Greg Ray lands Foyt drive

Ray, who won the IRL title in 1999, will replace Donnie Beechler in a Foyt-run Dallara. The race on September 16 will be his first since Menard released him.

"AJ has been a mentor to me, and I have always enjoyed working with him," said Ray, who drove for Foyt briefly in 1998. "With our Texas heritage and competitive natures, this should make for a great racing weekend."

But the team has not only decided to switch the driver - Oldmobile's motor has been ditched in favour of Nissan's Infiniti engine too.

"I wanted to explore some different options for next year," said Foyt. "Greg Ray is a strong competitor, especially at Texas, and with it being our home track, it's a good opportunity to work together again. I also wanted to try Nissan's engine first-hand, and they agreed to let me. There won't be any decisions made about next year until this season's over."

Ray is a veteran of the IRL, having joined the series in 1997. Along with his 1999 title, he also has five wins to his name and beat Juan Pablo Montoya to pole position for the Indianapolis 500 last year.