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Jimmy Kite Pairs with Team SWE
for Chicagoland 100
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.,
September 4, 2007
Veteran IndyCar Series driver Jimmy Kite (a native of Missouri who
grew-up in Stockbridge, Ga.) will make his Indy Pro Series debut this
weekend in the Chicagoland 100. Kite, who has 34 IndyCar Series starts,
will drive the Team SWE No. 43 entry in the Indy Pro Series finale at
the 1.5-mile Joliet, Ill. facility on Sunday, September 9. Team owner
Steve Eppard and Kite have long been friends having first met while
Eppard's SWE prepared the gearboxes for various IndyCars that Kite
drove. The two have been searching for the right opportunity to put the
easy-going but fiercely competitive Kite into one of the SWE machines
most of the season. With a second car on hand entering the final race of
the year, SWE saw this as the right time to offer Kite the seat. The 100
mile/67 lap race at Chicagoland Speedway will be Kite's second start on
the track overall. His only other start came in the 2005 IndyCar Series
event with Hemelgarn Racing.
Kite has raced
in nearly every open wheel racing category from quarter-midgets to
IndyCars with major victories in Silver Crown and midget competition and
has been a fan favorite since debuting on the IndyCar scene in 1997. He
made his Indy 500 debut in 1998 as the Fastest Rookie Qualifier and was
narrowly bumped from making his sixth "500" start at this year's race.
Eppard began Team SWE, then known as Part Sourcing International, in
2006 prior to the Freedom 100 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In their inaugural season the team had four top-10 finishes. A name
change in 2007 more closely linked the program to Eppard's SWE gearbox
services company. The Brownsburg, Indiana-based organization is
currently ranked 20th in the Indy Pro Series entrant's standings with
147 points.
Kite will race under the SWE banner this weekend with the program's
primary driver Jon Brownson (Breckenridge, Col.). Brownson, a rookie in
the Indy Pro Series, has piloted the No. 34 SWE car throughout the
season. Also racing out of the SWE shops is the Team KMA No. 13 of
Nashville event winner Robbie Pecorari (Aston, Pa.).
The race is scheduled for a 12:30 PM (ET) start. Television coverage of
the Chicagoland 100 can be seen on ESPN2, September 13 at 5 PM (ET).
Quotes
Jimmy Kite, Driver: "I guess I have put enough miles in the IndyCar that I have
finally landed an Indy Pro Series ride. Seriously, when Steve asked me
to drive the SWE car I was really excited about the opportunity. The Pro
Series car is one of the few open wheel cars I haven't raced; that and
an F1 car so maybe that will be next. I've never raced the number 43
either so that is another first for the weekend that I can mark down. I
think it will be a great experience and a lot of fun. I have known Steve
for years and we've had conversations about me driving his car and I am
glad it finally came through. SWE puts a great car on the track and my
goal is to win. I love racing but I love winning even more. I think we
can do that with SWE. I'm looking forward to getting to Chicagoland in a
few days."
Team SWE can be visited at
www.indyleague.com/swe- racing-parts.html.
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Born: 02/18/1976
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Place of Birth: Effingham, IL
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Resides: Stockbridge, GA and Farmington,
MO
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Height: 5'4"
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Weight: 125
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Marital
Status: Single
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NASCAR Truck Starts:
4
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Best NASCAR
Start: 22th Kansas, 2005
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Best NASCAR
Finish: 18th Gateway (St. Louis), 2005
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Indy Racing Starts: 29
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Best IRL
Start: 4th Phoenix, 1998
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Best IRL
Finish: 6th Las Vegas, 1997
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Career IRL
Earnings: $1,891,670
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Career IRL
laps led: 27
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Career Racing
Championships: 5
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