LIGHTS VETERAN BOBBY WILSON TO MAN THE NO. 15 CAR FOR PANTHER RACING AT CHICAGOLAND SEASON FINALE

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 4, 2008) – Panther Racing has a new driver for the Firestone Indy Lights No. 15 National Guard Delphi racecar, American driver Bobby Wilson.  The Indy Lights veteran will team with current Panther driver Brent Sherman this weekend when the teams head to the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet for the SunRichGourmet.com 100.

Eager to jump into a No. 15 Delphi National Guard car that has recorded four victories in seven tries this season on oval tracks Wilson knows he has an opportunity to make some noise on the 1.5-mile oval. 

“The No. 15 car has high expectations,” Wilson said of his new ride.  “It’s definitely capable of being in the Winner’s Circle every time on an oval, and that’s where I expect to put it for the National Guard and Panther.”

When Wilson takes the green flag Sunday he will become the sixth driver to compete in the Firestone Indy Lights series for Panther Racing, joining the likes of former champion Mark Taylor and current IRL driver an Indy Lights series runner-up Hideki Mutoh.

“The deal came together pretty quickly the last few days, but this is a good opportunity,” the driver of the No. 15 National Guard Delphi car said. “I am ready for the challenge.”

The 27 year-old Wisconsin native began driving in the Indy Lights Series in 2005 with Brian Stewart Racing where he would make four starts earning two Top Ten finishes.  In 2006 Wilson would start all 12 races on the circuit and finish fourth in the Championship after recording his first Indy Lights victory at Watkins Glen.  In 2007, Wilson recorded his second career win when he took the checkered flag on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Bobby would again finish the season fourth in the standings, compiling one win, five Top Fives, and ten Top Tens along the way.

“It’s different working with a new group of guys, but they have been really nice and helpful; it makes the adjustment easier.  It will help when I can get all the names and faces put together, but I think that it will be a successful weekend,” Bobby noted about his new crew.  “I need to get a feel with (engineer Don Bricker) about how he likes to setup the car and how I like it.  We have already been communicating about setup, but once we get on the track we will really get into the details of what each of us is comfortable with, but we will be ready for race day.”

Currently Bobby is 13th in the championship standings after starting only 13 of the 15 races.  The new Panther driver has recorded one win on the season, at Milwaukee, one of three oval races that Panther did not win, two Top Fives, and five Top Tens.

The Firestone Indy Lights Sun Rich Gourmet.com 100 will start at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday (ET) and be broadcast live on ESPN2.  The season finale race will be the only live broadcast of a Firestone Indy Lights race all season.