Drivers pleased with progression of new Indy cars

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) IndyCar drivers are dropping their initial complaints about this season's new cars.

Three-time defending series champ Dario Franchitti says there are still bugs to work out before next month's season opener at St. Petersburg. But many drivers at Monday's annual state of the series meeting say the original problems have been fixed and they are confident the new cars will go faster and make racing even more attractive to fans.

Franchitti says was one of the first problems was concerned weight distribution. But two-time IndyCar runner-up Will Power now believes that's one of the advantages over the previous car.

The series also will announce Tuesday that former Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, former Indy starter Johnny Unser and former CART director Gary Barnard will be race stewards in 2012.