Press Release
IRL Phoenix 200 Event Schedule and Tentative Entries
03/12/97
LUYENDYK, '96 IRL CO-CHAMPIONS LEAD MARCH 23 PHOENIX 200 ENTRIES INDIANAPOLIS, March 5, 1997 -- Defending Phoenix 200 race champion Arie Luyendyk and 1996 IRL co-champions Buzz Calkins and Scott Sharp head the list of 22 Indy Racing League drivers slated to compete for starting spots in the March 21-23 $1 Million-Plus Phoenix 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier, 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World race winner Eddie Cheever, and current IRL points leader Mike Groff will also bid for starting spots at the Desert Mile. The field also includes a pair of Indianapolis 500 pole sitters in Roberto Guerrero (1992) and Tony Stewart (1996). Stewart currently holds the IRL record for most races led with a total of five. Robbie Buhl, Scott Goodyear, Marco Greco, Stephan Gregoire, Davey Hamilton, Danny Ongais, John Paul, Jr., and Fermin Velez round out the list of veterans campaigning to start the race. Indy Racing League rookies hoping to make their first-ever start at the Desert Mile include Kenny Brack of Sweden, Jim Guthrie, Jack Miller, Billy Roe, Sam Schmidt, and Jeret Schroeder. Pre-season testing speeds at the one-mile oval with the new Indy Racing League chassis and engines predict an exciting race weekend. At the "Test in the West" held at the Desert Mile from February 24 - 28, Tony Stewart was the first driver in the new IRL "package" to break the 170 miles per hour barrier on a one-mile oval with a lap of only 21.12 seconds and 170.455 miles per hour. Later that day, 1996 IRL co- champion Scott Sharp topped Stewart's hot lap with an even quicker one of his own in 21.09 seconds and 170.697 miles per hour. The "Test in the West" ended on Friday with Sharp driving his Conseco/AJ Foyt G Force on Goodyear tires to the fastest speed to date at the Phoenix track of 21.08 seconds or 170. 777 miles per hour. The Phoenix 200 will be the 53rd appearance of the Indianapolis- style cars at the Phoenix mile and the fourth race of the 1996-97 IRL season. The race will be broadcast live by ABC Sports and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. Also scheduled to compete on race weekend are USAC's US Formula Ford 2000 National Championship series and the STAR Formula Mazda Series. Race week starts with the Phoenix 200 Charity Golf Tournament on Thursday, March 20 at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park. IRL practice starts on Friday, March 21 with qualifying on Saturday and the race at 2 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Sunday. 1997 INDY RACING LEAGUE PHOENIX 200 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, March 19 7:00 a.m. Transporters allowed on grounds 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. STAR Formula Mazda Open Test Thursday, March 20 7:00 a.m. Facility open to Participants 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. USAC/IRL/Track Registration Open 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. USAC US Formula Ford 2000 Open Test 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Technical Inspection 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Phoenix 200 Media Day Wigwam Resort, Litchfield Park 12:30 p.m. Phoenix 200 Charity Golf Tournament Wigwam Resort, Litchfield Park Friday, March 21 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. USAC/IRL Track Registration Open 9:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. STAR Formula Mazda Practice 9:45 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. USAC US Formula Ford 2000 Practice 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Indy Racing League Practice 12:30 p.m. - 12:55 p.m. Lunch Break 1:00 p.m. - 1:25 p.m. STAR Formula Mazda Practice 1:30 p.m. - 1:55 p.m. USAC US Formula Ford 2000 Practice 2:00 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. STAR Formula Mazda Qualifying 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Indy Racing League Practice Saturday, March 22 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. USAC/IRL/Track Registration Open 8:30 a.m. - 8:55 a.m. STAR Formula Mazda Practice 9:00 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. Indy Racing League Practice 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. USAC US Formula Ford 2000 Qualifying (Top 20 Positions Set) 11:45 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. Lunch Break 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Indy Racing League Qualifying 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. STAR Formula Mazda Race (50 Laps/50 Miles) 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. USAC US Formula Ford 2000 Last Chance Race (20 Laps, determines positions 21-34) 3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Indy Racing League Practice Sunday, March 23 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Track Registration Open 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. USAC US Formula Ford 2000 Warm-up 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. On-Track/Pre-race Festivities 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. USAC U.S. Formula Ford 2000 Race (50 Laps/50 Miles) 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. On-Track/ Pre-race Festivities 2:00 p.m. IRL Phoenix 200 Race (200 Laps/200 Miles) **Schedule Subject to Change **Gates Open at 8 a.m. Friday-Sunday INDY RACING LEAGUE PHOENIX 200 at PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY MARCH 23, 1997 - TENTATIVE ENTRY LIST -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Car & Driver & Residence & Car Name C/E/T Entrant Chief Mechanic -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Scott Sharp Danville, CA Conseco AJ Foyt Racing G/A/G AJ Foyt Enterprises Craig Baranouski -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1T Scott Sharp Danville, CA Conseco AJ Foyt Racing D/A/G AJ Foyt Enterprises Craig Baranouski -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Tony Stewart Indianapolis, IN Glidden/Menard Special G/A/F Team Menard, Inc. John O'Gara -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2T Tony Stewart Indianapolis, IN Glidden/Menard Special G/A/F Team Menard, Inc. John O'Gara -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 TBA TBA Menard/QuakerState/Special G/A/F Team Menard, Inc. Bill Martin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 R Kenny Brack Albuquerque, NM Monsoon Galles Racing G/A/G Galles Racing Interntnl Gary Armentrout -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4T R Kenny Brack Albuquerque, NM Monsoon Galles Racing G/A/G Galles Racing Interntnl Gary Armentrout -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Arie Luyendyk Scottsdale, AZ Treadway Racing/WavePhore G/A/F Treadway Racing Skip Faul -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Scott Goodyear Toronto, Ontario Treadway Racing/NORTEL G/A/F Treadway Racing Kevin Blanch -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Mike Groff Pasadena, CA Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria G/I/F Jonathan Byrd-Cunningham Mark Olson Bryant Heating & Cooling -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10T Mike Groff Pasadena, CA Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria G/I/F Jonathan Byrd-Cunningham Mark Olson Bryant Heating & Cooling -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Buzz Calkins Denver, CO Bradley Foodmarts G/A/G Bradley Motorsports Steve Ritenour -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Davey Hamilton Boise, ID AJ Foyt/Power Team Racing G/A/G AJ Foyt Enterprises John King -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14T Davey Hamilton Boise, ID AJ Foyt/Power Team Racing D/A/G AJ Foyt Enterprises John King -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 R Sam Schmidt Las Vegas, NV Blueprint Racing D/A/F Blueprint Racing, Inc. Tommy O'Brien -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Danny Ongais Long Beach, CA Allied Specialty Insurance D/A/G Chitwood Motorsports Mark Stainbrook Dallara -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 John Paul, Jr. West Palm Beach, FL Tnemec Earl's Performance D/A/G PDM Racing, Inc. Mike Hopkins Products V-Line -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Roberto Guerrero San Juan Capistrano, CA Pennzoil Racing D/I/G Pagan Racing John Barnes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21T Roberto Guerrero San Juan Capistrano, CA Pennzoil Racing D/I/G Pagan Racing John Barnes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Marco Greco Sao Paulo, Brazil Int'l Sports Ltd/Scandia/ D/A/G Team Scandia Dane Harte Alta/Xcel/Royal Purple -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 R Jim Guthrie Albuquerque, NM Blueprint Racing D/A/F Blueprint Racing, Inc. Randy Ruhl -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 R Jeret Schroeder Vineland, NJ McCormack Motorsports G/A/G McCormack Motorsports Phil McRobert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 Fermin Velez Barcelona, Spain Mi-Jack Scandia/Alta/ D/A/G Team Scandia Brad McCanless Xcel/Royal Purple -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 R Jack Miller Carmel, IN AMS/Crest Racing D/I/F Arizona Motorsports Joe Kennedy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 R Billy Roe Gilbert, AZ Eurointernational Dallara D/A/F Eurointernational Inc. Billy Bignotti Aurora -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 Eddie Cheever, Jr. Indianapolis, IN FirstPlus Team Cheever G/A/G FirstPlus Team Cheever Mitch Davis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51T Eddie Cheever, Jr. Indianapolis, IN FirstPlus Team Cheever G/A/G FirstPlus Team Cheever Mitch Davis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54 Robbie Buhl Grosse Pointe, MI Beck Motorsports D/I/F Beck Motorsports TBA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54T Robbie Buhl Grosse Pointe, MI Beck Motorsports D/I/F Beck Motorsports TBA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 77 Stephan Gregoire Vittel, France Miller-Eads Co./ G/A/G Chastain Motorsports TBA Chastain Motorsports -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 91 Buddy Lazier Vail, CO Delta Faucet-Montana/ D/I/F Hemelgarn Racing Dennis LaCava Hemelgarn Racing Chassis Legend: D-Dallara; G-G Force Engine Legend: A-Oldsmobile Aurora; I-Nissan Infiniti Tire Legend: F-Firestone; G-Goodyear Issued: March 5, 1997 (7:43AM)
