IRL Drops Rule, Hopes to End Boycott

The Indy Racing League’s controversial 25-and-8 rule, which guarantees 25 spots in the Indianapolis 500 for IRL teams, will be scrapped next year.

The decision, announced by Leo Mehl, IRL executive director, was made in hopes of luring teams from Championship Auto Racing Teams back into the Indy 500. When the rule was announced last year, it led to a boycott by CART, which scheduled a race called the U.S. 500 on the same day in Brooklyn, Mich.

This year CART teams are again boycotting Indianapolis and are running their own race May 24, the day before the 500, at the new Gateway Raceway, near St. Louis.

“The elimination of the 25-8 rule is a positive first step toward resolving the differences that exist between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy Racing League and CART,” said Andrew Craig, president of CART. “We believe these changes signal that the [Speedway] and the IRL recognize the importance of having the teams and drivers that race in the PPG CART World Series as part of the 500.”

The decision, however, does not guarantee that there will be movement from CART toward Indy because new IRL chassis and engine regulations have mandated altogether different race cars from those used in CART. Currently, only Dallara of Italy and G Force of England manufacture IRL chassis, and only derivatives of Oldsmobile Aurora and Nissan Infiniti stock-block engines may be used. CART uses a variety of chassis powered by turbocharged racing engines.

Mehl said, though, that other manufacturers may supply chassis and engines for the 500 next year.