I.R.L. Chief Talks To The Media...Bares It All

04/05/96

Cary Agajanian,Executive V.P., USAC and head of the fledgling and very controversial Indy Racing League addresed the April luncheon meeting of the Motor Press Guild in Los Angeles yesterday telling a standing room only turnout that IRL was here to stay and the Indy 500 will have a full 33 car field and be successful. Agajanian, son of legendary race promoter and 37 year Indy car owner,J. C. Agajanian is one of the most respected business men in motorsports. Cary,who is a double for Bobby Rahal with a dash of Groucho Marx is a lawyer and esplained his calling was thrust upon him by his father who figured that a car race promoter NEEDED an Attorney in the family. The smoldering fued between IRLs Tony George and CART/INDYCAR board members has been THE big racing news of late as both sanctioning bodies will be running 500 mile races next Memorial day. One at the traditional brickyard in Indianapolis and CART...who loses the INDYCAR monicker in three weeks if their appeal is turned down,at Michigan International Speedway.

Agajanian fielded all questions with aplomb:

Philosophy

Both sides have different philosphies re the product we want to present to the public. CART is composed of car owners and there are personal interests as well as business interests involved. IRL is not made up of car/track owners and have as our main concern the race ticket buyer,costs,ovel/Americana and nurturing young,new US drivers.

RACE CAR CHASSIS FOR 1997

IRL is apparently being boycotted by Lola,Penske(of course) and Reynard so they have signed up with Dalara(Italy F-3) Dalara (sports racers) and Riley/Scott (IMSA sports cars) for 1997 cars.

COSTS

Where it costs a CART team in the neighborhood of $7 million per year to go racing, it will cost IRL owners less than #3 million. CART motor (leased) programs cost over $1million per year. IRL owners can start out at $75,000 and keep costs down as they will be allowed to overhauls their engines...something not allowed in CART.

RACE MOTOR PROGRAM

For 1997 the IRL motors will be four liter non blown and will come from Oldsmobile and Infiniti/Nissan.

U.S. BRED DRIVERS

IRL is promulgating the development of U.S. born drivers who want and can race on oval tracks...just the way the whole U.S. racing thing started. In CART at Indy last year there were 17 foreign born drivers with four foreign rookies.

MORE ON COSTS

CARTgearboxes cost $90.000...IRLs cost $30,000. A CART chassis goes for $500,000...IRL $250,000.Fuel cell for IRL is $5,000...CART, $30,000.

INDY 500 THIS YEAR

There WILL be an Indy 500 mile race and the purse will be $8 million. The winner will receive $2 million. There will be about 20 Ford-Cosworths and the rest of the field Buicks. The Speedway may allow the GM motors additional boost..about two more inches...maybe more. Filling the field with cars/drivers will be no problem and if there appear to be discrepancies in car performance the Speedway has the right to make rules changes on the spot to even things up.

PENNZOIL

The IRL and the Speedway are delighted to have Pennzoil in as a major sponsor/supplier and this also takes in Pennzoils participation in the Brickyard 400 this coming summer.

SOLUTION TO THE MESS ?

Not this year according to Agajanian. The hassle became hostile when after Tony George announced his "25 car rule"...you must race with the IRL or you probably won't make the Indy 500 field, CART turned around and scheduled conflicting dates races at Lowden, NH and Elkhart Lake,Wis.

According to Agajanian the IRL will be successful because they ae staying with the basics which means to this writer they want good old fashioned wheel to wheel roundy-round competition and will not allow their league/owners to go the way Formula one where not only do we seldom see a "red car pass a blue car", but to field a team costs $44 million per year.

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel