What are the IRLs feeder series?
Right now, none officially. However, the IRL through its involvement with USAC maintains contact with the Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown series sanctioned by USAC, and there are sponsorship arrangements where drivers from these ranks can get tests in IRL cars. These are of course traditional front-engined cars, and although several of these series’ drivers have graduated to the IRL, there is considerable debate about the value of these series as far as training for Indycars. It is recognized that a series of rear-engined cars racing exclusively on pavement would be the best type of feeder series for the IRL. There are two independent “minor league” Indy-type series which could serve the purpose: • The American Indycar Series (AIS) runs with older Indy car chassis (although any model year is legal, most of the cars are at least four or five years old). Some of the cars have the same types of turbocharged engines for which they were designed, while others have been modified to accept N
