THE LINE #438

March 26, 2008

New IRL Teams. The 2nd of two test sessions for former Champ Car teams on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval was completed yesterday. Ten drivers, including eight who are transitioning to the IndyCar Series from the Champ Car World Series, recorded 1,071 laps during five available hours on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval (the two-day total reaching 1,669 laps). Conquest Racing (Enrique Bernoldi, Franck Perera), Dale Coyne Racing (Bruno Junqueira, Mario Moraes), KV Racing Technology (Oriol Servia, Will Power) and Newman/Haas/Laningan Racing (Graham Rahal, Justin Wilson) were the former Champ Car teams that participated. Marty Roth and Jay Howard of Roth Racing also were granted track time because they did not participate in the full IndyCar Series oval Open Test in February. Servia topped the ex-Champ Car runners with a lap of 25.4360 seconds (210.175 mph). Roth was quickest overall yesterday with a 25.1200 (212.818 mph). Dan Wheldon’s 25.0619 (213.312 mph) was the quickest lap of 17 cars at the IRL's Feb. 27-28 Open Test. The only on-track incident over the two days of running involved Rahal, whose No. 06 car made contact with the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier with two hours left. He was checked in the infield care center and cleared to drive. “The car felt really good,” said Rahal, who had a quick lap of 25.4920 seconds (209.713 mph) among his 35. “I caught Oriol and overtook him in Turn 1 and was almost past him. I was on a higher line than I had been taking and that was a lot bumpier with a little less grip up there. The rear stepped out on me and I caught it and then it did it a second time and I couldn’t catch it and crashed it.” Practice and qualifying for the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 begins this Friday, March 28.


(Ron McQueeney/IRL)
Graham Rahal leaves the pits in his No. 06 Newman/Haas/Laningan Racing Honda-powered Dallara at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Bridgestone Firestone. The Indy Racing League and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, announced today that the Firestone brand will assume title sponsorship of the Indy Racing League’s official development series and reestablish the series name as Firestone Indy Lights. The change harkens back to the 11 seasons that the Firestone and Dayton brands headlined the Indy Lights Championships from 1991-2001. “This is a fresh start driven by tradition,” said Al Speyer, Executive Director of Motorsports, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire. “Our company has a long history of supporting the development of talent in the open-wheel ranks; this will be our 18 consecutive year doing so. With the unification of open-wheel racing, we thought it the perfect time to merge the excitement of the IRL’s growing support series with the rich history of Firestone Indy Lights.” The multiyear agreement officially renames what has previously been the Indy Pro Series to Firestone Indy Lights, effective immediately. Drivers will continue to compete for the Firehawk Cup awarded annually to the season champion. Firestone also maintains its status as Official Tire for Firestone Indy Lights, as well as the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. In addition, the Firestone Indy Lights event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23 becomes the Firestone Freedom 100. “In light of the unification process, Tony George and the IRL asked Firestone to step up and support the sport even more than we have done in the past,” Speyer said. “We believe that this agreement further exemplifies Firestone’s continued support and belief in the future of open-wheel racing. One of the most noticeable results of this agreement is that participants will see an increase in prize money of more than $250,000 throughout the season.”

 
(Courtesy of Krohn Racing)
Krohn Racing will enter two new Proto-Auto Lola DP machines for the inaugural sprint race of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season at the Gainsco Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 27-29. Team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn created Proto-Auto LLC with Lola Cars one year ago to build a Daytona Prototype chassis for Grand-Am competition. The car has been testing since December 2007.