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NorthernLight IRL: Ray and Olds Take Texas Pole

15 October 2000

Title Contenders Goodyear and Lazier Qualify Second and Sixth; 
Oldsmobile to Start on Pole for 38th Consecutive IRL Race

FORT WORTH, Texas - The Indy Racing League championship picture came
into sharper focus today as qualifying for the season finale of the
nine-race Indy Racing Northern Light Series was completed at Texas Motor
Speedway. Greg Ray, the reigning IRL champion, won the pole for Sunday's
Excite 500 with a stunning 215.352 mph lap around the 1.5-mile oval in Team
Menard's Conseco Oldsmobile Dallara.

    Ray will start on the pole for the sixth time this season and the
tenth time in his career. Oldsmobile's IRL Aurora V8 will start on the pole
for the 38th consecutive IRL event after sweeping every pole position in
IRL competition for four straight years.

    Scott Goodyear, second in the championship standings coming into
the Excite 500, claimed the outside front row starting spot and two bonus
points with a 214.391 mph qualifying lap in his final appearance in
Pennzoil Panther Racing's Oldsmobile Dallara. Goodyear cut Buddy Lazier's
lead to 36 points after Lazier qualified Hemelgarn Racing's Delta/Coors
Oldsmobile Dallara sixth on the grid with a 212.305 mph speed. Eddie
Cheever, the only other contender for the Northern Light Cup, qualified his
Nissan-powered entry tenth at 211.483 mph.

    "The weather was changing from cloudy to sunny, the wind was shifting,
and the air density was going up and down" said Ray. "We made ten changes
and then changed them all back right before qualifying. Now the mechanics,
the engineers, the motor guys, the driver all have to execute in the race.
A team is like a V8 engine - it has to hit on all eight cylinders.

    "We didn't meet our expectations this year," noted Ray, who is 11th in
the championship standings. "To win here at my home track in the final race
of the season would be a big bonus."

    Goodyear came close to repeating his pole-winning performance at
the preceding race in Kentucky. "We were off just a little bit and it cost
us some speed," Goodyear reported. "We got two points and we have a great
shot at winning the race. There's no strategy for us except to go fast,
turn left, lead the most laps, and win. We're going out to have fun."

    With Goodyear failing to take the pole, Lazier can win the $1 million
IRL championship with a 14th place or better finish. "My qualifying lap was
the fastest we've run without the draft, so I'm pleased with that," said
Lazier. "We'll approach tomorrow like any other race. We're going to charge
and try to win the race, but we're not going to abuse the car. We're going
to keep doing what we've been doing all year."

    Jeff Ward will start A.J. Foyt's Harrah's Oldsmobile G-Force third on
the grid, his best qualifying performance of the season. "I can drive
anywhere and get behind anybody and it doesn't upset the car," said Ward,
who had only a single qualifying lap after his car failed tech inspection
and had to go to the back of the line. "I run a low line and scrubbed off
some speed because the tires weren't up to temperature with only one
warm-up lap. I probably had another mph left in the car. Third's fine; I've
got a great race car for tomorrow."

    Al Unser Jr. also turned in his best qualifying performance of his
IRL career, putting Galles ECR Racing's Tickets.com Oldsmobile G-Force
fourth on the grid. "The warmer air dropped our speed about one mph from
this morning's practice, but we've got a good race car," said Unser.

    Oldsmobile engines dominated qualifying for the Excite 500 as IRL
Aurora V8s powered the four fastest qualifiers and 92 percent of the
starters for the 208-lap, 312-mile race. Oldsmobile is racing for its 37th
IRL victory in Sunday's Excite 500. Oldsmobile has won all 16 IRL races
contested to date on 1.5-mile superspeedways.

    The Excite 500 is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday,
October 15. The 208-lap, 312-mile race will be televised on tape delay by
ABC at 4:00 p.m. EDT and broadcast live on the Indy Racing Radio Network.

EXCITE 500 TOP SIX QUALIFIERS
Driver               Entrant              Engine        Speed
1. Greg Ray          Team Menard          Oldsmobile    215.352 mph
2. Scott Goodyear    Panther Racing       Oldsmobile    214.391
3. Jeff Ward         A.J. Foyt Racing     Oldsmobile    213.074
4. Al Unser Jr.      Galles ECR Racing    Oldsmobile    212.633
5. Robbie Buhl       Dreyer & Reinbold    Infiniti      212.340
6. Buddy Lazier      Hemelgarn Racing     Oldsmobile    212.305