Schmidt to test IPS hopefuls.
With the future of his IRL squad cloudy for 2003, team boss Sam Schmidt has been busy organising potential drivers for his Infiniti Pro Series team as he attempts to secure the future of Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
Schmidt voiced his concerns over the increase in budgets for the 2003 Indy Racing League season before the end of this year's championship and stated that unless he could secure an extra $2-3 Million in sponsorship he wasn't sure whether or not he would be able to return in 2003.
With the future of his IRL squad cloudy for 2003, team boss Sam Schmidt has been busy organising potential drivers for his Infiniti Pro Series team as he attempts to secure the future of Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
Schmidt voiced his concerns over the increase in budgets for the 2003 Indy Racing League season before the end of this year's championship and stated that unless he could secure an extra $2-3 Million in sponsorship he wasn't sure whether or not he would be able to return in 2003.
However Schmidt's Infiniti Pro Series arm appears to be running strongly and the IRL's loss could be the IPS' gain should Schmidt fail to secure the funding for a full-time assault on the 2003 Indy Racing League Championship.
After running a two-car IPS team in the Series' inaugural season, Schmidt is set to test three drivers next week at the Kentucky Speedway in one of his Dallara-Infiniti IPS chassis.
Stock-car driver Buddy Davis, midget driver Aaron Pierce and Toyota Atlantic driver Dave Wieringa will all test for the team next Monday and Tuesday at the 1.5-mile oval using the cars piloted by GJ Mennen, Jeff Tillman, Tom Wood and Curtis Francois this year.
Schmidt is still actively seeking funding for both IRL and IPS teams and would like to run Richie Hearn next year. Hearn took the reigns of the #99 SSMS Dallara-Chevrolet at Indianapolis with backing from Grill2Go and scored six top ten finishes in eight starts before an accident with Gil de Ferran in Kentucky ended his year early.
