Paretta Autosport will return to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to compete in multiple races in 2022 with driver Simona De Silvestro, adding the support of new team sponsor KiwiCo and a new technical partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing.
The team plans to compete with its No. 16 Chevrolet-powered entry at the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on June 12, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 3 and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Aug. 7 on the streets of Nashville, Team Principal Beth Paretta said. Additional races may be added as schedules permit, Paretta said.
WATCH: Announcement Video
“I am thrilled to announce that we will be back competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2022,” Paretta said. “We had a great first year working with Roger Penske and Team Penske in 2021 as part of the Race for Equality & Change initiative and since then I have been working on building the right structure and opportunity to continue to grow our team. This new technical alliance with Ed Carpenter Racing is exciting for us and will allow us to continue to grow and compete in multiple races this season. Additionally, I am proud to continue our association with Chevrolet who has valued, supported, and championed our efforts for diversity and inclusion from the beginning. This alignment has helped us amplify our message in a meaningful way and we can’t wait to get back on track with them.
“Finally, we are pleased to welcome KiwiCo to our team and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. This partnership will allow us to connect our effort on track to kids and parents at home, which is a critical ingredient of our mission. We invite our fans to visit us at the track to see the KiwiCo crates up close and see how we will continue to make learning fun.”
In 2021, Paretta Autosport became the first woman-owned, woman-driven, women-forward team in NTT INDYCAR SERIES history when the team successfully qualified for and raced in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Most of the women who participated with the team in 2021 will return for the 2022 season as the team continues to actively promote diversity within the sport of racing as part of the Penske Entertainment Corp.’s Race for Equality & Change initiative.
Paretta also announced a new team sponsor, KiwiCo, as the official STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, art, math) learning company that develops engaging hands-on projects and activities to spark children’s curiosity and creativity. The company is on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators with the skills and confidence to become creative problem solvers and critical thinkers – traits necessary for motorsport careers.
“We’re excited to partner with Paretta Autosport in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said Katie Soo, chief marketing officer, KiwiCo. “There are so many exciting career opportunities within a race team. We want to open kids' eyes to those possibilities and get them excited about the science and technology that goes into engineering every single INDYCAR SERIES car – everything from learning how wheels grip the track, the physics of aerodynamics and so much more.”
KiwiCo develops engaging hands-on projects and activities to spark a child’s curiosity and creativity. KiwiCo and Paretta Autosport will collaborate throughout their partnership to highlight STEAM learning and connect on-track activities to off-track learning opportunities. As a special treat for INDYCAR fans, visit KiwiCo.com and use promo code: INDYCAR2022 for special pricing.
The University of South Carolina also returns as an associate sponsor for their second season with the team.
Building on the momentum of 2021, the team has reached an agreement to continue its commitment to Chevrolet as its engine provider.
Along with the KiwiCo and Chevrolet partnerships, Paretta has entered a new technical partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing. Team owner Ed Carpenter – a three-time Indianapolis 500 pole sitter – will supply a car and several crew members to augment the returning members of last year’s Indy 500 Paretta Autosport team.
"ECR is very excited to be a part of the growth of Paretta Autosport,” Carpenter said. “We watched closely what they accomplished at last year's Indy 500 and look forward to helping their progression toward the goal of being a full-season entrant. I have a lot of respect for Beth and Simona and look forward to success with them later this season.”
Fan favorite De Silvestro, from Switzerland, has three top-five and 14 top-10 career finishes in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including a best result of second in 2013 at Houston.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Beth that she keeps having the trust in me and to be able to get one step more into our journey that we’ve started together last year at the Indy 500,” De Silvestro said. “I’m excited to get this opportunity and am really looking forward to going to the places we’re going to. These are tracks that, in the past, I’ve been quite strong at, so for me it really gives me a lot of confidence.
“Associating with Ed Carpenter Racing is going to be great. I think in them we have a great team, as well, and it’s an association that is really important for us to grow into the future and hopefully a lot more things will happen together.”