IRL: Two-time Indy 500 winner Luyendyk to race at Michigan

BROOKLYN, Mich., Monday, July 22, 2002 -- Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk will drive in the Michigan Indy 400 on July 28, the inaugural Indy Racing event at the 2-mile oval.

Luyendyk, who won in 1990 and 1997 at Indy, will drive the No. 55 Meijer Indy Racing G Force/Chevrolet/Firestone fielded by Treadway and Associates Racing. He won in 1997 at Indianapolis in a Treadway entry.

"Meijer and Coca-Cola contracted with Treadway Racing to sponsor our car at both Indianapolis and Michigan," Luyendyk said. "It was left up to me to decide if I would drive at Michigan, and I made up my mind in the last few days that's what I want to do."

It will be Luyendyk's fourth IRL start since he retired as a full-time driver after the 1998 season. The other three starts have come in the 1999, 2001 and 2002 Indianapolis 500.

Luyendyk won his last IRL start at a track other than Indianapolis, the 1998 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

He has made 11 career Indy-style starts at Michigan, finishing second in 1991 and 1994 and third in 1993, all at a 500-mile distance.

Luyendyk's car will be sponsored, as it was at Indianapolis, by Michigan-based Meijer stores along with Coca-Cola. His son, Arie Luyendyk Jr., is entered in the Infiniti Pro Series race at Michigan, marking the first time a father and son have driven in Indy Racing competition on the same weekend.

"I've always enjoyed racing at Michigan, and I've had some good results, so I decided it would be good to be in the IRL's first race there," Luyendyk said.

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