Scheckter

This year's Indy Racing League rookie crop has adapted quickly to the new environment. The "Super 6" have had their moments. For some, they have been good. For others, bad. But overall, this year's class has been enjoyable.

There is no question that Red Bull Cheever Racing's Tomas Scheckter has shown the most muscle. At the season opener, the runner-up in Formula Nissan competition last season committed his first rookie mistake when he tangled with his car owner, Eddie Cheever Jr., forcing Cheever out of the race.

"My first reaction as a race-car driver was to jump out of the car and use the A.J. Foyt technique of driver development -- grab him and pound some sense into him," Cheever said. "But that approach never had a lasting effect on me. Instead, we spent two days after the race -- some of which were awkward -- going through the differences between road racing and oval racing with Tomas."

The remedial work paid dividends. At Phoenix, Scheckter qualified fifth and ran as high as third when his Infiniti engine failed 41 laps into the 200-lapper, leaving him 24th.

At California, Scheckter again impressed. After starting third, right behind his boss, the second-generation racer set the fastest lap of the race and led on five different occasions.

"Everything was going perfect," Scheckter said. "It was good racing the whole way through: me and Hornish, me and Lazier."

But then, engine woes again surfaced. When Scheckter slowed on lap 164 lap he was struck from behind by Hideki Noda and finished 24th.

John de Vries comes to the IRL after making a name for himself in Australia. One of his business interests "down under" is an ATM machine company. After a quiet opening round in Miami -- where an expired engine earned him a 17th-place finish -- de Vries and his Spreewell/Brayton Racing team went to Phoenix committed to continuing de Vries open wheel education.

"He's going to learn what it's like to be in a fist fight in a phone booth with the traffic," team co-owner Todd Brayton joked.

After starting 19th, de Vries stayed steady until lap 77 when he lost control of the car in Turn 2 and spun lazily off the track. The destruction of his car didn't start until he slipped by an inside opening where safety trucks are stationed. His Dallara snagged the retaining fence and tore the nose off the car and in turn damaged the tub. He ended up 22nd.

After buying a replacement tub, the team trekked to California where de Vries qualified 21st and passed on the race day warm-up.

"We've already tested here, we have over 1,000 miles testing out here," he said. "With only one car here, we didn't want to take the risk."

His race was uneventful and despite finishing a number of laps off the pace, he was awarded his first "running at the finish" designation with a 23rd.

	Lazzaro

Anthony Lazzaro thought he would have a career in NASCAR. After success in Oldsmobile's Pro Series and taking the Toyota Atlantic crown in 1999, he went with car owner Cal wells to NASCAR. Despite making one Winston Cup start last year at Watkin's Glen, Lazzaro was unemployed when old friend Sam Schmidt went looking for a driver.

"I am just thrilled to be heading into a full season, and to be doing so with Sam makes it that much better," said Lazzaro when he signed a multi-year agreement with Schmidt.

Unfortunately, things have been a bit rocky for the team. After posting a top-10 at Miami, an accident in Phoenix sent Lazzaro to the hospital. Richie Hearn was forced to fill in for Lazzaro at California due to his Phoenix injuries.

"It is a small injury to my back," Lazzaro said in Fontana, Calif. "It is in my best interest to sit out a weekend and totally heal. I can't afford another accident in the next few days."

Lazzaro is expected to return this weekend at Nazareth, Pa. Last weekend, the 38-year-old passed Indy's Rookie Speed tests during Rookie Orientation.

"I just wanted to enjoy every minute of it," Lazzaro said. "It's going to be totally different when you put 30-odd cars out there for practice in May."

Ricky Treadway also passed his orientation tests. The son of Indy 500 winning car owner Fred Treadway is running his first full IRL season after testing the waters a couple of times last year. After getting caught up in an accident in Miami, Treadway's G-Force has finished at both Phoenix and Fontana (ninth at Phoenix, 22nd at Fontana) but the Indiana State grad says the tutelage he received during orientation will help everywhere.

"It was great to have Arie (Luyendyk), Al (Unser) Sr., Brian Barnhart and Johnny Rutherford around to give me advice. The four of them gave me great tips on safety, etiquette and how to drive around here," Treadway said. "Our Nazareth goal is a top-10 finish. From what I hear, that place can take its toll on race cars. Then we'll come back here to my hometown for May and team with Arie. This is something I've worked really hard for and dreamed about for seven or so years. Holy cow."

	Mack

George Mack had butterflies before he qualified for his first IRL outing.

"I just don't want to screw up," was his comment before he qualified 24th at Miami. He didn't. Smart driving and excellent pit work gave Mack and his G-Force a 13th-place finish.

At Phoenix, he got a taste of what can happen quickly in an IRL race. After a solid first performance, the former IKF Grand National champion got collected in a multi-car pile up when Felipe Giaffone and Billy Boat touched going into Turn 1, collecting Mack, Robby McGehee and Jeff Ward.

At Fontana, Mack got back in the groove and posted a 16th-place finish. But the only African American driver in the IRL is not satisfied.

"From a driver's standpoint, I'm never happy," Mack said. "I'm the kind of guy that wants to get off the trailer and go, but I know it's not that easy."

When two-time Indy 500 starter Eric Bachelart announced that Lyon, France's Laurent Redon would drive his Dallara this season, few took notice. Even after posting a 15th at Miami and a 14th in Phoenix, few thought of the operation as a front runner. All that changed in Fontana.

With Infiniti power, the former Benneton and Minardi Formula One test driver started the Yamaha 400 from the inside of Row 3 and stayed with the lead pack all afternoon.

"It was really tough. We were really quick. We had a really good car," Redon said after finishing third. "The only thing, we had to keep (our position) at the end because Gil (de Ferran) was just behind me. I just had to keep the low line. It was perfect. It was so close."

Fontana's success catapulted Redon to the top of the IRL's rookie standings and into the top-10 overall (sixth), but as we have seen so far, this rookie class has just started their show. The first act ends this weekend at Nazareth.