Penske eyes return to Indy

Team boss Roger Penske confirmed that he is aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow CART team owner Chip Ganassi and purchase Indy Racing League equipment so his squad can prepare for next season's race. Ganassi won the Indy 500 with reigning CART champion Juan Montoya last weekend.

Penske last raced at Indy in 1994, winning the race with Al Unser Jr. Neither car even qualified a year later, and since 1996 the team has remained loyal to CART.

However, one of Penske's businesses sponsored Treadway Racing's Jason Leffler at Indy this season, and Penske personnel were present to work with the team. Roger Penske now plans to rent a G Force-Oldsmobile IRL chassis so his CART drivers Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves can test at the Speedway later this year.

"It was a good prep for us to potentially return to the Indianapolis 500 next year," Penske said. "What we would like to do is to rent the track at Indianapolis later in the summer and give both our drivers a full day at the track. That way, they can get used to it and run rather than us just showing up there next spring and running without any track time."

Last Sunday was Penske's first trip to the Indianapolis 500 since he failed to make the field in 1995 with Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi as his drivers.

"I'm really amazed at what they have done to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and with the Pagoda that will be used for the Formula One race," Penske said. "I think they made a lot of great changes. Obviously, the Indianapolis 500 is an exciting event and we would like to be part of it in the future."

Penske had hoped that CART and the IRL would unify into one series, but with Target/Chip Ganassi going to the Indianapolis 500 and winning the race, he thinks the first step would be for CART teams to return to the Indy 500.

"I think you will see more teams take a look at it next year, but you have to take a look at the schedule and it comes down to what your sponsor wants you to do," Penske said. "We couldn't have run this year as we looked at our potential because we needed to get competitive in CART. This is a competitive series over here.

"We won't make any commitment until we have a chance to run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and see where we are. As far as the CART schedule for next year, you'll have to ask Mr. Andrew Craig (CART boss) about that.

"We want to go there and have a chance to test and see what it is all about, and then make a decision. We can't make that decision until later in the summer."