ABC and IRL Extend Their Deal Through ’09

ABC, which will televise the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday for the 40th consecutive year, and its cable partner, ESPN, announced Thursday that they had extended their deal with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League through 2009.

Besides the 500, ABC is carrying nine of the IRL’s 16 races this season, the six others being shown on either ESPN or ESPN2.

There had been speculation that the traditional 11 a.m. starting time of the 500 would be changed, perhaps as early as next year, in an attempt to draw greater TV viewership, especially on the West Coast, where the starting time is 9 a.m. No change was announced, but the concept remains under consideration.

“We’ve committed ... to looking at the starting time to maximize the TV audience,” said Ken Ungar, senior vice president of business affairs for the IRL. “That is something we’ll be looking at in the future.”

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Kosuke Matsuura of Japan, the fastest rookie all month, stayed fast on Carb Day, turning the fastest lap, 219.226, of the two-hour final practice in the Honda-powered G-Force he drives for Mexican owner-driver Adrian Fernandez.

Fernandez was second fastest at 218.066 in a similar car, and New Zealander Scott Dixon was third fastest, 217.391 in the Toyota-powered G-Force he drives for Chip Ganassi.

Asked if he would be fast enough on race day to lead, Matsuura said, “After 150 [of the 200] laps, that might be possible.”

Asked if he thought he might be fast enough to win, he replied, with a broad grin, “Everybody thinks that.”

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Sarah Fisher is the only woman in the 500, and has been the only one for several years, but that could change next year.

Car owner Bobby Rahal, who has pole sitter Buddy Rice, Angeleno Roger Yasukawa and Brazilian Vitor Meira in Sunday’s race, said he would have a car here next year for Danica Patrick, his driver this season in the Toyota Atlantic series.

That came as a surprise to Patrick.

“I’m hearing this for the first time,” she said.

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Nextel Cup driver Robby Gordon, trying again this year to run the 500, then get to Charlotte, N.C., in time for his regular gig, NASCAR’S Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night, named veteran driver Jaques Lazier as his race-day spotter, and emergency backup driver in case the start of the race here is delayed.

“The one thing I don’t control is the weather,” Gordon said. “Jaques is a friend of mine and, obviously, has a lot of experience in these cars.... The plan is, he will spot for me and be available to drive, just in case.”

Lazier, 33, won the Chicagoland IRL race in 2001. He is the younger brother of Buddy Lazier, 1996 500 winner, who will be starting 28th Sunday.

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Rice and his crew beat two-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves and his Penske crew in the annual pit stop contest but both had slow stops in the final.

After advancing through the field with stops in the 9-second range, crews changed four tires but no fuel was added. Rice was timed in 12.33 against Castroneves, who was timed at 14.43, then was penalized 10 seconds more for running over the air hose on the pneumatic lug wrench.

Twelve teams competed for the $20,000 prize.

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Indy 500

When: Sunday, (Ch. 7, 9 a.m.).

* Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

* Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.

* 2003 winner: Gil de Ferran.