The track at Fontana will continue promoting the NASCAR NAPA 500 and, at least through 2004, the CART Toyota 500. But the IRL recently replaced CART on the Michigan International Speedway calendar for next season, and the addition of the California track will give the series six new venues since 1999.

The new 200-lap race on the 2-mile, d-shaped oval will be on Sunday, March 24. CART will end its 2001 season at Fontana on Nov. 4.

"I think there's a way the two series can coexist at our facility," said speedway president Bill Miller

The IRL deal at Fonana is set only for 2002, although Miller said he and the league are discussing a "long-term relationship, to grow and build together."

The IRL, whose 2001 season ends on Saturday with the Chevy 500 at Fort Worth, plans to begin testing at Fontana within the next three weeks, vice president of operations Brian Barnhart said.

The league will also test in California Feb. 5-6 and in Phoenix Feb. 8-9. The 2002 season will begin March 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

"We got a pretty good guideline from the tests at Michigan," Barnhart said. "We'll put an aerodynamic package on the cars similar to the mile and a half tracks and go out and get on the track with a couple of cars and get some feedback."

Michigan International Speedway is a sister track to the facility in Fontana. The only visible difference in the track is the banking in the turns -- 18 percent in Michigan and 14 percent in California.