Bombardier Learjet 500k, sixth race in 14-race 2006 season

WHERE:

Texas Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt oval

WHEN:

9 p.m. (EDT), Saturday, June 10

DISTANCE:

200 laps/300 miles

POSTED AWARDS:

More than $1 million

CARS:

Dallara and Panoz chassis; Honda Indy V-8; Firestone tires

PAST RACE WINNERS:

1997 – Arie Luyendyk; 1998 – Billy Boat (June) and John Paul Jr. (September); 1999 – Scott Goodyear (June) and Mark Dismore (October); 2000 – Scott Sharp (June) and Scott Goodyear (October); 2001 – Scott Sharp (June) and Sam Hornish Jr. (October); 2002 – Jeff Ward (June) and Sam Hornish Jr. (September); 2003 – Al Unser Jr. (June) and Gil de Ferran (October); 2004 – Tony Kanaan (June) and Helio Castroneves (October); 2005 – Tomas Scheckter

2005 SERIES CHAMPION:

Dan Wheldon

TV:

Race: ESPN (live), 9 p.m. (EDT), June 10

Talent: Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Rusty Wallace (announcers); Jack Arute, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch (pit reporters)

RADIO:

Qualifying webcast: 8:15 p.m. (EDT), June 8, www.indycar.com

Pre-race: IMS Radio Network (live), 8:30 p.m. (EDT), June 10

Race: IMS Radio Network (live), 9 p.m. (EDT), June 11

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 the race also will be available at www.indycar.com. The race broadcast is also available on XM Satellite Radio channel 145 “IndyCar Racing.”

SCHEDULE (All times local; subject to change):

Thursday, June 8

11 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens

2:30 p.m.- 4 p.m. IndyCar Series practice (two groups)

4:30-5:30 p.m. IndyCar Series practice (two groups)

7:30 p.m. IndyCar Series Marlboro Pole Qualifying

Friday, June 9

11 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens

2-3 p.m. IndyCar Series practice (two groups)

7-7:30 p.m. Final IndyCar Series practice (all cars)

Saturday, June 10

11 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens

8:15 p.m. Bombardier Learjet 500k (200 laps/300 miles), ESPN (Live at 8 p.m.)

THE TRACK:

1.5-mile paved quad-oval

Frontstretch: 2,250 feet banked at 5 degrees

Backstretch: 1,330 feet banked at 5 degrees

Width: 58 feet

Turns are banked at 24 degrees

• Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. The state-of-the-art facility showcases a 1.5-mile oval with 24-degree banking in the turns, designed to accommodate stock car, truck and open-wheel racing. The speedway currently plays host to two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races, two Busch Series races, and two Craftsman Truck Series events, along with an IRL IndyCar Series race.

INDY-STYLE RACING IN TEXAS:

In 1969, the state’s first major racing facility in the Lone Star State, Texas World Speedway opened in College Station, about 50 miles northwest of Houston.

The 2-mile oval hosted open-wheel racing for 10 years and counts two of the state’s biggest racing names, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt among its race winners.

Dallas played host to its first major league racing event, a Formula One race won by Keke Rosberg in 1984.

In 1997, O. Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., opened Texas Motor Speedway near the Alliance Development in Denton County. The 1.5-mile oval hosted its first IRL IndyCar® Series event that same year.

From 1998-2004, the track played host to two IndyCar Series events each year, including six of seven season finales.

INDYCAR SERIES NOTES:

•Six Indianapolis 500 champions are expected to participate in the Bombardier Learjet 500k: Buddy Lazier (1996), Eddie Cheever Jr. (1998), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005) and Sam Hornish Jr. (2006).

•Six IndyCar Series champions are scheduled to participate in the Bombardier Learjet 500k: Scott Sharp (1996 co-champion), Buddy Lazier (2000), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002), Scott Dixon (2003), Tony Kanaan (2004) and Dan Wheldon (2005).

•Drivers entered in the Bombardier Learjet 500k have combined for 79 IndyCar Series victories, 63 pole positions and 1,038 starts.

•The Bombardier Learjet 500k will be the 17th IndyCar Series event conducted at Texas Motor Speedway. Arie Luyendyk was the inaugural winner in 1997. Previous winners at Texas expected to compete in the Bombardier Learjet 500k are: Scott Sharp (June 2000, June 2001), Sam Hornish Jr. (October 2001, September 2002), Tony Kanaan (June 2004), Helio Castroneves (October 2004) and Tomas Scheckter (2005).

•Two Bombardier Rookie of the Year candidates are expected to compete in the Bombardier Learjet 500k: Marco Andretti (Andretti Green Racing) and Jeff Simmons (Rahal Letterman Racing). Andretti leads the Bombardier Rookie of the Year point standings.

INDYCAR SERIES  UPDATE

 • Ganassi vs. Penske Showdown: The rivalry between two of Indy-style racing’s most successful teams is heating up at the top of the IndyCar Series point standings. Marlboro Team Penske has posted three wins this season – two by series points leader Helio Castroneves and one by 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr., who ranks third in points. Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon have won races this season and rank second and fourth, respectively.

• Changing chassis: Rahal Letterman Racing hopes to turn its fortunes by switching its three cars to Dallaras for oval events beginning at Texas Motor Speedway. The team isn’t a stranger to the Dallara. It fielded the Dallara full-time in 2003, while drivers Buddy Rice and Jeff Simmons have previously raced Dallaras.

• Another close finish?: Texas Motor Speedway’s unique 24-degree banked turns has produced some of the tight racing that has been the hallmark of the IndyCar Series over the last 10 seasons. Six of the 25-closest finishes in IndyCar Series history, including two of the five-closest races have occurred at Texas.

• 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 percent 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 percent 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. ESPN, which will broadcast the Bombardier 500k, features a new production team and a 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.

MILESTONES:

• Sam Hornish Jr. earned his 15th IndyCar Series victory at the 90th Indianapolis 500. It also extended his streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory to six. The record is seven, held by Scott Sharp (1996/97-2003).

• Scott Sharp needs one win to earn his 10th IndyCar Series victory and to tie Dan Wheldon for second place on the IndyCar Series all-time wins list.

• Helio Castroneves needs one win to earn his 10th IndyCar Series victory and to break a tie with Scott Sharp for third on the all-time wins list.

• Scott Dixon won his fifth IndyCar Series event at the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix. He is the 10th driver to win at least five IndyCar Series events.

• Marco Andretti would be the youngest winner of a major open-wheel event should he win at Texas. Scott Dixon was 20 years, 9 months and 14 days when he won a Champ Car event in 2001. Sam Hornish Jr. (21 years, 259 days) was the youngest winner of an IndyCar Series event when he won at Phoenix in 2001.

• Sam Hornish Jr. became the first IndyCar Series driver to surpass $11 million in career earnings with his victory at Indianapolis. He needs $671,045 in earnings to surpass $12 million in his IndyCar Series career.

• Buddy Lazier surpassed $10 million in his IndyCar Series career at the Indianapolis 500.

• Vitor Meira has gone 50 starts without a victory in the IndyCar Series, the longest drought of any IndyCar Series driver.