The Indy Racing League, better known as the IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly oval based open-wheel racing series in the United States and, more recently, Japan. The centerpiece of the series is the Indianapolis 500, considered to be the biggest race in the world. The IRL is owned by Hulman and Co., which also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex. The IRL was founded in 1994 by Tony George, grandson of the late Tony Hulman and President of Hulman and Co. Since then, the IRL has developed a consistent engine package and chassis rules which have produced some of the closest finishes in any racing series. Exciting finishes and wheel-to-wheel racing, made more exciting by close in-car camera shots and photo finishes have given the IRL a top billing among millions of racing fans.
In the fall of 2004 the IRL expanded the series to include three new non-oval events. The first race of the season is now a street race in St. Petersburg, Florida and two permanent road courses, at Watkins Glen International in New York and Infineon Raceway in California for 2005.
The League consists of two series, the IndyCar Series (usually considered synonymous with the Indy Racing League) and the Menards Infiniti Pro Series, which is the developmental series for IndyCar.
The Indy Racing League, better known as the IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly oval based open-wheel racing series in the United States and, more recently, Japan. The centerpiece of the series is the Indianapolis 500, considered to be the biggest race in the world. The IRL is owned by Hulman and Co., which also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex. The IRL was founded in 1994 by Tony George, grandson of the late Tony Hulman and President of Hulman and Co. Since then, the IRL has developed a consistent engine package and chassis rules which have produced some of the closest finishes in any racing series. Exciting finishes and wheel-to-wheel racing, made more exciting by close in-car camera shots and photo finishes have given the IRL a top billing among millions of racing fans.
