Indianapolis, IN – Alex Tagliani completed a solid qualifying attempt with a four-lap average of 227.386 to start P11 on Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Tagliani’s No. 98 Barracuda Racing eleventh place starting position matches his qualifying effort from last year’s race. The team was provisionally P4 when the Canadian driver turned his four laps. When all teams had a chance to qualify, Barracuda Racing missed the top nine by only one tenth of a mile per hour.

After a week of ups and downs in practice, the team was satisfied with the car after morning practice on Pole Day. Tagliani was confident that they had found the setup that he was comfortable with, in addition to his Honda power.

“I’m very pleased with the Barracuda Racing team,” said Tagliani. “The boys had somewhat of a rough week and worked really hard to make sure that we had a really strong car.

“I’m super confident with the car that we have for the race. I’m also very pleased with how Honda improved during the week of practice. They responded really well to what I was asking for from the engine for my qualifying run. Honda worked with us to make sure we had a fair chance to fight the competition, and I’m pleased with the way they responded.”

Regarding his team and lead engineer, Tagliani added, “I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Todd [Malloy]. He is always pulling things off when it counts. I couldn’t ask for anything more right now. The way we recovered during the week can definitely be attributed to the Barracuda Racing team.”

The end of qualifying weekend will signal the start of a fan-centered week for Tagliani, beginning with a media tour in Toronto on Monday. From there, it’s back to Indianapolis for Community Day, Carb Day and Legends Day, all leading up to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race will take place on Sunday, May 26. The 200-lap race on the legendary 2.5-mile oval will be broadcast live on ABC, with pre-race ceremonies beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Barracuda Racing aims to add another win to the history books.

Indianapolis, IN – Alex Tagliani and his Barracuda Racing crew started Indianapolis 500 preparation with a successful shakedown of the No. 98 car on opening day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

With just over two weeks until The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, Tagliani is ready for the traditional celebratory activities and fast-paced, on-track action that the historic race has become known for.

Tagliani ran a lap time of 220.248 to post fourth fastest of the day. Alex and the Barracuda Racing team will participate in a week of practice leading up to Pole Day, Saturday, May 18, where he will look to repeat his 2010 pole-winning run.

Following qualifications, Tagliani will participate in a week of fan-focused activities including a media tour, autograph sessions, public drivers meeting, 500 Festival parade and the Official INDYCAR Tweetup.

Today’s brief shakedown allowed the team to get reacquainted with the track and complete the initial install laps. With temperatures forecasted to be lower than usual for the next couple of days, the Barracuda Racing crew doesn’t expect to run much on Sunday or Monday.

“Today we’re just putting laps together and clearing off the cobwebs,” said Tagliani. “So far, I think we can be pleased. The Barracuda Racing team tried a couple things and we were able to avoid the rain.

“The good thing is that our car is fairly good. It was good last year in the race in traffic, so we just picked up where we left off, so that’s a good feeling to open the month of May. Other than that, we just have to stay on top of the track temperature and decide when the conditions will be similar to Pole Day. But overall, it was a good opening day here at IMS.”

When the green flag drops for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, Barracuda Racing aims to add another win to the history books. The 200-lap race on the legendary 2.5-mile oval will be broadcast live on ABC, with pre-race ceremonies beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

An early full-course caution allowed Tagliani the opportunity to pit off sequence with the leaders, and cycle up to second place after the leaders made their first pit stops.

Unfortunately, the track position was short lived as Tagliani pitted after a restart, when he believed light contact had punctured one of his Firestone Firehawk tires.  Falling all the way back to last place after making the unscheduled stop to change tires, he was able to fight back up to 12^th place by the end of the race.

“The Barracuda Racing team made great improvements, considering we weren’t here last year, and we didn’t know the track from a car and setup perspective,” said Tagliani. “So with a two-day weekend and a quick turnaround, I think we had a good car for the race. We had a good strategy and we were running up front.

“Then on the second restart, I got hit from the back. I came in to change a tire and then when we went back out we had to pound some fast laps to make it back up. The other yellow flag didn’t come at the right time for us, so a bit of bad luck there. Hopefully our luck will come at the right time as we head to Indianapolis.”

The racing world now focuses its attention on the Greatest Spectacle in Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Barracuda Racing crew will look to repeat their 2011 win and Tagliani’s historic pole position. Qualifications will take place on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. The 97^th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May 26 and will be broadcast live on ABC.

Fast Facts

• Driver: Alex Tagliani
• Car: No. 98 Barracuda Racing
• Primary sponsor: Barracuda Networks
• Event title: Brazil Formula Indy GP – Sao Paulo Indy 300
• Location: Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Track: 11-turn, 2.536-mile temporary street circuit
• 2013 event counter: The Sao Paulo Indy 300 is the 4th race (of 19) for the IZOD IndyCar Series
• Practice sessions: Saturday, May 4 from 7:30-8 a.m. ET (group A), 8-8:45 a.m. (all cars) and 11:05-12:05 p.m.; Morning warm-up on Sunday, May 5 from 7-7:30 a.m. ET.
• Qualifying: Saturday, May 4 from 1:35-2:45 p.m. ET.
• Race: Sunday, May 5 – Pre-race activities starting at 10:50 a.m. ET with an estimated green flag at 11:30 p.m. (75 laps)

Broadcast Information

• TV race broadcast (USA): NBC Sports Network
• TV race broadcast (Canada): TVA Sports & SportsNet
• Race broadcast (radio): IMS Radio Network, XM 211 and Sirius 211

Driver Quote: Alex Tagliani
This is the first race for Barracuda Racing in Sao Paulo. The team was in the process of switching to Honda at this time last year and chose not to travel to Brazil as we prepared for Indianapolis.

I’m very excited to go back to Brazil – I was on the front row in the inaugural race for IndyCar there. It’s a really great, really long street course. It’s normally tough to get that sort of length on street courses and I like the track a lot.

So far, the Barracuda Racing car has been pretty good this year but unfortunately we have not been able to showcase just how good it is. We’ve been kind of unlucky. The red flag during qualifying at Long Beach cost us a good starting position and even though we were making ground during the race, we got taken out. You never know where you’re going to end up being in the race and this was just the wrong spot.

Hopefully from this point forward, things are going to turn around for us and we’ll be back to our usual pace of good qualifying and running up front. We have some great people from Barracuda Networks and Bowers & Wilkins coming to Brazil this weekend so hopefully we can score a win for them.

Social Media

• Twitter
  • Barracuda Racing: @BHA
  • Alex Tagliani: @tagliani
  • Barracuda Networks: @barracuda
  • Bowers & Wilkins: @Bowers_Wilkins
• Facebook
  • Barracuda Racing: facebook.com/BryanHertaAutosport
  • Alex Tagliani: facebook.com/ATagliani

Long Beach, CA – April 21, 2013 – The P19 result was not reflective of the speed for Alex Tagliani and his Barracuda Racing crew for Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

An on-track incident in Saturday’s qualifying gave the Barracuda Racing team a P21 spot on the starting grid. Despite that, Tagliani knew the No. 98, Honda-powered car had the speed to advance in position.

The team switched to red tires on lap 18 of the 80-lap competition and had one of the fastest cars on the track about 20 laps in.

Then on lap 29, the No. 83 car of Charlie Kimball made contact with Tagliani’s car, causing damage to the front and rear wings. The Barracuda Racing team pitted and changed both wings, but went a lap down in the process.

From that point forward, Tagliani worked to regain positions, finally crossing the finish line in P19.

“The Barracuda Racing car was blisteringly fast,” said Tagliani. “The team worked so hard this weekend and we definitely would’ve finished near the front of the field. I’m just really disappointed because I’ve had problems with Kimball for three years now. I’m a patient guy but this is just unacceptable.”

Team owner Bryan Herta added, “The weekend started bad and never really got better. Alex raced hard today and our strategy was going to play out. We were going to cycle up into the top six or seven but then unfortunately we had a problem with the 83 car there.

“We did finally find a good setup for this new generation of Firestone tires, which bodes well for the upcoming races. The best thing we can do at this point is focus ahead and build some momentum through Brazil in two weeks, and carry that into Indianapolis.”

The IZOD IndyCar Series is headed to the first international race of the year. The Sao Paulo Indy 300 is scheduled for Sunday, May 5 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET. The 75-lap competition will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.

Long Beach, CA – Alex Tagliani’s qualifying attempt for Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was cut short by a full-course red flag on Saturday afternoon. As a result, Barracuda Racing will start P20 for the 80-lap race on Sunday.

Tagliani was on his way to the second round of Firestone Fast Six qualifying when an on-track incident caused the red flag in the middle of the No. 98′s best lap. With only minutes left in the session, the Barracuda Racing crew wasn’t allowed to go back out and improve their time.

“The timing of the red flag was obviously not in our favor,” explained team owner Bryan Herta. “Where we are in the pit lane worked against us as some cars were able to complete their lap while others, including us, did not.

“Whether you throw a red or a local yellow, and allow cars to finish a lap is under the chief steward’s direction. In this case, the track was blocked in turn one so they went full red course condition very quickly. Alex was on a lap that would’ve clearly put us into the top six in the session. We were not given the opportunity to complete the lap so as a result we’re going to start on row 10, which is not a true indication of the car or Alex’s speed. The good news is Long Beach affords us options in pit strategy and Alex feels good in the car so you can bet he will be on a mission tomorrow.”

Tagliani expressed his frustration, saying, “I’m pretty upset because the red flag cost us when we were on a mega lap. I know that Barracuda Racing would’ve easily made it to the next round.

“The incident was down in turn one and we were in turn nine. I don’t understand why we couldn’t finish our lap. I’m going to have a talk with Beaux Barfield and try to understand why. I just need an explanation.

“Nevertheless, it’s a shame because we had a really good car, so it’s tough to accept. Hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow with strategy and get back up front.”

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place tomorrow, Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network in the United States, and SportsNet and TVA Sports for fans in Canada.

Photo Credit: INDYCAR Photo

Fast Facts

• Driver: Alex Tagliani
• Car: No. 98 Barracuda Racing
• Primary sponsor: Barracuda Networks
• Event title: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
• Location: Streets of Long Beach, California
• Track: 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit
• 2013 event counter: The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is the 3rd race (of 19) for the IZOD IndyCar Series

**MEDIA LUNCHEON**
Alex Tagliani will be available for interviews on Thursday, April 18 from 12-2 p.m. at the Tecate Lite Tent at Lagoon Park.

• Practice sessions: Friday, April 19 from 10:30-11:15 a.m. PST and 2:30-3:15 p.m.; Saturday, April 20 from 10:40-11:25 a.m.
• Qualifying: Saturday, April 20 from 2-3:10 p.m. PST
• Race: Sunday, April 21 – Pre-race activities starting at 1 p.m. PST with an estimated green flag at 1:45 p.m. (80 laps)

Broadcast Information

• TV race broadcast (USA): NBC Sports Network
• TV race broadcast (Canada): TVA Sports & SportsNet
• Race broadcast (radio): IMS Radio Network, XM 211 and Sirius 211

Driver Quote: Alex Tagliani
I’m really looking forward to the Long Beach race because it’s going to be a very important test for the Barracuda Racing team. Getting familiar with the new Firestone street course tires was a challenge for us in St. Pete as we worked to get a hold on the setup and grip to be competitive, so getting back on those tires in Long Beach is going to be a way for us to evaluate where we are.

We’re accustomed to achieving very promising results in qualifying from our 2012 season, where we were really good in street and road courses. The Barracuda Racing team has been working really hard on things that are going to make us competitive and able to run up front for the 2013 season, and I’m confident we’ll get there.

There are some familiar faces and friends that we’re also looking forward to seeing in Long Beach. We’ll catch up with our buddy Daniel Goddard from The Young & The Restless. Also, Bronte is a big fan of the Twilight movie and we found out that Jackson Radbone – he plays Jasper in the movies – is racing in the Pro Celebrity race so we’re planning on saying hello and giving him some tips. It should be a great weekend on the streets of Long Beach.

Social Media

• Twitter
  • Barracuda Racing: @BHA
  • Alex Tagliani: @tagliani
  • Barracuda Networks: @barracuda
  • Bowers & Wilkins: @Bowers_Wilkins
• Facebook
  • Barracuda Racing: facebook.com/BryanHertaAutosport
  • Alex Tagliani: facebook.com/ATagliani

Fan Opportunities

• Barracuda Racing presents The INDYCAR Tweetup on Saturday, April 20 from 12:30-1:15 p.m. PST on the IndyCar Fan Village Main Stage.
• IZOD IndyCar Series autograph session with Alex Tagliani: Friday, April 19 from 4-5 p.m. PST in the IZOD IndyCar Paddock.

Birmingham, AL – Alex Tagliani lead his Barracuda Racing crew to a P11 finish at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday afternoon.

Early in the race Tag was hit from behind, damaging part of the bodywork on the back of the No. 98 car and forcing the crew to pit on lap 15 to remove the damaged bodywork. Without a follow-up yellow to change the rear wing, the team was able to make the necessary adjustments to rebalance the car and Tagliani had a solid recovery.

“I’m really proud of the Barracuda Racing team today,” said Tagliani. “We were hurt by the qualifying position but I think our car was good. We had a P5 lap time in the race, so that was great.

“The piece that got broken in the beginning of the race made us loose when we lost a lot of downforce in the rear. That stint hurt us, but we dialed down the front aero by taking some wing out and rebalanced the car. I think P11 is a good result overall and we earned some more points. As long as we keep doing that, we’re building momentum for the championship.”

Team owner Bryan Herta added, “It’s a shame we got hit early and had some damage. We had to pit and tear some of the bodywork off the car, so we lost some downforce from then on. Alex held on though, and did a good job.

“I think from that point on, we had a pretty good pit strategy and Alex ran some good laps in the middle of the race when it counted. He was able to jump a few guys and got another solid finish in the books. Now we’ll move onto Long Beach and try to do it all again.”

In two weeks, the IZOD IndyCar Series travels to California for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network in the United States, and SportsNet and TVA Sports for fans in Canada.

Fast Facts

• Driver: Alex Tagliani
• Car: No. 98 Barracuda Racing
• Primary sponsor: Barracuda Networks
• Event title: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
• Location: Barber Motorsports Park (Birmingham, AL)
• Track: 14-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course
• 2013 event counter: The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is the 2nd race (of 19) for the IZOD IndyCar Series

**MEDIA AVAILABILITY**
Alex Tagliani will be available for interviews on Friday, April 5 at 10:15 a.m. CST in the track media center.

Weekend Schedule

• Practice sessions: Friday, April 5 from 12:45-1:45 p.m. CST and 3:45-4:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 6 from 8-8:30 a.m.
• Qualifying: Saturday, April 6 from 10:25-11:35 a.m. CST
• Race: Sunday, April 7 – Pre-race activities starting at 2 p.m. CST with an estimated green flag at 2:40 p.m. (90 laps)

Broadcast Information

• TV race broadcast (USA): NBC Sports Network
• TV race broadcast (Canada): TVA Sports & SportsNet
• Race broadcast (radio): IMS Radio Network, XM 211 and Sirius 211

Driver Quote: Alex Tagliani
I can’t wait to get on track at Barber and see how we stack up against the competition. We started the season with a finish in the top ten two weeks ago in St. Pete. The Barracuda Racing crew worked hard to make the changes we needed for the race. It wasn’t an easy race weekend but the top ten finish positions us well for the rest of the season.

We tested well here at Barber Motorsports Park a few weeks ago and finished those two days with a good car. We’re going to aim at getting where we want to be in qualifying and regaining that pace we had last year on street courses and road courses. I have confidence in the Barracuda Racing team and look forward to getting on track at Barber.

Social Media
Twitter

• Barracuda Racing: @BHA
• Alex Tagliani: @tagliani
• Barracuda Networks: @barracuda
• Bowers & Wilkins: @Bowers_Wilkins

Facebook

• Barracuda Racing: facebook.com/BryanHertaAutosport
• Alex Tagliani: facebook.com/ATagliani

Fan Opportunities

• Barracuda Racing presents The INDYCAR Tweetup on Saturday, April 6 from 12:15-1 p.m. CST on the IndyCar Fan Village Main Stage.
• IZOD IndyCar Series autograph session with Alex Tagliani: Saturday, April 6 from 1-2 p.m. CST in the IndyCar Fan Village.

St. Petersburg, FL – Alex Tagliani drove a solid race on the streets of St. Petersburg to start the season with a tenth place finish on Sunday afternoon.

Starting from P17 on the grid, the Barracuda Racing crew made a strategic pit stop early in the race and switched to black tires. Tagliani was able to move up through the field, running P13 when they made the second pit stop and remained on blacks.

An ill-timed yellow flag came out just as the No. 98 car was leaving the pits, pushing Barracuda Racing back to P19.

Several unusual track incidents allowed Tagliani to advance a few spots, running as high as P9 at one point, but a solid final stint on alternate red tires landed him the tenth place finish when the checkered flag came out.

“It was good that we made the top ten today in the Barracuda Racing car because we struggled a bit this weekend,” said Tagliani. “We were so strong in qualifying last year and now we’re just getting used to the new tires out there so we’ll see how we need to react to that.

“I know that with Todd [Malloy] and the group of guys we have, we’ll find it. The team did a great job and Bryan is happy. Everybody believes that once we find that pace, we’re going to be up front. This is a season where we can be very competitive and there’s no reason why we can’t fight for the lead.”

The tenth place finish is a good start towards the team’s goal of finishing the season in the top ten championship point standings.

In two weeks, the IZOD IndyCar Series travels to Barber Motorsports Park for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. CST. The race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network in the United States, and SportsNet and TVA Sports for fans in Canada.