Johnny Rutherford Gives IRL Rookies High Marks

02/29/96

An Indy Racing League press release relates 3 time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford's favorable impressions of the IRL rookies that are hitting the track in Phoenix, Arizona this week.

The IRL racers are preparing for the IRL's second race, the Phoenix 200, which will run on March 24th at the Phoenix International Raceway. Rutherford ran the first race that Phoenix ever hosted, and held the record for races and laps completed at Phoenix for quite a while. Rutherford says that the Phoenix track holds the same kind of challenge that the IRL drivers saw in Orlando last month, and remarked specifically about the unforgiving traits of the first turn.

Rutherford continued on to comment about the high caliber rookies running in the IRL races. He ticked off the names of Buzz Calkins, Tony Stewart, Robbie Buhl, Michele Alboreto, Johnny O'Connell, Davey Hamilton, Stan Wattles, Stephan Gregoire, and Richie Hearn, and talked briefly about each of their strengths.

Check out Johnny Rutherford's comments about the IRL drivers, and preview for the Phoenix 200.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel