Dubbed as the fastest woman in America, Milka Duno is the first woman to post a win in a major international sports car race in North America. She accomplished the feat after winning the Grand Prix of Miami with Andy Wallace in 2004 at the Homestead Miami Speedway.
On March 23, CITGO racing announced that they will be fielding a CITGO Racing/SAMAX Motorsport Dallara/Honda/Firestone in ten Indy Car Series events in 2007 season with Duno taking the spot behind the wheel. The prestigious Indianapolis 500 is one of the races that Milka will be competing on. The announcement was made at the Homestead Miami Speedway where Milka won the race and had taken her right into the spotlight.
"This is a dream come true for me. I've always wanted to race in the Indianapolis 500 and in the IndyCar Series, and I can't begin to thank CITGO for continuing to support my racing, as well as everybody at SAMAX Motorsport," says Milka. "The SAMAX team brings a lot of open-wheel experience to the IndyCar Series and I'm hopeful that will make my transition into the series a bit smoother. To make this announcement in my hometown of Miami with my family and friends and fans around me is terrific," she added farther.
Announcing the entry of Milka on the prestigious series was Felix Rodriguez who is the president and the Chief Executive Officer of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. "I am very proud of Milka's accomplishments as a member of the great CITGO family and as a fellow Venezuelan. We certainly look forward to her continued success in this new phase of her career," says Rodriguez.
Also present at the announcement was Peter Baron, the team principal of SAMAX Motorsport. Baron has this to say during the announcement: "I would like to personally thank CITGO and Milka for their continued support and faith in our program. We know this effort, with a new sponsor, driver and team will not be easy, but we are thrilled to have this opportunity and will work our hardest to give Milka the necessary tools to succeed on track. I feel we have done a tremendous job creating a team with the perfect mix of "Indy talent" and team members that have worked with Milka from the beginning. Milka is already at home with the team which is the foundation from where all the growth and success begins."
With her skills, the backing of a good team, and a vehicle with high performance parts just like , she will definitely make a mark in the series. How she performs against established drivers in the series remains to be seen though. But her upcoming entry to the Indianapolis 500 is already an accomplishment in itself.
