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F2000 Champ to Test Foyt Indy Car

22 March 1998

FAIRFIELD, N.J. (March 22, 1998) -- The 1998 U.S. F2000 National Champion now has a direct track to the Indy 500, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and the U.S. F2000 announced today.

The 1998 U.S. F2000 National Champion will earn the opportunity to test one of Foyts Aurora-powered Dallara cars run in the 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League Championship. Already regarded as the complete motorsports education, the U.S. F2000 can now claim the best in career opportunities, as the Indy car test joins a KOOL/Toyota Atlantic test and the option of either Atlantic or Dayton/Firestone Indy Lights financial assistance for 1999.

Ive said before that the U.S. F2000 National Championship is the best way for a young driver to gain the experience and skills needed to reach the Indy 500, said four-time Indy 500 winner Foyt. Now were taking the next step by putting the top F2000 driver in an Indy car. The IRL looks to the U.S. F2000 for future drivers, and this test gives everybody the opportunity to see whos on their way up.

Several IRL veterans have cut their teeth in the U.S. F2000, including 1997 Phoenix IRL race-winner Jim Guthrie, Allen May, Greg Ray, Sam Schmidt, and new IRL drivers Steve Knapp and John Hollinsworth Jr. The U.S. F2000 joins the IRL as the featured support race on each of its oval weekends in 1998, including Walt Disney World Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Every young driver dreams of winning the Indy 500, and weve geared our series to help them achieve that goal by running ovals as well as road courses and street circuits, said U.S. F2000 co-promoter Mike Foschi. A.J. Foyt realizes the talent in the series, and were excited to start this new relationship with his first-class team. Not only will the test showcase our Champion, but it will provide insight as to what other training we might offer our competitors to make the F2000 to IRL transition as smooth as possible.

In two years of IRL competition, Foyts team has finished first and second in the Championship, with 1996 title-winner Scott Sharp and 1997 runner-up Davey Hamilton. This season, Billy Boat and Kenny Brck will pilot Foyts Dallaras.