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International Raceway 700 Raceway Blvd. Madison IL 62060-0200 (618) 875-7550 (314) 436-9268 (888) 827-7333 designed & hosted by the Moore Design Group. |
for Indy Racing Northern Light Series by Bob Moore, SLFP.com ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), August 23, 2001 - The name of a clipper ship built in Boston in 1851, which became known for its speed and groundbreaking technology, is now prominently linked to Internet technology. Northern Light has become a leading provider of business-relevant information via its fast search engine. In January 2000, Northern Light teamed up with the Indy Racing League as the main sponsor. The five-year, $50-million agreement includes a $1 million-dollar purse to the season winner of the series. This Sunday, August 26, racing fans will have an opportunity to experience the sound and speed of the Indy cars on the raceway at the Gateway International Raceway in Madison, IL. In between practice runs on Thursday, Indy drivers talked about the Indy Racing Northern Light Series (IRL) during a press luncheon at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood, located at 7th and Chestnut adjacent to Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. 
Brian E. Ulione, vp and general manager at Gateway International Raceway, noted that the IRL races replace the CART series in 2001. "These have become two very different forms of racing from a couple of years ago when it looked like there was going to be a big competition and split between CART and IRL. CART has taken the tack that they are going to run most of their races on road courses and street courses." He added that CART had dropped Homestead in Florida and Gateway, in Madison, IL, two relatively new tracks.He stated that the Indy Racing League, based at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which hosts the Indianapolis 500, runs exclusively open wheel races on oval tracks. "Their mission is to bring open wheel racing back to the prominence that it enjoyed during the sixties and seventies. This Indianapolis-type racing stresses speed and side-by-side racing," stated Ulione. He emphasized that fans would see a lot of wheel-to-wheel tough action with passing and close-quarters driving like that of the NASCAR races as opposed to the follow-the-leader driving seen in CART racing. Ulione noted that the Gateway track is a middle-range track which accounts for speeds in a moderate range. "You'll see cars in this league and the CART running 240 mph in California and Texas. They'll run between 170 and 180 in their qualifying forms." He stated that because the cars are running naturally aspirated engines, weather conditions with a lot of humidity may cause the engines to run a bit slower. "But on our track, they will approach speeds of 180 mph during qualifying laps this weekend. These cars are built for these types of tracks and they'll outperform the NASCAR and BUSCH cars by about 40 mph," he added confidently. Ulione commented that the racing audience was still very enthused about racing even after late Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s crash at the Daytona 500 last February. "We haven't seen the fans go away. The gate attendance is the same or better for most of the tracks. Although they've lost someone they loved to cheer for or against, it hasn't really affected the sport." The race this weekend will include several local drivers. Robby McGehee, from Chesterfield, MO, and Donnie Beechler, from Springfield, IL, will compete for points in the IRL series. "I think Robby is going to be a top driver over the years," stated Ulione. "This is his third year at Indianapolis and he had a top 10 finish there. He finished fourth in Nashville a couple of weeks ago. Beechler has been in the top 10, six out of the last seven races. It'll be really nice for everyone to come out and cheer for the local guys," he stated. Robby McGehee, who has been driving for over 10 years, is going into his third full season as an Indy driver. McGehee credits his mom with inspiring him to race. "She grew up in Indiana and her father took her to all the races," he stated. "It's kind of in the blood. I've been watching races since I was five years old. It's always been my dream to drive in the Indy 500." McGehee will be driving the #10 Dallara/Oldsmobile for Cahill Racing. Donnie Beechler spent his early racing career working for A.J. Foyt. "I've been racing for 20 years now. This is my fourth year in the IRL." Beechler noted that growing up he watched A.J., but he never really considered Indy racing because it was so expensive. "I ran the dirt cars, the midget and the sprint cars, but to run the Indy cars was really beyond my financial means. So, to actually be there for the last four years and especially with A.J. Foyt, the living legend, was pretty remarkable." Beechler will be driving the #11 Dallara/Oldsmobile for A.J. Foyt Racing. Dover Downs Entertainment, Inc, parent company of Gateway International Raceway, is considering promoting a CART race in the Denver area. "It would be a street race, similar to the one we run at the Long Beach Grand Prix," he said. Ulione emphasized that there really wasn't a rift when CART made the decision to leave Gateway. "It was really a decision by CART to run street courses and road courses. Our involvement with them in Denver reflects that."  St. Louis Cardinals and Atlas Van Lines To Support McGehee at Gateway MADISON, IL, (SLFP.com), August 20, 2001 - Thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team, it won't be hard to spot hometown favorite Robby McGehee when the Indy Racing Northern Light Series makes its first visit to St. Louis for the Gateway Indy 250 at Gateway International Raceway on Sunday, August 26.
As part of the design, the top of each of the Dallara's sidepods will carry stitching to make it look like a giant baseball. "We're pleased to support Robby McGehee in the Indy Racing event at Gateway International Raceway Aug. 26," said Mark Lamping, president of the Cardinals. "We've been following him for some time now since he's from St. Louis, and I know he's a devoted Cardinals fan. I believe this promotional program is unique, and we're delighted to be involved." "Atlas Van Lines is very pleased to be associated with both Robby McGehee and the Cardinals," said Greg Hoover, vice president of sales for Atlas Van Lines. "I'm a huge fan of his, and we think he's one of the best young driving talents around today. This particular promotion is being conducted not only by Atlas Van Lines at the corporate level but also by Atlas's local agent, ABC Moving and Storage. Being involved with both Robby and the Indy Racing League represents an outstanding value to us." "I think it's great that the Cardinals and Atlas Van Lines are getting involved, and I want to thank them for their support," McGehee said. "I played baseball in high school, so I'm a big Cardinals fan," he added. "Having them associated with my racing program is a big thrill. McGehee, in his third year on the Indy Racing circuit, is one of the most popular drivers in the series. He finished fifth in the 1999 Indy 500 and earned that event's Bank One Rookie of the Year award that year. He led two laps of the 2000 Indy 500 before finishing 21st due to engine problems. In this year's edition of the world's largest single-day sporting event he finished a solid eleventh. Last year McGehee finished a career-high second to Scott Sharp in the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway by only .059 of a second, which is the closest margin of victory in series history. So far this season his best finish is fourth, which occurred just last month when the Indy Racing circuit made its first visit to Nashville Superspeedway. McGehee turned in that stellar drive despite the fact that he's been racing with a broken left leg which he suffered in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway this June. In addition to being a professional race car driver, McGehee is the president and chief operating officer of XRM Research, a computer consulting firm he co-founded. Archived Stories: Juan Montoya Easily Wins Motorola 300 PacWest Drivers Seek Title in Motorola 300 Final at Gateway Check out the Sports Page for more information on additional events. Return to Southwest Illinois News  
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