Month of December, month of review of the year. The moment has arrived for reviewing the activity of the most important category of single-seaters of the United States, and perhaps only appeased by Formula 1 at world-wide level.
This series is not other than the IRL IndyCar Series. A series that began with celebration, but finished with tragedy. Nevertheless, his owner, Tony George can speak of the most solid year of all their history.
We review equipment by equipment, the incidences of the year.

TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING: FACE AND SEAL

In his first season in the series, Dixon remained with the title of shining way

Face and Seal. One season regular superb, with three triumphs on the part of Scott Dixon (Homestead, Pikes Peak and Richmond) caused that they arrived with the best options at the title at Texas, title that finally they obtained. In addition Dixon took great amount of poles and was the one who more times finished in Top 3. Chip in this way gave its first title to Dixon, G FORCE, Toyota and its own equipment of IRL.
But everything was not Dixon. Also it competed South African the Scheckter Takings, nevertheless, his season was disappointing completing only like better result a third place in Michigan. Many pilot errors left in mediocre 8º general position it.
As we said, Chip also saw the bitter side, when losing to its pilot I number two for the 2004 in an accident in a test in Indy. We speak of Tony Renna, pilot young person whom it would indeed replace to Scheckter in the following season…

MARLBORO TEAM PENSKE: AGAIN THE GREAT LOSERS

Neither the gigantic support of Marlboro nor the society with Toyota could take to the Penske equipment to secure title 2003

Bad luck. That is what defines the year of the most emblematic equipment of the United States, and that towards its second year in IRL. Helium Castroneves and Gil de Ferran was the most solid pair of the circuit again but the problems avoided a better year.
Helium began bad its season, with one long drought of victories and several abandonments, nevertheless in Gateway, to only five dates of the end, began to revivir with a triumph, profit that would repeat in Nazareth, taking the leadership from the championship. He was safe champion until there, but an abandonment in Chicagoland when it led, by mechanical problems caused that it lost all their advantage and it arrived tied with Dixon at Texas. There it did not have luck and one retired by a touch with Tony Kanaan. Third party in the general finished. Gil, in as much had a last year of its quite solid race with three triumphs, among them prestigious Indy 500. The title also could have been of him, but an injury did not allow him to run in Motegi, being lost most valuable points, since in IRL all that participates it obtains points. It finished second in the championship thanks to his victory in Texas, the last one of the year. Again captain Penske was in the mouth of the furnace…

ANDRETTI GREEN RACING: LACKING CAR FOR THE FINAL RACES

Kanaan did a great season but on the end their options to the title vanished

Michael Andretti, retired in Indianapolis of this year, gave a solid car with the newcomer Honda motors. The year was not easy, since his main candidate Dario Franchitti could not compete more than three races, by an accident in Motegi. Its reemplazante was Bryan Herta, but already there were lost many races to fight by the title, nevertheless it finished 13° with a victory in Kansas, and 5 races less.
The reemplazante of Andretti was Give Wheldon, that began to even run for the equipment in Indianapolis, where it surprised by his action, leading some returns, although this would finish in a resounding upset. It finished like rookie of the year, in 11° place with 2 races less.

The flaming Honda motor fulfilled the hopes deposited in

The other pilot at issue, was Tony Kanaan. The unique one of the five that ran all the tests, was clear candidate to the title from the first race. It won in second, Phoenix and took the end from the championship. It seemed that he was unstoppable, neither Dixon nor Castroneves could give reach him, by their effectiveness and trustworthiness. Nevertheless, surprise in Nashville the problems began. There, the first abandonment by mechanical problems. Soon an accident with Scheckter in Nazareth. The car, in spite of a third place in Fontana, did not seem the same for time already, (Richmond) and nothing could make to fight by a triumph in Texas. A touch when the sixth position with Castroneves fought left quarter in the championship. It could easily be the champion.

PANTHER RACING: THE FAULT IS OF THE CHEVY

Sam Hornish Jr was the candidate of all before beginning the championship.

The bichampion Hornish suffered with the motor Chevy V8 during first stage of the season

Its Chevrolet motor, unbeatable by the Infiniti was the unique one that came from a previous generation it placed what it better still positioned: Honda and Toyota were going to take the year to learn. The year was quite the opposite.
Worse than inexperienced, the motor of the American mark behaved so badly, that Hornish not even appeared in the first 10 of the general, during the first five dates. It was necessary to request the aid of - that could think it its ether before to us rival: Cosworth, to remove slow “Generation IV ahead”. The repairs realized by Ford arrived, but very behind schedule. Just for Michigan, it appeared the evolution, where Hornish marked its first podio of the year with a put second. Nobody could stop it of there in future: with victories in Kentucky, Chicagoland and Fontana, and a second place in Nazareth.

GM and Cosworth united forces to try to defeat to Toyota and Honda. They almost obtain it…

Still there were options to the title, but few. Hornish had to gain and to wait for horrifying results on the part of its rivals. It delivered all their attack, but not it could since it broke motor in the middle of race. If the Chevrolet had been fast, most probable it is than Sam had been three times champion. Nevertheless, it was not and Panther lost to Hornish, that in 2004 will run for Penske: with Toyota motors.

MO NUNN RACING: AN INJURY TRUNCATES A FULL YEAR OF EXPECTATIONS

The ex- F1 Tora Takagi demonstrated to be a pilot simple but enabled to run in the series

Tora Takagi fulfilled its mission of being competitive in IRL. Tenth in the general, with podio, it made simple but effective a year, obtaining the respect of his North American pairs.
On the other hand, the hopes were put in Felipe Giaffone. Nevertheless, an accident in Kansas ended clear options to the title of pilots, since it lost 5 dates.
Nevertheless, it was replaced by Alex Barron, that in his second race with the equipment took to Mo Nunn to celebrate in Michigan in spectacular race, with I spin a top including. The hopes are put again in Giaffone for the 2004.

KELLY RACING: FAR FROM THE EXPECTATIONS

Kelley Racing gained two races but it did not reach to him to be able to fight the championship

Two victories, but very far. That explains the season of The Unser Jr. and Scott Sharp, two experimented of the IRL.
The Kelly equipment, looked for the title with a change Toyota, which at the outset seemed good with a victory in Motegi that left to Scott Sharp of first in the general. That was all the glory, since in spite of a victory of The Unser in Texas, the truth is that the Kelly equipment was very far from the end equipment, and To the Unser, the best one located in the general was to almost 100 points of his nearer rival (Hornish) and never was in the discussion by the title.
Mainly by the lack of “Top 3”. Each pilot ones only had two.

A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES: THE QUARTERS ARE NOT GOOD…

AJ Foyt IV did not fulfill the expectations deposited in. The equipment did not help it either much…

This year, AJ Foyt renewed their equipment completely. It was were experience the Beechler, Daré and Salazar. As well as the chassis Would cut with a scythe and the Chevrolet motor, since Foyt wanted a reconstruction that took to the title to the young AJ Foyt IV with its own car.
Only dreams. A car remarkably badly developed and little proven, and the inexperience of Foyt generated that the car #14 was a nightmare for the own AJ and the rest of the pilots whom they had to fight with a quite annoying straggler.
The time was rare that Foyt Jr did not classify position in the last. That explains the lamentable decay of the equipment champion of year 1998 with Kenny Brack.

TEAM MENARD, RED BULL CHEEVER RACING, HEMELGARN RACING, DREYER & REINBOLD RACING: THE CHEVROLET WAS A NIGHTMARE

Meira could not shine as it the past did year due to the inefficiency of the Chevy motor

These equipment, chose the North American impellers to year principle, hoping a rain of points. They did not receive nothing else that a handful of them, because the Chevrolet, always took remarkably slow them to the bottom of grilla, little customary place for equipment like Menard's or Cheever.
The worse thing: by not being official equipment like Panther, the evolution provided by Cosworth never arrived. Pilots like Meira, Curl, Buhl and Sarah Fisher will have to wait for the 2004. In summary, the IRL lived one season very exhausting and exciting until the end, with end like those of Chicagoland, where the cars hardly arrived separated by thousandth from second.
Like waiting for the 2004…