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IRL: Notes from the Walt Dinsey World Open Testing Session

13 December 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Timing and scoring improvements: Indy Racing League Timing and Scoring officials are testing the new, state-of-the-art AMB TranX Pro timing and scoring system that is to be installed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and used at the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

Crews under the direction of Chuck Whetsel, manager of IRL/IMS Timing and Scoring, installed the new system at Walt Disney World Speedway. The system will be tested at the Delphi Indy 200, and the events at Phoenix in March and Las Vegas in April. The AMB system used in 1999 will remain as the primary system until Whetsel is confident the new system is working flawlessly.

"The new system is on schedule for the Indianapolis 500," said Whetsel. "The hardware appears to be ready to go, and right now were shaking out the new software. The new system will remain as a backup to our year-old AMB system at Disney, Phoenix and Las Vegas, but if everything continues according to plan, the TranX Pro will be our primary system at Indy."

The new fully digital AMB equipment offers accuracy of up to 1/10,000th of a second, and has improved aesthetics and detail in the information provided to teams, media, and track video monitors and scoreboards.

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Easy driver: The Pennzoil Panther team has made life in the cockpit a little easier for Scott Goodyear with the introduction of Formula One-style, steering wheel-mounted controls and data displays. Controls and information such as the fuel reset button, warning lights, and speed, rpm and tire pressure displays that were on the dashboard are all now mounted on the steering wheel, directly in front of Goodyear.

"Scott no longer has to look through the steering wheel and has less strain when operating controls," said Panther racing team manager and owner John Barnes. "He can now look at data all the way around the racetrack, instead of having to wait for a certain point on the track. The controls represent newer technology, and the whole package weighs less."

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New paint job for Panther: Panther Racing has gone "back to the basics" with the paint scheme on their 2000 Dallara/Aurora/Firestone. For the last two years, the Pennzoil-sponsored car featured black striping and black paint on much of the top of the chassis. For 2000, the sponsor and team elected to resurrect the classic all-yellow paint scheme that has adorned Pennzoil cars driven by the likes of Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford, Rick Mears and John Andretti for 20 years.

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Broadcast highlights: Highlights of the Indy Racing League Orlando Open Test will be aired on Sunday, Dec. 12 on two nationally broadcast motorsports shows: TNN Raceday at 11 a.m. (EST) and RPM2Night on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. (EST).

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Tickets: Tickets for the Delphi Indy 200 are available by calling (800) 822-INDY.

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