Decisions, Decisions; IRL team owners are scrambling to sign engine deals for 2003.(Indy Racing League, planning for the 2003 season)(Brief Article)

With the first of Toyota's new Indy Racing League engines track testing July 22 comes the realization that 2003 is just the throw of a camshaft away. And not surprisingly, teams have begun load-ing up.

Toyota has signed series points-leader Team Penske, Kelley Racing and Ganassi Racing as customers. General Motors has inked defending league champion Panther Racing, 2000 winner Hemelgarn Racing, Blair Racing, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and, as of Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway, Team Menard. That leaves Honda and the backbone of the soon-to-crumble Infiniti camp, not to mention whatever CART programs switch to Tony George's league, if any.

``There's a lot going on,'' says Eddie Cheever Jr., who owns a multi-car IRL team. ``Some of it still needs to be sorted out. But it's shaping up, isn't it?''

Yes, it is. And given the uncertainty of having up to three new engine manufacturers in 2003, no one is sure if the decisions made this summer will be the right ones come spring. Most team contracts will be for three years (the length of time the manufacturers committed to), although several teams have shorter deals.

Consider the options:

* GM is the incumbent, it's been in the IRL since the CART equipment was dropped after the 1996 season. Chevy's 2003 model went to the dyno last week. But some owners worry about GM's ability and financial commitment to keep up with the incoming Japanese, whose history is to knock the living yen out of each other. GM has never gone head-to-head with Toyota and Honda in motorsports and probably doesn't comprehend what Toyota and Honda will bring. ``You'll get more for your money with [the Japanese],'' said small-team owner Sam Schmidt. ``They'll be your marketing partner and your advertising partner. And the engine support will be more than we're getting right now with GM.''

GM's Joe Negri insisted his company will meet any bar the competition sets. And unlike the secretive lease programs that Toyota and Honda encourage, GM claims it prefers to work under the present IRL system of selling its engines to builders. However, one of this year's Chevy team owners, who refuses to be identified until he secures an engine package for 2003, says GM's system is flawed. He insists GM plays favorites that is reminiscent of the worst days of CART, when only the board of directors got the top goods. GM's favorite: Panther Racing. ``It's ridiculous, and ...