IRL: Scott Goodyear Fastest in Orlando.

GOODYEAR TOPS TEST SPEEDS AT DISNEY DESPITE PNEUMONIA

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Jan. 8, 1999 - Scott Goodyear has felt better, but his joy from running a lap of 21.199 seconds at 169.819 mph, fastest among Pep Boys Indy Racing League drivers testing at Walt Disney World Speedway, all but hid his weakened condition due to pneumonia. "It's a fair bout (with pneumonia)," said Goodyear, driver of the Pennzoil Panther Racing G Force/Aurora/Goodyear. "I should be home resting, at least that's what the doctors said." Goodyear's fast lap for the test was about 1 mph slower than the top speed at the first Walt Disney World Open Test in December 1998, set by Scott Sharp. Sharp recorded a lap of 171.111 on Dec. 12. "G Force has done a great job improving their chassis over the winter," Goodyear said. "It has improved grip over last year and better balance front to back." Goodyear and other Pep Boys Indy Racing League drivers tested at Walt Disney World Speedway in preparation for the season-opening TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 on Jan. 24 at the track. Defending league champion Kenny Brack was second fastest at 21.227, 169.595, and 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever Jr. was third at 169.484. Brack, driver of the A.J. Foyt Power Team Racing Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear, said the experience testing at the 1-mile tri-oval at Walt Disney World Speedway was much different than in 1998, and the goals for the team are much different this time around. "This time last year was my first race with the team," he said. "Now we are comfortable with one another, and we have accomplished great things. We will be strong this year, and we want to win as many races as possible, but if I had to pull one wish out of a hat (for 1999) I'd say it would have to be to win the Indianapolis 500." Ten drivers logged 1,359 laps during testing Jan. 7-8. Sam Schmidt ran the most laps Thursday, logging 170, while Cheever was busiest Friday with 150. Teams will continue with private testing at Walt Disney World Speedway until Jan. 15.

TOP UNOFFICIAL TIMES, SPEEDS OF FRIDAY, JAN. 8 Driver Sponsor-Team Car/Engine/Tire Time Speed Scott Goodyear Pennzoil Panther G Force/Aurora/Goodyear 21.199 169.819 Kenny Brack A.J. Foyt Power Team Racing Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.227 169.595 E. Cheever Jr. Rachel's-Team Cheever Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.241 169.484 Buddy Lazier Delta Faucet-Coors-Hemelgarn Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.320 168.856 J. Hollansworth Team Xtreme Dallara/Aurora/Firestone 21.464 167.723 Sam Schmidt Sprint PCS-Treadway Racing G Force/Aurora/Firestone 21.532 167.193 Billy Boat A.J. Foyt Racing Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.572 166.883 Robbie Buhl Sit Down Conn.-SRS Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone 21.701 165.891 Andy Michner Brant Motorsports Riley & Scott/Aurora/Goodyear 22.398 160.729 Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 22.416 160.600

TOP UNOFFICIAL TIMES, SPEEDS OVERALL (JAN. 7-8) Driver Sponsor-Team Car/Engine/Tire Time Speed Scott Goodyear Pennzoil Panther G Force/Aurora/Goodyear 21.199 169.819 Sam Schmidt Sprint PCS-Treadway Racing G Force/Aurora/Firestone 21.225 169.611 Kenny Brack A.J. Foyt Power Team Racing Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.227 169.595 E. Cheever Jr. Rachel's-Team Cheever Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.241 169.484 Buddy Lazier Delta Faucet-Coors-Hemelgarn Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.320 168.856 J. Hollansworth Team Xtreme Dallara/Aurora/Firestone 21.464 167.723 Billy Boat A.J. Foyt Racing Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 21.547 167.077 Robbie Buhl Sit Down Conn.-SRS Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone 21.701 165.891 Andy Michner Brant Motorsports Riley & Scott/Aurora/Goodyear 22.344 161.117 Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear 22.416 160.600

PEP BOYS INDY RACING LEAGUE OPEN TEST NOTEBOOK

Leffler to make debut: USAC champion Jason Leffler will make his Pep Boys Indy Racing League debut as a Treadway Racing teammate to Sam Schmidt at the TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 on Jan. 24, team officials announced.

Leffler won the USAC Silver Crown and midget national titles in 1998 and won the midget national crown in 1997. He passed his Indy Racing League driver's test last year in a Treadway Racing car and was signed as the team's test driver.

Leffler, who will drive car #9 at the race, tested at Walt Disney World earlier this week in a private test for Treadway. He recorded an unofficial lap time of 21.0 seconds, the fastest ever by a normally aspirated Indy Racing League car at Walt Disney World Speedway. Since joining Treadway in 1998, Leffler has already logged more than 2,500 test miles.

Buhl happy with SRS, Infiniti: Robbie Buhl completed his first outing in the Sinden Racing Service Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone with a top speed of 165.891 mph. SRS announced Jan. 8 that Buhl would drive the team's car for the TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200, with Sit Down Connection as the primary sponsor. Sit Down Connection is a builder of aluminum temporary seating systems. "The Infiniti motor didn't miss a beat," said Buhl. "It has a lot of torque. We would've liked to be a little faster, but this was our first experience working together, and we know that we can get more speed out of the car." Galles to skip opener: Galles Racing and its driver, Davey Hamilton, will skip the season-opening TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 as they continue to search for a primary sponsor. Hamilton said he is disappointed he will not run at Orlando, but is focused on building a long-term relationship with Galles Racing. Hamilton finished second in the 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League point standings driving for Nienhouse Motorsports, managed last season by Rick Galles. During the offseason, Rick Galles re-formed his own team, hiring Hamilton and his crew from the 1998 season. "I don't think the kind of synergy we have on our team comes often," Hamilton said. "I have the same guys on the team when I finished second in the 1998 points championship, and everyone is staying together until we can put a proper deal in place."

On the road again: Another edition of "Road to Indy" will air on ESPN from 3-3:30 p.m. (EST) Jan. 9. This edition will cover the December open test at Walt Disney World Speedway, and the activities of Pep Boys Indy Racing League drivers during the offseason.

Tickets: Tickets for the TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 are available by calling (800) 822-INDY.

Source: IRL/IMS