Its on again next year...

[Crash Test]

Now wheres Mapguy....?
Seems as though two of Cart's biggest teams will be taking on the Indy 500...

Penske preps for 2001 Indianapolis 500
(Jun 3) By Bruce Martin SportsTicker Contributing Editor

WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- Roger Penske, the winningest team owner in Indianapolis 500 history, is making initial preparations to return to the race next year.

Penske last competed in the 1994 Indianapolis 500, which he won with Al Unser Jr. as his driver. He failed to make the field the following year and since 1996 has remained loyal to CART.

Despite a record 10 wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Penske has chosen not to participate in the world's biggest race because of a political dispute over the creation of the Indy Racing League.

This year, Penske returned as the sponsor for rookie Jason Leffler at Treadway Racing. Leffler finished 17th.

Penske confirmed today he is going to rent a G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora from team owner Fred Treadway and will test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this summer with CART drivers Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves.

"It was a good prep for us to potentially return to the Indianapolis 500 next year," Penske said. "What we would like to do is I want to rent the track at Indianapolis later in the summer and give both our drivers a full day at the track. That way, they can get used to it and run rather than us just showing up there next spring and running without any track time."

Several key members from Penske Racing worked with Leffler throughout the month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"Ian Reid was involved from an engineering standpoint and he was there all month to record data and what took place," Penske said. "(Managing director of racing) Tim Cindric worked in the pits and I sat up in the suite where I could watch the cars and see some of the stuff take place. And Rick Mears was there to help Jason in the race."

Penske said he was pleasantly surprised with the craftsmanship of the cars used in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series compared to the different cars used in CART.

"I think overall, they are building a lot of them, they have had a lot of time to develop them," Penske said of the IRL car. "Our people said they are easy to work on. Overall, it's a series that has developed. When everybody in the series is running two brands of cars, you get a lot of feedback and are able to evolve the chassis.

"The good news is the rules stay the same for the next three years. There will be equipment available with small nuances that will come into play as you move forward."

Last Sunday was Penske's first trip to the Indianapolis 500 since he failed to make the field with Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi as his drivers five years ago.

"I'm really amazed at what they have done to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and with the Pagoda that will be used for the Formula One race," Penske said. "I think they made a lot of great changes. And obviously, the Indianapolis 500 is an exciting event and we would like to be part of it in the future."

Former Penske mechanic Brian Barnhart is IRL director of racing operations and received high marks from CART drivers Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser. Montoya won the race, leading 167 laps.

"I think every organization has great people." Penske said. "Brian worked for us. He has a lot of experience. He has been in the trenches, which is important. He understands the strategy in the race and he is a guy with a cool head. That is what you need in a chief steward and I think he fits the bill real well."

Penske had hoped that CART and the IRL would become one series, but with Target/Chip Ganassi going to the Indianapolis 500 and winning with Montoya, he believes the first step should be for CART teams to return to the Indy 500.

"I think you will see more teams take a look at it next year, but you have to take a look at the schedule and it comes down to what your sponsor wants you to do," Penske said. "We couldn't have run this year as we looked at our potential because we needed to get competitive in CART. This is a competitive series over here.

"We won't make any commitment until we have a chance to run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and see where we are. As far as the CART schedule for next year, you'll have to ask (CART CEO) Mr. Andrew Craig about that."

Penske said he put the deal together with Treadway to sponsor Leffler when the two met at the CART Long Beach Grand Prix.

"Fred has been a friend of mine and he came to see me at Long Beach and we wanted to help Jason," Penske said. "Fred is a first-class guy with a real team and I can see why Arie Luyendyk was so competitive when he ran with him."

Based on the tremendous excitement generated by this year's Indy 500, Penske would like to continue that momentum by participating with his own team in 2001.

"I think the fact you had a top CART team there and with Derrick Walker there with Sarah Fisher, that really added to the interest in the race," Penske said. "There was a lot of media coverage of IRL vs. CART, which I don't think that's what it's all about, but it is obvious that takes place.

"The level of racing was great and I think it is all racing. The track is 2.5 miles and everybody runs the same car and the same engine. It's up to the execution of whether the pit stops are fast or slow, it's the guy who gets across the finish line first."

De Ferran raced in the 1995 Indy 500 for team owner Jim Hall. Castroneves has not.

"We want to go there and have a chance to test and see what it is all about, and then make a decision," Penske said. "We can't make that decision until later in the summer."

[floid2000]

Thanks for the news Crash....Maybe this is the first step towards one great series .

[Heeltoe6]

Looks like Penske, TCGR, and Patrick are gung ho about it. NH and Forsythe would like to go but aren't as vocal. Green and Rahal would like to go, but are concentrating on the CART championshuip. Mo Nunn is dead set agianst it without it being a pts race (which means, in all likelihood, that there'd have to be cart specs). Imho, Nunn is right. CART gains nothing (or very little)from leaving three warm weeks in the schedule open to help a rival series.