Pretty Predictable; Team Penske is making it look easy.(Indy Racing League)(Brief Article)

Last year, in what was then a peaceful moment in the Indy Racing League paddock, race team owner Tom Kelley issued a warning to any competitor listening. ``Be careful what you wish for.'' Kelley was talking that day about the league-shaking impact Team Penske would have on the still-green IRL. Like on budgets, generally, and speed, specifically. And, of course, results. He knew poles, laps led, wins and championships would go Roger Penske's way. That's what most of the past 30 years have been like for the mega-operation based in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Today, with the Marlboro-sponsored drivers 1-2 in their first IRL title hunt, Kelley looks like a prophet. Of course, it wasn't difficult, was it? As the IRL recently reached its halfway point, Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran were dominating the statistical categories in their first tries as league regulars. Castroneves had two wins, including his second straight Indianapolis 500, and a 32-point lead over de Ferran, his fellow Brazilian hotshot. De Ferran had a win, a dominating effort at Pikes Peak, and another which should have been (he lost the Nazareth race on the last lap when he ran out of fuel). De Ferran also led the IRL with 340 laps led. Neither driver has put a wheel off course.

``They're doing the right things,'' said third-place Sam Hornish Jr., who won last year's IRL championship and is the only driver to consistently keep the Team Penske boys honest in 2002. ``Their cars are fast, they're not making mistakes and they're finishing races.''

How good has Team Penske been? Consider this: Hornish delivered the closest thing to a perfect season last year, winning three times and recording only one finish outside the top six. He had 269 points after the seventh race en route to 503 for the season. Going into the June 30 Richmond race, Castroneves was on his pace this year and then some. He ...