Penske turned down as chassis builder

The all-oval championship is taking bids from racing car constructors to build cars for next year and beyond. The organisers strongly favour limiting the number of manufacturers to three to ensure each company makes a profit.

By rejecting Penske, the IRL could be opening a door to British constructor Lola which is also bidding to build cars. Long-time IRL suppliers Dallara and G-Force are likely to be rewarded for their loyalty, although the organisers have yet to name which companies will be accepted.

IRL vice-president of operations Brian Barnhart said: "The IRL is moving forward in its selection of approved chassis suppliers based upon what it believes is in the best interests of the league and its participants. The league acknowledges the high level of product and excellent customer service that Penske Cars has provided in other series, but we have decided we will not consider its application further."

The move comes as something of a surprise, following Penske's defection from the rival CART Championship Series to the IRL this season.

"The league appreciates the valuable contribution that Team Penske has made to the IRL during its first season as a full-time participant," Barnhart said. "And we look forward to them continuing with us at such a high level of competition."

The deadline for applicants passed on April 1. An extensive review and interview process is under way to narrow down which will be accepted, and should be complete at the end of this month.

Factors that are being considered include experience with the league, financial stability, production capacity, technical support ability and plans for the use of chassis in other racing formats - meaning CART, which will use the same specification chassis as the IRL from next year.

Penske won six CART titles with its own Champ Cars from 1978 to '99, when it switched to using Reynards after its own chassis proved uncompetitive. The team uses Dallaras in the IRL.