IRL: Gateway fact sheet

WHAT: Gateway Indy 250; 11th of 13 races in 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series season

WHERE: Gateway International Raceway, 1.25-mile paved oval

WHEN: 3 p.m. (EDT) Sunday, Aug. 26

DISTANCE: 250 miles/200 laps

POSTED AWARDS: More than $1 million

CARS: Dallara and G Force chassis; Oldsmobile V8 and Infiniti Indy V8 3.5-liter engines; Firestone tires

2000 RACE WINNER: Inaugural Indy Racing event at Gateway International Raceway

CURRENT SERIES POINTS LEADER: Sam Hornish Jr. <pre>

TV: (Pre-Race) "Indy Racing 2Day" ESPN2 (live), 11 a.m. (EDT), Aug. 26

(Race) ESPN (live), 3 p.m. (EDT), Aug. 26 Announcers: Bob Jenkins, Larry Rice, Jason Priestley Pit reporters: Vince Welch, Jack Arute Replay: ESPN, 3 a.m. (EDT), Aug. 29

(Qualifying) ESPN2 (tape-delayed), midnight (EDT) Aug. 25 Announcers: Bob Jenkins, Larry Rice Pit reporters: Vince Welch, Jack Arute, Jason Priestley

RADIO: (Race) IMS Radio Network (live), 3 p.m. (EDT) Aug. 26 Pre-race show starts at 2:30 p.m. Qualifying wrap-up show, 5:30 p.m. (EDT) Aug. 25 Host: Mike King; Analyst: Johnny Parsons Jr. Announcer: Jerry Baker Sr. Pit Reporter: Mark Jaynes; Pit reporter: Kim Morris Area affiliates: KFNS-AM 590 and KFNS FM 100.7, St Louis

SCHEDULE (all times local):

(Friday, Aug. 24)

7 a.m.: Indy Racing League garage opens 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Practice (two groups) 3:45-4:45 p.m.: Practice (two groups)

(Saturday, Aug. 25)

7 a.m.: Indy Racing League garage opens 9-10:30 a.m.: Practice (two groups) Noon: MBNA Pole Qualifying 4:30-5 p.m.: Final practice (all cars)

(Sunday, Aug. 26)

7 a.m.: Indy Racing League garage opens 1 p.m.: Cars to grid 2 p.m.: Gateway Indy 250 (250 miles/200 laps)

THE TRACK:

1.25-mile paved oval Frontstraight: 1,922 feet Backstraight: 1,976 feet Width: 60 feet Banking: Straightaways - 3 degrees; Turns 1-2 - 11 degrees; Turns 3-4 - 9 degrees. </pre>

Gateway International Raceway debuted on May 24, 1997, and includes a 1.6-mile, 10-turn road course that runs through the infield, using parts of both straightaways and Turns 3 and 4. The facility is owned by Dover Downs Entertainment, which also owns Nashville Superspeedway, where the Indy Racing Northern Light Series competed for the first time on July 21. Gateway has 60,000 permanent seats and 30 luxury suites.

THE RACE:

-- This is the first time the Indy Racing Northern Light Series has competed at Gateway International Raceway. Next year's race is scheduled for Aug. 25, 2002.

RACE NOTES:

-- Three Indianapolis 500 winners are entered in this event: 1998 champion Eddie Cheever Jr., 1996 champion Buddy Lazier and 1992 and 1994 champion Al Unser Jr.

-- Two Indy Racing rookies are confirmed to participate in the Gateway Indy 250: Felipe Giaffone (Treadway-Hubbard Racing) and Didier André (Galles Racing).

STATISTICS:

2001 points leaders 1. Sam Hornish Jr. 374 2. Buddy Lazier 349 3. Scott Sharp 286 4. Felipe Giaffone 265 5. Eliseo Salazar 251 6. Billy Boat 249 7. Buzz Calkins 192 8. Al Unser Jr. 185 9. Eddie Cheever Jr. 182 10. Airton Dare 180

2001 money leaders 1. Helio Castroneves $1,305,075 2. Sam Hornish Jr. $1,144,425 3. Buddy Lazier $1,090,025 4. Scott Sharp $1,063,525 5. Eliseo Salazar $822,900 6. Billy Boat $796,175 7. Greg Ray $795,975 8. Robbie Buhl $710,975 9. Eddie Cheever, Jr. $708,475 10. Felipe Giaffone $679,425

2001 wins 1. Buddy Lazier 4 2. Sam Hornish Jr. 2 3. Helio Castroneves 1 Eddie Cheever Jr. 1 Greg Ray 1 Scott Sharp 1

2001 rookie points leaders 1. Felipe Giaffone 265 2. Didier André 138 3. Brandon Erwin 40 4. Casey Mears 36 5. Jon Herb 33

2001 laps led 1. Sam Hornish Jr. 556 2. Buddy Lazier 436 3. Greg Ray 363 4. Eddie Cheever Jr. 168 5. Scott Sharp 144

2001 MBNA Poles 1. Greg Ray 4 2. Scott Sharp 3 3. Mark Dismore 1 Jaques Lazier 1 Jeff Ward 1

2001 wins by chassis 1. Dallara 10

2001 wins by engine 1. Oldsmobile 9 2. Infiniti 1

--IRNLS/IMS-