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Vision racing says it’s a done deal even though the paperwork has not yet been signed to have Ryan Hunter-Reay drive a second Vision car for the 2009 season.   Ryan took The Indy 500 rookie of the year honors last season as well as winning the race at Watkins Glen.  He spent the past few months talking to teams such as Vision Racing, KV Racing Technologies, HVM, and Dale Coyne Racing for a potential ride.  HVM seemed like the team that he would run with after his private test at Sebring with them.  

Vision Racing is now fielding two American drivers in 2009 with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Ed Carpenter.  

If Ryan remained without a ride for this season, he along with the IndyCar Series would be placed in a bad situation. IZOD had already filmed their commercials for the 2009 season and had already made billboard and magazine advertisment featuring Ryan Hunter-Reay.  Their investment and marketing plans for this year would have been lost. Ryan not finding a ride could have pushed away potential sponsors that were looking into getting involved with the IndyCar Series. Mike Kelly, executive vice president of marketing for Philips-Van Heusen Corporation stated:

It was very important to get him a full-time ride.  I can’t underscore that enough.  Personally, I like Ryan a lot.  He is a winner and he is good for the sport and the brand.  From a business point of view we made him the center of our 2009 campaign.  We wanted to bring the drivers to the forefront and celebrate the drivers and what they represent.  He represented all the right stuff and we connected the brand to him and he is our representative in the campaign, the commercial, print and other areas.

The addition of Ryan Hunter-Reay to Vision Racing brings the car count for the opening race on the Streets of St. Petersburg up to 20 cars.

You can watch the season opener on the streets of St Petersburg Sunday April 5th on Versus Network starting at 2 p.m. ET.

Update:

Ryan Hunter-Reay’s St Petersburg car,

It looks like the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights might have a new testing place in Southern Florida.  Palm Beach International Raceway, formerly known as Moroso Motorsports Park has completely renovated their facility.  Vision racing tested their Daytona Prototype on the old road course a week prior to the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona with John Andretti, Vitor Meira, AJ Foyt IV, and Ed Carpenter behind the wheel a year ago.  The new 2.034-mile, 11-turn, 6/10t -mile straightaway road course is boasting to have some of the fastest and most challenging corners, elevation changes and straightaways offered by any track in North America.  It makes sense since their are not many places in the country where the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights can test in the winter.  I am thinking this will be the potential replacement for Sebring this off season.  The road course is still currently waiting FIA approval.  This might be the second test location other than Homestead Miami Speedway.  According to Homestead Miami Speedway’s web-site The IndyCar Series is set to test there February 23-26.

Video of Kyle Petty in Daytona Prototype at the new PBIR road course