Skip Barber champ and Exclusive Management Inc. driver signed as team's first USF2000 entry for 2012

INDIANAPOLIS - Andretti Autosport announced today it has signed Exclusive Management Inc. driver Thomas McGregor for the 2012 Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. McGregor will pilot the No. 7 USF2000 car for Andretti Autosport. 

McGregor, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, previously spent a year and a half competing in Skip Barber and secured the Skip Barber Racing School Formula Southern Series Championship title in 2011. He was the runner up in both the Skip Barber Formula 2000 Western Series and the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED MX5 championships in 2011. He then moved on to compete in a partial schedule of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda Championship collecting two wins and a third place podium finish. To date, McGregor has accumulated a total of 17 wins, 33 podium finishes and 11 pole positions in 56 starts in the formula car. 

McGregor began racing at the age of 11 when he first raced Rotax Karts at the Saskatoon Kart Club. In seven years of karting in Canada, he recorded 15 karting championships before moving on to open-wh eel and sports car racing at age 18. 

McGregor will participate in the Mazda Road to Indy open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 28 and 29 with Andretti Autosport. He will also compete in the USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest in February 2012 at Sebring International Raceway and Palm Beach International Raceway. The first rounds of the 2012 USF2000 season will begin in March at Sebring.

Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the USF2000 National Championship, presented by Cooper Racing Tires and powered by Mazda, is one of two series part of both the INDYCAR's Mazda Road to Indy ladder system and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver program. Andretti Autosport is currently the only INDYCAR team with entries in all levels of the Mazda Road to Indy.

For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com or www.USF2000.com. 

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT: 

"We're really pleased to welcome Thomas to Andretti Autosport next year in the USF2000 car. We've had a lot of success the past few years in this first step of the Mazda Road to Indy, and with Thomas' experience, I think we have another strong season ahead of us." 

MICHAEL DUNCALFE, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EXCLUSIVE MANAGEMENT INC.: 

"I am very excited that we are finally able to announce that EMI driver Thomas McGregor will be driving for Andretti Autosport in 2012. This is a great opportunity for Thomas as he will be able to benefit from the wealth of knowledge and experience that the entire Andretti Autosport team has. I have no doubt that Thomas will be able to not only flourish in this amazing racing environment, but also work towards bringing home another championship for the Andretti Autosport team in 2012. I would also like to thank Michael Andretti and J-F Thormann for having faith in Thomas' abilities behind the wheel and giving him this amazing opportunity to represent Andretti Autosport."  

THOMAS MCGREGOR, DRIVER: 

"I am honored to have signed with Andretti Autosport for the 2012 USF2000 season. The team has had success in every level of the Mazda Road to Indy program, from USF2000 all the way up to IndyCar. Being with Andretti Autosport gives me the best opportunity to develop as a driver and progress through the Road to Indy program. I am grateful for this opportunity and have to thank Exclusive Management Inc. and Andretti Autosport for giving me this chance. I am looking forward to the upcoming season."  

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About Thomas McGregor

From 56 Formula car starts, 19-year old Thomas McGregor has netted 17 wins, 33 podiums, 11 poles and his current win percentage of 38.44%. His racing career began at the age of 11 when he first raced Rotax Karts at the Saskatoon Kart Club. In his seven year karting career McGregor amassed 15 karting championships across Canada. In his final year of high school, at age 18, McGregor, along with his parents and Michael Duncalfe made the decision to transition him into open wheel and sports car racing. Thomas has natural talent behind the wheel of a race car. He is determined to continuously improve and will do whatever it takes (on and off the track) to achieve success in his racing career.  

About Exclusive Management Inc.

Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Exclusive Management Inc. is a full-scale management and marketing firm specializing in the motor-sports industry. President and CEO, Michael Duncalfe, founded the company in 2007 after competing at the upper levels of open-wheel racing. Exclusive Management Inc. has over 30 years of combined experience in motorsports, management and marketing and represents athletes in all ranges of competition including Karts, Formula cars, Mazda Road to Indy, Grand-Am, ALMS, World Challenge and a number of series in Europe. For more information, please visit www.ExclusiveManagementInc.com.   

About Andretti Autosport

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.