Mouser Electronics Gears Up with IndyCar Champion Tony Kanaan for Grand Prix at Long Beach

Mouser Electronics, Inc., regarded as a top design engineering resource and global distributor for semiconductors and electronic components, today announces racing preparations are in top gear for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, CA. where IndyCar champion Tony Kanaan will drive the No. 11 Mouser Electronics/GEICO/KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Firestone IndyCar on April 15.

The Long Beach race signals the green flag for Mouser as it launches into the 2012 IndyCar season. Mouser first set its sights on IndyCar sponsorship last year as an innovative way to communicate the company’s drive for high-performance and speed, and as a high-tech platform to showcase its valued supplier partnerships.

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Joining Mouser as co-sponsors are TTI, Inc, Murata, Molex, TE Connectivity, Phoenix Contact, Littelfuse, KEMET, Ohmite, Hammond, Harwin, Digi, ebm-papst, Omron, BIVAR, Fluke, and Amphenol. After a record-breaking 2011 debut, Mouser is eagerly racing into the new Indy season alongside its IndyCar partners and Kanaan in the driver’s seat.

The infamous race spans 167 miles of adrenaline-filled track. Ever since its commencement in 1975, the track at Long Beach has seen decades of high-intensity, high-speed duels between some of the top names in IndyCar racing, such as the 1977 race where Mario Andretti avoided a first-lap, multi-car collision and went on to out-duel Formula One stars Jody Scheckter and Niki Lauda to become the first American to win a F/One race in a U.S. Grand Prix.

"The Grand Prix at Long Beach is one of the most exciting IndyCar events of the year, and after Tony’s impressive performance in 2011, we’re all pulling for him as he gears up for the challenge ahead," says Larry Johannes, Mouser Vice President of Strategic Marketing. "With Tony behind the wheel, and Mouser and all of our supplier partners cheering him on, this year’s race is sure to be a pulse-pounding battle."

Kanaan brings a proven track record to IndyCar racing. In 2003, Michael Andretti selected Kanaan to take his driver’s seat. He didn’t disappoint, posting one victory, nine top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 16 races. 2004 was even more spectacular. He became the first driver in major auto racing history to finish every lap of every race for an entire season on his way to driving away with the 2004 IndyCar Series title. To date, he has captured 14 victories and 14 poles in addition to his championship run in 2004.