Justin Wilson gives brother Stefan pointers for Grand Prix of Long Beach

Justin Wilson has won two IndyCar Series races and four more in the defunct Champ Car series. His younger brother, Stefan, is searching for his first win in the Firestone Indy Lights series. Both drivers will be in action Sunday at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Stefan Wilson will get first crack at the temporary street course in Long Beach driving for Bryan Herta Autosport in the morning.
Justin Wilson will go out in his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry with the Izod IndyCar Series drivers in the afternoon.
The Wilson brothers have raced together at St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
Justin Wilson said he wants to watch his brother race in Long Beach, but it's going to be challenging given how soon he has to race after the Indy Lights race.
"My younger brothers driving Indy Lights, so that's quite interesting to have him doing that while I'm doing the Indy car," Justin Wilson said. "Obviously our timetables are pretty tight against each other. It makes life hard, but I give him as much information as I can possibly give him and he works away at it."
Justin Wilson would prefer to watch his brother race from Grand Prix Vista Club from the rooftop of the Hyatt Long Beach, but he will most likely watch from the pits on the course.
"I'll probably end up watching it from pit lane, watching the timing and scoring, and try to get some of the TV footage from there," Justin Wilson said. "That's probably as good as its going to get for the time restriction that I have."

Bryan Herta Autosport prepares for inaugural Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Alabama

The Firestone Indy Lights series is headed for the inaugural Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The drivers for Bryan Herta Autosport had productive tests at the 2.38-mile road course during the off-season and are looking forward to the first race at the Alabama track.
Bryan Herta Autosport, owned in part by Bryan Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High graduate, has two drivers, Stefan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra.
Wilson gave Bryan Herta Autosport its first podium finish of the season with a third place at the Indy Lights opener at St. Petersburg, Fla.
“I drove the track for the first time at the open test a month ago and really enjoyed it,” the 19-year-old Wilson said. “It’s a great facility, a great track. Overtaking is going to be pretty difficult but we had a good car and I think we’ve improved it since the test so I’m feeling confident. I’m interested to see how we shape up against the opposition, but coming off a strong result at St. Pete gives me a lot of confidence to look for another good result and maintain our momentum in the championship.”
Saavedra led the first lap of the St. Petersburg race, but collided with another car and finished 12th.
“It’s going to be a very interesting weekend,” the 20-year-old Saavedra said. “We had a very productive test at Barber. It was our first test with the team and we left with very high expectations for the championship, so we are very positive about what we can do. We know we have a great car, we have a great setup and, after St. Pete, we come with a much more mature mentality. We’re going to go for the points -- that’s for sure the most important thing right now -- and I’m very positive about how everything is going to come out.”

Bryan Herta Autosport expanded, improved for Firestone Indy Lights season

The Firestone Indy Lights season opens in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday and Bryan Herta Autosport will have two cars in the race.
Drivers Stephan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra give Bryan Herta Autosport, the team owned by Valencia’s Bryan Herta, a new look and a higher expectations. Herta is entering his second season as an owner in the Indy Lights series. His team expanded from one driver to two.
Wilson is the younger brother of Izod IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson. Saavedra is a two-time winner in Indy Lights and comes over from Andretti Autosport after winning the rookie of the year in 2009.
Wilson made six starts in the Indy Lights series last year, his best finish a fourth place in Toronto.
“I am really looking forward to this weekend,” said the 20-year-old Wilson. “I had a so-so race here last year. It was my first race and only my second day in the car after a shakedown test. I jumped in with a very steep learning curve but I felt we were competitive even straight out of the box. Unfortunately, I made a few unlucky mistakes that cost me some decent finishes. I am looking forward to coming back with a bit more experience and with a really competitive team in Bryan Herta Autosport.”
Wilson, driving for the First Racing/Walker Racing team, finished 13th in one of the doubleheader races in the season-opener at St. Petersburg last year.
Wilson said his pre-season testing with Bryan Herta Autosport has gone well.
“The first time I drove the car I was impressed with how well it handled,” Wilson said. “I have gelled really well with the team and enjoy working with my engineer Brian Page. I am very excited to have Sebastian as a teammate. He brings a lot of experience with a full season of Indy Lights and I know that is going to help me. He knows what a good car feels like and what we want to achieve.”
Saavedra won the pole and finished second in one of the season-opening races in St. Petersburg last year.
“St. Petersburg is one of my favorite tracks, and I am very confident coming here for the second time after the good results last year,” said the 19-year-old Saavedra. “Testing has gone great. Our main objective was to get to know each other and start working together, for me to learn how Steve [Newey] works and for him to know how I work. I am very happy with how everything has come together.”
Newey and Herta are ownership partners in the team. Part of the team’s expansion in 2010 was to enter Saavedra in the Indianapolis 500.
“It is great that he is entered in the Indy 500,” Wilson said. “It really strengthens the whole team. It will be exciting to be there and witness my team compete and, hopefully, it will give me a lot of experience as that is what I am striving to do next year. For now, I am looking forward to the race this weekend. This is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar and I am looking for a good finish here. I am confident we will be a really strong force to be reckoned with this season.”
Saavedra said he has enjoyed working with his new teammate and preparing for the Indy Lights season opener.
“My relationship with Stefan is great,” Saavedra said. “He is a very good driver who wants to win and that has helped us to have a very good relationship. We have been working well together to make the cars as good as possible. We found some very interesting things at our last test at Sebring which worked very well and will help us this weekend. I think we both will have cars capable of winning. We have the right tools, the right engineering and the right mentality to come to this first race.”

Bryan Herta Autosport adds driver, heading to Indy 500

Bryan Herta Autopsort added another driver to its Firestone Indy Lights team. Colombian Sebastian Saavedra joins Stefan Wilson on the team’s two-car effort for the 2010 season.
Team owner Bryan Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High graduate, is also entering Saavedra in the Indianapolis 500 in a car backed by Bryan Herta Autosport.
“This is a very proud day for Bryan Herta Autosport,” said Herta. “Sebastian and Stefan will make a very formidable driving team and will help to raise our program to the next level. I know they will be pushing us and each other all season long. And to be able to announce our entry into the Indy 500 this year is another step in the plan Steve and I set for the team when it was formed just one year ago. There is much work ahead for us but today we want to take a breath and enjoy this moment. We can’t wait for the season to get started.”
Saavedra will be the third driver from Colombia to enter the Indianapolis 500. Juan Pablo Montoya and Roberto Guerrero have raced in the Indy 500. Montoya won the Indy 500 in 2000 in his first start in the race. Guerrero has two runner-up finishes in the Indy 500.
“I have been talking to Bryan for some time and now everything is underway and I am very excited,” said Saavedra. “The program looks amazing. It is something we can build on for the future. It will be great to have Stefan as a teammate and to work with Bryan and Steve who know what winning is like. I will be working hard to be the best-prepared mentally and physically. My goal for the championship is to bring the gold home.”
Saavedra is entering his second year of competition in the Indy Lights series. He was third in the Indy Lights standings driving for Andretti Green Racing last year. He won two races and finished on the podium seven times.
Both drivers from Bryan Herta Autosport will be testing this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.