De Ferran won the race with Dixon in second being well enough to seal the title. The finale however was marred by a severe incident that nearly killed former series' champion and Indy 500 winner Kenny Bräck. Gil de Ferran won Penske's third consecutive Indianapolis 500 in May and finished second to Dixon in the title race. New Zealander Scott Dixon won the opening race of the season at Homestead and ran very consistently all year long to win his first title at the age of 23. The season's most successful entrants were Ganassi and Team Penske that had made the switch already the year before. The league also added its first international race this year, taking over the CART date at Twin Ring Motegi. Many of the IRL's old guard including Robbie Buhl, Greg Ray, and Buddy Lazier had difficulty competing in this new manufacturer-driven landscape. Several former CART teams brought their full operations to the IRL, most notably major squads Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Green Racing, as well as former CART engine manufacturers Toyota and Honda, replacing Infiniti who shifted its efforts to the new feeder series Infiniti Pro Series. The league adopted the name Ind圜ar Series, after a settlement with CART prohibiting its use had expired. The 2003 IRL Ind圜ar Series brought some of the biggest changes in its history. Scott Dixon (left) won his first Drivers' Championship while Gil de Ferran (right) finished second in the championship while winning the 2003 Indianapolis 500.

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