It seems Panther Racing’s never-ending quest for a second driver will continue for at least a couple more weeks. Or, maybe the team is giving some deserving short track stars a chance for a big-time ride.
Either way, the team has some more drivers it will test Nov. 8 and 9 at Kentucky Speedway, and for short-track fans, the names should be familiar.
Tracy Hines, the newly crowned USAC Silver Crown champion; Kasey Kahne, the USAC Midget Car champion; and Derek Davidson, USAC Silver Crown and Sprint Car driver, will test Panther’s Dallara-Oldsmobile as part of a driver development program sponsored by Pennzoil and Panther Racing. The program rewards top USAC drivers with rookie tests in the IRNLS.
New Castle, Ind., native Hines, 28, clinched the Silver Crown title Sunday when he finished second in the season finale at Memphis Motorsports Park. Davidson, 28, from Lafayette, Ind., finished fifth in the Sprint Car Series point standings this season, but three of the four drivers who finished ahead of him -- Tony Elliott, Jay Drake and J.J. Yeley -- already have passed their Indy Racing rookie test. Kahne, 20, from Enumclaw, Wash., leads the Midget Car Series standings with 1,117 points with just two races remaining.
Galles to Unveil 2001 Sponsors: Hopefully Al Unser Jr. fans didn’t get used to seeing the veteran in the Tickets.com Starz Encore Superpak car, because on Nov. 10 car owner Rick Galles will announce a new sponsor package for the team and unveil the new car Unser will pilot.
The announcement will take place at 2:30 p.m. EST at IMS Productions, which is across the street from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Galles and Unser Jr. will be on hand to talk about their new primary and major associate sponsors for the team. According to the team, both are high-profile companies.
Chicagoland Tickets on Sale: Track Pack ticket packages for Chicagoland Speedway’s inaugural season went on sale Monday, and track president Joie Chitwood expects the demand to be high.
"I recommend race fans order their Track Packs early," Chitwood said. "As we saw when we placed the Founders P.A.S.S. on sale, the demand for major motorsports in this region continues to exceed expectations and we expect Track Packs to sell very quickly."
The Track Pack includes tickets to the NASCAR Busch Series and Winston Cup Series races on July 14th and 15th, and the ARCA and Indy Racing Northern Light Series races on Sept. 1st and 2nd. Prices for the Track Pack, which include grandstand seating for all four events, range from $175 to $240.
Chitwood said the cost for the four major races is a major draw.
"We are dedicated to providing the best value in motorsports entertainment and have carefully designed our pricing structure to accommodate all racing fans," Chitwood said.
A small number of Founders P.A.S.S. packages are still available as well. A Founders P.A.S.S. (Preferred Access Speedway Seating) gives a ticketholder guaranteed renewal rights from year to year.
For information about Founders P.A.S.S. seats or Track Pack ticket packages call (815) 727-7223.
Chicagoland Speedway is 30 miles southwest of Chicago on Historic Route 66 in Joliet, Ill. It seats 75,000.
