The young Japanese driver ran all but one of the sixteen events of the past Indy Pro season, racking up thirteen top ten finishes, including two wins. He ended 2007 with a one-off ride for Panther racing in the final IndyCar event of the year at Chicagoland, where he ran as high as sixth and finished in a very solid eighth place.

"Although Hideki did not win the championship last year, he did very well his first year of racing on ovals in a very tough and competitive series," AGR co-owner Kim Green said. "I think that validates him moving up to the IndyCar Series. He was a tough competitor last year in the Indy Pro Series with (AGR driver) Jaime Camara. He starts in our training program right away. He'll be spending a lot of time at the race shop, which is great for him from a communication standpoint. We'll then be trying to get into an in-depth rookie test schedule before the season." 

For his part, Mutoh is anxious to get to work. "It's very exciting. The team's record is very impressive and I am hopeful that I can contribute to its future success. For me to race next year, I need to start right away (adopting the physical workout routine, visiting the race shop often to open communication channels with engineers and the crew and improve his English)."

Prior to comming to the Indy Pro Series, Mutoh competed in the Formula Nippon Championship and the Japanese Formula 3 Series. His teamates at AGR will be 2004 IndyCar Champion Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti.

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