KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Something old, something new at the inaugural Indy Racing League Infiniti Pro Series 100.

The old -- a legendary name in American open-wheeled racing on the pole.

The new -- a new generation setting the pace in a new racing series.

A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, put his car on the front row Saturday of the IRL race which features 12 cars and will run before the IRL's Ameristar 200 Sunday.

The young Foyt, taking the track eighth during qualifying, posted a speed of 180.053 mph, nearly 2 mph faster than Ronnie Johncox who will sit outside the front row.

''I tried to get it as fast as I could on the warmup lap, and the car was perfect,'' Foyt said. ''I could run it on the bottom like my grandpa told me, and everything went as planned.''

Foyt led all drivers in each of the practice sessions and was the only Infiniti driver to go faster than 180 mph.

His grandfather was pleased with the effort.

''He'll be hard to live with now,'' the elder Foyt said. ''We came here with a brand new car. He had no testing and no experience on a track this size and the car performed well.''

Actor Jason Priestly will sit on the inside of the second row with his speed of 177.988. Priestly is competing in the new developmental league after spending last year in the broadcast booth for the Indy Racing League.

His HomeMed Pharmacy team spent most of Saturday rebuilding the engine after losing one during Friday's practice session.

''We tested in Chicago and Chicago is pretty much the same layout,'' Priestly said. ''It's a beautiful, smooth track, and there's a lot of room for these little cars. We should have an exciting race.''

Another famous racing name, Arie Luyendyk Jr., will start seventh, qualifying at 176.362. His father is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. The elder Luyendyk will serve as spotter for his son during Sunday's race.

Luyendyk was disappointed with his effort.

''I don't know if we have some sort of engine issues because certain people seem to be running a lot quicker in a straight line,'' he said.

The Infiniti Series is making seven stops this year with the Indy Racing League, beginning in Kansas. IRL officials announced the 2003 scheduled Saturday, including a trip to Japan. League president and CEO Tony George said the 2003 Infiniti Pro Series schedule was still being developed and announced later in the season.

Learning curve
Qualifying for the IRL's Ameristar Casino 200 turned out to be an adventure for Marlboro Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran.

Both said heat, wind and a fresh layer of rubber from a NASCAR Craftsman Truck before qualifying played havoc with their setup.

Castroneves, the two-time defending Indianapolis 500 champion, said the setup on his Dallara Chevrolet was inappropriate for the conditions, which were a contrast from the practice setup earlier in the week.

He broke off his qualifying attempt after one lap to make adjustments to the aerodynamics package. He returned for a one-lap sprint, qualifying seventh. He nearly found the wall, he said, during his first attempt and decided it best to play it safe.

''That's the way it goes. It could be a lot worse and it could be better,'' Castroneves said.

His teammate, de Ferran, will be forced to use a different strategy for Sunday's 300-mile race.

''It's all about confidence in qualifying,'' de Ferran said. ''I kept trying to go flat out, but the thing was taking off on me in turn four.''

The team is running its first full season of IRL and de Ferran said that the team was still learning.

''We just don't have enough experience in the series,'' he said. ''In hindsight, I probably should have aborted the run.''

Andretti to IRL?
Michael Andretti may be a member of Team Green in CART, but rumors persist he is about to form a full-time Indy Racing League team. Andretti would like to become an owner-driver, and potential sponsors appear interested in competing in the IRL.

Although it is not definitive, a source close to Andretti acknowledged there is a very good possibility Andretti will form his own team. Which series it competes in will likely be determined by the sponsor.

Two years ago, Andretti nearly jumped from CART to the IRL with Pennzoil Panther Racing. Team owner Barry Green was able to put together a deal for Andretti to remain in CART. Pennzoil Panther Racing hired Sam Hornish Jr., who has become one of the United States' best racers, winning the IRL title last year at 22.

Both Andretti and Hornish are represented by the same agent, John Caponigro.

Fisher's sponsorship
SmartBlade wiper blades will be the primary sponsor on Sarah Fisher's Dreyer and Reinbold Racing entry for the remainder of the 2002 Indy Racing League season.

Fisher, the third woman to make the field in for the Indianapolis 500, is driving a car co-owned by IRL regular Robby Buhl.

ESPN.com news services contributed to this story.