Champ Hornish Jr ready for Penske

CART's most successful and famous team has switched to the rival IRL and champion Gil de Ferran and Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves are gearing up for their first assault on the oval-based series. But despite Penske's reputation, Hornish Jr holds no fear about taking them on.

"Everyone expects them to come in and beat us, so if we beat them it makes us look good," the 22-year-old told ESPN.com. "But what does it make us look like if we don't beat them? I'm not planning on that happening.

"They way I look at it we were a little bit better than everyone else last year, but everyone is going to gain a little bit this year so its our job to get a little bit better too. If that puts us to the same level as Penske and I have to fight it out tooth and nail with them every time we go out on the race track, I'm willing to do that.

He added that the IRL's efforts to control costs will also be a leveller. "I think that the way the IRL is set up, you don't necessarily buy your way to the front," he said.

Hornish Jr will have his first chance to prove himself against Penske at Homestead on March 2, the opening round of this year's championship.