Penske ready to take on IRL regulars

This will be the first-ever IRL race for Roger Penske's team, which holds the record for the most Indianapolis 500 wins in the event's history with 10. It is using the Copper World Indy 200 as a tune-up for its return to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since it failed to make the cut for the 1995 event.

De Ferran and Castroneves will compete in Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora cars, minus the familiar Marlboro sponsorship. Because of U.S. tobacco laws, cigarette companies can compete in only one racing series so Penske's cars will carry Penske Auto Centers sponsorship this weekend.

Castroneves was fourth quickest in pre-event testing at Phoenix a few weeks ago, but team mate de Ferran struggled with his CART testing crash injuries and was only 13th fastest.

The IRL's mainstay is the Indianapolis 500, which has regained some of its luster and stature as teams from the rival CART FedEx Champ Car series are once again realising that it is perhaps the biggest single-seater race in the world.

Last year, Juan Montoya gave Chip Ganassi Racing a victory for CART in the Indianapolis 500. Ganassi returns with his two new drivers, Bruno Junqueira of Brazil and Nicolas Minassian of France, and it will be joined this year by fellow CART outfit Penske.

Despite the interest from CART teams in the Indy 500, there is no end in sight to the CART vs IRL war.

"There are no discussions with CART," said Bob Reif, the IRL's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "That is not on our table. It will not be on our table. We are going straightforward."

Al Unser Jr. welcomes Penske's participation in Sunday's IRL event and in the 85th Indianapolis 500. Unser won the 1994 Indianapolis 500 driving for Penske Racing and the CART title that season.

"I can't wait until this weekend at Phoenix," Unser said. "I think this is going to be an unbelievable year of competition in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series, and this weekend is kicking off everything."