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The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the promoter of a predominantly oval based open-wheel racing series in the United States and more recently, Japan. Its centerpiece is the Indianapolis 500. The IRL is owned by Hulman and Co., which also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex. IRL was masterminded in 1994 by Tony George and was created with a breakaway group of drivers from CART, which had coordinated Indycar racing since 1979. George designed IRL as a lower-cost open-wheel alternative to CART, which had come to be technology-driven and dominated by a few wealthy multi-car teams much in the manner of Formula One. Since then, the IRL has developed a consistent engine package and chassis rules which have produced some of the closest finishes in any racing series. The series now includes most of the former top teams that used to dominate CART.
George also wanted to maintain the U.S. tradition of higher-speed oval tracks as opposed to the road courses favored by F1, and, increasingly, CART as well. Despite the intention of being a predominantly oval-based series, the IRL has always intended to add road courses to its race mix. In fall 2004 they did just that, announcing three new events including a street race in St. Petersburg, Florida and two road courses, at Watkins Glen International in New York and Infineon Raceway in California for 2005. In the beginning George was widely ridiculed; IRL's early seasons consisted of few races and mostly unknown drivers, even in the Indy 500. Later the caliber of drivers improved and IRL began to draw teams over from CART, which contributed to the later's recent bankruptcy.
The League consists of two series, the IndyCar Series (usually considered synonymous with Indy Racing League) and the Menards Infiniti Pro Series, which is the developmental series for IndyCar.
IRL is not an open formula, but neither is it a one-make or "spec" series. Instead, chassis and engine manufacturers apply to the League to supply cars for three year cycles. Currently, Dallara and G-Force provide the chassis, while Honda, Toyota, and Chevrolet provide the engines. A third chassis manufacturer, Falcon, still holds the rights to produce a chassis for IRL events, but no orders were ever made, and no rolling chassis were ever completed.
Superficially, IRL cars closely resemble those of other open-wheeled formula racing, with front and rear wings and prominent airboxes. Originally, the cars were somewhat unique, being designed specifically for oval racing; for example, the oil and cooling systems were asymetrical to account for the pull of liquids to the right side of the cars. The current generation chassis however, are designed to accomodate the added requirements of road racing. At present, top speed and aerodynamics are more important than road-handling or braking; this is expected to change drastically with the introduction of road courses starting in 2005.
Originally, IRL cars were powered by 4.0L V8, normally-aspirated engines, produced by Oldsmobile (under the Aurora label) and Nissan (as Infiniti). That engine formula was quickly replaced by a 3.5L NA format, used until April of 2004. After that time, displacement was further reduced to 3.0L, still normally-apirated, in an attempt to curb top speeds. Currently, Honda, Toyota, and Chevrolet badge the engines, though many powerplants are actually built by specialty-tuners Ilmor (Honda) and Cosworth (Chevy).
IRL engines are rev-limited to just over 10,000 rpm, and produce approxmiately 700 bhp at this speed.
The Indy Racing League may be unique in being the only sporting series in the world to measure opposition by lack of negative attention. The split between Tony George and the CART governing body was extremely acrinomious, and both series have suffered since, as the fanbase also split. The 'war' between competing groups of fans is most active now on the Internet, especially on motorsports messageboards, and tends to affect any attempts at impartial views of either racing series.
The most bitter point of conflict between Champcars and the IRL is of course the Indianapolis 500, long considered the crown jewel of North American motorsports. After the beginning of the IRL in 1995, Tony George restricted entry of the starting 33 cars to 25 IRL cars, with only eight CART vehicles being permitted to start. In retaliation, CART scheduled what was supposed to become its new showcase event, the U.S. 500, at Michigan International Speedway on the same day, but it drew far less fan interest and was discontinued. Although cancelled in 1999, the intial Indy 500 policy toward CART has continued to be held up as proof of George and the IRL's ill-intent towards CART. Since the lifting of the ban, many of the former top teams in CART (now "ChampCar") have moved to the IRL and, as they dominated in CART, so do they now tend to dominate in the IRL.
Weak attendance and TV ratings have also plagued the IRL since its inception. That trend has at least stabilized recently, with increased TV coverage and slightly improving attendance at many event. The continuation of the ABC network contract, as well as the establishment of successful races in Texas and Japan, and renewed interest in and attendance at the flagship Indianapolis 500 are seen by some as signs of stability at last. Also, the ChampCar series has lost its broadcast network television exposure, and to many its losses equate with IRL's gains, although to many others this is just demonstrative of an overall loss of interest in open-wheel motor racing in North America, engendered at least in part by the IRL/CART split.
Driver safety has also been a major point of concern, with an alarming number of drivers injured, primarily in the early years of the series, some of them seriously. Unlike with road racing venues, the lack of run-offs on oval tracks, coupled with higher, sometimes far higher, speeds due to the long straightaways and symetrical turns, means that there is simply far less margin for error. Car design was attributed as a leading cause of early injuries, but the series has made significant and continuous improvements to chassis safety to address these safety concerns as they have become apparent. Following a series of spectacular high-profile accidents in 2003, including to American racing legend Mario Andretti and former champion Kenny Brack, and the death of Tony Renna in testing at Indianapolis, the IRL made additional changes to reduce speeds and increase safety. These included a significant review and changes in the chassis, and a reduction in engine displacement. As a result, the first half of 2004 has been the safest IRL season to date.
The IRL was also the first race series to adopt the new SAFER soft wall safety system, which debuted at the Indianapolis 500 and is now scheduled to be installed at almost all major oval racing circuits. Recognized as one of the most significant improvements ever in racing safety, the SAFER system research and design was supported and funded in large part by the Hulman-George family and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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