If Alex Lloyd is successful in turning his 2007 Indy Pro Series championship season into a full-time IndyCar ride, he will break a trend that has to date seen drivers from the so-called “feeder series” eventually starve.
Only A.J. Foyt IV has been able to win an IPS title one year and stay in IndyCar, but the 2002 IPS champion had a little help. His grandfather, A.J. Foyt, gave him his first ride from 2003-2005. After a failed attempt at NASCAR in 2006, Foyt returned as part of the three-car Vision Racing team.
Roger Bailey is in charge of the Indy Pro Series and believes that Lloyd has all the ingredients to become a successful IndyCar driver.
“Unfortunately it’s a step that is beyond our control,” Bailey said. “The bigger picture is, are we going to have new teams and owners in the big series (IndyCar) in 2008? If we are, there is a good possibility of guys like Alex Lloyd, Wade Cunningham and Jay Howard getting rides. But as long as the demand for seats is higher than the supply, it’s difficult.”
Bailey pointed out the era in CART when drivers such as Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Rick Mears and others who continued to race — there was a glut of drivers from the old Indy Lights Series that didn’t get a chance to move up.
“Suddenly, the flood gates opened and we got drivers like Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves getting a chance because we had a lot of drivers retire and these seats become available,” Bailey said. “The first guy that went anywhere in Lights was Paul Tracy. As the older guys retired, the Lights guys got a shot.
“The problem we have with the current IndyCar Series is there are very few if any old drivers. This is all the generation that came from Indy Lights and they may be around for the next five to 10 years. The only opportunity we have to move up Alex Lloyd or Cunningham or Howard is to form new teams.”
Bailey is hopeful that new teams, such as a revived Team Green featuring Barry Green and his brother Kim, who would sell his interest in Andretti Green Racing to partners Michael Andretti and Kevin Savoree, or the return of Steve Horne to the sport, could create some opportunities for top Pro Series drivers.
“Those are the guys we need back, guys like Barry Green and Steve Horne. We could be back to 24 or 26 IndyCars in a heartbeat,” Bailey said. “I think it has to happen next year. I’ve been here for seven years now and this is the best I’ve ever felt about the League.
“Alex has spoken to a few good teams and now that the season is over, when everything falls into place, you might see the little pieces fall into place,” Bailey said. “I think there is an opportunity for Alex to get one of the quality rides.”