IRL CHAMPIONS

2003 CHAMPION:
Scott Dixon

2002 CHAMPION:
Sam Hornish Jr

2001 CHAMPION:
Sam Hornish Jr

2000 CHAMPION:
Buddy Lazier

1999 CHAMPION:
Greg Ray

1998 CHAMPION:
Kenny Brack

2003 IRL CHAMPIONSHIP

DIXON WINS 2003 CHAMPIONSHIP (OCT 12)
23 year old New Zealander Scott Dixon won the Indycar championship beating 4 other contenders. Going into the season finale at Texas, anyone of Dixon, Castroneves, De Ferran, Kannan and the defending champion Sam Hornish could have clinched the title. Dixon triumphed by finishing 2nd. He won the New Zealand Formula Ford title (Class 1) at age 16 in 1996. Two years later he won the Australian Formula Holden title in 1998. He then moved to US and became Rookie of the year in Indy Lites. In 2000 he won the Indy Lite championship then moved up to CART (Champcar) series and finished Rookie of the year in 2001. After 2 years in CART he made his IndyCar debut this season with Chip Ganassi Toyota Racing team.
DIXON: ".... The accomplishment is so much ... I just can't put it into words. I feel so happy.."

TONY RENNA KILLED (OCT 22, 2003)
The new team-mate of Indycar champion Scott Dixon has been killed during practice. 26 year old Tony Renna had just joined the Ganassi Racing team but crashed during testing at Indianapolis. He made his Indycar debut last year with Kelley Racing and finished 7th in Indy 500 this year. Prior to Indycar he raced in Lindy Lights, Barber Dodge Pro series and British Formula 3.
INDYCAR (T GEORGE): "... Tony Renna was a rising star in IndyCar racing. All of us involved in racing feel a great loss ... Our prayers and best wishes go out to his family, friends, team and fans.."

KENNY BRACK IMPROVING AFTER TEXAS CRASH
A horrendous crash involving Scheckter and Brack on lap 187 of 200 stopped the season finale race in Texas (Oct 12). Brack's car disintegrated after flipping over and crashing into the retaining fence. He has been taken to hospital with serious injury (a fractured right femur, a fractured sternum and lumbar and fractures to both ankles). After surgery on Sunday he is in serious but stable condition.
BOBBY RAHAL (team owner): ".. We are very happy to see how Kenny was in such good condition after the surgery on Sunday ... He came through with flying colors. The doctors are very optimistic. We are thankful for the great efforts of the doctors in the surgery and the IRL safety crew at the track. Thank goodness the Dallara chassis was so strong in that kind of crash. It has been so heartwarming for Anita and all of Team Rahal to receive so many calls of concern and for best wishes on Kenny's condition. We thank everyone for their support."
UPDATE (OCT 21)
Brack has been moved from Hospital in Dallas to Indianapolis for rehabilitation after undergoing 2 surgeries (spinal fracture, three damaged vertebrae). His condition is improving.
UPDATE (NOV 3)
BRACK: "... I'm coming along pretty good, considering what we went through in Texas ... I'm moving about every day, doing lots of rehab, regaining my strength. It's great to see progress every day ... I can't walk yet because the ankles can't take any weight. I'm trying to do whatever I can to heal in the shortest period of time ... Although I have a lot of broken bones, I don't have any casts. I guess I'm kind of glued together ... I'm sure you can call it luck or whatever, but I certainly feel I had help from above to still be here. It was an extremely big crash.... It shows there are risks involved with motor racing. It's high speed, things happen, there can be big consequences. I paid a cheap price .."

2003 CALENDAR:

• 16 ROUND CHAMPIONSHIP; MARCH 2 - OCT 12, 2003
• 3 NIGHT RACES ; 1 RACE IN JAPAN - MOTEGI TWIN RING

2003 RACE RESULTS:

• R16 OF 16, OCT 12, FT WORTH - Gil de Ferran wins ** he retires from racing **
  **** DIXON WINS CHAMPIONSHIP ****

• R15 OF 16, SEP 21, FONTANA - Sam Hornish Jr. wins (3rd win)
  ** record 11th career win **

• R14 OF 16, SEP 7, CHICAGOLAND - Sam Hornish Jr. wins

• R13 OF 16, AUG 24, NAZERETH - Helio Castroneves wins

• R12 OF 16, AUG 17, KENTUCKY - Sam Hornish Jr. wins

• R11 OF 16, AUG 10, ST LOUIS - Helio Castroneves wins

• R10 OF 16, JULY 27, MICHIGAN - Alex Barron wins

• R9 OF 16, JULY 19, NASHVILLE ** NIGHT RACE ** - Gil de Ferran wins

• R8 OF 16, JULY 6, KANSAS - Bryan Herta wins

• R7 OF 16, JUNE 29, VIRGINIA - Scott Dixon wins (3rd win)

• R6 OF 16, JUNE 15, PIKES PEAK - Scott Dixon wins

• R5 OF 16, JUNE 7, TEXAS - Unser Jr. wins

• R4 OF 16, MAY 25, 2003, INDIANAPOLIS 500 - Gil de Ferran wins

• R3 OF 16, APR 13, 2003, JAPAN - Scott Sharp wins

• R2 OF 16, MAR 23, 2003, PHOENIX - Tony Kanaan wins

• R1 OF 16, MAR 2, 2003, MIAMI - Scott Dixon wins

SCHEKTER TO MOVE FROM GANASSI TO PANTHER IN 2004
Tomas Schekter will move from Ganassi Rcaing to fill the vacant spot left by Hornish Jr in Panther Racing.

DE FERRAN ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT; HORNISH TO JOIN PENSKE IN 2004 (AUG 28):
2001 and 2000 Champcar (CART) champion Gil De Ferran has announced his retirement from racing. He will finish racing at season end and his place at Penske will be taken by the reigning Indycar champion Sam Hornish Jr.
DE FERRAN: " .. This has been a very difficult and emotional decision because racing is all I've known since I was a teenager ... After the Indy 500 and approaching mid-season, I thought it was important to make the call whether to continue or not ... It would not be fair to the team and our sponsors to wait until the end of the season because the best drivers make their choices between June and August and I wanted to give the team the opportunity to choose the best driver for next season .. driving will no longer be the main focus of my life. I have a lot of experience developing cars, shocks, tires and engines and I feel I'll be able to make good use of that experience and my business relationships in the future," de Ferran said. "For sure I'll have itches but now I will dedicate my life to something else .."

NEW ENGINE SUPPLIERS IN 2003:

• Honda and Toyota switch from CART to IRL from 2003 season
  ( HONDA engine; approx. $1.6M to lease; TOYOTA engine; approx. $1.6M to lease)
• Out of 21 cars, there are 5 Honda powered cars and 6 Toyota powered cars
• ENGINES in 2003: Chevrolet GM, Honda, Toyota
• CHASSIS in 2003: Dallara, Falcon, Panoz G Force

ENGINE SPEC:

• 3.5L, V8, DOHC 32 VALVE; 650 BHP
• non turbo; methanol fuel; maximum RPM of 10,700

NEW TEAMS IN 2003:

• following the move by Penske team to switch from CART to IRL last season (2002) more teams from CART joins IRL in 2003:
• TEAM GANASSI - complete switch from CART to IRL; 2 drivers (Scott Dixon, Tomas Schekter); Toyota G Force
• TEAM ANDRETTI GREEN - complete switch from CART to IRL; 3 drivers (Michael Andretti, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti); Honda Dallara
• TEAM RAHAL - 1 car effort (driver Kenny Brack); Honda Dallara
• TEAM AGURI FERNANDEZ - 1 car effort (driver Roger Yasukawa); Honda Dallara
• TEAM ACCESS - 1 car effort with owner driver Greg Ray (1999 champion); Honda G Force; first race at Motegi Japan

NEW DRIVERS IN 2003:

• ANDRETTI, KANAAN, FRANCHITTI
  CART's most successful driver in history Michael Andretti has purchased Team Green and will enter the team in IRL series. He will bring with him Dario Franchitti from the existing Team Green and Tony Kanaan from Mo Nunn Racing.
• DIXON
  Scott Dixon will move with the Ganassi team and make his IRL debut.
• A J FOYT IV
  A J Foyt IV (AJ FOYT'S grandson) ) will becomes the youngest ever driver in IRL. Foyt won the inaugural IRL development series (Infinity Pro Series) in 2002. He will drive in his grandfather's team.
• BRACK
  1998 IRL champion Kenny Brack returns to IRL with Team Rahal. He spent 3 year in CART (2000 -2002) where he finished championship runner-up in 2001.
• TAKAGI
  Tora Takagi will join Mo Nunn's IRL team in 2003.
• YASUKAWA
  25 year old Roger Yasukawa will make his IRL debut IN 2003.

Sam Hornish became the only driver in history to win 2 IRL tiles; and the only driver with 5 wins in a season. He won his 2nd consecutive titlte by winning the final race in Texas.

The Penske team in its first IRL season finished with 2 drivers in 2nd (Castroneves) and 3rd (De Ferran) final standing.

2002 FINAL STANDING:

1 SAM HORNISH JR. 531 POINTS, RECORD 5 WINS, PENZOIL PANTHER DALLARA
2 HELIO CASTRONEVES, 511 POINTS, 2 WINS, MARLBORO PENSKE
3 GIL DE FERRAN, 443 POINTS, 2 WINS, MARLBORO PENSKE
4 FELIPE GIAFFONE, 443 POINTS, MO NUNN, 1 WIN
5 ALEX BARRON, 366 POINTS
6 SCOTT SHARP, 332

2002 MONEY EARNERS:

Castroneves $2,512,965
Hornish Jr. $1,435,615
Giaffone $1,306,315
De Ferran $1,267,715
Barron $1,119,765
Ward $944,015; Sharp $933,215; Unser Jr. $931,015; Dare $923,015; Lazier $900,265