Foyt banking on Salazar.

Veteran Chilean Eliseo Salazar has earned himself a third season of Indy Racing League action with AJ Foyt Enterprises after securing finances from the National Bank of Chile and is set to join Donnie Beechler in a two car Foyt team for the 2002 IRL season.

The oldest full-time driver in the Indy Racing League, vastly experienced Chilean Eliseo Salazar, has signed on for a third full-season with AJ Foyt Enterprises in the Indy Racing League with primary sponsorship from the National Bank of Chile.

The 47 year-old former March, Ensign, ATS and RAM Formula One pilot will not carry the No.14 plate which he campaigned last year and instead will drive Foyt's secondary No.11 Dallara-Chevrolet driven by rising IRL star Donnie Beechler throughout the second half of 2001. Harrah's, a major sponsor on Salazar's ride for the past two seasons, appear to be staying with Foyt's No.14 entry with Beechler at the wheel for 2002.

2002 will be the seventh season of IRL competition for Salazar who finished 6th in the 1996 Indy 500, the first to be run under the IRL banner. Salazar was entered for the very first Indy Racing League event at the Walt Disney World Speedway in 1996 but broke his leg in a practice crash, an injury he unfortunately replicated at Dover in 1998.

One of the stalwarts of the series, Salazar raced for Team Scandia and Nienhouse Motorsports prior to signing with Foyt and has scored one IRL victory, at Las Vegas in 1997 when driving for Andy Evans' Scandia operation.

Although Beechler has yet to be confirmed as Salazar's partner in the Foyt team, the addition of a permanent second car brings the team in line with other leading outfits Kelley Racing, Team Penske and Cheever Indy Racing who are all attempting to halt the single car team domination seen from Team Menard, Hemelgarn Racing and Panther Racing over the past three seasons..