2003
(9/20) - Rookie sensation Mark Taylor captured the 2003 Menards Infiniti Pro Series championship in style with a decisive win at the California 100 Sept. 20 at California Speedway. Taylor won 7 of the 11 races ran so far.
(9/10) - The Infiniti Pro Series has 12 races scheduled for next year ranging from 1-mile ovals up to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Half of their races will be held on the same day as IRL races, while the other 6 will be held the day before.
(8/23) - Tom Wood had back and ankel surgery this week and is in fair condition.
(8/16) - Jeff Simmons wins two in a row with his victory at Kentucky Speedway. Mark Taylor had the pole postition, but couldn't race due to illness. Tom Wood had a serious crash and got sent to the hospital.
(7/27) - Mark Taylor is cleaning up this year, he just won his third race in a row for a total of 5 wins so far this year!
(5/18) - After the rainout, they were able to complete the race this morning. Ed Carpenter won.
(5/17) - The Infiniti Pro Series, made history when they held a race at IMS today during the month of May. They practiced and qualified in the last two days. Ed Carpenter won the pole position. While the Indycars are reaching speeds of 230 mph, the IPS cars hit around 180.
There was a crash on the opening lap when Beardsley spun in turn 3, collected Medeiros, and slammed into the wall. On the restart, Craig Dollansky crashed in turn 2. He spun into the grass, and then drove head first into the outside wall. His head jerked forward with quite a jolt. He ended up at the hospital with a fractured lower spine. Craig, 37, races in the World of Outlaws and this was his first IPS race.
Before they could restart again, it began to rain and the race was postponed. The IPS will try to hold the race tomorrow and the Indycars will have their last day of qualifying.
(3/15) - Exciting announcement for the Infiniti Pro Series: They will get to race at the famed two and a half mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May 17th!
(3/2) - Rookie Mark Taylor won this morning's Infiniti Pro Series Western Union 100 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Taylor, a two-time British Formula 3 winner with Manor Motorsports, led all but 10 laps of the 67-lap race en route to his first Infiniti Pro Series win.
"I can't believe I've won my first race," Taylor said. "It's my first race on an oval; first win on an oval. I can't say much more than that. The car was so good. I was just happy to finish the 67 laps, and most of them in the lead. It's a great feeling to win the first race this year."
Pole sitter and South American Formula 3 veteran Thiago Medeiros, another rookie, finished second, 1.286 seconds behind Taylor.
"It's a very nice place to start the season," Medeiros said. "It is a very competitive series. It is most fun and a big, big show. Today is my dream."
Taylor, who started second, led from the start, but slowed briefly on lap 23, allowing two-time Barber Dodge Pro Series champion Jeff Simmons to take the lead. Ten laps later, however, Simmons spun on the backstretch, handing the lead back to Taylor, who led the rest of the way.
"It was a great start to the race," Taylor added. "I was able to get out front. The car felt really good at the beginning. Through the race, I picked up a bit of understeer. I think the wind might have picked up. I just tried to settle down and keep the car in good shape."
Brandon Erwin, who started eighth, finished third, followed by Arie Luyendyk Jr., son of two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, and former Formula Ford 2000 competitor Jonathan Urlin.
The race featured three cautions for 10 laps; all three drivers walked away unharmed.
(3/1) - Rookie Thiago Medeiros will make his first IRL Infiniti Pro Series start from the pole Sunday after capturing the top spot for the Western Union 100 in qualifying today at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Medeiros, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, turned a lap at 167.829 mph in the No. 36 Genoa Racing Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone to claim the pole. Fellow rookie Mark Taylor will start on the outside of the front row after qualifying second at 166.405 in the No. 4 Fulmar Panther entry.
Medeiros, a veteran of South American road racing who stands 6-foot-5, turned the fastest speed of practice Friday and led practice this morning on the 1.5-mile oval.
“I’m very happy,” Medeiros said in a press statement. “This is my first experience with the oval circuits. It’s my first race here. This is the best way to start the season. I’m pretty happy, but the most important is the race."
Series veteran Arie Luyendyk Jr. will start third after a lap of 164.757 in the No. 5 entry fielded by Sinden Racing Service. USAC short-track star Aaron Fike will start his second Infiniti Pro Series season from the fourth spot after a lap of 164.752 in the No. 91 RFMS/Hemelgarn Racing Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone.
Rookie Jeff Simmons rounded out the top five at 164.380 in the No. 20 Western Union Speed Team/Duesenberg entry.
Paul Dana made contact with the outside retaining wall in Turn 4 on his warm-up lap. The car suffered minor rear wing damage.
The first race of the Infiniti Pro Series season is scheduled to start at 10:10 a.m. (EST) Sunday. Highlights will be televised on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. (EST) March 7.
(2/4) - Four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears joins Infiniti Pro Series as driver coach. Mears will work exclusively for the Infiniti Pro Series, while fellow four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser and three-time "500" champion Johnny Rutherford will continue to serve as coaches and consultants for the IndyCar Series and Infiniti Pro Series drivers.
(2/1) - The IRL's Panther Racing team is starting an IPS team. Their driver appears to be a young Brit named Mark Taylor. He comes over from British Formula 3. At Test in the West, Mark had the fastest times!
(1/18) - With A.J. Foyt IV moving up to the IRL, some driver shuffling has taken place. Ed Carpenter is switching from Sinden over to Foyt Racing and Arie Luyendyk Jr is moving to Sinden Racing.
(1/17) - Jason Priestley returned to Kentucky Speedway recently to tape a segment with 20/20 and Barbara Walters. They visited Kelley Racing's Indianapolis shop, too, and the show is set to air Jan. 31 on ABC.
(1/10) - Aaron Fike participated in a 5-member American team that traveled to Auckland New Zealand to compete in the unofficial World 50-lap midget race. After starting seventh, Fike captured the lead on Lap 46 of the 50-lap feature. Aaron won it and earned $30,000.
Fike next will participate in Infiniti Pro Series testing with Hemelgarn 91/Johnson Motorsports, for which he will drive for the second consecutive season.
2002 Infiniti Pro Series News
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since 1/1/2. Dan@InfinitiProSeries.com
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