DATE

News (chronologically)

11/5/02

CART stock watch 

MPH closed at $5.08 Down $0.01 on Volume of 6,400 shares.
$4.46 Bid - $5.41 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $5.04 / $5.10
MPH Value Change Down 0.39%
DOW Jones Up 106.67 or 1.24% on Volume of 1.63 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 4.63 or 0.33%
S&P 500 Up 7.04 or 0.78%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
www.andersongroupe.com

11/5/02

Barber-CART scholarship news  The Skip Barber Racing School announced today the names of 16 young karters who will participate in the 6th annual Barber-CART Karting Scholarship Run-off. The karting element of the Barber-CART Scholarship Ladder provides the first step in a comprehensive system designed to place talented and deserving young racers from the karting ranks into the Skip Barber competition program.   More...

11/5/02

Da Matta signs 2-year deal with Toyota  UPDATE Here is a link to a web page of photographs that chronicle da Matta's career.  11/5/02 - Toyota Motorsport GmbH today announced that 2002 CART champion Cristiano da Matta has signed a two-year contract to become a Formula 1 race driver for the Panasonic Toyota Racing team from the 2003 season. The 29-year-old Brazilian will partner Frenchman Olivier Panis in 2003 and 2004. Da Matta has driven Toyota-powered cars in the United States CART series since his CART debut in 1999, and his new Formula 1 deal sees him cement this successful relationship. Chairman of Toyota Motorsport and Managing Director of Toyota Motor Corporation, Tsutomu Tomita said of the announcement: “I am very pleased that Cristiano is joining Panasonic Toyota Racing. He joined Toyota at the start of his career in the CART program and has shown his tremendous dedication and efforts by helping us to develop together to win the championship with Newman/Haas Racing this season. His long-term partnership with Toyota and his natural driving talent will prove an essential asset to us as our Formula 1 program enters an exciting new stage of development.” Cristiano da Matta commented: “I have accomplished one of my goals by winning the CART driver’s championship title. I am very thankful to Carl Haas, Paul Newman and all of Newman/Haas Racing for the support, hard work and accomplishments that we have achieved together. Now I am ready for the next challenge. It is great to be able to join Panasonic Toyota Racing and more importantly to further develop my already successful partnership with Toyota. To be able to combine this with driving in Formula 1 - the top motorsport series in the world - is very special to me and I look forward to the exciting and demanding challenges that lie ahead. Though I enjoyed driving the Toyota Formula 1 car in May this year, I cannot wait to test the more-evolved TF102B car as a Panasonic Toyota Racing F1 driver later this month!”

11/5/02

Martin fails post-race inspection, team miffed  2nd UPDATE  Responding to notification that 25 Owner and Driver points were being confiscated by NASCAR for use of an "unapproved" left front spring on Mark Martin's Viagra Ford Taurus, key Roush Racing personnel made these comments: Ben Leslie, Crew Chief: " We used a spring manufactured by an approved NASCAR manufacturer exactly as it came to us out of the box. We are being charged with the same penalty as teams that materially altered springs in order to obtain a performance advantage, which is completely unfair."  Bob Osborne, Team Engineer: "It is significant to note that the spring was not altered in any way by the team, and that the deviation was so small as to make absolutely no difference in spring travel or rate---the two elements of spring performance that the rules were intended to regulate."  Mark Martin, Driver: "25 points for using an unaltered spring that had no performance difference from a spring ¼" longer; I feel like we just got the death sentence for shoplifting. "Everyone in the garage knows that it was an honest mistake and provided absolutely zero advantage at that track. I hope the fans understand that and understand that it had nothing to do with the way our car ran on Sunday. I just feel really bad for the Viagra Racing Team and everyone who has worked so hard. This is a pretty steep penalty for what is essentially a meaningless violation."  Geoff Smith, President: "We are evaluating all avenues of recourse available to us, including invoking the NASCAR appeals process and have asked our outside counsel to assess our options for recourse against the manufacturer and distributor of the spring. We quite naturally are upset that we received exactly the same penalty as that imposed on two other teams that altered springs with the expectation of obtaining a performance advantage."   11/4/02 - NASCAR officials announced today penalties for the No. 6 Ford team in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series because of a rule violation found following Sunday’s race at North Carolina Speedway. Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 Ford, has been penalized 25 series championship points. In addition, Martin’s team owner Jack Roush has been penalized 25 car owner points. A $5,000 fine was issued to crew chief Ben Leslie. All three were penalized under Section 12-4-Q in the NASCAR Winston Cup rule book (“Any determination by NASCAR officials that parts and/or equipment used in the event do not conform to NASCAR rules.”), because of an unapproved front spring. The left front coil spring on the No. 6 car had approximately 4 3/8 (four-and-three-eighths) coils. The required minimum number of coils is 4 1/2 (four-and-one-half). This is the third time this season officials have taken points from NASCAR Winston Cup teams because of unapproved coil springs. 11/4/02 - Mark Martin's left-front spring failed post-race inspection. "We have an issue with the No. 6 Ford of Mark Martin," said Danielle Frye, spokesperson for NASCAR. "The left front spring did not meet the minimum number of coils. As with all issues we have after a race, we will deal with it on Monday." The minimum fine for this infraction this year has been 25 points, so that will hurt Martin's championship chances.

11/5/02
Industry News

Tony George announces management changes  Tony George, president and chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League, announced a series of management changes and promotions Nov. 5. The changes affect the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Racing League and Clabber Girl Corporation, and all other operating businesses owned by Hulman & Company, Terre Haute, Ind. “I am implementing these changes to position our company to meet the opportunities and challenges of the future,” George said. George is establishing a Corporate Executive Office to support the leadership group of the three operating businesses. “The Executive Office will be the umbrella under which each operating business will function, providing leadership to all business units and having direct responsibility for business functions common to all three units,” George said. George will head up the team, assisted by three executive vice presidents: Jeffrey Belskus, executive vice president and CFO, responsible for finance, taxes, benefits and aviation; Curt Brighton, executive vice president and general counsel, responsible for legal, philanthropic, insurance, human resources and real estate; and Fred J. Nation, executive vice president, communications, responsible for broadcasting, information technology, and public relations strategy and coordination. Both Brighton and Nation previously served as vice presidents of IMS. Joie Chitwood, senior vice president of business affairs, and Mel Harder, senior vice president of operations, will share chief leadership roles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chitwood joined IMS on Oct. 1 after serving as vice president and general manager of Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., owned jointly by IMS, International Speedway Corporation and a group of Joliet-area investors. Before serving as the first vice president of Chicagoland, Chitwood was one of the first employees of the Indy Racing League. He will oversee marketing, public relations, sales, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing and hospitality. At the Indy Racing League, both Brian Barnhart and Ken Ungar are being promoted to the positions of senior vice president of operations and senior vice president of business affairs, respectively. Barnhart and Ungar will continue to share responsibility for the financial performance of the Indy Racing League and report directly to George. “The success presently being experienced by the IRL is in large part a result of Brian and Ken’s leadership,” George said. Gary Morris, who has headed Clabber Girl Corporation’s baking powder operations since January 2000, is being promoted to senior vice president.

11/5/02

Junqueira signs with Newman Haas  Four time CART Championship team Newman/Haas Racing announced today that Brazilian driver Bruno Junqueira has been named to drive for the team beginning in 2003. "Paul (Newman) and I were very impressed with Bruno's ability," said Carl A. Haas, co-owner of Newman/Haas Racing. "We think he can win many races for us and we are looking forward to the season ahead." In only his second season of CART competition, Junqueira, 25, is currently ranked second the 2002 CART FedEx Championship standings. In 2002, he won the top starting spot on the short oval track in Japan, the road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis. and the street race in Denver as well as won races in Japan and Denver. In his rookie season in the series in 2001, he won one race and one pole position and finished second to Scott Dixon for 2001 Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year. He won the 2000 FIA International F3000 Championship as well as the 1997 South American F3 Championship and was a test driver for the Williams Formula One race team in 2000. "I'm happy to join Newman/Haas Racing," said Junqueira. "They have been the team to beat all season long and they have worked hard to win the Championship. They have won many races and four Championships over the years and they are one of the most experienced teams. I'm looking forward to driving for Newman/Haas Racing." Junqueira's name will be added to a list of current and previous team drivers such as Christian Fittipaldi and Cristiano da Matta, Mario Andretti (1983-1994), Michael Andretti (1989-1992, 1995-2000), Nigel Mansell (1993-1994) and Paul Tracy (1995). Newman/Haas Racing, owned by actor/race car driver Paul Newman and racing entrepreneur Carl A. Haas is in their 20th season of CART competition and is the most successful active competitor with 68 race wins and 70 pole positions.

11/5/02

Some say keep the ovals  A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Sunday's race was a perfect example of why CART can't abandon the big ovals. The racing was superb, it seems that CART finally has the aero package sorted that allows for side by side racing without the cars bunching up NASCAR style. Two quick notes, while it is often written on these pages that ovals are all about the cars, the side by side action at 225 MPH has too require allot of something that not two many people have. It's also interesting to note that while CART runs with far less downforce than the IRL, yesterdays race produced none of the pile of wrecks that are typical of your average IRL race. I know that ISC has a hammerlock on all the big ovals, except Indy, but the bottom line to the France's and Penske's is the almighty dollar and as long as CART can fill seats, they need to be at Fontana. Joshua Weiss  Dear Joshua, Although the CART attendance at Fontana dwarfed that of the IRL, we would call it less than a stellar crowd.  However, as you point out, the race itself was superb.  Although we saw no accidents on Sunday, CART has to weigh the balance between the extreme high risk of injury and ow talent level necessary on the ovals, against the safer road racing and the requisite higher degree of driving talent.  As we have stated in the past, is it real racing, real sport, or a circus just for the show.  CART needs an engine and aero package that produces results like we saw last Sunday, at all venues.  We'll never see the amount of passing we saw at Fontana on a road course, but those who understand the sport, understand that it takes far more talent to make a pass on a road course than it does in 100% throttle oval racing where the draft and HP are everything.

11/5/02

CART needs to look at NASCAR  A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I could not help but notice how close the test times are between the NASCAR Winston Cup cars and the Busch Series cars at Miami.  In essence, the Busch Series are are almost as fast as the Cup cars, which means they are a better training platform than what CART or the IRL has.  Their support series cars are grossly outperformed by the Champ Cars and Indy Cars.  If CART is going to be a feeder series to F1, then lets hope Pook and Ecclestone can come up with a common engine formula (as AR1 suggests) and let the only difference between CART and F1 be determined by more advanced technology elsewhere on the car.  This serves several purposes 1) Bernie can sell the CART series to a race promoter as being "almost F1" 2) the step up from CART to F1 will be small one and, therefore, easier.  Ditto for the step back down to CART when a driver loses their ride.  Are minor league baseball fields smaller than major league baseball fields?  Are the bats different?  Are the balls different?  You get my point. 3) a Ferrari or a BMW can plop the same engine in either series and go racing.  Tim Stanforde, Lawrenceville, NJ  Dear Tim, The common engine formula in CART and F1 makes too much sense, therefore, it will never happen.  The people who run open wheel racing can't agree on anything.  Yes, NASCAR gets great value out of having identical engines in Cup and Busch, but the leaders of open wheel racing would prefer to waste countless dollars on having unique engines in every formula.  And you wonder why NASCAR is succeeding and they are floundering?  It's not magic, just common sense.

11/5/02

Stewart fastest in testing  NASCAR Winston Cup points leader Tony Stewart picked up today where Mark Martin left off last week as testing continued for Ford Championship Weekend, November 14-17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After Martin posted the quickest lap (36.22 seconds/149.089 mph) during testing last Monday and Tuesday, it was Stewart who recorded the best trip (36.18 seconds/149.354 mph) around the 1.5-mile track on Monday. Martin is Stewart's closest competitor for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series title, which seems destined to be determined at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stewart leads Martin by a mere 112 points as both drivers pursue their first NASCAR Winston Cup title. NASCAR Busch Series points leader Greg Biffle posted the fourth-quickest lap today. Eight drivers from the NASCAR Winston Cup (NWC) and NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) tested today. Listed below is each driver's best lap of the day as recorded by Homestead-Miami Speedway timing and scoring:
Driver, Car#/Series, Fastest Lap Time/Speed
Tony Stewart, No. 20 NWC, 36.18/149.354
Dave Blaney, No. 31 NBS, 36.63/147.420
Robert Pressley, No. 57 NWC, 36.68/147.312
Greg Biffle, No. 60 NBS, 36.72/147.059
Brian Vickers, No. 40 NBS, 36.86/146.500
Casey Atwood, No. 91 NWC, 36.86/146.500
Mike McLaughlin, No. 18 NBS, 37.15/145.357
Martin Truex, Jr., No. 156 NBS, 37.65/143.426

11/5/02

NASCAR upgrades website  NASCAR.com unveiled an enhanced version of its real-time internet scoring feed and will make the package available to fans free for the final three races of the 2002 season, beginning with this weekend's Pop Secret 400 at North Carolina Speedway. TrackPass with Pit Command will offer real-time race car telemetry, a graph of GPS-produced on-track positioning, a radio broadcast feed and other in-car audio elements. The features are customizable, allowing users to track rpm, throttle, lap speeds and statistics for any of the drivers in the field. Drew Reifenberger, NASCAR.com executive vice president and general manager, said the enhanced package "drills deeper into the race experience by putting fans in control of more race elements than ever before, in a real-time synchronized environment." TrackPass with Pit Command will be made available free for the final three races at Rockingham, Phoenix and Homestead.

11/5/02

Stewart would lead anyway  It's unanimous. Tony Stewart would lead the NASCAR Winston Cup standings no matter what series point system were to be used. Note that Mark Martin wouldn't even be in the top five if the CART or F1 point system were implemented.
NASCAR
1. Tony Stewart 4549
2. Mark Martin -112
3. Jimmie Johnson -219
4. Ryan Newman -225
5. Kurt Busch -248
CART
1. Tony Stewart 258
2. Ryan Newman -29
3. Kurt Busch -39
4. Jeff Gordon -49
5. Matt Kenseth -51
F1
1. Tony Stewart 77
2. Kurt Busch -10
3. Matt Kenseth -11
4. Ryan Newman -16
5. Jeff Gordon -18

11/5/02

IMS seeks Brickyard 400 sponsor  According to this Indy Star article, title sponsorship for the Brickyard 400 is for sale. The price, for the next three years, is $6.4 million, an Indianapolis Motor Speedway official said Monday. There are no takers yet. IMS spokesman Fred Nation said there are no plans for the Indianapolis 500 to have a title sponsor. Title sponsorship typically means altering the name of the event, such as the Pop Secret 400, the NASCAR Winston Cup race held Sunday at the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, N.C. More likely, IMS will negotiate a deal like the one Formula One delivered for the first three U.S. Grand Prix races at the track. The official name of the race, "SAP U.S. Grand Prix," reflected the German software company which paid an undisclosed sum.

11/5/02

Diaz named as possible replacement for Fernández   UPDATE  We have added photos of Diaz getting a seat fitting in Adrian's car at Fontana on Saturday. Diaz already has his uniform prepared to look exactly like Adrian's. We expect he will race in Mexico City.  Photos courtesy of Fernández Racing. 11/2/02 - Fernandez Racing Team Owners Adrian Fernandez and Tom Anderson announced today that Toyota Atlantic standout Luis Diaz has been tagged as the potential replacement driver for Fernandez in the Telmex Gigante Grand Prix on November 17. Fernandez has yet to be cleared to drive in the CART FedEx Championship Series season finale following injuries sustained at the Honda Indy 300 in Australia on October 27. “I am hoping with all my heart that I will be able to race in Mexico City,” said Fernandez. “If I am not cleared to drive, then we have to be prepared as a team and we want to have a Mexican driver in our car. Luis is the obvious choice.” Diaz, 24, of Mexico City, finished fourth in the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship this year. The former Formula Mexico Champion and Mexican Formula 3 Rookie of the Year posted two pole positions, including pole at the season-opening race in Monterrey, Mexico, and claimed two wins at Portland and Road America driving the Telmex/Quaker State-sponsored Swift for Dorricott Racing this season. “Obviously we are disappointed that Adrian will miss the Fontana race and may miss Mexico City, but we are glad his injuries are not worse than they are,” said Anderson. “If the extent of his injuries necessitates a replacement driver for the last race, then we want to make sure that Luis has some track time beforehand.” A seat fitting for Diaz will be completed at California Speedway this weekend, and Fernandez Racing will head to Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix, Ariz., immediately following the race. Diaz will test in the #51Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Honda/Lola/Bridgestone on Tuesday, November 5, with Fernandez overseeing his first laps behind the wheel of a Champ Car. “We have been watching Luis for quite some time,” said Fernandez. “He is a very talented driver, and I know that there are a lot of top teams that are interested in him. This test will allow us to give him the opportunity to drive a Champ Car, and will also serve as a back-up plan in case there is a problem with me driving.” Diaz, who began his career in karts at the age of 12, is ready for the new challenge. “First of all, I want to say that this was not the way I wanted to step into a Champ Car with Adrian injured,” said Diaz. “I know how much it means to him to race in Mexico City, and I hope that he will be able to drive. “Obviously I am thrilled about taking my first laps in a Champ Car on Tuesday. This is something that I have dreamed about ever since I have been watching Adrian race. He paved the way for Mexican drivers to compete outside of our country, and it will be an honor to step into his car next week.” With record-breaking crowds anticipated for the inaugural race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, Diaz is not concerned about the pressure surrounding his potential Champ Car debut. “If I do have to step in at Mexico City, Adrian will be there to coach me,” noted Diaz. “Who better to lead you through your first Champ Car race than Adrian Fernandez?” Under the guidance of his doctors, Fernandez will be seated in the #51 cockpit this weekend, with the mandatory HANS (Head and Neck Support) device, to determine his comfort level. A decision as to whether he will be cleared to drive at Mexico City will be made next week.

11/5/02

Less cars, but best drivers = great racing  According to this San Bernardino newspaper article, and as proven by CART last Sunday at Fontana, less cars starting a race does not mean the race will be worse.  In fact, because CART had 18 quality cars starting the race, and because all 18 drivers were top-shelf (i.e., no wankers), they put on one of the best races seen in a long time.  "I just saw one of the greatest races I have ever seen,' said 2002 CART champ Cristiano da Matta, who was one of the nine drivers unable to finish the 250-lap race. "A 500-mile race is tough. A 500-mile race as fast as this one is even tougher,' da Matta said. "You have to take care of everything and still runs fast. It makes things very interesting.' With a lot of wide-open space to race in, Vasser averaged 197.995 mph, making it the fastest race in the history of auto racing. The previous record was 189.727 mph set in 1990 by Al Unser Jr. in Michigan.

11/5/02

Latest F1 Hot News 

New Quali-Rules To Spiral Costs?
Jordan Deny Irvine Homecoming
No Chance For Belgian Grand Prix
Deal Signed With Ailing Arrows?
Webber Returns Home In Green
Hotshot Alonso Targets F1 Podium
McNish Admits CART Option
McLaren Put Bets On Raikkonen
Williams Relieved To Reach Winter
Steady Support For Rookie Massa
Bernie Blames Ferrari For Boredom
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F1 News In Brief

11/4/02

Perdue Chicken re-signs with RCR  Perdue Farms has extended its associate sponsorship of Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) No. 29 GM Goodwrench team through the 2004 NASCAR Winston Cup season. "Jim Perdue and his group have been great to work with over the past few years so we're very happy to have them on-board for two more," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing Enterprises, Inc. "They have put together some great programs and have taken advantage of their sponsorship as well as, or better than, any associate sponsor in NASCAR. We're proud of the fact that 2003 will mark the fifth year of their involvement with RCR and we're looking forward to seeing what they have planned." Perdue's involvement as an associate sponsor with RCR began in 1999 with the No. 3 Goodwrench Service Plus team.

11/4/02

Spa can still happen in 2003, or can it?  UPDATE In this DailyF1 article, days after Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs Serge Kubla declared that there was still a chance for the national Grand Prix to run in 2003, FIA President Max Mosley has reaffirmed that it would not be possible and that organizers would have to wait until at least late next year for the race to be considered for re-entry in 2004. Kubla said he had been told by F1 Commercial Chief Bernie Ecclestone that he had until December 12 when the FIA World Council would meet to finalize arrangements such as regulations and schedules for 2003, to adjust tobacco-advertising laws to enable the race to run. Kubla said there would be another vote on the nationwide ban shortly and said he was confident it would result in the ban being scrapped ahead of the FIA’s complete F1 tobacco advertising embargo in 2006. However Mosley, speaking to BBC Sport Online, maintained that the decision was final about removing the event. ‘The decision was just that: a decision,’ he said. ‘It was not an attempt to open negotiations. ‘The politicians have known about the problem for more than a year. They could have solved it easily for 2003 by moving the date of implementation by just four weeks - from 1 August to 1 September. ‘They should concentrate now on trying to get things sorted out for 2004, 2005 and 2006.’ Mosley said a nationwide ban would have little effect on reducing the Belgian public’s exposure to the promotion of cigarettes. ‘What the Belgian politicians have done will not reduce tobacco publicity, not even in Belgium, where everybody can go on seeing tobacco sponsorship on television from outside the country,’ he added. ‘All they have achieved is to damage the local Belgian economy and deprive Formula One fans of a good circuit.’  11/4/02 - In this DailyF1 article, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs Serge Kubla has claimed there is still a chance for the Belgian Grand Prix to run in 2003, even though the FIA has stated the race will not be on the calendar next season. Kubla, speaking at a press conference in Waterloo on Saturday, was quoted by Belgian newspaper “Het Belang van Limburg” as saying that F1 Commercial Chief Bernie Ecclestone had told him there was still time to male alternative arrangements so that the event could remain in the sport. The FIA World Council will next meet on December 12, where rule changes passed by the F1 Commission a week ago and the final edition of the 2003 calendar will be finalized. Kubla is confident a crucial upcoming vote will result in Belgium scrapping a nationwide tobacco-advertising ban and falling into line with other European countries ahead of the complete advertising ban in 2006. Before December 12 a law has to be voted that unites Belgium in the European view regarding Tobacco advertising,’ Kubla said in the press conference. ‘This means that the Grand Prix could be organized in 2003 and the following two years with tobacco advertisements.’ Last week teams could not reach an agreement to run with compromise tobacco advertising liveries to conform to Belgium’s previously ratified blanket ban, leading to the race’s removal from the schedule. Tobacco-backed teams’ contractual conditions state they are not permitted to run with altered schemes more than twice a year. Currently there are two races on the calendar that do not allow the advertisement of tobacco products, Silverstone and Magny-Cours for the British and French Grands Prix. The removal of the race sparked a war of words between old sparring partners the European Union and the FIA last week. EU Health Minister David Byrne slammed Formula One for placing an emphasis on “dirty tobacco money” over the “spirit of the sport”. The FIA replied with a detailed statement saying the Belgian Government had put the FIA in a difficult corner, and at the same time took a broadside at Byrne and the European Commission. ‘Mr Byrne, as Health Commissioner, and the Commission itself would have more credibility in this matter if they were to take steps to end the subsidy of nearly one billion Euros currently paid by Brussels to encourage tobacco growing in the EU,’ part of the statement read.

11/4/02

Team Green levies $300K fine on Tracy  According to this Toronto Star report, Team Green has levied an additional $300K fine on Paul Tracy, for allegedly doing nothing.  Let's hope Tracy does not destroy both his cars in Mexico City in retaliation for such pettiness.  If he does, the team won't be able to sell them for anywhere near what they are worth today and Paul will have gotten even.  Worse yet, he can take out his teammate in the process and destroy four cars.  More than likely, Tracy will take the high road and not stoop to the gutter level that his team appears to have.

11/4/02

CART stock watch 

MPH closed at $5.10 Up $0.01 on Volume of 53,500 shares.
$4.42 Bid - $5.40 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $5.01 / $5.28
MPH Value Change Up 0.20%
DOW Jones Up 53.96 or 0.63% on Volume of 2.0 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 35.84 or 2.63%
S&P 500 Up 7.39 or 0.82%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
www.andersongroupe.com

11/4/02

Andretti compares stock cars to Indy cars  The thoughts of Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver John Andretti heading into Phoenix: “Actually the first time I ever went to Phoenix was in an Indy car. They have the Copper World Classic out there - an event where they run sprint cars and midgets. Even though I ran both types of cars, I never ventured out that way for that race. I always wanted to. I am jealous of the guys who did because the event is held in the winter and Phoenix is such a great place to go. My first experience, and really my only other experience at the track besides Winston Cup cars, is in Indy cars. I can’t say that all my experiences have been great at Phoenix, but I have always loved going there. “I have always compared driving a Winston Cup car to an Indy car to the first time I drove Indianapolis in a Winston Cup car. I have so many miles around Indianapolis in an Indy car that the first time I drove in a Cup car there it was like I wasn’t even at Indy. It wasn’t the same experience. It didn’t look the same, didn’t feel the same, and it definitely didn’t drive the same. I think that until you get back out of the car, you don’t realize where you are. It is two totally different driving styles and characteristics that you’re dealing with. You are also looking through a windshield in a Winston Cup car, so it’s a different perspective. I think the only thing that is similar is that they are both race cars, and race cars, well, you just drive them as fast as you can drive them, it doesn’t matter what the corner looks like. “I think Phoenix can be a difficult track to set up for, but I don’t think it’s difficult to adapt to. It’s not like going to Bristol or a place where you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh I have to be on the gas here?’ It’s not like going to a place where you really have to work to get your car to do certain things. I think Phoenix is a real compromise. It’s almost like a Pocono (Pa.) where there are three different corners. "Phoenix has two distinctively different corners. You can be really good in one corner and then just be totally off in the other corner. That’s not the quick way around. You have to balance the car so that you can have the lesser of two evils in both corners. One corner is going to do one thing and the other corner is going to do the other. You really have to fight to get that balance, and in the race it’s more difficult than in qualifying. In the race you have new tires. During qualifying you can live with that for just one lap. “We have had more success in qualifying at the track than in the race. We have raced pretty well there, and I think the race we had the best shot at winning got rain shortened - in a desert of all places! Overall I just like going there. I think it’s a good track. I have had good race cars there and that always makes it that much more enjoyable. I was the first guy to get into the 19.8 second range in Indy cars at a winter test. To go there and race in the Winston Cup car hanging on for dear life going 20-some-odd seconds, and to hang on the same way in an Indy car going that much quicker, it’s all relative. I do know that from experience that the wall hurts the same with both cars.

11/4/02

Fukuyama back in 2003?  According to this Winston Salem Journal article, Hideo Fukuyama says he will "definitely" be back next season on the Winston Cup tour, running a limited schedule of probably six or seven races at tracks like Las Vegas, California and Phoenix. He will be under the tutelage of a veteran driver who will also run the rest of the season for Travis Carter [#26 and #66] to keep the team up in the point standings. Who that driver/coach might be is still up in the air, though Wally Dallenbach Jr's name has been raised. However Carter still has no word on what might happen with his primary team, the #26 Todd Bodine drives for.

11/4/02

All but 7 drivers eliminated  Only the top seven drivers in the current point standings (Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Rusty Wallace, and Jeff Gordon) have a mathematical chance at winning the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. All others have been eliminated.

11/4/02

Fittipaldi to make Winston Cup debut  Christian Fittipaldi will make his NASCAR Winston Cup debut this week at the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway. He will run the #44 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge in Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500. "I’m excited with the opportunity and looking forward to running my first Winston Cup race," said Fittipaldi, nephew of open wheel legend Emerson Fittipaldi. "I have tested several times and have run some Busch races. I am getting a feel for these cars, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they are like with 42 others on the track with you at the same time," he said. Fittipaldi will drive a combination Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and ARCA schedule next season for Petty Enterprises. Still looking for sponsorship for that effort, Fittipaldi and Petty Enterprises plan on using this unique schedule to fine-tune his stock car racing skills before running a full Winston Cup schedule in 2004. "Christian has been successful in Formula One and successful in CART, and we think he is going to be very successful in Winston Cup too," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "He has adjusted to these big stock cars pretty quickly, and has tested well everywhere we have gone with him. His Phoenix test last week was really good, and he is going to have a good weekend. "We are continuing our search for a sponsor for him for next year, and there has been a lot of interest in this program from potential sponsors," Petty continued. "We want to find someone who fits well with General Mills and Georgia-Pacific.

11/4/02

New NASCAR rules for 2003  On Friday NASCAR released a 15-page technical bulletin outlining the rules as they’ll apply to the cars that’ll compete in the 2003 season. After thumbing through the 15 pages, and speaking with several engineers and crew chiefs, the document provides almost no surprises to anyone — on any front.   Full story

11/4/02

New F1 rules to drive costs through roof  Next year's Formula One rule changes could vastly increase costs in the sport, according to designers from two of the top teams. Talking exclusively to BBC Sport Online, they said that the introduction of one-lap only qualifying could lead teams to spend millions more than they did in 2002. That is exactly the opposite effect from that planned by the sport's bosses, who wanted to keep a lid on costs, as well as improve the sport's spectacle. The technical directors of McLaren and Renault, Adrian Newey and Mike Gascoyne, believe that the changes will lead to the bigger teams building special cars for qualifying.  Like any rule change in F1, it does open up a lot of avenues. "It is a potentially enormous expense, and it doesn't bring anything to the show. It's check book motor racing," Newey said. He criticized the rule changes as "not thought through". Teams already used special engines in qualifying, but the rule change means that the advantages of building a special qualifying car outweigh the disadvantages. Teams would build lighter, faster cars built solely for speed, without having to worry about reliability. That means the entire design could be different. Newey said: "There is a real chance that people will build qualifying cars. At the moment, you need a car that is capable of 12 laps, with short turnaround between each run. Newey wants to the teams to resolve cost issues. "Under the new rules, there is one flying lap and then you put it away again - that is quite a big change. "The engine has only got to do three laps - and only one of them is timed - rather than at least four timed laps. "Engine wise, that means lower mileage so you can take things to more of an extreme. Revs is obvious, but there are others as well. "With the chassis, cooling springs to mind. You don't need to worry about heavy radiators, and taken to an extreme you might not have any radiators at all," Newey said. "That would mean new bodywork to take advantage of the aerodynamic potential, and if you do that you would make a new chassis. So you could end up with two different cars." Gascoyne added: "There is nothing open to you now that you could not do before, but as the mileage goes down, the things you can do are more extreme. You will consider things you had not considered before. It will increase the gap between the haves and the have nots. Newey said that the teams need to come up with some changes to the technical regulations to nip the problem in the bud. "The teams need to sit down and say, 'Let's not try to be clever with each other - what avenues are open and how can we close them?'" he said. But Gascoyne said that was not necessary. "It will increase the gap between the haves and the have nots but you will never change that in F1," he said. "There are ways to make sure people don't go down avenues that would cost too much, but in F1 you are after the edge and people will spend the money they have."

11/4/02

Four finalists announced for Greg Moore award  2002 CART FedEx Championship Series race winners Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier, 2002 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship runner-up Michael Valiante, and 2002 Barber Dodge Pro Series champion AJ Allmendinger have been announced as the finalists for the Third Annual Greg Moore Legacy Award. The award was created in honor of Canadian Champ Car star Greg Moore, who lost his life in the 1999 CART season finale, and will be presented to the driver who best typifies Moore's legacy of outstanding talent on track, as well as displaying a dynamic personality with fans, media, and within the CART community. As Moore was a product of the CART Ladder System - having competed in the Dayton Indy Lights Championship from 1993-95 and winning 10 of 12 races en route to the series title in 1995 - drivers from the top two CART development series are also eligible for the award. "Greg Moore was one of the brightest stars in the CART FedEx Championship Series prior to his tragic death," said CART President and CEO Christopher R. Pook. "I have no doubt that Greg would have won several more races and the series championship. The four drivers that have been chosen as finalists for the 2002 Greg Moore Legacy Award have shown the same kind of spirit and dedication throughout this season that Greg had throughout his entire career. This is an extremely special award, and all of the drivers who have been nominated should feel tremendously honored." A seven-member panel - including Pook, CART Toyota Atlantic Championship president Vicki O'Connor, Player's/Forsythe Racing owner Gerald Forsythe, Imperial Tobacco president and Chief Operating Officer Bob Bexon, Championship Drivers Association CART representative Adrian Fernandez, SPEED Channel commentator Derek Daly, and RACER magazine senior editor David Phillips - voted on the 2002 recipient during The 500 Presented by Toyota this weekend at California Speedway.

11/4/02

Latest F1 Hot News 

High Hopes For Feisty Pizzonia
Webber Rules Out Race Wins
Irvine Tussles Over Jordan Seat
Revolution Continues For F1
Ferrari Ponder More Perfection
Demanding Eddie Gets Jaguar Boot
Button Welcomes Irvine Ousting
Revamp For F1 Television Coverage
F1 News In Brief

11/3/02

Ecclestone suggests F1 and CART can still link up  In this Daily F1 article, and as told to Reuters, Ecclestone made it clear that there still could be a strong, official link set up whereby drivers could transfer between the Championships even without him investing in the series. There is a history of drivers transferring, youngsters who have made it big in the US switching to F1, and those in the World Championship who have sought a change of direction or have not been able to make it in F1 trying their luck in the States. ‘It doesn't need me to be involved for them to (set up a link),’ Ecclestone added. ‘They could be now couldn't they? People come out of CART; there's a guy (Cristiano Da Matta) coming up for next year, isn't there? So why not?’  AR1 sources still say Bernie is orchestrating a behind-the-scenes deal, but he won't be the one buying, others will.

11/3/02

The reason Irvine was fired  Jaguar Racing team boss Niki Lauda has explained the reason behind his decision to dump his drivers. Eddie Irvine’s contract worth £6 million per year was not resigned while Pedro de la Rosa’s contract was terminated a year before it was due to expire. While talking to a British tabloid newspaper, Lauda said he had to dump Irvine as he upset too many people within the team with his demands. The Austrian claims there was too much ‘friction’ between the engineers and his star driver which neither could handle properly. He told News Of The World: "If an engineer complained he had a problem with Eddie. I would say, ‘Give him hell in the next meeting’, but sometimes Eddie found that difficult to take. He couldn’t even agree to see the other side. “He is a very demanding driver. He did cause friction but that’s Eddie for you. He wanted all of the team working for him- his way. "Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it means you get less out of people. Eddie is very direct and doesn’t necessarily think about other people’s feelings when he’s got something to say. People got upset but the things that were said. I’m not so sensitive but the team suffered a bit on these issues." Lauda denied reoccurring reports there were constant arguments between him and Eddie throughout the year. He says it wasn’t bothering him personally that there were differences of opinion between Eddie and other workers as well as himself. “That’s absolutely untrue. That was never the case. From my point of view things were always friendly. I don’t mind if people have a different opinion as long as we find a solution. I never had a problem with Eddie personally.”

11/3/02

Best show, best series  Dear AutoRacing1.com, here in England, I just saw the international TV feed of the CART race at Fontana and they interviewed Tony Kanaan after the race.  I can't quote him exactly, but he said "we put on the best show, because we have the best drivers and the best series," that from someone who is moving to the IRL in 2003.  Gary Parravani, England  Dear Gary, with the revised Handford wing package and the new rules, the racing today was real racing, not the artificial racing that was created when everyone had to conserve fuel all race long.  The drivers drove a clean race that saw the top lap speeds of 234 to 235 MPH by the leaders and an average speed of 197.995 MPH, the fastest 500-mile race in the history of motorsports.  The racing was also not made artificially close by rev-limited engines (that all migrate to equal HP over time) and cars that are planted to the track that we see in lesser series.

11/3/02

#17 crew wins pit crew championship  The #17 DeWalt Roush Racing team defended their 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Championship title Saturday at North Carolina Speedway, topping 25 other top Winston Cup teams taking part in the competition, cranking out a four-tire pit stop in 16.823 seconds.  The crew, led by crew chief Robbie Reiser, broke their 2001 record.  Full story

11/3/02

60,000 expected on Sunday  UPDATE Here is our take on the real Sunday attendance.  The infield is indeed full - sold out 15,000 people.  All the suites are full, we will give them another 5,000 for that.  The grandstands are about 1/3 full for perhaps 35,000.  That gives a grand total of about 55,000, which is not too far from what ISC was estimating.  A respectable crowd given ticket prices were as much as $135 each, far more so than the IRL race which had about 12,000, but still way below CART's heyday at Fontana of 97,000.  11/2/02 -  According to an ISC official, all 15,000 infield tickets are sold for tomorrow's CART race and, based on advanced ticket sales, expect another 45,000 in the main grandstand for a total race attendance in the 60,000 range.   This compares to the 8,700 tickets sold for the spring IRL race and 12,000 race attendance.

11/3/02

CART and Rahal expand karting involvement  Nearly all great racecar drivers from every era of open-wheel racing have started their racing careers by competing in some form of karting, and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) is taking steps to ensure that those that start in karts have an opportunity to grow into the Champ Car drivers of the future.  Further solidifying the initial rung on its successful Ladder System, CART has agreed in principal to expand its relationship with the Stars of Tomorrow program, which was started by former CART driver Bryan Herta to help karters reach the next level.  Full Story & Transcript

11/3/02
Industry News

Another website bites the dust  Another free website, this time a very popular F1 website, called PitPass.com has succumbed to financial woes.  As we stated when we went subscription based, we did it so we can be here for our customers for a long time.  Free websites eventually run out of money unless they are funded by a major corporation, or someone's rich Daddy.  Pitpass is just another example of voodoo economics that don't work.  It's too bad, because like other DOTcom failures before them, they tried hard.

11/3/02

CART's best hope is for change  This Portland Oregonian article says although Pook insists he has a field of at least 18 cars for next year, only the faithful remain in CART. The core includes driver Paul Tracy, driver-owner Adrian Fernandez, team owners Bobby Rahal and Pat Patrick and Gerald Forsythe, also CART's largest stockholder. With them, Pook must build a new CART or watch what was the dominant racing series in America die. And it won't be easy.  Read the full article, but the essence of it is that CART is dying, which is pretty much all that journalists in each and every CART market write about.

11/2/02

Seen at Fontana - III   Dear AutoRacing1.com, I just wanted to let you know that in the paddock on Friday I saw Wayne Taylor cruising around the pits talking to all kinds of different folks. He was pretty hard to miss as he was riding one of those goofy-looking electric scooters-in bright yellow, no less. Also saw Red Bull candidate Patrick Long, the young, extremely talented American road racer with experience in Europe, letting CART teams know he's available. I sure hope this kid lands a ride for 2003! I'm not so sure about this one so you probably shouldn't mention it on the site (that is if you mention any of this at all) but I thought I saw F3000's Giorgio Pantano in the paddock as well-again, I stress I'm not so sure about this one. I also saw ex-Toyota F1 driver Allan McNish. At any rate, just an FYI for you guys. I love the site and recommend it to all my racing buddies. Keep up the great work. You guys are the ultimate insiders! Jim in Newport Beach, CA

11/2/02

Key issues of Bridgestone announcement   (Full Transcript)

1.  Presenting sponsor leaves door open to larger title sponsor like we previously reported.

2.  The deal involves a major effort to market CART in the retail sector, something totally missing in the FedEx deal.  You will see the CART brand in Bridgestone stores

3.  Heavy marketing to general public in print and TV ads

4.  Series will be called "Bridgestone presents the...."

5.  Bridgestone is looking forward to a title sponsor who they can co-promote with

6.  It's a one-year agreement that will be evaluated on a year-to-year basis.  Bridgestone welcomes competition, but right now, given the economic  climate, they are happy to be the sole supplier.

7.  Just one compound per race will be supplied, but they may experiment at a race or two whereby two option compounds will be provided to see if it creates disparity and more passing.

8.  Softer compounds may be tried to see if they can make tires "go off" thereby creating passing.

9.  Bridgestone will engage CART's female pace-car drivers in promotional activities to women

11/2/02

Seen at Fontana - II   Just spotted Nigerian Prince, Malik Ado Ibrahim, who had some dealings with Arrows in F1 and was trying to buy the Minardi team, making the rounds in the CART paddock.  We hear he's trying to put a deal together, but we recall his broken promises in F1 and wonder if this time would be any different.  This article on Malik talks about his past.

11/2/02

Seen at Fontana   UPDATE  Also seen - IRL driver Laurent Redon and his manager looking for a CART ride in 2003 we presume.  11/2/02 - Some interesting sightings at Fontana 1) Dick Simon, 2) Larry Blair who we hear is not returning to the IRL and is trying to resurrect a CART team, 3) Arie Luyendyk, 4) Stefan Johansson, 4) Johnny Herbert's manager, 5) Exec's from many potential sponsors

11/2/02

Speeds jump at Fontana   For the second straight day, Tony Kanaan topped the speed charts in morning practice for Sunday's The 500 Presented By Toyota. Driving the Pioneer/WorldCom Honda/Lola, Kanaan averaged 235.580 miles per hour in Saturday's session with a time of 31.006 seconds around the 2.029-mile California Speedway oval. Dario Franchitti was second fastest in the KOOL Honda/Lola and last year's polesitter Alex Tagliani was third in the Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard. Dario Franchitti was second fastest in the KOOL Honda/Lola and last year's polesitter Alex Tagliani was third in the Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard. Franchitti was the only other member of the 235 mph club with a top lap of 235.004 mph (31.082 seconds) while Tagliani was close behind with a lap of 234.966 mph (31.087 seconds). Rounding out the top five were Patrick Carpentier at 234.906 (31.095 seconds) in the Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard and Michel Jourdain Jr. at 234.003 mph (31.215 seconds) in the Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola. Other top-10 runners in the session were Michael Andretti in the Motorola Honda/Lola, Bruno Junqueira in the Target Toyota/Lola, Paul Tracy in the KOOL Honda/Lola, new CART Champion Cristiano da Matta in the Chevron Toyota/Lola and Surfers Paradise winner Mario Dominguez in the Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola. .Next up is qualifying, set to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET. 

11/2/02

Scenes from CARA Charities Runway Madness  

11/2/02

Australian F1 race loses big money  The Australian Grand Prix, held annually as Formula One's first event at the picturesque Albert Park just south of Melbourne, is reporting massive financial losses. The auditor general reports a combined loss of 74.5 million since 1996, and 16.1 million in the last year alone, despite a huge crowd. Immeasurable benefits to tourism, however, help offset the actual event losses.

11/2/02

Latest F1 Hot News 

Pedro Fuming At Jaguar Split
Rossi: No Word On F1 Test
Ralf Urges Team-Order Control
Stoddart's Qualifying Concern
F1 News In Brief

11/1/02

Team Rahal Shell crew wins pit stop competition   Team Rahal's Shell pit crew captured the championship in the 2002 Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge (CPCC) shootout taking home the $50,000 first prize and successfully defending their 2001 CPCC championship. The Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge is a season long competition between CART pit crews that culminated in the "shootout finals" on Friday afternoon at California Speedway. The Shell crew turned in a stop of 35.042-seconds on their first stop, which was top among the five crews that were in the finals. "This just validates what these guys have done week after week this season," said Jimmy Vasser, driver of the Shell Ford-Cosworth/Lola on Bridgestone tires. "These guys had everyone covered by a mile during the season and they showed again today just how quick they are. The team has won this competition two-years in a row and it is because these guys are so dedicated to being the best at what they do. The Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge is a great competition. All season long the crew guys are well aware of the points week in and week out. For the pit crews this is their championship." "This is awesome," said Shell crew chief Bharat Naran. "We were able to turn in a quick time on the first stop and we were just hoping we wouldn't have to do another stop. We got a good group of guys and we work really hard at it and everyone is really dedicated to being successful and that dedication is what enables us to be successful week after week." The winning crew members were Bharat Naren from New Zealand, Greg Cates from Galloway, OH, Doug Hoerig from Warren, OH, Matt Motyka from Huntington, NY, Jeremy Johnson from Arcadia, CA and driver Jimmy Vasser.

11/1/02

Infiniti Pro Series expands  The second season of Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series competition will expand to 11 races at some of the nation's finest oval venues, with a 12th event tentatively scheduled for the night before the 87th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The 100-mile Infiniti Pro Series "sprints" will take place at the same track on the day before Indy Racing League events except for the Miami, Kansas and Michigan races, which will be held the same day as the IRL events. "In 2003, the Infiniti Pro Series will be racing at almost twice as many tracks, with almost twice as many competitors as we did in our inaugural season," said Roger Bailey, executive director of the Infiniti Pro Series. "With 11 confirmed and a possible 12th event, the Pro Series provides the opportunity for drivers to showcase their talents on a variety of first-class tracks on the same weekend as Indy Racing League events.

11/1/02
Industry News

Shell seals $4.3 billion China deal   The China mainland's largest joint venture with a foreign company has finally been sealed, with China National Offshore Oil and global oil titan Royal Dutch/Shell agreeing to build a US $4.3 billion (HK $33.46 billion) petrochemicals plant at Daya Bay.   The decision follows 20 months of negotiations after a 50-50 joint-venture contract was signed a year ago. China National is the country's dominant offshore oil producer and parent of Hong Kong and New York-listed CNOOC. The partners said yesterday contracts for the plant worth more than US $1 billion would be awarded by the end of the year. Major construction work on the plant is expected to begin early next year on a 4.3 sq km site at the Daya Bay Economic and Technical Development Zone, about 80km northeast of Hong Kong Island. It is expected to be completed by late 2005. About 25,000 people will be employed on the site at peak times during construction, while 8,000 villagers have been displaced for the project. The joint venture is part of a surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) in China this year that shows little sign of abating. The United Nations says China is poised to overtake the United States as the largest recipient of FDI this year. It is forecast to reach a record US $50 billion, up from US $46.8 billion last year, while inflows to the US are expected to slump by two-thirds to US $44 billion.

11/1/02

CART stock watch, closes above $5  

MPH closed at $5.09 Up $0.33 on Volume of 36,700 shares.
$4.39 Bid - $5.41 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $4.76 / $5.14
MPH Value Change Up 6.93%
DOW Jones Up 120.61 or 1.44% on Volume of 1.79 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 30.96 or 2.33%
S&P 500 Up 15.2 or 1.72%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
www.andersongroup.com

11/1/02

HANS Device saves Fernández, thinks about retirement   Adrian Fernández revealed today that when Tora Takagi's car landed on top of him in Australia, his head was compressed straight down which caused a compression fracture of two vertebra in his neck.  He said luckily he had the HANS Device on because, although it was not designed for that sort of accident, in fact what happened was that the bottom of his helmet hit the Carbon Fiber HANS Device draped over his shoulders, which prevented his neck from compressing any further, and possibly resulting in paralysis.  When asked if this accident made the 37-year old Fernández think about retirement, he said yes, it does make you think about how healthy you will be so you can enjoy retirement w/o being a cripple.  "I will race at least two more years and then evaluate where I am," stated Fernández.

11/1/02

RPM Band news   Target Racing's Kenny Brack (left), Mo Nunn Racing's Laz Denes and Player's/Forsythe Racing's Rick Downey prepared for their Friday night "Runway Madness" performance with the "Super RRPM" band on Wednesday in a practice session at Unchained Studios in San Dimas, Calif. The "Super RPM" can be seen live Friday night on SPEED Channel at 10:30 p.m. (EST), 7:30 p.m. (PST).

11/1/02

Pook maintains party line on Ecclestone   Chris Pook told a group of journalists the same thing he stated last weekend in Australia regarding the Bernie Ecclestone rumors - "we are just friends who happen to both be in the open wheel racing business.  CART is interested in sending drivers up to F1 and F1 is interested in getting them."  In essence he continues to deny that Bernie Ecclestone will buy into CART.

11/1/02

Pook hot on China   Chris Pook told us today he definitely keen on China.  As to the report by a Swiss publication this week that  CART will definitely race in Beijing, he said that was a bit premature.  He said that CART will not race in China until F1 is established.  F1 will be established with a race in 2004, so that means we won't see CART in China before 2005, which is what the Swiss report stated.

11/1/02
Industry News

Ford looks to slash billions   Ford Motor Co. plans to cut at least $3 billion from its annual tab for parts and materials largely by transplanting the strategy that purchasing chief David Thursfield started in Europe to its North American operations. Called Team Value Management -- or TVM in Ford-speak -- the strategy employs a thorough analysis of parts prices from raw materials to parts on the assembly line to replacements. After two years in Europe, TVM has touched nothing without cutting at least 10 percent from the total cost of the part analyzed, Thursfield said Thursday. He said he would be disappointed if TVM didn't generate at least 15 percent savings within two years. Thursfield calls it Team Value Management because purchasing, engineering, manufacturing -- and even suppliers -- are on the same team to ensure that Ford pays the lowest prices in the industry for every widget in every car.

11/1/02

Kanaan tops opening practice at Fontana   Tony Kanaan paced the opening practice session Friday for Sunday's The 500 Presented By Toyota, Round 18 of the 2002 CART FedEx Championship Series. Driving the Pioneer/WorldCom Honda/Lola, Kanaan toured the 2.029-mile California Speedway oval at an average speed of 232.891 miles per hour with a time of 31.364 seconds. Dario Franchitti was second fastest in the KOOL Honda/Lola and Patrick Carpentier nipped teammate Alex Tagliani to be third fastest in the Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard. Next up is the second practice session of the day, set to begin at 5:15 p.m. ET.

11/1/02

Budweiser Clash to move to night  The 25th anniversary of the Budweiser Shootout At Daytona will be held under the lights for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 8, at Daytona International Speedway. The Budweiser Shootout has been traditionally scheduled during Speedweeks on a Sunday afternoon, a week before the Daytona 500. But during Speedweeks 2003, the Budweiser Shootout will move to 8 p.m., Feb. 8 and will be televised by FOX Sports in prime time. "Nighttime racing is a big hit for both competitors and fans and we're pleased to add more night racing at Daytona International Speedway," Speedway President Robin Braig said. "The allure of night racing will certainly bring a bigger audience to the Budweiser Shootout. It will be a fantastic race." "We're always looking for new ways to add excitement to the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, and we believe moving the race to Saturday night will be very popular with the fans and drivers," said Tony Ponturo, Vice President of Global Media and Sports Marketing at Anheuser-Busch. "Moving to Saturday night and televising the race live during prime time on FOX are great ways to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Budweiser Shootout."

11/1/02

Bell on standby for Takagi  We are hearing that Townsend Bell is on standby for Tora Takagi in case Tora is too uncomfortable in the car as a result of his cracked Pelvis from last weekends Surfers accident.

11/1/02

Fiat finds $2.5 billion  The Fiat group has announced that it will pour another $2.5 billion into the troubled car company Fiat Auto. It is not clear where the money has come from except that Fiat says that the money comes from within the group and that it will not increase the company's debts.  One has to wonder if this will affect Ferrari's F1 program because Fiat helps to fund it..

11/1/02

Ganassi still trying to put CART team together   In a NSSN article, Target Chip Ganassi team manager Mike Hull says, "we didn't announce that we are doing an exclusive move to the IRL.  Our position today is that we're going to have two Target drivers in the IRL next year, fully supported by Target and Toyota.  It's an extension what what we are already doing in the IRL this year with one Target car.  We're still working on a CART program and we have not given up by any means.  Chip wants to be in CART and so do the guys.  Our team has supported CART for many years and I don't think you will see any team owner who has given more to CART than Chip has.  He's done everything he could to stay in CART, but it's hard to go against the wishes of your sponsor."

11/1/02

Atlantics:  Kyle Krisiloff to run Toyota Atlantics again   We spoke to Steve Krisiloff, Kyle's father today at Fontana.  He said Kyle will run a full season in Toyota Atlantics in 2003.  Meanwhile he will be testing a F3 car over the winter.  We asked Steve what's Kyle's ultimate goal in racing and he said F1.  Therefore, it's likely he will continue to race in road racing series as he moves up the ladder, because 1) it develops the skills he needs for F1, 2) they (Steve, his mother, and his grandmother Mari Hulman George) want to keep him away from the dangerous concrete walls.  Kyle is an 18-year old senior in High School this year and his father said he's very bright (SAT score of 1300) and could do anything he wants in life, but he's addicted to speed and racing is what he wants to do.  Steve said, "I told him we can send him to medical school and save a lot of money compared to what we spend on him in racing."  Mark C.

11/1/02

Cheever thinks Scheckter still on his team  According to this Las Vegas Sun article, there certainly is no love lost between Indy Racing League driver Tomas Scheckter and his former team owner and teammate Eddie Cheever. Scheckter, who had runs-ins both on and off the track with Cheever this season, said he isn't bothered by the prospect of racing against his former boss next year as a driver for Target/Chip Ganassi Racing. "As long as he doesn't get in the way when I lap him, I don't have a problem with Eddie," Scheckter said Tuesday. "Eddie is the least of my problems on the track -- I've got to concentrate on building a good team around me, I've got to concentrate on developing the G-Force (chassis) and making sure the Toyota (engine) is quick." Scheckter, who had one victory this season, announced last week that he had signed to drive, along with Scott Dixon, for Ganassi in the IRL in 2003. Cheever came out with a statement that said Scheckter remained under contract to drive for his Red Bull Cheever Racing team next season. Scheckter said there is no doubt in his mind that he will be driving for Ganassi in 2003. "I'm a Target/Chip Ganassi driver at the moment, so that's were it stands," Scheckter said. "Eddie can claim what he wants to claim and I've got people sorting that out and dealing with that at the moment." Mike Hull, managing director for TCGR, dismissed Cheever's assertion and said he felt "very assured that Tomas will be driving for us next year."

11/1/02

V-10 engine manufacturers   A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, There has been a lot of speculation about the V-10 engines for CART that Chris Pook keeps talking about.  Would all the same F1 engine manufactures actually supply the CART teams with engines?  Richard Carmichael, New York, NY.  Dear Richard, There is one thing that Chris Pook keeps saying that bewildered us for quite sometime.  He insists on keeping the number of cars down to 20 to 24 so they don't have to pay extra freight to transport the series overseas.   However, we have to wonder if that isn't just a smokescreen.  The races would be better and there would be more cars and drivers for the fans to follow if they had, say, 28 cars starting.  It may be possible that Pook wants to keep the car count the same as F1 because he has in mind to, as rumored, use leftover F1 engines, which would mean an equal car count in F1 and CART would be desirable.  It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, but there is another scenario we have heard, that of the manufacturers badging the CART engines with one of their other brands.  Here are some examples, but we don't list Honda or Toyota because we think it's safe to assume they have thrown their lot with the IRL and NASCAR (future) and, therefore, would not participate in CART:

V-10 Engine Badging Possibilities (F1 and CART engines )
Manufacturer	Formula 1	CART
Fiat	Ferrari	Maserati
Daimler-Chrysler	Mercedes Benz	Mercedes or Chrysler
BMW	BMW	BMW
Nissan-Renault	Renault	Infiniti
Ford	Jaguar	Ford
VW	VW	Audi
Hyundai	Hyundai	Hyundai

11/1/02

Martin tops test speed charts  Mark Martin moved to the top of the speed charts as a two-day test concluded at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as ten NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch Series drivers took to the 1.5-mile oval in preparation for the first-ever Ford Championship Weekend, November 14-17. According to Homestead-Miami Speedway timing and scoring, leading the way with the fastest lap was Martin, followed by Jamie McMurray and NASCAR Busch Series Driver Scott Wimmer. Also completing laps were the following NASCAR Winston Cup (NWC) and NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) drivers:
Driver, Car#/Series, Fastest Lap Time/Speed
Mark Martin, No. 6 NWC, 36.22/149.089
Jamie McMurray, No. 40 NWC, 36.50/147.945
Scott Wimmer, No. 23 NBS, 36.89/146.381
Kyle Petty, No. 45 NWC, 37.09/145.592
Kenny Wallace, No. 23 NWC, 37.11/145.513
Elliott Sadler, No. 21 NWC, 37.12/145.474
Dale Jarrett, No. 88 NWC, 37.29/144.811
Kyle Petty*, No. 43 NWC, 37.47/144.115
Todd Bodine, No. 92 NBS, 37.54/143.847
Geoffrey Bodine, No. 09 NWC, 37.87/142.593
* Petty was testing both the No. 43 and No. 45 cars due to the absence of John Andretti.

11/1/02

Stewart's magic no. is 9  As the Winston Cup point leader with a 146-point margin over nearest championship pursuer Mark Martin, steadiness is the trait that will take Tony Stewart to his first Winston Cup championship. Upon winning at the Watkins Glen (N.Y) road course in mid-August, Stewart has tallied six top-fives and nine top-10s for an average finish of eighth. In the process, he has come from fourth in points to first in the span of nine races, taking the point lead after his second-place run at Talladega (Ala.) in early October. Sunday's race at Rockingham marks the third to last race of the season, and to wrap up the championship, Stewart simply needs to maintain his steady ways. Ninth is his magic number, for if Stewart finishes ninth or better in the remaining three races, the championship will be his regardless of the performance of any other driver.

11/1/02

NASCAR ads on police cars  To cash-strapped cities across the nation, the offer seems too good to pass up. New police cars for $1 each in exchange for allowing NASCAR style advertisements all over the cruisers. Cities buffeted by the recession and a post-9/11 travel lull are jumping at the deal pushed by a Charlotte company. Since May, more than 20 cities have signed contracts for the cars, and more than 200 others are interested. Some observers fear that putting ads on police cars goes too far. USA Today

11/1/02

Foyt IV moves up to IRL  The legendary name of Foyt will drive in the Indianapolis 500 and the Indy Racing League in 2003. A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, will drive in the Indy Racing League in 2003 for his grandfather’s team. “We are planning on running him,” Foyt said. “Right now, it would probably be Anthony and Airton Dare.” Foyt IV, 18, from Hockley, Texas, won the 2002 Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series championship, clinching the championship in his home state by winning the BG Products 100 on Sept. 14 at Texas Motor Speedway. He returned to TMS on Oct. 31 and passed his IRL rookie test in his grandfather’s team car. “It is going to be tough,” Foyt IV said. “It is going to be the toughest year in the IRL with all these different teams coming in, plus with all the same teams coming back that are tough. I am up for the challenge, though. I am going to go out there and do the best I can. It will be exciting to go to race day and go out and practice with them.” Foyt is the first driver to climb from the Infiniti Pro Series – Indy Racing’s development series that started in July 2002 – to the IRL. At 18, he will be the youngest driver in series history. “I told him this next step is a big one,” said four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Foyt. “What else can you say? I started young; he’s young. I am sitting on him pretty tight and holding him down. But we will just go from there. Last year, the Pro Series was a big step for him from the (American Continental Formula Ford) 2000 series where he won a lot. He has won in everything he has been in.” The elder Foyt also won in everything he drove, becoming the only man to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the LeMans 24 Hour Race. The senior Foyt scored a record 67 Indy-style wins and a record seven Indy-style championships. As the younger Foyt prepares for the jump to the IRL, he is concentrating on learning the new tracks on which he will compete in 2003. He raced on seven of the 15 IRL tracks during his championship run in the Infiniti Pro Series and won races at four of them, Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky and Texas. “He has been to most of the tracks,” the elder Foyt said. “Richmond, he hasn’t been to, and Phoenix, but I tested him there earlier. The biggest adjustment for him will be learning how the other guys race. That is what I want him to know. “He has a pretty good head on his shoulders. So far, he has done everything we have told him. And, that is the thing with him, he listens really well.” Foyt IV indicated he is ready for the challenge of the unfamiliar tracks. “I think the biggest adjustment will be racing on the smaller tracks with so much horsepower and getting out of the throttle and getting back into it all very easily so I don’t get it loose,” Foyt IV said. “Plus having all those cars around me going that fast will be a lot different.” Foyt’s learning process will be accelerated by teammate Dare, who served as his driving coach during the 2002 Infiniti Pro Series season. Foyt IV also served as Dare’s right-front tire changer during the season. “I think he will really be able to help me next year since he has been to all the tracks and knows what to expect,” Foyt IV said. “To have someone like that is going to be a big help to me.” And Foyt is helping himself by setting realistic expectations for his rookie campaign in the IRL. “I wasn’t expecting to have the success I had last year in the Infiniti Pro Series,” Foyt said. “So, I am not going into the IRL thinking I am going to win all the races and win the championship. “I am just going out there to do the best I can and hopefully win a few races and stay up in the top 10 in points.”  IRL

11/1/02

Latest F1 Hot News 

Jaguar Consider All-New Lineup
Stoddart Forced To Sell Airline
Montoya Celebrates Ralf Defeat
F1 Pundits Welcome 'Sensible' Change
Hungarian Grand Prix To Stay
Michelin Aim For Better Future
Renault Target November Roll-Out
Montoya Pans Lack Of Progress
F1 News In Brief

11/1/02

CART B2B meeting a success   A host of potential sponsors for future Championship Auto Racing Teams endeavors got a first-hand look at what they can expect from an investment in the series at Thursday's B2B Forum Presented by Bear Stearns. Attendees heard from Ford Racing Technology Sponsor Relations Manager Tom Elliman, Continental Group of Companies President Henry Rischitelli, General Manager of California Speedway Bill Miller and CART Vice-President of Marketing Steve Fusek during the meeting, which included individual presentations as well as a group forum. Rischitelli, who represents Visteon in its involvement in the series, told potential sponsors of all the ways that Visteon benefits from sponsoring the #20 Visteon/Patrick Racing Toyota/Reynard/Bridgestone of Oriol Servia. He told of how Visteon used CART as a technology platform and as a way to bring along fresh engineers, and also told the crowd that if they want to blanket North America through motorosports - CART is the way to go. "CART owns Mexico and Canada and no other racing series comes close to capturing the attention of the region like CART does when it races there," Rischitelli said. "If your company strategy includes those two areas of North America, CART is the only series that you need." Elliman instructed the attendees on the benefits of joining the CART Sponsor Council, which meets five times per season to assess the problems facing sponsors in the series. The Sponsor Council can also request meetings with the CART Board of Directors to address concerns, and allows companies both large and small to get together and share ideas. After the meeting, the potential sponsors were treated to pace car rides around the two-mile California Speedway oval and were all invited to sit in on the Sponsor Council meeting on Friday..

11/1/02

Haberfeld hopes to bring Engineer with him   Brazilian F3000 driver Mario Haberfeld is hoping to land a ride in 2003 with the Walker Racing Champ Car team.  Haberfeld won the British F3 crown in 1998, beating current F1 driver Enrique Bernoldi in a fierce battle.  Instead of going to F1, he went to F3000 where he spent three frustrating years driving a car that "drove like a bus" as he put it.  The new F3000 car fit his style much better and 2002 saw him score points more consistently.  He recently tested for Walker Racing at Firebird Raceway and had this to say in an Autosport interview - "Rick Gorne, who is my manager, arranged the test with Walker Racing.  It was very good.....the driving style is a lot like F3, but with a lot more power and a lot more things you can change on the car."  I did three runs and I could feel what the car was doing and we were doing good lap times, despite the 105-degree F heat.  I appreciate the opportunity Derrick gave me and we are trying to put a deal together, but lets see what happens.  That's the plan and hopefully we can sort it out soon.  Engineer Andy Miller, who was at Stewart when Haberfeld won the F3 title, was also at the test and hopes to make the move to CART along with Mario..

11/1/02

Scott Speed lands 2nd Red Bull ride  CART ladder series driver Scott Speed is the 2nd of four Red Bull Challenge drivers to be placed in Europe for 2003.  Speed (no relation to NASCAR driver Lake Speed) will drive in the British F3 series.  That is the series Alex Gurney drove in before returning to the USA.  It's extremely competitive and we have seen some drivers in the past move straight to F1 from F3, bypassing F3000.

11/1/02
Industry News

ASA to SPEED  SPEED Channel continues on its path of adding more and more race series to its lineup.  Officials from SPEED Channel and the American Speed Association announced today that they have reached an agreement that calls for SPEED to become the exclusive television network for the 2003 and 2004 ASA Racing Series seasons. Although the 2003 ASA Racing Series schedule has yet to be released, the agreement is for all 20 events to be televised on SPEED Channel next year.  In addition to its existing lineup of CART, F1, World Rally and NASCAR, since Sept. 30, SPEED Channel has announced programming deals with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the ASA, F3000 and CASCAR.  SPEED Channel will air the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series banquet on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. ET. The 90-minute taped program will re-air the same evening at 1 a.m. ET and then again on Dec. 5 (noon) and Dec. 7 (6 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET).

10/31/02

IRL news tidbits Infiniti Pro Series driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. will sign autographs and participate in a question and answer session with fans Nov. 2-3 at “PowerPlay - Tuscon’s Ultimate Sportsfest” in Tucson, Ariz. Luyendyk, who finished second in the inaugural Infiniti Pro Series standings, will join other sports stars and musical artists at the event, which takes place at Tucson Electric Park. An Indy Racing League car also will be on display during the event. Children 12 and under are admitted free. For more information, visit www.kmsb.com/powerplay … Roquin Motorsports driver Jeffrey Jones clinched the Formula Ford 2000 Rookie of the Year title and finished second overall during the Oct. 27 season finale at Virginia International Raceway. Roquin Motorsports also fields owner-driver Rolando Quintanilla in the Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series … Usona Purcell, the owner of Dennis Firestone’s 1984 Indianapolis 500 entry and co-owner of Andy Hillenburg’s 2001 Indianapolis 500 entry, died Oct. 25 at age 72.”  IRL

10/31/02

Foyt IV passes rookie test  A.J. Foyt IV, the 2002 Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series champion, passed the speed phase of his Indy Racing League rookie test Oct. 31 at Texas Motor Speedway. Foyt, 18, clinched the inaugural Infiniti Pro Series championship by winning the season-ending BG Products 100 on Sept. 14 at TMS. Texas native Foyt, grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, turned 64 laps on the 1.5-mile oval with an unofficial top speed of 215 mph to complete the test. “My first couple of hot laps out there today, I realized just how fast I was going,” Foyt said. “That was the biggest difference. But nothing really surprised me because I knew what the car was going to do and how it was going to handle. But it impressed me with just how fast it would go. “Once I ran a few laps flat out, it wasn’t really a problem doing it anymore.”  IRL

10/31/02

IRL prepares for 30+ cars  As the Indy Racing League enters its eighth season of exciting competition, the series has grown larger than ever before. And while the growth and momentum of the league certainly bodes well for the future, there are some logistical issues arising with the idea of 31 to 32 cars possibly attempting to qualify per event outside of the Indianapolis 500, according to Brian Barnhart, senior vice president of operations for the Indy Racing League. That, coupled with three engine manufacturers, Chevrolet, Honda and Toyota, three chassis manufacturers, Dallara, Falcon and Panoz G Force, and Firestone, the exclusive tire of Indy Racing, means paddock and pit space will be tight at some of the 15 tracks where the IRL competes. “This is just a logistical issue,” Barnhart said. “Having more cars means more quality cars and more depth in the field.” In 2002, an average of 25 cars competed in every IRL race, the largest number of any major open-wheel series. Each of the more than 30 cars that would potentially attempt to qualify, starting with the season opener March 2, 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, would have one transporter at each race, as would the seven manufacturers and the Indy Racing League, giving Barnhart and his staff nearly 40 transporters to park on a race weekend. “At some racetracks, the facility just isn’t as large as it is at others,” Barnhart said. “Some of the older places don’t have enough room for them. From a garage standpoint and a transporter-parking standpoint, we have a very full and tight paddock situation. That just makes it difficult from a logistical standpoint.” Pit road is also an issue that Barnhart and his staff are quickly looking to address, giving each team plenty of working space to produce the competitive racing that has become the hallmark of Indy Racing. All but one track at which the IRL will compete in 2003, Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, plays host to either a NASCAR Winston Cup or Busch Series event, which sometimes requires 43 pit spaces that are normally 28-29 feet long, Barnhart said. However, Indy Racing League pit boxes are required to be a minimum of 36 feet long, which would result in few “Indy Racing” pit boxes being available. “The reason we need a longer pit box than a Winston Cup car needs is because we refuel the cars from fuel tanks with fuel hoses, rather than a free-standing can where a guy can run anywhere he needs to, to plug the can in to fuel the car,” Barnhart said. “Because the hose can only reach so far, the pit box needs to be large enough so that the car can get in and get out safely as well as be positioned in the box so that the hose can safely be coupled to the car during the refueling process. “And because some pit boxes are used for timing and scoring and used by officials and safety workers, there is an issue with making sure each team has as plenty of room to work safely.” Barnhart said one solution being considered for shorter tracks is the possibility of two cars sharing one pit box. “I’ve seen it done in NASCAR successfully, and we are looking at the pros and cons,” Barnhart said. “We’ve been looking at each track on an individual basis. John Lewis (director of operations for the IRL) has CAD/CAM drawings of all the racetracks and all of the pit roads, and we’re trying to figure out what we can do to accommodate more cars in the garage area, paddock-wise as well on pit road. “The racetrack, while the cars are actually at speed, it not really an issue. We’re going to see what we can find out and what we can do to increase the number of cars that we can put on pit road and start each event.” And while the issues maybe tough at times to resolve, it’s an issue that Barnhart and his staff enjoy having. “The more cars you can put on the track, the better you can improve the entertainment value for the fans,” Barnhart said. “There’s no way I would describe this in any way, shape or form as a problem. “This is a sign of growth, momentum and excellence.”  IRL

10/31/02

CART stock watch 

MPH closed at $4.76 Up $0.08 on Volume of 18,100 shares.
$4.14 Bid - $5.10 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $4.71 / $4.85
MPH Value Change Up 1.71%
DOW Jones Down 30.38 or 0.36% on Volume of 1.89 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 3.05 or 0.23%
S&P 500 Down 4.94 or 0.55%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
www.andersongroup.com

10/31/02

Ford Credit renews  Ford Credit has agreed to terms with Robert Yates Racing on a one-year associate sponsorship package involving Dale Jarrett and the No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford Taurus beginning in 2003, as announced today by Phil Gordon, Motorsports Marketing Manager. "We are excited to continue our association with one of the top race teams in Winston Cup," said Gordon. "We are proud of the relationship that we have built over the last seven years with Robert Yates, Dale Jarrett, Todd Parrott and the entire Yates organization. We look forward to another championship-caliber season with the 88 team."

10/31/02

Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition title on the Line  Winning the Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition once is an accomplishment, but defending the title doubles the pressure to perform. For the No. 17 DEWALT pit crew, capturing a second consecutive title would vault the Roush Racing team into the record books and could mean an additional payday of $40,000, provided they can beat their existing world record time of 17.695 seconds. "It gave us a lot of confidence this year being the Union 76 World Pit Crew Champions," said Phil Drye, front-tire changer for the No. 17 Ford Taurus. We proved ourselves time and time again on pit road and even made a difference in some of the races we won. Being the defending champions adds a little pressure to the deal, but I think this team has been under worse pressure before and I think we will overcome it." While some teams may prepare differently for the Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition, crew members know it's business as usual. "We're going to do the same thing we did last year," said Robbie Reiser, Crew chief for the No. 17 team. We're going to show up -- no pressure -- and hopefully have the same kind of pit stop we did last year. We have practiced all year long and raced all these races. These guys know they have one chance to show the world their stuff." All must be well on pit road for the No. 17 team because Matt Kenseth and his team have been able to back up their Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Championship by visiting lane four times during the 2002 season so far. "With the competition in the Winston Cup Series being so tight these days, it takes the skills and expertise of the pit crews to make the difference," said Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Ford Taurus. Races can be won on pit road and I think the DEWALT crew has proven that this year." Teams in the top 25 in Winston Cup car owner points will have one shot to change four tires and empty 14 gallons of 76 Gasoline into their car. Since 1995, the winning time has bested the previous year's winning time by an average of .90 seconds and no team has repeated as champions since 1987-88 when crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine and Dale Earnhardt teamed up to win back-to back titles. Shelmerdine and Earnhardt continue to hold the record for the most Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew titles with four (1985-1988).

10/31/02

2nd China track in Beijing for CART  6th UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1, I'm glad to see you understated the rivalry between Beijing and Shanghai. The rivalry is huge, but it is NOT between the people. The “people” will attend the races, but it is the GOVERNMENTS that are “proud”. Beijing, the seat of government, is not about to be totally outdone by Shanghai, the seat of commerce. So far your articles have reported 1) Beijing is building in response to Shanghai, 2) Beijing has increased the size of the track, 3) Beijing will finish a year earlier. What’s next? As I have scribbled, this rivalry will get the job completed. Thank you Bernie for getting the process started. Jeff  10/31/02 - AR1 has learned that this track is slated to be completed in late 2003, meaning a CART race as early as 2004 is possible.  However, CART won't be running F1 engines until 2005, and with Hyundai and Nissan rumored as two of the engines suppliers (see rumors page) coming into the series in 2005, it's quite possible CART will wait until 2005 and not rush things.  China is very important to both companies.   With the Olympics coming to Beijing in 2008, the city is going to undergo some dramatic improvements because the Chinese people are proud and have every intention of showing the world just how grandiose they can be.  There is also a bit of rivalry between Beijing (the government center of China) and Shanghai (the emerging commercial center of China) and you can be sure that Beijing will attempt to outdo Shanghai when it comes to building a race track.  As to the Beijing track layout, we see a lot of good overtaking areas.  Notice the Sepang like 180-degree grandstands in the center as well as all the grandstands surrounding the track.  When the Chinese hear the sound of the CART F1 engines screaming at 16,000 + RPM for the first time, they are going to be enamored.  Also, if this rumor is indeed true, don't be surprised to see some Chinese drivers emerge in the not too distant future. Landon Yee has written a number of articles for AR1 and is currently in the CART ladder series while still attending college.  If CART is going to China, they had better ring up Mr. Yee right quick.  10/30/02 - We have confirmed that the track we show is indeed the approved FIA International Standard track in Beijing - they are however changing it slightly to suit FIM (hence the change from 5.23 km to 5.9 km). This track is due to start construction any day now. The ground breaking was last week. This is an international standard circuit suitable for any form of car or motorcycles at this level. We cannot reveal which sanction bodies are going to Beijing at this time, as it is all in negotiation.  10/29/02 - We have had a hard time finding the official track layout for Beijing.  The only one we have been able to come up with is the proposed new international standard circuit (named Comp-Speed), designed by Alan Wilson, near Beijing (click on image to right). Officials have set aside 500 acres of land for the facility in the south-west of the city, adjacent to where new freeways have recently been built. This 3.25-mile track equates to 5.23 km, which is close to the 5.9 km (3.7 miles) mentioned in the original story, so we think we may have the correct track. The track will feature current FIA and FIM safety and standards and will be able to host national and international car and motorcycle events. Stay tuned as we attempt to determine if this is indeed the one now under construction.  10/29/02 - As AutoRacing1.com speculated when it was first announced, the $121m F1-standard circuit currently being built in Beijing will host a CART series race in 2005 (when CART runs Formula 1 V-10's), claims a report in Swiss weekly Motorsport Aktuell. This probably belongs on our rumors page because it is not 'fact yet, but since this news started here, we felt it best to keep it all together.  10/25/02 - The track would be 13 to 18 meters wide (i.e. very wide) and 5.9 km long, 450 meters longer than Shanghai’s.  10/24/02 - Hmm, F1 in Shanghai and CART in Beijing?  The city of Beijing has started construction of an F1-standard circuit to rival the venue in Shanghai which was approved last weekend to stage the Chinese GP, reports China Daily. The first foundations of the $121m project were laid in a Beijing suburb on Wednesday after the FIA approved the design. Chu Zhaoge of Beijing International Circuit Co said he was confident that the new track would be suitable for F1 racing. Beijing Circuit Boss Chu George told the China Daily that the circuit’s backers, though not revealing their identity, were already heavily involved in Formula One. ‘Our international partners are major sponsors of F1 and other international racing competitions and they promise to bring high-level racing games to Beijing in the near future,’ he said.  This is another example where Bernie Ecclestone can use CART to fill in the gaps where F1 can't meet the demand.

10/31/02

Fernández Racing to announce 2003 plans  On Friday at 12:00 PM Pacific time, Adrian Fernández and Tom Anderson will announce the future plans of Fernández Racing.  We expect they will announce a replacement for Shinji Nakano who will drive for them in the IRL.

10/31/02

FIA responds to Byrne comments  European Commissioner Byrne and the Belgian Grand Prix The FIA has noted the comments of Brussels Health Commissioner David Byrne* criticizing the omission of the Belgian Grand Prix from the 2003 World Championship.  This decision arises from the need to comply simultaneously with Belgian law and with the Formula One teams’ current sponsorship contracts. Had Mr. Byrne and the European Commission shown similar respect for legal detail, their original EU Directive on tobacco advertising (98/43/EC) would not have been annulled by the European Court of Justice. Mr Byrne, as Health Commissioner, and the Commission itself would have more credibility in this matter if they were to take steps to end the subsidy of nearly one billion Euros currently paid by Brussels to encourage tobacco growing in the EU. Responsible health agencies world-wide are co-operating with the FIA in seeking a global ban on tobacco sponsorship in motor sport from October 1st, 2006 (a date originally chosen by the EU). Countries which choose a different date on an individual basis merely render this objective more difficult to attain.

10/31/02

Petty plane makes emergency landing  A private plane carrying members of Petty Racing made a successful emergency landing Wednesday evening at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Ariz.  Apparently they blew a tire on takeoff, and after dumping fuel, made a safe landing with minor damage to the wheel hub. No injuries were reported. The team had just completed two days of testing at Phoenix International Raceway with driver Christian Fittipaldi, Fittipaldi was not on the plane. Fittipaldi will run Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and ARCA next year for Petty Enterprises.

10/31/02

CART must keep cars?  A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I attended my first CART race at Denver and left very impressed and even a bigger fan. After experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and unbelievable speed, I really could not understand the controversy between CART and the IRL. I believe the CART product is so much better. I actually think they should not be compared because they really are two different styles of racing (one better than the other). Recently, I have been reading about how CART will likely switch to an F1 style engine beginning in 2005. I am really disappointed that CART is going away from the turbo because I love the sound and uniqueness of those engines. But, I understand CART has to do what it has to do. Now, I am reading that CART may move to F1 style chassis beginning in 2005. With all the talk of CART and Bernie joining forces, I have been worried about this. I LOVE the current chassis in CART. I personally think they are far better looking than F1. Maybe not as high tech as the F1 chassis, but that's fine, they don't have to be. I hope CART does not loose its unique brand of racing. Thanks, Kevin Kelch, Omaha, NE  Dear Kevin, A lot of people like the current CART chassis, but by 2005 it will be time for new cars for all the teams.  If CART adopts F1 engines, one has to think that if CART is to be an F1 training ground, what better than to have its drivers pilot a similar car in the CART series?  Also, by having the same chassis, but stripped of unnecessary and costly technology, it opens up CART to F1 manufacturers such as Ferrari and McLaren, to sell cars in CART.   Chris Pook has been talking about three CART races in Europe, and one has to believe one of those races may be in Italy, and probably at Imola should F1 drop that race.  With Maserati rumored to be badging sister-company Ferrari F1 engines with their name and supplying them to CART teams in 2005,  a Ferrari chassis with a Maserati engine would get the attention of the tifosi.  F1 cars also have onboard starters, which CART wants to adopt, and they also are narrower, which reduces lap times somewhat and makes it a bit easier to overtake on narrow tracks.

10/31/02

Stoddart to sell his airline  Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has revealed that he is to sell his aviation business European Aviation, basically as a result of the worldwide recession that has hit the travel business since the atrocities of September 11 2001.  "I think every airline post September 11 has hit financial trouble," said Stoddart. "Many have succumbed to the pressure and we are at the moment concluding, we hope, a sale because we can no longer stand alone. We're only selling the airline, not the spares business, which is what over the years has made us a lot of money." The Australian made it clear that he is now going to devote even more time to his troubled F1 team, while taking the opportunity to hit out at the failure of Australian businesses to get behind him and his team. "We're very disappointed," he said. "With all the good work we did do in Australia, we really did bring on Mark Webber, not just this year but when he needed a break in Formula 3000 as well. Now Australia's got their Formula One hero but we've had no support out of Australia which is sad for me personally." However Stoddart, who only a couple of weeks ago was threatening to 'walk away' from F1 should fellow team bosses carry out their threat and demand the return of the Prost TV money, is confident that his team will be 'on the grid' next March. "Obviously Formula One has gone to hell and back again this year," he said. "But there were some pretty good things put through this week through the Formula One Commission, and I think you'll find we'll be there in Melbourne." he said.

10/31/02

Bernie looks to increase TV viewership  F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has laid out a new plan to spice up the waning free-to-air F1 television spectacle. 'We're going to be the world host broadcaster,' said the FOM and digital-TV guru, 'So you'll get a lot more cameras on free-to-air.' The 72-year-old added: 'We've got a lot of extra stuff on digital, which you normally have to subscribe to a pay company to get. So we can make it a lot more exciting because there are a lot more things going on that you don't currently see so I think you'll see a big, big, big increase in viewing audience for free-over-air television.'

10/31/02

Toyota penny pinching?  British terrestrial F1 broadcaster, ITV, are set to clash with chief sponsor Toyota who are demanding a part-refund for their $38 million advertising portfolio. The Japanese marque argue that a contract clause should allow them to claim a cash rebate from ITV because of poor viewing figures in 2002. Up to a million Britons turned off to Formula One over the course of this season. 

10/31/02

Latest F1 Hot News 

FIA Deters Minardi Arbitration
Changes Afoot At Fledgling Toyota
Formula One Shuns Breakaway Threat
Da Matta Ponders 'Tough Decision'
The Fine Print Of F1's New Rules
Stark Warning For British Grand Prix
Electronic Gizmos To Get The Flick
FIA and EU Duke It Out
Outfits Warned Over Team-Orders
F1 News In Brief

10/31/02

Carpentier bullish on CART  In this Radio-Canada article, Patrick Carpentier assesses his success in CART this year and sees a bright future for CART. (Translation) Shortly after his second place finish at Surfers Paradise, Patrick Carpentier gave a progress report on the 2002 season which saw him win twice. However, the driver from Joliette isn’t completely satisfied. "I’m disappointed for several reasons. I finished only twice during the five last races, and that hurts us with the championship standings. It’s true that 2002 is my best season since I started, but I think that we can do so much more. The beginning of the season was difficult because we had too many problems at the time of the first races; it’s for that (reason) that I wait impatiently for 2003. We learned much this season. I’m glad to have gained our two victories over road circuits." In his remarks collected for This week in Ford Racing, Carpentier explained that he learned to better manage his time to maximize the quality of his work. "From season to season, I’m concentrating more on my work. I don’t want to spread myself too thin, by doing other things like motocross or music. I understand the importance of taking time out between races to rest. It’s a question of priorities. It took more time for me to arrive here, but the entire team has advanced to the same point. I’m now able to lead the standings, it is my objective, and we will get there." Carpentier admits that he thought about the IRL series, but saw several advantages in the CART series. "I wondered where the CART series was going, but I want to continue to travel, and I like the driving road circuits, so I’ve chosen to stay. I discussed a lot with Gerald Forsythe (joint owner of the Player's team) and Player's management, and we believe that the future is promising. It’s true that we’ll lose great names in 2003, but Gerald Forsythe is doing everything so that we can have 18 to 20 cars on the starting grid in 2003. In any case, at this time, all the championships of 'open-wheel' single-seaters are having problems. But there are beautiful things to come in the CART series."

10/30/02

More on Tagliani  In this related article, Tagliani confirms that he won't be at Players' next year and will have to find another drive. (Translation) The Québécois Alexandre Tagliani announced, Tuesday, on radio station CKAC, that he would not return with the Player's team in 2003. The CART series driver, however, thought he had security with Player's since one year remained on his contract. But his behavior and comments in Vancouver earlier this season must have greatly frosted the Player's management who decided to place their faith in Patrick Carpentier and Paul Tracy. This means that the intention of the team to field three cars was only a pipe dream. Tagliani, who joined Player's in the autumn of 1999 to replace the deceased Greg Moore, will have to find another drive, but Player's will still have to honor the last year of his contract, even if he stays at home..

10/30/02

McSwain lands with #18  Almost one month ago, Joe Gibbs Racing announced the search was to begin for a new crew chief to handle the duties for driver Bobby Labonte and the #18 Interstate Batteries Racing Team. Through a very determined and deliberate process the search is over. Beginning with the 2003 season, Michael McSwain will take over the reigns of one of the most successful teams in NASCAR Winston Cup racing in recent years. “We are all very excited that we are able to announce Michael joining our organization,” said team owner Joe Gibbs. “We feel as though he will be a good fit with everyone else we already have in place here. And most importantly, we all think he will be able to work very well with Jimmy (Makar) in his new role, along with Bobby (Labonte) and Zippy (Greg Zipadelli).” “I am excited about the chance I am being given to join Joe Gibbs Racing,” said McSwain. “All of this is happening so fast and it probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I know what I am being brought into to accomplish and I am looking forward to working with everyone to get Bobby and the #18 car back to the head table in New York.” “I especially need to thank Ricky (Rudd) for giving me an opportunity back in 1999 and then bringing me with him over to Robert Yates Racing,” added McSwain. “I also need to thank Robert and Carolyn (Yates) for everything they did for me. Without those people, I would not have the opportunity I do today.

10/30/02

Putting the CART before the hearse - Pook lays out CART's bright future  In this LA Times article, Chris Pook says -  * CART has adopted a marketing plan in the North American Free Trade Agreement countries, which Pook says will be twice as large as any other market by 2007.  * With the addition of races in Tampa-St. Petersburg in 2003, and Houston in 2004, CART will be racing in 11 of the top 25 U.S. markets. It also races in Canada's three largest markets, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, and Mexico's top two, Monterrey and Mexico City.  * By 2005, Pook says, there will "definitely be 15 races in NAFTA markets, three in the European economic community, and two in the Pacific Rim." CART must add one more Pacific venue -- it extended its Australia race over the weekend though 2008 -- and two more in Europe.  "At the end of the day," Pook says, "manufacturers want to be in those markets, and we want to be the company that provides that."  CART can also better market its strength, which is the diversity of its tracks and drivers, by creating the NAFTA Cup -- a series within the series linking a road race in Monterrey, a city street race in Toronto, and the oval race in Fontana -- to create additional in-season interest. Pook has other cards up his sleeve. While in Europe last month for CART's race in England, he said, he spoke to half a dozen car manufacturers. By 2005, he added, CART could be racing cars powered by Maserati, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Nissan Infiniti, Hyundai and Jaguar engines.  That would appeal to CART's strongest demographic, affluent men between the ages of 17-34 and 45-60. But the bridge to 2005 is critical, and that's why Pook -- who started on the job last Dec. 18 -- has focused on creating a stable business platform. That's where Cosworth, the engine manufacturer owned by Ford, plays an important role. It will provide detuned -- from about 800 to 700 horsepower -- turbocharged engines for the series, thereby reducing costs to teams, for the next two years. Cars won't have traction control, which should allow for more passing, and aerodynamic packages are being developed to create the kind of side-by-side oval racing common in the IRL.
And in 2005, assuming CART lives that long?  The series then will have new engine and chassis specifications. Pook wants normally aspirated gas-powered V-10 engines, the power plants used in Formula One.  Did somebody say, "Formula One?"  Last February, Pook reached out to the IRL, offering to use a common chassis and adopt the IRL's basic engine formula, a precursor, perhaps, to the merging of the two. The olive branch was broken, though, by IRL President Tony George, who demanded IRL chassis exclusivity. Thus, the racing leagues seem destined to go their separate ways.  But might Pook be taking a similar approach to Formula One? In Europe, he talked with friend and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, which heated up the rumor mill. The Toronto Sun recently reported that CART's board of directors would consider selling 51% of its shares to Ecclestone. Among other rumors are that Ecclestone is one of several investors who want to buy the publicly held company and privatize it.  CART champions have long made a habit of skipping off to F1, to the point where critics consider CART racing little more than a development series for Grand Prix racing.  "It would be a huge compliment to be a development series for Formula One," Pook says. "Some of our predecessors in CART had the mistaken impression that we could challenge Formula One."  If you can't beat them, join them? Pook, though, says there is no immediate end in sight for CART as a separate entity. At Fontana, about 140,000 are expected over three days. Last year's race produced a record 73 lead changes before Cristiano da Matta edged Max Papis by .007 of a second before a caution flag came out for the final five laps. No one dismisses the success of CART's street events in major cities, which will make up at least half of its scheduled 20 races in 2003. Chicago, currently the site of an oval race, may eventually be added to that list......Questions abound regarding the car count in 2003. Pook promises at least 18, probably 20, maybe 22, yet no more than 10 cars have publicly committed to 2003.  "There are teams coming," Pook said, implying that they'll be coming from somewhere other than Toyota Atlantic, CART's development series, and the IRL. There is also money coming. On Oct. 18, Pook was authorized by CART's board of directors to spend up to $30 million on the 2003 season. That's on top of the series' plan to provide up to $850,000 a car, for the first 20 cars, as part of the Entrant Support Program. In a cost-efficient environment, it's conceivable that Pook could use some of CART's $120-million war chest to provide matching funds for serious owners, such as Frank Arciero, or prospective owners, such as Mario Andretti, Michael's father, and Emerson Fittipaldi, or European Formula 3000 or sports car teams.  It may also be significant that CART's race in Miami this month was a success, despite legal wangling by International Speedway to prevent it from taking place. Pook was willing to fight -- and won.  There are other fights ahead, to be sure. But it showed that he isn't rolling over -- and that there might be life in CART after all.

10/30/02

CART to implement onboard starters, narrower cars?  CART vice president John Lopes cringed as he watched several cars stall their engines in practice and qualifying and sit quietly waiting for help following adventures on the Australian streets. Champ cars do not carry onboard starters, although Lopes said they will by 2005. "People see a stopped car and they don't know why nothing's happening," he said. "That would cut our yellow [periods] in half." Fernandez Racing co-owner Tom Anderson called on CART to consider making the cars narrower when they're redesigned for 2005 (and likely to get normally aspirated V10 engines). "We can't make some of these tracks any wider, so I think we have to make the cars narrower (ala F1 cars - same engines, why not same cassis dimensions?)," Anderson said. "Every little bit gives the drivers more room to make a pass." Lopes said he and CART technical director Lee Dykstra are not opposed to such a redesign. "It would also help us in shipping these things," he said  Autoweek

10/30/02

CART stock watch 

MPH closed at $4.68 Up $0.18 on Volume of 11,400 shares.
$4.04 Bid - $5.01 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $4.54 / $4.89
MPH Value Change Up 4.0%
DOW Jones Up 58.47 or 0.7% on Volume of 1.7 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 26.19 or 2.01%
S&P 500 Up 8.56 or 0.97%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
www.andersongroupe.com

10/30/02

McSwain released from #28 team  Michael "Fatback" McSwain has been released from the No. 28 Havoline Ford NASCAR Winston Cup Series team effective immediately. "We've negotiated a release for Michael from his contract," said team owner Robert Yates. "This will allow him to pursue other opportunities and allow us to look at our options for the future. We wish him the best in his future endeavors." Raymond Fox III, 31, will have crew chief duties this weekend for the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carolina Speedway. Fox is the longtime car chief for the team. "We look forward to going to Rockingham and I know Raymond will do a good job for us this weekend," said Yates.

10/30/02

CART to cap season with awards banquet in Miami   Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc (CART) will put the wraps on its 2002 CART FedEx Championship Series season and unveil some of its plans for 2003 with two days of activity culminating with the series awards banquet November 21-22 at the Hotel Intercontinental in Miami, Florida. The activities begin on the 21st with a luncheon buffet at noon, followed by a keynote address from CART President and CEO Christopher R. Pook that will address the season past as well as spotlight Formula 2003 - which will give team owners, sponsors, managers and promoters their first look at the directions CART will take in 2003. The first day will then wrap with presentations from CART representatives in Competition, Marketing, Promoter Operations and Public Relations where strategies for 2003 will be discussed among those that will be participating in the series next year. The award ceremony and banquet will take place on the 22nd with a cocktail reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. The formal presentation begins in the ballroom of the Intercontinental at 7 p.m. with dinner at 7:30. Awards including the 2002 Driving Champion, the Jim Trueman Rookie-of-the-Year Award, Manufacturer's and Constructor's Championships, the Nation's Cup, The Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge, Greg Moore Legacy Award, Honda Fast Lap Award, WorldCom Most Popular Driver Award, as well as awards to the champion car owners and sponsors and recognition of the top 10 drivers in the championship, will take place after the dinner. The evening will be capped by the Afterglow party which will begin after the awards ceremony.

10/30/02

John Andretti's grandmother passes away  Mary Stofflet, grandmother of John Andretti, has passed away. Arrangements are being handled by George Bensing Funeral Home in Mooretown, PA. That number is (610) 759-3901. The viewing is scheduled tonight from 7-9 p.m., and the funeral Thursday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be sent to:
Salem United Church of Christ
2218 Community Drive
Bath, PA 18014

10/30/02

McMurray turning heads  Jamie McMurray continued to turn heads at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. as the 26-year-old scored seventh-place honors in the NAPA 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event. McMurray's seventh-place finish marked his second top-10 finish in only three Winston Cup starts. "Man, this is awesome," McMurray said. "I'm glad we were able to come down here and back up our win in Charlotte with a strong run. This is an incredible race team and I think if we'd been able to run the entire distance, we maybe would have had something for them at the end. But I'm thrilled with the finish. Man, what an incredible weekend I had here in Atlanta." McMurray picked up his first NASCAR Busch Series victory in Saturday's Aaron's 312 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. In his last four NASCAR starts, McMurray has scored two wins, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.

10/30/02

NASCAR addresses TNT concerns  It looks like NASCAR is very confident that NASCAR fans won't miss any programming on TNT in 2003. Paul Brooks, NASCAR VP of Broadcasting, tells us, "Turner has informed NASCAR that they are going through their normal cycle of negotiations with cable affiliates and they feel confident that these negotiations will result in renewed agreements and that NASCAR programming will not be affected. We look forward to giving NASCAR fans even more NASCAR programming in 2003". Motorsport TV

10/30/02

Atlanta TV ratings skyrocket  NBC Sports' coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup NAPA 500 from the Atlanta Motor Speedway posted a 5.1 national rating/11 share for its rain-delayed coverage (12:30 - 1 p.m. ET and 3:30 - 6:15 p.m. ET), making this NASCAR's highest rated performance ever against professional football, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 5.1 surpasses the previous record high of a 5.0 rating earned for the UAW-GM Quality 500 from Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte on Oct. 13 of this year. "The highly competitive race for the championship has truly engaged the viewers' interest," said Ken Schanzer, President, NBC Sports. "When we acquired the rights to the second half of the NASCAR Winston Cup season, our plan from the beginning was to focus on the race for the championship. Clearly we are beginning to reap the benefits of that strategy." Through 16 telecasts, NBC & TNT have produced a 4.4/10 (excluding this year's Daytona 500 and last year's primetime Pepsi 400 - the two races which alternate between NBC and Fox each year), representing a 16 percent increase over a 3.8/10 for the comparable races last year. The NAPA 500, which was delayed for 2-1/2 hours and ultimately shortened to 248 of the scheduled 325 laps due to rain, also clocked a 31 percent increase over last year's 3.9/10.

10/30/02

EU health chief blasts F1  THE EU's public health chief, David Byrne, has criticized the decision of the F1 commission to axe the Belgian Grand Prix on grounds that tobacco sponsorship would be banned. "What kind of signal does this give to fans?" he asked. "Is the dirty money of tobacco more important to Formula One than the spirit of the sport and the dedication of its fans to one of the most exciting race tracks?"

10/30/02

Toyota announces new F1 chief  Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Motorsport GmbH announced today the appointment of John Howett as President of TMG, effective 1 January 2003. In his new function, John Howett will manage the day-to-day operations of Toyota's motorsports subsidiary and lead the management of its 550-plus employees in Cologne, Germany. Ove Andersson will assume the position of Vice-Chairman and continue to be the Team Principal of Toyota's F1 team - Panasonic Toyota Racing. Tsutomu Tomita, Managing Director of TMC, remains Chairman of TMG. To date Ove Andersson has doubled the roles of both TMG company management and race-activity management. Under the new structure, these two distinct roles will be separated in order to further progress the Toyota F1 project. 50-year-old Briton John Howett is currently Vice-President of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe (TMME) and he has 25 years experience with Toyota. On his new appointment, John Howett commented, "the F1 project is extremely important for Toyota. It is an honour for me to take up the challenge to be the president of the company that is playing the key role in the development of this project. I am a newcomer on the F1 scene, but I have considerable experience in motorsport with Toyota Team Europe, working closely with Ove Andersson. By embracing the true "Spirit of Challenge" of our company, I believe that my passion for motorsports and my experience with Toyota will help me to contribute to the success of Toyota's F1 project." "During Toyota's F1 debut year, I combined the race-related management at Grand Prix and the general management of TMG," said Ove Andersson. "I have now come to the conclusion that I should focus on the race activities and the negotiations with our partners and other stakeholders in the F1 world. I warmly welcome John to TMG and am sure I can count on him to manage the company in Cologne." "I am very pleased to have someone like John Howett, as President of TMG, who knows Toyota and the Toyota Way of doing business extremely well," said Tsutomu Tomita. "While John manages the company, Ove can concentrate fully on race-related activities. This structural change definitely makes our organization stronger and will allow the team to be even better prepared for our second season of competition in F1 - the pinnacle of motorsport."

10/30/02

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10/29/02

Said reigns over awards banquet   Champion Boris Said and the ACS Express Racing Team topped a lengthy list of those receiving awards as the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup held its annual awards banquet Monday night at the Grandover Resort here. Said (#33 Applied Computer Solutions Panoz Esperante/Ford Mustang) drove to his first Trans-Am Series championship in 2002 on the strength of eight race victories and 11 podium finishes in 12 starts. He won the final five races in a row and became only the third driver in the 37-year history of the Trans-Am Series to win as many as eight races in a season, as well as the first to do it in a season of 12 or fewer events. In his final start of the year, Said, who had made his first 11 starts of the campaign behind the wheel of a Panoz Esperante, strapped himself into a Ford Mustang and brought Ford the 100th race victory of its storied Trans-Am racing program in the season finale at Virginia International Raceway. “I’ve never raced for a championship before,” Said commented after accepting $100,000 and the BFGoodrich Tires Cup from Herb Johnson, director of motorsports for BFGoodrich. “But to me, this is not as big a deal as it is to the ACS Express team. For them to have put together a championship effort in just three years of existence says an awful lot about the job [team owners] Mike and Sandy Davis have done.” Said finished the season with 359 points and a 71-point margin over championship runner-up Butch Leitzinger (#88 Tommy Bahama/Tom Gloy Chevrolet Corvette) of Tom Gloy Racing, who finished second with 288 points. Leitzinger, a veteran road racer in his first year in the Trans-Am Series, was the runaway winner of the $10,000 AmeriSuites Rookie of the Year Award on the strength of three race victories and seven podium finishes in 12 starts. “This season was wonderful, and I am proud to be part of Tom Gloy Racing,” said Leitzinger, who led the series with five pole positions. “For the team to bring me up to speed so quickly speaks volumes for their talent and total professionalism. With the team closing after this race, I am glad that I, as a driver, had the opportunity in my career to drive for such a fine organization. This has been one the happiest seasons of my driving career.” Tom Gloy Racing has announced that it will be closing its doors at the conclusion of this Trans-Am Series season.

10/29/02

Craftsman pit crews ready to do battle   As CART's only "Official Tool and Tool Storage Supplier," Craftsman supports top teams in the CART FedEx Championship Series with mechanic's tools and sponsors the Craftsman Tech Center - CART's mobile technical inspection facility. In addition, Craftsman continues to sponsor the Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge, which debuted in 1999, to recognize the efforts of motorsports' unsung heroes, the mechanics who build, maintain and service the Champ Cars. CART teams compete all year to see who has the best crew on pit road. Throughout the season, all pit stops are timed - less time in the pits means more points. The four teams that tallied the most pit crew challenge points, plus a fifth wildcard team, go head-to-head in California this weekend. California Speedway's Pit Lane will serve as the battle grounds for this weekend's fourth annual Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge in Fontana. The hour-long competition starting at 3:30 p.m. PT highlights the five Champ Car teams participating in the Shoot Out, all competing for $50,000 cash, a $15,000 Waterford Crystal Trophy and bragging rights for the winning pit crew. Shell Team Rahal will be looking to defend the title they won last year with driver Kenny Brack. This year's Rahal squad is represented in the Shoot Out by the #8 machine driven by 1996 CART champion Jimmy Vasser with a crew led by Chief Mechanic Bharat Naran. Newman/Haas Racing comes into the competition with both its CART FedEx Championship Series entries, one with newly-crowned CART FedEx Championship Series champion Cristiano da Matta in the #1 car, with Chief Mechanic Don Hoevel - the Wildcard Winner from Chicago - along with the #11 entry piloted by Christian Fittipaldi and paced by Chief Mechanic Kevin Chambers. Pedro Campuzano is the Crew Chief for both of the two Newman/Haas machines. The remaining two teams in the Shoot Out are Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Bruno Junqueira in the #4 machine with Crew Chief Ricky Davis and Player's/Forsythe Racing's #33 entry with driver Alex Tagliani and Crew Chief Roy Wilkerson.

10/29/02

CART stock watch 

MPH closed at $4.50 Unchanged on Volume of 22,400 shares.
$3.73 Bid - $4.71 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $4.25 / $4.55
MPH Value Change Unchanged 0.0%
DOW Jones Up 0.9 or 0.01% on Volume of 1.78 billion shares.
NASDAQ Down 15.29 or 1.16%
S&P 500 Down 8.08 or 0.91%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
www.andersongroupe.com

10/29/02

Full FIA Press Conference transcript  Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone addressed the media after Monday's F1 meeting whereby several new rules were implemented.  Here is the full transcript. 

10/29/02

Papis to sub for Fernández  Fernandez Racing Team Owners Adrian Fernandez and Tom Anderson announced today that Max Papis will replace Adrian Fernandez in Round 18 of the CART FedEx Championship Series at California Speedway this weekend. Fernandez is currently recovering from two thoracic fractures (below the neck) sustained in a major multi-car incident at the start of the Honda Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia, on October 27. “It’s unfortunate that I will not be able to race in Fontana, but I know that Max will do a good job for us this weekend,” said Fernandez. “I have had a lot of success at this track and so has Max. I have a lot of respect for his ability behind the wheel.” This is the second time that Papis, 33, of Como, Italy, will take over driving duties of the #51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Honda/Lola/Bridgestone. He also drove for the team at the CART Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio while Fernandez was recovering from injuries incurred in a multi-car crash at Vancouver on July 28. “Adrian, unfortunately, is the most unlucky driver,“ said Papis. “This is another unfortunate circumstance for him. “I am pleased that the team again called me to drive. I have never won the Fontana race but I finished second last year by 0.123 seconds, and I finished second to Adrian in 1999. I am going to try to do what I didn’t do last year and that is to win the race. I like the track and I am really looking forward to working with my former engineer David Watson. [Watson, who joined Fernandez Racing for the final three races, was the race engineer for Papis at Sigma Autosport.]”   “Adrian has minor compression fractures of the second and third thoracic vertebrae,” said Dr. Terry Trammell, CART Chief Orthopedic Consultant. “The risk of him driving at Fontana after this type of injury is too great, but he should be sufficiently recovered to drive at Mexico City.” Added Fernandez, “Everything looks very promising that I will be able to race in Mexico. I will begin therapy and do what I can. Fontana is out of the question. It is just too soon. Obviously, the Mexico City race is very important for us, and it is something that I have been looking forward to for a long, long time. I am hoping with all my heart that I will be able to race there.” In the interim, Fernandez plans to attend the race at Fontana. “I will be in Fontana to support the team, Shinji and Max, and hopefully we will have some good news soon about Mexico City. It has been a strange year. It is like my car has a black cloud or a magnet above it that seems to attract these things.”

10/29/02

#20 pit crew go after title  The pit crew members of the #20 Home Depot Racing Team attempt to nab a second pit crew championship for NASCAR Winston Cup Series team owner Joe Gibbs in Saturday's Union 76 Pit Crew Competition at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. Gibbs, who also owns the #18 team of Winston Cup driver Bobby Labonte, watched as that outfit took home the pit crew championship in 1999. Among the members of the Home Depot pit crew, five have been members of teams that have previously won the Union 76 Pit Crew Competition. Mike Lingerfelt, the #20 team's front tire changer, won the competition in 1998 as a front tire changer with the #31 team of Richard Childress Racing. Chuck White, the #20 team's jack man, won the competition in 2000 as a jack man with the #99 team of Roush Racing. Todd Foster, the #20 team's rear tire changer, also won the competition in 2000 as a rear tire changer with the #99 team. Jerold Shires, the #20 team's tire specialist, won the competition in 1997 as a rear tire changer with Bill Elliott Racing. And Jeff Chandler, who provides pit support to the #20 team, was the front tire changer on the #18 team when they won the pit crew championship.

10/29/02

Biffle to Petty  Greg Biffle will drive the #44 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge for Petty Enterprises in the 400-mile race. He drove a Winston Cup car earlier this year in a relief role for Andy Petree Racing, showing an ability to take the car towards the front. "We're excited to have a driver with Greg's ability and enthusiasm drive the Georgia-Pacific Dodge," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "Ted (Musgrave) did a really solid job for us at Atlanta and we appreciate that. We feel Greg is going to do very well for us at Rockingham, too." Musgrave drove the car last week at Atlanta, replacing Jerry Nadeau who has been injured in a private accident. "There is a lot of history that surrounds Petty Enterprises and it's a privilege to drive for them" Biffle said. "I appreciate the opportunity, and I'm glad I'm available to help out.

10/29/02

Stanton Barrett to drive for Roush in 2003  Stanton Barrett spent his adult life working to reach the top of the motorsports world. He is now one giant step closer. Roush Racing announced today Barrett will drive for the NASCAR Busch Grand National championship-probable #60 Ford beginning in 2003. OdoBan, a product of Clean Control Corporation of Warner Robins, Ga., will sponsor Barrett and the team. "This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and I’m grateful to Roush Racing and Clean Control for it," said Barrett, who has driven in NASCAR Busch Grand National and NASCAR Winston Cup during his career. "But this is something that I have worked so hard for, and something that I have given everything I know how to give to achieve," he said. "The nights I have spent on planes going from one job to another, those days and nights that were spent on the movie set earning enough money so I could race, then working endlessly at night on proposals, all of that is paying off. My goal all along was to get recognition for what I could do as a race car driver and, today, we’re announcing it all has paid off."

10/29/02

CART sets up another Business-to-Business meeting  Continuing what has been in a concerted effort this season to help teams educate prospective sponsors, Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (CART) announced today that it will hold a Business-to-Business Forum in partnership with Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Thursday October 31st, at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. in conjunction with The 500 Presented by Toyota. Following on the heels of a successful gathering in Miami, where many key players in the business community attended a similar forum, the California B2B Forum is designed to provide investors and businesses with a thorough understanding of the financial opportunities that exist in CART. Featured speakers at the event include Christopher R. Pook, president and CEO of CART, Tom Elliman, sponsor relations manager for Ford Racing Technology, - and Henry Rischitelli, president of Continental Sports, who represents Patrick Racing and Visteon. The event will take place at 8:30 a.m. at the California Speedway and will also include a forum discussion entitled, Generating Revenue through Motorsports. Following the forum, attendees will be treated to laps around the California Speedway with the CART Pace Car Team, a group of professional, women race car drivers who pace the field at each CART event. "CART is taking a leadership position as it pertains to providing a sports marketing environment that is conducive to the creation of new business opportunities," said Mr. Pook. "This B2B Forum, held in conjunction with our Fontana race, is an excellent opportunity for those companies not currently using our sports marketing platform to come and check us out." "The motorsports industry creates an impressive blend of entertainment, business-to-business and investment opportunities," added David L. Rosenberg, Bear Stearns managing director and a contributing organizer of the event. "We believe this forum will offer a rare opportunity for those outside the industry to gain a greater understanding of the business." For additional information on the Forum, please contact Andy Castleman on 317-715-4134 or via e-mail at businessdevelopment@cart.com, Jason Berlinger on 310-201-2727 or at jberlinger@bear.com or David Rosenberg on 310-201-2727 or drosenberg@bear.com.

10/29/02

Cheever to sue Scheckter, Ganassi and Toyota  SPEEDTV and Autosport are running similar stories, which say Eddie Cheever is going to sue Tomas Scheckter for breaking his contract and for slander (Tomas called his cars unsafe), and probably Chip Ganassi and Toyota for hiring Tomas for 2003 while he was still under contract to his team.  Cheever claims that Scheckter signed a five-year contract with TWR in 2002, and that through Cheever's partnership with TWR via its Infiniti engines, Red Bull Team Cheever had an option on the South African's services in 2003. However, Scheckter quit the team ahead of the St. Louis round midway through the 2002 season, saying that working conditions were unsafe, a remark that has incensed Cheever. "He should know; he was a human crash-test dummy," said Cheever. "It's absolutely amazing to me that he wasn't seriously hurt in some of those crashes. We became Dallara's unofficial safety tester. We hit cars from every angle. We have a letter from Dallara saying, ‘Thank you very much. Can you please send the information to us?' It was silly. "He has made the insinuation that our cars were unsafe; that's how he's trying to free himself from the contract," Cheever added. "We have very valid reasons to claim slander and a bunch of other things, which we will pursue aggressively once the first step is successful." It makes sense for Scheckter to be in CART and hone his road racing skills if he has F1 aspirations, but now you know why CART teams did not touch Scheckter.

10/29/02

Why was Andretti crying?  A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Its a shame the Surfers race turned into such a debacle. They would have been better off to have cancelled it rather than run around behind a pace car. Alternately they should have let them race and handle the conditions as best they could.  It was an excellent weekend until the crash which happened right in front of my stand. Luckily the catch fence had been increased in height to about 16 ft. because a wheel actually hit the top of the fence but luckily bounced back into the track, but I thought for an instant it was coming over. The cars which got airborne were higher than the top of the safety fence and all drivers were very lucky to escape serious injury or worse. Spectators were lucky too because there was "bulk shrapnel" flying everywhere in front of us. Takagi looked very bad, upside down and fuel leaking everywhere while Adrian was T-Boned and lucky not to have been hurt worse. Andretti flew high as did Tagliani who luckily landed the right way up. His car looked as if it was broken in half where the engine is bolted on. Unfortunately, the course commentators did not have a clue as to what was happening after the re-start and to run all but 6 laps behind a pace car is plain ridiculous.  Dominguez was the slowest car all weekend, was off the course several times as well and certainly did not deserve to win a race which was totally down to pit stop timing. He may be a nice guy but this would have to go down in history as the most "undeserved win" in the history of CART. Carpentier was also a back runner all weekend and the only racer who was anywhere near the front consistently was Tracy. Brack and Junqueira were very unlucky with the pit stops. I don't know why Andretti was crying "poor me" he was pathetic all weekend and barely faster than Dominguez.  Besides that he had only had 1 pit stop to everyone's 2, hardly deserved to be in the winners circle. John Burch, Australia

10/29/02

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10/29/02

More on Spa  UPDATE  As expected, reports on Belgium radio this morning are that a move is afoot in government to exempt the F1 race at Spa from their tobacco ban laws.   10/28/02 - Even though Spa was taken off the 2003 F1 calendar today, we don't expect it to be off for long.  By canceling the race, the FIA is playing hardball with the Belgium government and is gambling that enough race fans will call their legislators to protest.  The rest of the European Union nations don't impose a ban on tobacco advertising in sports until 2006, yet Belgium did it for 2003.  We expect enough pressure will be placed on the Belgium government to fall in line with the rest of the EU nations.  CART could be a replacement, but the weather at the end of April (CART's open Europe date) would be horrible.  In the Ardennes region hot summers alternate with cold winters. Heavy rains are confined almost almost exclusively to the highlands. Fog and drizzle are common, and April and November are particularly rainy months.