TRUE VALUE IROC RACE AND TV SCHEDULE 2003

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Iroc Week at Indy - A Photographic Collection

TRUE VALUE IROC RACE FOUR AT INDY
JOHNSON TAKES THE WIN, BUSCH TAKES THE CHAMPIONSHIP

INDIANAPOLIS (August 2, 2003) - Jimmie Johnson led the final 20 laps to capture Saturday's True Value International Race of Champions (IROC) final race of 2003, while Kurt Busch finished fourth to clinch the $250,000.00 IROC championship here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Johnson, representing the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, held off NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kevin Harvick by .697 seconds in the 40-lap, 100- mile race. Johnson's average speed on the historic 2.5-mile oval was 135.287 miles per hour. It was the first career IROC win for Johnson, as he became the third IROC rookie to win in 2003; rookies, Kurt Busch and Mike Bliss won race two and three at Talladega and Chicagoland, respectively.

Johnson, who started sixth, picked up five positions by lap-15-laps and was sitting second behind race leader Helio Castroneves, representing the IRL IndyCar Series, when a caution period for debris on lap-20 reformed the field for a double file restart. On the restart, Johnson and Harvick used the high line to get around Castroneves, who had led from the pole, with Johnson leading the remaining 20 laps.

"It's an honor to be here and win at the Brickyard," said Johnson. "It's something I've dreamt of doing, and hopefully this is a good sign of things to come tomorrow for our race team in the Winston Cup Series."

Of his maneuver at the restart to take the lead, Johnson said, "I knew it was going to be my only opportunity to get a pass done. I worked by everybody and got to Helio (Castroneves). He was doing a great job. I didn't think I had anything for him, but when the caution came out I knew I would have about a lap to get something done. Harvick helped me down the straightaway and helped me get by, and it helped him into second place, so that was it from there."

Busch took the 2003 True Value IROC Championship by 11- points over four-time IROC champion, Mark Martin who finished fifth. Martin is Busch's teammate in the Winston Cup Series. Busch said, "There are no teammates in IROC. You have got to go. This is a 40-lap venue where you just have to go every lap and that's what it needed to be, and we were able to go away with the top spot today."

Busch continued, "It just an honor to drive in this series for one thing, but to compete against the best of the best and beat them one day - I just dreamed about this day, and it came true. My father's the greatest mentor in racing. He helped me get here, along with my Winston Cup crew and not to mention Mark Martin. A true competitor until the end."

2003 TRUE VALUE IROC 27
FINAL POINT STANDINGS AND PRIZE MONEY
POSITION DRIVER REPRESENTING POINTS PRIZE MONEY
1 Kurt Busch NASCAR Winston Cup Series 69 $250.000
2 Mark Martin NASCAR Winston Cup Series 58 $125.000
3 Jimmie Johnson NASCAR Winston Cup Series 56 $ 95.000
4 Mike Bliss NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 54 $ 90,000
5 Kevin Harvick NASCAR Winston Cup Series 48* $ 85,000
6 Ryan Newman NASCAR Winston Cup Series 48* $ 80,000
7 Greg Biffle NASCAR Busch Series 41 $ 80,000
8 Sam Hornish Jr. IndyCar Series 30 $ 80,000
9 Danny Lasoski World of Outlaws 27 $ 80,000
10 Felipe Giaffone/Scott Sharp IndyCar Series 24* $ 80,000
11 Steve Kinser World of Outlaws 24* $ 80,000
12 Helio Castroneves IndyCar Series 23 $ 80,000
TOTAL PURSE: $1,205,000.00

THE TRUE VALUE IROC XXVII
Race Four - 40 Laps (100 Miles) Saturday, August 2, 2003
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis
2.5-mile oval

Finish Start Driver Car Color Number Laps Times Led Total Laps Led Bonus Points Status
1 6 Jimmie Johnson Rose 7 40 1 20 5 21 Running
2 7 Kevin Harvick Gold 6 40 0 0 0 17 Running
3 9 Ryan Newman Red 4 40 0 0 0 14 Running
4 12 Kurt Busch Violet 1 40 0 0 0 12 Running
5 10 Mark Martin White 3 40 0 0 0 10 Running
6 2 Scott Sharp* Cream 11 40 0 0 0 9 Running
7 8 Greg Biffle Black 5 40 0 0 0 8 Running
8 1 Helio Castroneves Lime 12 40 1 20 3 7 Running
9 3 Steve Kinser Lt. Blue 10 40 0 0 0 6 Running
10 11 Mike Bliss Orange 2 40 0 0 0 5 Running
11 5 Sam Hornish Jr. Med. Blue 8 40 0 0 0 4 Running
12 4 Danny Lasoski Green 9 40 0 0 0 3 Running
Average Speed 135.287
Time of Race 44:21
Margin of Victory .697 *substitute for Felipe Giaffone
Lead Changes 1 among 2 drivers
Caution Periods 1

Lap Leaders: 1-20 Castroneves, 21-40 Johnson

True Value IROC Point Standings

Driver DaytonaRace Points Talladega Race Points Chicagoland Race Points Indianapolis Race Points Total
1. Kurt Busch 17 26 14 12 69
2. Mark Martin 26 12 10 10 58
3. Jimmie Johnson 15 7 8 26 56
4.. Mike Bliss 6 17 26 5 54
5. Kevin Harvick 10 9 12 17 48
6. Ryan Newman 3 11 20 14 48
7. Greg Biffle 10 14 9 8 41
8. Sam Hornish Jr. 7 12 7 4 30
9. Danny Lasoski 14 5 5 3 27
10. Felipe Giaffone/Scott Sharp 5 4 6 9 24
11. Steve Kinser 9 6 3 6 24
12. Helio Castroneves 4 3 6 10 23

*Tiebreaker Rule: In the event that two or more drivers are tied for bonus points, the bonus points will be awarded according to the finishing positions of the race.

In the event two or more drivers are tied in points at the end of the series, the tie will be broken by the driver who finished highest on average over all four races. If two or more drivers are still tied, then the tie will be broken by the driver with the highest finishing position in the final race.

Prize Money: The total True Value IROC purse of $1,205,000.00 will be paid upon conclusion of the series based on point standings. The series Champion will earn $250,000.

ESPN: Will televise True Value IROC race four at Indianapolis Sunday, August 3 at 1 p.m. (Eastern Time)

True Value IROC 27
Race Four - Indianapolis Motor Speedway

What: True Value International Race of Champions Series
IROC 27 -- Race Four (final race of 2003 season)

When: Saturday, Aug. 2, 2003

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Indianapolis

Broadcast: ESPN, Sunday, Aug. 3, 1 p.m. EDT

Start Time: 1 p.m. CDT

Distance: 40 laps, 100 miles

Career IROC Race: 108

Lineup*
Pos. No. Color Driver Hometown Representing
1 12 Lime Helio Castroneves Miami IndyCarÔSeries
2 11 Cream Scott Sharp++ Jupiter, Fla. IndyCarÔSeries
3 10 Lt. Blue Steve Kinser Bloomington, Ind. World of Outlaws
4 9 Green Danny Lasoski Dover, Mo. World of Outlaws
5 8 Med. Blue Sam Hornish Jr. Defiance, Ohio IndyCarÔSeries
6 7 Rose Jimmie Johnson+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
7 6 Gold Kevin Harvick Winston-Salem, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
8 5 Black Greg Biffle+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Busch Series
9 4 Red Ryan Newman+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
10 3 White Mark Martin Daytona Beach, Fla. NASCAR Winston Cup
11 2 Orange Mike Bliss+ Milwaukee, WI NASCAR Truck Series
12 1 Violet Kurt Busch+ Charlotte, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup

What They're Saying

Kurt Busch - "I put a lot of emphasis on Chicago to get points, which I think will pay off; by finishing third there, I think I'm in the best position for the championship. Obviously, when you go to Indy, you've got to keep an eye on Mark Martin, and my plan all year has been to associate with Mark
on the racetrack and run there, so that's my priority...while keeping a watchful eye in Bliss."

Mike Bliss - "Coming into this, I was just really excited just about getting an invite to run IROC, I never even thought about winning a race, or for that matter, the championship and now, here I am. I'm just kicking myself in the pants for doing stupid things at Daytona (finishing ninth) because a better finish there would have put me a lot closer to the championship coming into Indy. Being this close can be a lot of pressure, but you've just got to have fun and go run the wheels off it. Mark (Martin) and Kurt (Busch) are going to be tough, but you know, actually, I couldn't put my finger on any one driver in this series and say 'he's the guy to beat,' because they're all very good, but the key is going to be getting a good start, working up through the field and getting out front in the clean air."

"I feel fortunate to be in this position in only my first season. I've been dealt good cards, and if I can carry this thing off, it'll be an honor to have won that trophy."

Mark Martin- "I'm looking forward to the IROC race at the brickyard. We have had success there in the past IROC races and hopefully we can keep that going. Starting towards the back means all we have to do is go forward and try to move to the front. Hopefully, we can lead the most laps, earn the bonus points and win the race. However, I'm pretty sure that's Kurt Busch and Mike Bliss' plan as well. We'll just have to play it all out and see what happens."

Ryan Newman - "I was the closest I've been to actually winning an IROC race at Chicago, I've enjoyed all the IROC races this year, but Chicago was the best race I've run. I'm just really excited that I had the opportunity to compete in these four races and hope my Winston Cup career goes well enough that I'm given this chance again."

"Indy is where I got my first chance at driving an IROC car. I did a bit of testing for Jay (Signore) a couple of years ago and I was hooked. Everyone wants to win any type of race they can at Indy. The history alone is what makes it special. I don't have many laps around Indy, but I grew up only a few hours from there and it would be a big feather in my cap to win a race close to where I grew up. I may not ever get invited back to race IROC, so I'm thinking that Saturday may be my last chance at winning and I'm going to do everything - and I mean everything I can to kick some butt and win that race."

Greg Biffle- "I've really enjoyed running in the IROC Series this year and it's been great competing against the champions and top drivers of the different series'. I've had some solid runs this season but I'd really like to win one before it's all said and done. Indy is my last shot this year and an IROC win at one of the most famous tracks in racing would definitely be a highlight of my career. I appreciate being given the opportunity to compete in the series and I hope to get more
invitations in the future."

Sam Hornish - "This will be the last race of the year for the True Value IROC series," Hornish said. "Hopefully I'll run good and improve my points position a little bit."

Danny Lasoski- "Last year when I came here injured to watch the race I was here in body, but I can't say that I remember much. But, this year I get to live out my life-long dream of coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and participating. I'm double proud to be doing it as a competitor in the IROC Series, which I want to continue to compete in year after year, I just love this series. I grew up in the Midwest and it's all about being a part of this great heritage and all the history."

Steve Kinser - "Anytime I get an opportunity to come up to the Speedway and run is special, especially being this close to home. I did it in 1997 in the Indy 500 and the IROC race will be my first time here in a stock car. It's kind of neat to think that you've been in both Indy car and stock cars at the Brickyard. It's a very special place for any kind of a driver. To me, Indianapolis is the greatest racing circuit there is, but for me in a stock car, these flat track races take a whole lot of work. I have to get used to the on and off the gas and braking. It's quite a challenge to get up to speed in only a few days, but we'll just have to see how it all turns out on race day."

Scott Sharp - (Substituting for the injured Felipe Giaffone) - "I'm excited to be back at the Brickyard and representing the IndyCar(TM) Series in IROC. This is my favorite track and I'm glad to help out Felipe. I hope to do well for him, but I do wish I was starting on the inside pole instead of the outside pole, but I'll do the best I can. The IROC races are a lot of fun and I'm sure I'll have a good time."

Helio Castroneves -"I just hope I finish better than what my previous IROC finishes have been." Castroneves said. "IROC is a series that I've really fallen in love with. It's very different from what I'm used to, but I enjoy it so much with the friends and the people involved with the series.

"Obviously, I want to win, it's just such close competition. Indy is a difficult place to pass, but for those NASCAR guys, it's never impossible to pass, especially if you have fenders and those bumpers in front and behind. Last year, I finished second in the IROC event, so it looks like I know my way around the track."

True Value IROC Notes
Race Facts
· The August 2, 2003 True Value IROC at Indy will be the sixth consecutive year the series has been hosted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

· IndyCarÔ Series driver, Scott Sharp will substitute drive for fellow IndyCarÔ Series driver, Felipe Giaffone who was injured in a racing accident on July 5th at Kansas Speedway. Sharp placed ninth for Giaffone at Chicagoland Speedway in race three.

Championship Notes
· Thee drivers have a chance at the 2003 True Value IROC Series championship, NASCAR Winston Cup driver, Kurt Busch, NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion, Mike Bliss and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Mark Martin.

· A fifth series championship would break the four-time championship tie Mark Martin currently holds with the late Dale Earnhardt.

· The last rookie to win the championship was Kevin Harvick in 2002. Harvick became the 6th rookie champion in IROC history:

Rookie Champions: (1) 1974 Mark Donohue, (2) 1985 Harry Gant, (3) 1986 Al Unser Jr.,
(4) 1987 Geoff Bodine, (5) 1992 Ricky Rudd, (6) 2002 Kevin Harvick.

There are six rookie drivers competing in this year's True Value IROC Series. The current point standing of each rookie driver is:
Kurt Busch - 57
Mike Bliss - 49
Ryan Newman - 34
Greg Biffle - 33
Jimmie Johnson - 30
Felipe Giaffone - 15

· Bliss could become the first True Value IROC champion representing the NASCAR Truck Series.
Race Win Notes
· A race win for Mark Martin would put him at 12 IROC race wins giving him the record. He is currently tied for all-time wins with Al Unser Jr. and the late Dale Earnhardt at 11.

· Helio Castroneves could become the first driver to win in both Indy style and stock cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

· Helio Castroneves and Mark Martin are the only two with victories at Indy; Castroneves, 2001 and 2002 Indy 500; Mark Martin 1998, 1999 and 2000 True Value IROC finales.

· Buddy Lazier was the last representative of Indy style racing to win a True Value IROC race. Lazier won race three at Chicagoland Speedway on July 13, 2002.

THREE CONTENDERS
THE 2003 TRUE VALUE IROC CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Indianapolis, Friday, August 1, 2003 - In recent True Value IROC seasons, the scenario going into the finale at the Brickyard has been a wide spread battle, usually consisting of half the 12-driver field or more. But the sixth consecutive, True Value IROC at Indy championship crowning event Saturday, August 2, will be a contest of three, consisting of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch, NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion, Mike Bliss, and Busch's Winston Cup teammate Mark Martin.

Winning races, collecting bonus points for leading laps and decent showings, when not winning, separates Busch, Bliss and Martin from the remainder of the field, but not by much. If Busch finished last and NASCAR Winston Cup driver, Ryan Newman, fourth in points, won and collected five-bonus points for leading most laps, he would lose the championship by the tiebreaker, which awards the championship according to average finishes over all four-races.

Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on the mastery of Martin, who won the Daytona opener on February 14 and collected the five-bonus points. The four-time True Value IROC Champion has won every IROC race he has competed in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting with the inaugural event in 1998 and continuing with consecutive wins in 1999 and 2000 - each win came from the back of the pack.

Martin said, "I'm looking forward to the IROC race at the brickyard. We have had success there in the past IROC races and hopefully we can keep that going. Starting towards the back means all we have to do is go forward and try to move to the front. Hopefully, we can lead the most laps, earn the bonus points and win the race. However, I'm pretty sure that's Kurt Busch and Mike Bliss' plan as well. We'll just have to play it all out and see what happens."

Martin's unabashed goal is to capture a, record-breaking, fifth title; he currently shares the record of four-titles with the late Dale Earnhardt. Adding to that, a repeat of his 1998 combination race win and championship would give him a 12th IROC race win and would break his shared record of 11 all-time wins, which he holds with Earnhardt and Al Unser Jr.

Busch and Bliss are at the opposite end of their IROC careers. Both are bottle-rocket rookies with IROC wins under their belts. Busch won race two on April 5 at Talladega Superspeedway and Bliss won race three on July 12 at Chicagoland; both also maximized their victories by collecting five-bonus points.

But, the two have a formidable situation sitting just ahead of them - literally. The line up for the race is by reverse order of the point standings, which will start Mark Martin 10th, one row ahead of Bliss and Busch starting 11th and 12th, respectively. Busch said, "Obviously, when you go to Indy, you've got to keep an eye on Mark Martin, and my plan all year has been to associate with Mark on the racetrack and run there, so that's my priority...while keeping a watchful eye in Bliss."

Busch and Bliss may be able to follow safely in Martin's footprint, but once up front, passing Martin would be bigger issue. Bliss said, "I'm well aware of how good Mark Martin is at Indy in IROC and Kurt Busch is going to be tough too. Actually, I couldn't put my finger on any one driver in this series and say 'he's the guy to beat,' because they're all very good, but the key is going to be getting a good start, working up through the field and getting out front in the clean air."

Busch doesn't have to win to take the championship, but if Martin's up front, he'd best mimic the Daytona opener and adhere himself to his Winston Cup teammate's bumper, especially if Martin picks up five bonus points for leading most laps. In that case, Busch would have to finish second in order to win the championship.

But for Busch and Bliss, a chance at the championship is already more than either one expected, Busch said, "I feel fortunate to be in this position in only my first season. I've been dealt good cards, and if I can carry this thing off, it'll be an honor to have won that trophy."

Bliss said, "Coming into this, I was just really excited just about getting an invite to run IROC, I never even thought about winning a race, or for that matter, the championship and now, here I am. I'm just kicking myself in the pants for doing stupid things at Daytona (finishing ninth) because a better finish there would have put me a lot closer to the championship coming into Indy. Being this close can be a lot of pressure, but you've just got to have fun and go run the wheels off it."

The reigning True Value IROC champion, Kevin Harvick, sixth in points, is out of contention for a repeat championship. The remaining field consists of NASCAR Busch Series champion, Greg Biffle (5th), NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jimmie Johnson (7th), IndyCar Ô Series champion, Sam Hornish, Jr. (8th), World of Outlaws champions, Danny Lasoski (9th) and Steve Kinser (10th), IndyCar Ô Series driver Scott Sharp (driving for the injured Felipe Giaffone (11th) and fellow IndyCar Ô Series two-time Indy 500 winner, Helio Castroneves (12th).

The 40-lap, 100-mile True Value IROC finale will get underway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 1:00 p.m. CDT and be broadcast on ESPN, Sunday, August 3 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

TRUE VALUE IROC 27, RACE FOUR FINALE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, DAY TWO NOTES & QUOTES

Indianapolis, Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - The True Value International Race of Champions Series continued preparation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wednesday for the championship crowing event this Saturday, August 2.

Practice and testing sessions began at 9:00 a.m., but it was a much earlier day for the True Value IROC crew and test drivers who made three appearances on the Indianapolis Fox Morning Show, doing three sports segments at 6:15 a.m., 7:15 a.m., and 8:15 a.m. giving the Indianapolis Fox audience a "backstage" peak of the goings on in the garage area.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, Mike Bliss is one of three drivers in contention for the 2003 True Value IROC Championship. Bliss began practicing Wednesday for his run at the crown, which he will contend for along with NASCAR Winston drivers, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin.

Bliss, the race three True Value IROC winner at Chicagoland on July 12 said, "I ran two different cars to get the feel of any subtle differences and both cars were good. They seem to take off pretty good and remained that way through the end of the tire run. They very different from the Winston Cup car I drove here at the Brickyard event, the IROC cars really turn good. The key here is going to be getting to the front as quick as possible."

True Value IROC test driver, Jay Sauter ran with Bliss getting him acclimated to the line to drive with the IROC cars said, "Mike is doing really good obviously. He has a lot of experience and has won championships and he took to the IROC cars immediately. He's got a tough job ahead of him starting from the rear, but I think he'll do really well. "

The test team of Dave Marcis, Dick Trickle, Jay and Jim Sauter came away at the end of the day very satisfied with what they accomplished on the chassis set up. Dick Trickle said, "We put our heads together after yesterday's initial runs and played around with springs and shocks and we real happy with our progress. We'll still have some tweaking to do as the week goes on and track continues to change, but we're on the right line now."

World of Outlaws champions, Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski returned for a second day of practice and were equally happy with improvements since yesterday.

True Value IROC testing and practice will resume Thursday at Indianapolis.

The sixth consecutive True Value IROC Series Championship race will take place on Saturday, August 2 at 1:00 CDT and be broadcast Sunday, August 3 on ESPN at 1:00 PM EDT.

For ticket information go to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

TRUE VALUE IROC 27, RACE FOUR FINALE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, DAY ONE NOTES & QUOTES

Indianapolis, Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - The True Value International Race of Champions Series took to the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tuesday for the first day of testing and driver practice in preparation for the championship crowing event this Saturday, August 2.

Jay Sauter was added to the line up of IROC test drivers, which at Indy this year includes Jay's father, Jim Sauter, Dave Marcis and Dick Trickle. Of his first day on the track at Indy Jay said, "I'm really grateful for this opportunity with the IROC Series, especially here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with all the history and tradition, it's just awesome. It's every race car drivers dream to get to run at Indy and going around here for the first time today really took my breath away. Today I'm a rookie all over again as a test driver for IROC, but I've worked with my Dad, Dave Marcis and Dick Trickle throughout my years of running NASCAR's Truck, Busch and Winston Cup series' and it's all about communicating our different impressions of what's going on with the race cars and dialing them in for the race."

Of Jay's first day on the job, lead test driver Dave Marcis said, "He's doing fantastic. He's never been here before and his times we're right down where they need to be, so he's very comfortable with the race cars. He's repeating his laps and he knows the race cars inside and out and that's what we need."

Of his son's first day at Indy testing for IROC, veteran IROC test pilot Jim Sauter said, "I'm very pleased with Jay's first day because this (Indy) is a tough place to figure out and he went out there and was fast as any of us, right off the start, which is due to all of his experience with all the NASCAR divisions he's competed in and that's what we need, someone who's not timid and gets out there and does the job. He knows what a race car needs and can communicate it, I'm real happy."

The team found Tuesday's track conditions were not favorable for the June test chassis set up. Marcis said, "We seem to be struggling a little bit with the cars today. It's been some time since we tested here, which was right after the Indianapolis 500. The track was in great shape then, it had a lot of rubber in it and it's been a little while since a lot of cars ran here, plus we had rain all day yesterday, so we're a bit disappointed this morning with how the cars felt. By this afternoon we started getting some rubber back into the track, which immediately improved the car, but we still have our work cut out for us. We don't want to get to crazy right now because once the Winston Cup cars get here and put down a lot of rubber, which is all I think we really need, we be in back good shape."

Fellow test driver Dick Trickle said, "Track conditions change so much here and this morning the track didn't like the set up. But, like Dave said, by the time the weekend comes we'll have something all the racers will be happy with. This is a tough job for us because you have to remember, we're working with one car that has to run the high-banks of Daytona and Talladega, the short ovals like Chicagoland and the big flat ovals like Indy. All of the Winston Cup teams have different cars built specifically for different types of tracks, so Dave (Marcis), Jim (Sauter), Jay (Sauter) and I really have our work cut out for us, but in the end, the cars are adjustable enough to work with."

IROC driver practice took place on Tuesday afternoon for World of Outlaws champions, Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser who are ninth and tenth, respectively, in the IROC point standings.

An IROC competitor in 2002, Lasoski missed out on his opportunity to run in the final race at Indianapolis due to injuries he suffered in a World of Outlaws event the week before the 2002 IROC at Indy finale. Lasoski is more than excited about his shot at being back in a Brickyard event. Lasoski said, "Last year when I came here injured to watch the race I was here in body, but I can't say that I remember much. But, this year I get to live out my life-long dream of coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and participating. I'm double proud to be doing it as a competitor in the IROC Series, which I want to continue to compete in year after year, I just love this series. I grew up in the Midwest and it's all about being a part of this great heritage and all the history."

As for his run today, Lasoski said, "I got to run a few sessions and I'm just getting a feel for track again. I ran a few laps out front and followed for a few laps and learned a bit about how to draft up, but I've got a lot to learn about passing."

Kinser, who ran in the 1997 Indianapolis 500 is making his return to Indy, but it's a whole new ball of wax in an IROC car, Kinser said, "This is my first time here in a stock car and I've got a long way to go, I can tell you that. I've been very comfortable in these cars on a high-bank Superspeedway, but the flat tracks are a whole other deal. You've got to roll in and out of the throttle a lot and know when and how much to brake and I get a little lost with that on the flat tracks. It's hard to come out here and get it down with only a few days of practice, but we'll do the best we can come race day, but like I said, as of now, I've got a long way to go."

True Value IROC testing and practice will resume Wednesday at Indianapolis.

The sixth consecutive True Value IROC Series Championship race will take place on Saturday, August 2 at 1:00 CDT and be broadcast Sunday, August 3 on ESPN at 1:00 PM EDT.

For ticket information go to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

THE TRUE VALUE IROC XXVII
Race Three - 67 Laps (100.05 Miles) Saturday, July 12, 2003
Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill
1.5-mile oval

Fin.St. Driver Car Color Number Laps Times Led Total Laps Led Bonus Points Status
1-9 Mike Bliss-Violet-4 67 1 49 5 21 Running
2-3 Ryan Newman-White-10 67 1 13 3 17 Running
3-12 Kurt Busch-Lime-1 67 0 0 0 14 Running
4-6 Kevin Harvick-Gold-7 67 0 0 0 12 Running
5-11 Mark Martin-Rose-2 67 0 0 0 10 Running
6-10 Greg Biffle-Dark Blue-3 67 0 0 0 9 Running
7-8 Jimmie Johnson-Lt.Blue 5 67 0 0 0 8 Running
8-7 Sam Hornish Jr.-Med. Blue-6-67 0 0 0 7 Running
9-2 Scott Sharp*-Red-11 67 0 0 0 6 Running
10-5 Danny Lasoski-Dk Orange-8-67 0 0 0 5 Running
11-1 Helio Castroneves-Green-12-39 1 5 2 4 Mechanical
12-4Steve Kinser-Cream 9 38 0 0 0 3 Mechanical

Average Speed 137.384
Time of Race 43:54
Margin of Victory 3.252 *substitute for Felipe Giaffone
Lead Changes 3 among 3
Caution Periods 1

Lap Leaders: 1-5 Castroneves, 6-18 Newman, 19-67 Bliss
True Value IROC Point Standings

Driver DaytonaRace Points Talladega Race Points Chicagoland Race Points Total *Kinser corrected from 11th to 10th position No change in points total. R1 R2 R3 Total

1. Kurt Busch 17 26 14 57
2.. Mike Bliss 6 17 26 49
3. Mark Martin 26 12 10 48
4. Ryan Newman3 11 20 34
5. Greg Biffle 10 14 9 33
6. Kevin Harvick 10 9 12 31
7. Jimmie Johnson 15 7 8 30
8. Sam Hornish Jr.7 12 7 26
9. Danny Lasoski14 5 5 24
10. Steve Kinser9 6 3 18
11. Felipe Giaffone/Scott Sharp 5 4 6 15
12. Helio Castroneves4 3 6 13

*Tiebreaker Rule: In the event that two or more drivers are tied for bonus points, the bonus points will be awarded according to the finishing positions of the race.

In case of a tie in points, the tying drivers will be listed according to average finishes in the current IROC season. In case of a tie in average finishes, the order will be determined by finishing position of the current race.
In the event of a tie in points the order of the point standings will be determined by finishing average of current season IROC races. In case of finishing average tie, the order will be by finishing order of the race

Prize Money: The total True Value IROC purse of $1,205,000.00 will be paid upon conclusion of the series based on point standings. The series Champion will earn $250,000.

ESPN: Will televise True Value IROC race three at Chicagoland Saturday, July 12 at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Next Race: True Value IROC XXVII will resume Saturday, August 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis.

True Value IROC XXVII Halfway Review Entering Race Three At Chicagoland

Joliet, IL (July 11, 2003) - The point's battle at the halfway point of True Value IROC XXVII reveals a rash of Roush racers at the top of the charts, with Kurt Busch, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle occupying the top-three spots respectively.

Four-time True Value IROC champion, and all-time IROC race winner, Mark Martin wasted no-time in revealing his affinity with winning races in equally prepared cars as he showed Roush protégé Kurt Busch the way across the stripe in round-one last February at Daytona International Speedway, with fellow Roush-mate, Greg Biffle taking fifth place.

Daytona sister track, Talladega Superspeedway hosted round two in April and within the opening five laps the Roush contingent was proving repeatability. Busch started 11th in the 12-car field and took the lead by lap five with Martin, who started last (12th ), sitting on Busch's bumper as they crossed the stripe. The two swapped spots a few times until Busch planted himself firmly on the point as Biffle made his way up into the top five.

A heated late-race restart relegated Martin to fifth with Busch winning his first True Value IROC race in only his second start and Biffle taking third.

2002 NASCAR Truck champion Mike Bliss split the Roush-mates at Talladega finishing second and he sits fourth in the point standings followed by Jimmie Johnson rounding out the top five.

By virtue of three-bonus points for leading laps at Daytona, Johnson is just ahead of a three-way tie involving IndyCar™ champion Sam Hornish, Jr., reining True Value IROC champion Kevin Harvick, and World of Outlaws champion Danny Lasoski respectively. The IROC tiebreaker places Hornish sixth, Harvick seventh and Lasoski eighth, which will be their car numbers (6, 7, 8 respectively) in the Chacagoland event.

2002 World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser sits ninth in the points followed by NASCAR's Ryan Newman (10th) and IndyCar™ drivers, Felipe Giaffone (11th) and Helio Castroneves (12th).

An incident in the IRL IndyCar™ Series event on Sunday, July 6 resulted in Felipe Giaffone suffering a fractured leg and pelvis. Fellow IROC IndyCar™ Series driver Scott Sharp will substitute for Giaffone in the remaining two events of the True Value IROC Series.

Race three of True Value IROC 27 will take the green flag on Saturday, July 12 at 4:30 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast on ESPN Saturday, July 12 at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

Lineup*

Pos. No. Color Driver Residence Representing
1 12 Green Helio Castroneves Miami IndyCarÔSeries
2 11 Red Felipe Giaffone+Scott Sharp Orlando, Fla. IndyCarÔSeries
3 10 White Ryan Newman+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
4 9 Cream Steve Kinser Bloomington, Ind. World of Outlaws
5 8 Dark Orange Danny Lasoski Dover, Mo. World of Outlaws
6 7 Gold Kevin Harvick Winston-Salem, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
7 6 Med. Blue Sam Hornish, Jr. Defiance, Ohio IndyCarÔSeries
8 5 Powder Blue Jimmie Johnson+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
9 4 Violet Mike Bliss+ Milwaukee, NASCAR Truck Series
10 3 Dark Blue Greg Biffle+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Busch Series
11 2 Rose Mark Martin Daytona Beach, Fla. NASCAR Winston Cup
12 1 Lime Kurt Busch+ Charlotte, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup

* Lineup determined by reverse order of True Value IROC point standings
Car numbers reflect current True Value IROC point standings
Car colors will be determined by a blind draw, Thursday, July 10

+ True Value IROC rookie.

Current True Value IROC Point Standings

(2003 race wins in parentheses)

Pos. Driver DaytonaPoints TalladegaPoints TotalPoints
1 Kurt Busch (1) 17 26 43
2 Mark Martin (1) 26 12 38
3 Greg Biffle 10 14 24
4 Mike Bliss 6 17 23
5 Jimmie Johnson 15 7 22
T6 Sam Hornish Jr. 7 12 19 Fin. Avg. 3
T6 Kevin Harvick 10 9 19 Fin. Avg. 3.25 Talla. Fin. Pos. 6
T6 Danny Lasoski 14 5 19 Fin. Avg. 3.25 Talla. Fin. Pos. 10
7 Steve Kinser 9 6 15
8 Ryan Newman 3 11 14
9 Felipe Giaffone 5 4 9
10 Helio Castroneves 4 3 7

What: True Value International Race of Champions Series
IROC 27 -- Race Three

When: Saturday, July 12, 2003

Where: Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped tri-oval)
Joliet, Ill.

Start Time: 4:30 p.m. CDT

Distance: 67 laps, 100.5 miles

Career IROC Race: 107

Broadcast: ESPN - Saturday, July 12, 9-10 p.m. EDT

Lineup*

Pos. No. Color Driver Residence Representing
1 12 Green Helio Castroneves Miami IndyCarÔSeries
2 11 Red Felipe Giaffone+Scott Sharp Orlando, Fla. IndyCarÔSeries
3 10 White Ryan Newman+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
4 9 Cream Steve Kinser Bloomington, Ind. World of Outlaws
5 8 Dark Orange Danny Lasoski Dover, Mo. World of Outlaws
6 7 Gold Kevin Harvick Winston-Salem, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
7 6 Med. Blue Sam Hornish, Jr. Defiance, Ohio IndyCarÔSeries
8 5 Powder Blue Jimmie Johnson+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup
9 4 Violet Mike Bliss+ Milwaukee, NASCAR Truck Series
10 3 Dark Blue Greg Biffle+ Mooresville, N.C. NASCAR Busch Series
11 2 Rose Mark Martin Daytona Beach, Fla. NASCAR Winston Cup
12 1 Lime Kurt Busch+ Charlotte, N.C. NASCAR Winston Cup

* Lineup determined by reverse order of True Value IROC point standings
Car numbers reflect current True Value IROC point standings
Car colors will be determined by a blind draw, Thursday, July 10

+ True Value IROC rookie.

Current True Value IROC Point Standings

(2003 race wins in parentheses)

Pos. Driver DaytonaPoints TalladegaPoints TotalPoints
1 Kurt Busch (1) 17 26 43
2 Mark Martin (1) 26 12 38
3 Greg Biffle 10 14 24
4 Mike Bliss 6 17 23
5 Jimmie Johnson 15 7 22
T6 Sam Hornish Jr. 7 12 19 Fin. Avg. 3
T6 Kevin Harvick 10 9 19 Fin. Avg. 3.25 Talla. Fin. Pos. 6
T6 Danny Lasoski 14 5 19 Fin. Avg. 3.25 Talla. Fin. Pos. 10
7 Steve Kinser 9 6 15
8 Ryan Newman 3 11 14
9 Felipe Giaffone 5 4 9
10 Helio Castroneves 4 3 7

Point System

Drivers earn points in each race based on finishing position.

1. 21 5. 10 9. 6
2. 17 6. 9 10. 5
3. 14 7. 8 11. 4
4. 12 8. 7 12. 3

In addition, five bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the most laps in each race, three bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the second greatest number of laps, and two bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the third greatest number of laps.

Tie Breaker
In case of a tie for bonus points, the driver with the highest finishing position in that race receives the bonus.
In case of a tie in points, the starting positions and cars numbers will be in order of average finish to date in the season. In case of a tie in average finish, the order will be determined by finishing position in the previous race.

True Value IROC 26 Race One Results
Feb. 15, 2002
Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile high-banked tri-oval)
40 laps, 100 miles

Finish Start Driver Laps Points
1 8 Mark Martin 40 26
2 9 Kurt Busch 40 17
3 2 Danny Lasoski 40 14
4 4 Jimmie Johnson 40 15
5 12 Greg Biffle 40 10
6 1 Steve Kinser 40 9
7 11 Kevin Harvick 40 10
8 3 Sam Hornish Jr. 40 7
9 6 Mike Bliss 40 6
10 5 Felipe Giaffone 40 5
11 10 Helio Castroneves 40 4
12 7 Ryan Newman 40 3

Average Speed: 177.253
Time of race: 33 minutes, 51 seconds.
Margin of victory: .123 seconds.
Lead changes: 6 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: Kinser 1; Johnson 2; Martin 3-10; Johnson 11-23; Martin 27-27; Harvick 28-31; Martin 32-40
Bonus points for lap leaders: Martin 5, Jimmie Johnson 3, Kevin Harvick 2.

True Value IROC 27 Race Two Results
April 5, 2003
Talladega, AL
Talladega Super Speedway (2.66 high-banked tri-oval)
38 laps, 101.08 miles

Finish Start Driver Laps Points
1 11 Kurt Busch 38 26
2 4 Mike Bliss 38 17
3 8 Greg Biffle 38 14
4 5 Sam Hornish Jr. 38 12
5 12 Mark Martin 38 12
6 6 Kevin Harvick 38 9
7 1 Ryan Newman 38 11
8 9 Jimmie Johnson 38 7
9 7 Steve Kinser 38 6
10 10 Danny Lasoski 38 5
11 3 Felipe Giaffone 38 4
12 2 Helio Castroneves 37 3

Time of race: 43 minutes, 31 seconds.
Margin of victory: .098 seconds.
Lead changes: 5 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: Newman 1-3; Bliss 4; Busch 5-6; Martin 7-8; Busch 9-38.
Bonus points for lap leaders: Busch 5, Newman 3, Martin 2.

2002 Inaugural IROC At Chicagoland Results
True Value IROC 26 Race Three
July 13, 2002
Joliet, Ill.
Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
67 laps, 100.5 miles

Finish Start Driver Laps Points Status
1 1 Buddy Lazier 67 26 Running
2 8 Al Unser 67 17 Running
3 3 Helio Castroneves 67 14 Running
4 11 Kevin Harvick 67 12 Running
5 5 Scott Sharp 67 10 Running
6 7 Sam Hornish Jr. 67 9 Running
7 6 Sterling Marlin 67 8 Running
8 10 Bobby Labonte 67 7 Running
9 4 Dale Jarrett 67 6 Running
10 9 Jack Sprague 66 5 Running
11 2 Danny Lasoski 54 4 Running
12 12 Tony Stewart 19 3 Engine

Time of race: 37 minutes, 22 seconds
Margin of victory: 5.195 seconds
Lead changes: None
Lap Leaders: Lazier 1-67
Bonus points for lap leaders: Lazier 5

True Value IROC Notes

On July 13, 2002 the inaugural True Value IROC at Chicagoland Speedway took place with 2000 IndyCarÔSeries champion Buddy Lazier leading flag-to-flag. Lazier became the second IRL driver to win a True Value IROC event, the first since Eddie Cheever Jr., accomplished the feat on June 10, 2000 at Michigan International Speedway.

The 2002 True Value IROC finish at Chicagoland of Lazier, Al Unser Jr., Helio Castroneves 1-2-3, respectively, was the second 1-2-3 Indy car finish in IROC history. The first was in True Value IROC 20, Race 2, April 27, 1996 at Talladega Superspeedway with Al Unser Jr., Robby Gordon, and Scott Pruett finishing first, second and third.

Chicagoland Speedway is the 14th different speedway to host a True Value IROC race and the second 1.5-mile course for the series; the other was Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

By winning the previous True Value IROC race at Talladega Superspeedway (April 5), in only his second start, IROC rookie, Kurt Busch became the 41st driver to win an IROC race. In 2002, IROC series rookie Kevin Harvick won the California Speedway event in his second IROC start and went on to win the 2002 True Value IROC championship.

Busch's victory at Talladega placed him in the lead ahead of Roush teammate, and four-time IROC champions Mark Martin. Martin showed Busch the way as they crossed the stripe 1-2 in the opening round at Daytona last February 14. Fellow Roush teammate, Greg Biffle rounds out the top-three in the current point standings.

Reigning True Value IROC Series champion Kevin Harvick sits in the middle of a three-way tie for sixth place between IndyCarÔ Series' champion, Sam Hornish Jr. and 2001 World of Outlaws champion, Danny Lasoski.

There are six rookie drivers competing in this year's True Value IROC Series. The current point standing of each rookie driver is:

Kurt Busch - 43
Greg Biffle - 24
Mike Bliss - 23
Jimmie Johnson - 22
Ryan Newman - 14
Felipe Giaffone - 9

Mark Martin shares the record with Al Unser Jr. and the late Dale Earnhardt for most True Value IROC wins at 11. Martin's last IROC win was in the Daytona season opener.

The True Value IROC Series matches 12 drivers from different forms of auto racing in equally prepared cars, on Goodyear Eagle radial racing tires. The goal is to eliminate the mechanical advantages and to produce a winner determined solely on driver skill. The series consists of four 100-mile races at different racetracks with points awarded for finishing positions. At the end of the fourth race, the points are tallied and a champion of champions is named.

Remaining True Value IROC Schedule:
Aug. 2 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
100 miles, 40 laps

TruServ, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world's largest member-owned cooperatives with annual sales of $2.6 billion in 2001. The TruServ cooperative includes approximately 7,000 independent retailers worldwide operating under store identities that include True Value, Grand Rental Station, Taylor Rental, Home & Garden Showplace and Induserve Supply. Additional information on TruServ and its retail identities is available at www.truserv.com

IndyCarTM Series Driver Scott Sharp Replaces Injured Felipe Giaffone in
True Value IROC Series

Joliet, Ill (Tuesday July 8, 2003) IRL IndyCarÔSeries driver Scott Sharp will replace the injured Felipe Giaffone in the 2003 True Value IROC Series.

Giaffone suffered a fractured leg and pelvis as a result of a crash in the July 6 IRL event at Kansas Speedway. He is recuperating from surgery performed at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2003 True Value IROC season.

True Value IROC President, Jay Signore said, "We're very sorry for Felipe and will miss him here at Chicagoland and in the finale at Indy. The important thing now is for him to take the time to heal properly and completely before he climbs back into a race car, because we'd like to have him back in the series soon."

"I'm sure, with his talent there will be plenty of opportunities for him to be back in IROC. He had a great test here with us at Chicagoland Speedway in June and was up to speed very quickly, he really impressed everybody."

"I'm very happy to announce that Scott Sharp will return to IROC as a substitute for Felipe. It is important to us to have IRL IndyCarÔ Series representation as a replacement for Felipe and with Scott's recent IROC experience, his current position in the (IRL) point standings and his availability, all the pieces fell into place for it to be him and we're very proud to have him back in IROC for Felipe."

This will be Sharp's third appearance in the IROC series. His first came in 1994 representing his Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) title and again in 2002 representing the Indy Racing League IndyCarTM Series. Sharp finished 12th overall in 1994 and 9th overall in 2002 with his best race finish, third in the 2002 IROC opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Of his replacing Felipe Giaffone, Sharp said, "Felipe is a great guy and I have a lot of respect for him. It's a shame to see what happened to him last weekend and I hope with the little bit of experience I gained last year in the IROC series, I might be able to help him out and will try hard to finish as far up in the standings as possible for him . . . I'm really glad to do it."

Going into the Chicagoland Speedway event this Saturday, July 12, Giaffone/Sharp is 11th in the point standings and will start second, in the outside pole position, next to fellow IndyCarÔ Series driver, Helio Castroneves, currently 12th in the standings.

For more information about the True Value IROC Series and the upcoming race three event at Chicagoland Speedway log on to www. Irocracing.com.

TRUE VALUE IROC RACING SERIES - ROUND THREE AT CHICGOLAND
DAY TWO - NOTES AND QUOTES

Joliet, Ill (July 8, 2003) True Value IROC testing resumed Tuesday at Chicagoland Speedway a midst the rain showers and thunderstorms that plagued the Joliet area throughout the day.

IRL IndyCarÔSeries champion Sam Hornish Jr. joined the World of Outlaws (WoO) champions Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski for a rain shortened run in the afternoon.

Hornish enjoyed the brief session despite the rain saying, "Everything felt pretty good. I wish we could have kept the rain clouds away a little bit longer but I got a pretty good feel for the car. It will probably be a little bit different come race day, but I could pretty much put the car wherever I wanted to and that's a good feeling."

Kinser and Lasoski returned Tuesday after flying out from IROC practice on Monday to run a WoO race at Cedar Lake Speedway in Somerset, Wisconsin. Kinser won the Cedar Lake event, cutting down on Lasoski's point lead in the WoO series, but when it comes to IROC they're virtually teammates. "We're out here practicing every session made available to us in order prepare as best we can for the IROC race," said Lasoski. "(Steve and I) are the outlaws of the IROC series, so to speak, going up against the best in NASCAR and IndyCarÔ Series. We'll be working together at every opportunity during the race to get to the front."

This Saturday's 67-lap, 100.05-mile race will be broadcast the same day on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. EDT, preceded by re-airs of the Daytona opener and race two from Talladega Superspeedway, all starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

True Value IROC practice will continue throughout the remainder of the week at Chicagoland Speedway.

Pictures of Tuesday's True Value IROC practice will be available on www. Irocracing.com.

TRUE VALUE IROC RACING SERIES - ROUND THREE AT CHICAGOLAND
DAY ONE - NOTES AND QUOTES

Joliet, Ill (July 7, 2003) True Value IROC practice and set-up testing began Monday at Chicagoland Speedway for round three of the 2003 season, which will take place this Saturday, July 12 at 4:30 p.m. CDT.

Saturday's 67-lap, 100.05-mile race will be broadcast the same day on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. EDT, preceded by re-airs of the Daytona opener and race two from Talladega Superspeedway, all starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Fresh off World of Outlaws (WoO) victories at Knoxville Raceway over the July 4 weekend, Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser, respectively one-two in the WoO points battle, crammed in a quick round of IROC practice before flying out to Cedar Lake Speedway in Somerset, Wis.

Monday's session marked Kinser's first time at Chicagoland. Kinser said, "It's a neat track, and one I definitely need to make some laps around yet. You have to get out of the gas a little bit and roll back in it. If you go out and run it hard you'll be alright for about three or four laps but you're going to burn everything up, burn up the tires and everything, so you have to learn how to conserve, which is something Danny and I will have to get used to. It took me about 20-laps to start getting settled in and certainly gave me plenty of things to think about. I'll sleep on it tonight and be ready for more tomorrow."

Lasoski got a head start on the new chassis and aero set up during the IROC test in June. Lasoski said, "The cars are very, very comfortable, a definite improvement over last year's setup for the first IROC race here, so hats-off to all the IROC guys and the test drivers. The wind was playing with us a bit today coming off of (turn) two, just blowing hard across there, but Kinser was out with me for his first time here and he picked it up right away. He (Kinser) didn't need much practice, which he never does. Bottom line is I think we're on the right track toward a great IROC race here this Saturday."

True Value IROC practice will continue throughout the remainder of the week at Chicagoland Speedway.

Pictures of Monday's True Value IROC practice will be available on www. Irocracing.com.

LASOSKI READY TO LIVE DREAM AT 2003 IROC AT INDY
World of Outlaws driver, IROC test drivers busy at IMS

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 29,2003 - Short-track open-wheel racing ace Danny Lasoski was only seven days away from fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams in late July 2002 when his opportunity came to a halt.

Lasoski, the 2001 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series champion and driver of the No. 20 Tony Stewart Motorsports entry on the Outlaws tour, was scheduled to participate in the 40-lap IROC at Indy race Aug. 3,2002, the season finale for the True Value International Race of Champions (IROC) series. It was his first year as a competitor in IROC. But an accident in a World of Outlaws race July 28 at Mechanicsburg, Pa., left him with a concussion and other injuries. The dream of driving at IMS, “the greatest motor speedway ever,” in Lasoski’s words, vanished.

In the wake of Lasoski’s injuries, NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and longtime friend Ken Schrader took his place in the 2002 IROC at Indy. Lasoski said his trip to Indy for the race, as a spectator, was one of the most difficult moments of his life. last year,” said Lasoski, a 44-year-old resident of Dover, Mo. “I got so choked up because I really wanted to be here. When I came back through the tunnel this morning, I thought, ‘Now I really know what it feels like to be here.’ I can’t wait.”

“It was the closest I’ve came to bawling, when I came through that tunnel (at IMS) Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 2, when IROC wraps up its 2003 season with the sixth annual IROC at Indy. Lasoski was invited to compete in the 2003 IROC championship after finishing second in the 2002 WOO points to legend Steve Kinser, who is also racing in IROC. Lasoski was at the Speedway May 29 to test IROC’s stock cars alongside regular IROC test drivers Dave Marcis, Jim Sauter and Andy Hillenburg. He joined the group after finishing fourth in the World of Outlaws “A” Main race May 28 at Rolling Wheels
Raceway just west of Syracuse, N.Y.

How did Lasoski get to Indianapolis so quickly after racing 650 miles away?
“Air Stewart,” he said with a laugh, referring to an airplane owned by Stewart, his World of Outlaws team owner and 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion. Lasoski said there are no techniques from driving a World of Outlaws car that help “Not even the (helmet) tear-offs,” he said. “Nothing.”
But after completing approximately 60 laps May 29, he is confident he will be competitive when he fulfills his dream on Aug. 2.

“I got really comfortable really quick,” he said. “I understand in last year’s race, the cars got so tight that you couldn’t pass. I know we want to run side-by-side without wrecking everybody, and that’s why we’re all here, to put long, hard laps in to make the cars comfortable so we can have a great race.”

The race is part of a busy Brickyard 400 weekend at IMS. The 10th running of the Brickyard 400 will see the stars of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Aug. 3.

Tickets for Aug. 2, which includes IROC at Indy and NASCAR Winston Cup Series qualifying and practice, are only $25 per person. A limited number of reserved seats for the 10th Brickyard 400 also remain available.

Reserved tickets for practice, qualifications and the race can be purchased on the World Wide Web via www.imstix.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822- INDY or (317) 492-6700.

KURT BUSCH WINS ROUND TWO OF TRUE VALUE IROC 27 AT TALLADEGA

TALLADEGA, April 5 - Kurt Busch, representing the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, captured his first career True Value International Race of Champions (IROC) victory Saturday in round two, of the four part all-star series, at Talladega Superspeedway.
Busch, averaging 139.367 mph, won by a mere .098 seconds over NASCAR Truck Series Champion, Mike Bliss.
Finishing third was NASCAR Busch Series Champion, Greg Biffle, fourth was IRL IndyCar Series Champion, Sam Hornish, Jr. and fifth went to IROC race one winner, Mark Martin.
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ryan Newman started on the pole and held the lead for the first three laps when Bliss took over the point for a lap. Busch led for the next two laps and was passed by NASCAR teammate Mark Martin, who held the lead for two laps. Busch reclaimed the lead on lap nine and was leading at the stripe to the end of the 38-lap, 101.08-mile event.
The only incident occurred on lap 35 when IndyCar Series Champion, Sam Hornish Jr. made contact with World of Outlaws Champion, Steve Kinser in the third turn. Kinser spun into the infield and regained control of the car without making any contact. Ryan Newman slowed to avoid Kinser and was tagged in the rear by IndyCar Series driver Felipe Giaffone, who suffered significant damage to the front of his IROC car. Newman and Giaffone were hastily serviced by the True Value IROC crew and rejoined the field before the restart.
There were five lead changes among four drivers. Busch was awarded five bonus points for leading the most laps followed by Newman, garnering three bonus points for leading the second most laps led. Two bonus points went to Martin for leading the third most laps.
Bliss and Biffle tried to challenge Busch as they approached the finish line but Busch held his line. "This is awesome," said Busch. "It's something that I'll cherish forever, trying to race with the best of the best. We were having so much fun out here. It's a pleasure. To all those fans that hung out and watched us race at Talladega, it was an exciting show."
The True Value IROC Series will resume with race three at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL on Saturday, July 12 and will conclude at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 2.
The True Value IROC Talladega race will be broadcast on Saturday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

THE TRUE VALUE IROC XXVII
Race Two - 38 Laps (101.08 Miles) Saturday, April 5, 2003
Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL
2.66-mile high-banked tri-oval

1. (2) Light Blue, Kurt Busch, NASCAR Winston Cup, 38 laps, 139.367mph, 26 points.
2. (9) Evans Orange, Mike Bliss, NASCAR Truck Series, 38, 17.
3. (5) Lime, Greg Biffle, NASCAR Busch Series, 38, 14.
4. (8) Green, Sam Hornish, IRL IndyCar Series, 38, 12.
5. (1) Silver, Mark Martin, NASCAR Winston Cup, 38,12.
6. (6) Dark Blue, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Winston Cup, 38, 9.
7. (12) Gold, Ryan Newman, NASCAR Winston Cup, 38, 11.
8. (3) Red, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR Winston Cup, 38, 7.
9. (7) White, Steve Kinser, World of Outlaws, 38, 6.
10. (4) Dark Orange, Danny Lasoski, World of Outlaws, 38, 5.
11. (10) Rose, Felipe Giaffone, IRL IndyCar Series, 38, 4.
12. (11) Med. Blue, Helio Castroneves, IRL IndyCar Series, 37, 3.

Time of race: 43 minutes, 31 seconds.
Margin of Victory: .098 seconds.
Lead changes: 5 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: Newman 1-3; Bliss 4; Busch 5-6; Martin 7-8; Busch 9-38.
Bonus points for lap leaders: Busch 5; Newman 3; Martin 2.
Point Standings: Busch 43; Martin 38; Biffle 24; Bliss 23; Johnson 22;
Hornish 19; Harvick 19; Lasoski 19; Kinser 15; Newman 14; Giaffone 9; Castroneves 7.

*Tiebreaker Rule: In the event that two or more drivers are tied for bonus points, the bonus points will be awarded according to the finishing positions of the race.

Prize Money: The total True Value IROC purse of $1,205,000.00 will be paid upon conclusion of the series based on point standings. The series Champion will earn $250,000.

ESPN: Will televise True Value IROC race two at Talladega Saturday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)

Next Race: True Value IROC XXVII will resume Saturday, July 12 at Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, IL.

TRUE VALUE IROC RACING SERIES FINAL PRACTICE AT TALLADEGA
NOTES AND QUOTES

Talladega, AL (April 4, 2003) Final practice sessions for round two of the True Value IROC Series took place on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. The final practice sessions were hopping as nine of the 12 drivers took practice laps including NASCAR Winston Cup representatives, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, and Jimmy Johnson, along with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, Mike Bliss.

The IRL IndyCar Series had full representation with Sam Hornish, Helio Castroneves and Felipe Giaffone. Joining the open wheel contingent was O'Reilly World of Outlaws driver, Danny Lasoski who has been at Talladega since the True Value IROC Series haulers pulled into the garage area last Sunday.

Completing the field of 12, NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Kurt Busch, NASCAR Busch Series Champion, Greg Biffle and World of Outlaws driver Steve Kinser have also practiced in the IROC cars throughout the week.

IndyCar Series driver Hornish said, "The practice went fine. Just a little bit more learning, figuring out what the car is like, and the best way to use the draft to your advantage. The rest is up to a little bit of luck, who works with you and who doesn't work with you, those types of things. There's only so much you're going to learn out there practicing and the rest you've got to learn racing."

Ryan Newman and Helio Castroneves qualify as teammates, of sorts, as they both drive for team owner Roger Penske. Newman said, "The cars are very stable and are feeling really good. I am looking forward to this race because it has always proven to be very competitive at Talladega, and I'm really looking forward to drafting with Helio again."

Castroneves and Giaffone jokingly challenged their IROC race tutors, Dick Trickle and Jim Sauter to a dual to the finish. The veteran IROC test drivers were proud of their work at the end of the session.
Sauter said, "We could see how much better they (Castroneves and Giaffone) are doing. They were setting Dick (Trickle) and I up in various scenarios where earlier in the week they were more apt to draft in line. Now they're moving around all over the track hunting for ways to make their way to the front. Learning this drafting deal, you have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run and it's just a matter of putting in laps. We're tickled to death to see Giaffone, Castroneves, Hornish, Lasoski and Kinser spending a lot of time with us and working hard to be competitive against the drivers that do this type of racing all the time. It gives us all gratification to see them run in the race rather than walk."

Round two of the True Value IROC Series will take the green flag on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CST at Talladega Superspeedway and will be broadcast on Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

TRUE VALUE IROC RACING SERIES - ROUND TWO AT TALLADEGA
DAY FOUR NOTES AND QUOTES

Talladega, AL (April 3, 2003) True Value IROC practice resumed Thursday with two practice sessions at Talladega Superspeedway in preparation for round two of the 2003 True Value IROC Series this Saturday.

The morning session consisted of IRL IndyCar Series driver Felipe Giaffone, O'Reilly World of Outlaws driver Danny Lasoski, NASCAR Busch Series Champion Greg Biffle and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch. Participating in the afternoon session were, Giaffone, Lasoski, and IRL IndyCar Series driver Helio Castroneves.

The practice sessions at Talladega this week have been structured to simulate race runs consisting of fresh tires, full fuel and 38-lap durations. IROC President Jay Signore said, "When we have the track time, we like to run these practice races to give the drivers a good sense of what they'll experience in the race on Saturday. The practice car radios are set up so the drivers can communicate with each other, if they choose, and they usually do. Once we signal them with five-laps to go, the radios suddenly get very quite as they start to set each other up for the finish."

Thursday was Castroneves' first time on the 2.66-mile, high-banked tri-oval. Castroneves' vibrant personality surfaced in his radio communications, which consisted of various versions of "yahoo." Castroneves was very impressed with the progress fellow Brazilian Giaffone has made since race one in February at Daytona.

Castroneves said, "Felipe has been practicing a lot. I tell you, he's learned a lot. Today he was giving me some tips. In fact we were actually running over Jim (Sauter) and Dick Trickle. It is the first time that I've been here. I'm enjoying it very much."

"It's (Talladega) wider than Daytona. You can go three abreast with no problem at all. In fact in the front straightaway even four abreast. I had a good time. It was a little tricky with drafting again, much more than Daytona. So it's going to be a real challenge. Actually in only one practice I learned a lot, especially having five cars (on track) towards the end. That was incredible."

Castroneves and Giaffone had some fun during the practice race when their strategy turned to stumping Lasoski and veteran test driver Dick Trickle by communicating in Portuguese. Giaffone said, "It was good. We were talking in Portuguese on the radio so nobody could understand (us). We were making some very good moves there."

Giaffone continued, "It was fun this morning as well with the Winston Cup guys. For sure they are going to work by themselves, so it's going to be very hard. We have to make our own team here because they are not going to give us any tips. They are very nice. I talked to a couple of them, Kurt Busch and Greg (Biffle). They explained to us (Giaffone and Lasoski) a little more about the drafting and everything, but at race time they're going to try to do everything to pull away from us."

Lasoski said, "Trickle and I didn't know what was going on there for a while, but you can talk Japanese, Polish, or Portuguese, we still got Castroneves at the end of that run -- it was a lot of fun, we've had a great time here with each other this week."

The following is the True Value IROC starting lineup for Saturday's 38 lap, 101.08 mile race. The start time is 3:30 p.m. Central Time.

Pos. No. Color Driver Residence Representing
1 12 Gold Ryan Newman Mooresville, NC NASCAR Winston Cup
2 11 Medium Blue Helio Castroneves Miami IRL IndyCar Series
3 10 Rose Felipe Giaffone Orlando, FL IRL IndyCar Series
4 9 Evans Orange Mike Bliss Milwaukee NASCAR Craftsman Truck
5 8 Green Sam Hornish Defiance, OH IRL IndyCar Series
6 6 Dark Blue *Kevin Harvick Winston-Salem, NC NASCAR Winston Cup
7 7 White Steve Kinser Bloomington, IN O'Reilly World of Outlaws
8 5 Lime Greg Biffle Mooresville, NC NASCAR Busch
9 3 Red Jimmie Johnson Mooresville, NC NASCAR Winston Cup
10 4 Dark Orange Danny Lasoski Dove, MO O'Reilly World of Outlaws
11 2 Light Blue Kurt Busch Charlotte, NC NASCAR Winston Cup
12 1 Silver Mark Martin Daytona Beach, FL NASCAR Winston Cup
*2002 True Value IROC Champion

Initial Broadcast: ESPN - Saturday, April 12, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time

TRUE VALUE IROC RACING SERIES - ROUND TWO AT TALLADEGA
DAY THREE NOTES AND QUOTES
KINSER JOINS GIAFFONE, LASOSKI, AND CAPPS AT TALLADEGA

Talladega, AL (April 2, 2003) 17-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser joined fellow WoO driver Danny Lasoski and IRL IndyCar Series representative Felipe Giaffone on Wednesday for three rounds of simulated races at Talladega Super Speedway.

Kinser won the 1994 Talladega True Value IROC event and shares the distinction with Al Unser, Jr., as the only drivers to win an IROC event at Talladega from open wheel divisions.

Wednesday was Kinser's first time back on the 2.66-mile, high-banked tri-oval in many years and it was obvious that he was excited about returning.

Kinser said, "Talladega is always a lot of fun and with the way the cars are so close it's going to be one heck of a race. We've got a great bunch of guys running (in True Value IROC) this year and we had a great time today, but this is just practice. On Saturday, come race time they'll all turn into race drivers and then forget about all the kindness, but that's what makes IROC so exciting to drive."

Felipe Giaffone, who has been at every practice session since arriving on Tuesday is quite satisfied with his decision to spend the week at Talladega with the True Value IROC team.

Giaffone said, "Well I think with those cars the more you practice the better, with any race car the more you practice the more comfortable you feel. That's why I'm spending the whole week here because I didn't have a lot of time to test in Daytona because I was testing with the IRL. I am just getting more familiar with the car. I am so pleased that I came because every time I go out I learn a couple of different things. We never know what's going to happen in the race, but whatever happens I am learning a lot."

NHRA Funny Car driver, Ron Capps tested for a second day with the True Value IROC series. Capps' boss, the legendary Don "The Snake" Prudhomme was in attendance to witness Capps' progress. Capps' confidence level was obviously up during a simulated race run with series competitors Kinser, Lasoski and Giaffone.

Capps said, "My first day, I had a death grip on the wheel and woke up with my arms a bit soar. (IROC test driver) Dick Trickle took me aside and gave me some good pointers and along with what the other drivers were telling me I was much more relaxed today. I was able to get a good sense for what is going on with the air dancing around out there in the draft. I went from the front to the back several times and started to really appreciate what it takes to do this kind of racing."

True Value IROC President, Jay Signore outfitted Prudhomme with a team radio so he could hear and communicate with his driver, as well as the rest of the field. Signore talked Prudhomme through much of what was happening as they watch the four-car practice session.

"It was cool hearing 'The Snake's' voice on the radio, said Capps. I was kind of imagining what it would be like to have him as a team owner in something like Winston Cup racing. He's been very supportive of me doing this because he always wanted to do this himself. It's great that he was able to be here with me."

Toward the end of the simulated race the crewmembers signaled the drivers with five-laps remaining. Every bit the car owner, Prudhomme joked, "You shouldn't have told them they only had five-laps to go, just tell when it's over to come in."

Of Capps' chance to run an IROC car Prudhomme said, "Ron's such a talented driver, he's got a lot of driving experience and has had great success in drag racing. He's a real sharp guy and I always knew if he got a chance to do this he would be good at it."

"IROC has been a great series for all the racers over the years and it was something I always wanted to do and never did, so I'm living my dream through him."

GIAFFONE, LASOSKI, AND HISTORY MAKING CAPPS AT TALLADEGA

Talladega, AL (April 1, 2003) IRL IndyCar Series driver, Felipe Giaffone joined O'Reilly World of Outlaws driver, Danny Lasoski for driver practice at Talladega Superspeedway in preparation for round two of the 2003 True Value IROC series this Saturday, April 5.

Giaffone has never been to Talladega and was very impressed with how well the IROC cars performed on the 2.66-mile, high-banked, tri-oval.

Giaffone said, "I'm really enjoying this track. It is different from Daytona, much wider, smoother and feels like there is more banking. There will be a lot of racing action here and more side-by-side racing and for sure, the last lap will be very exciting."

Giaffone joined fellow participant Lasoski and test drivers, Dick Trickle and Andy Hillenburg for two simulated race runs.

Giaffone continued, "With the two runs we did today the crew members would tell us, 'five to go, four to go, three to go,' which was good for practicing how to get to the finish up front. In one practice race I finished second, and in the other, I finished first, but -- it's just a practice race."

NHRA DRIVER MAKES IROC HISTORY
A bit of IROC history was made Tuesday at Talladega Superspeedway as NHRA Funny Car driver Ron Capps became the first drag racer to take a few laps in an IROC car. Capps, who has oval track racing experience, had preseason discussions with IROC officials, which resulted in an invitation to take a few laps in the IROC cars.

Capps said, "Talladega is awe inspiring to a drag racer, I came here when my boss Don Prudhomme was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame. But, driving through to the inside of the track today and getting a chance to drive an IROC car, with all the history involved is just unbelievable for me."

Capps made a few preliminary tours of the racetrack in a street car with the test drivers and before long, IROC President, Jay Signore gave the signal for Ron to suit up. An accomplished driving school teacher, Andy Hillenburg, who owns and operates Fast Track racing school, had Capps up to full throttle within ten laps.

Capps said, "I'm in the car and the radios are hooked up together and Hillenburg and I are having a conversation at 180 mph about how he wants me to pull up closer to him. I said, 'Andy, are you sure about this?' I'd only been out there about ten-laps. We were going wide open and he had me following him all over the place. We ran down around the apron for a few laps and then he said we were going to explore other parts of the race track and before you know it, he had me running 180 MPH, about a foot away from the wall - If that doesn't get your heart pumped, I don't know what will."

Capps went out for one more session but this time in a four-car draft with Giaffone, Lasoski, and test driver Dick Trickle.

"Man was that unbelievable, said Capps." Capps was last in line drafting with Trickle when suddenly Trickle shot up to the wall between Turns 1 and 2 to pass Giaffone and Lasoski. Capps said, "I started to go with him and then quickly remembered -- I'm not that good yet -- it was exactly like Days of Thunder."

Trickle said, "He (Capps) did an excellent job. We had him up front, behind us, three-wide and he had great car control the entire time . . . very impressive."

Hillenburg said, "Ron did a great job. I was really pleased with his progress. I had him follow me, I followed him, ran some side-by-side stuff - I mean, Ron is a major league racecar driver and has great capability. I think it's great that IROC gave him this chance to come out and try this, it's great that they're taking a look at him."

Capps concluded, "The drag racing community has been going wild since this got out about me testing an IROC car. I've gotten more interview requests about this than I do when I win a race. It's been great here today -- talking to Dave Marcis, Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter and Andy Hillenburg -- I mean this isn't a school; this is the real deal here at Talladega with IROC. I grew up watching this thing with Petty and Earnhardt -- I can't tell you how thrilled I am. "

True Value IROC practice will resume on Wednesday with WoO champion, Steve Kinser joining Danny Lasoski, IndyCar Series driver Felipe Giaffone, and more testing with NHRA driver, Ron Capps.

Tickets for this Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race and round two of the True Value IROC Series at Talladega are available on-line at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

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