INDIANAPOLIS (March 8, 2013) - Sage Karam, the third-place finisher in the 2012 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires, will drive in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM).

With the addition of Karam, the SPM Firestone Indy Lights team now includes the top-three finishers in the '12 Pro Mazda Championship, the second rung in the Mazda Road to Indy ladder, directly below Firestone Indy Lights.

In '12, Karam, 18, recorded three wins, two poles, 10 podiums and three track records driving for Andretti Autosport. He battled Jack Hawksworth and Gabby Chaves during each race weekend, but the three competitors will unite as teammates at SPM.

"One of the most exciting things I am looking forward to this year is working with proven and talented teammates in Jack and Gabby," Karam said. "I feel both of these guys will push my driving to the next level and I believe we will feed off of each other's progress. Hopefully we'll all bring something to the table each race weekend."

Team owner Sam Schmidt is eager to add Karam to his arsenal as the team seeks its seventh championship. Karam turned his first laps in an SPM car at a two-day series open test at Sebring International Raceway March 7-8.

"We've been watching Sage throughout the entire Mazda Road to Indy ladder, and he has excelled in both USF2000 and Pro Mazda, so we have high expectations for his first year in Firestone Indy Lights," Schmidt said. "Age is always something to consider, but from what we've seen in Sage's recent racing seasons, he is mature beyond his years in the car. He has knowledge of many of the circuits we'll be racing at this year, so from that standpoint he won't be a pure rookie."

Karam, of Nazareth, Penn., was drawn to the team because of its consistency in winning Firestone Indy Lights championships. SPM has developed a formula with proven results in its Firestone Indy Lights cars, and Karam is focused on improving his racecraft in a car he knows will be fast.

"In retrospect, I have always been somewhat of a development driver in the USF2000 and Pro Mazda cars, but now I'm stepping into a car that has been developed out, and the focus can shift to my driving," Karam said. "The beauty of being with a team like SPM is that there is no guessing. I can have total faith in whatever they do."

Comfort Revolution, a company that has backed Karam's career for several years, will sponsor his car again in 2013.

"Sage is a young man with tremendous natural talent, and I think he's going to do great things in the racing industry," said Michael Fux, CEO of Comfort Revolution. "Having a ride with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Sage will be someone to look out for."

Karam and his SPM teammates head to Barber Motorsports Park on March 11 for the final series preseason open test. The Firestone Indy Lights season opens on streets of St. Petersburg on March 23. The race will air on March 24 at 11 a.m. (ET), preceding the broadcast of the IZOD IndyCar Series race.