IRL season set to begin today

Motorsports Column for February 22, 2004

By Roger Diez

OK, first I need to apologize for my confusion in last week's column about who is broadcasting when for NASCAR.

I apparently forgot about the handoff from NBC to FOX after Daytona, this is Leap Year, after all! To make matters worse, my fact checker let me down. I knew it was a mistake to hire that former Iraqi Information Minister! I've got to convince the Appeal to get me a bigger budget!

The big news on the local front is the sudden change in management at Champion Motor Speedway (or whatever it's going to be called this season). I spoke with new Track Manager Les Kynett this past week, and will be doing a feature article next month, after Les gets some of his planned changes for the 2004 season at the Speedway in place. It seems like only a couple of years ago I was talking to the same guy about the challenges of taking over a racetrack! It's de ja vu all over again, to quote Yogi Berra.

Today will see the debut of the Indy Racing League season at Homestead/Miami Speedway. It promises to be an interesting season, with an engine spec change (from 3.5 to 3.0 liter displacement) effective as of the Indy 500, aerodynamic tweaks, and other rules changes that should serve to keep the cars on the track instead of flying through the air. Former Champion Sam Hornish will drive for juggernaut Team Penske this year, teamed with two-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves.

Rumor has it the pair are not bosom buddies. Hornish's old ride goes to hot shoe Tomas Scheckter, one of the IRL's fastest and most controversial drivers. Andretti Green Racing will field four cars (or about a quarter of the field if predictions of low car counts are true). Dario Franchitti returns from the injured reserve list to join Tony Kanaan, Brian Herta, and Dan Wheldon in contesting the championship for Honda.

Defending IRL champ Scott Dixon will be paired with fellow CART defector Darren Manning. This is Dixon's last year on his contract with Chip Ganassi, and he is reported to have his sights set on Formula 1 for 2005. Former Indy winner and IRL champ Kenny Brack is continuing his battle back from a nearly life-ending accident late last season, and hopes to be back in an IRL car sometime in 2004, but won't be on the grid today. Former IRL regulars without rides so far this season include Sarah Fisher (with an Indy-only ride), Al Unser Jr., Billy Boat, Jacques Lazier, Jimmy Kite, Airton Dare, Vitor Meira, Felipe Giaffone, Richie Hearn and Robby McGehee. Oh, well, with the NASCAR boys off this weekend, maybe the IRL show can draw a decent TV audience today.

Scheckter showed his mettle early on, setting fastest practice time. In all, the juggernaut teams of Ganassi, Penske, Andretti Green, Cheever, and Panther Racing accounted for eight of the fastest 10 in practice. I announced a race at Miami-Homestead about three years ago, and I was very impressed by the facility. However, the track itself was torn up and completely rebuilt last year with much more banking added in the turns. It should be a fast and competitive event, as most of the IRL races seem to be these days.

Next weekend's Nextel Cup race at Las Vegas will feature Carl Long, who thoroughly trashed his one and only Cup car last weekend with half a dozen barrel rolls down the front straight at Rockingham. Seems the SCORE team, a venture between Hermie Sadler and former NBA star Brian Stith, will field a car for Long. Hey, with 50 grand on the line for last place, why not? There are only 38 sponsored teams entered for Las Vegas and Atlanta, leaving room for some independent operations like SCORE and Kirk Shelmerdine's unsponsored team, which also appeared at Rockingham. With NASCAR committed to fielding 43 cars for each Cup race, and only 38 fully sponsored entries, there's finally room for some independents to break into the top ranks of stock car racing in the U.S. And no, Chet Danburg will NOT be at Las Vegas to qualify his Super Late Model short track car for the Cup race!

Roger Diez is the Nevada Appeal Motorsports Columnist. Contact him at editor@nevadaappeal.com.