"We are very pleased to have Greg Ray join the Honda IRL 'family'," said Robert Clarke, General Manager of Honda Performance Development. "As a previous race winner, series champion, and Indy 500 pole qualifier, Greg will be a valuable addition to our driver lineup. And by selecting a Panoz G Force chassis, the Access Motorsports program brings additional depth to our IRL IndyCar Series effort."
Sponsorship support for the effort comes from EDS, Panasonic Computer Solutions Company (PCSC) and Spirian Technologies. The team is planning to make its 2003 debut at the Twin Ring Motegi event in April.
"Team ownership definitely has been a goal of mine for a very long time," said Ray, 36, winner of five IndyCar Series events in 55 career starts and the record-holder for most career poles with 14. "On the other hand, I'm nowhere near the end of my driving career, so this is a unique step that allows me to experience the best of both worlds and, more importantly, to take control of my own racing destiny. We have assembled a great group of people and I'm very excited about the prospects of winning races and growing the business."
In addition to Ray, the ownership group for Indianapolis-based team includes veteran team manager Ted Bitting, technical director Jeff Britton, crew chief Jamie Nanny and New York City businessman Brent Townsend.
Ray joins other Honda-powered drivers in the 2003 IRL IndyCar Series, including Michael Andretti, Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan of Andretti Green Racing; Kenny Brack with Team Rahal; Shinji Nakano, who will drive for Beck Motorsports at next month's race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan; and rookie Roger Yasukawa with Super Aguri Fernandez Racing.