Indy Racing League (irl) Tickets - Spotlight On Brazilian Irl Drivers

Fans of the IRL recognize that open-wheel racing isn't simply an American pastime

. In fact, most IndyCar drivers don't even call the U.S. home. With the only American drivers on this year's circuit being Ryan Hunter-Reay, Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, Sarah Fisher and Davey Hamilton, the field of IndyCar drivers has opened to a new crop of talent - mainly, Brazilians. Names like Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan have been dominant ones on the IndyCar scene for years, and this year several top drivers leading the pack hail from the South American country. Here are some of the top Brazilian drivers selling Indy Racing League (IRL) tickets this year.

Helio Castroneves. Castroneves is already off to a better start in 2010 than he was in 2009, considering his lack of legal woes this season. Castroneves is a top driver on the IRL circuit and is a three-time Indy 500 winner, looking for his first series championship this year. The Sao Paulo native has been an IRL hero since his debut season in 2001 (when he first won the Indy 500 - an astonishing feat for a rookie), and he's looking to add to his trophy room in 2010 with his first-ever IRL championship.

Tony Kanaan. Andretti Autosport has been home to Brazilian Tony Kanaan since the 2003 IRL season, when the fledgling driver joined the team as Michael Andretti's replacement. Ever since then, Kanaan has been an absolute threat to the competition. Kanaan notched his first and only series championship win in 2004, during his second full season in the IRL, and he's looking to back up his worst-ever sixth place finish last season with a trophy in 2010.

Raphael Matos. Driving for Luczo Dragon Racing de Ferran Motorsports, Raphael Matos is a fresh face on the IndyCar circuit. Rafa won the Firestone Indy Lights championship in 2008, propelling him into the big league for the 2009 season. Matos has yet to win a race in the IRL, but his first two races this year have both yielded Top 10 finishes - at fourth and eighth, respectively.

Vitor Meira. Meira has been relatively quiet on the racing scene since his debut in 2003, and he's still searching for his first win on the IndyCar circuit. On top of that all, the A.J. Foyt Enterprises driver went through a hellacious year in 2009, breaking two vertebrae in his lower back during a fiery crash in the pits at last year's Indy 500 and sitting the rest of the year out. He's back in 2010 and placed a respectable third at Sao Paulo, perhaps signaling he's on the way to his first No. 1 finish.

Mario Moraes. 21-year-old Mario Moraes is in his third year in the IRL, coming off a 14th place series finish last year. He's off to a less-than-stellar start to the season this year, however, enduring disappointing crashes in both of the IRL's first two races of the season at Sao Paulo and St. Pete. Moraes will attempt to seek revenge on those first two poor starts over the course of the next couple months, still looking to claim his first race victory, as well.

Mario Romancini. Rookie Mario Romancini is still getting the feel for the big league after moving up from the Firestone Indy Lights Series this year. The Sao Paulo native didn't even cross the finish line at his hometown race to start the IndyCar season this year in Brazil, but he finished in 13th place at St. Pete, giving a glimpse of hope for the Conquest Racing youngster.

Ana Beatriz. Brazilian beauty Ana Beatriz (the racecar driver - not the model) is another rookie ready to try her hand at the IRL. Beatriz became the first woman driver to ever win a Firestone Indy Lights race in 2008 when she triumphed at the Nashville Superspeedway, and after spending two years with Indy Lights she officially made her foray into the IRL at this year's Sao Paulo race, for which Dreyer & Reinbold fielded a third car. Beatriz didn't drive at the successive St. Pete race and an extended future with Dreyer & Reinbold hasn't yet been announced.

by: Pat Smith

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