In a move calculated to imbue the 2002 Indy Racing League Championship with some of the cache and excitement normally associated only with endurance racing, Tony George announced several revisions to the 2002 IRL schedule at a brief press conference in Richmond, VA.

"We've expanded our schedule for next year to include 54 races," explained Chief Steward Brian Barnhart. "This helps us accomplish several goals, even beyond the unprecedented attention and excitement that will surround the release of each event's entry list. We've seen some of that this season already; the fans are on the edge of their collective seat. Will my favorite team show up this week? How many tubs does Walker have left? Is it better to skip practice rather than risk popping another tub into the cheap seats? It's going to take a lot of strategy and cunning, a careful marshalling of resources, to make it to the end of the season to be crowned the Last Team Standing."

"Of course, the season could be potentially shorter if we're able to crown the Last Team earlier than the 54th event, but we're confident that the number of races run will be well into the double digits."

A radiant Tony George spake of the other benefits embodied in the new schedule. "Lo, Verily, cast down thine eyes and hear us as we impart tidings of the largess we bestow upon thee, even as the goatherd strikes down the adder while filling his codpiece with hornets! Even as we restrain fiery laser beams from streaming from our eye and obliterating thee, thou unworthy wretches!" At this point, Mr. George gestured for a glass of water and cleared his throat. "Umm, sorry, umm. Uh, just to expand on Brian's discussion, we also see the expanded schedule as an undeniable sign of growth for the Indy Racing League. With the sort of exposure made available by the sheer, raw bulk of events, we'll provide even greater opportunities for both the IRL and our teams to attract sponsors, and we'll really bulk up on our standing in the James Joyce report."

Barnhart elaborated on the specifics of the new schedule in response to questions from several attendees. "We were able to include this number of events only by throwing out some of the conventional assumptions about race weekends. The new schedule includes eight back-to-back Saturday and Sunday events and five Friday, Saturday and Sunday events, one of which is at Michigan. Can you imagine the excitement we'll generate with a three-night stand at Michigan, three back-to-back 300 milers? What are the odds that any given team could survive a weekend like that, with three separate qualifications and Greg Ray in the field?"

"We're also pleased that by taking this step we'll have made it functionally impossible for any other racing series to stage any additional races on an American oval. No matter how lowly or remote the track, when Joe Heitzler calls he'll hear the same thing: Sorry, we've been rented for that weekend, too. I'd give anything to see the look on his face."