Two-time IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing announced a partnership with Aguri Suzuki to field an entry for 2004 IndyCar Series Bombardier Rookie of the Year Kosuke Matsuura in 2007.

Super Aguri Panther Racing, as the partnership will be known, will field Matsuura in his familiar No. 55 Panasonic ARTA Honda-powered Dallara alongside Vitor Meira, who finished fifth in the championship standings for Panther Racing in 2006.

Matsuura, who earned both the Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year and Bombardier Rookie of the Year honors in 2004, has collected 17 top-10 finishes in his IndyCar Series career, highlighted by a personal-best finish of fourth place at Kentucky Speedway during his rookie season.

“We are absolutely thrilled with this partnership with Super Aguri and the opportunity to run Kosuke Matsuura in the IndyCar Series next season,” Panther CEO and co-owner John Barnes said. “Kosuke is a great talent, and we feel like we have the people to teach him how to finish what he does in his races. I’m excited to get him into the Panther way of life and watch him grow into the great race car driver we know he is going to become. This is a great time for us. Everybody here knows Super Aguri, Panasonic and Kosuke just made Panther Racing a much better team.”

The 27-year-old Matsuura is originally from Aichi, Japan and entered the IndyCar Series after successful stints in the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup Championship and German Formula 3 Championship. Last season, he finished 13th in the IndyCar Series standings, with six top-10 finishes and a best result of sixth at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“I am very happy to have an opportunity to race in my fourth season in the IndyCar Series and realize that it is a big responsibility,” Matsuura said. “Panther Racing has won a series championship in 2001 and 2002, so I am very thrilled to be able to join the champion team in this new partnership. I will do my very best and aim to win.”

The announcement marks Panther Racing’s return to a two-car operation after spending 2006 as a single-car effort. Panther previously fielded two cars during the 2004 season and as many as three entries during parts of the 2005 campaign. The team earned back-to-back series championships with Sam Hornish Jr. in 2001 and 2002 and has collected 15 race victories in its nine-year history.

With the formation of Super Aguri Panther Racing, the team welcomes former Formula One driver Suzuki to the team. Suzuki, who became involved in the IndyCar Series in 2002, is one of Japan’s most successful Formula 1 drivers and has been helping promote young Japanese drivers through the ARTA (Autobacs Racing Team Aguri) Project.

“I am very happy and excited to be able to make a new entry in the IndyCar Series with Panther Racing as Super Aguri Panther Racing,” Suzuki said. “Though it will be the fourth season for Kosuke Matsuura, he has so much to learn from Panther Racing. I believe Matsuura will show positive and dramatic change next season.”

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