Rounding the Bend - Indy Racing League

Auto Racing Digest, May, 2001 by J.J. O'Malley

With a bulked-up schedule and parity amongst its drivers, Buddy Lazier and the IRL are looking forward to a season of growth

IN 2000, THE INDY RACING NORTHERN Lights League proved it was no longer simply a support series built around its flagship event, the Indianapolis 500. Exciting racing was the rule, not the exception, last year and that trend should continue to grow in 2001 with the addition of six new speedways.

"It's going to be really exciting in 2001," says Scott Sharp, the winningest driver in Indy Racing's five-year history. "We've added a lot of new venues this year. We had a pretty level playing field in the past, but I think the new tracks will level that field even more."

For 2001, the series is adding new races at three established tracks--Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gateway International Speedway in St. Louis, and Richmond International Raceway--plus three brand-new venues: Kansas Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., and Nashville. While the series is adding a net gain of four events, the actual racing schedule is being shortened from 10 to seven months.

All races will be televised live by either ABC or ESPN as part of a five-year agreement. This includes four Saturday night events on ESPN.

"We have a good variety of new tracks, and a lot of them will require the driver to be an [even bigger] part of the equation," says Sharp, driver of Kelley Racing's Delphi Automotive Systems Oldsmobile Dallara and one of many preseason contenders for the 2001 Northern Lights title. "I think you'll see strategy become as important as car handling. At tracks such as Miami, Richmond, and St. Louis, the driver will have to get off the gas and really hustle the car to get around the track quickly. Those are the kinds of tracks I like."

The Indianapolis 500 is still the cornerstone of the Indy Racing schedule. However, Texas is becoming a major stop on the IRL calendar, with two races set for 2001, including the September 30 season finale.

The season opens in mid-March at Phoenix, and the next month visits Miami and Atlanta prior to the Indy 500. The series visits Texas, Pikes Peak, and Richmond in June, Kansas and Nashville in July, Kentucky and St. Louis in August, and wraps up the campaign with September events in Chicagoland and Texas.

"We had exceptional racing every lime out last year," says Sharp. "In the early years there was way too much pressure for the IRL to be a dominant series. But that takes a while. I think it's just starting to get into its stride right now. There's a lot going for the Indy Racing League right now. We have great teams, good drivers, and a competitive rules package that backed up the IRL's intention for everyone to have equal equipment. The race in Texas showed that. That was Tony George's vision of what American fans wanted to see, and a great opportunity for American drivers. It's great to see it all come together. They were all fabulous races."

Sharp came out the winner of the first 2000 race at Texas, and won in the closest finish in IRL history--a razor-thin 0.059 seconds over Robbie McGehee after the pair raced side by side throughout the closing laps. The 208-lap race saw 31 official lead changes among eight drivers, with six cars finishing on the lead lap.

The series also saw eight different winners in victory lane, with only champion Buddy Lazier taking the checkered flag twice.

CART visitor Juan Montoya won the Indy 500 despite close competition from Lazier, Eliseo Salazar, Jeff Ward, and Eddie Cheerer Jr., giving Chip Ganassi's invaders the Indy Racing crown jewel. For 2001, expect to see at least two CART teams--Penske and Ganassi--each fielding two cars in the Indy 500, while a car for Patrick Racing's Jimmy Vasser is also possible. Rather than close the doors on the open-wheel series, Indy Racing is welcoming all comers.

Lazier, who won the pole for the first IRL race ever al Walt Disney World Speedway in 1996--and also won that year's Indy 500--had to wait until last year to finally capture the Indy Racing championship. But Helmgarn Racing might not have to wait that long to repeat as champion, as all the players will be back in place on the title-winning Delta Faucet Oldsmobile Dallara. Ron Helmgarn will add a second team this year, bringing on veteran independent Stan Wattles.

Lazier faces stiff competition, though, with virtually all of his top rivals for the 2000 championship returning for 2001.

One of Indy Racing's biggest coups for 2000 was the return of Al Unser Jr. to Indy Cars. After competing for Roger Penske in CART from 1994-1999, Unser was reunited with Rick Galles, his car owner in his 1981 Super Vee championship, his 1990 CART title, and his victory in the 1992 Indianapolis 500. The pair hadn't lost their winning touch, as evidenced by Unser's popular victory at Las Vegas in only his third start of the season. Unser went on to finish ninth in the points, and is expected to build on that finish in the upcoming season. He is expected to have a teammate with Galles Racing this season, with Casey Mears--son of Roger Meats and nephew of four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears--a strong possibility of landing that ride.