rpm.espn.com: Drivers to Watch

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Wednesday, March 14
Drivers to Watch
ESPN.com news services

Check out a short list of drivers to keep an eye on this weekend at Phoenix.

Billy Boat
The Phoenix native has performed well at his home track in the past two years with fourth in 1999 and sixth last year; finished a career-best 10th in the Indy Racing Northern Lights Series last year; drove eight races for Team Pelfrey and competed for A.J. Foyt Racing in the Indianapolis 500 where he was 15th; will drive for Beck Motorsports in 2001; completed a fourth-best 1,638 laps in the series last season and surpassed $3 million in earnings.

Robbie Buhl
Posted his second IRL win last year at Orlando leading 49 laps after starting 22nd; is part owner of the team he drives for, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; made a switch from Oldsmobile to Infinity engine after the race in Texas last June; finished eighth in the IRL points standings, his best effort since third in the inaugural league campaign in 1996; finished seventh at Phoenix in 2000 after a third the prior year.

Eddie Cheever
Another Phoenix native (although resides in Orlando) who has done fairly well at this track; finished 10th in two of the last three years including last; matched a carreer-best third place finish in the points standings last year for Team Cheever, which he co-owns; took the checkered flag at Pikes Peak for his fourth career IRL win; recorded seven top-10 finishes, tied for best in the series with Northern Indy Lights champion Buddy Lazier; completed a second-best 1,711 laps of 1,832 possible; has earned over $4 million in his IRL career; was invited to compete in the IROC series for the third consecutive year; winner of the 1998 Indianapolis 500.

Mark Dismore
This will be his fourth year competing for Kelley Racing in the IRL; always a top competitor, but has just one career win to show for, scored at the 1999 season-ending race in Texas; finished fifth in the points after placing third in 1999; completed 1,686 (92 percent) laps of total 1,832 in the season, third best behind Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever Jr.; best career accomplishment was winning the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 1993.

Stephane Gregoire
Chasing that elusive first win in Indy Racing League; posted very good times in February testing at Phoenix International Speedway (it would have landed him the pole); back with Dick Simon Racing for the third straight season; tied career-best with five top-10 results.

Roberto Guerrero
Zali Racing has fielded the entry to the season opening race in Phoenix and put Guerrero in the cockpit for the Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200; made 25 Indy Racing League starts, with the last at Kentucky Speedway last August.

Davey Hamilton
The 38-year-old veteran is the only driver to start in all 43 events in Indy Racing League history; will drive the Sam Schmidt Motorsports after competing for three different teams in 2000; still searching for his first series win; best finishes were second three times; finished second in the 1996-97 standings (6 points behind Tony Stewart) and 1998; Schmidt started his own team in February; both are Las Vegas residents.

Sam Hornish Jr.
Competed in eight races last year for Panther Racing; scored a career-best third place finish at Vegas Indy 300; back with Panther Racing in 2001; one of the favorites to win the race in Phoenix where he has posted the second fastest speed in testing.

Buddy Lazier
No. 91 car won the Indy Racing Northern Light Series championship; in 2001 he seeks to become the first series driver to win back-to-back titles; the 33-year-old won two races and finished second three other times in nine races last year; the most impressive run was at Phoenix in March, where he charged from last to take the checkered flag; also set goal to become first driver to win the Northern Light Cup and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season; became the first driver to surpass $6 million in Indy Racing League career earnings.

Penske Team (CART)
Entered CART champion Gil de Ferran and teammate Helio Castroneves (both of Brazil) in the IRL Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 18; this will be a warm-up for the Indianapolis 500 where the drivers will also compete in May; Team Penske, which has not entered cars at Indianapolis since 1995, has won a record 10 Indianapolis 500s; De Ferran won his first CART championship in 2000.

Greg Ray
Dominated Midas 5000 Classic at Atlanta Motor Speedway from the pole, leading 182 of 208 laps en route to the only win for Team Menard; it was his third career win from the pole, an IRL record; holds series record with nine poles; surpassed $3 million in career Indy Racing earnings; was the 1999 Indy Racing League champ.

Eliseo Salazar
The driver from Chile finished 2000 a career-high fourth in the Indy Northern Lights Series in his first season with A.J. Foyt; started and finished third at Indianapolis 500; Foyt Racing is fielding just one car this season after entering two per season since 1996; should help all effort on Salazar returning to the winner's circle for the first time since October 1997; superstitious driver who wears a red left shoe, blue right shoe, blue left glove and red right glove, a color scheme which represents the flag of Chile.

Scott Sharp
Finished seventh in the series points for Kelley Racing last year; lone victory in 2000 was at Texas Motor Speedway by only .059 of a second over Robby McGehee, the closest margin of victory in series history; the win set an IRL record with five; winner in Phoenix in 1998 and was fifth last year.

Al Unser Jr.
Competed in his first Indy Racing Northern Light Series season last year for Galles Racing; posted first series win at Las Vegas; finished ninth in the series points standings with 188; two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (1992, 1994); never won at Phoenix in the CART series, but finished second in 1985, 1989 and 1994; finished ninth in last year's event.

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