NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- If you've followed motorsports for any length of time, it's almost unthinkable. In human terms, it's like Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt buying a time share condo together or maybe Robby Gordon and Jeff Gordon double dating.

The news here Saturday wasn't unexpected, just very hard to imagine: Ford and General Motors on the same team.

Starting with the next Indy Racing League show July 27 at Michigan, Ford-owned Cosworth Engineering will be powering two-time IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. Oh sure, the engine will be called the Gen IV Chevy Indy V-8 and all the people associated with the program will be wearing Chevrolet shirts.

But the truth is that Chevy's current IRL engine is a dog with no bite. Until Saturday night's race, Hornish nor any other Chevy driver had led a lap of competition this season and GM had no immediate answers. The only quick fix was to swallow its pride and ask for help from its arch rival.

Ford, which supplies all the turbocharged engines for the CART Champ Car series, had comissioned Cosworth to build a normally-aspirated IRL engine when it appeared CART would change rules to the IRL specs. But it didn't happen so Cosworth had an IRL-approved engine just sitting around and Chevrolet had a problem.

"I don't look at this as a Ford project just beause they happen to own Cosworth," said Joe Negri, IRL program manager for GM. "It's no different than Honda and Ilmor teamming up. Ford isn't competing here and this is good business for Cosworth.

"We're going to be sharing development with Cosworth and learning with them and this is all very positive for General Motors."

	Sam Hornish Jr.'s Chevy-powered car will be the first to get the new 'Chevy' engine, made by Ford-owned Cosworth.

Obviously, the GM drivers (Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Robbie Buhl, Vitor Meira, Buddy Rice and Hornish) could use anything resembling good news. They have been 5-7 mph slower at many tracks this year yet Hornish tested the Gen IV (or Gen Ford as it's being called) recently at Kansas City and went quick enough to have been in the second row of qualifying.

"It's no fun pounding around all day five mph slower and I knew at our very first test at Miami last winter we were in trouble," said Rice, who drives for Eddie Cheever's Red Bull team.

"I know this new engine is unproven but it sounds like it's been good in testing and I'd much rather try something new than stay where we're at right now. It will at least give us a chance to show our chassis was competitive."

Hornish will debut the Gen IV at Michigan next weekend, Rice is scheduled to be added to the lineup the following race at St. Louis and all the Chevy teams will have new power by Kentucky (Aug. 17). The IRL said the pecking order was based on current points and, although the Chevy teams all wanted the engine at the same time, it wasn't feasible.

"It seems about as fair as anything Brian (Barnhart, IRL vice president of operations) could come up with," said longtime car owner John Menard, who has had a relationship with Chevrolet since 1987. "I guess we'll know in a couple of weeks if the performance is there.

"If not, GM made a large error going with Ford."

Barnhart admitted the IRL's new power brokers, Toyota and Honda, created this NASCAR-like mid-season adjustment.

"This is unprecedented in IRL history," said Barnhart. "Toyota and Honda joined the series and raised the bar of competition and it's clear all year GM has faced a points deficiency.

"This is a request to alter their specs and it's in the best interests of all partners involved, Toyota, Honda, GM, sponsors, that they are allowed to make this change as soon as possible."

It's also imperative that GM show something to its current customers or it won't have any by 2004.

"GM has always treated me very well and I haven't made any comments all year," said Ron Hemelgarn, an original IRL owner who campaigns Buddy Lazier. "But it's been a bad year for GM and one of my worst years, but there is nothing I can do.

"It's a very sensitive situation and GM had to eat crow. But this says to me that GM really wants to keep playing."

The Hornish Watch
Earlier this week, Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced it was abandoning its pursuit of Hornish because, simply, he didn't seem that interested in NASCAR's 36-race grind.

The two-time IRL champion has also been rumored to be headed to Roger Penske's IRL team next year but his current team and engine manufacturer claim they're still very much in the picture.

"I really think Sam will stay with us," said Gary Pedigo, one of the co-owners of Pennzoil Panther Racing. "Obviously, it depends on whether Sam wants to be with Penske or Michael Andretti's team but he knows we want him and we've had a lot of success together."

It's believed Hornish has a personal services contract with General Motors and Negri was asked if his company would try to "entice" the 24-year-old star to stay with the Bow Tie Brigade?

"Why wouldn't we," he replied. "We are significantly involved in that whole process and Sam is critical to the future of our IRL program. He's clean-cut, has the right values and is the perfect age for our demographics.

"He is perfect for Chevrolet."

It's believed Toyota and Honda currently help with driver's salaries but this might be a new deal for Chevy. Hornish is thought to be making less than $400,000 this year but has retained the agent of Mario and Michael Andretti (Jon Caponigro) to cut him the lucerative deal he deserves.

Hornish said he'll make his decision next month but it's looking more and more like the IRL gets to keep its most exciting young star.

Robin Miller covers open wheel racing for ESPN and ESPN.com.