2008 Dallara Brian Stewart Racing IndyLights

Mitchell Cunningham Joins Brian Stewart Racing

Brian Stewart Racing has signed New Zealand's Mitchell Cunningham to contest the eight road course races on the 2008 Indy Pro Series schedule.

Cunningham, 21, is the younger brother of 2005 Indy Pro Series champion Wade Cunningham, who drove for Brian Stewart Racing in 2005 and again in 2006, when the team claimed its two series entrant titles.

'I think Mitchell will have great success in the Indy Pro Series,' team owner Brian Stewart said. 'I'm confident that he will do a good job for us and I know we'll do a good job for him.'

Mitchell Cunningham made his debut in cars last year after following his older brother into European karting He finished fifth in the Pacific Formula Ford 2000 Series scoring a win at Willow Springs in California in just his third start in the series. He finished sixth in the recently concluded Toyota Racing Series point standings in New Zealand.

'I see this as a way of getting experience in the bigger, more powerful (Indy Pro Series) cars before tackling a full program in 2009,' Cunningham said. 'It's a big jump from the cars I have been driving like the FF2000 and the Toyotas, which are four cylinders and produce up to maybe 200 horsepower, and the IPS car which is a V8 and produces 450 horsepower, but by doing it this way I can focus on one thing at a time.'

Source - Brian Stewart Racing / Indycar