"I feel like it's important for the fans to know what I think about everything that has happened this last week. I didn't want to leave Panther and the No. 4 car because I know how good this team is going to be next year. I feel like I'm a big part of the foundation of this team in the new generation of the IndyCar Series. I'm sad to leave and I don't agree with all the decisions that have been made, but that doesn't change the way I feel about Panther Racing and I'll always have a lot of respect for them. I feel like I'm personal friends with every member of this team. That will never change.
I'm also happy to have had the experience with all the sponsors who have supported me, especially Delphi for the two years of support and trust. The National Guard, as an institution, and the soldiers as individuals, changed me personally and the way I look at everything. One of the key words in the National Guard is 'honor', and I'm honored to get to know every member of the National Guard and I always will be, even if I don't drive their car in the future. I will always know, no matter what, that wherever I am the Guardsmen are Always Ready and Always There.
I look forward to continuing my career in the IndyCar Series, and will share any updates as they come available." - Vitor Meira
“Bill Vukovich: The Man Who Wouldn’t Lift”
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I don’t read as many books as I used to. It seems there are fewer and fewer
hours in each day. It used to be that my best book-reading time was
bedtime. Bu...
14 hours ago
Given my line of work, it's easy for me to be cynical about PRs like this - much more often than not, they're written by agents and ghostwriters and "approved" by a laundry list of people (the actual driver being the lowest on that totem pole)...
...but in this case, I believe these sentiments are Vitor's real words (except that line about the Guard and the embedded slogan). If he doesn't have an IRL ride next year, it will be a travesty.
I think anyone can understand why Panther let Vitor go considering who they are getting as a replacement. But, Vitor being Vitor, it sucks because he seems like a genuinely good guy.
Hopefully he'll end up back at RLR as Ryan's teammate because I think the two of them could get that team back into shape.
It just makes me sad. What a class act, that Vitor. I do hope he'll end up back at RLR w/RHR. That would be awesome.
Is it just a little odd that the driver for the National Guard sponsored cars was from Brazil, and now Great Britain?