The 2002IRLInfiniti Pro Series was the first season of the series, which served as the first official developmental series to the Indy Racing League. The Infiniti Pro Series is considered a direct continuation of the original CART-owned Indy Lights series, which operated for 16 years from 1986 to 2001. While the formation of the Pro Series was independent, CART announced shortly after that Indy Lights would fold after the 2001 season. The Pro Series would later adopt the Indy Lights name in 2008 when IndyCar bought the intellectual property from CART, and was subsequently renamed Indy NXT in 2023.
The Infiniti Pro Series was first announced on September 1, 2001, with the aim to streamline the path into IRL competition and provide a training ground for aspiring drivers, This initiative was particularly aimed at addressing competitors from the USAC ranks were having a harder time transitioning directly into the IRL in previous years. The season started in the summer of 2002, with a reduced all-oval seven race schedule over two months towards an extended calendar in 2003.[1]
The series had a target budget of $800.000 per season and per car, with featuring a spec Dallara IL-02 chassis and an engine package provided by Infiniti. British builder TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) developed a 3.5 L version of the V8 engine used in the Infiniti Q45, which produced 420 horsepower (310 kW).
A. J. Foyt IV, the youngest driver in the field, was the inaugural champion in a car owned by his legendary, grandfather A. J. Foyt. As of 2023, Foyt IV holds the record as the youngest Indy NXT champion of all time dating back to 1986, at 18 years and three months of age. Foyt IV won four of the seven races, including the inaugural event at Kansas, and was crowned at the final race in Texas against the American-born Dutch driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. The son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk had four second-place finishes, but no wins, finishing behind Cory Witherill at Nashville, Ryan Hampton at Gateway and Aaron Fike at Chicagoland.
Former IRL drivers Cory Witherill, Ronnie Johncox, and Dave Steele participated in the championship, alongside full-time IRL teams A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Kelley Racing, Hemelgarn Racing and Sam Schmidt Motorsports, although Kelley Racing withdrew from the championship after actor-turned-driver Jason Priestley was seriously injured in a warm-up crash at Kentucky Speedway. The series started with 12 cars at its first round, and the field was up to 16 drivers for the events at Michigan and Kentucky. Eight drivers took part in every round, with three others contesting all but one event.
The initial schedule for the Infiniti Pro Series was announced on February 2, 2002.[25] Competition started halfway through the Indy Racing League season, which the Infiniti Pro Series accompanied at all of its final seven events, with all events being held on ovals. Kansas, Gateway and Texas had all been featured in the last season of Indy Lights competition, which had last visited Michigan in 2000, while Nashville, Kentucky and Chicagoland held an open-wheel feeder series race for the first time.
A. J. Foyt IV
Marty Roth[5]
Arie Luyendyk Jr.[6]
Rolando Quintanilla[14]
Matthew Halliday[9]