By  IndyCar.com staff

It’s been a winter of change for Team PBIR owners Ron Dixon and Kane Williams.

The pair assumed ownership of the Firestone Indy Lights team in the offseason and moved the team into a new race shop in Indianapolis and are preparing a two-car Firestone Indy Lights team for 2010 season.

Now they are preparing to host the Team PBIR (Palm Beach Indy Racing) Rookie Challenge.

The challenge will be held beginning March 17 utilizing the teams’ four Formula BMW single seater race cars. Seventeen drivers from the U.S., Canada and from as far away as Ireland and New Zealand  will have multiple runs in the cars during the challenge clocking over 150 miles in total track time around the 2-mile long 11 turn road course to find two up and coming stars for the world of motorsports.

“I am extremely excited that this event is all go and to have it happen it’s now only weeks away,” said Dixon, father of IZOD IndyCar Series champion Scott DTo be able to offer this chance to so many of the young drivers out there today is a great feeling and then to have two of them join our team for the balance of 2010 is just awesome.”

The challenge will push the entrants to the limit, with a large amount of seat time for the driver but also test them in their physical fitness with renowned driver trainer Jim Leo from Pit Fit in Indianapolis putting them through their paces in a far different way for a full day of the challenge.

Drivers will also go face to face with a panel of media experts, including leading sports broadcaster Jack Arute, award winning Motorsport Producer from New Zealand David Turner and Chuck Elderd, Film Commissioner for the Palm Beach County who will be looking at their skills away from the track and their off track awareness along with a one on one interview situation. A panel of driver experts will be examining them on the track and in their actual driving techniques and feedback to the team.

The winners of the Palm Beach Rookie Challenge will earn one of two options for the successful drivers. If the driver falls between ages 15 – 18 years of age will be presented with the chance to become a member of the team under a ladder scheme starting with US F2000 this season while an older driver will become part of the Team’s Firestone Indy Lights program for 2010 and hit the track as early as the following week in St Petersburg * subject to Indy Racing League approval.

source http://www.indycar.com