2002 Infiniti Pro Series
2002 Infiniti Pro Series season | |
---|---|
IRL Infiniti Pro Series | |
Season | |
Races | 7 |
Start date | July 7 |
End date | September 14 |
Awards | |
Drivers' champion | ![]() |
Teams' champion | A. J. Foyt Enterprises |
← 2001 (Indy Lights) 2003 → |
The 2002 IRL Infiniti Pro Series was the first season of the series, which served as the first official developmental series to the Indy Racing League. The Infiniti Pro Series is considered a direct continuation of the original CART-owned Indy Lights series, which operated for 16 years from 1986 to 2001. While the formation of the Pro Series was independent, CART announced shortly after that Indy Lights would fold after the 2001 season. The Pro Series would later adopt the Indy Lights name in 2008 when IndyCar bought the intellectual property from CART, and was subsequently renamed Indy NXT in 2023.
The Infiniti Pro Series was first announced on September 1, 2001, with the aim to streamline the path into IRL competition and provide a training ground for aspiring drivers, This initiative was particularly aimed at addressing competitors from the USAC ranks were having a harder time transitioning directly into the IRL in previous years. The season started in the summer of 2002, with a reduced all-oval seven race schedule over two months towards an extended calendar in 2003.[1]
The series had a target budget of $800.000 per season and per car, with featuring a spec Dallara IL-02 chassis and an engine package provided by Infiniti. British builder TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) developed a 3.5 L version of the V8 engine used in the Infiniti Q45, which produced 420 horsepower (310 kW).
A. J. Foyt IV, the youngest driver in the field, was the inaugural champion in a car owned by his legendary, grandfather A. J. Foyt. As of 2023, Foyt IV holds the record as the youngest Indy NXT champion of all time dating back to 1986, at 18 years and three months of age. Foyt IV won four of the seven races, including the inaugural event at Kansas, and was crowned at the final race in Texas against the American-born Dutch driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. The son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk had four second-place finishes, but no wins, finishing behind Cory Witherill at Nashville, Ryan Hampton at Gateway and Aaron Fike at Chicagoland.
Former IRL drivers Cory Witherill, Ronnie Johncox, and Dave Steele participated in the championship, alongside full-time IRL teams A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Kelley Racing, Hemelgarn Racing and Sam Schmidt Motorsports, although Kelley Racing withdrew from the championship after actor-turned-driver Jason Priestley was seriously injured in a warm-up crash at Kentucky Speedway. The series started with 12 cars at its first round, and the field was up to 16 drivers for the events at Michigan and Kentucky. Eight drivers took part in every round, with three others contesting all but one event.
Team and driver chart
Team | No. | Drivers | Rounds |
---|---|---|---|
Sinden Racing Service[2] | 2 | ![]() | All |
Brian Stewart Racing[4] | 3 | ![]() | 1–4, 6–7 |
Luyendyk Racing[6] | 5 | ![]() | All |
Kelley Racing[7] | 7 | ![]() | 1–4 |
REV 1 Racing[8] | 8 | ![]() | All |
Sam Schmidt Motorsports[9] | 9 | ![]() | 3 |
![]() | 4, 6–7 | ||
![]() | 5 | ||
99 | ![]() | All | |
Roquin Motorsports[13] | 11 | ![]() | 2–7 |
Beardsley Motorsports[15] | 12 | ![]() | 2–5, 7 |
A. J. Foyt Enterprises[16] | 14 | ![]() | All |
Automatic Fire Sprinklers[17] | 27 | ![]() | All |
Ryan Hampton / CGF Racing[18] | 34 | ![]() | 3–7 |
Bowes Seal Fast Racing[20] | 37 | ![]() | 1–4, 6–7 |
![]() | 5 | ||
38 | 1 | ||
43 | ![]() | 3 | |
![]() | 4–6 | ||
Hemelgarn 91/Johnson Motorsports[22] | 91 | ![]() | All |
92 | ![]() | All |
Schedule
The initial schedule for the Infiniti Pro Series was announced on February 2, 2002.[25] Competition started halfway through the Indy Racing League season, which the Infiniti Pro Series accompanied at all of its final seven events, with all events being held on ovals. Kansas, Gateway and Texas had all been featured in the last season of Indy Lights competition, which had last visited Michigan in 2000, while Nashville, Kentucky and Chicagoland held an open-wheel feeder series race for the first time.
Rd. | Date | Race name | Track | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | July 7 | Kansas 100 | Kansas Speedway | Kansas City, Kansas |
2 | July 20 | Nashville 100 | Nashville Superspeedway | Lebanon, Tennessee |
3 | July 28 | Michigan 100 | Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan |
4 | August 11 | Kentucky 100 | Kentucky Speedway | Sparta, Kentucky |
5 | August 25 | St. Louis 100 | Gateway International Raceway | Madison, Illinois |
6 | September 8 | Chicago 100 | Chicagoland Speedway | Joliet, Illinois |
7 | September 14 | BG Products 100 | Texas Motor Speedway | Fort Worth, Texas |
Race results
Round | Race | Pole position | Fastest lap | Most laps led | Race Winner | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Driver | Team | |||||
1 | Kansas Speedway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | A. J. Foyt Enterprises |
2 | Nashville Superspeedway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Hemelgarn 91/Johnson Motorsports |
3 | Michigan International Speedway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | A. J. Foyt Enterprises |
4 | Kentucky Speedway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | A. J. Foyt Enterprises |
5 | Gateway International Raceway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Conti-Genoa-Frost Racing |
6 | Chicagoland Speedway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Hemelgarn 91/Johnson Motorsports |
7 | Texas Motor Speedway | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | A. J. Foyt Enterprises |
Championship standings
Drivers' Championship
- Scoring system
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 50 | 40 | 35 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
- The driver who leads the most laps in a race is awarded two additional points.
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References
- ^ "Infiniti Pro Series launch transcript". Crash. 2001-09-01. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ "Sinden to contest Infiniti Pro Series". Crash.net. January 16, 2002.
- ^ "Sinden sign Carpenter for Pro Series assault". Crash.net. January 26, 2002.
- ^ "Brian Stewart Racing moves to Infiniti Pro Series". Autoweek.com. February 12, 2002.
- ^ "Roth teams with Stewart in Infiniti Pro Series". Crash.net. April 2, 2002.
- ^ a b "Luyendyk Jr. to compete in IRL Infiniti Pro Series". Autoweek.com. May 6, 2002.
- ^ a b "Priestley, Kelley Racing enter Infiniti series". Crash.net. April 17, 2002.
- ^ a b "Johncox enters IPS as owner/driver". Crash.net. June 29, 2002.
- ^ a b c "Drivers looking forward to Infiniti Pro tests". Crash.net. June 21, 2002.
- ^ "Jeff Tillman, Budweiser, enter Infiniti Pro Series". Autoweek.com. July 25, 2002.
- ^ a b "Wood, Turco To Make Infiniti Pro Series Debuts". Infiniti Pro Series. August 8, 2002. Archived from the original on August 18, 2002.
- ^ "Francois to make IPS debut at Gateway". Crash.net. August 21, 2002.
- ^ "Roquin to field cars in Infiniti Pro Series". Crash.net. February 12, 2002.
- ^ "Nashville: Pre-race quotes". Motorsport.com. July 15, 2002.
- ^ a b "Beardsley to compete in Infiniti Pro Series". Crash.net. July 16, 2002.
- ^ a b "AJ Foyt IV to race in Infiniti Pro Series". Crash.net. May 29, 2002.
- ^ a b "Owner/driver Peterson joins Infiniti Pro Series". Crash.net. June 18, 2002.
- ^ "Genoa places order for Infiniti Pro Series car". Crash.net. December 19, 2001.
- ^ "Hampton to make IPS debut at Michigan". Crash.net. July 26, 2002.
- ^ a b "Bowes Seal Fast Racing To Enter Infiniti Pro Series". Infiniti Pro Series. April 12, 2002. Archived from the original on February 24, 2003.
- ^ "Michigan Indy 400 Notes - Friday, July 26". Indy Racing League. July 26, 2002. Archived from the original on August 16, 2002.
- ^ "Hemelgarn announces Infiniti Pro series team". Crash.net. November 30, 2001.
- ^ "Hemelgarn/Johnson Motorsports name Fike 2002 driver". Motorsport.com. March 15, 2002.
- ^ "Cory Witherill signs with Hemelgarn/Johnson Motorsports". Motorsport.com. March 23, 2002.
- ^ "Seven races for Infiniti Pro Series". Crash. 2002-02-02. Retrieved 2023-10-04.