The race for IndyCar's driver’s championship will be the story line for the MAVTV 500 in Fontana this weekend. Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon leads Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves by 25 points heading into the event. It’s the first time this year Dixon has found himself leading the championship and he will be fighting tooth and nail to secure his third driver’s title. 

The final race of the year always seems to have new faces on the grid, but one face this weekend you might be familiar with is England’s Pippa Mann, the part-time driver for the #18 Dale Coyne Racing car. Pippa is best known for being the first British woman to ever qualify for the Indianapolis 500 back in 2011.  

This will be Pippa’s fourth race for Dale Coyne and she hopes to improve on her 15th place finish at the Pocono IndyCar 400, earlier this year. She’s actually improved every time out this year, so hopefully for her sake that trend continues.

Dale Coyne Racing has turned Pippa into an oval specialist by sharing the second car with fellow-Brit Mike Conway starting at the doubleheader in Detroit. It’s a perfect match as Conway no longer drives on ovals and Pippa is more than happy to take on that role. 

Her sponsor for the 2013 season has been Cyclops Gear and it’s hard not to catch her wearing a pair of them. They are sports-shaped sunglasses that work as a video and still camera well-suited to film you in action either going down the ski slopes, surfing in the water, or biking through some outdoor trails. What we all would really love is to capture her Fontana race through those glasses, but safety first!

It will be Pippa’s first start at Fontana, but she’s eager to make a statement and solidify a ride for the 2014 IndyCar campaign. 

To gain a more up-close and personal look into the world of Pippa Mann, here are some questions and answers that will help you get to know her better.

Pippa Mann

Age: 30

Born: London, England 

Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana

First street car: Peugeot 206

Car that you drive: an Audi A3

Longest road trip taken: Indianapolis to St. Pete. It was the sacrifices you make to do IndyLights TV

Pets: I don’t have any, but I love dogs

List of favourites:

Vacation Spot: Tahiti

Sports team: Indianapolis Colts

Movies: It depends what side of the bed I’m on. There’s so many to choose from. Let’s say Pretty Woman, Twilight and Top Gun

Race track: For an oval it has to be the Indianapolis 500 and for a road course it would be Sonoma

Racing memory: Qualifying for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Conquest Racing

Driver growing-up: Nigel Mansell