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INDYCAR (INDIANAPOLIS) - SERIES NOTES


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1. Did you know?

2. Gregg subs for Klein at Kentucky

3. Wood on the mend

1. Did you know?: August has been declared “Michigan International Speedway Month” by the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate in recognition of the track’s busiest month. As the IndyCar Series heads to the 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, Mich., to kick off “Michigan International Speedway Month,” here are some facts about the drivers, owners and personalities associated with the series that you may not have known:

Did you know? • There have been five different winners from five different teams in the five IndyCar Series events. • Tomas Scheckter has finished in the top five four times in five starts. • Scott Sharp has finished in the top 10 in all five races and is the only driver to complete all 2,000 miles that the IndyCar Series has raced at MIS. • Alex Barron’s 2003 win over Sam Hornish Jr. is the closest finish in Michigan International Speedway history. Barron edged Hornish by 0.0121 of a second. • IndyCar Series team owner A.J. Foyt won five consecutive poles at MIS from Sept. 1974 – Sept. 1976. He recorded his two Michigan Indy car wins during that span. • Indy Pro Series driver coach and Team Penske consultant Rick Mears made his final Indy car start (8/2/1992) and claimed his final victory (8/4/1991) at Michigan International Speedway. • ESPN2 analyst Scott Goodyear is two-time winner at Michigan, winning in 1992 and 1994.

2. Gregg subs for Klein at Kentucky: Three-time Indy Pro Series race winner Travis Gregg will return to the series to drive the No. 2 Team Moore Racing entry at Kentucky Speedway on Aug. 11. Gregg, a Camden, Ohio native, will substitute for Jonathan Klein. “Travis is very professional, and we know he will represent the team well,” team co-owner Mark Moore said. “He has a great history at Kentucky Speedway, and we’ll do our best to give him a good car.” Gregg, 29, has competed at the 1.5-mile oval in each of the last three seasons. In 2004, he won the pole for the Kentucky 100 in his Indy Pro Series debut and went on to finish fifth after leading 57 of 67 laps. In 2005, Gregg earned his third career Indy Pro Series victory at Kentucky during his only full season of competition in the series. He led every lap after again starting on the pole. Last year, the Kentucky race was the third and final race of the season for Gregg. He started and finished fourth. Overall in his career, Gregg has made 20 starts in the Indy Pro Series, recording seven poles and nine top-five finishes. “I’m pretty excited about getting back into the Indy Pro Series car, especially under the lights,” Gregg said of the Kentucky 100, which will be the first night race in series history. “Kentucky is where I first started in the series, my first pole, and it’s fairly close to my hometown, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. I appreciate Mark Moore and Tom Wood giving me this opportunity.” Klein will not participate in Indy Pro Series events again until Infineon Raceway. The 20-year-old, who has three top-five finishes this season, has a small back fracture and according to Dr. Michael Olinger, director of medical services for the Indy Racing League, it is unclear when Klein suffered the injury. Klein was in an incident during practice at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and his only complaint was left elbow pain, which x-rays showed as negative, and he was cleared to race. After the Mid-Ohio event, Klein complained of some back pain and visited Dr. Terry Trammell, the league’s orthopedic consultant, when the small back fracture was discovered. Trammel and Olinger are unsure if Klein irritated a previous back injury or if the injury was suffered at Mid-Ohio. The Kentucky 100 is the 13th of 16 races on the 2007 schedule. The 100-mile race is scheduled to start at 9:10 p.m. (EDT). *** The next IndyCar Series event is the Firestone Indy 400 at Noon on Aug. 5 at Michigan International Speedway. The race will be televised live by ESPN2 and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. The next Indy Pro Series event is the Kentucky 100 on Aug.11 at Kentucky Speedway. The race will be broadcast at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 16.