IRL: Chicagoland: Scott Sharp preview

Sharp Looking Forward to Strong Showing at Chicagoland

The IndyCar Series returns to oval racing action this weekend with the Peak® Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr. Clean. Scott Sharp heads to Chicagoland Speedway looking to repeat his most recent 1.5-mile oval performance. The series' veteran scored his first win of the 2005 season -- and ninth career win -- four weeks ago on Kentucky Speedway's 1.5-mile circuit. A successful manufacturer's test at Chicagoland on September 1 has Sharp brimming with confidence entering the race weekend.

* Will be making his fifth IndyCar Series career start at Chicagoland Speedway

* Recorded best finish of seventh in 2002, and best starting position of third in 2001

* Currently sits fifth in the championship standings

* Claimed his first win of the season in Kentucky

* Season-to-date record includes five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes

* Will be making his 113th IndyCar Series start and record 105th consecutive start

Scott Sharp, #8 Delphi Panoz/Honda/Firestone:

"I am really excited to go to Chicagoland. It has always been one of my favorite mile-and-a-half tracks. The Delphi car and myself were actually the first IndyCar [Series] car to ever be on the track, as a track check before they even laid the final layer of asphalt. They did a great job with the track build and paving. It is one of our tracks where the second groove really is every bit as fast as the first groove. It provides for some fabulous racing. If you look back the last couple of years towards the end of the race, there has always been this 12 or 14-car pack with guys three abreast. It is great for the fans and pretty exciting for the drivers as well. Based on the fact that the Fernandez team won there last year and we ran pretty well at Kentucky, I am really excited to go to Chicagoland this weekend. "

SCOTT SHARP FAST FACTS: Is in his 10th season of IndyCar Series competition, and is the only driver to have contested every season of IndyCar Series competition since the inception of the IRL 10 years ago-- career record includes nine wins, five pole positions and 32 top-five finishes-- was the 1996 IndyCar Series co-champion and the 2001 Indianapolis 500 MBNA Pole winner-- is a former two-time SCCA Trans-Am Champion and three-time SCCA National Champion-- 37 years old from Norwalk, Connecticut-- currently resides in Jupiter, Florida.

-www.delphifernandezracing.net