AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Phoenix International Raceway is shooting for an earlier date for its IndyCar race.

"It might not be for the 2004 season," track president Bryan Sperber said Sunday. "It could be much further down the line, maybe 2005, 2006 or 2007."

The IndyCar history of the 1-mile raceway began March 22, 1964, and none since then has been held earlier than March 11, which happened in 1979.

Sperber said a move to February would help several ways, including avoiding conflicts with the practice games of 12 major league baseball teams that train in Arizona.

"It's not just that," he said. "March is just a very busy month in Phoenix. There's a lot of activity going on. We have a lot of winter visitors from the Midwest, and this would help their travel plans."

If the Indy Racing League approves, the Phoenix race might open the schedule. The traditional season-opener at Florida's Homestead-Miami Speedway is usually run the first weekend in March.

"We will work with the promoter to find the best date," said Fred Nation, the IRL's vice president of corporate communications.

Gubernatorial thumbs-up
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, aware of Phoenix International Raceway's annual $272 economic boost, believes it might be worthwhile to use state funds to improve lighting at the track and upgrade approach roads.

"In my view, sometimes you've got to spend a little money to make a lot of money," Napolitano said. She said the biggest boon from such improvements could be the addition of a second NASCAR Winston Cup race to the schedule.

"We are going to compete for that just as, later this week, we'll compete to get a Super Bowl here," the governor said, referring to the state's plan to go after the Super Bowl in 2007 or 2008. Ground will be broken next month on a high-tech stadium for the Arizona Cardinals.

Dixon on ovals

	Dixon

Scott Dixon's second IRL race wasn't close to being the happy experience of the first.

The 22-year-old New Zealander, who won in Florida on March 2, failed in his quest for back-to-back victories when his car developed engine problems and he left the race after 43 laps.

Dixon, who drove for Chip Ganassi's Team Target in CART last season and moved to the IRL along with the team, still has an admirable record on ovals for someone with a CART background on road courses.

Dixon has finished in the top 10 in 11 of his 15 races on the ovals.

Hard-luck Sarah

	Fisher

One incident in the pits cost Sarah Fisher a crew member, and the second cost her chance to become the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

Mike Fisher, the driver's cousin and left-rear-wheel handler, hurt his left leg during a pit stop 48 laps into the Indy 200. He was taken to a Phoenix hospital, where X-rays proved negative.

The left side of the pit cost the driver again when she pushed leader and eventual winner Tony Kanaan for 32 laps. Fisher pitted during a caution, and got the go-ahead to leave before the left front tire was locked on. The lost time dropped her from second to 13th, and she worked her way back to eighth by the end.

Fisher was second at Homestead, Fla., in 2001, her best finish in 34 IRL races.