Team Green opts for dual attack

Michael Andretti will have two Lolas at his disposal and Dario Franchitti will have two Reynards. Paul Tracy will have one of each brand of chassis as Honda pulls out all the stops to win its home race.

"It was a bit of a scramble to even get three Lolas ready to go," said team owner Barry Green. "But we feel we're well-prepared for any scenario."

Tracy said he's looking forward to getting to grips with the Lola, which proved to be faster than the Reynard in 2001 on oval tracks. The Motegi race is the first oval Champ car event of the season.

"The Lola definitely seems to have a performance edge, especially on ovals," said Tracy. "With Reynard's [financial] situation, it's a smart move to get to work on the Lola as quickly as possible. Michael had a good test with the Lola at Homestead and I'm certainly eager to try it out for myself."

Honda has never won at Motegi, which it built in 1997. Ford Cosworth-powered cars have emerged victorious in all four of CART's Japanese races.