Roth's resolve leads his young operation to another superspeedway
By Dave Lewandowski - indycar.com
Michigan, July 30, 2006

Marty and Margaret Roth are determined to see Roth Racing succeed on and off the track. Photo by: Chris Jones

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Introducing Marty Roth.

Sure, it’s the same Torontonian who was a stalwart competitor in the Indy Pro Series and made consecutive Indianapolis 500 starts. And, yes, it’s the same entrepreneur whose Bump Day practice bump with the SAFER Barrier cost him an opportunity to crash this year’s 500-Mile Race party.

But, in a way, the Marty Roth who will start 17^th in the Firestone Indy 400 at Michigan International Speedway is different.

Passion for competing against the IndyCar Series’ best has remained a constant in the two months since the transporter was somberly loaded at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It led to private testing at the Indy Racing League's behest at Kansas Speedway and MIS -- efforts that underscored Roth's resolve. Positive results in the form of a stable car and consistent laps have brought him to the 2-mile superspeedway with a goal of laying the groundwork for growth.

The short-term ignominy of cracking the starting grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” (just ask Roger Penske) will be tempered if the team develops into a consistently competitive entry. The man behind the wheel, whose name also graces the transporter and checks, isn’t prone to doubt or recede into another form of motorsports.

“I’ve been racing since I was 16 years old,” said Roth, who turned a qualifying lap of 210.502 mph in the No. 25 Honda-powered Dallara. “Racing is not an ego sport; it’s a shame sport. I can count maybe 10 races in my life that were spectacular. Other than that, it’s the agony of defeat all the time.

“It’s challenging us out here, fighting and digging deeper. That’s what racing is all about to me. It’s brought me to here. We have a chance to develop a team and take it out of a backyard situation and compete against some of the bigger teams. I’ve always been into open-wheel racing. It’s a passion for me and where I want to be.

“Racing around in cars with fenders doesn’t interest me. I like getting in these open-wheel F-16s and fly around the racetracks.”

Roth entered the Indy Pro Series, initially competing in a car prepared by longtime friend and successful series team owner Brian Stewart. In 33 races, he had 23 top-10 finishes and was running at the finish in 28 races. The high-water mark was a runner-up finish at Chicagoland Speedway last September. But it became apparent to Roth and his wife Margaret – Roth Racing's president – that running a full-time Indy Pro Series program and part-time IndyCar Series effort was counter-productive.

“Back in the Month of May and the past couple of years we’ve been running two programs,” Roth said. “We’d pull the car out for the Indy 500 and be running the IPS program. We’re too lean to do that. We had an opportunity to develop this car and not be bouncing around. It’s made a big difference.

“The car we have is very stable and consistent. We wanted a car that we could fill up with fuel and finish a race, and make it as competitive as possible.”

Honing in on the IndyCar Series has allowed Roth to concentrate on developing the car with chief engineer Mark Weida and chief mechanic Dave Milby, while Margaret is developing the long-time program requirements in association with 29Sports.

“We want to build our team and the marketing aspect so we can offer a good product (to sponsors),” Roth said. “Margaret has been doing a fantastic job organizing that whole end of it. The team has been growing throughout the year even though we’ve done a minimal number of events. It’s progressing nicely.”

After Michigan – “definitely the race I didn’t want to miss this year after Indy” – the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway beckon. Roth would like to get ahead of a few IndyCar Series competitors at MIS before getting ahed of himself. The emphasis is on a full 2007 season.

“We think the Indy Racing League is a fantastic medium to do what we want,” Roth said. “It’s an honor and privilege to be out here racing with the best racers in the world. We hope to pop a few more (races) in this year. Our goal is to put together a full season for next year.”

Then, there won’t be a need for introductions.

[ Back ]