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IRL: Pep Boys Indy Racing League 2000 Schedule Announced

3 November 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

INDIANAPOLIS - The Pep Boys Indy Racing League released a 10-event schedule for the 2000 season today.

In the shadows of the Magic Kingdom, the teams of the Pep Boys Indy Racing League will begin the 2000 season Jan. 29 with the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway in front of a live ABC television audience.

After open tests at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway in February, the teams will return to Phoenix on March 19 for a 200-mile race on ABC.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway moves its annual Pep Boys Indy Racing League event to April 22 in 2000, making it the last race before practice begins May 13 for the Indianapolis 500. ABC will carry the Las Vegas race.

PPG Pole qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is Saturday, May 20, with live coverage by ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the day. The 84th running of the Indianapolis 500 starts at noon May 28 on ABC.

Texas Motor Speedway plays host to its first of two Pep Boys Indy Racing League events June 10, and that will mark the first race telecast of the year by ESPN. The event also will be the first of two night races in 2000. From Texas, the teams will travel to Pikes Peak International Raceway for a June 18 race on ABC.

An open test in late June will allow the drivers and crews to get acclimated to the new Kentucky Speedway. From the Kentucky test, the Indy Racing teams will head to Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 15 for another night race on ESPN.

The countrys newest motorsports facility, the Kentucky Speedway, will play host to its first Pep Boys Indy Racing League event Aug. 27. It will be the closest Indy Racing event in proximity to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the 2000 schedule.

Negotiations are still being finalized for a live event Sunday, Sept. 10, on ESPN. Details of that event will be announced in the near future.

The 2000 Pep Boys Indy Racing League champion will be crowned again at the last race of the season Oct. 15 at Texas Motor Speedway.

"The 2000 season will be an exciting year for the Pep Boys Indy Racing League," said Leo Mehl, executive director of the Indy Racing League. "It marks the beginning of a five-year partnership with the ABC and ESPN family that will allow our teams and promoters to grow with a controlled schedule.

"The brand-new Kentucky Speedway opens its gates in 2000, and it will be a wonderful venue for the League to showcase its drivers and teams. And that race takes place in the heart of open-wheel country, just a few hours from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

The tentative 2000 schedule:

	Date	   Track	                        Network	Time (Eastern)

	Jan. 29	   Walt Disney World Speedway	        ABC	Noon
	March 15   Phoenix International Raceway	ABC	4 p.m.
	April 22   Las Vegas Motor Speedway	        ABC	3:30 p.m.
	May 28	   Indianapolis Motor Speedway	        ABC	Noon
	June 10	   Texas Motor Speedway	                ESPN	8 p.m.
	June 18	   Pikes Peak International Raceway	ABC	4 p.m.
	July 15	   Atlanta Motor Speedway	        ESPN	8 p.m.
	Aug. 27	   Kentucky Speedway	                ESPN	2:30 p.m.
	Sept. 10   TBA	                                ESPN	1 p.m.
	Oct. 15	   Texas Motor Speedway	                ABC	3:30 p.m.

All Pep Boys Indy Racing League events in 2000 will also be broadcast live on the Indy Racing Radio Network.

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.