Jimmy Vasser returns to Long Beach

Jimmy Vasser, who won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in 1996, will return for the last Champ Car World Series race in Long Beach, he confirmed today.
Vasser, who co-owns the KV Racing Technology team in the now defunct Champ Car World Series, will drive the team's No. 12 entry in the Long Beach race on April 20. He will part of a three-car lineup for the team that also includes Oriol Servia from Spain and Will Power from Australia.
"I don't expect to be fighting for the victory, having been out of the car for two years, but it will be a lot of fun and a great honor to take part in the Champ Car World Series' final race," said Vasser, a native Californian. "It will also be great to compete one more time in front of all the southern California fans that have been so supportive of me throughout my career."
Vasser's last race in Champ Car was on April 9, 2006, in the Long Beach Grand Prix.
This will be Vasser's 16th appearance in the Long Beach Grand Prix. He has 10 top-10 finishes and three podiums in 15 career starts at Long Beach, in CART and the Champ Car World Series. He is also the Champ Car record holder for most consecutive starts with 211.
After the Long Beach race, Servia and Power will resume their seasons in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The Champ Car World Series merged with the IRL to create a single unified open-wheel racing series. The Long Beach Grand Prix is running the same weekend as the IRL's race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. To resolve the scheduling conflict, the IRL agreed to allow existing Champ Car teams to race in Long Beach instead of Japan. IRL points will be awarded for both races, but the Long Beach race is being billed as the last Champ Car World Series race.