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Vitor Meira in the
driver’s seat for the National Guard
Story by Spc. William E. Henry, Indiana
Army National Guard
INDIANAPOLIS—In
a small shop southwest of
Indianapolis,
Panther Racing’s mechanics, engineers and skilled crafters work
diligently, preparing for the first race of IndyCar’s racing series
at the Homestead Miami Speedway.
After months of talk, the
Indy Racing League and Champ Car series have confirmed the
speculations of the remerging of the two, and so open-wheel racing
will again have a single-unit league that was once left behind in
1996.
Panther Racing’s new
sponsor, the National Guard, will set the stage for driver Vitor
Meira to accelerate its No. 4 car off to a great start.
Meira is a Brazilian
native who grew up racing go-karts. “I started playing and having
fun and winning many races. One thing led to another and I remember,
at about 1993, I decided that’s what I’m really going to try to do.
I was going to give it a shot.”
Meira recalled his heroes
in racing while growing into his own. He spoke of seeing his
favorite driver, Ayrton Senna of Brazil,
race only once before he died in an accident in 1993 at Imola,
during the San Marino Grand Prix. Meira also raced carts against one
of his other racing favorites, Michael Schumaker.
Just a few years later the
league split into Champ Car and Indy Racing League.
“Nobody knew which one was
which, which one is best, which one is the top category, which one a
major sponsor should sponsor.”
Meira thinks the two
leagues getting back together will boost the number of people going
to races and tuning in to follow along.
“We are going to have a
true identity now, whereas we lost that in the United States
when we got separated,” said Meira.
In 2002 Meira said he was
given the chance to race in four IRL races and in 2005 he raced his
first full season, finishing 7th overall. In 2006 he finished an
even better 5th
overall with the Panther Racing team.
According to Panther
Racing’s website the league has had its share of sponsors pulling
out of the picture. Meira talked about how this year feels
different. “This year with National Guard helping us, we will have
the partners to do it,” said Meira.
“I think a top five is
realistic, if you’re on the top five in a championship your putting
yourself in positions to win races.”
With a sponsor like the
National Guard, and more than 462,000 Airmen and Soldier fans
rooting for their car, Meira is determined to perform at his highest
level.
“It’s something that can
represent their honor, their respect, their commitment to all of
us.”
“People say that racecar
drivers are brave and go over 200 plus miles per hour, but I know
after that corner what I’m going to have underneath me.”
“I was most honored when
they allowed me to sit on the National Guard car because we’re going
to do the job right. I’m going to give my best, which will never
match the respect that the National Guard has. I’ll definitely do my
best to honor the name that is on the side of the car.”
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