Yoong snatches late Coyne deal

Yoong had expected to join the Champ Car series later in the season, but the opportunity has arisen to start his campaign this weekend.

"It's a great opportunity for me from Dale Coyne Racing," said Yoong. "The team is showing great faith in me as they know it's not possible to raise the sponsorship at a late notice but I'm confident of organising the sponsors once this race is under our belt. The race, however, will be tough, as I've never tested a Champ Car, but I've never stopped training to maintain my physical condition, so with the experience I've got from F1, I feel I'm ready for this challenge."

"I've always known that something was going to pop up for me, but the real trick was to get a drive that I wanted without needing to buy the drive. It's fine if the team can capitalise on my performance to get sponsorship for the team. I aim to repay their faith in me through my performance as well as get more funding for the team as a result of the performance. My manager has been working hard since fall to secure this drive for me, but I did not expect to be called up until round three in Long Beach," he added.