Wheldon Extends Panther Stay for 2010

Although starting the year with some very high expectations for his 7th straight season in the IRL, British driver Dan Wheldon had one of the most difficult campaign in years. Having switched from Target Chip Ganassi Racing to former outfit Panther Racing, Wheldon had to settle for a disappointing 10th place overall.

Dan started the season with the sole thought of battling for the title this year, but instead scored a single podium finish throughout 2009, at Indy. However, the rough season seemed to have made him stronger and more eager to succeed next year, as he chose to stay at Panther for a second year running.

The announcement was made official during the course of today, as Wheldon also did some changing at his aims for 2010. Instead of racing for the title, he'd rather fight for race wins and continue the development of the current car.

“I feel like we made some progress towards the end of the season, after some struggles, that shows we're heading in the right direction. My goals are to win races. Obviously we haven't achieved everything we wanted for the season, so for next year I'd like to build on the momentum that we've created this year and make it a winning season,” said Wheldon.

“What I can tell you is that we're going to be fighting tooth and nail to improve. We've got a group here that we really like, and I've made clear in the last two weeks what my expectations are for our team and driver,” added Team owner John Barnes, who will tackle another season on a single-drive strategy.