After an unusually long offseason, the IRL IndyCar Series springs back into action for 2007 this Saturday with the XM Satellite Radio 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (8 p.m., ESPN2).
The IndyCar teams and drivers spent the last 194 days out of the public spotlight, but finally, the focus shifts to the next 169 days, during which 17 races will be contested.
With five road and street course races added to the IndyCar Series' usual mix of ovals, it's the most diverse schedule in series history.
But it's doubtful that the changes possibly could make this year's championship battle more exciting than the one from a year ago, when four drivers went to the season finale with a mathematical shot at the crown and Sam Hornish Jr. and Dan Wheldon actually ended up tied with 475 points.
The crown went to Hornish on the basis of his four race wins to Wheldon's two. It marked a record third IndyCar series title for Hornish, made all the more special by victory in his personal holy grail event, the Indianapolis 500. And not only did the Ohio native win at his beloved Indy, he did it in one of the most memorable finishes in the 90-plus year history of the Memorial Day Classic, passing uber-rookie Marco Andretti on the 200th and final lap.
With an Indy win in his pocket, Hornish has accomplished all of his goals in open-wheel racing and his future likely lies in NASCAR. But even if 2007 proves to be Super Sam's last year in IndyCars, he plans to make it memorable -- though he realizes that he and his Penske Racing teammate Helio Castroneves will face tough competition from Target Ganassi Racing (Wheldon and Scott Dixon) and Andretti Green Racing (Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick).
"You have to look at the Target cars, you're going to look at the AGR cars, and there's going to be guys that surprise you from week to week," Hornish said. "For the championship and a possible Indy 500 winner, I think it would come out of those guys.
"Then I've always got my teammate," he added. "We've got a great relationship as far as that goes, and hopefully we'll make each other better in order to keep trying to beat the competition."
Castroneves is a two-time Indianapolis winner who never has claimed a series championship, while Ganassi's Dixon (2003) and Wheldon (2005) have both carried home the IndyCar title.
"The start of the season kind of snuck up on us pretty quick, but I can't wait," said Dixon, who finished fourth in the standings last season and won two races. "I think this has been the longest offseason I have ever had so I'm pretty excited and pumped up to get started.
"We have a lot to build on. Last year was a strong year and we're looking to improve on it. Consistency will be the key and capitalizing on every opportunity. It should be a fun year."
After dominating the IndyCar Series in 2004 and 2005 with their four-car superteam, AGR faded to the second tier in 2006 and managed only two wins. Significantly, one of them was scored by rookie Andretti, who shows every sign of being as good as father Michael and grandpa Mario.
The big change at AGR this year comes in the cockpit of the No. 7 car, where fan favorite Patrick replaces development whiz Bryan Herta. Now in her third season of IndyCar competition, the pressure will increase for America's favorite female racer with every race she doesn't win.
"Everything in my stomach wants to tell me it's close, but I'm with a new team and it's a new relationship," she said. "I'm in the right spot for it to come together. When everything is right, the success will come. It's just a matter of time."
There could be a race within a race at many IndyCar Series events this year because as many as three females could be in the field.
Sarah Fisher, whose second-place finish at Homestead in 2001 remains the best finish for a woman in IRL competition, returns for a full oval campaign with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, while sports car driver Milka Duno of Venezuela hopes to make her IndyCar Series debut with SAMAX Racing.
Other drivers to change addresses include former Indy winner Buddy Rice (from Rahal Letterman Racing to Dreyer & Reinbold) and Scott Sharp (leaving Fernandez Racing to replace Rice at RLR). Darren Manning takes over the A.J. Foyt Enterprises entry, while Anthony Foyt IV will pilot a third Vision Racing machine.
The IndyCar field should average about 20 cars per race, with all competitors likely to use the Dallara chassis. A few remaining Panoz cars might surface in an attempt to fill the 33-car Indianapolis field.
On the engine front, the big news is a switch from the methanol-based fuel used since the mid-1960s to 100-percent fuel-grade ethanol. To adapt to the different burn characteristics of ethanol, the spec Honda engine has been enlarged from 3.0- to 3.5-liters, and fuel tank capacity has been reduced by 30 percent to maintain historic pit stop intervals. IndyCar races should be more pleasant for fans to experience in person this year, because exhaust silencers have been mandated.
From March to September, the racing promises to be fast and furious.
Will one of the favored prior IndyCar Series titlists repeat, or will a new face emerge at the top of the championship standings?
John Oreovicz covers open-wheel racing for National Speed Sport News and ESPN.com.