Richard Antinucci has been confirmed to drive the #98 Novicomm Teamꦉ 3G entry in both the Honda Indy Toronto this week and the Rexall Edmonton Indy on 26 July following a solid debut at Watkins Glen on Sunday.

Antinucci finished 19th in the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen on his IndyCar Series debut with the first-year IndyCar Series team, returning to the circuit for the first time since winning there on the way to overall runners-up honours in the 2008 Firestone Indyꦅ Lights championship. He replaced veteran Jaques Lazier behind the wheel of the 3G Dallara-Honda for the road course event, and appears set for a longer run in the car as 3G looks to its second season.

"We have had numerous meetings wit♎h potential sponsors for 2010 and Richard would be a great fit for many of them," team co-owner Steve Sudler noted, "As we look towards building this team for the long-🌃term, we feel that Richard will be a great asset to our marketing partners."

"I am really excited to be working with Team 3G again for the Canadian events," Antinucci admitted, "This is a young team made up of very experienced guys who are just as passionate about competing as I am. We are working hard to hopefully build a long-term programme together, and I🎀 would love to keep driving for these gꦜuys."

After pitting for the first time on lap 17, Anti♍nucci was running in a respectable 13th place when, two laps later, a front upright failure on the #98 car caused it to spin off at turn one. Although repairs were made and Antinucci returned to complete the 60-lap race, he was 13 laps down at the chequered flag.

"Although we aren't able to claim a stunning top three or a glittering top five to reward our effort, I feel happy about myself and the way the ꦺteam has worked this wꦕeekend," the driver, nephew of former IndyCar team owner Eddie Cheever, said.

"I had a good start and didn't have to take excessive risks to keep Rafa Matos' pace. On the contrary, I could push hard and didn't give him any breathing room when I was trailing him, and perhaps that's why he roughe♛d me a tad on lap seven, pushing me off a kerb. But, before the first pit-stop, I was 🙈again stuck on his rear wing.

"Sadly, on lap 18, a front upright had a failure and I deem myself lucky that this happened at turn one, where you have some real room to minimise the outcome of these bad breaks. The guys put me b🐎ack on track but 13 laps down, and I could only focus on pushing as hard as I could.

"The car felt ༺fine, therefore I steadily improved until the end and actually I posted a couple of laps under 1min 32secs in my last and next-🌳to-last lap. On alternate tyres, we were fast and the #98 was also handling the wear of the red tyres well, something that not all the cars managed to do. This confirmed what I had felt after final practice, that our work on the front end of the car was in the right direction.

"Although 19th is not the place I was shooting for on Saturday, my fastest lap �✨�was way better than that, rather in the range of a top eight and, on a clear lap, we could possibly post a top six lap, both in practice and in the race. I have to add that Team 3G must share my opinion, since Greg and Steve will offer me a chance to prove just that in the upcoming IndyCar Canadian rounds, and I cannot find enough words to say thanks for that."