IRL driver and team lineup

[SevenGrain]

KC, I don't know if this is an all -inclusive listing of the IRL participants, but these are the entries for open-testing in Phoenix. The 'test in the west' as it is called will also feature testing at Fontana where many CART teams planning on running Indy will test their IRL equipment. TCGR and Team Rahal are on the entry list. This all takes place during the first week of February.

2 Jaques Lazier
D/C/F
Team Menard


3 Helio Castroneves
D/C/F
Marlboro Team Penske


4 Sam Hornish Jr.
D/C/F
Panther Racing


5 Rick Treadway (R)
G/C/F
Treadway Racing


6 Gil de Ferran
D/C/F
Marlboro Team Penske


7 Greg Ray
D/C/F
Kelley Racing


8 Scott Sharp
D/C/F
Kelley Racing


12 Buzz Calkins
D/C/F
Bradley Motorsports


16 Jon Herb
G/C/F
Racing Professionals


21 Felipe Giaffone
G/C/F
Hollywood Mo Nunn Racing


24 Robbie Buhl
G/I/F
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing


34 Laurent Redon (R)
D/I/F
Conquest Racing


44 Alex Barron
D/C/F
Blair Racing


51 Eddie Cheever Jr.
D/I/F
Cheever Indy Racing


52 TBA
D/I/F
Cheever Indy Racing
TBA

91 Buddy Lazier
D/C/F
Hemelgarn Racing


98 Billy Boat
D/C/F
CURB/Agajanian/Boat Indy Racing


99 Anthony Lazzaro (R)
D/C/F
Sam Schmidt Motorsports

[KC]

Thanks SevenGrain, thats what I was looking for. Strangely enough they don't have the team info with the driver's bio nor the drivers names listed with the team histories at the IRL site.

Obviously Penske's teammates come in with experience and a huge budget to race behind and they will be difficult to beat as the season progresses and they learn the cars and tracks. However, Kelley Racing is the technical partner with Penske and their lineup is very strong with Sharp and Ray. It remains to be seen if Sharp and Ray can get along, they didn't when they were on opposing teams. Panther Racing and Hornish are not pushovers as their last two years can attest. Hornish is quite possibly the most steady and consistent racer of the bunch and he has a habit of sneaking up to the front in every race. I would not count him out. I think Cheever will get his odd win or two, as will Lazier and Buhl. My sentimental favorite has to Lazzarro. I had hoped big things for him when he was racing in the Toyota Atlantics but it did not pan out for him in CART or NASCAR. I think it was a great signing for Sam Schmidt Racing and this guy deserves some success.

[Dr. Austin]

I agree with your assessment of Lazarro. And everyone is pulling for Sam to have big success.

But no one should overlook Jacques Lazier. He is better than anyone knows right now. He needs some experience, but he will get that if he keeps it out of the wall. Right now he is a little bit wild, probably from too much hunger, but he will have good advice coming from both Buddy and Dad (no slouch, either). With the Menard budget and engines, he is also going to be really tough. With Buddy, it will be like the Unsers all over again.

[JPBeltoise]

About that second seat at Cheever -- I read that Eddie tested Tomas Scheckter, a very quick driver, albeit someone without oval experience. Could be an interesting choice.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=83887

[The Beer Baron]

If Tomas Schekter came on board, that would bring Nelson Mandela to the Indy 500

[Dr. Austin]

Originally posted by The Beer Baron
If Tomas Schekter came on board, that would bring Nelson Mandela to the Indy 500

Hey, we could take Tomas on 16th street with us. He's already proven he likes to party!

[The Beer Baron]

Not to mention, he'd like to pick up a few

[SevenGrain]

I don't think learning the tracks will be an issue for the Penske boys. Gateway, Homestead, Nazareth, Michigan, Phoenix, and Fontana; these are all track that Team Penske has raced many miles on. They will be hard to beat from day one.

Both Laziers will be tough this year as will Sam Hornish. I'd give Jacques the edge however. Now that he is in a top tier ride, he will be able to display his remarkable talent.

[gomick]

thought sam hornish would wear #1.... seems not many drivers and riders who win championships these days are interested in the #1 plate

[Dr. Austin]

Originally posted by gomick
thought sam hornish would wear #1.... seems not many drivers and riders who win championships these days are interested in the #1 plate

Racers are a superstitious lot. The Panther team has it all going for them, so they are probably loathe to change anything. And who can blame them as well as they have everything working? With the championship out of the way, we saw what they are capable of during the last Texas race. The others had better step it up a notch.

[KC]

Does the IRL use the NASCAR method of car number ownership? Or does the IRL give the teams the option to change or just plain assign them numbers?

[The Beer Baron]

Buddy Lazier kept his 51, it looks like numbers still mean a lot to the teams/drivers.

Unlike F1 where getting the smallest number possible is most desirable, remember Sauber wanting to keep the existing method of number allocation

World Champions are #1, so rightfully they should use that number.
but superstition and the burden of carrying that number , means that paople stick with what they know!

[Dr. Austin]

In the USAC days, a driver was given the choice of number on a first come, first serve basis, first come being the order of points finish. Champion was given first choice. I believe AJ Foyt once refused the #1 so he could keep using #14, as champion his perogitive. This procedure changed with CART and the influx of two car teams, but i am unsure how the IRL does it. I imagine that the IRL keeps with tradition and used the old USAC method.

Do i know for sure? Well, no.

[KC]

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