Rising star: Aaron Fike.(Brief Article)

AARON FIKE'S FIRST USAC victory put him in the record books. When the 18-year-old won the USAC Silver Crown feature at Richmond International Raceway in June 2001, he became the youngest winner in the history of the division. That feat carries an extra aura of significance because Jeff Gordon held the previous record. "It was easily the biggest win of my life," says Fike. "I've received more attention for winning that one race than the six or seven Midget races or any of the Sprint Car races that I've won."

This year, Fike is looking to make a new type of history. He's running for the inaugural championship in the Infiniti Pro Series, the developmental series that debuted at Kansas Speedway in June. Fike is driving a car fielded by Hemelgarn Racing, which has earned an Indianapolis 500 victory and IRL championship with driver Buddy Lazier. "I'm with a good team, and I think it will be a good deal for me," says Fike.

The new series couldn't have come at a better time for the Galesburg, Ill., native. He passed his first IRL test last December at Atlanta, but that race left him with some concerns. "I was comfortable in the car, running 210 mph, but I don't know if I'm ready to do that in traffic," he says. "That's the good thing about the Infiniti Pro Series--it's about 20 mph slower than an Indy Car. I can start here and get used to this type of car. Indy Cars and the Infiniti Pro Series cars are rear-engined, with a lot of downforce. I'm used to racing Silver Crown cars, Sprint Cars, and ...