Francois to make IPS debut at Gateway.

Open-wheel veteran and St Louis native Curtis Francois will make his Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series debut this weekend as the IRL support series resumes at Gateway International Raceway.

Francois will drive the #9 Budweiser Racing/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara in the Gateway 100, having made the jump from the SRPII sportscar events he has contested in recent months.

"I have probably competed in well over 100 events at Gateway, but nothing as prestigious as this event," said Francois, who has earned victories in SCCA FF2000 competition at the St. Louis-area facility, "Budweiser and Ray Parsons have given me an incredible opportunity for which I am extremely grateful."

Francois' first experience in a 450-horsepower Infiniti Pro Series car came last week during testing at the 1.25-mile Gateway oval.

"The test session was great," he reported, "There is definitely a learning curve going from road course to oval, but the Sam Schmidt team has the Budweiser car set up great for this race, and I know this track well enough that I feel very comfortable out there."

The 38-year old, is a veteran of SCCA Sports 2000 and FF2000 competition. In 2002, he teamed with co-drivers Jeff Clinton, Jeff Tillman and Larry Connor in an Archangel Motorsports SRP II Nissan/Lola to finish fourth in class at the Rolex 24 endurance classic at Daytona.

A 'local' company also backs the local driver, as Budweiser, the world's best-selling beer, is brewed by St Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Inc.