Four-time Indianapolis 500-starter Jimmy Kite has been signed to drive the Ethanol Hemelgarn Racing ##91 Dallara-Toyota in the 89th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29th. With that announcement today by team officials, the Stockbridge, Ga. resident will now attempt to qualify and race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kite was approached by the 1996 Indianapolis 500 winning team owned by Ron Hemelgarn (Toledo, Oh.) following the injuries of the team’s regular Indy Racing IndyCar Series driver Paul Dana (St. Louis) in practice on Friday, May 13. Kite will put in his first laps behind the wheel of the Toyota-powered Dallara when practice resumed for the “Greatest Spectacle In Racing” today. It will be Kite’s first time with the Toyota V8 powering him but the 1998 “Fastest Rookie Qualifier” has two previous starts in the Italian-built Dallara chassis and all but one of his “500” starts on Firestone tires.(Jimmy Kite Motorsports PR)(5-19-2005)
