IndyCar Series

The IndyCar Series (known as the Verizon IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons) is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, introduced by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League (IRL). Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and overseas drivers, George aimed to create a lower-cost alternative. In 2008, the Verizon IndyCar Series merged with the Champ Car World Series (formerly CART). The series is sanctioned by IndyCar.
Overview
Series name
Due to the legal settlement with CART, the Indy Racing League was unable to utilize the name IndyCar until the beginning of the 2003 season. For 1996–1997, the series was simply referred to as the Indy Racing League, with no genre designation. For 1998–1999, the series garnered its first title sponsor, and was advertised as the Pep Boys Indy Racing League...