WHAT:
IndyCar® Series: Toyota Indy 300 Presented By XM Satellite Radio,
first race in 14-race 2006 season
Indy Pro Series™: Miami 100, first race in 12-race 2006 season
WHERE:
Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5-mile variably banked asphalt oval
WHEN:
IndyCar Series: 3:30 p.m. (EST), Sunday, March 26
Indy Pro Series: 12:30 p.m. (EST), Sunday, March 26
DISTANCE:
IndyCar Series: 200 laps/300 miles
Indy Pro Series: 67 laps/100 miles
POSTED AWARDS:
IndyCar Series: More than $1 million
Indy Pro Series: $275,000
CARS:
IndyCar Series: Dallara and Panoz chassis; Honda Indy V-8; Firestone tires
Indy Pro Series: Dallara chassis; Firestone tires
PREVIOUS RACE WINNERS:
IndyCar Series: Dan Wheldon (2005), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002, 2004), Scott Dixon (2003).
Indy Pro Series: Travis Gregg (2005), Phil Giebler (2004), Mark Taylor (2003).
2005 SERIES CHAMPIONS:
IndyCar Series: Dan Wheldon
Indy Pro Series: Wade Cunningham
TV:
IndyCar Series: Race: ABC (live), 3:30 p.m. (EST), March 26
Talent: Brent Musberger (host); Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Rusty Wallace (announcers); Jack Arute, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch (pit reporters)
Indy Pro Series: Race: ESPN2 (tape-delay), 1 p.m. (EST), March 31
Talent: Dr. Jerry Punch, Robbie Buhl
RADIO:
IndyCar Series: Qualifying: IMS Radio Network, live web-cast 2:30 p.m. (EST) March 25; Wrap-up Show: 4:30 p.m. (EST)
Pre-race: IMS Radio Network (live), 3 p.m. (EST), March 26
Race: IMS Radio Network (live), 3:45 p.m. (EST), March 26
Talent: Mike King (host); Davey Hamilton (analyst); Dave Wilson (color commentary); Mark Jaynes (turns); Kevin Lee and Nicole Manske (pit reporters); Kevin Olson (special assignments)
Live coverage of Marlboro Pole Qualifying (2:30 p.m. EST, March 25) and the race also will be available at indycar.com. The race broadcast is also available on XM Satellite Radio channel 152 “Extreme XM.”
SCHEDULE (all times local; subject to change):
Friday, March 24
8 a.m. IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series garages opens
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. IndyCar Series practice (two groups)
11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Indy Pro Series practice
1-3:30 p.m. IndyCar Series practice
4:15 – 5 p.m. Indy Pro Series practice
Saturday, March 25
8 a.m. IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series garages open
10:30-11:30 a.m. IndyCar Series practice (All cars, controlled release)
1:30 p.m. Miami 100 qualifying
2:45 p.m. Toyota Indy 300 Marlboro Pole Qualifying
4:15 p.m. – 5 p.m. Indy Pro Series final practice
Sunday, March 26
11 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens
10 -10:30 a.m. IndyCar Series final practice
12:30 p.m. Miami 100 (67 laps/100 miles), ESPN2 (1 p.m., March 31)
3:45 p.m. Toyota Indy 300 (200 laps/300 miles), ABC-TV & IMS Radio Network (live)
THE TRACK:
1.5-mile asphalt oval; 55 feet wide
Frontstraight: 1,760 feet banked at 4 degrees
Backstretch: 1,760 feet banked at 4 degrees
Turns: 650 feet variably banked at 18, 19 and 20 degrees
•Homestead-Miami Speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation. The facility, which opened in 1995, features a 1.5-mile asphalt oval which was re-configured to its current high-banked 1.5-mile layout in 2003.
INDY-STYLE RACING IN SOUTH FLORIDA:
The 1.25-mile wood oval of Miami-Fulford Speedway opened in 1926. The track was designed by Ray Harroun, the inaugural winner of the Indianapolis 500, and was built by Carl Fisher, who also built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Pete DePaolo, who won the 1925 Indianapolis 500, won the only race at the track, a 300-mile race in 1926. A hurricane destroyed the track in September 1926. The wood and material from the track was used to rebuild the town of Miami Beach.
Open-wheel auto racing returned to South Florida in 1996 when the Homestead-Miami Speedway opened to racing. Built by Miami motorsports promoter Ralph Sanchez in hopes of aiding the revitalization of Homestead, Fla., the 1.5-mile oval hosted its first open-wheel race in 1996 when Jimmy Vasser won the inaugural Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami.
In 2001, the Indy Racing League made its debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway as Sam Hornish Jr. edged Sarah Fisher and Eliseo Salazar to win the inaugural Grand Prix of Miami, the first IRL IndyCar® Series event at the track.
Hornish won again in 2002, and Scott Dixon claimed his first victory in his IndyCar Series debut in 2003. Shortly after Dixon’s victory, the track was re-configured to its current high-banked 1.5-mile layout.
INDYCAR SERIES NOTES:
•Five Indianapolis 500 champions are expected to participate in the Toyota Indy 300: Buddy Lazier (1996), Eddie Cheever Jr. (1998), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Buddy Rice (2004) and Dan Wheldon (2005).
•Drivers entered in the Toyota Indy 300 have combined for 74 IndyCar Series victories, 59 pole positions and 882 starts.
•The Toyota Indy 300 will be the sixth IndyCar Series event conducted at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Every former Miami winner is expected to participate including: Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002, 2004), Scott Dixon (2003) and Dan Wheldon (2005). The winner at Miami has gone on to win the IndyCar Series championship four times in the last five seasons.
•Six IndyCar Series champions are scheduled to participate in the Toyota Indy 300: Scott Sharp (1996 co-champion), Buddy Lazier (2000), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002), Scott Dixon (2003), Tony Kanaan (2004) and Dan Wheldon (2005).
•The Toyota Indy 300 will be the sixth IndyCar Series event conducted at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Every former Miami winner is expected to participate including: Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002, 2004), Scott Dixon (2003) and Dan Wheldon (2005). The winner at Miami has gone on to win the IndyCar Series championship four times in the last five seasons.
INDY PRO SERIES NOTES:
• Gregg returns to defend race title: Travis Gregg is the first race winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway to return to defend his title. Gregg led all 67 laps of the season’s first race, edging Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammate Jaime Camara to the finish line by 0.0713 of a second. Gregg will drive for Guthrie Racing in this year’s race. Gregg has been dominant in seven career starts on 1.5-mile ovals. In those races, he has started on the front row each time, including four poles, and has recorded three victories.
• Bussell looks to extend record: Nick Bussell was the only Indy Pro Series driver to be running at the finish in all 14 races in 2005, establishing a series record. He’ll look to push the streak to 15 in the Miami 100. Bussell also paced the series by completing 847 of 849 laps.
• Luyendyk Jr. an Ironman: The Miami 100 will mark the 41st career Indy Pro Series start for Arie Luyendyk Jr., the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk.
• Simmons streak to hit 18: Jeff Simmons will start his 18th consecutive Indy Pro Series race dating back to Chicagoland in 2004. Last year, Simmons led the series with four victories and was the only driver to record a win at each type of track – short oval (Milwaukee and Pikes Peak); speedway (Chicagoland) and road course (Watkins Glen).
• Five former race winners in the field: Five former Indy Pro Series race winners will take the green flag in the Miami 100. Jaime Camara, Wade Cunningham, Travis Gregg, Jon Herb and Jeff Simmons each won races in 2005.
• Pole position no guarantee of victory: Travis Gregg’s win from the pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2005 was the first time in three years that the pole sitter had won the race. In 2004, Phil Giebler came from sixth to win, taking the lead with six laps to go.
• Five rookies to debut: Five rookies will make their Indy Pro Series debuts in the Miami 100. Geoff Dodge, Matthew Hamilton, Jay Howard, Jonathan Klein and Brett Van Blankers all will make their first start. Another rookie, Bobby Wilson, made his debut last season, also is scheduled to compete.
INDY RACING LEAGUE NOTES
• Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Championship Lineup: After a lackluster 2005 season, Target Chip Ganassi Racing looks to rebound with a new driver, new engine and new chassis for the 2006 season. TCGR enters the season with a line-up of champions – team veteran, 2003 IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon, and team newcomer, reigning IndyCar Series and Indy 500 Champion Dan Wheldon. Dixon, Wheldon and Ganassi started their 2006 racing season on a high-note by scoring a win in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
• Marco Andretti Makes His IndyCar Series Debut: Third-generation open-wheel driver Marco Andretti will make his IndyCar Series debut this season with family-owned Andretti Green Racing. The son of Michael Andretti and grandson of Mario Andretti will tackle the 14-race IndyCar Series circuit under the guidance of his veteran teammates Dario Franchittti, Bryan Herta and Tony Kanaan. Marco, an Indy Pro Series graduate, will compete against his father during the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500.
• Homestead-Miami Speedway A Factor In The Championship Hunt: Did you know that four of the past five winners at Homestead-Miami Speedway have gone on to win the IndyCar Series championship that same year? Since the IndyCar Series first raced the 1.5-mile oval in 2001, Scott Dixon (2003), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001 & 2002) & Dan Wheldon (2005) have all accomplished this feat. In fact, when the green flag drops on March 26, the starting line-up will feature six IndyCar Series champions – Dan Wheldon, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Sam Hornish Jr., Scott Sharp and Buddy Lazier.
• No Excuses: The IndyCar Series will be powered by Honda Racing Indy HI6R V-8 engines exclusively beginning this season. With all teams having equal access to equipment, it could be one of the most competitive seasons in IndyCar Series history. The 2006 season marks the first time competitors such as Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Sam Hornish Jr., and Tomas Scheckter will run Honda power in their IndyCar Series careers. Find out how the drivers anticipate the season with an exclusive engine provider and their thoughts on how the competition will shape up.
• Familiar Faces In New Places: Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Green Racing aren’t the only teams to see changes to their driver rosters. An off-season game of musical chairs has produced an interesting lineup of driver-team pairings for the 2006 IndyCar Series campaign:
• P.J. Chesson steps up from the Indy Pro Series to make a run for the Bombardier Rookie of the Year title with Hemelgarn Racing. NBA Forward Carmelo Anthony joins the team as a partner.
• Vitor Meira, who finished seventh in points in 2005 and is considered the best IndyCar Series driver yet to win a race, moves to the familiar No. 4 of Panther Racing.
• Paul Dana, whose rookie season ended when he was injured in an accident while practicing for the Indianapolis 500, will again compete for Bombardier Rookie of the Year honors. Dana moves to Rahal Letterman Racing joining Danica Patrick and Buddy Rice.
• Two-time IndyCar Series race winner Tomas Scheckter joins Vision Racing’s two-car effort as teammate to Ed Carpenter. Scheckter will drive the No. 2 Honda-powered Dallara for Vision. Actor Patrick Dempsey joins the team as co-owner.
• 2000 IndyCar Series champion Buddy Lazier returns to full-time IndyCar Series competition with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
• After an impressive one-off at the 2005 Indianapolis 500, team owner A.J. Foyt has hired 2001 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Felipe Giaffone to pilot the legendary No. 14 car full-time this season.
• Driver-owner Eddie Cheever steps back into the cockpit after a two-year absence from the No. 51 car, in which he claimed the 1998 Indy 500 victory.
• Ethanol Power: The IndyCar Series exemplifies President Bush’s call for America to use alternative fuel sources such as ethanol. During the 2006 season, the IndyCar Series will use an ethanol-methanol blend to power its Honda engines; and the Series will turn to 100% fuel-grade ethanol for the 2007 season. Ethanol, a grain alcohol largely derived from products like corn, is viewed as a more cost effective and environmentally friendly fuel source than fossil fuels. Transition from methanol to 100% fuel-grade ethanol over the next two IndyCar Series seasons will have no significant technical barriers – speed and horsepower will remain the same and better fuel mileage is expected.
• On The Tube: ABC Sports, ESPN and ESPN2 will provide expanded coverage of all 14 IndyCar Series races, continuing a relationship that began with the Indy Racing League’s inaugural event in 1996 at Walt Disney World Speedway. ABC Sports, which will broadcast the the Toyota Indy 300, debuts a new production team and a new commentary team which features veteran motorsports announcer Marty Reid, former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace and former IndyCar Series driver Scott Goodyear. Pit road reporters will include Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Jack Arute. The IndyCar Series broadcast will feature Sportvision’s latest technology, Racef/x, in 2006.
INDY PRO SERIES NOTES
• South Floridian woman returns to compete in Miami 100: Last year, Coral Springs native Mishael Abbott became the first woman to compete in the Indy Pro Series when she finished eighth in the Miami 100. Abbott, 24, began karting when she was 14. She is studying elementary education at Florida Atlantic University and sports marketing at the University of Indianapolis.
• Florida connections: Five Indy Pro Series drivers boast connections to the “Sunshine” state. Mishael Abbott resides in Coral Springs. Chris Festa resides in Tallahassee where he has studied at Florida State University. Jaime Camara lives in Brickell Key. Jon Herb lives in Orlando where he is head of AERCON Industries’ residential marketing group. AERCON produces, sells, and installs Autoclaved Aerated Concrete building material. Bobby Wilson lives in Ocala
• Cunningham returns to defend series title: Wade Cunningham is the first Indy Pro Series champion to return to defend his series title. Cunningham won the season finale at California Speedway in 2005 and had 10 podium finishes en route to the Firestone Firehawk Cup. He finished fourth in his debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• Top eight drivers return: The top eight drivers from last year’s Indy Pro Series point standings are returning in 2006, giving the series the deepest and most competitive field in its history. The top eight from 2005, in order: Wade Cunningham, Jeff Simmons, Travis Gregg, Nick Bussell, Jaime Camara, Chris Festa, Jon Herb, Marty Roth.
• Changes in 2006 promote growth: The Indy Pro Series announced numerous enhancements during the offseason as the series continues to grow. Most notably, the series tripled the total prize purse for the season to $3 million, spreading the payout throughout the field. The series also introduced a balanced schedule of six oval races and six road-course races, a testing policy which rewards IndyCar Series teams with bonus test days if they also participate in the Indy Pro Series, and a dual shock system on the front of the race car, making it more similar to an IndyCar Series car.
• Dodge debuts in “Knoxville Nationals Fast Track to Indy” program: Geoff Dodge will make his Indy Pro Series debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last August, Dodge won the inaugural “Fast Track to Indy” Rookie of the Year program with the Knoxville Nationals. Dodge completed his rookie test at Chicagoland Speedway in September and will drive in the six oval races in 2006 for Brian Stewart Racing.
• Drivers graduate to IndyCar Series: Indy Pro Series graduates Marco Andretti, P.J. Chesson and Paul Dana are full-time competitors in the IndyCar Series in 2006.
MILESTONES:
• Sam Hornish Jr. needs one win to earn his 15th IndyCar Series victory. It would also extend his streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory to six.
• Scott Sharp needs one win to earn his 10th IndyCar Series victory and move into sole possession of second place on the IndyCar Series all-time wins list.
• Dan Wheldon needs one win to earn his 10th IndyCar Series victory and move into sole possession of second place on the IndyCar Series all-time wins list.
• Helio Castroneves needs one win to tie Buddy Lazier for fourth on the all-time wins list. It would also extend his streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory to six.
• Rookies Marco Andretti and P.J. Chesson will make their first IndyCar Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The last driver to win his first IndyCar Series race was Scott Dixon at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2003.
• Marco Andretti will be the youngest IndyCar Series driver to start a race since A.J. Foyt IV made his debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2002. Andretti will be 19 years, 13 days on March 26, 97 days older than Foyt.
• Buddy Lazier needs $373,997 in earnings to surpass $10 million in his IndyCar Series career.
• Sam Hornish Jr. needs $692,900 in earnings to surpass $10 million in his IndyCar Series career.
***
The IRL IndyCar Series opens the 2006 season with the Toyota Indy 300 at 3:30 p.m. (EST) on March 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be broadcast live on ABC Sports and the IMS Radio Network. The IMS Radio Network broadcast is also carried on XM Satellite Radio and indycar.com. The fifth season of Indy Pro Series competition opens with the Miami 100 at 12:30 p.m. on March 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be telecast at 1 p.m. on March 31 by ESPN2.
