IRL won’t subsidize teams

The Indy Racing League will not subsidize any of its IndyCar Series teams this season apart from assistance with the cost of new cars.

"We're not in a position to … (be) writing checks," Terry Angstadt, the president of the IRL's commercial division, said today on a national media teleconference. "What you see is what you get."

But Angstadt is optimistic that the season that begins with an official test next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway will have a strong field.

Angstadt said league officials are confident there will be at least 22 cars on the grid for the first race April 5 in St. Petersburg, Fla., and there could be as many as 26.

He said some things are going to have to go right for the series to hit the higher figure, but the low figure is "relatively secure."