A changing of the guard looms in Indy Racing League

Each time Sam Hornish Jr. hoists another glimmering trophy in the winner's circle, the old guard of the IRL looks as if it's lost a little more of its luster.

And, with the rise of Roger Penske's powerful team, IRL mainstays Buddy Lazier, Eddie Cheever and Scott Sharp have taken on the appearance of underdogs despite entering this season as the biggest winners in the series.

But they don't seem worried.

"It's cyclical thing," said Lazier, the IRL champion in 2000. "You can't be on every day, every week, every month." No one in IRL history was on more than Lazier in the middle of last season, when he won four times in five races. In the end, however, Hornish ran away with the title, becoming at 22 the youngest champion in the history of big-time open-wheel racing.

And Hornish is showing no signs of a letdown, winning two of the first four races this season and leading the points as he tries to become the first repeat champion in the IRL's seven-year history. Cheever wouldn't be surprised if Hornish won again, but he sees no reason to concede anything to him _ or Penske aces Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves.

"Hornish is a thoroughbred. And Roger Penske? Nobody has to explain him," said Cheever, like Lazier a former winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Unbeatable?Not quite

But Cheever, who began his career in Europe and drove in Formula One, doesn't believe Hornish is unbeatable.

"Hornish drives on the limit," Cheever said. "When you do that, two things can happen: You win a majority of the races or you start a whole rash of things, like somebody moved the wall on you." That's what happened Sunday at Nazareth Speedway, when Hornish got aggressive very early in the Firestone Indy 225. He got between Lazier and the wall as they were passing lapped cars while approaching the narrow and difficult third turn.

Lazier hit the wall after one of his wheels made contact with one of Hornish's. The accident cost Hornish 49 laps, and his points lead fell from 26 over Castroneves to just five over de Ferran.

He went from first to third Sunday when he ran out of fuel on the final lap. Castroneves finished fifth and trails the leader by nine points.

All realize their chances for success were diminished by Penske's decision to leave CART after 23 years. But they relish the opportunity to compete against his duo of defending Indy 500 champion Castroneves and two-time CART champion de Ferran.

"You welcome them because you like the attention they bring to the series," Lazier said. "And deep down inside, the competitor in you wants to beat the best." But 1996 series co-champion Sharp believes the IRL is about much more than Hornish, de Ferran and Castroneves. After winning Sunday in Nazareth, he spoke of having momentum for next month's Indianapolis 500, but cautioned that it might be only a slight advantage.

A wide-open field

"There's probably really 25 guys that can win the Indy 500 this year," he said. "That's pretty awesome." Cheever thinks the IRL championship could be decided on the final lap of the season. He also believes the Penske team could suffer when the circuit goes to tracks on which it has not raced.

Like Sharp, owner-driver Cheever sees immense talent among youthful racers such as Hornish, Jaques Lazier and his own Tomas Scheckter. At 44, he knows he's no physical match for them.

"Sure my reflexes aren't what they used to be, but neither is my aggression," Cheever said. "But my strategy is a lot better, and so is my patience." He has a strict workout regimen, but concedes that there is no substitute for youthfulness.

"You know," he said with a laugh, "I can't got out and party until 3 o'clock in the morning. I can't chase girls until six. I can't drink martinis all night.

"If I got plastered now, it would take me a week to recover."