Blair Racing gone?

Blair Racing, the team which finished fifth in the 2002 Indy Racing League points standings with driver Alex Barron, appears to have folded.

After just a single season of Indy Racing League competition it is almost certain that Blair Racing, the team owned by Larry Blair that was originally born as Arciero-Brooke Racing in CART two years ago, have ceased operations after failing to land a sponsor for 2003.

Blair's self-imposed sponsorship deadline passed at the beginning of December and although the Blair Racing website www.blairracing.com is still online, several sources in the US say that the Blair team shop has been closed and both staff and driver Alex Barron have been released.

After starting their maiden season of IRL competition without a sponsor, 'Rayovac' were signed in time for the fourth round of the series at Nazareth and by Indianapolis in May, the #44 Dallara-Chevrolet bore one of the most striking paint-schemes in the field.

Improving as the season wore on, Barron finished a fantastic fourth in his first Indy 500 and earned Indy 500 rookie of the year honours and then out-sprinted Gil de Ferran and Sam Hornish Jr to take a hugely popular victory at Nashville. Compiling no less than eleven top ten finishes in 15 starts, Barron and Blair's efforts were enough to secure fifth place in the final 2002 IRL points standings but apparently not enough to secure the team's future.

Several stateside rumours suggest that Rayovac (somewhat strangely considering the visual impact of the #44 car, even on ABC's grainy TV coverage) left the team without paying some of their bills and despite being named as one of the Chevrolet development teams for 2003, Blair hasn't been able to find a replacement.

Already one of Blair Racing's most experienced engineers, John Dick, has been hired by the new Super Aguri Fernandez Racing team and Barron has been linked with a seat at Red Bull Cheever Racing for the races that the soon-to-be retiring Eddie Cheever does not compete in.

Barring a last minute miracle it appears as though Blair Racing is done with the IRL for now. There is a faint hope of a reappearance in CART but such a move would only come about if CART itself provides the majority of the funding and many 'old-school' IRL fans will be especially disappointed that a race winning team with an American driver and engine cannot find the backing to stay in their series.