Indy Racing League News and Notes 2005-01-21

Today's IRL headlines 1. Teams use off day to switch cars to oval 2. Offseason training pays off for Sharp, Carpentier 3. "Access. Amplified." program kicks off in Miami 4. IndyCar Series Meets NBA

1. Teams use off day to switch cars to oval: After two days on the road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway, IRL IndyCar® Series teams will turn their attention to the variably banked 1.5-mile oval on Jan. 22.

Teams were active in the garage area converting their Panoz and Dallara chassis from the road course package to the oval package.

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2. Offseason training pays off for Sharp, Carpentier: Scott Sharp reported to Homestead-Miami Speedway in the best shape of his racing career.

Sharp religiously worked out with his trainer at his Jupiter, Fla., home in anticipation of the 2005 season.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to join a top-quality team like Fernandez Racing," said Sharp, the 1996 IndyCar Series co-champion. "I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for most of my IndyCar career. I'm just so excited that I wanted to do everything I could to be ready. I committed myself and worked hard everyday to build my strength and my cardiovascular health."

New Red Bull Cheever Racing driver Patrick Carpentier also used a unique workout schedule to prepare for the season. Carpentier spent much of the winter in Quebec and ran snowcross, a combination of snowmobiling and motocross.

"It's the best workout," he said. "It really works the whole body and I really can't do it during the season."

It may be a while before Carpentier can resume his favorite workout. His equipment recently was stolen with his SUV while in Canada. His SUV was found and returned, but his snowcross equipment was not.

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3. "Access. Amplified." program kicks off in Miami: Fan in South Florida can get a behind the scenes preview of the IndyCar Series during "Select-A-Seat" day at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

As part of a program the IRL will use in 2005 called "Access. Amplified." Fans can get unprecedented access to IndyCar Series teams. Fans at Homestead will be able to see IndyCar Series teams and drivers at work on Jan. 22 as well as the Timing & Scoring booth, the garage area and technical inspection area.

In addition, fans can have their photo taken in Victory Lane and two IRL Fan Experience properties, Pole Position and Pit Stop Challenge will be on hand.

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4. IndyCar Series Meets NBA: A specially decaled Toyota Indy 300 show car at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami was displayed during the Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat NBA game on Jan. 21.

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The IRL IndyCar Series opens its 10th season of competition with the Toyota Indy 300 at 2 p.m. (EST) on March 6, 2005 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised live on ESPN and the IMS Radio Network. The 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series season also opens on March 6 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised by ESPN2 at 4 p.m. (EST) on March 17.