The 15-race IRL schedule kicks off this weekend at Homestead, Fla. Here's a glance at what to expect out of some of the league's drivers in 2002:

Drivers to Watch
Sam Hornish Jr.
Until someone beats him on a regular basis, Hornish and his Pennzoil Panther team is the team to beat in the IRL. Hornish may have only won three times last year, but with the exception of Indianapolis, he was a factor at every race on the schedule. Hornish has developed a steady style polished by the tutelage Pancho Carter. There is little this team needs to change. When Hornish gets to Indianapolis, watch out. Hornish feels his early spin "gave" the race to Helio Castroneves. "I think about Indy every day" is the way Hornish refers to his "500" gaffe.

Buddy Lazier
Hornish said it best: "Buddy Lazier is the toughest competition we have." Lazier has all the same equipment that propelled Hornish to take Lazier's IRL title. The Vail, Colo., native is blindingly quick. The team has worked hard in the off-season, getting the package right so as to avoid a repeat of the slow start last season (20th at Homestead). Lazier has nothing to prove. He has established himself on the league's top rung and won't be getting off it anytime soon.

Scott Sharp
Sharp gets a new teammate in Al Unser Jr. He also gets a team that has upgraded its personnel. Last season was the first at Kelley Racing for many of the guys that wrenched Sharp's cars. It also was a development year for Kelley and Roger Penske's Ilmore engine partnership. Engine teething problems are behind them and continuity should help. Jeff Britton's engineering influence will increase this team's success.

Helio Castroneves
Of Roger Penske's two drivers, Castroneves should be the first to succeed. His performance at Indy was less dominating than most think. Instead, it was a display of tenacity coupled with excellent pit work. Castroneves enjoys the close quarters the IRL style of racing produces. He will not back away from another driver's attempts to intimidate him.

Eddie Cheever
Cheever keeps saying his rowdy band of pirates has expanded into a well disciplined army. The addition of Tomas Scheckter will help RT&D for the team. TWR's influence and the continued development of the Infiniti engine coupled with the cash infusion from sponsor Red Bull put Cheever's outfit in the best shape it has been since it's inception.

Sleepers
Tomas Scheckter
When Red Bull Cheever Indy Racing named Scheckter as its second driver, general manager Dick Caron said, "The speed at which Tomas adapted to oval racing is impressive. After only one day of testing at Las Vegas, he went to California Speedway and was fastest of the day in the Test in the West. At the more technical Phoenix oval, his European training allowed him to work efficiently with our engineers producing times in the top five."

Alex Barron
Barron's IRL debut last season is not a good indicator of this driver's abilities. Larry Blair learned quickly of Barron's prowess when he picked him to finish out the CART season last year. The de facto limit on testing (through the IRL's and Firestone's tire allotment policy) might slow Barron's early progress, but the IRL's rules package favors quick assimilation of what Barron needs to succeed.

Drivers on the hot seat
Al Unser Jr.
Kelley Racing is undoubtedly the best operation Unser has driven for since he parted company with Roger Penske. During the off-season while ride hunting, Unser revealed he had gone into serious training, shaping up, losing 30 pounds and building his stamina. Privately, Unser was miffed at the perception people had that he wasn't in shape. "What's the most challenging track in the IRL series?" Unser rhetorically asked a fellow driver. "St. Louis was his answer and I reminded him that I won at St. Louis."

Eliseo Salazar
A.J. Foyt has Donnie Beechler and a lot of faith in the sprint car star. Foyt blamed a lot of the team's disappointing performance last season on a lackluster engine program. But insiders point to Salazar as part of the problem. Reportedly Foyt was not happy when Salazar told him, "We were the best IRL car out there," after finishing seventh in last year's Indy 500. Foyt fumed because he wanted a win -- not "Best in Class."

Rising stars
Jaques Lazier
Throughout his career, Lazier has lived in his brother's shadow. He has squeezed every bit out of whatever IRL ride he found himself strapped into. This is the first season Lazier does not find himself worrying about the ultimate solvency of the team he is contracted to drive for.

Felipe Giaffone
Mo Nunn knows how to win championships. Just ask Alex Zanardi. Nunn was the engineering and managerial point guard for Chip Ganassi Racing during Zanardi's CART title years. Since starting his own operation, Nunn has been hampered by rising costs and diminishing sponsorship. Brazilian Tobacco giant Hollywood has cured that malady.

Fading fast
Sarah Fisher
She is the most popular driver in the IRL. Her Walker Racing car is sponsorless and sitting out the first race of the year. Fisher could easily get another ride, but has elected to stay loyal to Walker.

Airton Dare
Little has been heard from the Brazilian Jet Ski champion. One year ago he was a very hot property, but under contract to an under-funded Team Xtreme. This season, he is cruising pit areas helmet in hand.

Something to prove
Gil de Ferran
No one would blame de Ferran if he would have preferred to remain in CART and defend his title. But as a contracted driver for Penske, the two-time CART champion goes where the Captain goes. De Ferran's performances will be scrutinized by those that want to continue a CART-IRL comparison. De Ferran is an outstanding road racer. With no right turns on this year's IRL schedule, de Ferran will have to polish his oval skills.

Donnie Beechler
Last season, Beechler started out without a ride. After a Indy-only Foyt drive, he went from race to race driving for Foyt and concerned with keeping the equipment whole and having a ride for the next race. This year, "Big Daddy" is in Foyt's "First Chair" and ready to win his first IRL race.