Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Hearn snares ride in weekend IRL race

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 9:36 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Henderson resident Richie Hearn will return to the Indy Racing League this weekend for the first time since the Indianapolis 500 and drive for Team Menard in Sunday's Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Hearn, 32, tested the No. 2 Dallara/Chevrolet last week at the 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Ill., and will replace Jaques Lazier in the car this weekend.

"Chicago's a great track," Hearn said. "We had a successful test there last week and you can really feel the power of the new Chevy. Team Menard's a really good team; hopefully, I can find some good luck for them and myself this weekend."

Hearn's only other start at Chicagoland came in 2001, when he subbed for the injured Davey Hamilton in a car owned by Sam Schmidt -- also a resident of Henderson. Hearn qualified 20th and finished sixth in that race.

Hearn, who won the inaugural IRL race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1996 for Della Penna Motorsports, has 19 career starts in the IRL. He enjoyed a banner season last year with Schmidt, making 10 starts and finishing in the top-10 six times -- including a sixth-place effort in the Indy 500.

His only IRL start this year came at Indy, where he crashed 62 laps into the race and finished 28th in a Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry.

Hearn also made 59 career starts in CART while driving for Della Penna Motorsports from 1996 to 1999.

The SAFER wall system is similar to the one introduced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year and extends through the track's four turns.

"I think it is a testament to Richmond International Raceway for what they've done by putting up the (SAFER) walls," Robby Gordon said. "It's nice to see a racetrack take initiative. I think safer races mentally for the drivers are going to make even more exciting races for the fans."

"I'm going to call Richmond trendsetters by doing this," Tony Stewart said. "They are the first short track to do this and having the walls up is something we're all excited about."

Stanton underwent an appendectomy Saturday but said he plans to compete with co-drive Johnny Mowlem in the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Laguna Seca.

"Being from California, I have always enjoyed the track and racing in Monterey," Stanton said. "I love a place I can race and surf on the same weekend."

Stanton and Mowlem gave the team its first ALMS victory two weeks ago at Road America and team owner Michael Petersen said he is expecting a successful final third of the season.

"We're looking forward to carrying the momentum from Road America to Laguna Seca," Petersen said. "We have that monkey off our back and we're ready to take it to the Alex Job (team) the rest of the season.

"We worked hard to get the first victory. We had come so close so many times (and) now we want to keep the momentum going."

Although rivals in the American Le Mans Series GT class, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing and Alex Job racing teamed to win the GT class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this summer.

The seventh annual UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race will be Sunday, March 7, the Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series race is scheduled for Saturday, March 6 and qualifying for both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series races will be Friday, March 5.

Tickets for the O'Reilly World of Outlaws races on Thursday, March 4 and Friday, March 5 also go on sale Monday.

Andy Houston is scheduled to drive the No. 2 Dodge truck for Ultra Motorsports in Las Vegas. Jason Leffler drove the truck for the first 16 races of the season but left the team to drive the No. 0 Pontiac for Haas CNC Racing in the Winston Cup Series. ...

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced this week that the track would host a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race for the first time in 2004. The 200-mile race will be Saturday, March 13 as part of the track's NASCAR Nextel Cup weekend.

Vickers has two victories in the NASCAR Busch Series this season and is third in points.

Las Vegas native Kyle Busch, who is running seven Busch Series races for Hendrick this season, will replace Vickers in the No. 5 Busch Series Chevrolet next season.

Carpenter, 22, drives for team owner A.J. Foyt in the IPS and is fourth in points. He will compete in Saturday's IPS event then make his IRL IndyCar Series debut in the No. 18 PDM Racing Dallara/Chevrolet in Sunday's Delphi Indy 300.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to run at Chicagoland Speedway," Carpenter said. "It will be my first IndyCar Series race and I hope it is the first of many. I have worked hard at becoming an IndyCar Series driver and the next step is just around the corner."

Carpenter, who won the Infiniti Pro Series event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, is the stepson of IRL founder Tony George.