Paul Tracy will replace the injured Vitor Meira in this weekend’s IndyCar Series race in Milwaukee, A.J. Foyt Racing announced.
Tracy finished ninth in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 for KV Racing Technology. He is signed to drive for KV for two races later in the season.
“I’m excited to get an opportunity to drive, albeit as a fill-in for Vitor, as I know it’s a short-term thing,” Tracy said in a news release. Indianapolis Star
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“I haven’t told too many people this, but he was one of the guys I modeled myself after,” said Tracy, whose career began when Foyt, the all-time Indy-car victory leader, was still driving.
“I’m a little rough around the edges like him, and I say what I feel. There’s no B.S., and that’s one of the things I’ve always admired about him.”
Meira suffered two fractured vertebrae in his lower back in a crash Sunday in the Indianapolis 500. He was fitted with a brace and is expected to be released Wednesday from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Doctors expect Meira to miss four months of racing, but his hope is to be ready in three, the team said.
He is contracted to KV for the Canadian races, and that is among the reasons that the deal with Foyt is for just the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at this point. The team also considered A.J. Foyt IV, the team owner’s grandson, who drove a second car at Indy, and he may race for the team later this year.
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“For Milwaukee, we just felt like with Paul’s experience there, it would be a great help to our team to have him there,” Larry Foyt said.
“If the team can deliver me a good car, I think I can win the race for them.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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