On the final lap of the 2012 Indianapolis 500, Takuma Sato had a remarkably tough choice to make. He could stay in line behind Dario Franchitti and finish second, or try to pass him and become the first man from Japan to have his face on the famous Borg-Warner trophy. Sato went for the glory, and was spun out by Franchitti when trying to pass in the first turn. Though he may have been unsuccessful at that particular pass, he caught the eye of legendary 4-time Indianapolis 500 champion A.J. Foyt.
Yesterday, Foyt announced Sato would be his driver for the 2013 season. While this had been rumored since last season, it was finally made official. As owner of the ABC Supply team, Foyt liked the fact that his driver had several years of F1 experience but still had the hard charging hungry spirit of a rookie. For those new to racing, F1 is short for Formula One, which is the more global and sophisticated form of open wheel racing. It is often considered the world's creme de la creme of racing while Indy Car is considered America's top open wheel racing style.
Sato is looking forward to 2013, and told the press "I have seen the potential of the team last year on a number of occasions. I think the team has one of the best engineering staffs in the paddock led by Don Halliday. I can't wait to start testing next month."
This year's Indianapolis 500 will be Sunday, May 26. It is a tradition that the race is held the day before memorial day to honor fallen troops. Over the years, the tradition has changed somewhat to honor all military personnel, active, reserves and veterans alike, as well as the fallen.
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