IRL Heads To Dover In '98IRL Press Release INDIANAPOLIS, September 30, 1997 -- For the first time since 1969, Indianapolis-style cars will race at Dover Downs, Delaware during the Indy Racing League's 1998 season, IRL officials announced today. The announcement of the IRL's race to be run on Sunday, July 19, 1998, was made by Denis McGlynn, Dover Downs President and CEO, IRL founder Tony George and IRL Executive Director Leo Mehl. The race will have a prize posting package in excess of $1 million. IRL Executive Director Leo Mehl explained the League's involvement in the new market.
Indianapolis-style cars have competed at Dover Downs only once, during the track's inaugural season of 1969. Since then, Dover has hosted two Winston Cup races per season. "We are honored and delighted to be able to bring the speed and excitement of the Indy Racing League to fans in the Mid-Atlantic states for the first time," commented Denis McGlynn. "We look forward to delivering the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington markets for the IRL and its sponsors, just as we do for NASCAR." Indy Racing League driver representative Scott Goodyear visited the track earlier this summer. "As a board member of the Championship Drivers Association, the reason for my visit this summer was from a safety point of view," said Goodyear. "I was pretty pleased with the track itself. There are some changes that need to be made like changing the guardrails to cement on the inside sections of the turns and some minor repairs like repaving the pit entries. As a driver, I'm very excited to go to Dover. It's going to be an exciting track not only to compete on, but also for the spectators. It's a track that will not allow us any resting time. It seems like you're always turning or setting your car up for the turns. I don't feel that because it is a cement track that will make much of a difference to our racing line." Dover Downs becomes the fifth one-mile oval to be added to the IRL's calendar. The track, known as the "Monster Mile", has two major differences from other IRL tracks -- the track surface is made of concrete, and it will be the highest banked one-mile oval that the IRL will compete on in 1998, with 24 degrees of banking in all four turns and 9 degrees of banking on the straights. The lengths of the front and back stretch are 1,076 feet each. (The IRL has competed on two 1-1/2 mile ovals with 24 degree banking -- Texas and Charlotte -- and will add Atlanta to the 1998 schedule.) Details of the IRL's race weekend including sponsorship, ticket prices, schedule and major support race will be announced in the future.
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