IndyCar
IRL: Orlando Friday Practice Report
David Reininger - Motorsport News International Lake Buena Vista, FL (January 22, 1999) - Seven new teams have entered into the Pep Boys Indy Racing League championship series starting with the season opening TransWorld Diversified Services Indy ...
Edited: Mar 27, 2008, 5:47 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
David Reininger - Motorsport News International
Lake Buena Vista, FL (January 22, 1999) - Seven new teams have entered into the Pep Boys Indy Racing League championship series starting with the season opening TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 at Orlando this weekend.
One of the newest teams is Larry Curry Racing. Curry, former team manager at Team Menard, will field an Aurora-powered Dallara for Gualter Salles. The team just cemented their deal to compete in the season opener last week.
"The deal for this weekend came up just a week ago," said team co-owner Tony Stewart. "Larry got the call Friday and I got the call from him on Saturday morning. The team has done a really good job trying to get everything organized. Teco Energy has done a great job to give us the opportunity and they've made a lot of things happen very quickly for us. We thought the time was right to show everyone this isn't just a one race deal. We're serious."
The team's driver, Gualter Salles, acknowledged that he did not have a deal for the entire season.
Salles spent his first day in the IRL trying to learn a new track in a car he'd never been in before. "It's been tough. I think it's the toughest deal I have ever done because of the time," said Salles. "I'm having to learn the car, learn the track in the free practice session when everybody is up to speed and going flat out."
"I wish we had half a day of practice to get used to it on my own," Salles said. "We just decided to come and it's very good to be with Larry and with Tony."
Salles struggled in the morning session trying to get comfortable in the new car. In the afternoon session he picked up an additional eleven miles an hour with a fast lap at 155.837 mph.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article IRL: Eddie Cheever Eager to Race at Home in Orlando
Next article IRL: Orlando Saturday Qualifying Notes
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Tony Stewart
Every time NASCAR took a win away due yellow line violations
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
Every time NASCAR took a win away due yellow line violations
Tony Stewart: Violent Talladega Truck wreck "knocked the wind out of me"
NASCAR Truck
NASCAR Truck
Talladega
Tony Stewart: Violent Talladega Truck wreck "knocked the wind out of me"
The most unexpected driver and team breakups in modern NASCAR Cup history
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
The most unexpected driver and team breakups in modern NASCAR Cup history
Latest news
WEC drivers question lack of full-course yellow after heavy Monza crash
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
1 h
WEC drivers question lack of full-course yellow after heavy Monza crash
Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the Hendrick 5 are who we say they are
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
3 h
Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the Hendrick 5 are who we say they are
Final NASCAR Cup points standings after 2026 Homestead finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
7 h
Final NASCAR Cup points standings after 2026 Homestead finale
Feature
Discover prime content
How Spanish engineering and Alex Palou brought IndyCar to Barcelona
Feature
IndyCar
Feature
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
How Spanish engineering and Alex Palou brought IndyCar to Barcelona
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
Feature
IndyCar
Feature
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe