Surprise! Penske opts to race in Phoenix IRL event

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001 | 10:28 a.m.

FONTANA, Calif. -- After testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last October, it was no secret that CART team owner Roger Penske had every intention of competing in this year's Indianapolis 500.

What surprised the assembled media during the first day of CART's "Sneak Preview" at California Speedway was Marlboro Team Penske president Tim Cindric's announcement that the team also would compete in the rival Indy Racing League's season opener at Phoenix International Raceway on March 18.

Cindric said that the team would use the race as a tune up for drivers Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves prior to the May 27 Indianapolis 500. It will be Penske's first attempt to qualify for the 500 since the IRL was formed in 1996, leading to CART's absence from Indy.

"I guess it's no secret that our plans are to compete at Indy this year," Cindric said. "But along with that, we will also run at Phoenix -- but not under the Marlboro banner because of the tobacco companies' settlement (with the federal government)."

DeFerran, the reigning CART champion, said he doesn't expect the races at Phoenix and Indy to distract him in his attempt to defend his CART championship.

"It's certainly a bigger bite that we're trying to take this year -- there's no doubt about it," he said. "But I think the team is really carefully preparing this challenge to try to win the Indy 500.

"I believe we have the perfect infrastructure to meet both challenges just as well as we did last year. From that standpoint, I certainly don't think the challenge for the CART championship will suffer."

* TRACY AN ALL-STAR: Paul Tracy of Las Vegas was one of five drivers named to the 2000 CART All-Star team, which was released Wednesday. It was Tracy's second straight appearance on the team.

Tracy tied for the CART lead with three wins during the 2000 season and finished fifth in the championship. He finished third in balloting for the All-Star team with 207 points.

Reigning series champion de Ferran earned the Mario Andretti Trophy as the leading vote getter for the 2000 All-Star team with 546 points.

Also named to the five-driver team were Adrian Fernandez, Michael Andretti and Juan Montoya. Montoya, the 1999 CART champion, has left the series and will compete in Formula One this season.

CART drivers, media, fans and celebrity judges Lenny Kravitz and Sylvester Stallone vote on the All-Star team.

CART was not represented in the IROC series last season because of conflicting race dates.

De Ferran and Brack will join IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Eddie Cheever, Scott Goodyear and Mark Dismore and NASCAR representatives Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd and Jeff Green in the four-race series.

In 1996, Papis made up two laps in the final two hours of the endurance race to close to within 30 seconds of eventual winner Wayne Taylor. Papis, who finished second, earned the nickname "Mad Max" for his late-race heroics.

Papis drives for Team Rahal in the FedEx Championship Series.