HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- For a series that some didn't think would last through it's first year, the Indy Racing League begins its seventh season of competition in Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami with more momentum than ever.

Practice begins Thursday and a 28-car field is expected for Saturday's 200-mile race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with its strongest group of teams ever. The competition level has been raised dramatically by Team Penske's decision to leave CART and join the IRL full-time at the end of last year.

Just a few weeks ago, Chip Ganassi Racing followed with a full-time IRL team featuring Jeff Ward as the driver. And just last week, Al Unser Jr. was hired at Kelley Racing after it fired 1999 IRL champion Greg Ray without ever driving a race for the team.

Other newcomers include Alex Barron, who will drive a Dallara/Chevrolet for Blair Racing, another team owner that decided to leave CART and join the IRL. And team owner Mo Nunn, long an outspoken critic of the IRL, has decided to field teams in both CART and the IRL with Felipe Giaffone, the 2001 Rookie of the Year, driving for Nunn's IRL operation.

Combine those newcomers with such IRL mainstays as Buddy Lazier, the 2000 series champion and 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner; Scott Sharp, the 1996 IRL co-champion and 2001 Indy 500 pole-winner; Eddie Cheever, the 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner; Sam Hornish Jr., the 2001 series champoin and the rising talent of Jaques Lazier and the IRL has its most power-packed lineup ever.

When the green flag drops at Homestead, much of the attention will be on Penske's two red-and-white Marlboro cars driven by reigning two-time CART champion Gil de Ferran and defending Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

"I'm very excited about running at Homestead-Miami Speedway again as it is sort of a home race for me," said de Ferran, who lives up the road in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "I really like the track, and I've had some good runs there; but I've never come up with the ultimate prize, so I feel I have some unfinished business. Marlboro Team Penske tested there recently, and we've been doing our homework, so I'm hopeful we'll perform well at the season opener."

Castroneves is anxious to compete in the series after winning the IRL's biggest race last May.

"We had a very productive test at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier this week so I'm optimistic about our performance in the Grand Prix of Miami," Castroneves said. "We ran some long runs as part of our final preparation for the race, and I'm happy to say that the Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet was both consistent and reliable. We're continuing to learn about the new equipment at each test, and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable in the car.

"On a personal note, I'm really looking forward to kicking off the IRL season in my hometown -- it will be great to race again in front of my friends and family and to sleep in my own bed."

Giaffone can also commute from his Miami home and has been one of the fastest drivers in pre-season testing for Mo Nunn Racing. Giaffone joined the team after winning the rookie title for Treadway-Hubbard Racing.

"It's a new year with a new team, for me, but the goal stays the same -- to win races," Giaffone said. "It's a new team for me, but they've all been around for a while, and it's really their third year together as a team. They have a lot of experience. Morris (Nunn, team owner) brings a lot of experience to the table. It's a new car for them to work with, but we have had a good off-season testing, and I think we can be strong from the very first race.

"Homestead is a neat track. I love it a lot. It's windy, from time to time, and that changes the track a lot, just like Indy. The weather really has an effect on the track, and you know that in South Florida the weather changes all the time. There's a lot of room to race, and with this IRL formula, we have enough downforce to make good passes out there. I feel good coming back to Homestead with my new team. I have a full year of experience, now, and we're ready to push for a win every weekend."

When Barron takes the track for his first full season in the IRL, he will be doing it on familiar territory. It's the same track where Barron made his CART debut two years ago.

"My goal for Miami is to get Blair Racing on the podium," Barron said. "My goal for the season is to run strong and win the championship."

While Barron, de Ferran and Castroneves represent the new look to the IRL, Lazier is the series' all-time victory leader and represents its past. He remains one of the IRL's fiercest racers and is determined to show the newcomers he means business.

"I think we, as competitors, are excited about the 2002 season opener in Miami," Lazier said. "The Homestead-Miami track is a beautiful racing facility, not to mention the weather is nice this time of year. From a competitor's point of view, this track is very challenging in terms of getting a hold of the track and finding the right race setup. The long-radius, flat corners provide a particular challenge but make for great racing. This is a great place to start the season, and it sure would be nice to drive into Victory Lane at Miami.

"My team remains unchanged, which is great because we work so well together. Our off-season testing was successful, especially at the Test in the West. We definitely look forward to hopefully having our best season yet."

Lazier may not have to look far for another fierce competitor on the track. All he needs to do is look at his younger brother, Jaques, who drives for Team Menard.

"I think the goal for Team Menard and for myself is to come out to Miami and have a strong showing, win the pole and win the race - this is what we do, and this is why we come to the track," Jaques Lazier said. "Our big push is to continue the momentum we had at the end of last year where we ran very well, won a race and were a threat each weekend we rolled the car onto a track. Getting out of the gate fast at Homestead with a great result is important to this team in that respect. I want to build momentum early.

"We know we can win. It's a matter of grasping that consistency each race weekend and working on being in the hunt when the race begins to wind down."