The Infiniti Pro Series is a stepping-stone to America's peak race,the Indy Car Series. The race calendar for this season includes 12 races, all to be staged on an oval track. This is a one-make race with all cars sharing the Italian-made Dallara chassis. No chassis modifications whatsoever are permitted, whether wing angle or shock absorber changes. The only modifications allowed for the teams are tire pressure, vehicle height, toe and camber angles. The cars are powered by a slightly tweaked 3.5 liter downsized racing version of the engine in the North American spec Infiniti Q45 production car which produces 450 horsepower. All engines are fully controlled by Infiniti which ensures that each team is supplied with identical specification engines. In other words, each race car is finished to the same level of performance. The bottom line is to create an environment which allows young drivers to acquire battle experience on super high speed oval tracks.

The curtain-raising event of the 2004 series has attracted entries by ten young drivers and more entrants are expected for Race Two onwards. The spotlight this season will be on drivers like Arie Luyendyk, Jr., son of an Indy 500 champion, Brazilian Thiago Medeiros in his second year after moving up from the South American Formula 3 Series, and Phil Giebler, making his Infiniti Pro Series race debut this year after moving up from the Spanish Formula 3 last year to race in the International F3000.

The race will be staged at the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) Homestead-Miami Speedway located at the southernmost tip of the Florida Peninsula. Lush stands of palm trees growing within the track grounds create a unique tropical atmosphere.

The race of the opening round, consisting of 67 laps covering 100 miles, started on Sunday at 11:40 a.m. in relatively cool conditions with the ambient temperature at 18 degrees (C) and relative humidity at 89%. In his very first pole position was second-year racer Paul Dana followed by Arie Luyendyk Jr. and then Medeiros.

Dana and Luyendyk came to blows during a struggle for the lead on Lap 22 forcing them both to retire while Medeiros skillfully turned this crash to his advantage to seize the lead. On lap 38 the red flag was suddenly raised and the race suspended. This was attributed to excessive wear on the right rear tires of many of the cars. Starting this season, the angles of the corner banks on this course have increased dramatically from six to twenty degrees. This, coupled with unexpectedly high cornering speeds resulted in extra load on the right rear tires. A high level of safety is particularly required for racing on oval tracks where the competition is head to head and at ultra-high speeds. This race suspension was further evidence of strict adherence to policy by organizers who place top priority on safety.

All vehicles changed all four tires and the race resumed from lap 41. The red flag meant that the race was reduced by two laps and contested over a total of 65 laps. From this point it became a sparring match between Medeiros and Giebler. Medeiros, who dominated last year's final, was giving his best shot at a second successive victory but Giebler was hard on his heels. By the time they reached the final five laps, the tires of both cars were starting to wear and it took Giebler a half lap to pass Medeiros. Medeiros valiantly attempted to regain the lead but tight suspension settings further contributed to tire wear, reducing his pace considerably in the final two laps.

Ultimately it was a debut victory for Giebler by an impressive margin of four seconds. This was the Giebler who had only had his first run in the Infiniti Pro Series just three weeks earlier and who had signed a contract with the team just a week earlier. "I thought a win would be good but I am overjoyed to have run such a good race. This is my very first oval race, and I'm starting to like it already." said Giebler who appears to have gained confidence with this auspicious start to the season. It is worth noting that the drivers who dominated the opener over the past two years have ended up series champion.

Race Two in the series will be held on the weekend of March 20 at the Phoenix International Raceway located in the Arizona desert area of the western United States.