Kansas Lottery Indy 300, eighth race in 14-race 2006 season

Kansas Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt tri-oval

WHEN:

1 p.m. (EDT), Sunday, July 2

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:

2001 – Eddie Cheever Jr.; 2002 – Airton Dare.; 2003 – Bryan Herta; 2004 – Buddy Rice; 2005 – Tony Kanaan

2005 SERIES CHAMPION:

Dan Wheldon

TV:

Race: ABC (live), 1 p.m. (EDT), July 2

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

RADIO:

Qualifying webcast: 1:30 p.m. (EDT), July 1, www.indycar.com

Qualifying wrapup: IMS Radio Network ,4:30 p.m. (EDT), July 1,

Pre-race: IMS Radio Network (live), 12:30 p.m. (EDT), July 2

Race: IMS Radio Network (live), 1 p.m. (EDT), July 2

Talent: Mike King (host); Davey Hamilton (analyst); Dave Wilson (color commentary); Mark Jaynes (turns); Jody Patterson, Patrick Stephan (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):

Friday, June 30

Noon – 7 p.m. IndyCar Series garage opens

6 – 7 p.m. Autograph Session

Saturday, July 1

6 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens

8 – 9:30 a.m. IndyCar Series practice (two groups)

10:15 – 11:45 a.m. IndyCar Series practice (two groups)

12:45 p.m. Marlboro Pole Qualifying

Saturday, July 2

6 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens

8:15-8:45 a.m. IndyCar Series final practice (all cars)

12:15 p.m. Kansas Lottery Indy 300 (200 laps/300 miles), ABC (Live at Noon)

THE TRACK:

1.5-mile tri-oval

Frontstretch: 2,685 feet banked at 10.4 degrees

Backstretch: 2,207 feet banked at 5 degrees

Width: 55 feet

Turns are banked at 15 degrees

• Kansas Speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation. Ground was broken on Kansas Speedway on May 25, 1999, five days before the 83rd Indianapolis 500. The speedway is the largest tourist attraction in the state of Kansas with 80,187 grandstand seats and 68 luxury suites. About 11 million cubic yards of dirt were moved during construction. That is equal to 1 million dump truck loads or enough to fill an NFL stadium five times. To equal the amount of storm pipe used in the speedway, the Sears Tower in Chicago would be laid end to end 45 times.

INDY-STYLE RACING IN KANSAS:

The Kansas City area boasts a racing history which dates to the end of World War II, when military personnel trained in building war planes incorporated their skills into building race cars.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion A.J. Foyt claimed his first USAC racing victory at a midget race in Kansas City, Mo., in 1957.

Major-league open-wheel racing made its debut in the Kansas City area with the opening of Kansas Speedway in 2001. The track played host to its first IndyCar Series event in July 2001 with Eddie Cheever Jr. claiming victory in the inaugural event.

The 1.5-mile oval hosted the inaugural Indy Pro Series™ race the following season in 2002.

INDYCAR SERIES NOTES:

•Six Indianapolis 500 champions are expected to participate in the Kansas Lottery Indy 300: 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 Kansas Lottery 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).

•Drivers entered in the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 have combined for 81 IndyCar Series victories, 65 pole positions and 1,076 starts.

•The Kansas Lottery Indy 300 will be the sixth IndyCar Series event conducted at Kansas Speedway. Eddie Cheever Jr. was the inaugural winner in 2001. Four of the five previous winners at Richmond are expected to compete in the Kansas Lottery Indy 300: Cheever, Bryan Herta (2003), Buddy Rice (2004) and Tony Kanaan (2005).

•Two Bombardier Rookie of the Year candidates are expected to compete in the SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio: Marco Andretti (Andretti Green Racing) and Jeff Simmons (Rahal Letterman Racing). Andretti leads the Bombardier Rookie of the Year point standings.

•The Kansas Lottery Indy 300 will be the fourth of six events in 2006 contested on a 1.5-mile track. Winners in 2006 on 1.5-mile tracks: Dan Wheldon (Homestead-Miami Speedway), Helio Castroneves (Twin Ring Motegi and Texas Motor Speedway). Other events on 1.5-mile tracks in 2006 include: Kentucky Speedway (Aug. 13), Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 10).

•Seventeen IRL IndyCar Series events on 1.5-mile tracks have had a finishing margin of victory of less than one tenth of a second. The two last two IndyCar Series events at Kansas Speedway are the second- and sixth-closest finishes in series history. In 2004, Buddy Rice defeated Vitor Meira by .0051 of a second, while in 2005, Tony Kanaan defeated Dan Wheldon by .0120 of a second.

• Vitor Meira – Always in the Mix at Kansas Speedway: Over the past two seasons, Vitor Meira has been close to victory at Kansas Speedway. So close in fact that he has lost the past two races at the track by a total of .0293 of a second. Meira heads to Kansas Speedway with a new-found confidence, thanks to an off-season move to two-time IndyCar Series championship entrant Panther Racing. This season, the team has scored six top-10 finishes in seven races, including impressive second-place runs at Watkins Glen International and Richmond International Raceway. Is this the weekend that Meira earns his elusive first win?

• Close Finishes – A Trademark of the IndyCar Series at Kansas Speedway: Over the past few seasons, close finishes have become the hallmark of IndyCar Series races at Kansas Speedway. Last July’s dynamic finish between Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Vitor Meira (.0242 of a second) ranks second on the all-time list of closest 1-2-3 finishes in IndyCar Series history.  The 2004 finish between then-teammates Buddy Rice and Meira (.0051 of a second) ranks second on the all-time list of closest 1-2 finishes. Find out from the drivers about what it’s like to be in the mix of such close racing and to finish the race just inches apart.

• Ed Carpenter Finds Consistency in Sophomore Season with Vision Racing: A last-minute addition to the IndyCar Series roster in 2005, Vision Racing and driver Ed Carpenter struggled to find their groove throughout the season. Now, with one year of competition under its belt, the team is running stronger and more consistently with drivers Carpenter and team newcomer Tomas Scheckter, a two-time IndyCar Series winner and the 2002 pole winner at Kansas Speedway. A former USAC standout, Carpenter has finished in the top 10 in his past three races, including a career-best sixth-place run at Watkins Glen. Find out how the expansion to two cars has affected the team this season, the chemistry between drivers Carpenter and Scheckter, and how the team plans to carry this momentum to Kansas Speedway and give Vision Racing its first win.

• Rahal Letterman Racing Looks for Rejuvenation at Kansas Speedway: Kansas Speedway marks the start of a stretch of tracks that have historically produced strong runs for Rahal Letterman Racing. Last year at Kansas Speedway, rookie Danica Patrick won the pole for the race, her first of three in the IndyCar Series, while Buddy Rice swept the pole and the race in 2005. After a difficult start to the 2006 season, the team recently made a switch to the Dallara chassis, which it ran for the first time at Texas Motor Speedway. Find out how the team is adjusting to the change in equipment and its outlook for race weekend at Kansas Speedway.

• Hydration in the Heat: To train for the physical extremes of racing in the high July temperatures and humidity at Kansas Speedway, drivers must fine-tune their bodies as much as they would fine-tune their race cars. Each driver has a specific workout routine to help give a competitive edge on the racetrack. Even with all the physical preparations, drivers have to plan in advance to properly hydrate their bodies to perform during a race. Loss of coordination and concentration are one of the first signs of dehydration – not something anyone wants behind the wheel of a race car traveling more than 200 mph.  Find out how drivers plan to tackle the heat of racing at Kansas Speedway through exercise, hydration and nutrition.

• The IndyCar Series – Powered by Ethanol: The IndyCar Series, which has been recognized for its technical leadership in automobile racing, is now the motorsports leader in renewable and environmentally responsible fuel produced in America. The Honda V-8 engines that will compete at Kansas Speedway are powered by an ethanol/methanol blend (methanol had been the fuel since the IndyCar Series’ inception). In 2007, 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol will flow through the systems. Find out how the IndyCar Series is leading the way in bringing renewable fuels to the forefront of American auto racing.

MILESTONES:

• Sam Hornish Jr. earned his 16th IndyCar Series victory at Richmond, extending his IndyCar Series-record for all-time victories.

• Sam Hornish Jr. became the first IndyCar Series driver to surpass $11 million in career earnings with his victory at Indianapolis. He needs $472,245 in earnings to surpass $12 million in his IndyCar Series career.

• Sam Hornish Jr. needs to lead 89 laps to break 3,000 laps led for his career.

• Marlboro Team Penske won its 20th race in the IndyCar Series. It can tie Andretti Green Racing for most victories by a team if either Sam Hornish Jr. or Helio Castroneves win at Kansas Speedway.

• Helio Castroneves earned his second pole position of the season at Richmond, tying him with Greg Ray for most poles in a career (13).

• Marlboro Team Penske earned its 24th pole position in the IndyCar Series, tying Team Menard for most pole positions by a team.

• Scott Sharp needs one win to earn his 10th IndyCar Series victory and to tie Helio Castroneves and Dan Wheldon for second place on the IndyCar Series all-time wins list. Sharp will attempt to extend his series record for consecutive starts to 115 straight races.

• Marco Andretti would be the youngest winner of a major open-wheel event should he win at Kansas. Scott Dixon was 20 years, 9 months and 14 days when he won a Champ Car event at Nazareth 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.

• Vitor Meira has gone 52 starts without a victory in the IndyCar Series, the longest drought of any IndyCar Series driver.

***

The next IndyCar Series event is the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 at 1 p.m. on July 2 at Kansas Speedway. The race will be telecast live by ABC and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. A Spanish-language telecast of the race will be carried by ESPN Deportes. The IMS Radio Network broadcast also is carried on XM Satellite Radio channel 145 “IndyCar Racing” and indycar.com. The fifth season of Indy Pro Series competition continues with the Liberty Challenge on July 1 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The race will be telecast by ESPN2 at 2 p.m. on July 6.