From: Michael Powell 

INDY RACING LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Roth purchases Panther Pro Series equipment; 

IRL stars to compete in Brazilian go-kart festival

INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003 – Menards Infiniti Pro Series veteran
Marty Roth has purchased the race cars and equipment from Panther Racing’s
Infiniti Pro Series team, Roth announced Nov. 5.

Two-time IRL IndyCarâ Series Champions Panther Racing entered Pro Series
competition in 2003 and won the championship with British rookie Mark
Taylor.

“I was in the process of negotiating with (team co-owner) John Barnes to
run their car for the 2004 season,” Roth said. “John called me the other
day and regrettably informed me that, due to their commitment to run a
two-car IndyCar Series program for next season, they had decided to
withdraw from the Infiniti Pro Series.”

Taylor, who earned seven wins and four pole positions to claim the 2003
Menards Infiniti Pro Series title, will drive the No. 2 Menards/Johns
Manville IndyCar Series entry for Panther Racing in 2004.

“Having recognized the value Panther Racing has created through their
R&D over the past year, I jumped at the opportunity when their Infiniti
Pro Series program went on the market,” said Roth.

“Now that I have the equipment, the next phase is building the team. The
equipment is just the first step; it’s what you do with it that counts. I’m
after the 2004 championship, and everything has to be right.”

***

Wheldon Up For Autosport Rookie of the Year Award: Andretti Green Racing
driver Dan Wheldon, who earned Bombardier Rookie of the Year honors for his
performance during the 2003 IRL IndyCarâ Series season, is in line for
another prestigious award. 

Wheldon is one of seven international drivers short-listed by British
motorsports magazine Autosport for its 2003 Rookie Driver of the Year
title. Fans can vote for Wheldon by visiting www.autosport.com. 

Wheldon also is in contention for Autosport’s British Competition Driver of
the Year award. Readers can vote for Wheldon by completing the voting form
in the October 23 issue of Autosport.

The winners of the 2003 Autosport Awards will be announced at a gala
function in London on Sunday, Dec. 7.

IRL Stars to Participate in Brazilian Go-Kart Festival: IRL IndyCar Series
drivers Felipe Giaffone and Tony Kanaan and Menards Infiniti Pro Series
race winner Thiago Medeiros will participate in the Granja Viana 500-Mile
(500 Milhas da Granja Viana) race, the largest go-kart festival in Brazil,
on Nov. 8 outside Sao Paolo.  

Numerous international racing stars are scheduled to join the IRL drivers,
including 2000 Indianapolis 500 Champion Juan Pablo Montoya, 2002 United
States Grand Prix Champion Rubens Barrichello, Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser,
Michel Jourdain Jr. and Oriol Servia. 

More than 200 drivers are expected to compete in 70 go-karts for 12
non-stop hours of racing starting Saturday, Nov. 8 at 10:30 p.m. local
time.

The 1,200-meter racetrack was designed by Giaffone and his brother,
Zequinha, on their family property in the Granja Viana neighborhood of
metropolitan Sao Paolo.  

Giaffone will team with Formula 1 test driver Luciano Burti and Formula
3000 drivers Ricardo and Rodrigo Sperafico. 

Kanaan, who drove the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone to a win
and nine top-five finishes for Andretti Green Racing in the 2003 IndyCar
Series championship, will team with Formula One drivers Barrichello and
Felipe Massa and Marco Andretti, the 16-year-old son of Kanaan’s team
owner, Michael Andretti.

Kanaan, Barrichello and Massa are two-time defending champions of this
weekend’s event. 

“This race is something I really look forward to every year. It's a lot of
fun,” said Kanaan. “This year will be very cool since we've added Marco to
the team. It will be our first time as teammates, but I doubt it will be
our last.”

The youngest racing Andretti won eight events this year and notched 13
podium finishes en route to winning the 14-race Skip Barber 2.0-liter
Formula Dodge Eastern Region title.

Hot Laps: Andretti Green Racing driver Tony Kanaan will marry fiancée
Daniele Loiola on Nov. 7 in Sao Paolo, Brazil…Kentucky Speedway will host
its “Drive The Track Sale” on Sat., Nov. 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Guests who purchase a minimum of $40 in merchandise at the speedway Fan
Center Gift Shop in Turn 3 will be able to turn three paced laps in their
own vehicle on the 1.5-mile tri-oval…Red Bull Cheever Racing teammates
Eddie Cheever Jr. and Alex Barron will participate in the SCUSA
Supernationals on Nov. 15 in Las Vegas. The celebrity go-kart event, held
in the parking lot of the Rio Hotel and Casino, will feature the Red Bull
Cheever Racing go-karts used by RBCR in various markets throughout the
year. Former Red Bull Cheever Racing driver Buddy Rice will also
participate…With two events remaining in national competition, Aaron Fike
holds a 136-point lead over J.J. Yeley in the National Midget Driver of the
Year point standings. If he can maintain the advantage, Fike will become
the first repeat winner of the National Midget Driver of the Year Award
presented by Arizona SportShirts. 

 



--- Internet Rex 2.29