Andretti Autosport kicks off whirlwind IndyCar season in St. Petersburg

The 2014 season of the Verizon IndyCar Series gets under way this weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. As Team Andretti Autosport’s Official Logistics and Express Provider, DHL will be there for every checkered flag of the condensed 2014 season.

It’s been a long winter of tinkering, testing, and tweaking, but the first race of the 2014 IndyCar Series has finally arrived. The Andretti Autosport team and its drivers are ready to put the pedal to the metal, but getting ready for the first race on March 30 in Florida has been a collective effort.

“There is a lot more to a race team than just the drivers and cars,” said Michael Andretti, President of Andretti Autosport. “From the engineers, to the painters, to the hospitality staff, the commercial team, our travel coordinator, the accounting department and fabricators, everyone is doing their part to be sure all the pieces fall into place for the first race.”

Andretti Autosport will have four drivers on the IndyCar Series circuit this year, including the 2012 Series champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay. He’ll be driving the #28 DHL Honda, and after finishing last season ranked seventh, he’s got his eye fixed on the top in 2014.

“Like many teams, we enter each season with two over-arching goals: winning the Indianapolis 500 and the series championship,” Andretti said. “We have two Indy 500 victories and four championships in Andretti Autosport’s history, and a stable of competitive drivers, so we know these goals are obtainable. DHL driver Ryan Hunter-Reay captured the championship in 2012 and will be looking to bring it back to the team this season.”

"Being one of the largest teams on the circuit, we have a lot of moving parts to coordinate." (Michael Andretti, President Andretti Autosport)

As the team’s Official Logistics and Express Provider, DHL handles all of Andretti Autosport’s logistics needs – from shipping the team’s cars and equipment between races, to express delivery of urgent spare parts. Problem-free logistics are important to keeping the team firing on all cylinders over the course of 18 races between St. Petersburg and the season finale on August 30 at the MAVTV 500 in Fontana, California. Last year, the season stretched all the way until October, meaning smooth operation will be particularly critical in the shorter 2014 season.

“With the condensed schedule, logistics will be key this season,” Andretti said. “Every trip for the transporters and the support staff has to be planned in detail. Being one of the largest teams on the circuit, we have a lot of moving parts to coordinate.”

DHL driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and the rest of Team Andretti Autosport will be racing the circuits of the Verizon IndyCar Series all summer long. Stay tuned to DHL InMotion for the latest on Ryan and the team!