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A.J. Foyt II - A.J Foyt IV - A.J. Foyt III |
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Team Conseco Revs Up for Busy Season
 A.J.
Foyt's Team Conseco is revving up for a busy season in the Indy Racing
League IndyCar Series, set to run 16 races this year. The crew is
prepping the No. 14 Conseco Indy car for 19-year-old driver A.J. Foyt
IV who will enter his second season of IRL competition.
The team will run the Dallara chassis with Toyota power. They are busy
incorporating the 2004 update kits into the cars. The update kits
include road-course radiators and sidepods, which will increase drag on
the cars, producing slower speeds. Also, there are new configurations
for the airboxes and engine covers designed to slow the speeds of the
cars.
"All of the changes that the IRL made over the winter should help to
control the costs, slow down the cars and increase the safety," said
team owner Foyt. "The IRL has always looked at ways to make our sport
safer. As a team owner, I appreciate that and not just because my
grandson is driving. I have always worried more for the guys driving my
cars than I ever did for myself."
One driver who is not worrying is Foyt IV who is anxious to return to
the cockpit.
"I am really looking forward to getting back in the race car," said
Foyt IV, whose last time in a race car was at the final race of the
season at Texas Motor Speedway. Young Foyt just returned from a 10-day
vacation in Spain with his family including NASCAR Nextel Cup driver
Larry Foyt.
"Spain was interesting; we stayed in Madrid and took some day trips to
places like Seville and Toledo," Foyt IV said. "We saw a palace and
some museums, actually a lot of museums. I'm glad to be home so we can
get ready for our first Indy Car test."
Team Conseco is planning to participate in all of the Open Tests,
starting with the one at Homestead-Miami Speedway January 27 – 29.
According to new rules implemented to contain costs in the IRL IndyCar
Series, there will be no private testing allowed in 2004.
Teams will only be allowed to test in IRL-sanctioned Open Tests which
are currently scheduled for Homestead-Miami Speedway, Phoenix
International Raceway (Feb. 10-12), Indianapolis Motor Speedway and The
Milwaukee Mile. The Milwaukee Mile was added to the IRL schedule this
year while the event at Gateway International Raceway was dropped.
The engine manufacturers, Toyota, Chevrolet and Honda, will also be
allowed one test each with all of their teams invited to participate.
The IRL IndyCar Series begins the weekend of Feb. 28-29 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. |
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