Wednesday, May 25, 2005
The IRL CEO has two cars running in Sunday's race.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- One moment, Tony George is wearing a sports coat and presiding over a track ceremony to thank the nation's soldiers for their service.
The next moment, he is walking around an Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage in a racing shirt and earphones.
This is George's version of the double.
"It's been interesting, it's been a challenge and it's been fun," he said after having two cars qualify for this year's Indianapolis 500. "We're trying to build a good team."
Tony George, team owner, isn't much different from Tony George, Indy Racing League CEO.
Both run complex organizations, have a vision about how to make American open-wheel racing better and are reticent about saying too much.
But racing has always been where George's passion lies -- and how could it not?
Raceway owner
His family has owned Indianapolis' historic 21/2-mile oval since 1945.
From 1989 until this year, George was the speedway's president. That title now belongs to Joie Chitwood, who runs the track's day-to-day operations. George is still in charge of long-term strategic planning as president of the broader Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp.
George also spent the past two decades involved with other car series, such as midgets and sedans, but his inspiration now is to field a competitive team in the open-wheel circuit he founded in 1994.
"I'd like to get it set up and figure out how much time it really requires," he said. "It takes a fair amount right now."
After buying the assets of Tom Kelley's ex-IRL team, George gave up the reins to the speedway and named his team Vision Racing, in part because of his own vision -- giving American drivers, especially young ones, a chance to race at the highest level.
His drivers fit the mold.
George's stepson, Ed Carpenter, moved over from Eddie Cheever's Red Bull team. Carpenter, 24, won the Infiniti Pro Series' first race at Indianapolis in 2003 and was the first driver to compete in both an Infiniti race and an IRL race on the same weekend. Carpenter's best finish this year was 16th at Phoenix and Motegi, but he's completed more than 100 laps in three of four races.
Cycle connection
George then signed Jeff Ward, a 43-year-old former IRL driver, to a one-race deal for this year's Indy 500. Ward's greatest success has come in motorcycles, motocross and supercross, but in six Indy starts he has produced three top-five finishes, including second in 1999.
Carpenter qualified for the 26th starting spot in Sunday's race with a four-lap average of 221.439 mph. Ward is starting 31st on the 33-car grid, his worst start position, after going 218.714.
In the garage of George's team, though, it all seems familiar to Carpenter.
"He and my mom owned my cars pretty much from the time I was 8 until the time I was 19," he said. "I've seen him involved with the team, and I think it gives him more of a close-up look of the IRL.
"He's a hands-on guy but he trusts us. He's not a micro manager."
It didn't take George long to identify some concerns from IRL teams.
Rising expenses
Costs have risen substantially in the past few years, creating what many now consider a series of haves and have-nots. Many teams complain that the engines, made specifically for racing instead of previous engines that were based on standard block engines from passenger cars, are too expensive.
Another problem is leasing contracts.
Last month, George acknowledged that the spiraling costs needed to be addressed. An announcement on new engine specifications for the 2007 season is expected next month.
Some contend George's two jobs give the IRL a troubling conflict, and during last weekend's final two days of time trials, others suggested there would be no bumping if it meant Carpenter or Ward wouldn't make the race.
George doesn't buy it.
"I don't think it's a problem," he said. "I think it gives me a little different perspective."
Instead, George intends to keep doing what he does best -- doubling up as the IRL's top official while trying to reach Victory Lane as a team owner.
"We have a reasonable base of assets and we're trying to build a team that's pretty good," he said. "We've assembled a good group of guys and we're looking forward to building this team into a competitor."