Crew website remains active for current and most former members.

To those who have supported us, to our many members, to those fans who have felt our presence, and to our many friends in the racing community, please accept our thanks for making the IRL Crew an organization that has made a difference.  See you at the races.

Select "Bylaws" on the Members Only page to read the entire amendment.

Until this website changes to IRL control, we will be posting "Crew Memories" so that all can see just what fun we have had over the past 8 years.  Please send us your memories.

After checking that the Sinden Racing escort for the Penske #3 was not nearby, the ropes were lifted and a tentative hand reached to touch the left rear tire.  The grateful wife thanked us profusely for even this tiny letdown in our security.  Both Crew members told the wife that he could touch all of the car.  With a determination to savor this moment, ten fingers moved over the outline of the every inch of the car and what had been only a sound on the radio became a true speed machine.  Tears flowed from the couple's eyes.  What Mike King could only describe on the radio became a race car in the mind of one who would never see the glistening black finish.  A fantasy became real.  With tearing eyes, the couple thanked the IRL Crew for making the day the best day of the husband's life.  Hugs and strong handshakes were exchanged.  It felt good to be a Crew member that day.

ANDRETTI GREEN RACING SHOP TOUR - 2004

Sam Hornish, Jr. Wins
IRL Crew Most Popular Driver Award

The above awards were presented at the (Members Only) Annual IRL Crew Awards Banquet on November 6, 2004.  The banquet featured Sam, Arie, special guest Donald Davidson, Tom Carnegie, and of course Tony George.  There was a tour of the Andretti Green Racing shop earlier in the afternoon.
 

Congratulations Tony Kanaan - Indy Racing League Champion

Special thanks to Bill Babcock and the other Crew members who scored for not only Tony but the Andretti-Green drivers during 2004.

The Sam Hornish, Jr. Support Team at Michigan

The Crew helped in collecting and distributing 2500 pounds of food to the Milwaukee Salvation Army. A record 150 pounds of small toiletries was collected by CARA Charities for distribution by the Siena Center of Racine to seven emergency shelters.

3600 pounds of food and 75 pounds of small toiletries was delivered to the Jackson, Michigan Interfaith Shelter.

Due to football commitments Jack will not be available to conduct book signings at the Crew tent.

Final Report from Chicago

Chicago proved again that it is an opportunity for the Crew to show our stuff. This year the Crew had 140 display feet of Gass midget and Cobra cars, Paul Dana MIPS show car, free root beer, and the culinary skills of our resident chef. The Indy Experience provided the Crew hundreds of posters and thousands of spotter cards to distribute to race fans. The Crew enjoyed bacon, eggs cooked to order, and sausage in addition to a large array of pastries for breakfast. A post race party for approximately 40 Crew members was held at the Crew hospitality area where the menu included skewered prawns, filet mignon kabobs, brats, hot dogs, fresh fruit, Greek baklava, salads, and chilled watermelon.

It was a very busy day on race day at the final race at Nazareth. For only the second time in the history of the Crew, we ran out of ballots. Our neighbor on the midway, Firestone, provided hats for all and two great banners for the Crew tent. We were able provide scorers for two more race teams at the last minute. Kudos to all who contributed to supporting the balloting. A post race party provided food for our neighbors and Crew members as the traffic crawled away from the track. The Crew will miss the great folks of Nazareth and the food. Helio Castroneves moved into second place in the MPDA voting passing Sarah Fisher.

What a rush of voters!! For those searching for the Crew tent in the infield, the track moved us to the center of the midway and exposure to thousands of fans. As usual, the great folks at Michigan provided the Crew a 20 X 20 foot tent on the midway. With Paul Dana's show car blocking one side of the tent, the tent volunteers scurried to process way over 1000 voters on the other three sides. We gained 10 new members during the weekend and all joined us for a cookout at the Crew tent after the race. The concession booth next door donated trays of ribs, pulled pork, and baked beans to our Wells' provided buffet. With so much food, we invited 30 Boy Scouts and leaders to share our meal. A special thanks to the MIS folks who provided Hot Pit passes to our tent workers.

Crew activities at Kentucky were again hectic as more than 800 ballots were cast in just a few hours on race day. The Sam Hornish numbers were again strong. Kudos to all of those who helped with the rush of voters. A post race party was held for approximately 40 Crew members.

Perfect weather. Great crowd with about 75% of the available seating filled. The Sam Hornish fans from Defiance have new red shirts and their group was quite noticeable in the stands. Highlights of the weekend included voters Pam Scheckter (Tomas' mum) and Tony Kanaan's wife, who vowed to come back and vote more often. The Jack Arute book sales depleted our entire stock of his books (with the exception of a few that are pre-signed for those who cannot get to the Crew tent). When the Crew bus from Indianapolis arrived, there was a chance to see lots of friends. Many of the Crew members attended a barbecue in the infield on Friday evening.The IRL provided six drivers to the midway stage to answer fans' questions. A reporter asked Ed Carpenter if the two series would ever get back together. His reply was that all of the best open wheeled drivers are either in the IRL or will soon be here and that the IRL was the best open-wheeled series in the US, so why should the IRL unite with a lesser league.  Thanks to Monte Hawkins and John Rabold for organizing the trip.  A special thank you to Diana Rogers-Adkinson for her assistance in obtaining tickets and hotel reservations.

Final Report from Richmond International Raceway

The Crew is organizing our racing season bus tours from Indianapolis and are opening them to the general public. The tours can make stops on the way to pick up more riders. Some tours require an overnight stay. The cost includes the bus, room with double occupancy, race tickets, and a post race cookout. Non-Crew members will be charged an additional $20 to cover the cost of membership. For more information contact the bus tour coordinator...click here.

A chilly beginning but a warm sunny conclusion was in store for the Crew at the Miami - Homestead Speedway. It was the perfect temperature in the beginning to need one of those closeout Penske jackets selling for less than half price. The weekend closed with a warm sun and a shady spot for the post-race party.

More than 25 Crew members enjoyed the hospitality of south Florida over the weekend. Paul Dana and Hemelgarn Racing provided an Infinity Pro Series show car to the Crew. We spent hours lifting small children into the car and encouraging their smiles for picture-taking parents. Chilled chicken, chips, and cool beverages were available to all of the tent workers.

Twelve Crew members attended a social event at the Sundowner Restaurant in Key Largo. Some opted for the warmth of the inside while others opted for the wind and sunset on the outdoor patio. Everyone enjoyed the 10% discount coupons provided by the Crew. A post-race party was held for 22 Crew members.

Final Report from Homestead-Miami Speedway

The Indy Racing League Crew came together in Indianapolis, Indiana to salute our many volunteers, to honor the fan-selected Most Popular Driver Award winners, and to hear Tom Carnegie, the "Voice of the 500".

Sarah Fisher accepted her award for the Indycar Series and truly wowed all in attendance. Fielding questions from potential boyfriends to potential sponsors, she demonstrated why she is the fans' favorite. She related a disappointing experience at a young age, when she asked a famous race driver for an autograph and was summarily denied. Sarah has vowed to make herself available to fans of all ages. Amidst signing lots of autographs, she took the time to talk to a Crew member's grandson on a cell phone. Sarah represented herself, her parents in attendance, and the Indy Racing League with the demeanor of a professional and the spirit of a winner.

Special guest, Tom Carnegie, told story after story of his career at the Indianapolis 500 to include holding a new track record for several years. Tom praised the current collection of IRL drivers for their intelligence and physical fitness regimens in addition to their daring and driving skills. Asked about his contract with the Indianpolis Motor Speedway, Tom related that Tony Hulman and then Tony George has just told him to show up. Tom Carnegie has been at work at Indy every May since 1946.

Arie Luyendyk, Jr.

Sarah Fisher

Join the Crew, enjoy the 2004 racing season with us, and celebrate the fan's heros at our banquet next year.

Sarah Fisher clinched the Indy Racing League Crew Most Popular Driver Award for 2003 at the final voting venue,Texas Motor Speedway, of the 2003 IRL season. This is the third straight year that the fans who attend the IRL races have thrown their support to Sarah.
Arie Luyendyk, Jr. overwhelmed the competition to win the first Infiniti Pro Series Most Popular Driver Award. His father earned the very first award presented by the IRL Crew.
Congratulations to the two winners.

What an amazing finish!! What an amazing weekend for the Indy Racing League Crew on the midway! Two midget race cars, our tall flag poles, and more than 600 servings of micro-brewed root beer attracted lots of race fans to the Crew tent. Dozens of kids took the opportunity to climb into the cars as parents took photographs. A hot breakfast was served each morning as well as those famous brats for lunch by our Crew chef.
A social event was held at a local restaurant on Saturday evening. The tent volunteers joined those on the bus tour to make more than 60 Crew members enjoying a picnic after the race. Kudos to those Crew members who helped us in the tent.
$275 dollars in Crew merchandise was delivered.
The Crew added three new members at Chicagoland Speedway.
637 ballots were cast over the weekend.

The Crew gourmet/hospitality staff did a great job with brats and burgers behind the Crew tent and the weather was nearly perfect for racing. The tent was tucked behind the massive Toyota exhibit and that cost us some Most Popular Driver Award ballots.
The Crew held a social event at Denisi's Italian restaurant in downtown Nazareth and the owner greeted us with a 20% discount off of our meals. Needless to say, we returned the next night for another 20%.
It was quite a moving moment as the several hundred fans at the final IRL practice watched Sarah Fisher being loaded into the medical helicopter. Telling Sarah's supporters on race morning that she remained in the hospital brought stunned silence. The Crew wishes Sarah a swift recovery
Sarah Fisher stretched her lead over Michael Andretti to more than 550 votes.

What a great race weekend! The heat of the day waned and produced some very good racing weather under the lights. Our Crew tent was located close to the main entrance and just 80 feet from the IRL stage. Although the first band caused many to insert the free earplugs available on the midway, the Kenny Brack band made all remove them. The band's treatment of classical hits received rave reviews from the audience. Surrounding Kenny onstage was a cast of rookies and seasoned music veterans. The live recording of a CD for CARA Charities was a hit with young and old alike.

A real hit on the midway was the appearance of Sarah Fisher at the IRL merchandise dome.

The close proximity of the stage brought lots of voters (501) to the Crew tent as Sarah increased her lead over Michael Andretti. Among those voters were Larry Gatlin and Reba Fisher (Sarah's mother).

The chilled chicken was popular as were the cold beverages in the heat of the day.

Hot! Hot! Hot! Best describes the Crew at Kansas Speedway. The ice in the official Crew cooler melted quickly but fortunately lasted until the end of the day. The Crew tent was at the farthest extreme of the midway next to an outfitter's tent so our vote total was very light. It was incredible to see only one Sam Hornish Pennzoil hat in three days.

Our portable Crew tent survived the gusting 35 mph winds thanks to a few bungee cords and a cooler filled with beverages. We got some schedule magnets from the IRL and a very long banner. We were not too busy and that left time to talk with lots of race fans.

Randy Covitz, sportswriter from the Kansas City Star, visited the Crew tent for some help on a story about Sarah Fisher. He did a great job of describing the function of the Crew in his article. Read the entire article at: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/6241189.htm

A social event was held at the Rosedale Barbecue Restaurant on Saturday night.

Only 270 votes were cast as Sarah Fisher increased her vote lead over Michael Andretti. Arie Luyendyk, Jr raised his vote total to more than three times his second place follower.

The following was extracted from an article by Randy Colvitz, Kansas City Star, on Sunday morning before the Kansas IRL race:

The IRL Crew, the official fan organization of the IRL, sets up a voting booth at every race complete with "I Voted" stickers given to those who cast ballots, like at a presidential election.

That means those who vote are paying customers, and those fans have voted Fisher ahead of two-time Indy 500 winner and heartthrob Helio Castroneves, 2000 fan favorite Al Unser Jr., Michael Andretti and Hornish.

The obvious explanation for Fisher's popularity is she's the only woman driving in the IRL, which has a fan base that is 32 percent female.

But her appeal transcends gender.

"I count the votes, and see who votes for her," said Roger Jett, executive secretary of IRL Crew, "and Sarah's appeal is not only women. It's universal. They've all watched her grow up since she was 12 years old racing.

"She set the track record at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, which is the roughest midget track in the country. First she's a girl, but the second part is she was an extremely successful midget driver. This is the next logical step in her career."

Read the entire article at: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/6241189.htm

Hundreds were in line to buy tickets an hour before the track even opened. It was definitely a full day at the track for most of the fans as they came early to enjoy the great local rock band and buy lots of souvenirs. Before the race started, another grandstand was opened to accommodate the much improved attendance. Rumor has it that more than 50,000 filled the stands.

The quote of the day was heard from Sarah Fisher's father as he escorted her to the AOL front row car: "It feels good to walk by so many cars just to get to yours."

Another amazing run to the finish for Sam. Imagine him with one of the new engines! Lots of kudos for IV for running with the leaders' race speed. How about that extremely low fly-over by the jets?

We counted approximately 24 Crew members who stopped by the Crew tent at Richmond. The heat was more bearable on the second day. Despite being placed right beside the misting tent, we were too busy on the second day to enjoy its relief. We distributed nearly 700 seat cushions and 80 cameras. We used up all of our Most Popular Driver Award ballots in less than two hours. An emergency copying run was performed by Joe Franks.

We have two new members and two founder renewals (10 year). Definitely a good weekend of recruiting.

Being a night race, no social event was conducted.

No merchandise was available for sale at the Crew tent.

615 votes were cast for the Most Popular Driver Award and saw Sarah Fisher storm into a commanding lead. AJ IV has finally organized his constituents and they are beginning to make a difference in the balloting.

Greg Ray on the move.

Sarah on the front row.

Scott Dixon in victory lane.

The Crew held it's annual party at the Brickyard Crossing due to security concerns. Chicken, roast pork, corn, and fantastic rolls with apple butter highlighted the menu.
The third annual Jett Award winner, Larry Williams,was announced. Due to Larry's recent surgery, he was unable to attend but his award was presented later at his home.
In addition to the renewd friendships and racing conversation, new Crew merchandise was unveiled by David Lundin. The new red-over-black coordinated shirts, jackets, and hats make the wearer truly look like a race crew member. Contact David Lundin to order merchandise.
CD-ROMs for the 2002 IRL season were distributed to those present. The disc contained hundreds of photographs of teams, drivers, Crew activities, and screensavers for every driver. (CDs will be available at every race for those unable to attend the party.

The Crew apologizes for the last minute change in location caused by security concerns.

Board of Directors member John Wells ponders the cost of Sherri's pending merchandise purchase.