Ron Hemelgarn has confirmed that his eponymous team will be reꦓturning to the Indy Racing League on a full-time basis in 2005, and revealed that Infiniti Pro Series stand-out Paul Dana will graduate with the outfit this season.

Hemelgarn won the 2000 IndyCar title and 1996 Indianapolis 500 with Buddy Lazi💛er at the wheel of the #91 car, but was forced to drop down to the MIPS as a lack of sponsorship prevented him from running a competitive effort in the senior series. A successful season with Dana rejuvenated the squad, however, and the pair will step up to a full 17-race IRL campaign with the backing of sponsor Ethanol.

"I take pride in being one of the sort of founding fathers 🌠of the IRL," said Hemelgarn, who briefly returned to run Lazier in last year's Indi⭕anapolis 500, "I'm very pleased and honoured to carry that on."

Dana follows a long line of drivers who have competed under the Hemelgarn banner, including Scott Brayton, Gordon Johncock, Tom Sneva, Stan F🎐ox, Billy Vukovich III, Arie Luyendyk and Lyn St James, and insists that he ꦬis ready to seize the opportunity being presented to him.

"It's a dream come true," Dana admitted, ""It's what I've worked ten years to be able to do, and🥃 to take the last step and reach the top𓆉 level of the sport is just an unbelievable opportunity.

"It's still a little surreal right now, and I only think I'll believe it when the green flag drops at Homestead. The parity🤪 in the IndyCar Series is unreal,🔯 so you have to be hungry for every little possible gain you can find, because it will move you right up or down the grid. I don't have any illusions of how intense it is at the top level - I'm just anxious to get started."

Dana started either on the front or second row in ten of the twelve MIPS races with Hemelgarn in 2004, including a pole starting position in the opener at Hoꦑmestead-Miami Speedway. He also took one victory, at Milwaukee, among the seven top-five finishes that helped him to overall runner-up honours.

"I got a feel for how they run their shop, and what the attitude is there, when we had a good season in the Pro Series last year," he commented, "The 2000 ꦍchampionship that they won seems like a long time ago, but a lot of the same guys are in the shop. They remember what it's like to win, and they're hungry to do so again. I like being surrounded by people who are hungry and motivated, and the Hemelgarn guys definitely are."