2002 Indy Racing League Explained
The 2002 Indy Racing League (IRL) was one of transition, with two reigning CART championship teams, Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing, joining the series with full time entries. The Oldsmobile engine was rebranded as a Chevrolet, and both Honda and Toyota announced their participation in the series starting in 2003 while Infiniti announced its withdrawal.
Sam Hornish Jr. won 5 races on his way to his second straight championship ahead of Penske juggernaut Hélio Castroneves, winner of two races including a second straight Indy 500, on his way to second in the championship. The season was also notable for seeing six drivers win their first career Indycar races.
Confirmed entries
| Team | Chassis | Engine | | Drivers | Rounds |
|---|
 Team Menard | Dallara | Chevrolet | 2 | nowrap | Jaques Lazier | 1–4 |
| nowrap | P. J. Jones | 5 |
| nowrap |  Raul Boesel | 5–6 |
| nowrap | Mark Dismore | 7–11 |
| nowrap | | 12–15 |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | 5 |
| Marlboro Team Penske | Dallara | Chevrolet | 3 | nowrap | Hélio Castroneves | All |
| 6 | nowrap | Gil de Ferran | 1–14 |
| nowrap |  Max Papis | 15 |
| Panther Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 4 | nowrap | Sam Hornish Jr. | All |
| 15 | | 14–15 |
| Treadway Racing | G-Force
Dallara | Chevrolet | 5 | | 5 |
| 1–4, 6, 9 |
| Arie Luyendyk | 5, 11 |
| 7 |
| 12, 14–15 |
| Robby McGehee | 13 |
| Kelley Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 7 | Al Unser Jr. | 1–9, 12–15 |
| 10–11 |
| 78 | 12–15 |
| 8 | Scott Sharp | All |
| Target Chip Ganassi Racing | G-Force | Chevrolet | 9 | Jeff Ward | All |
| 22 |  Kenny Bräck | 5 |
| 33 | Bruno Junqueira | 5 |
| Cahill Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 10 | nowrap | Robby McGehee | 1–5 |
| A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dallara | Chevrolet | 11 |  Eliseo Salazar | 1–3, 10–15 |
| nowrap | Richie Hearn | 4 |
| nowrap | Greg Ray | 5–9 |
| 14 | Airton Daré | All |
| Donnie Beechler | 1 |
| 41 | 5 |
| Greg Ray | 10–13 |
| Bradley Motorsports | Dallara | Infiniti | 12 |  Shigeaki Hattori | 2–7 |
| nowrap | Raul Boesel | 9–15 |
| | 15 |
| Walker Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 15 | nowrap |  Oriol Servià | 5 |
| Racing Professionals | G-Force
Dallara | Chevrolet | 16 | nowrap | Jon Herb | 1–8 |
| Mo Nunn Racing | G-Force | Chevrolet | 17 | Tony Kanaan | 5 |
| 21 | Felipe Giaffone | All |
| PDM Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 18 | Tyce Carlson | 1–2 |
| nowrap | Jeret Schroeder | 3 |
| nowrap | | 6 |
| nowrap | | 15 |
| | 5 |
| Jimmy Kite | 5 |
| Team Rahal | Dallara | Chevrolet | 19 | nowrap | Jimmy Vasser | 3, 5 |
| Convergent Racing | G-Force | Chevrolet | 20 | | 1–3 |
| Sam Schmidt Motorsports | Dallara | Chevrolet | 20 | Richie Hearn | 5, 7–12 |
| nowrap | Greg Ray | 14–15 |
| nowrap rowspan=2 | | 13 |
| 1–2, 4 |
| nowrap | Richie Hearn | 3, 6 |
| nowrap | Mark Dismore | 5 |
| Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | G-Force | Infiniti | 24 | Robbie Buhl | 1–2, 5–15 |
| nowrap | Memo Gidley | 3 |
| Sarah Fisher | 4 |
| 23 | 5, 8–15 |
| Team Green | Dallara | Chevrolet | 26 | nowrap |  Paul Tracy | 5 |
| 27 | nowrap |  Dario Franchitti | 5 |
| 39 | nowrap | Michael Andretti | 5 |
| Indy Regency Racing | G-Force | Chevrolet | 28 | | 13–15 |
| 310 Racing | G-Force | Chevrolet | | nowrap | | All |
Duesenberg Brothers Racing
CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports | Dallara | Chevrolet | 32 | Johnny Herbert | 5 |
| nowrap | Memo Gidley | 5 |
| 54 | Robby McGehee | 7–9 |
| Conquest Racing | Dallara | Infiniti | 34 | nowrap | | All |
| Brayton Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 37 | nowrap | | 1–5 |
| nowrap | Scott Harrington | 5, 11 |
| Blair Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 44 | nowrap | Alex Barron | All |
| Red Bull Cheever Racing | Dallara | Infiniti | 51 | nowrap | Eddie Cheever | All |
| 52 | nowrap | | 1–12 |
| 13–15 |
| 53 | 11–12 |
| Max Papis | 5 |
| Robby McGehee | 15 |
| Zali Racing | G-Force | Chevrolet | 81 | nowrap | Billy Roe | 1, 5 |
| Hemelgarn Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet | 91 | nowrap | Buddy Lazier | All |
| CURB/Agajanian/Boat Indy Racing | Dallara | Chevrolet
Infiniti | 98 | nowrap | Billy Boat | All | |
Season Summary
Schedule
| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | City |
|---|
| 1 | March 2 | Grand Prix of Miami | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Homestead, Florida |
|---|
| 2 | March 17 | Bombardier ATV 200 | Phoenix International Raceway | Phoenix, Arizona |
|---|
| 3 | March 24 | Yamaha Indy 400 | California Speedway | Fontana, California |
|---|
| 4 | April 21 | Firestone Indy 225 | Nazareth Speedway | Nazareth, Pennsylvania |
|---|
| 5 | May 26 | 86th Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana |
|---|
| 6 | June 8 | Boomtown 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | Fort Worth, Texas |
|---|
| 7 | June 16 | Radisson Indy 225 | Pikes Peak International Raceway | Fountain, Colorado |
|---|
| 8 | June 29 | SunTrust Indy Challenge | Richmond International Raceway | Richmond, Virginia |
|---|
| 9 | July 7 | Ameristar Casino Indy 200 | Kansas Speedway | Kansas City, Kansas |
|---|
| 10 | July 20 | Firestone Indy 200 | Nashville Superspeedway | Lebanon, Tennessee |
|---|
| 11 | July 28 | Michigan Indy 400 | Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan |
|---|
| 12 | August 11 | Belterra Casino Indy 300 | Kentucky Speedway | Sparta, Kentucky |
|---|
| 13 | August 25 | Gateway Indy 250 | Gateway International Raceway | Madison, Illinois |
|---|
| 14 | September 8 | Delphi Indy 300 | Chicagoland Speedway | Joliet, Illinois |
|---|
| 15 | September 15 | Chevy 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | Fort Worth, Texas |
|---|
| Sources:[1] [2] | |
Race results
BOLD indicates a Superspeedway.Note: All races running on Oval/Speedway.
Race summaries
Grand Prix of Miami
This race was held on March 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Sam Hornish Jr. won the pole. The race was dominated by Sam Hornish Jr. who at one point had a lap on the entire field. On lap 193 of 200, while Hornish was leading by more than 20 seconds, fourth placed Robbie Buhl's engine expired, bringing out the yellow and packing up the field. The green came back out on Lap 197, but Airton Dare crashed immediately in turn 2 on the restart. The race finished under yellow, with Hornish on the top step of the podium. Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves were second and third respectively, for Team Penske in their first race of their first full season in the IRL.
Top ten results
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 9- Jeff Ward
- 11- Eliseo Salazar
- 52- Tomas Scheckter
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 44- Alex Barron
- 99- Anthony Lazzaro
- 14- Airton Daré
Bombardier ATV 200
This race was held on March 17 at Phoenix International Raceway. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.
Top ten results
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 11- Eliseo Salazar
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 2- Jaques Lazier
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 98- Billy Boat
- 55- Rick Treadway
- 20- Hideki Noda
Inaugural Yamaha Indy 400
This race was held on March 24 at California Speedway. Eddie Cheever won the pole.
Top ten results
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 2- Jaques Lazier
- 34- Laurent Rédon
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 19- Jimmy Vasser
- 9- Jeff Ward
Inaugural Firestone Indy 225
This race was held on April 21 at Nazareth Speedway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.
Top ten results
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 24- Sarah Fisher
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 44- Alex Barron
- 51- Eddie Cheever
- 98- Billy Boat
- 99- Anthony Lazzaro
- 12- Shigeaki Hattori
The Indy 500 was held on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bruno Junqueira sat on pole. The race end was one of the most controversial in history as Paul Tracy passed Hélio Castroneves just as the yellow was coming out for a crash. Race officials ruled that the pass occurred after the yellow and declared Castroneves the winner.
Top ten results
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 26- Paul Tracy
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 44- Alex Barron
- 51- Eddie Cheever
- 20- Richie Hearn
- 39- Michael Andretti
- 31- Robby Gordon
- 9- Jeff Ward
- 6- Gil de Ferran
Boomtown 500
This race was held on June 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.
Top ten results
- 9- Jeff Ward
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 14- Airton Daré
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 12- Shigeaki Hattori
- 98- Billy Boat
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 99- Richie Hearn
- 44- Alex Barron
Radisson Indy 225
This race was held on June 16 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.
Top ten results
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 34- Laurent Rédon
- 51- Eddie Cheever
- 14- Airton Daré
- 44- Alex Barron
SunTrust Indy Challenge
This race was held on June 29 at Richmond International Raceway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.
Top ten results
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 52- Tomas Scheckter
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 14- Airton Daré
- 20- Richie Hearn
- 9- Jeff Ward
- 54- Robby McGehee
- 44- Alex Barron
Ameristar Casino Indy 200
This race was held on July 7 at Kansas Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.
Top ten results
- 14- Airton Daré
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 44-Alex Barron
- 98- Billy Boat
- 20- Richie Hearn
Firestone Indy 200
This race was held on July 20 at Nashville Superspeedway. Billy Boat won the pole.
Top ten results
- 44- Alex Barron
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 20- Richie Hearn
- 12- Raul Boesel
- 51- Eddie Cheever
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 7- Tony Renna
Inaugural Michigan Indy 400
This race was held on July 28 at Michigan International Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.
Top ten results
- 52- Tomas Scheckter
- 53- Buddy Rice
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 7- Tony Renna
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 23- Sarah Fisher
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 20- Richie Hearn
Belterra Casino Indy 300
This race was held on August 11 at Kentucky Speedway. Sarah Fisher won the pole, the first by a female driver in a major open wheel series.
Top ten results
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 78- Tony Renna
- 23- Sarah Fisher
- 44- Alex Barron
- 24- Robbie Buhl
Gateway Indy 250
This race was held on August 25 at Gateway International Raceway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.
Top ten results
- 6- Gil de Ferran
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 44- Alex Barron
- 52- Buddy Rice
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 24- Robbie Buhl
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 12- Raul Boesel
- 2- Vítor Meira
- 51- Eddie Cheever
Delphi Indy 300
See main article: 2002 Delphi Indy 300. This race was held on September 8 at Chicagoland Speedway. Sam Hornish Jr. won the pole.
Top ten results
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
- 7- Al Unser Jr.
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 51- Eddie Cheever
- 21- Felipe Giaffone
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 2- Vítor Meira
- 52- Buddy Rice
- 15- Dan Wheldon
Gil de Ferran was injured during a crash in this race and would miss the season finale at Texas.
Chevy 500
This race was held on September 15 at Texas Motor Speedway. Vítor Meira won the pole.
Top ten results
- 4- Sam Hornish Jr.**
- 3- Hélio Castroneves
- 2- Vítor Meira
- 8- Scott Sharp
- 44- Alex Barron
- 52- Buddy Rice
- 91- Buddy Lazier
- 51- Eddie Cheever
- 78- Tony Renna
- 34- Laurent Rédon
Max Papis filled in for the injured Gil de Ferran at Penske; however, he finished 21st due to a blown engine.
By winning the race, Sam Hornish Jr. won his second championship in a row.
Final points standings
See also: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems.
| | Color | Result |
|---|
| Gold | Winner | | Silver | 2nd place | | Bronze | 3rd place | | Green | 4th & 5th place | | Light Blue | 6th–10th place | | Dark Blue | Finished
(Outside Top 10) | | Purple | Did not finish
(Ret) | | Red | Did not qualify
(DNQ) | | Brown | Withdrawn
(Wth) | | Black | Disqualified
(DSQ) | | White | Did not start
(DNS) | | Blank | Did not
participate
(DNP) | | Not competing | |
| | align=center colspan=2 | In-line notation |
|---|
| Bold | Pole position
(2 points) | | Italics | Ran fastest race lap | *| align=center|Led most race laps
(1 point)|-| align=center|DNS| align=center|Any driver who qualifies
but does not start (DNS),
earns all the points
had they taken part.|-|style="text-align:center"| |align=center|Rookie of the Year|-|style="text-align:center"| |align=center|Rookie|}|}|}- Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.
See also
References
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Notes and References
- Web site: NTT IndyCar Series Calendar 2002. Motorsport Stats. November 17, 2023.
- News: Final Indy Racing League Leaders. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 14D. September 26, 2002. November 17, 2023. .
