IndyCar News

After an encouraging debut race for the team at Gateway last week, Jaques Lazier signalled his arrival at Team Menard in emphatic fashion by raining on the Infiniti parade and securing pole position for the inaugural Delphi Indy 300 at the Chicagoland Speedway.

Indy Racing Northern Light Series President and CEO Tony George and Series Vice President of Operations Brian Barnhart announced on Friday the arrival of the Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series before a packed media throng at the Chicagoland Speedway. The host was Ron Green.

Nextel Communications will have their colours adorned on both PacWest Racing Reynard-Toyota's for the remainder of the 2001 CART FedEx season at least after expanding their current deal with Mauricio Gugelmin to cover Scott Dixon as well.

Last Sunday's Gateway Indy 250 saw Buddy Lazier and Hemelgarn Racing receive a major blow in their quest for back-to-back Indy Racing Northern Light Series titles and with only two races remaining on the 2001 schedule the defending Champion's fate does not lie solely in his hands with Panther Rac

Max Papis will sport a classic Miller Lite livery on his Team Rahal Lola-Ford in the Molson Indy Vancouver this weekend as the Italian driver aims to build on a career best finish at Vancouver last season.

Michael Andretti and Team Motorola are eager to return to Canada after their earlier successful venture over the border to Toronto in July where they captured their first Champ Car victory as a team. "I've been fortunate to win some races in Vancouver", said Andretti.

The 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series Championship could be resolved this weekend at the brand new Chicagoland Speedway in the inaugural Delphi Indy 300 with Sam Hornish Jr within striking distance of becoming the youngest ever open wheel Champion in American Motorsports history.

The FedEx Championship Series brings a breathtaking points race to one of its most breathtaking venues this weekend when the series travels to the Pacific Northwest for the Molson Indy Vancouver at Concord Pacific Place.

Buzz Calkins impressive 12 race finishing streak ended in Sunday's Gateway Indy 250 when the Bradley Motorsports driver became involved in a pitlane accident with Indy Racing Northern Light Series debutant Alex Barron during the first round of pit-stops and was forced to retire.

Two new Indy Racing teams will join the field for the inaugural Delphi Indy 300 on September 2nd at Chicagoland Speedway, as 26 cars are entered for what could be the pivotal race of the Northern Light Series season.

Mark Dismore and Sam Hornish Jr completed Sunday's Gateway Indy 250 podium behind Al Unser Jr with Dismore doing his chances of finding a top-line ride in 2002 no harm at all after being released from Kelley Racing and Hornish taking another step towards the 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series

At least one new team will be on the grid for the start of the 2002 Indy Racing Northern Light Series season with the news that respected Dayton Indy Lights operation Conquest Racing have made the step up to the IRNLS and will contest the final two races of 2001 before launching an all out assaul

Despite crashing out of his first career Indy Racing Northern Light Series start, Chris Menninga is hopeful of a return to action in the season closing Chevy 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway as a precursor to a full rookie campaign with the No.92 Hemelgarn/Metro Racing team as long as the finance

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced on Saturday that current sponsors Purex have resigned with the team as title sponsors for a fourth consecutive Indy Racing Northern Light Series campaign with driver Robbie Buhl in 2002.

Kaptain Robbie Knievel will attempt to make one of his most expensive jumps before the start of the season-ending Chevy 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway as the stunt legend tries to vault a full grid of Indy Racing Northern Light Series machines valued at approximately $10 Million.

Sam Schmidt announced today that Alex Barron would assume the duties of the #99 Sam Schmidt Motorsports Racing Special. Barron, who has demonstrated the ability to perform well with limited resources in CART, has been on Schmidt's shortlist for a long time.

Former Formula One test driver Laurent Redon completed his Indy Racing League Rookie Test at the new Chicagoland Speedway and now plans to race at Chicagoland on Sept. 2 and at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 16.

Target/Chip Ganassi driver Memo Gidley, who was involved in a serious single-car incident on Lap 21 of Sunday's Motorola 220 at Road America, has left hospital with a small fracture in his upper leg.

The Champ Car silly season got off to a dramatic start at Road America this weekend with the announcement that current points leader Kenny Brack had signed for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing outfit for the 2002 CART FedEx Championship.

Newman-Haas Racing has won a total of 59 CART events since Paul Newman and Carl Haas began their association back in 1982 and win number one was scored by Mario Andretti at Road America in the summer of 1983 meaning that every visit to Elkhart Lake is a special one for the squad.

Following the arrival of Jaques Lazier with the team, John Menard has confirmed that 1999 Indy Racing Northern Light Series Champion Greg Ray has left his squad and that Lazier will be Team Menard's driver for the remainder of the 2001 season.

Michael Andretti (Pictured last year) has collected three FedEx Championship Series victories at Road America (1990, '91 and '96) and has scored championship points in 10 of his 16 career appearances at the venue, with three runner-up finishes (1985, '86 and '99).

T.E. McHale: Some quick background on Dario before we begin taking questions.

Sam Schmidt has reacted angrily to the news that Jaques Lazier has left his fledgling squad and defected to Team Menard, leaving him driverless for the next round at St Louis.