Renna

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Renna believed he had the opportunity of a lifetime when he joined the IRL Target/Chip Ganassi Racing team earlier this month.

The 26-year-old driver never got a chance to fulfill that opportunity as he was killed just a few laps into his first test with the team Wednesday morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Renna was behind the wheel of the team's G Force/Toyota in a Firestone tire test at the 2½-mile oval. As the driver from Deland, Fla., was bringing up the tire temperatures and the car up to speed, he lost control. The car went airborne in the third turn, cleared the safety barrier and ripped into the fence.

It was a sudden end to what seemed like a promising start. In addition to hooking up with Ganassi, Renna was to be married next month. Less than 24 hours before Wednesday's fateful crash, he watched teammate and IRL champion Scott Dixon participate in a similar tire test and could barely contain his enthusiasm.

"I'm very excited to join this team," he said. "There probably are a lot of expectations to perform, but I wouldn't be here if I wasn't able to get the job done. Chip Ganassi is pretty careful who he selects. It's very flattering for me to be here.

"There are some expectations, but I have some high expectations for myself. With the team I have here, I don't have much excuse."

Renna drove for Kelley Racing in this year's Indianapolis 500, finishing seventh. Last year, he filled in for Al Unser Jr. and made six starts, posting a season-best fourth at Michigan.

Renna drove in the Indy Lights Series from 1998-2000 and made his IRL debut two years later. A few weeks ago, he was named to replace Tomas Scheckter on the Target Chip Ganassi team for 2004.

"We had planned since the beginning of the year I would do Indy," Renna said. "It was tough not being in any other car before the Indy 500, but we did the best we could."

It was Renna's time at Kelley Racing that impressed other IRL owners and eventually led to his hiring by Ganassi.

"It's all about getting that opportunity to show yourself," Renna said. "It's no different than what Scott Dixon did at PacWest and what Sam Hornish Jr. did at PDM. That was my opportunity to be on the big stage in front of the team owners and the teams and the engineers."

Renna said he had spoken last year with Ganassi after Tom Kelley told him if there was a better opportunity available, he should take it.

"Chip was the first guy I called and it worked out from there," Renna said. "It was a week before the California race in September that I let him know I would be available and it snowballed from there."

Prophetically, Renna described the timing of his opportunity Tuesday morning in the pit area of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"There are small windows for opportunity and it's all about being at the right place at the right time," Renna said. "I tried to do everything I could to be there so when the right time came about, I was around."