Here comes sunrise: after a few years of steady progress, the IRL's horizon is suddenly alight with possibility, promise, and Marlboro Team Penske - The IRL - Indy Racing League

Auto Racing Digest, May, 2002 by J.J. O'Malley

ON DECEMBER 6, 2001, THE face of American open-wheel racing was dramatically altered. Marlboro Team Penske, one of the cornerstones of CART, announced that in 2002 it would be competing exclusively in the IRL. Also exclusively joining the IRL this year are Penske drivers Gil de Ferran, who won the CART title in 2000 and 2001, and Helio Castroneves, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion. The 26-year-old Brazilian also won four CART events over the past two seasons with Penske, perfecting his "Spiderman" fence-climbing routine after each victory.

New to the IRL fold as well is Marlboro, which adds a major sponsor to the series' portfolio.

Penske's announcement was another giant step forward for the IRL. For 2002, Penske Racing joins a full contingent of IRL teams, with virtually all of the top 2001 competitors returning to the series. In just six .seasons, it has grown well beyond simply being seen as a support series for the Indianapolis 500.

In 2002, the IRL is hoping for its biggest season yet. The schedule has been increased to 15 races, with new 400-mile events added at California Speedway and Michigan Speedway, along with a race at Nazareth Speedway. Thirteen of the 15 races will be 200 laps, with Pikes Peak (now 225 laps) and Richmond (250) the only exceptions. Atlanta is the only track dropped from the schedule.

Chevrolet joins the series for 2002, replacing Oldsmobile as General Motors' engine supplier: The new Chevy power plant had its first test in early December when Sam Hornish ran 456 trouble-free laps at Phoenix and reported, an increase in 30 horsepower from the Olds Aurora. That increase may be needed, considering that the new Infiniti 35A engine also saw a significant increase in power.

This year, the IRL will also debut its first support series--the Infiniti Pro Series--on July 8, 2002, at Kansas Speedway, the first event on an anticipated seven-race schedule.

Reigning champion Sam Hornish returns to Pennzoil Panther Racing and will be looking to improve on a standout sophomore campaign, one which saw the 22-year-old Ohio driver win three races and complete all but seven of a possible 2,650 laps. Also returning with his team intact is Hemelgarn Racing's Buddy Lazier, the 2000 Indy Racing champion. Lazier won four races in 2001, but was kept from a second IRL crown by Hornish's standout campaign.

Even before Penske's announcement the IRL was set to see its first "super team." Kelley Racing added Greg Ray--the series' all-time leading pole winner--to join returning driver Scott Sharp, a six-time IRL winner and the 2001 Indy 500 pole winner. Ray won four poles (extending his all-time record to 13), led six races, and won in dominating style at Atlanta. Unable to agree over car setup, however, he parted company with Team Menard in August and didn't compete again until a one-off with A.J. Foyt in the season finale. How will chemistry be between Sharp, Ray, and the rest of Kelley Racing--which prides itself on a two-car, one-team approach? The answer could go a long way to determining the 2002 champion.

Two other teams, Cheever Indy Racing and A.J. Foyt Racing, are set to add a second car to run full-time in 2002. Owner/driver Eddie Cheever Jr. is coming off a successful season, scoring his fifth career IRL victory and finishing eighth in the points standings. Cheever also will enjoy a major sponsor for his 2002 Infinitis, Red Bull.

For Foyt, Eliseo Salazar opened the 2001 season with three straight top-five finishes for Foyt--including a second at Phoenix--and finished the year a career-best fourth in the points standings.

Neither Cheerer nor Foyt had announced their second drivers by mid-January. Indy Lights standouts Buddy Rice and Daniel Wheldon and Indy Racing veteran Jeff Ward were among the drivers testing for the open seat in the Cheever Red Bull No. 52 Infiniti. Donnie Beechler has raced in the past for Foyt and is expected to take that team's second seat.

Another new team on the IRL scene is Morris Nunn Racing. Formerly a two-car CART team, Nunn will field one car in each series (a set-up similar to Walker Racing's), and landed Felipe Giaffone to run his IRL car with Hollywood sponsorship. The 2001 IRL Rookie of the Year, Giaffone scored 10 top-10 finishes for Treadway-Hubbard Racing and placed sixth in the points standings.

Other one-car teams set for 2002 include Team Menard, Cahill Racing, Bradley Motorsports, Walker Racing, Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold, Curb/Agajanian/Boat, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, and Treadway Racing.

Ironically, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr.--once the marquee name in the IRL lineup--entered 2002 without the sponsorship needed to compete for Galles Racing. Unser--who won at Gateway last year, his second IRL triumph--will aim to join another team if Galles is unable to land the proper funding.

Also struggling to find sponsorship is Team Xtreme, which boasts highly regarded 2000 IRL rookie of the year Airton Dare. The promising Brazilian placed 10th in the final points standings in 2001, with seven top-10 finishes.