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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">INDY CARS</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">15/10/2003</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Wheldon Adds IRL "Rookie Of The Year"</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Four Out Of Four For Wheldon</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"><B>Wheldon Adds IRL "Rookie Of The Year" To Outstanding Resume</B><BR> <BR> <B>25-Year-Old England Native Notches Fourth Rookie Crown</B><BR> <BR> Dan Wheldon won the 2003 Bombardier Rookie of the Year title for the Indy Racing League Indy Car Series following the October 12th Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. He has now won the Rookie of the Year title in every series in which he has competed.<BR> <BR> Although Wheldon, the 25-year-old driver of the No. 26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone, did not compete in the first two events this season, he still finished 11th in series points and claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year crown. He finished third in the season finale, his best finish during a season in which he earned five top five finishes and nine top-10 finishes. He won the title by 11 points over his closest pursuer, Roger Yasukawa.<BR> <BR> "It's a real pleasure and honour to be Rookie of the Year in this series because, boy, I tell you, it's so competitive," Wheldon said. "It's the best championship in the world. It's so, so competitive. I think that shows you what a good series this is, and I'm looking to be part of it for a very long time."<BR> <BR> "We congratulate Dan on his Rookie of the Year win and are proud to be part of such a great team," said Adam Dettman, brand manager for Jim Beam. "Our partnership with Dan and Team AGR has been very rewarding. We are proud to be associated with such a great competitor and spokesperson. "<BR> <BR> Wheldon joined the IRL circuit full time this season after being hired to drive for Andretti Green Racing. In Team AGR, Wheldon found a wealth of experience in team owners Michael Andretti, Kim Green and Kevin Savoree. The trio combined to<BR> achieve one Indianapolis 500 victory, two Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) championships and countless other accolades. Wheldon is part of a three-car operation, which includes teammates Tony Kanaan and Bryan Herta.<BR> <BR> A native of Emberton, England, and resident of Indianapolis, Wheldon has been fast since he first set foot on U.S. soil. He moved to the U.S. in 1999 and soon found himself behind the wheel of a U.S. Formula Ford Series car. He won his first Rookie-of-the-Year title that season along with the series championship. In 2000 he moved to the Toyota Atlantic Series. He won another Rookie-of-the-Year title and finished second in the series championship standings. He repeated those accomplishments in 2001, only in the Indy Lights Series. Wheldon served as a test driver for Panther Racing's IRL team in 2002 and drove in the final two races of the season as Sam Hornish Jr.'s teammate.<BR> <BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>