An Affordable Ride

The Indy Racing Northern Light Series seems to be transforming into the Orange County Racing League.

Hybrid R&D; Racing of Orange will be in the open-wheel series next year. Dick Simon Racing of Dana Point, with current driver Stephan Gregoire, might add a second car to its team. Driver Jeff Ward of San Juan Capistrano will be back, and Roberto Guerrero of San Juan Capistrano will probably have at least two teams talking to him about driving in 2001.

Next season could also see the return of Newport Beach’s Marco Greco. Laguna Niguel driver Shigeaki Hattori will probably return with Treadway Racing, which has an El Modena High graduate, Skip Faul, as a crew chief for teammate Robby McGehee’s car. Mark Weida of San Clemente is crew chief for Airton Dare. Driver Jacques Lazier attended Chapman College. . . .

The local guys say it’s a good time to be involved with the series, which Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George unveiled in 1994, causing the split with Championship Auto Racing Teams in 1996.

It has done exactly what George hoped it would--provide opportunities for Americans while at the same time keeping down costs compared to the competition, the rival CART.

“We are growing, that’s for sure,” said Gregoire, a Frenchman who has been with the series since its inception. “I don’t know where CART is standing, but I believe in the IRL 100%. This is the series of the future, in my opinion. In America, they love the oval races.”

The IRNLS, still referred to by most of its participants as IRL--for the previously named Indy Racing League--isn’t going anywhere, either. It has a lucrative five-year television contract with ABC that includes a sponsor’s dream, the Indianapolis 500. The search engine Northern Light made a five-year, $50-million commitment as title sponsor of the series. An expanded schedule next season in a more concentrated period of time should also bring some consistency that has been lacking in the series.

Nine races this season were spread between Jan. 29 and Oct. 15.

“I think the IRL recognized that there could be a credibility problem if they only did nine races on a continuous basis,” Simon said. “But since they’ve brought on ABC television for five years, that created a whole lot of interest. It opened doors to additional tracks. You look at CART right now, [interim CEO Bobby] Rahal says TV is not as important as it used to be. That’s [hogwash]. He’s trying to justify the fact they don’t have a good TV contract.”

There are 13 races on the 2001 Indy Racing schedule from March to September, with two weekends of qualifying for the Indy 500 in May. Two additional races--in Las Vegas and Milwaukee--are expected to be added. A fan base might actually have a chance to develop.

“[Fifteen races] is what the series needs,” said Ward, who drives for owner A.J. Foyt. “The racing has been great. We’re moving into new venues. But the schedule has really hurt us this year.”

For example, seven weeks separated the first and second races of the season, and seven weeks will pass between last Sunday’s race in Kentucky and the final race, the Excite 500, in Texas.

There are 20 races this season in CART, 22 next year. In 2001, seven CART races will be outside the U.S., adding to the race budgets. The common drive--even the most talented--has little chance of breaking in without some major sponsorship backing. Simon recalled a conversation he had with Jeff Gordon in the early 1990s.

“He said, ‘Dick, I just don’t seem to be able to come up with enough money to get into an Indy car so it looks like I’m going to have to go to NASCAR,’ ” Simon recalled. “I told him it was a shame.”

Gordon went on to be the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup rookie of the year and win championships in 1995, ’97 and ’98.

Certainly, the cost of the IRL is easier to swallow. Simon’s race budget this season will be about $3.2 million, about $100,000 mor than last year. He’s trying to raise $4 million for next season and increase his testing program. His driver, Gregoire, is currently 12th in the standings, but only 25 points out of fourth place.

“If you’re spending $3 million in the IRL, you might get by in a [comparably] competitive situation in CART with a minimum of $8-9 million,” Simon said. “If I was going to try to do anything in a competitive manner in CART, I would need at least $10 million, minimum. You’d have a harder time being up front on $10 million in CART than $3 million in IRL.”

Rod Everett of Mission Viejo, owner of the Hybrid R&D; Racing team that fields a Riley and Scott Mk3 in the Grand American Road Racing Assn., noticed the same thing.

“There’s more of a future there for a team like ours,” Everett said. “The budget demands aren’t quite as steep as CART, and are similar to the prototype cars we’re running now. But the benefits of the IRL tip the scales over sports car racing. I love sports car racing, but the IRL has too much to offer to ignore.”

There’s a chance that Hybrid might even make a splash next season with a two-car team, and if they do, Guerrero will probably get a phone call from Everett. Guerrero, a rookie in the 1984 Indy 500 and former pole sitter, failed to qualify in 2000. He raced last weekend in Kentucky for owner Cory Coulson in Team Coulson’s first Indy car race.

Simon, who has been at Indianapolis every year since 1970 as a driver, owner, engineer or crew chief, might also add a second car to his stable.

That nudge is coming from his sponsor, The Mexmil Company of Santa Ana, and its owners, brothers Michael and Mark Molus, who have agreed to sponsor Simon’s team through 2003.

In IRNLS, less often is more. Fewer dollars create more opportunities.

“In the last race at Kentucky, Sam Hornish and Jacques Lazier are leading the race, and they have no budget,” Ward said. “That’s how competitive the motors are. It brings a lot of interest to the team owner. They can be competitive instead of putting $10 million into a program and be at the back of the field and never be on TV.

“You look at NASCAR, our venues are similar, and we’re able to run side by side. That’s why CART’s going to Texas [in 2001]. You’re looking at making cars competitive and compatible to the tracks with the high downforce. I think the fans are catching on.

“The feud, I think, is dying down. The IRL is being accepted for what it is--great racing.”