2003 IndyCar Series

The 2003 IndyCar Series was the 92nd official championship season of American open-wheel racing and the 8th season under Indy Racing League sanction. Its showcase event was the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500, which was won by Team Penske driver Gil de Ferran for his first and only time. Sam Hornish Jr. entered the season as the back-to-back defending champion.

Season summary

The 2003 IRL IndyCar Series brought some of the biggest changes in its history. The league adopted the name IndyCar Series, after a settlement with CART prohibiting its use had expired. Several former CART teams brought their full operations to the IRL, most notably major squads Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Green Racing, as well as former CART engine manufacturers Toyota and Honda, replacing Infiniti who shifted its efforts to the new feeder series Infiniti Pro Series. Many of the IRL's old guard including Robbie Buhl, Greg Ray, and Buddy Lazier had difficulty competing in this new manufacturer-driven landscape. The league also added its first international race this year, taking over the CART date at Twin Ring Motegi.

The season's most successful entrants were Ganassi and Team Penske that had made the switch already the year before. New Zealander Scott Dixon won the opening race of the season at Homestead and ran very consistently all year long to win his first title at the age of 23. Gil de Ferran won Penske's third consecutive Indianapolis 500 in May and finished second to Dixon in the title race. The finale however was marred by a severe incident that nearly killed former series' champion and Indy 500 winner Kenny Bräck. De Ferran won the race with Dixon in second being well enough to seal the title. Bräck would eventually recover; however, Tony Renna, a Ganassi development driver, lost his life in a test crash at Indianapolis after the season had officially ended.

2003 was also the first and only engine title for Toyota and also the first Asian and Japanese car manufacturer to win an IndyCar Series IRL-era engine manufacturer's title and thus ending a seven-year American engine manufacturer's supremacy. As of 2024, 2003 was also the last chassis manufacturer title victory for G-Force Technologies to date.

Confirmed entries

Schedule

Results

Race summaries

Toyota Indy 300

This race was held March 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 9- Scott Dixon
2. 6- Gil de Ferran
3. 3- Hélio Castroneves
4. 11- Tony Kanaan
5. 8- Scott Sharp
6. 7- Michael Andretti
7. 27- Dario Franchitti
8. 10- Tomas Scheckter
9. 21- Felipe Giaffone
10. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.

Purex Dial Indy 200

This race was held March 23 at Phoenix International Raceway. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 11- Tony Kanaan
2. 3- Hélio Castroneves
3. 21- Felipe Giaffone
4. 31- Al Unser Jr.
5. 15- Kenny Bräck
6. 2- Jaques Lazier
7. 8- Scott Sharp
8. 23- Sarah Fisher
9. 52- Buddy Rice
10. 5- Shigeaki Hattori

Inaugural Indy Japan 300

This race was held April 13 at Twin Ring Motegi. Scott Dixon won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 8- Scott Sharp
2. 15- Kenny Bräck
3. 21- Felipe Giaffone
4. 7- Michael Andretti
5. 31- Al Unser Jr.
6. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
7. 27- Dan Wheldon
8. 12- Tora Takagi
9. 13- Greg Ray
10. 24- Robbie Buhl

87th Indianapolis 500

The 87th Indy 500 was held May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hélio Castroneves sat on pole.

Top ten results

1. 6- Gil de Ferran
2. 3- Hélio Castroneves
3. 11- Tony Kanaan
4. 10- Tomas Scheckter
5. 12- Tora Takagi
6. 20- Alex Barron
7. 32- Tony Renna
8. 13- Greg Ray
9. 31- Al Unser Jr.
10. 55- Roger Yasukawa

• Hélio Castroneves came up just short of the three-peat in the 500. He got hung up in lap traffic which enabled Gil de Ferran to get by and lead the final 30 laps for his only 500 triumph.

Bombardier 500

This race was held June 7 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 31- Al Unser Jr.
2. 11- Tony Kanaan
3. 12- Tora Takagi
4. 15- Kenny Bräck
5. 27- Bryan Herta
6. 9- Scott Dixon
7. 3- Hélio Castroneves
8. 6- Gil de Ferran
9. 12- Roger Yasukawa
10. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.

Honda Indy 225

This race was held June 15 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 9- Scott Dixon
2. 11- Tony Kanaan
3. 6- Gil de Ferran
4. 27- Dario Franchitti
5. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
6. 12- Tora Takagi
7. 15- Kenny Bräck
8. 10- Tomas Scheckter
9. 52- Buddy Rice
10. 91- Buddy Lazier

SunTrust Indy Challenge

This race was held June 28 at Richmond International Raceway. Scott Dixon won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 9- Scott Dixon
2. 3- Hélio Castroneves
3. 6- Gil de Ferran
4. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
5. 11- Tony Kanaan
6. 21- Felipe Giaffone
7. 15- Kenny Bräck
8. 26- Dan Wheldon
9. 52- Buddy Rice
10. 31- Al Unser Jr.

• The race was originally scheduled for 250 laps, but shortened to 206 laps due to rain.

Kansas Indy 300

This race was held July 6 at Kansas Speedway. Scott Dixon won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 27- Bryan Herta
2. 3- Hélio Castroneves
3. 6- Gil de Ferran
4. 11- Tony Kanaan
5. 15- Kenny Bräck
6. 9- Scott Dixon
7. 55- Roger Yasukawa
8. 13- Greg Ray
9. 10- Tomas Scheckter
10. 5- Jaques Lazier

Firestone Indy 200

This race was held July 19 at Nashville Superspeedway. Scott Dixon won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 6- Gil de Ferran
2. 9- Scott Dixon
3. 3- Hélio Castroneves
4. 26- Dan Wheldon
5. 21- Alex Barron
6. 15- Kenny Bräck
7. 12- Tora Takagi
8. 31- Al Unser Jr.
9. 11- Tony Kanaan
10. 10- Tomas Scheckter

Firestone Indy 400

This race was held July 27 at Michigan International Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 21- Alex Barron
2. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
3. 10- Tomas Scheckter
4. 8- Scott Sharp
5. 9- Scott Dixon
6. 12- Tora Takagi
7. 6- Gil de Ferran
8. 55- Roger Yasukawa
9. 31- Al Unser Jr.
10. 13- Greg Ray

Emerson Indy 250

This race was held August 10 at Gateway International Raceway. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 3- Hélio Castroneves
2. 11- Tony Kanaan
3. 6- Gil de Ferran
4. 10- Tomas Scheckter
5. 26- Dan Wheldon
6. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
7. 12- Tora Takagi
8. 13- Greg Ray
9. 2- Vítor Meira
10. 8- Scott Sharp

Belterra Casino Indy 300

This race was held August 17 at Kentucky Speedway. Sam Hornish Jr. won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
2. 9- Scott Dixon
3. 27- Bryan Herta
4. 31- Al Unser Jr.
5. 3- Hélio Castroneves
6. 11- Tony Kanaan
7. 24- Robbie Buhl
8. 26- Dan Wheldon
9. 6- Gil de Ferran
10. 10- Tomas Scheckter

Firestone Indy 225

This race was held August 24 at Nazareth Speedway. Scott Dixon won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 3- Hélio Castroneves
2. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
3. 27- Bryan Herta
4. 6- Gil de Ferran
5. 15- Kenny Bräck
6. 31- Al Unser Jr.
7. 26- Dan Wheldon
8. 55- Roger Yasukawa
9. 24- Robbie Buhl
10. 91- Buddy Rice

Delphi Indy 300

This race was held September 7 at Chicagoland Speedway. Richie Hearn won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
2. 9- Scott Dixon
3. 27- Bryan Herta
4. 26- Dan Wheldon
5. 10- Tomas Scheckter
6. 11- Tony Kanaan
7. 52- Alex Barron
8. 55- Roger Yasukawa
9. 12- Tora Takagi
10. 24- Robbie Buhl

Toyota Indy 400

This race was held September 21 at California Speedway. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 4- Sam Hornish Jr.
2. 9- Scott Dixon
3. 11- Tony Kanaan
4. 26- Dan Wheldon
5. 10- Tomas Scheckter
6. 3- Hélio Castroneves
7. 55- Roger Yasukawa
8. 8- Scott Sharp
9. 31- Al Unser Jr.
10. 52- Alex Barron

• This race was the fastest circuit race ever in motorsport history, with an average speed of 207.151 mph (333.306 km/h) over 400 miles (643.6 km). This also makes it the de facto fastest ever 400 mile motor race beating the NASCAR record set during the 1999 Kmart 400.

Chevy 500

This race was held October 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 6- Gil de Ferran
2. 9- Scott Dixon
3. 7- Dan Wheldon
4. 2- Vítor Meira
5. 27- Bryan Herta
6. 8- Scott Sharp
7. 12- Tora Takagi
8. 13- Greg Ray
9. 31- Al Unser Jr.
10. 55- Roger Yasukawa

• The race was memorable for a five-way championship duel involving de Ferran, Scott Dixon, Hélio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and two-time titlist Sam Hornish Jr.
• The race was also notable for a frightening, but non-fatal, accident involving Tomas Scheckter and 1999 Indianapolis 500 champion Kenny Bräck. Scheckter was uninjured, but the Swede was launched into the air after wheel-to-wheel contact on the backstretch and violently clobbered the catch fencing. Debris was scattered across the track, and the already long period of yellow flag laps prompted IRL race control to end the race at lap 195 of 200. Because the race reached 1 lap past the halfway point the race was considered official. Gil de Ferran, Bräck's former title rival in CART, won in his final IndyCar race, joining Ray Harroun and Sam Hanks (both of whom retired immediately after winning an Indianapolis 500) as drivers who retired from U.S. open wheel competition in the winner's circle.
• Scott Dixon won the IRL title in his first season in the IndyCar Series (having spent two seasons in CART) and Englishman Dan Wheldon beat Roger Yasukawa for Bombardier Rookie of the Year honors.

Points standings

• Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.

Note: 1 Tora Takagi had 23 points deducted at Texas Motor Speedway due to unacceptable driving.

See also

• 2003 Indianapolis 500
• 2003 Infiniti Pro Series season
• 2003 CART season
• 2003 Toyota Atlantic Championship season

Footnotes

External links

• February 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine