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IRL Prepares for Texas

© Ron Eichhorn

Most IRL teams took the opportunity offered by an off-weekend to do testing in preparation for the Casino Magic 500 on June 10, at Texas Motor Speedway. The race, one of the few major races of any type held at night, offers a break from the normal Sunday afternoon schedule that most major races follow. By holding the event on a Saturday night, fans and teams alike should be able to enjoy a break from the searing heat of Texas in June. The race will be carried live by ESPN, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Central time.

For some drivers, the week offered the first chance to actually put in miles on the Texas track. Among those who used this opportunity to learn the track was Al Unser, Jr. Despite his long and illustrious career, his affilliation with CART for the past few years have prevented him from competing on the 1.5 mile high banked oval. The 24 degree banking in the turns, one of the highest banks in racing, will give drivers the opportunity to maintain their speed through the turns and should provide for a faster race than normal for a track of this size.

Robbie Buhl, on the other hand, is using the time off to make the switch to an Infinity powerplant for the Texas race. After winning the Delphi Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway with the Olds Aurora engine, Buhl's team decided to make the switch. He based the decision, in part on the performance of his back-up car at the Indianapolis 500. The back-up, powered by Infinity and driven by Steve Knapp, finished 19th at the "500" and was a solid performer. In fact, both Infinity engines in the race were still running at the checkered flag. Buhl's owners,Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, have another link to Infinity, since team owner Dennis Reinbold is an Infinity dealer in the Indianapolis area. Buhl is currently tied for second with Scott Goodyear in the Indy Racing Northern Lights Series standings.

Another driver making his IRL debut at Texas is Japan's Shigeaki Hattori. He will be driving the EPSON/G Force/Aurora, entered by Treadway Racing and will be a teammate of Robbie McGehee. Hattori passed his rookie orientation test at Indianapolis this year, but didn't compete in the race, since Treadway chose to give him some more seasoning and selected IRL veteran Raul Boesel to drive their second entry in the "500". Hattori will complete the Indy Racing Northern Lights Series for Treadway Racing.