutes was indicative of what fans can expect to see in the 500.

“That, and a whole lot more,” said Bell. “That was a good chance to really find out what it’s going to be like on race day. And, I think it’s going to be busy. It’s going to be busy meaning the drivers are really going to have to work, which is good. I’m glad that we got a good indication of what it’s going to be like this early on in the week, so we can look at a lot of data and make some educated guesses on how to improve.”

Marco Andretti was the first driver this month to go above 223 mph. He was alone in that category with his lap of 40.2367 seconds at 223.676 mph. Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves was the only other driver above 222 mph. His lap of 40.5359 seconds at 222.025 was his fastest of the month.

Rounding out the top five on Tuesday’s speed chart were James Hinchliffe (221.864 mph), Graham Rahal (221.855 mph) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (221.814 mph).

A total of 30 drivers turned 1,602 laps during Tuesday’s six-hour practice session. In four days of practice, 31 drivers have produced 4,632 laps.

Practice resumes Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m. ET.

NOTES AND QUOTES

The forecast calls for sun: This May is already one of the driest and warmest in recent Indy 500 history. It is creating a hot, slippery race track during the day. Townsend Bell was asked how it’s affecting his No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports car. He said, “Deep in your tire run, you’re starting to slide around pretty good and a lot more than I expected. That’s going to contribute to a great race and for now, it’s going to make us think pretty hard on where we want to be on set-up.”

Simon Needs Sunglasses: Simon Pagenaud has a habit of losing his sunglasses. To help him get through the long sunny days at IMS, Pagenaud is asking for fans to bring him gently-used sunglasses to the track throughout the month. While Pagenaud will wear some of the sunglasses, all of the collected sunglasses will be donated to Goodwill of Indianapolis at the end of May. Fans are encouraged to bring used sunglasses to Pagenaud during autograph sessions, but he will gladly accept them from any fan at any time.

The pair recorded the 20th and 21st-fastest laps on a day that saw 29 drivers practice.

Driving the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car, Pagenaud turned a lap of 41.2390 seconds at 218.240 mph on his 22nd of 36 practice laps. The lap was his best in three days of practice so far.

As a rookie to oval track racing and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pagenaud’s team is being conservative in its approach to speed for the Frenchman.

“This process is interesting, but I’m learning every session,” said Pagenaud. “The car is plenty fast and we actually improved a lot today. I’m really happy with the race car. We’re getting closer to what we need. Right now, it’s just me learning how to shift, when to shift, when to tow, when to draft, when to pass and when to be aggressive and when to be a little more gentle with my hands. Man, there are so many things. Remember, I’ve never been on an oval before.”

Despite being 20th on the speed chart, Pagenaud said he is not concerned with his ranking.

“Every single lap is a discovery,” he said. “I really had fun tonight, running in traffic, running with Justin, running with the Penskes. The car was really dialed in, so it was really enjoyable.”

Bell, in the No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car, turned 32 laps of practice Monday. His best lap was 41.2574 seconds at 218.143 mph. Monday was his first full day of practicing, and the Californian also was patient in his practice routine.

“Last year, I knew the car so it was only a matter of finding speed,” said Bell. “This year, it’s a combination of learning the car and finding speed. We did a short run there at the end with the three Penskes, and I felt very good with what we learned there. We’ll just continue to chip away at it, but overall we’re doing fine. It’s kind of like slipping on an old glove from a personality standpoint which just makes the learning curve all that much easier.”

For the second time this month, rookie Josef Newgarden topped the speed chart. His lap of 40.4519 seconds at 222.486 mph bettered Ryan Hunter-Reay’s lap of 40.6065 seconds at 221.639 mph. Hunter-Reay’s teammate Marco Andretti was third with 40.6285-second lap at 221.519 mph. Scott Dixon (221.499 mph) and Sebastian Saavedra (220.785 mph) rounded out the top five.

A total of 29 drivers turned 1,199 laps during the six-hour practice session Monday. Practice resumes Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m. ET.

Bell will be behind the wheel of a car prepared by Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) for a third consecutive year. It’s a combination that has proven to be consistent – and fast. He qualified fourth in 2011 and 10th in 2010.

In 2012, the driver from San Louis Obispo, Calif, is driving the No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car. The program is a sister team to SSM’s full-time driver Simon Pagenaud and the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car.

After doing a final seat fitting and then completing the mandatory IMS physical, Bell took to the Speedway for some an initial practice run. He said getting up to speed is just what he needed after a night of traveling.

“It’s a good way to fix of the jet lag, running around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Bell. “It always feels good no matter what you feel like before you get out there. It was great to just get a few laps in this new car. It was my first time on the track with this car. Everything went according to plan. Now we’re going to go back and talk about it and start tweaking.”

Bell said that despite this being his first IZOD IndyCar Series race in 2012 and the first time racing the new INDYCAR formula, familiarity with the SSM crew and engineers makes the acclimation process smooth.

“Arriving to see all the same faces doing all the same jobs for the third year in a row is a beacon of comfort in a sea of unknown,” said Bell.

Bell only turned eight laps today around Indy’s 2.5-mile oval, but he quickly found speed. His best lap was 41.8522 seconds at 215.042 mph.

Pagenaud, in his second day of practice, turned a total of 45 laps with his best lap being 41.5084 seconds at 216.824 mph. The Frenchman turned a total of 45 laps Sunday.

Andretti/AFS Racing’s Sebastian Saavedra topped the Sunday speed chart with a lap of 40.6272 seconds at 221.526 mph. He was followed by rookie Bryan Clauson with a lap of 40.6922 seconds at 221.173 mph. The rest of the top-five consisted of Clauson’s teammate Josef Newgarden (221.158 mph), Scott Dixon (220.829 mph) and Justin Wilson (220.615).

A total of 31 drivers turned 1,138 laps during the six-hour practice session Sunday. Practice resumes Monday from noon to 6 p.m. ET.

Notes and Quotes:

Simon Pagenaud on having Townsend Bell as a teammate: “Obviously, I’m a rookie. I can tell you what I need to make the car go faster, but it’s always good to rely on someone like Townsend who has experience here and has been running well. It’s reassuring to be honest because he seems to be saying the same things I’m saying. So, that is good. The whole team is doing a great job. We’re only working on race trim right now. The speed is there. I feel more and more confident every day. I learn something every time I go out.”

Townsend Bell on adjusting to the new IZOD IndyCar Series car: “All of the years of muscle memory I have has just been totally reset. This car feels totally different. I was just telling him (Simon) my initial impressions of the car and what I like around here in terms of a feel. So, I’m just trying to offer a little bit of feedback so he can understand what I want to get to in terms of a setup. I think it’s going to be great working with him. He’s a smart guy and pays attention to the details.”

When you combine a talented rookie driver with a fast race car, patience is vitally important. So patience was in the game plan scripted by Sam Schmidt Motorsports General Manager Rob Edwards for the first day of practice for the 96^th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.
When the green flag was waved Saturday at Noon to start practice, the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car was still in its Gasoline Alley stall being massaged by its crew. Rookie driver Simon Pagenaud was relaxing and joking with team members deep in the garage.
Around 2 p.m., the team pushed the car out to its pit box and Pagenaud climbed in. Following the checklist, the team and driver methodically went to work.
“It was the perfect day, really, for what we wanted to do,” said Edwards. “Simon wants to know it all ‘now,’ but we have all week. Anyone that’s been around here for a few years knows that you need to learn a little bit each day. We had some specific things we wanted to get through and cross off the list for today, and we did that.”
Pagenaud was equally pleased with the game plan and the team’s preparation.
“The guys at SSM did a great job understanding what I need to feel comfortable,” said Pagenaud. “We did one run, and then came back in and made a few changes. Then we went back out, and the car was just magic. So, I’m very, very happy to be that comfortable that quickly. We ran in traffic, and it all felt good.”
With a full week of practice ahead before qualifying and the arrival of Pagenaud’s teammate, Townsend Bell, on Sunday, Edwards was confident the team started the week off exactly as it needed.
“We built momentum throughout the day so Simon and the car were at their best at the end of the day,” said Edwards. “It was a good point to end on. I look forward to Townsend being here tomorrow and for them to start working together in developing the two cars to make them as fast as we can.”
Pagenaud turned a total of 39 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday. His best lap was 41.3825 seconds at 217.483 mph and was eighth-fastest on the day.
Fellow rookie Josef Newgarden led the Saturday speed chart with a lap of 40.8627 seconds at 220.250 mph. He was followed by JR Hildebrand with a lap of 40.9662 seconds at 219.693 mph. The rest of the top-five consisted of Newgarden’s rookie teammate, Bryan Clauson (219.632 mph), James Jakes (218.286 mph) and Tony Kanaan (217.741).
A total of 26 cars turned 693 laps during the six-hour practice session. Practice resumes Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. ET.

Notes and Quotes:

Red-Eye Guy – Pagenaud’s teammate for the month is Townsend Bell, driver of the No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car. This year marks the third consecutive appearance for Bell in the Schmidt-owned No. 99. Bell doesn’t arrive in Indianapolis until Sunday morning after flying all night after racing today in California in an American Le Mans Series Race.

The first order of business for Bell will be to complete his Indianapolis Motor Speedway physical before taking some shakedown laps in the afternoon.

]]> http://www.samschmidtmotorsports.com/patient-pagenaud-completes-first-day-of-indy-practice/feed/ 0 http://www.samschmidtmotorsports.com/simon-pagenaud-needs-your-sunglasses-in-may-goodwill-to-benefit/ http://www.samschmidtmotorsports.com/simon-pagenaud-needs-your-sunglasses-in-may-goodwill-to-benefit/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 23:15:19 +0000 jdarks http://www.samschmidtmotorsports.com/?p=1908 read more »]]> INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, May 12, 2012– In a race car, IZOD IndyCar Series driver Simon Pagenaud is known to be a competitive and intensely focused driver. But off the racetrack, his Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports team members have begun to tease him for his incredible ability to misplace common accessories including car keys and, most often, his sunglasses.

Several times already this season, Pagenaud has misplaced his sunglasses, or ‘sunnies’ as he calls them. For a race car driver, sunglasses are a staple of his race track wardrobe. But for a driver, sunglasses are needed more than just for fashion. The sun at racetracks can be brutal, and clear vision is crucial for a driver.

To help him get through the Month of May, Pagenaud is asking for fans to bring him gently-used ‘sunnies’ throughout the month. While Pagenaud will wear some of the sunglasses, all of the collected sunglasses will be donated to Goodwill of Indianapolis at the end of May.

Fans are encouraged to bring used sunglasses to Pagenaud during autograph sessions, but he will gladly accept them from any fan at any time.

“I lose my sunnies all the time, so this is just something fun I wanted to do with the fans during my first time at Indy,” said Pageanud. “At the same time, I’m able to help out Goodwill of Indianapolis. So please, bring me some sunglasses. You will be helping me and Goodwill.”

A collection bin for sunglasses will also be placed outside the Sam Schmidt Motorsports garages in Gasoline Alley.

For more information on Goodwill, please visit http://goodwillindy.org/

By “three,” the group should be working in unison toward accomplishing a task. If winning the Indianapolis 500 is the task at hand, 2012 should be the year Townsend Bell and Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) drink milk together at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For the third consecutive year, Bell will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race in a car prepared by the team owned by former driver Sam Schmidt. In 2012, Bell will drive the No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car.

Bell will be a teammate to Frenchman Simon Pagenaud who drives the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports car in the IZOD IndyCar Series. It will be Pagenaud’s first attempt at qualifying for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Pagenaud currently sits third in the IndyCar points championship.

“Fast and consistency win the Indianapolis 500,” said Bell. “Returning to Indy with Sam and his team for the third year in a row will ensure I have both those ingredients again in 2012. For the past two years, my guys have provided me a fast race car, and I know the No 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports car will give me another shot at winning.”

In 2011, Bell nearly qualified on the Front Row for the Indianapolis 500. His four-lap speed average of 226.887 mph was the fourth-fastest and put him on the inside of Row 2, right behind his SSM teammate and pole-sitter Alex Tagliani. His day ended early with an accident on lap 157.

“Townsend is one of those drivers that gets it done at Indy, and I am excited to have him driving the No. 99 BraunAbility car this may,” said Schmidt. “To say we have unfinished business together at Indy may be a cliché, but it is true. We’ve started our first two races together with legitimate shots at winning. This year should be no different.”

In 2010, Bell again qualified in the top-10 and raced as high as fifth place late in the race before a penalty pushed him back to a 16th-place finishing position. His performance in the 2009 Indy 500 is proof he comes to Indianapolis each May incredibly fit and ready to race. Starting 24th, the driver from San Luis Obispo, Calif., methodically drove his way through the 33-car field to a fourth-place finish that year, his best in the May classic. The 2012 Indy 500 will be his sixth.

Based in Winamac, Ind., BraunAbility is the primary sponsor of the No. 99 car this year. The company is an industry leader in personal mobility, including the manufacturing of wheelchair vans, wheelchair lifts and other mobility accessories.  It is celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2012 after being founded by Ralph Braun in 1972.

Braun was diagnosed at a young age with spinal muscular atrophy. By age 15, he was unable to walk. Frustrated and constantly exhausted from using his bulky and heavy wheelchair, Braun created the world’s first electric scooter in his cousin’s Indiana farm shop. He went on to outfit an old postal Jeep with hand controls and a hydraulic lift so he could have safe transportation to and from work. He has been designing accessible vehicles ever since.

Schmidt was injured in a testing crash at Walt Disney World Speedway in January 2000, just a few months after earning his first IndyCar victory. The accident left Schmidt a quadriplegic, but it hardly slowed him. He will enter six cars in races in May at the Speedway. In addition to the two cars entered in the Indianapolis 500, SSM will have four Firestone Indy Lights cars racing in the Firestone Freedom 100.

With five championships, SSM is the most successful team in the history of INDYCAR’s Firestone Indy Lights series. SSM won the 2004 championship with Thiago Medeiros, the 2006 title with Jay Howard, the 2007 title with Alex Lloyd, the 2010 title with J.K. Vernay and the 2011 title with Josef Newgarden.

In 2011, SSM also returned to the IZOD IndyCar Series full time. The team saw immediate success by winning the pole position for the 100^th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Practice for the Indianapolis 500 begins Saturday, May 12. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” takes the green flag at Noon ET on Sunday, May 27.

About The Braun Corporation

The Braun Corporation is the largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lifts worldwide, enabling people with physical disabilities to regain mobility and lead active and independent lives. The company was founded in 1972 by Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age and was unable to walk by the age of 15. The company offers the most diverse line of vehicle platforms in the industry. The corporation is based in Indiana, U.S.A. For more information, please visit www.braunability.com.

About Sam Schmidt Motorsports:

Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former driver Sam Schmidt, who was paralyzed (quad) in 2000 after an accident during testing at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. As a car owner, Schmidt fields cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Firestone Indy Lights championship. SSM is the most successful team in Firestone Indy Lights history with 48 race wins and five championships. In addition, SSM has qualified 12 cars in the Indianapolis 500 since 2001 and won the coveted Indy 500 pole in 2011. For more information, please visit www.samschmidtmotorsorts.com.

About National Mobility Awareness Month

National Mobility Awareness Month is the inaugural May celebration that encourages people with disabilities to enjoy active, mobile lifestyles. Founded in 1989 as a non-profit trade association, The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association sponsors the awareness month with the assistance of more than 600 mobility equipment dealers, manufacturers and driver rehabilitation specialists dedicated to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities. For updates on the awareness month and Local Heroes overcoming mobility issues, please visit NMEDA’s Facebook, Twitter or website.

As the fourth race on the schedule, Sunday’s Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle proved that SSM driver Simon Pagenaud and the crew of the No. 77 Coastal.com/Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports car have a ‘never give-up’ attitude that they plan on carrying to the season’s end.

Pagenaud started the 75-lap race on Sao Paulo’s 11-turn temporary street circuit in 16^th after struggling in practice and qualifying on Saturday. Like they’ve done before this year, the team poured over data and driver feedback and worked late into the night to make changes on the car in time for the race.

Just like his crew the night before, Pagenaud had to work overtime in the car Sunday during the race to salvage the 12^th-place finish. Twice, he was collected in the accidents of other drivers requiring him to race his way back through the field.

“It was a long day, but the good point was that we were able to get the car right for the race,” said Pagenaud. “We had a really strong race car. It was our first time here in Sao Paulo and it took us a little while to understand what it was I needed, but I ended up being really, really happy in the race car.

“We were making progress until I had to go through the run off and basically lose a lot of positions. Everything went down hill from there. We got hit. I lost my wing twice. Then in the end, we lost a lap when we were collected in that last wreck. If there is a wreck in front of you in the chicane, there is no way to avoid it. It’s a shame and that’s why we need to start ahead of the pack in the future.”

Though he finished out of the top 10, Pagenaud’s 12^th-place finish keeps him in fifth-place in the IndyCar championship.

“I’m glad we’re still in a good position in the championship going into Indy,” said Pagenaud. “I’m new to Indy, so now I can start focusing on that race and not worry about points. I’ll be doing a lot of thinking on Indy the next few weeks.”

Brazil is Power’s 18^th career Indy car win and his third in Sao Paulo.

For Edwards, he was not happy with the 12^th-place finish, but he is very pleased with the team’s ability to not give up under adversity, which they have experienced often in 2012.

“Hats off to the guys on the crew and up in the timing stand because we had a good race car again,” said Edwards. The strategy in the first stint worked fantastically well. I think we were up to P7 and we were getting great pit stops from the guys, but we couldn’t get through other people’s messes in Turn 1 and Turn 2. We fought all day. Simon ran great all day. We’re still fifth in points and the top Honda going in to Indy, and those were two goals we had at the beginning of the season.”

Team Penske continued its domination of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series by winning Sunday’s Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 with driver Will Power. The team has won the first four races of the season. It’s the first time in the team’s history it has won the first four races to open a season.

After Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves won the season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., teammate Power has ripped off three wins in a row.

Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay continues to run strong in 2012. He chased Power across the line for a second-place finish. It is his second straight podium finish.

Scoring the first podium finish of his IndyCar Series career was Rahal Letterman Racing’s Takuma Sato. Rounding out the top five were Castroneves and Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti.

Five caution periods allowed the yellow flag to wave for 15 laps. There were five lead changes among five drivers. Power led an impressive 63 laps.

On the strength of his back-to-back-to-back wins, Power leaves Brazil with a 45-point lead in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship over teammate Castroneves (180-135). Andretti Autosport’s James Hinchcliffe is third with 123, while his teammate Hunter-Reay trails him in fourth with 121.  Pagenaud rounds out the top five with 118.

The next IZOD IndyCar Series event is the 96^th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on May 27, with Pole Day qualifying on May 19^th.

The 75-lap Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle will air live on NBC Sports Network Sunday, April 29 at 11 a.m. ET.

That kind of performance does not go unnoticed….especially to the keen eyes at the planet’s biggest online eyewear company.

Canadian-based Coastal Contacts Inc., (www.Coastal.com) announced today a partnership with Sam Schmidt Motorsports to become the primary sponsor for the team’s entry in the upcoming IndyCar race in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 29, 2012. The No. 77 Coastal.com/Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car will be driven by Frenchman Pagenaud, who is also leading the Rookie of the Year standings.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Coastal Contacts Inc. is the global leader in online direct-to-consumer retail of eyeglasses and optical products. Founded in 2000 by current CEO Roger Hardy, Coastal Contacts Inc. designs, produces and distributes the largest selection of eyeglasses and contact lenses on the Internet. The Company has also been outfitting consumers around the globe in free eyeglasses with their First Pair Free campaign.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to align with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, one of the premier teams in racing, and appreciate the work done by Front Row Marketing Services in developing this opportunity,” said Hardy. “Our focus in the Brazilian marketplace is to create significant awareness for our Coastal.com brand, and our relationship with Sam Schmidt Motorsports provides a global stage for us to showcase the connection between speed of service and clear vision, two key elements of our brand experience.”

“The partnership with Coastal Contacts is a perfect match with many of the things we strive to accomplish on the race team,” said SSM owner Sam Schmidt. “Roger Hardy has built a formidable retail business by ensuring a laser-focus approach to the business and some of the fastest delivery times in the industry, the same things we look to accomplish everyday on the race track. In addition, the charitable aspects he’s instilled in the company by donating eyeglasses to disadvantaged people around the globe through the Change the View Project really means a great deal.”

About Coastal Contacts Inc.:

Coastal Contacts, Inc. is the planet’s biggest online eyewear company. Coastal empowers customers to easily browse, try on and buy eyewear—saving time, money and sanity. With every pair of qualifying frames purchased, Coastal donates a pair to someone in need through its Change the View Project. Founded in the year 2000, Coastal designs, produces and distributes the largest selection of eyeglasses and contact lenses on the Internet, including a unique combination of designer eyeglasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, and vision care accessories. Coastal serves customers in more than 150 countries through the Coastal Contacts family of websites including: www.Coastal.com,
www.ClearlyContacts.ca, www.Lensway.com, www.Lensway.co.uk, www.Lensway.se, www.ClearlyContacts.com.au, www.ClearlyContacts.co.nz, www.Contactsan.com, and www.Coastallens.com.

About Sam Schmidt Motorsports:

Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former driver Sam Schmidt, who was paralyzed (quad) in 2000 after an accident during testing at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. As a car owner, Schmidt fields cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Firestone Indy Lights championship. SSM is the most successful team in Firestone Indy Lights history with 48 race wins and five championships. In addition, SSM has qualified 12 cars in the Indianapolis 500 since 2001 and won the coveted Indy 500 pole in 2011. For more information, please visit www.samschmidtmotorsorts.com.