Sam Hornish Jr. captures IRL title, finishing behind Lazier at Chicagoland debut

Monday, September 03, 2001

By Chris Dolack, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

JOLIET, Ill. -- Sam Hornish Jr. made consistency pay off yesterday.

At the Indy Racing League's debut at Chicagoland Speedway, Hornish finished second to Jaques Lazier in the Delphi Indy 300 to wrap up the IRL's Northern Light Series championship with one race to go.

Hornish, 22, is the only driver who has been running at the end of all 12 IRL events this season. He won the first two races and has added four second-place finishes to make him the youngest driver to win any major open-wheel championship. The record had been held by Juan Montoya, who was 24 when he captured the 1999 CART title for Chip Ganassi Racing.

"We may not have always been the fastest, but we always finished up toward the front," said Hornish, a native of Defiance, Ohio, who is in his second IRL season. "We weren't the fastest today, but we finished up front, and that's what we've been consistent at doing so far this year."

Hornish is a prototypical driver for IRL founder Tony George, whose notion for creating the series in 1996 was to give drivers and teams a less-expensive alternative to the Championship Auto Racing Teams circuit. Hornish dominated in various karting series before eventually competing in the Toyota Atlantic Series, a steppingstone for many CART drivers. But without the financial backing of a sponsor, he turned to the IRL in 2000, where he impressed Panther Racing with a string of strong runs.

He won't have to worry about finding sponsors now. The low-key Hornish finally cracked a smile when he was asked about the $1 million bonus he receives for winning the championship.

"I wouldn't say right yet that I am a millionaire," he said. "The trophy might say I have a million dollars, but it's a heck of a feeling. It wouldn't matter if we were racing for a dollar or a million dollars out there, just to have your name on that trophy, and to know you went out there and accomplished that feat is good enough for the rest of us."

The victory is the first for Lazier, who is the younger brother of 2000 champion Buddy Lazier. In only his second start for Team Menard, Lazier captured the pole Saturday and became only the ninth driver in IRL history to win after starting first. He joined Tony Stewart, Robbie Buhl and Greg Ray as drivers who won their first race for owner John Menard.

"This is a tremendous moment for myself, my career, for my family," Lazier said. "I spent the past three years in the IRL jumping from team to team. All I've ever really wanted was a home, a place where I can stay for several years and develop a program very similar to what my brother has done."

Lazier was trying to hold off rookie of the year Felipe Giaffone on lap 162 when Eliseo Salazar veered across the back straightaway and hit Mark Dismore. Salazar spun backwards and hit the outside wall hard, bringing out a yellow flag. With Lazier setting a blistering pace, there were only seven cars left on the lead lap when the caution came out, and all seven headed to the pits. Giaffone and Hornish took on four tires and made an adjustment to the front wing, Lazier took only tires but Giaffone still beat him out of the pits.

When the green flag came out on lap 173, Lazier quickly moved along side Giaffone. Two laps later, Lazier nudged ahead. Giaffone darted high and low, but Lazier was able to stay in front. Finally, with five laps to go, Giaffone's engine blew. Hornish was in third at the time, but couldn't pressure Lazier down the stretch. Lazier's winning average speed was 172.146 mph, third-fastest in IRL history.

"I'm just so disappointed and happy at the same time," Giaffone said. "I can't believe we lost the motor with five laps to go. I was just pulling out to pass Jaques when the motor let go."

The race also marked the Indy-car debut at Chicagoland, a 1.5-mile tri-oval. The NASCAR Winston Cup series made its debut here in July to mixed reviews. While many of the NASCAR drivers believed it would take a few years to make the track conducive to side-by-side racing, the IRL drivers wasted little time in going wheel-to-wheel.

Lazier, Hornish and Giaffone forced three-wide action in the first and fourth turns at different points in the race, and side-by-side racing for the lead was not unusual.

Eddie Cheever Jr. finished a distant third, followed by Jeff Ward and Donnie Beechler, who was the last car on the lead lap.

NOTES -- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy Racing League, ABC Sports and ESPN, Inc., have agreed to terms that would extend their partnership through 2007, said IMS and IRL President Tony George. Under the agreement, ABC and ESPN are committed to telecast and promote the Indy Racing League as their exclusive American open-wheel series for the term of the contract. The Championship Auto Racing Teams circuit worked out a new television package with CBS Sports and the Fox Sports Network last month. ... IRL driver Davey Hamilton made his first appearance at an IRL event since he sustained severe foot and lower-leg injuries in a crash June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. He will have his eighth and final surgery related to the injuries Wednesday.