Motorsports

No IROC race for St. Petersburg in '06

By BRANT JAMES
Published October 29, 2005

HAMPTON, Ga. - International Race of Champions and Grand Prix of St. Petersburg executives discussed bringing the all-star series to the April 2 Indy Racing League weekend, but logistics have scuttled the plan at least for this year, IROC president Jay Signore said.

"We left it open for 2007," Grand Prix vice president Tim Ramsberger said. "We're definitely interested. It would be great to have IROC here."

The race, which would be the first street event for the series, would have been the second in a four-date 2006 schedule, between events at Daytona and Texas Motor Speedway. The inability to test in advance on downtown streets, and schedule conflicts for NASCAR, World of Outlaws and Champ Car drivers, put the idea to rest for at least a year, Signore said. The series pits the champions of those series and the IRL in equally prepared cars.

"You never say never, but St. Pete would be a tough grind for this year," Signore said.

A St. Petersburg IROC race could be a fascinating event if resident and IRL champion Dan Wheldon could compete. He might not participate in the series next year if he remains with Andretti Green Racing, however, because his sponsor is a competitor of the IROC series. His participation would set up a bragging rights battle between he and two-time defending Champ Car titlist Sebastien Bourdais, who also lives in St. Petersburg.

CHANGES: For the second straight season, Jeremy Mayfield qualified for the Chase for the Championship. For the second straight season he has done nothing with it, starting the Chase seventh and falling to 10th entering Sunday's event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

So team owner Ray Evernham decided to do something about it, announcing Friday that "Slugger" Labbe would not return as crew chief for 2006.

"I have no problems with Slugger, and I don't think he has any problems with me," Mayfield said. "That's between Ray and Slugger."

Labbe asked to be taken off Mayfield's team last week, and Evernham provided a list of jobs in the company he could fill. Unhappy with his choices, Labbe asked for and was granted a release from the last two years of his contract.

Together since the beginning of the 2004 season, Labbe and Mayfield have won two races, including at Richmond last year to earn an unexpected Chase berth.

"Just the chemistry wasn't there," Labbe said. "We did okay. We made it to the Chase, but we weren't where we needed to be. I had three years on my contract and I just decided that I didn't want to go another two years and get the same results."

POLE CAT: Ryan Newman, 63 points out of first place in the driver standings, won his sixth consecutive pole at Atlanta, covering the 1.5 miles in 28.588 seconds (193.928 mph). He tied Cale Yarborough for second on the track all-time list, one behind Buddy Baker. Trouble is, Newman's qualifying prowess has never yielded race success. He has an average finish of 13.6 in seven Cup starts.

Points leader Tony Stewart will start 10th. Reed Sorenson, a 19-year-old from nearby Peachtree City, qualified 22nd for his first Nextel Cup race.

SPARK PLUGS: Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Steve Kinser and Scott Pruett were named to the IROC Legends of Victory Lane team. Teresa Earnhardt, widow of the seven-time Nextel Cup titlist and four-time IROC champ, said her husband "always loved competing against the best."

[Last modified October 29, 2005, 01:45:21]