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IRL Teams Prepare For Last Test Sessions Before Indy 200

12 January 1998

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Five Indy Racing League teams are scheduled to begin final testing Monday at Walt Disney World Speedway in preparation for the Indy 200 Presented by Aurora on Jan. 24.

Among the drivers scheduled to test on the 1-mile oval starting Monday championship runner-up Davey Hamilton, IRL veterans Mike Groff and Jimmy Kite, and open-wheel veteran Raul Boesel, an IRL rookie.

Hamilton will test at Walt Disney World Speedway for the first time as a member of Nienhouse Motorsports. Hamilton left A.J. Foyt Racing after finishing second to Tony Stewart in the IRL championship race in 1997.

Boesel will continue his acclimation process with the G Force/Aurora fielded by McCormack Motorsports. He made his debut in an IRL car Friday and continued testing Saturday, slicing one-half second from his best time.

IRL testing will continue Tuesday and Wednesday. All drivers will aim for the unofficial track record for the new IRL cars set by Scott Sharp on Friday. Sharp's best lap was 20.967 seconds, 171.698 mph in the Kelley Racing Dallara/Aurora.

Nearly a dozen USF2000 National Championship Series drivers tested Sunday at Walt Disney World Speedway in preparation for their season-opening event at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

Tickets for the Jan. 24 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway Presented by Aurora are available by calling Ticketmaster 407/839-3900 (Orlando) or 813/287-8844 (Tampa).