Jimmy Kite Earns Ten Spots On Way to Nashville Checker

LEBANON, Tenn., July 16 2005 � Jimmy Kite (Stockbridge, Ga.) fought a loose racecar for 200 laps to finish 13th in tonight's Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway (Lebanon, Tenn.). With rain washing out qualifying, the field for Kite's 28th career IndyCar Series start was set based on practice speeds leaving the 29 year-old 23rd at the drop of the green flag. Kite worked with the Ethanol Hemelgarn Racing crew to progressively bring the No. 91 Ethanol/ Life Fitness Toyota-powered Dallara up through the field. When the checkered flag cast its shadow across the 1.33-mile, concrete oval, Kite had brought the blue and white No. 91 up ten spots to match his best finish of the year with the Indianapolis-based team. Kite, who competed 195 laps, struggled from the drop of the green flag with a car that was not working well with the concrete surface of the banked Nashville oval. Despite constant efforts to remedy the handling of the car on each stop, Kite had to be at the top of his game to keep the rear-end of the car tucked in shape. The effort would pay off as the 1997 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year earned $37,500 in his fifth IndyCar Series of the year. Kite joined Ethanol Hemelgarn at the Indianapolis 500 in May as the replacement driver for the injured Paul Dana (St. Louis).Kite and the Ethanol Hemelgarn Toyota will next compete on July 24th at the flat Milwaukee Mile. It will be Kite's first appearance in an Indy car at the historic Wisconsin track. Jimmy Kite: “It wasn't our best night but we brought it home. The car was pretty loose all night. We did everything we could for it but we just couldn't keep the back of the Ethanol/Life Fitness Toyota in place. I have to admit I was really happy to see the checkered flag. We're looking forward to Milwaukee.”To learn more about Jimmy Kite, please visit www.JimmyKite.com. For the Jimmy Kite Fan Club, log-on to www.JimmyKiteFans.com. To keep in touch with Jimmy and the MRD Motorsports Team go to www.TeamMRD.com. For more on Ethanol Hemelgarn Racing, please see www.HemelgarnRacing.com. ###