Seven races for Infiniti Pro Series.

With the addition of a July 28 race at Michigan International Speedway, the 2002 Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series schedule will consist of seven events at some of the nation's premier oval tracks.

"Michigan International Speedway will be the first high-banked superspeedway to host an Infiniti Pro Series event, and I know from my prior experience at the track that it will produce some incredibly exciting racing," said Roger Bailey, executive director of the Infiniti Pro Series.

"Like the other first-class venues on the 2002 schedule, Michigan will give our Infiniti Pro Series drivers an excellent opportunity to gain experience in close, high-speed competition and will provide race fans with some outstanding open-wheel entertainment."

The inaugural season of the new development series will begin July 7 at Kansas Speedway and culminate with the season finale Sept. 14 on the high banks of Texas Motor Speedway. Nashville Superspeedway, Kentucky Speedway, Gateway International Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway also will play host to an Infiniti Pro Series event in 2002.

The 100-mile Infiniti Pro Series "sprints" will take place at the same track and on the same day as Indy Racing League events except for the Texas race, which will be conducted the day before the season-ending Chevy 500.

The Infiniti Pro Series serves as an essential stepping-stone for drivers striving to reach the pinnacle of open-wheel, oval-track racing in America, the Indy Racing League.

Infiniti Q45 engines will power new Dallara Automobili chassis built for the series, with Firestone Firehawk tires used exclusively on all cars. The V8 engines will produce approximately 450 horsepower for the single-seat winged chassis, providing an ideal training ground for the 650-horsepower, single-seat winged cars of the Indy Racing League.