Northern Light IRL: Indy Racing Northern Light Series Notebook
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Sharp to provide IROC analysis for ESPN; Lazier, Schroeder hitting road at Daytona
INDIANAPOLIS - Indy Racing Northern Light Series standout Scott Sharp will serve as one of the expert analysts for the ESPN broadcasts of the True Value International Race of Champions Racing Series this year.
Sharp finished seventh in the Northern Light Cup standings last season driving the Delphi Automotive Systems Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone fielded by Kelley Racing. He is the winningest driver in series history with five career victories.
"While I'd rather be driving, it will be nice to be in the ESPN booth and great to get a chance to work with Bob Jenkins," Sharp said.
This won't be Sharp's first time in the booth. He provided analysis for the CBS telecast of an Indy Racing event in 1997 at Charlotte, N.C. 1996 Indy Racing co-champion Sharp was recovering from an injury suffered earlier that season, giving him a chance to do television work.
A record four drivers will represent the Indy Racing Northern Light Series in the True Value IROC series this season: Eddie Cheever Jr., Mark Dismore, Scott Goodyear and 2000 Northern Light Cup champion Buddy Lazier. True Value IROC pits 12 of the world's best drivers in identically prepared stock cars in a four-race series. The season finale is scheduled for Aug. 4 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Sharp represented the SCCA Trans-Am Championship in IROC in 1994. "Racing in IROC was my first exposure to oval-track racing," Sharp said. "The cars were fun to drive, and I'd definitely like to do it again some day."
The 2001 True Value IROC series starts Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Lazier, Schroeder racing around the clock at Daytona: Defending Northern Light Cup champion Buddy Lazier and 2000 Rookie of the Year runner-up Jeret Schroeder will compete in the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance sports-car race Feb. 3-4 at Daytona International Speedway.
The race starts Feb. 3 and will end 24 hours later on the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona - which uses part of the high-banked, 2.5-mile oval. Lazier will join 1992 SCCA Trans Am national champion Jack Baldwin, former IMSA star Irv Hoerr and sports-car standout George Robinson on the Robinson Racing team. Robinson Racing is fielding the No. 74 Ranch Resort Riley & Scott/Judd in the SportsRacing Prototype class, comprised of the fastest and most exotic cars in the field.
Schroeder also will drive in the SportsRacing Prototype class with the TRV Motorsport team. Schroeder, a Rolex 24 veteran, will team up with car owner Tom Volk, John Mirro and Barry Waddell in the No. 95 Supreme Exhaust System/Racer Parts Wholesale Riley & Scott/Chevrolet.
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Dreyer & Reinbold forms alliance: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has formed a technical alliance and sponsorship agreement with Computer Aided Technology (CATI), one of the country's leading value-added providers of software and training solutions to the engineering, manufacturing, and education industries.
In the alliance, Dreyer and Reinbold Racing's technical staff and engineers will utilize CATI's products, implementation assistance, and ongoing training and technical support in the team's design and production of contemporary, state-of-the-art race components. Dreyer & Reinbold already has started to use CATI's SolidWorks® software, the leading mainstream 3D CAD solution.
Team co-owner Robbie Buhl drives the Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series. Buhl won the season opener in 2000 at Orlando, the team's first-ever race.
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On the road: Upcoming display appearances by Indy Racing cars:
*Feb. 1-4: A Delphi Indy Racing car will be on display at the Gateway International Raceway booth at St. Louis Auto Show in the TWA Dome in downtown St. Louis.
*Feb. 2-4: A Delta Faucet/Coors Light/Tae-Bo/Hemelgarn Racing car will be on display at the Kentucky Speedway booth at the World of Wheels show in the Indianapolis Convention Center.
*Feb. 2-4: An Excite@Home Indy Racing car will be on display in the Chicagoland Speedway booth at the World of Wheels show in Chicago.
*Feb. 3-4: A Pennzoil Indy Racing car will be on display on the midway at Phoenix International Raceway during the NASCAR Winter Heat event.
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Hot laps: Arie Luyendyk Jr., son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, tested a U.S. F2000 car Jan. 26-27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The series will race at the track during the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami Indy Racing event April 6-8 ... PDM Racing has re-signed John Carter's Worldwide Moving as a sponsor for the 2001 season ... The United States Auto Club team holds a 10-9 lead over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway team after three of 10 rounds in the ILikeRacing.com Karting Challenge. Fifteen teams comprised of open-wheel racing drivers, team members and officials are competing in the kart racing series, with proceeds donated to charity. Teams with Indy Racing ties include the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pennzoil Panther Racing, Hemelgarn Racing, Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Team Cheever.
Text provided by Paul Kelly
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