P R E S S   R E L E A S E S

Roth Points To Running Full Time In 2005 Season
By Dave Lewandowski - www. indyracing.com
Wednesday Oct. 6, 2004

Brian Stewart didn’t need to sell Marty Roth on the idea of getting behind the wheel of his No. 3 Infiniti-powered Dallara for the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series™ California 100.

Because of mutual trust and respect between the longtime friends and motorsports companions, Roth quickly accepted the invitation to get back in the game.

“I love the guy and I really appreciate him getting me back out here,” said Roth, who started and finished 11th at California Speedway on Oct. 2. “I definitely missed the IRL.”

It was Roth’s first competition since the 88th Indianapolis 500 on May 30, in which the rookie drove the No. 25 Roth Racing Dallara/Toyota/Firestone to a 24th-place finish. A week earlier, he finished 16th in the Futaba Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 4 Roth Racing entry.

Roth sold his Menards Infiniti Pro Series car – which he purchased from 2003 Series champion Panther Racing at the end of the season – to Roquin Motorsports this summer. But his IRL IndyCar® Series car is being prepared for exercise in 2005. Competing in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” fueled his desire to field a full-time and fully funded entry in the IndyCar Series.

“We’re working hard to get a sponsor for our IndyCar team,” said Roth, a Canadian real estate developer whose team is based in Indianapolis. “I’m looking predominantly in Canada. I’m really trying to turn Canadians on to the IRL because we don’t have superspeedways in Canada, and anybody who has come down and seen a race has said how fantastic it is. Hopefully, one day the IRL will be up there.

“Right now, we’re sitting with a team ready to go. If sponsors don’t show up, we’ll definitely be at Indy, and I’ll be popping in an out of the Menards Infiniti Pro Series.”

In the No. 4 Roth Racing entry, he also placed seventh in the Menards Infiniti Pro Series opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway and 10th at Phoenix International Raceway. Even with little seat time, Roth was pleased with the response of the No. 3 car at the 2-mile D-shaped California Speedway oval.

“They do a fantastic job of getting the car together,” Roth said of Stewart Racing, which is based in Sutton, Ontario. “I brought (team manager and race engineer) Mark Moore along to put our setup on the car. It’s a lot of fun.

“I’ve said that if you can’t race an IndyCar Series car then the next best car is a Menards Infiniti Pro Series car. It’s great racing and the cars are so much fun to drive.”

Roth and Stewart could joke that it was just like the old days. After racing in various classes of motorcycles from 1975-82, Roth made his Canadian Formula Ford 2000 series debut in 1987 and his Indy Lights debut at Toronto in 1998 – both in Stewart cars. They hooked up again in 2002 – the inaugural Menards Infiniti Pro Series season.

“Prior to the Menards Infiniti Pro Series starting, I searched Brian out because I knew his background with Indy Lights,” said Roth, who competed three seasons in the series. “I sat down with Brian and said this is the series so let’s go do it together. We are longtime friends and have a great relationship.”

Stewart, whose team recorded 31 victories and two Indy Lights championships from 1998-2001, fielded a car for 12 races in 2002 and ’03 with Roth behind the wheel. They had seven top-10 finishes.

“He went his way because he wanted his own race team,” Stewart said. “We’re a little closer than old friends. I have high regards for him as a person. He’s honorable and absolutely reliable in every way.”

Spoken like a true friend.

[ BACK ]