2002 Indy Racing League season

The 2002 Indy Racing League (IRL) season was one of transition, with many CART teams participating in a partial IRL schedule while retaining "lame duck" status in their original series with their CART engine suppliers Toyota and Honda. On the IRL front, the Infiniti engine was in its "lame duck" year and the General Motors engine was now branded as a Chevrolet rather than an Oldsmobile as that marque was being phased out. Sam Hornish, Jr. won 5 races on his way to his second straight championship ahead of Penske Racing juggernaut Hélio Castroneves who won three races, including a second straight Indy 500, on his way to second in the championship.

2002 Indy Racing League schedule
All races running on Oval/Speedway.

BOLD indicates a Superspeedways.

Grand Prix of Miami
This race was held on March 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 2) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 9- Jeff Ward
 * 5) 11- Eliseo Salazar
 * 6) 52- Tomas Scheckter
 * 7) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 8) 44- Alex Barron
 * 9) 99- Anthony Lazzaro
 * 10) 14- Airton Daré

Bombardier ATV 200
This race was held on March 17 at Phoenix International Raceway. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 2) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 3) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 4) 11- Eliseo Salazar
 * 5) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 6) 2- Jaques Lazier
 * 7) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 8) 98- Billy Boat
 * 9) 55- Rick Treadway
 * 10) 20- Hideki Noda

Yamaha Indy 400
This race was held on March 24 at California Speedway. Eddie Cheever won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 2) 2- Jaques Lazier
 * 3) 34- Laurent Rédon
 * 4) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 5) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 6) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 7) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 8) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 9) 19- Jimmy Vasser
 * 10) 9- Jeff Ward

Firestone Indy 225
This race was held on April 21 at Nazareth Speedway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 2) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 3) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 4) 24- Sarah Fisher
 * 5) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 6) 44- Alex Barron
 * 7) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 8) 98- Billy Boat
 * 9) 99- Anthony Lazzaro
 * 10) 12- Shigeaki Hattori

86th Indianapolis 500
The Indy 500 was held on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bruno Junqueira sat on pole. The race end was one of the most controversial in history as Paul Tracy passed Hélio Castroneves just as the yellow was coming out for a crash. Race officials ruled that the pass occurred after the yellow.

Top ten results
 * 1) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 2) 26- Paul Tracy
 * 3) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 4) 44- Alex Barron
 * 5) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 6) 20- Richie Hearn
 * 7) 39- Michael Andretti
 * 8) 31- Robby Gordon
 * 9) 9- Jeff Ward
 * 10) 6- Gil de Ferran

Boomtown 500
This race was held on June 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 9- Jeff Ward
 * 2) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 3) 14- Airton Daré
 * 4) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 5) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 6) 12- Shigeaki Hattori
 * 7) 98- Billy Boat
 * 8) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 9) 99- Richie Hearn
 * 10) 44- Alex Barron

Radisson Indy 225
This race was held on June 16 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 2) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 3) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 4) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 5) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 6) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 7) 34- Laurent Rédon
 * 8) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 9) 14- Airton Daré
 * 10) 44- Alex Barron

SunTrust Indy Challenge
This race was held on June 29 at Richmond International Raceway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 2) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 3) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 4) 52- Tomas Scheckter
 * 5) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 6) 14- Airton Daré
 * 7) 20- Richie Hearn
 * 8) 9- Jeff Ward
 * 9) 54- Robby McGehee
 * 10) 44- Alex Barron

Ameristar Casino Indy 200
This race was held on July 7 at Kansas Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 14- Airton Daré
 * 2) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 5) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 6) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 7) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 8) 44-Alex Barron
 * 9) 98- Billy Boat
 * 10) 20- Richie Hearn

Firestone Indy 200
This race was held on July 20 at Nashville Superspeedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 44- Alex Barron
 * 2) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 3) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 4) 20- Richie Hearn
 * 5) 12- Raul Boesel
 * 6) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 7) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 8) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 9) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 10) 7- Tony Renna

Michigan Indy 400
This race was held on July 28 at Michigan International Speedway. Tomas Scheckter won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 52- Tomas Scheckter
 * 2) 53- Buddy Rice
 * 3) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 4) 7- Tony Renna
 * 5) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 6) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 7) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 8) 23- Sarah Fisher
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 20- Richie Hearn

Belterra Casino Indy 300
This race was held on August 11 at Kentucky Speedway. Sarah Fisher won the pole, the first by a female driver in a major open wheel series.

Top ten results
 * 1) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 2) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 3) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 4) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 5) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 6) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 7) 78- Tony Renna
 * 8) 23- Sarah Fisher
 * 9) 44- Alex Barron
 * 10) 24- Robbie Buhl

Gateway Indy 250
This race was held on August 25 at Gateway International Raceway. Gil de Ferran won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 6- Gil de Ferran
 * 2) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 3) 44- Alex Barron
 * 4) 52- Buddy Rice
 * 5) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 6) 24- Robbie Buhl
 * 7) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 8) 12- Raul Boesel
 * 9) 2- Vitor Meira
 * 10) 51- Eddie Cheever

Delphi Indy 300
This race was held on September 8 at Chicagoland Speedway. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 2) 7- Al Unser, Jr.
 * 3) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 4) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 5) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 6) 21- Felipe Giaffone
 * 7) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 8) 2- Vitor Meira
 * 9) 52- Buddy Rice
 * 10) 15- Dan Wheldon

Chevy 500
This race was held on September 15 at Texas Motor Speedway. Vitor Meira won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 4- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 2) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 3) 2- Vitor Meira
 * 4) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 5) 44- Alex Barron
 * 6) 52- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 8) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 9) 78- Tony Renna
 * 10) 34- Laurent Rédon

Final points standings
In every race, points are awarded to drivers on the following basis:
 * 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.