MANN ENTERS INDY 500 WITH DONATE LIFE INDIANA SPONSORSHIP

MANN ENTERS INDY 500 WITH DONATE LIFE INDIANA SPONSORSHIP

Story By: INDYcar Media

Photos By: INDYcar

Pippa Mann is returning to Dale Coyne Racing for this year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil – but with a different look and worthwhile sponsorship initiative. The popular Mann will shed the traditional pink livery on her No. 63 Honda for the colors of new primary sponsor Donate Life Indiana.

Mann is seeking her seventh Indianapolis 500 start in a silvery blue and light green livery that prominently features a sleek Donate Life Indiana logo.

The reveal today at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis kicked off an initiative to educate young drivers about organ and tissue donor registration. In her role as a spokesperson for Donate Life Indiana, Mann will work to increase awareness for DLI’s youth education initiatives in Indiana, which highlight organ, tissue and eye donor registration. She will visit schools, speaking to students and teachers and educating them on the importance of organ donation and transplantation, as well as driver’s education classes.

“Our education team is committed to partnering with Pippa and students and teachers across the state to bring the message of organ donation and transplantation to as many students as possible,” said Steve Johnson, board chairman for Donate Life Indiana.

In recent years, Mann’s car has sported a pink livery through her work with Susan G. Komen to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer. This year’s car will retain portions of pink on the mirrors and the No. 63 decals, and will have Komen logos on the front wings. The 34-year-old from Ipswich, England, said she is proud to represent Donate Life Indiana in a similar fashion.

“I am honored to have been asked to drive the Donate Life car this May and to partner with Donate Life Indiana as an ambassador to raise awareness on our mission to help reach even more Hoosiers through our education efforts,” she said. “This is obviously a campaign with a pretty deep personal meaning for me, and I am humbled to have the opportunity to join the racers carrying this cause forward.

“I also want to thank Dale and Gail Coyne for once again giving me this opportunity to pilot one of their entries this May,” Mann added. “This will be my sixth year with Dale Coyne Racing and I’m truly grateful that they allow me to do this every year.”

Donate Life Indiana is the state-authorized nonprofit responsible for managing the Indiana Donor Registry. Donate Life Indiana’s mission is to make sure drivers are educated and equipped to answer the donor registration question when they visit the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to apply for or renew a license. This is particularly important for young people to understand, as they will typically visit the BMV three times between the ages of 15 and 21.

Mann’s entry is the fourth for Dale Coyne Racing at this year’s Indy 500. The team is also fielding Sebastien Bourdais (No. 18 Team SealMaster Honda in a partnership with Vasser-Sullivan), Pietro Fittipaldi (No. 19 The Paysafe Car Honda) and Conor Daly (No. 17 U.S. Air Force Honda in a partnership with Thom Burns Racing).

Mann scored her best result at the Indianapolis 500 with Dale Coyne Racing at last year’s event with a 17th-place finish. She’ll get her first seat time when practice for the 102nd Indy 500 begins Tuesday, May 15. Qualifying is set for the weekend of May 19-20. The race airs live on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network starting at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, May 27. Tickets are available at IMS.com.