Dillon Battistini

Dillon Battistini (born 3 December 1977) is an English-born racecar driver from Ewell.

Dillon Battistini
Nationality	British
Born	3 December 1977 Ewell, England
Firestone Indy Lights Series
Years active	2008–2010
Teams	Panther Racing Team Moore Racing Genoa Racing Team PBIR Bryan Herta Autosport
Starts	19
Wins	4
Poles	1
Best finish	6th in 2008
Previous series
2006–2007 2003	Asian Formula Three Championship Caterham R400 Challenge
Championship titles
2007	Asian Formula Three Championship

Battistini competed in various classes of karting, finishing 3rd in the Junior European Championship and becoming the British Open Champion before moving to cars. In the Caterham R400 challenge in 2003, he won the most races and the driver of the year award, finishing 2nd in the Championship after being taken out from behind in the penultimate race at Brands Hatch which cost him the points lead considering his track position at the time. In 2006 and 2007 he raced in the Asian Formula Three Championship, finishing 4th his first year and winning the 2007 series championship and the most races on 5 race wins. After testing a Champ Car for Minardi Team USA and the subsequent unification of American Open Wheel Racing, Battistini signed to race in the Firestone Indy Lights Series (formerly the Indy Pro Series) for Panther Racing less than 10 days before the season was set to begin. Battistini won his first race in the series which was also his first race on an oval track at Homestead-Miami Speedway on 29 March 2008.[1]

Battistini driving in Indy Lights at St. Petersburg

On 24 May Battistini won the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the pole for his second win of the season. Later that week he revealed that he and his team are preparing for him to make his IndyCar Series debut later in 2008.[2] He won two further races at Iowa and Kentucky. For the final race of the year, Battistini left the Panther team to race for Team Moore Racing.[3] Battistini was presented with the Gregory and Appel 'Securing Tomorrow' Award for winning the most races in the season at the 2008 IRL Awards Evening in Las Vegas. He competed in the fourth race of the 2009 season in a one-off for Genoa Racing and has been attempting to find a ride in the IndyCar Series. Having been unable to do so, he made two Indy Lights oval race appearances in 2010 for Team PBIR and Bryan Herta Autosport.

He participated in an IndyCar test with Conquest Racing at Kentucky Speedway on 23 September 2011 and made his IndyCar Series debut with the team in the 2011 season's race at Kentucky.[4]

Racing record

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

Indy Lights Series

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Rank	Points
2008	Panther Racing	HMS 1	STP1 21	STP2 4	KAN 4	INDY 1	MIL 14	IOW 1	WGL1 17	WGL2 20	NSH 19	MDO1 18	MDO2 19	KTY 1	SNM1 18	SNM2 15		6th	385
	Team Moore Racing																CHI 23
2009	Genoa Racing	STP1	STP2	LBH	KAN 15	INDY	MIL	IOW	WGL	TOR	EDM	KTY	MDO	SNM	CHI	HMS		29th	15
2010	Team PBIR	STP	ALA	LBH	INDY	IOW	WGL	TOR	EDM	MDO	SNM	CHI 9	KTY					22nd	44
	Bryan Herta Autosport													HMS 9

IndyCar Series

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Rank	Points
2011	Conquest Racing	Dallara	Honda	STP	ALA	LBH	SAO	INDY	TXS1	TXS2	MIL	IOW	TOR	EDM	MDO	NHM	SNM	BAL	MOT	KTY 28	LVS^1	46th	10

¹ Cancelled after Dan Wheldon died from injuries sustained in a 15-car crash on lap 11.

References

1. Lewandowski, Dave. Great Start, IndyCar.com, 29 March 2008
2. English, Steven & Andrew van de Burgt. Battistini plans two Panther outings, autosport.com, 29 May 2008
3. Loomis, Katie. Battistini Shifts Gears to Drive Team Moore Entry in Chicagoland Finale Archived 2 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Team Moore PR via IndyProRacer.com, 4 September 2008
4. Battistini to test for Conquest, Racer, 19 September 2011, Retrieved 19 September 2011

External links

• Dillon Battistini – professional racing driver