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CART Toyota Atlantic Series news
With two months remaining before the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship
begins its 30th Anniversary season in Monterrey, Mexico on the weekend
of March 23, the list of teams and drivers who will be competing in the
series is beginning to come together, with 16 cars confirmed and several
other deals approaching completion. Full Story
1/22/03
Lexmark replaces Honda as Surfers sponsor
We expected this to happen now that Honda has thrown their support
behind the IRL. Premier Peter Beattie today announced Lexmark as
the new Naming Rights sponsor of the Indy 300 on Queensland's Gold Coast
in a four-year multi-million dollar agreement. Queensland's
premier annual Event will now be known as the Lexmark Indy 300, with the
2003 edition to be held from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 October on the
streets of Surfers Paradise. Full Story
1/22/03
Villeneuve pans Honda Jacques Villeneuve told Montreal
newspaper La Presse “The new BAR chassis is really quite good, but the
engine lacks punch, it's down on power. The chassis is good enough for
us to get to the podium. Now, it all depends on Honda. For now, our
engine lasts for half a race, no more.” Villeneuve is not making
friends at BAR Honda of late, however, we expect he will not drive for
BAR in 2004 anyway. Villeneuve is a great talent behind the
wheel, but a diplomat he is not. Questioned as to if he thinks
that his way with words is bad for his reputation, the former world
champion said: “No. I am actually respected for that. People know I'm
not playing games. I'm sure it closed a few doors on me, but it also
opened some; anyway, if I couldn't be myself, I'd rather stay home.”
1/22/03
Mario
Andretti helps blood drive succeed Race fans were treated to a
joyride around the world-famous road course at Infineon Raceway on
Tuesday, and at the same time they aided a worthy cause. More than 300
race fans braved cold and wet conditions at the 2nd annual "High Speed
Blood Drive" to benefit the American Red Cross. Race fans were treated
to a hot lap at speed around the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course in
exchange for donating a pint of blood. The bonus was that 75 lucky
people were given hot laps around the track by Mario Andretti, the only
driver in history to win races in five different decades. “We're
delighted that we were able to help the Red Cross at a time of such
critical need,” said Steve Page, president and general manager at
Infineon Raceway. “The turnout was tremendous and we are grateful to
Mario for helping to attract so many donors. We look forward to hosting
and growing this event in future years.” Race fans lined up more than an
hour before the start of the blood drive, anxious to meet their favorite
driver. Andretti not only spent the day giving fans laps around the
track in a 2003 Audi Quattro S8, he also signed autographs, took
pictures and mingled with the fans. Other hot laps were given by
instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. The event was
co-sponsored by The Bone 107.7 FM out of San Francisco. "This was a very
unique experience," said Christian Reed, from San Francisco. "I came out
for a good cause to donate blood but I also had the excitement of
meeting Mario and going 90 mph around hairpin turns. It doesn't get any
better than that on a rainy Tuesday afternoon." Said Kimberly Taylor, a
Vallejo resident: "The lap with Mario was something I'll never forget. I
was videotaping while he was going around so I started to get a little
sick but it was pretty fun. This was just a great way to get people to
come out and donate blood, by having Mario out here." The drive
netted 106 pints of blood, exceeding expectations of the American Red
Cross, which called it one of their best events in the Bay Area. That
number was more than a 300-percent increase over the amount of blood
donated at last year's High Speed Blood Drive at Infineon Raceway.
American Red Cross representatives said the 106 units will help save 318
lives. "Currently we have a one-to-two day supply of blood so every unit
that we collected today will help save lives," said Phil Bureau,
director, recruiting marketing blood services for the Northern
California Region of the American Red Cross. "This has been a great
event." Andretti, a spokesman for Infineon Technologies, was pleased to
spend the day with race fans, and also help the American Red Cross. He
is the 1978 Formula One world champion, a four-time CART champion and
former winner of both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. "I had a
great time today. It's amazing to see how many race fans came out to
donate blood, especially considering the bad weather. I just hope they
had a good time with me in the car," Andretti said
1/22/03
Dominguez blisters Sebring with fastest
lap this year Sophomore Champ Car World Series competitor
Mario Dominguez returned to the track for his first two days of
pre-season testing on the 1.65 mile Sebring International Raceway in
Florida on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Dominguez had shoulder
surgery in December and was just recently cleared by the doctors to
return to testing duties. The two-day test was the team’s second at
Sebring this month but was the first time for Dominguez to work with the
newly assembled engineering staff. While Chief Engineer Tom Brown will
continue to direct the program from a technical and strategic
standpoint, new hires Chris Gorne and Brian Ma will take over Race
Engineer duties. Brandon Fry continues as a Data Engineer and is now
joined by Rick Mahurin. Bill Trowbridge also continues in his role as
Development Engineer. “I was very encouraged by the results of this
test,” said Brown. “The chemistry is developing nicely between the
drivers and also within the engineering staff. These additional
resources add a strength and depth to this team that will allow us to
really move forward rather than just working to keep up. My role will be
more focused on the overall direction and planning while the race
engineers will focus on the day-to-day operations.” Dominguez completed
105 laps of the circuit on Monday and added more than 60 additional
rounds on Tuesday, posting a best time of 51.7 seconds [Editor's note:
this is by far the fastest lap recorded at Sebring this year that we are
aware of]. “I’m very excited about how things went,” commented
Dominguez. “My shoulder was much better than I expected and the times
were good. There are a lot of new people on the team now so it was also
really great to start getting to know everyone and building those
relationships.” Roberto Moreno, who substituted for Dominguez in the
Sebring test last week, was also on hand to provide feedback and input.
“It was great to have Roberto there,” continued Dominguez. “I really
respect his opinions and appreciate that he is willing to share
information with me. It’s a real help.”
1/22/03
CART stock watch
Today's NYSE Trading In MPH
MPH closed at $3.41 Down $0.08 on Volume of 9,400 shares.
$2.79 Bid - $3.73 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $3.41 / $3.51
MPH Value Change Down 2.29%
DOW Jones Down 124.17 or 1.47% on Volume of 1.9 billion shares.
NASDAQ Down 4.77 or 0.35%
S&P 500 Down 9.26 or 1.04%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago www.andersongroupe.com
1/22/03
Infiniti Pro races on ESPN2
All 2003 Indy Racing League Infiniti Pro Series events will be
broadcast on ESPN2 in the United States and distributed
worldwide through ESPN International, series officials
announced Jan. 22. Produced by IMS Productions, the 30-minute
shows will feature race coverage and unique profiles of
Infiniti Pro Series drivers and teams. Each race will be
televised within two weeks of the event, with the July 6 race
at Kansas scheduled to air at 7 p.m. (EDT) on race day. "We're
delighted to continue our relationship with our partners at
ESPN2 as we grow the Infiniti Pro Series," said Roger Bailey,
executive director of the Infiniti Pro Series. "As they did
last year, the shows will feature great race action and the
driver profiles that allow fans to get up-close-and-personal
with the stars of the Infiniti Pro Series." Veteran
motorsports commentators Dr. Jerry Punch and Amy East will
serve as host and pit reporter, respectively, for the
30-minute shows. An IRL IndyCar Series driver analyst will
join Punch in the booth at each race.
1/22/03
Mast announces his retirement
Rick Mast announced his retirement from Winston Cup racing during a
press conference today during the UAW-GM Media tour in Charlotte.
Mast’s retirement was due to the long term effects of acute and
chronic exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning. Mast told the press
that he can no longer risk the exposure to further carbon monoxide
poisoning. Mast, plans to work with NASCAR to help other drivers
avoid suffering long-term effects from exposure to the invisible
gas. Mast, a 47-year-old Virginian who began competing in the
Winston Cup Series on a part-time basis in 1988 and a full-time
basis in 1991, ran in nine races last year before being sidelined by
the illness.
1/22/03
Schumacher fastest in Barcelona on Wednesday
1. M. Schumacher – Ferrari - 1.17.206 - 89 laps
2. R. Barrichello – Ferrari - 1.17.605 - 54 laps
3. J. Villeneuve – BAR - 1.18.787 - 55 laps
4. L. Badoer – Ferrari - 1.18.841 - 39 laps
5. A. Pizzonia – Jaguar - 1.19.123 - 46 laps
6. J. Button – BAR - 1.19.145 - 19 laps
7. M. Webber – Jaguar - 1.19.839 - 29 laps
1/22/03
Villeneuve would team with Vasser From Jacques
Villeneuve's website - Hi Jacques. Is Les 24 Heures du Mans on
your mind? Is it on your agenda? If so, who are the drivers
you would like to team up with? - Francois Duranleau (lead
guitar for Les Parfaits Salauds) Montreal, Canada. Jacques:
"Le Mans could be fun but it’s not a priority right now. When
I stop racing in F1 I might not be interested in racing
anymore. It would be nice to win it though in addition to the
CART and Formula 1 Championships. "If I did compete in Le
Mans, I would like to partner with Patrick Lemarie and maybe
Jimmy Vasser, or someone like that."
1/22/03
CART deal 5 years with Brands
The deal CART signed to race at Brands hatch is for five years,
meaning there is no plan for this race being short-lived.
Planned improvements for the "Indy" circuit include increasing
some run-off areas, extra debris fencing, and modifying the pits
to accommodate CART's refueling rigs.
1/22/03
Montoya fastest in Valencia
Weather: Sunny - Covered and rain in the afternoon
Temperature: Track 19°; Air 16° (Track Length: 4.005
kilometers)
Juan Pablo Montoya Williams 1m.10.794s 81
Kimi Räikkönen McLaren 1m.11.111s 42
Alexander Wurz McLaren 1m.11.911s 94
Marc Gene Williams 1m.12.331s 74
Heinz-Harald Frentzen SAUBER PETRONAS 1m.12.991s 64
Gary Paffett McLaren 1m.14.491s 35
1/22/03
CART logo launch drives website
traffic The Champ Car World Series launched its new
corporate and the new Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World
Series Powered by Ford logos last week not only in a ceremony at
its Indianapolis headquarters, but also live on
www.champcarworldseries.com where fans from across the globe
could follow the action. CART partners VFX Digital Solutions and
Lingner Productions combined their resources to provide fans
with unparalleled coverage of the event, which included the
launch of the new PK Racing team. Given the opportunity to look
in live on the event, Champ Car fans responded in typical
fashion, sparking a 60 percent increase in traffic over the
daily average of the site. The website featured live streaming
video and audio and included an immediate transition of the site
to incorporate the new logos. The site averaged nearly
24,000 visits and over 250,000 page views per day during the
month of January, but the logo launch date of January 15 saw
38,533 visits and 432,879 page views while January 16th saw
41,756 visits and 415,531 page views. The day after the logo was
officially announced saw fans visit the site at a rate that was
more than twice the number of an average day from January 2002.
"When we were informed of the logo launch, we wanted to let our
fans join in the celebration. With the great relationship we
have with the Lingner group, we were able to stream the
festivities live during the event and had an archived, on-demand
version available immediately after the webcast ended," said
Coniah Chuang, President, VFX Digital Solutions. "The part I
loved was how the site transitioned from the old logos and
colors to the new look as the press conference was winding down
so that visitors on the site got the new look the next time they
clicked on a link. The wall paper images that were immediately
available gave the fans a chance to show their support by
putting the new Champ Car World Series logo right on their
desktop."
1/22/03
Cowboys to start Winston Cup teamUPDATE According to this Dallas
Fort-Worth Star Telegram
article, Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, partner in
a new Winston Cup venture with NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach,
will conduct his first NASCAR-related news conference during the
Texas Tour 2003 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on Jan. 29.
Aikman and Staubach, another legendary Cowboys quarterback, have
formed Hall of Fame Racing with the intention of joining the Winston
Cup Series in 2004. The guest lists features Bruton Smith, chairman
of the board of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and owner of TMS;
four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon; and Sam Hornish Jr.,
two-time and reigning Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion.
1/16/03 - According to this Dallas Morning News
article, Former Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach plan to become owners of a NASCAR Winston Cup team in time
for the 2004 season, Aikman confirmed Thursday.
1/22/03
Coca-Cola renews with Lowes
The Coca-Cola Company today announced it has signed a 10-year
contract extension with Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS) to continue
as title sponsor of the Coca-Cola 600, held annually during
Memorial Day weekend in Concord, N.C. The new agreement serves
as an expansion of the long-standing relationship between
Coca-Cola and LMS, a partnership that began when the speedway
opened in 1960. Financial terms were not disclosed. "We're
thrilled to extend our association with such a prestigious race
- the longest and most challenging event on the circuit," said
Bea Perez, vice president of sports marketing, Coca-Cola North
American Division. "This agreement is part of our commitment to
bringing fans closer to the passion and excitement of NASCAR
racing for years to come." Dating back to 1985, the Coca-Cola
600 represents the longest continuous race sponsorship in the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series. "Coca-Cola has been a loyal partner
of the speedway since the gates opened 43 years ago," said H.A.
"Humpy" Wheeler, president of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Coca-Cola
has played a major role in promoting our facility and the sport
of NASCAR. We're excited to have one of the world's top sports
marketers on board as sponsor of the 600 for another decade."
The new agreement between Coca-Cola and LMS includes a
substantial commitment from Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Consolidated, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. "The
Coca-Cola 600 and the events that surround it have become a
tradition for race fans and Charlotte-area residents," said
Frank Harrison III, chairman and CEO, Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Consolidated. "We'll continue to use this partnership to bring
the spirit of NASCAR to life for race fans - both inside the
track and beyond."
1/22/03
Chevrolet renews with Bristol
Chevrolet vehicles will continue to pace the field for Bristol
Motor Speedway's motorsports events as General Motors and BMS
recently reached an agreement in which the manufacturer will
retain its "Official Vehicle" status. The partnership between GM
and BMS began in 1998. "It pleases us tremendously to continue
our association with one of the most recognizable motorsports
venues in the nation," commented GM's Jeff Chew. "During the
last five years the partnership between General Motors and
Bristol Motor Speedway has been mutually beneficial and we look
forward to building upon this existing foundation and taking it
to a higher level."
1/22/03
NASCAR defines new garage access
policyUPDATE We forgot to mention
that this topic was discussed here on AR1 last September in this
article by Doug Belliveau. 1/21/03 - NASCAR has instituted an access policy for the NASCAR Winston
Cup Series garage and pit areas, designed to alleviate
overcrowding and improve safety and security in the 2003 season
and beyond. The policy, which goes into effect next month for
season-opening events at Daytona International Speedway, is
based on the designation of "hot" and "cold" times in the garage
and pit areas and the requirement that some people have a "hot
pass" allowing them garage and pit road access during "hot"
times. NASCAR and its tracks will issue "hot passes" prior to
and during a race weekend. Those passes must be accompanied by a
normal NASCAR or track-issued paper credential for access during
hot times. Those possessing a NASCAR season credential [commonly
referred to as a 'hard card'] will not be required to have a hot
pass. Accredited news media personnel will have the access they
have been granted in past seasons. . Hot times for the
garage will begin 30 minutes prior to any scheduled on-track
race-car activity, and will end approximately 10 minutes after
the on-track activity [ including practices, qualifying sessions
and races] concludes. At other times the garage will be
considered “cold." In addition to the garage restrictions, pits
will be designated as hot 30 minutes prior to the start of a
race and will remain so until a race ends. "Our goal is to
reduce the number of people in the garage and in the pits," said
Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president for corporate communications.
"We want to significantly reduce the number of people." To help
facilitate adherence to the access policy, large, red,
strobe-like lights will be prominently positioned in the garage
area to signify hot times. NASCAR reviewed the issue of allowing
autographs in the garage area and determined the establishment
of hot and cold times should inherently reduce the number of
autograph-seekers. NASCAR will continue to monitor the new
access policy as the season unfolds, and will make changes as
needed. Said NASCAR President Mike Helton: "We're constantly
working to improve the environment for everyone involved with
NASCAR Winston Cup racing. This policy is all about two issues -
safety and security. And this policy should improve the
environment considerably."
Q: What is a "hot" pass?
A hot pass, which will be issued by NASCAR and track during a
race weekend, allows the holder access into the garage area and
pit area during "hot times." A hot pass by itself will not allow
the holder access; it must be accompanied by a credential issued
by NASCAR or a track.
Q: What is the difference between "hot" and "cold" times?
A: A hot time for the garage area is defined as a period
beginning 30 minutes before any on-track race-car activity, and
ending approximately 10 minutes after that activity. All other
times are considered cold. A hot time for the pits is defined as
a period beginning 30 minutes before the start of a race, and
ending when the race ends.
Q: What is the reasoning behind the access policy?
A: To significantly reduce the number of people who have access
to the garage and pits during a race weekend and, in the
process, increase safety and security in the garage and pits.
Q: Will media be issued hot passes?
A: Media members who have a NASCAR-issued season credential
[commonly referred to as a 'hard card'] will not need a hot pass
for garage/pit area access. Other accredited media members who
do not possess a hard card will have to request a hot pass.
Q: Will other "hard-card" holders be required to have hot passes
for garage/pit area access?
A: No. Those possessing a hard card will have access during hot
and cold times.
1/22/03
CART driver Vasser fastest in NASCAR
debut
CART star Jimmy Vasser warmed up for his venture into NASCAR this season
by posting the fastest lap in Busch series testing Tuesday at Daytona
International Speedway. The 1996 CART champion ran a lap around the 2
1/2-mile track at 184.158 mph in the No. 19 Braun Racing Dodge. "I'm
sure the race is going to be a whole different story for me," he said.
"I've never encountered a bunch of cars in a pack drafting. I'm looking
forward to coming back and practicing in a draft." Vasser plans to run a
full CART schedule this season, as well as 10-to-12 Busch races,
beginning with the season-opening event Feb. 15 at Daytona. "I see
myself racing in NASCAR in the future, and this is the first step
getting experience and meeting people and getting out there to do some
racing," Vasser said.
Tuesday times and Ferrari photos from BarcelonaUPDATE We have added
Ferrari photos from Barcelona below.
1 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:17.616 54
laps
2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:18.132 43 laps
3 Mark Webber Jaguar 1:19.354 49 laps
4 Jacques Villeneuve BAR-Honda 1:19.740 20 laps
5 Luca Badoer Ferrari 1.19.773 48 laps
6 Anthony Davidson BAR-Honda 1.20.462 24 laps
7 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan-Ford 1.20.788 13 laps
8 Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar 1.20.880 54 laps
1/21/03
First
picture of 2003 Penske3rd UPDATE
We have added another photo of the 2003 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara
taken at Homestead testing recently. That is definitely a very
low-profile tub forward of the cockpit, unorthodox by today's
standards. The cross-sectional area of the front part of the tub is
smaller by today's standards. We wonder how well it did in crash
tests. That of course is very important given the vulnerability
of the drivers legs and feet in frontal impact with the wall.
1/11/03 - A reader writes, Dear AR1, In regards to the photograph of Marlboro
Team Penske’s new race car, please permit me the following
observation. Man, that is one butt ugly race car the Capitan’s got
there! No way will it get confused with the REAL race cars run in
CART! Warmest Regards, J.N. Anderson, Chicago, IL
Another writes, I loathe the IRL, but be careful about jumping to
conclusions on this design. Pullrods are a perfectly acceptable
solution for activating springs and dampers. In fact, they position
the dampers lower in the car which is theoretically better. One of the
F1 teams experimented with pullrods in the last few years and ran them
for at least one season - Arrows, I think it was (then abandoned them
because inferior). The reason most open wheel designs use a pushrod is
that it places the dampers and springs within easy reach for the
mechanics making it quicker to change springs and make damper
adjustments. Non-open wheel designs do it because open wheel do it!
As for the profile, we know the cars have plenty of downforce so
perhaps this is attempt to reduce drag by decreasing frontal area.
Dallara may have struggled in Formula 1, but they're not a bunch of
hacks. I love your site and visit everyday. Thanks, Kerry Vincent
Dear Kerry, frontal area is not reduced at all, it is just
moved back to the cockpit where the windscreen pops up into the air. 1/10/03
- One thing we
missed but a reader spotted, was the fact that the front
shocks are activated by pull-rods (a la 1980's design
philosophy), not push rods as seen on most current day cars.
1/10/03 - Here is the first picture of the 2003
Marlboro Team Penske Dallara (Castroneves) with Toyota power.
We are quite taken aback by the low profile of the tub between
the front wheels. The trend has been toward a stiff high
profile cross-section for increased polar moment of inertia
and increased crash protection. This design is bucking
recent trends in CART and F1 and was has to wonder what the
thought process was behind the change. F1 is typically
the leader in car design trends and technology, and it
anything their tubs are getting stiffer and taller.
1/21/03
Castroneves
gunning for Indy 3-peat
Helio Castroneves bent down and admired his back-to-back countenances on
auto racing’s most famous trophy, the Borg-Warner Trophy, as the TV
cameras zeroed in on him and his beaming smile. Castroneves is
undefeated at Indy, winning his first two attempts. More....
1/21/03
CART stock watch
Today's NYSE Trading In MPH
MPH closed at $3.49 Down $0.06 on Volume of 42,900 shares.
$2.81 Bid - $3.81 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $3.45 / $3.65
MPH Value Change Down 1.69%
DOW Jones Down 143.5 or 1.67% on Volume of 1.6 billion shares.
NASDAQ Down 11.94 or 0.87%
S&P 500 Down 14.16 or 1.57%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago www.andersongroupe.com
1/21/03
Fernández given green light
Owner/driver Adrian Fernandez has been cleared to return to the cockpit
of his Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone
following the results of a recent CT scan. He will make his first
on-track appearance of the season in the CART open test at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca on January 25 and 26 as the team prepares for the start of
the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.
“His fractures are healed and he can go back to normal activities,” said
Dr. Terry Trammell, CART’s Chief Orthopedic Consultant. “There have been
no further changes since the last scans.” Fernandez last turned a lap on
October 27 in Surfers Paradise, Australia, the site of the multi-car
accident that left him a spectator for the final two events of 2002.
After an off-season spent in physiotherapy and an intensive fitness
program, Fernandez was given the green light yesterday. “I didn’t
anticipate any problems with the scan, but it gives you peace of mind to
know for certain that everything is okay,” said Fernandez. “I am really
looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend. I feel fine and
I am ready to go. I am not 100 percent in terms of doing everything I
want – I can’t play golf yet or do things where I have to twist – but
that will improve over time.” The 2003 season marks the third year of
competition for Fernandez Racing, and CART’s only competing owner/driver
is optimistic as he looks forward. “We hope that this time we can
capitalize on what we have built the last few years,” said Fernandez. “I
feel we have a better organization and we should be able to get the
results that we want. With a little bit of luck, we should be able to
fight for the championship and that’s our main aim. “There are a lot of
new things at CART; this is a brand new ship. I think there are a lot of
good opportunities. From what I have heard, the new Ford-Cosworth engine
is different in terms of response so everyone will have to adjust to a
different Champ Car than what we are used to. I hope we can keep at the
front and keep fighting with the top teams and top drivers throughout
the entire year.”
1/21/03
Driving 101 aligns itself totally
with IRL What used to be CART Driving 101, has now
disassociated itself with CART and is now 100% aligned with the
IRL. They are even using detuned 2002 IRL cars now.
This move makes sense. Driving 101
allowed fans to experience driving ovals. The IRL is a
100% oval series and CART is nearly a 100% road racing series.
CART would be better off setting up a similar CART 101 program,
with say, Skip Barber at the many Skip Barber schools around the
USA. What cars would they use? How about
significantly detuned used Champ Cars?...i.e. the cars should be
full sized Champ Cars (like Driving 101), but safe enough so no
one gets out of hand. What does this accomplish? It
gives Skip Barber another program to offer and it gives CART a
chance for their fans to experience the real thing. CART
has the pace car program, but nothing beats driving the real
thing yourself. We don't know if it is economically
feasible, but it might be worth a look. Mark C.
1/21/03
Mario Andretti agrees with more
underbody downforce
AutoRacing1.com suggested this concept way back in 2000 in
this article
by Mark Cipolloni. The idea is beginning to gain favor.
In this CART.com interview,
Mario Andretti says - Q: Do you think CART should consider
allowing more downforce to be generated by the cars'
underbodies? Mario: To just increase the amount of downforce
from the surface wings to me is not the answer either. I think
they've got to go underneath the car. If you put more of a
premium for downforce on the surface wings, the turbulence will
still be a factor because you're disrupting the flow to the
wings. But the turbulence is not as much a detriment to
ground-effects downforce. They need to regain some of that. They
need to open up the diffusers at the back and regain some of the
ground-effect downforce to be able to make the cars stable so
that you could put your nose right up to the other guy's
gearbox. If you do that, you're going to have some passing
because you would be able to set the guy up and get the
suction--all the things that are necessary to complete a pass.
Like anything else, experience should teach you something and
now I think we have enough data to support what I'm saying. I
feel the tunnel downforce is a more forgiving type of downforce
because a flat bottom makes the car too pitch-sensitive. The
tunnel-type downforce is more benevolent, more forgiving and
better, especially for the ovals.
1/21/03
Mario Andretti hints at CART team
with Michael
In this CART.com interview,
Mario Andretti says - Q. Will you have a CART team in the
future? Mario: That remains to be seen. I'm certainly open to
it, as everyone knows, and have been exploring the options.
There are possibilities that I could contribute to an existing
team. Or, even set up my own operation within Michael's team to
run in CART. I continue to be open to all possibilities. I guess
it's fair to say that the idea is still alive, but just hasn't
materialized yet. Champ Car racing remains a highlight in my
life and if I see something that's really solid, it's
well-funded and we can have all the right people and right
ingredients in place and I'm happy with it, then I'll do it-–and
have fun doing it.
1/21/03
FIA sets dates for gizmo ban
Formula One will outlaw traction control systems and automatic
gearboxes from the British Grand Prix on July 20, the sport's
governing body has announced. But drivers will still be able
to communicate with their teams after the International
Automobile Federation (FIA) went back on an earlier plan for
the immediate elimination of pit-to-car radio. The final
ruling on traction control fell halfway between the FIA's
desire to ban so-called 'driver aids' from the start of the
season on March 9 and the opposition of some teams to any
change until 2004 at the earliest. The FIA had announced
sweeping changes last week to cut costs and liven up racing
after a difficult year that has seen two teams, Prost and
Arrows, put out of business.
* Pits to car telemetry -
eliminated with immediate effect.
* Car to pits telemetry - eliminated from 2004 and a standard
data logger introduced at the same time. Immediate
implementation would not save money because the limiting
factor is the data acquisition system. This cannot be
eliminated from a car in the short term.
* Radio communication between team and driver to be allowed
provided
(i) the system is stand-alone and cannot transmit other data
(ii) the communications are open and accessible to the FIA and
broadcasters.
The possibility of a standard system accessible to the public
at a Grand Prix is being explored
* A third car will now be allowed if a race car is damaged
beyond repair. If a race car fails just before the start, any
spare car will start from the pitlane, as will a spare car
used following a race stoppage in the first two laps.
* Cars will be held under Parc Fermé conditions between
qualifying and the race, but can be kept in a team's garage
under supervision. Any work other than a very restricted list
will require special authorization.
* Traction control and automatic gearboxes will no longer be
allowed from half way through the season - i.e. from the 2003
British Grand Prix.
* Launch control will end at the same time provided the teams
can all operate their current clutches manually.
* Following today's meeting the FIA is satisfied that the
absence of traction control, launch control and fully
automatic gearboxes can be proved using a combination of new
technology and extra (FIA) sensors.
1/21/03
Speedweeks to be busy for Harvick
Kevin Harvick will be the busiest driver during Speedweeks 2003
at Daytona International Speedway. Races on Harvick's schedule
during Speedweeks include the Daytona 500 (Feb. 16), the Koolerz
300 NASCAR Busch Series season opener (Feb. 15), Round 1 of the
True Value IROC Series (Feb. 14), the Gatorade 125's (Feb. 13),
Bud Pole Qualifying for the Daytona 500 (Feb. 9) and the
Budweiser Shootout (Feb. 8). Harvick will also be atop his pit
box during the Feb. 14 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 as an owner.
He'll field a truck in the season opener of the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series for driver Ed Berrier. "Just winning anything,
whether it's IROC or a truck race as an owner or a Busch race or
a Winston Cup race or a Budweiser Shootout. Just winning at
Daytona is important," Harvick said. "Whether it's any of those
or a 125 or anything." Staying busy racing is just the way
Harvick likes it. In 2003, he plans on racing limited schedules
in both the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series, defend his True Value IROC championship and compete full
time in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the No. 29 Chevrolet
for Richard Childress Racing. "I think I'm better when I race
more," Harvick said. 'I'm more in to what's going on. You don't
have time to lose track of what's working and what's not
working. It's important to me to be in the race car."
1/21/03
Villeneuve on offensive again
Speaking in Montreal newspaper La Presse, Villeneuve said:
"David Richards came in the middle of the BAR project and had
a complete disregard for what had been done before. Instead of
respecting the contract that I had signed, he provoked
uncomfortable situations. If Michael Schumacher had come to
BAR, he would have destroyed the team within six months. He
would not have put up with people tarnishing his image."
Villeneuve’s tough talking was not just reserved for Richards.
The 31-year-old remains unconvinced by his new team-mate
Jenson Button. He added: "I'm not starting the season thinking
'I have to beat Jenson'". I don't care about Jenson! It wasn't
the case with some of my other teammates: Damon (Hill) had
already won races, Frentzen was considered an extremely quick
driver when he came along, same for Olivier Panis. Jenson
hasn't done anything yet. I don't see him as the new guy to
beat; if I don't beat him, I'd better stay home because that
would mean that I don't belong in F1." "I'm willing to admit
that Jenson can compete, but as of now, he hasn't shown
anything. Everyone talks about him like he's the next world
champion. They say it'll be tough for me, that I need to step
up my game, that it'll be a dog fight. I find this insulting,
people are putting us on equal footing! I don't see why I
should go down to his level."
1/21/03
Vasser to drive Busch and CART UPDATE Jimmy Vasser
has signed to run 10 BGN races in addition to the full champ car
season. His first race will be the season opening Koolerz 300 at
Daytona. 1/17/03 - According to this Indy Star
article, Vasser will divide his time between rookie owner Stefan
Johansson's CART team and a NASCAR Busch Series team the driver is
partly funding himself. AR1 sources say Vasser may bring a
personal services contract he signed with Ford, though that is not
confirmed. If true, it may further explain the "American" spirit
team name. Vasser said loyalty drove him to find a way to stay in
CART. "It's a pivotal year and I didn't want to be walking out on them,"
he said. "Good things are starting to happen. It's shaping up to be more
than what people thought it would be."
1/21/03
Ferrari numbers grow in ALMS
The GT class of the American Le Mans Series was dominated by
Porsche in 2002, but the Prancing Horse of Ferrari will
definitely make its presence known in the series in 2003. ACEMCO
Motorsports is the latest team to announce that it will campaign
a Ferrari 360 Modena in the American Le Mans Series in 2003 to
provide competition to the Porsche brigade. The American-owned
team, based in Spring Hill, Mich., will field a pair of
experienced American drivers in its first season of ALMS racing.
1/21/03
NASCAR looks to light more tracks
According to this ThatsRacin article,
It is likely that NASCAR officials will address the likelihood
that more tracks will be encouraged to add lights to their
facilities to provide more flexibility in setting the starting
times for races, particularly those in the season's second half.
NASCAR is considering later starts to allow the finishes of some
races to extend into the late afternoon and early evening hours
in an effort to further boost television ratings
1/21/03
UPS extends thru 2006
According to this ThatsRacin
article, Dale Jarrett, which on Monday announced it has
extended its sponsorship deal with UPS for two years through
2006, took umbrage at a Charlotte Observer story last week
saying that Ford's hopes for winning the 2003 manufacturer's
championship depend largely on the performance of Roush Racing's
five teams. "I am going to give that story to our guys because
they might take a little out of it," he said. "I have to
disagree with that. They have good teams up there at Roush, they
have good drivers and nothing against them. But you're going to
see two cars right here that are going to make a huge difference
for Ford and it's quest for another manufacturer's title. I can
guarantee you that."
1/21/03
Daytona 500 is big, but it's hardly super
Each winter we hear of two Super Bowls -- the one that really is, and
the one that really isn't. The Daytona 500, some NASCAR drivers will
tell you ad nauseam, is "our Super Bowl." It is not. After Super Bowl
XXXVII next Sunday, there'll be no doubt who is champion of the NFL.
After the 45th Daytona 500 on Feb. 16, there'll be no clue who'll win
the Winston Cup..
More from Orlando Sentinel....
1/21/03
Andretti still undecided on future
Michael Andretti acknowledged in a media teleconference today that he
still had not made his decision as to whether or not he would be driving
for his Andretti Green Racing team beyond the Indianapolis 500 this May,
although he says the decision is getting closer. “To be honest with you,
I do not know yet,” said Andretti. “I was asked right after the
[Homestead] test how I felt, and at that point I felt like it is going
to work OK. But then there is all the follow-up work that has to go into
it and everything, and then you start seeing that is a lot of work, and
it is taking away from my commitment of the driving. So that is
something I have to weigh, and right now I am having problem with it in
my mind, but I am working with it. Full transcript
1/21/03
NASCAR admits to "Common Template"
Listen close. We're going to talk about NASCAR's dirty little secret,
the one thing they hate to discuss. No, not the Francis Ferko lawsuit.
We're talking about the term "common template." That sounds like
something the 20-to-life inmates make at the Huntsville State Prison,
but this isn't a license plate. Common template means all the bodies of
the Winston Cup cars are aerodynamically the same. That's what we have
this year for the first time. NASCAR prefers the term "aero matching."
Whatever you call it, the end result is the racecar bodies for the
Chevrolet Monte Carlo, the Pontiac Grand Prix, the Dodge Intrepid and
the Ford Taurus are almost identical. The front grill is the only
noticeable difference in the shells of the cars before paint and decals
are added. The cars now fit a common template, metal blades that fit
over the tops of the cars from front to back and side to side. At key
spots on the body, it now is interchangeable between models. Executives
for Ford, DaimlerChrysler and GM don't like to discuss it. They want to
keep the illusion that the car you see on the track is similar to the
car you can buy off the showroom floor. That hasn't been true for more
than two decades, but the bodies of the cars were visibly different
until now.
More from Dallas Morning News....
1/21/03
Michael Schumacher crashes on first lap
Michael Schumacher has crashed on his first Formula 1 lap of the year
at Barcelona this morning. Schumacher lost control of his Ferrari on
his warm-up lap and spun backwards into a tire barrier. He was unhurt
but the rear of the car, including the wing, was damaged. The German
is expected to be back out on track later today.
Tony Kanaan and Michael Andretti on IRL
weekly teleconference We would like to welcome today two
drivers from the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, Michael Andretti and
Tony Kanaan. Late last year the team announced the formation of Andretti
Green Racing, which would field three cars full time in the IndyCar
Series in 2003. The three drivers, Michael Andretti, Tony Kanaan and
Dario Franchitti. Today we have Michael Andretti and Tony Kanaan with
us, because they just completed their first test in the new IndyCar
Series equipment for 2003. Full transcript
1/20/03
Renault can't accept rule that engines
must last 6 races The proposed rule change to engines
lasting 6 race weekends could lead to Renault quitting the sport, its
chief, Patrick Faure, claimed on Monday. "The plan is the end of
Formula One," Faure was quoted by the BBC as saying in the Swiss city
of Lucerne as the team revealed its new car for the forthcoming
season. "We will not stay in the championship with these kind of
rules, clearly, none of us." Although Faure said most of the other
changes, such as banning radio communication between team and driver
and automatic launch control, were acceptable but would need further
discussing he took exception to the manner in which Mosley had
announced them. "We are hoping to find some clarifications on when the
measures are going to be implemented," he said. "There is still some
need for discussion and refinement. The only thing totally
unacceptable for us is the engine for six races. The rest we can
discuss. But the way things have been announced is slightly aggressive
and I do not think it is a way to behave." The new regulations were
due for approval by F1's Technical Working Group last Friday but it
failed to come to a conclusion and will meet again on Tuesday. Mosley
had said that the engine ruling would be gradually eased in. "We will
allow one engine per weekend in 2004, one per two weekends in 2005 and
by 2006 it will go up to six weekends which will reduce the costs of
the engine dramatically." "We have gone over to zero tolerance,"
Mosley told the BBC. "We could have probably been more insistent [last
season] so now we decided we would impose the regulations to the
letter." [Editors Note: The reaction by some of the F1 engine
manufacturers demonstrates what is wrong with F1. They are
trying to throw their weight around, threatening withdrawal, etc.,
just like they did to CART. It's about time F1 got control of
its engine manufacturers and the new rules is the first step. If
Renault or some others withdraw, there are others ready to step in at
the new lower cost. That is why Max Mosley and Bernie have both
said they are not worried. They hold the trump cards to all the
rights to F1, which has a long history. Let some of the
cry-babies go off and start their own, out-of-control cost series.
It won't last long. The plan in play now has been well thought
out by Bernie and Max. The reactions they are getting were
expected.]
1/20/03
Fernandez team completes initial shakedown Fernandez
Racing today completed its first test with the new
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone package that owner/driver Adrian Fernandez
will campaign in the 2003 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series
Powered by Ford. Young Mexican talent Luis Diaz, who recently signed with
Dorricott Racing and will pilot a Telmex-sponsored Swift in the 2003 Toyota
Atlantic Championship, handled the shakedown duties. “We are in very good
shape and we are happy with everything,” said Team Manager Gustavo del Campo
of the initial outing with the #51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex machine. “The
goal was to do 70 laps but Luis spun out on Lap 63. It was no big deal and
we are working on the car now. Up to that point, everything was very good.”
The test marked the first trackside outing for the team with its new
partners at Ford-Cosworth, the official engine supplier of the series.
“The new engine is very good and we didn’t have any problems,” added del
Campo. “We were working with two engineers from Cosworth and everything was
very, very smooth.” Diaz, who made his Champ Car debut with Fernandez Racing
at the Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante in Mexico City last November, was
disappointed with the way his day ended. “I was trying to give a good
impression to the team and unfortunately I crashed,” said the 24-year-old
from Mexico City. “The track was very slippery and I had a little bit of a
problem in adapting to the new engine. With my little experience, I made a
mistake. Several of the other drivers spun, but unfortunately I was the only
one to hit the wall. “At the beginning of the test, I think I was doing
pretty well. I had good lap times. At least the car wasn’t very damaged. It
was bad luck but it was my fault, too.” Fernandez Racing will head west this
week as Adrian Fernandez prepares to make his first on-track appearance of
the season at the CART open test on January 25 and 26 at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.
1/20/03
Tracy tests for Players at Sebring Paul
Tracy beamed as he donned the blue-colored Team Player’s fire-suit for the
first time Monday, before putting in 50-60 productive testing laps on the
1.72-mile Sebring road circuit that he shared with two other CART teams.
“The driver’s suit was a bit late arriving, but I was happy when it got
here,” said Tracy. “I put it on as soon as I saw it. It’s been a good day.
We seem to be quite competitive right away, with no mechanical problems or
issues at all.” The first day of Tracy’s two-day session at Sebring was
spent getting adjusted to his Team Player’s Champ car that bears the number
3, especially its steering and pedal arrangements, as well as conducting
braking evaluations, using different pads and discs to find the best
combination. While Team Player’s has switched this year to a Lola chassis,
with which Tracy is familiar, it also has the Ford Cosworth engine that
every team in the CART series will be using this season. In recent years,
Tracy has run with the Honda engine. “I believe that getting used to the
Ford engine is the biggest hurdle for me at this time,” remarked Tracy. “It
drives a lot differently than what I’ve been accustomed to, so I’ve got to
learn the engine’s characteristics, and that’s something we will be working
on in our pre-season testing sessions.” While Tracy’s testing debut enabled
him to get acquainted with his new crew, he needed no introduction to at
least one Team Player’s member Tony Cicale, the team’s technical adviser who
was previously Tracy’s race engineer. “After this first day of testing, it’s
clear that Paul is a great addition to the team,” said Team Player’s manager
Phil LePan. “He has plenty of experience, he’s very calm and cool, and you
can see right away that his relationship with Tony Cicale will be a big
benefit to the team’s success this season.” Following Tracy’s testing
session on Tuesday, he will then join teammate Patrick Carpentier for
another two-day test session with all CART teams in Laguna Seca, California,
January 25-26.
1/20/03
Testing from Sebring Our man on the
spot David Jackson today at Sebring randomly clocked the drivers with nobody
seriously flirting with anything better than 53.5 seconds (Moreno). Diaz
seemed like he was still coming to grips w/ the car and or track w/ times in
the mid 50s range. We are not sure what is a good time these days with the
reduction in HP. Anything 51 seconds or under was very aggressive in years
past, we even saw times under 50.0 2 years ago. Tracy did not appear to get
up to speed while David was there. Only a few "installation" type laps
completed. Notice he is carrying #3.
1/20/03
AT&T to sponsor BAM
One of the fastest-growing teams in NASCAR Winston Cup racing will team
with one of the most admired companies in the United States in 2003. 1
800 CALL ATT for Collect Calls, AT&T’s automated service that lets you
make collect calls from any phone, will sponsor BAM Racing’s #49 Dodge
and driver Ken Schrader. AT&T will be the primary sponsor for six NASCAR
Winston Cup races and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the
season. “Watching this race team grow from what was infancy a year ago
to a full-season schedule with one of the top drivers in motorsports and
one of the top corporate brands in the world has been tremendously
exciting,” said Beth Ann Morgenthau, the Florida investor who owns BAM
Racing with her husband, Tony. “We paid our dues last year and that is
starting to pay off for us. All along we have been building and
fine-tuning our race team, on and off the track,” she said. “Bringing a
wonderful brand like AT&T in as a sponsor is a tremendous step in the
right direction for us.” 1 800 CALL ATT sponsored a NASCAR Winston Cup
car for two races last season and is expanding its sponsorship this
year. AT&T joins Schrader, one of the top qualifiers and racers in the
sport, who joined the team in December.
1/20/03 F3000
Townsend Bell getting married,
lands ride in F30003rd UPDATE In
attendance at the wedding were such notables as Townsend's former team
owner Pat Patrick, Tommy Kendall, etc.
1/20/03
- Remember you read it here first, days ago. 2002 FIA F3000 Team
Champions Arden International have today confirmed that American
Driver Townsend Bell will partner Bjorn Wirdheim during this years
F3000 Championship. Townsend 26, joins the Team on a 2 year contract
after previously dominating the 2001 Indy Lights Championship and
several promising performances in the 2002 CART Championship Series.
Townsend will commence testing with the Team in February at Imola as
part of an extensive pre-season test program prior to the first race
at Imola on 19th April. Christian Horner commented: "I am delighted
that we have secured Townsend's services to join our F3000 program.
For us it is critical, after such a successful season last year with
Tomas Enge and Bjorn Wirdheim, that we have a Driver who will push
Bjorn. In Townsend we have a Driver with considerable ability whom we
firmly believe will achieve this after a very impressive career in the
USA. The whole Team will now be focusing on repeating and exceeding
our 2002 performance in what I'm sure will be another close and
exciting year of F3000 racing". Townsend Bell commented: "I am
delighted to be joining the top Team in F3000 and thank Arden for
giving me this opportunity. The FIA F3000 Championship is the obvious
step to Grand Prix Racing and I am really looking forward to racing on
European Circuits. 2003 will be a learning year as all the circuits
will be new to me but I am confident that with the new free practice
format I will be able to get up to speed quickly. I can't wait to get
started". The F3000 category is widely regarded in Europe to be
the next step to Formula One, as previous champions have included
Ricardo Zonta, and Christian Fittipaldi. The category has been the
stepping stone for other Barber Dodge graduates on their way to glory,
as Kenny Brack and Juan Montoya both secured championships in F3000
after having raced in the Pro Series. The F3000 series runs identical
Lola B2/50 cars with Zytek engines producing over 450 hp.
1/19/03
-
We have added an AR1 exclusive photo of Mr. and Mrs. Townsend Bell
(Heather and Townsend) who were wed yesterday. Congratulations and
many happy years together! AR1 sources say there will be an
announcement as to where Townsend is racing in 2003 tomorrow January
20th. You read it here first. 1/17/03 -
Townsend Bell is getting married to his business manager Rod
Campbell's daughter Heather Campbell this weekend
(congratulations to the couple). For 2003
he is aiming for a ride with a top team in Formula 3000 and the word on
the street is that he is close to signing a deal with one of
the leading British teams. We talked to Rod Campbell about
Townsend at CART's Awards banquet in Miami. Bell had aspirations of getting
into Formula 1 but was unable to raise the money to compete
for the available drives and now intends to use Formula 3000
to make an impression on the F1 team bosses. He was also
trying to get back into Champ Cars but that did not
materialize as well.
1/20/03
Renault to launch todayUPDATE In Lucerne today, the
Renault F1 Team officially launched its 2003 Formula 1 challenger.
Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso, the Team's two race drivers,
unveiled the new car - code-named R23 - in front of Patrick Faure,
Flavio Briatore and the senior management of the Team's official
partners. For the Renault F1 Team, the revelation was a special
moment: this new car has been the focus of attention at Enstone and
Viry-Châtillon for over twelve months. "Seeing a new F1 car take shape
is always an exciting experience," said Jarno Trulli. "Over five
hundred people have invested their passion, determination and hard
work in making it happen. Straight away, I want to thank all the
people working at Renault F1 for their efforts this winter. It is an
honor to be competing in Grands Prix as a Renault driver." Fernando
Alonso, returning to the race circuit after a year as the Team's test
driver, echoed his team-mate's sentiments: "Getting a race seat with a
major manufacturer is a big opportunity, and I'm not going to let it
go to waste. One thing's for sure: before fighting for myself in 2003,
I will be driving for the Team." "The 2003 season will mark Mild
Seven's tenth season in Formula One," stated Mr. Kimitsuna Kidachi,
Vice President of Marketing for JT. "Our numerous successes in this
category have enabled us to improve the international awareness of our
company, and to become the second world-wide brand in terms of sales.
The renewal of our contract with the Renault F1 Team confirms our
ambition and our desire to once again win the World Championship."
In the opinion of Patrick Faure, Chairman of the Renault F1 Team, this
decision represents a genuine affirmation of confidence: "With our
facilities at Viry-Châtillon and Enstone, we possess a sound technical
base," he commented. "The extension of our partnership with Mild Seven
offers the perfect combination, providing us with both long-term
financial stability and a solid partnership." Added photos of new R23
(bigger and better ones to follow later). The car looks almost the
same as the 2002 model. Perhaps the nose droops more ala
Ferrari. 1/20/03 - The
launch of the new Renault F1 challenger for 2003 takes place this
afternoon in Luzern in Switzerland. The venue was chosen because it
allows the team to exhibit the car in its full tobacco livery,
something which is banned in France.
1/20/03
Feedback on common engine for CART and F1UPDATE Another reader writes, Dear
AutoRacing1.com, I too found the article by Mark
Cipolloni enlightening, but what about the 4-cylinder engine proposed,
by I think, Tony Cicale? John Defrees SF, California
Dear John, There are two primary reasons why CART should not adopt a
turbo 4-cylinder engine. 1) The first thing a person thinks about
when you say 4-cylinder engine is an econ-box. That is NOT the image F1
and CART are selling. V10's imply something more "special" 2) A
V10 has smaller reciprocating parts hence can not only rev higher, it
can get to those revs that much faster - hence the wonderful screaming
sound. Mark C1/19/03 - A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, The latest article by Mark
Cipolloni on a common engine for CART and F1 makes a whole lot of sense
for all the reasons he outlined. I for one can't wait to hear the
sound of those engine here in America more than just at the USGP.
The sound alone will increase the attendance. Will CART implement
standing starts like in F1 now? Arthur Morse Dallas, Texas
Dear Arthur, thanks for the feedback on the article. We have
harped on CART to use standing starts on the tracks where the main
straight is wide enough for years now. To date they have not
implemented the idea. I think they are afraid it will cause too
much excitement for their fans. Can't have that, they prefer
follow-the-leader parades with no drama. However, now that David
Clare is in place, we are hopeful he will bring his F1 experience to
bear and implement the idea. He understands the magnitude of
standing starts...and the normally aspirated V10's in 2005 should help.
Mark C.
1/20/03
Vegas laments that CART will race under
lights This Las Vegas Sun
article talks about CART's two new night races but laments at the
fact that the Las Vegas track had lights and at one time talked to CART
about racing under the lights there. However, we here at AR1 believe
CART will never race at LVMS because 1) it's owned by a member of the oval
track cartel, and CART's last race at a Bruton Smith track resulted in a
cancelled race and a lawsuit, 2) CART would be much better off on the
streets of Las Vegas than out of town at LVMS. You just don't get the
gamblers in Vegas to drive out of town for anything except a Winston Cup
race. Now a night race on the streets of Vegas would be something.
After all, if they can light an entire airport (Cleveland) they can light
the streets of Vegas.
1/20/03
Minardi test driver finishes last
According to the RIA news agency, occasional Minardi tester Sergei
Zlobin (Russian) suffered the embarrassment of finishing last in an
illegal street
race – but insisted that was because he had obeyed the law of the
road, stopping at traffic lights and slowing down for the police. The
race is reported to have taken place early on Monday morning. Zlobin
clocked a time of 25m35s over the city-street course, putting him more than nine
minutes down on the winner, who was immediately apprehended by police. Zlobin told RIA that his defeat was down to "the observance of the
rules of the road." He added: "For me the main thing was not to win.
The most important thing is to draw attention to the development of
Russian motor sport." Zlobin said he would take part in a return race
- "but not under any circumstances in the city."
1/20/03
Sportscar driver to NASCAR trucks
The former sportscar driver TJBell of Reno changes his career path
significantly for 2003. The 22-year-old used to race in open-top sports
prototypes in the recent years, making a name of himself in an Ascari in
both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and in the prestigious Le Mans 24 hour race
in France. After having talked to Panoz for a full factory ride in the
American Le Mans Series and Le Mans in 2003, Bell opted for the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series instead – the third biggest division of NASCAR
racing behind the all-conquering Winston-Cup and the Busch Series. Bell
will be driving in 19 of the races in a Chevy entered by Team Racing of
Concord, North Carolina. “We were looking carefully at what we could
ultimately achieve in sportscars,” Bell explains the reason for his
move. “The highest we could possibly go to was a deal with Panoz. We
felt there were a lot more opportunities in NASCAR, not least because
there are a whole lot more races. There are 25 races in our series this
year – I get to do a lot more races than I would in sportscars, and
racing is what I love doing most.” Bell has already had his first taste
of stock car racing. He underwent a few lessons in the “Richard Petty
Driving Experience” in Las Vegas, totaling 60 laps. “It’s a much heavier
car with a lot more movement than the sportscar,” he compares. “It feels
slower because you don’t have the wind blowing into your face. And since
it’s got a much bigger steering wheel you’ve also got to slow down your
hands movement compared to what I was used to from sportscars.”
Subsequently, there’s not much Bell can actually take with him from the
successful sportscar days. “The driving style is completely different,”
he knows. “But I’ve learnt that the biggest deal with the trucks is
conserving tires – and tire management is something I’ve found out a lot
about in the Ascari.”
1/20/03
Details of money sharing confidential
BAR Boss Dave Richards stated last week - "Firstly, the teams
collectively with Bernie have come to a financial solution that
secures the future of all ten teams in the championship, which has
been a concern for everyone," he told Autosport. "So there is now no
uncertainty over any of the teams and there will be 20 cars appearing
on the grid from the start of the season to the end of the season."
However Richards was reluctant to explain the exact arrangements by
which the Jordan and Minardi teams were going to be assisted. "There
won't be any clarity about that," he said. "That is a confidential
arrangement between Bernie Ecclestone and the teams and that is all
anyone needs to know."
Photos of the week are back
As the 2003 racing season nears, our regular Pictures of the Week
feature has returned to our home page.
1/19/03
Mosley takes shot at McLaren2nd
UPDATE Dear AR1, Mr. McConkey reacts in an overly
defensive manner, reading a lot more political commentary into Mr.
Mosley's statement than what was said. Mosley did not say that the USA
bringing the Soviet Union military threat to its knees through upping
the the financial ante to a level only the US economy could support
was a bad thing. The goal was to put the Soviet government/military
out of business (or to be more precise, probably, speed up the
process). Mosley's point in the comparison was that such a tactic by
McLaren, in a sport, where the goal should not be to put competitors
out of business, is not appropriate; that to continue rules that allow
McLaren's/Ferrari's unique financial strength to put them on a plane
that will cause the demise of several other teams and perhaps the
sport itself is absurd. Although the "state of the economy" is roundly
blamed, I think there is a growing realization that there are fewer
and fewer corporations willing to commit tens of millions of dollars
to associate with and put their logo on the side of a "loser" that has
no chance of being competitive. Larry Adcock, Westfield, IN1/19/03 -
A reader writes, FIA President Max Mosley recently compared McLaren's
initial hard line response to 2003 regulations to America's foreign
policy during the cold war... Max insinuated that America was the bad
bully - blind to global desires, carelessly stepping on little nations
- pushing the Soviet Union to the brink in order to win the cold war.
We all know that Max really wanted to be a politician, but he should
stick to governing motorsports! Obviously Max didn't mix in too many
political science classes with his law studies. His assertion being
that McLaren is the big bully, complaining about the regulations (and
what's right for the world of F1) only because they have the fiscal
strength to weather the tough times and spend more than other teams.
Could it be that Ron Dennis and McLaren's stake holders were just
upset about investing several $100MM on car development to have the
FIA slam new regulations down their throat at the last minute - making
much of the development investment moot? Max's offensive, insensitive
comment seems appropriate coming from someone who slept under
America's blanket of security during the cold war and now has the
nerve to criticize the way in which that security was provided.
Without America's forward looking - progressive policy for dealing
with the Soviet Union, England may have become the smallest province
of the evil empire. I'm a die-hard Formula One fan, but this closet
America bashing attitude from left wing liberal Brit's reminds me why
Americans don't readily embrace sports and ideas from the UK. Max
would be well advised to let Agnes Kaiser, the FIA press delegate
handle communications from now on. Mark McConkey, Chicago, IL.
1/18/03 -
Mosley, who expects some teams to resist the F1 changes, said he
already detected some problems with McLaren. "McLaren have a position
that reminds me of America's during the Cold War, when they spent so
much to win that conflict, also because nobody could match them on an
economic level."
1/19/03
Max and Bernie get Ferrari support
It appears the tide is turning away from team owners like Ron Dennis
who wants to spend everyone else into the ground. Luca di
Montezemolo, chairman of the Ferrari has told the Gazzetta dello Sport
newspaper that he is "very happy and curious about the decisions
taken" by FIA President Max Mosley over the Formula 1 regulations. "I
think it is right that radical changes have been decided," Montezemolo
said. "Ferrari does not feel weaker or stronger but the goal is to
prove that we are the best. I'm sure we will see a great World
Championship." Montezemolo said that Ferrari was not seeking an
alternative World Championship but a championship which gives the
constructors more money and avoids Formula 1 being left in the hands
of banks and of the teams." We here at AR1 feel that if Ferrari
supports these radical changes, then others will one-by-one, fall in
line.
1/19/03
St. Petersburg construction photos
Photos courtesy St. Petersburg GP
1/19/03
St.
Petersburg alters track...finally2nd
UPDATE We can now report that the St. Petersburg finally
got their act together and updated their track map showing the revised turn
1. It s now a "proper turn" with lots of paved area for some great
overtaking possibilities. We show the revised final layout in the top right
graphic.
1/2/03 -
Since the St. Petersburg track website
still shows the incorrect circuit layout, AR1 staff have created the image
to the right showing how the first turn will be "squared off" to a proper
right-hander. It was our comments on AR1 months ago that led to this change
we are told by St. Pete staff, so it's good to see a voice of reason is
sometimes heard. The useless right-hand kink just before turn 1 would
have prevented any passing under braking. Our Paul Josephson did this
review
of St. Pete back in December 2001, well before recent changes were decided. Mark C.
11/28/02 - When we first saw the new St.
Petersburg track layout (see layout to right) we could not believe
what we were seeing. The main straight had a major right-hand
bend in it just before turn one so that passing under braking would
have been impossible. We thought, how can they be so
shortsighted? We spoke to St. Pete general manager Tom Begley
last weekend in Miami and we are happy to report they have decided to
square-off the corner into a proper 90-degree right-hander (actually
it's more like 120-degrees). However, the track layout they show
on their website still has the ludicrous bend in the track before the
turn. For the first year they have decided to construct 15
grandstands plus suites. In future years, if the demand is
there, they have planned for over 25 grandstands.
1/19/03
CART Mazdaspeed RX-8 Pace Car poster
2nd
UPDATE Added a Mazdaspeed RX-8 CART pace car poster by Dick
Pong (top left). 12/30/02 - Added a poster showing the specs of the Ford GT, which
has been approved for limited production by Ford. Superchargers and
Turbochargers are being used with increasing frequency production cars
in recent years. If for some reason CART does not adopt the F1 V10
engine for 2005, perhaps a Supercharged 2.65L V8 would make an
interesting alternative as suggested by Dick Pong on these pages.
12/27/02 - Dick Pong submitted this
Supercharged Ford GT CART pace car poster (Bottom Left) for your
enjoyment. The Ford GT will likely debut in a CART race after
Ford's 100th birthday (June 2003).
Mazdaspeed RX-8, Ford GT Tech Spec, Ford GT
Ford Mustang, Ford Cosworth, Toyota Atlantic Posters
1/19/03
Mosley says "we had to do this" "In
the medium to long term, F1 could have collapsed," Max Mosley told BBC
Radio 5 Live. "One or two of the independent teams might have stopped.
The bigger sides might not have been able to run a third car and they
might have stopped as well. "If we had left everything as it was, the
whole thing could have spiraled." "To begin with there was a shocked
silence," said Mosley. "One or two teams were against and most of the
others had reservations on one point or another. Ron Dennis said he
had so much to say he didn't want to say anything but in the end the
consensus was that something had to be done." "When you know who is
going to win each race because the cars are so reliable it becomes
uninteresting. "If you eliminate some of the electronic aids, you
eliminate some of the certainty. In the end the best team will win, so
we are not punishing success."
1/19/03
Lauda likes new rules
“Personally, I already find an implementation by Melbourne
interesting,” he said. “The older drivers, those who drove without all
the gimmicks, will have it easier. But the youngsters, those who never
had to operate the rear wheels with their accelerator foot, they will
be pretty surprised when in Melbourne they will have to qualify
themselves on just one lap.” Niki Lauda
1/19/03
Back pain forces Ralf out againUPDATE
Dear AR1, The Schumacher family seem to have a history of back
problems. Whilst Ralf Schumacher had to do some (token) military
service in a Luftwaffe Sports Battalion a few years ago, his big
brother Michael avoided the draft (according to British ITV) into the
German Armed Forces due to back trouble but somehow has been able to
pursue his racing career despite this condition! Ed McFarlane,
Goadby, England1/14/03 -
After back pain forced him out of the cockpit on Monday morning after
just five laps of the Barcelona circuit, Ralf Schumacher tried again
on Tuesday morning, only to suffer more back pain. As a result, Ralf
has opted to sit out the remaining test days this month to allow
himself time to heal properly. "Of course, it's a pity that I'm not in
the condition to complete the tests,” he said. “But it doesn't make
any sense if you can hardly move. I wasn't due to test in the near
future anyway. I'm going to take a break until the presentation of the
new car in order to really get my strength back." Williams have
employed Olivier Beretta on the short term, the month of January, to
take over Ralf's scheduled duties. 33-year-old Beretta used to race in
the series, albeit briefly, back in 1994 when he completed ten events
for Larousse.
1/18/03
Tagliani
gets married Canadian CART driver Alex Tagliani wed Bronte Kok
on Saturday January 18th in Montreal. We here at AutoRacing1.com
wish the couple many years of happiness together.
1/18/03
Engine rules for Daytona
According to this News and Record
article, the number of engines a team will be allowed to
use will be limited at Daytona next month, said John Darby,
Winston Cup series director. Last season, the series' one-engine
rule began after last year's Daytona 500. This year, teams must
run the same engine from Saturday's first practice session (Feb.
8) through the twin-125 mile qualifying races (Feb. 13). If a
team makes a change, then it must start at the rear of the field
"at the minimum," Darby said. After the twin 125 races, teams
can make an engine change before the next day's practice
session. After that, they risk a similar penalty for changing
engines.
1/18/03 Industry News
Johnson controls sales up in Europe No wonder the
Rocketsport team rejected the IRL and went with CART.
Their primary sponsor, Johnson Controls sell product
worldwide, not just in the USA. Johnson Controls Inc.
said Thursday that quarterly profit rose 17 percent, boosted
by higher sales of automotive systems in Europe that helped
offset flat U.S. auto results. Milwaukee-based Johnson
Controls, is a leading maker of automotive interiors and
batteries, also stood by its forecast for record 2003 results.
In the key North American market, sales of automotive interior
systems and batteries were about level with last year. Softer
sales of passenger-car components for the Chrysler arm of
DaimlerChrysler AG and Ford Motor Co. trucks weighed on
results, the company said.
1/18/03 Industry News
Car imports into China skyrocket As F1 and CART
eye races in China, this Reuters
article says, China imported more than 127,000
vehicles in 2002, up a huge 77 percent from the year before as
lower import taxes following its World Trade Organization (WTO)
membership cut the cost of foreign cars in the world's fastest
growing auto market. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted
customs figures as showing China imported 127,394 vehicles
last year, with their combined value surging 81.6 percent year
on year to $3.17 billion. "There was a steep rise in the
average value of imported sedans, indicating that locally made
medium- and low-end sedans are more competitive so imports of
high-end cars rose," Xinhua said on Saturday. China has
pledged to lower import duties on automobiles to 25 percent by
July 1, 2006. It will also raise import quotas by 15 percent
annually with all limits to be abolished by 2005........Global
giants like General Motors Corp, Volkswagen AG and a slew of
top Japanese carmakers are fixing their eyes firmly on the
rapidly growing Chinese market, the product of years of robust
economic expansion.
More backlash on Road AmericaUPDATE More readers write,
Amen brother about the V10 road racing cartel.....like the
phoenix its beginning to rise. But to lose Road America, it
would be a grave mistake. Road America is what CART is all about
when it comes to road racing. To replace it with ANOTHER street
race, like Houston AGAIN where the racing was horrible, the
track was almost all 90 degree turns, and attendance poor may be
a sign of focusing too much on the urban thing. I understand the
Dallas track is a road course that appears to be superbly
designed. Add it, but don't take away the history and prestige
of our SPA! Why in the world would you do that when we are
focusing more and more on F1-like road racing? Besides probably
Road Atlanta, there is no other great American road racing track
that encourages high speeds and great overtaking opportunities.
Why would we want to lose that? It would make me sick and again
start to question management like the old days. Derek Hughes,
Jacksonville, FL After reading all of the comments today
about the "possibility" of CART pulling out of Road America I am
reminded of the CART Town Meeting that we had last summer in
Columbus. The first question is quoted below: AUDIENCE: First
question for Chris Pook. Why not bring a race back here to
Columbus, Ohio? CHRIS POOK: Gosh, never thought about it till
you asked about it. Sure, Bobby Rahal, get a check out, write it
for us, we'll be back. I'm not sure that Michelle Trueman would
be too excited about that. We certainly will talk to her about
it, if she'd care to promote it. AUDIENCE: She'd get plenty of
volunteers here, I think. CHRIS POOK: I think there's a real
delicate balance here. We have to respect the permanent courses
we have left in this country. We've really got to work around
these issues. It's important to do street racing, but it's
equally as important to make sure our permanent courses remain
healthy, because that's where the bulk of the testing takes
place. We have to have places for these teams to test. We've got
to keep them healthy. That's really critical to us."
Kevin McFerrin, Columbus, OH 1/17/03
- A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1, I've read the article in the
Milwaukee Sentinel Journal regarding the possibility of Road
America and CART splitting ways. If this were come to
pass, it would be one of the gravest mistake that CART has made.
My hope is that with the new CART regime, that CART's history of
paying lip service and then not following through (Michigan
comes to mind) is a thing of the past. This past week has given
me a new sense of hope in CART, but the idea that CART would
easily abandon RA is disheartening in the least. While I can
appreciate CART's desire to race in major markets, I for one do
not want a racing series that is made up entirely of temporary
street circuits. It's bad enough that CART is abandoning it's
ovals (I'm sorry, but 2 ovals in a 20 race schedule does not
make CART the most diverse series in the world). With the sole
exception of Long Beach, no temporary street race has the
prestige or aura that a natural terrain road course such as RA
has. And as Miami and Denver have proven, and most of CART's
street races, a major market street race does not necessarily
mean great or even good racing. Road America is possibly the
only American road course that can be spoken in the same breath
as Spa or any of the world's classic road courses. RA has
traditionally been one of CART's best attended races (outdrawing
many of CART street "events"). Yet Pook would easily abandon it
because he has a chance to race in downtown Houston or Dallas?
As the premier road racing series in the country, CART needs to
cultivate relationships with the road courses here in the U.S. ,
not rake them over the coals because they aren't in a major
metropolitan area. Besides...the idea that Tony George would put
the IRL at RA is sickening enough as it is. Joe Angers,
Boston, MA
1/17/03
Tony George sees no merger,
concedes CART likely to survive This Automotive News
article says don't expect a merger of the Indy Racing
League and Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART, Automotive
News World Congress attendees were told. "I don't see the two
organizations coming together," IRL CEO Tony George said. "The
IRL has an idea of what it wants to be. CART needs to adapt a
vision and adhere to it.".........Regarding the competition with
CART, George after his speech said that motor sports is a big
enough arena to accommodate both. "By focusing on
ovals, we can develop our niche and grow our business," he said.
"Likewise, CART moving toward road courses, they should be able
to develop that as well." More....
1/17/03
T. Wayne Robertson NASCAR Winston
Cup Preview UPDATE
Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) have donated the
complete shell of a NASCAR Winston Cup No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet
Monte Carlo for Saturday's auction at the 14th annual T. Wayne
Robertson NASCAR Winston Cup Preview at the Lawrence Joel
Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. The braces
were cut and the shell was lifted off the chassis in one piece.
The windshield, rear glass and roof flaps are included. The
shell will be autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The No. 8
Budweiser shell is one of many items that will be sold at
auction Saturday with all proceeds going to the charity. The
five charities of the Preview are the T. Wayne Robertson
Memorial Fund, the Winston Cup Wives Auxiliary, Brenner
Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, Speedway Children's
Charities and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Tickets are
available at the Coliseum Box Office.
1/17/03
Super Aguri Fernandez Racing
Wraps Up First Week of Testing Super Aguri Fernandez
Racing concluded its first week of pre-season testing today at
California Speedway with Roger Yasukawa logging another two days
of seat time aboard the #55 Panasonic ARTA
Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Yasukawa will be challenging for Rookie
of the Year honors in the 2003 IRL IndyCar Series. “I am very
pleased,” said Tom Anderson, Co-Owner and Managing Director, of
the two-day test. “We still have an excellent reliability and
durability record so it has been a very productive two days at
Fontana. [Race engineer] John [Dick] and Roger had an
opportunity to work through some suspension and aero
combinations in order to have a reasonable baseline for our
return here at the Test in the West. This has been a very
productive, very informative test and I’m looking forward to the
next one.” Yasukawa completed over 320 miles on the two-mile
oval and tallied over 620 total testing miles for the week after
the team’s successful outing at Phoenix International Raceway on
Monday and Tuesday. “This was my first time on a superspeedway
and it was pretty good actually,” said Yasukawa. “It is quite a
bit different from the short ovals that I am used to. It’s
definitely a different game that you have to play with the car
together with the engineer. I think it went well considering it
was my first time here with the car. I am reasonably happy with
the two days. “My biggest challenge is going to be trying to
have a perfect pit stop – parking the car at the right place and
all that is something that is very new to me. The best thing
about everything today was that I got experience on what pit
stops are like and what I need to do, and I have a good picture
of what you need to have for the race. I think that was the best
part of it. I’m really happy with everything and looking forward
to coming back here for the open test.”
1/17/03
Andretti, Gurney, comment on F1
rules changes
In this RPM.ESPN
article, Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney, former
American F1 winners, had some interesting comments on the
proposed F1 rules changes. Most were positive, but some
rather scathing - Andretti doesn't understand what outlawing
radios, spare cars and working on race setups will accomplish.
"There's a safety issue here with communication. You've got to
be able to warn a driver if there's an accident and the track
is blocked or there's oil down or whatever. "I killed a
crewman in the pits once (Hanford, Calif., in 1968) because
his pits were on fire and he ran right out in front of me. Had
we had radios and communication back then, his life could have
been spared. I think you've got to think twice before you
abolish that." As for no spare cars, he snorts: "You crash on
Friday and they send you home? What is that going to
accomplish? Is that cost saving? How about your sponsors? "I
mean I'd like to see F1 have guest drivers. That's how I
started. I won races as guest driver and can you imagine if
you got one or two guest drivers from CART or NASCAR to run in
the U.S. Grand Prix? It might put another 50,000 people in the
stands. "Not being allowed to work on your car after
qualifying until the race is also farfetched. Isn't that also
a safety issue?"
1/17/03
Man the battle stations, Car
makers resist changesUPDATE Here is the full
GPWC
statement that was issued today. 1/17/03
- Formula One's car manufacturers have criticized the dramatic
rule changes announced this week. GPWC - a company set up to
represent the interests of five of the manufacturers in F1 -
said the new regulations would harm the sport's traditions of
being a pioneer for technical development. It also criticized
the sport's governing body, the FIA, for introducing them
without sufficient notice and for disregarding cost-cutting
measures that had already been agreed. GPWC does not believe
that the proposed changes are consistent with the contractual
framework under which F1 operates. It said it would attempt to
"ensure that changes are not implemented, or precedents set,
that will cause problems for F1, the teams and drivers in the
future." The GPWC said: "The manufacturers are in favor
of reducing costs. "But F1 needs to keep its fundamental
characteristic that it is the showcase for the highest level
of technology, a place where the most advanced research is
applied. "It is also important that any changes to the rules
be established with sufficient advance notice knowing that any
change whatsoever inevitably increases cost, at least in the
short term. "We are dismayed to note that the cost-cutting
measures already proposed have effectively been partially
disregarded by the FIA. "Whilst it does not believe that
Wednesday's proposed changes are consistent with the
contractual framework under which F1 operates, GPWC is
committed to resolving matters in a manner that supports the
sport."
1/17/03
Carpentier gets hands on Lola
Patrick Carpentier led off Team Player’s off-season
testing program in the Champ Car (CART) series when he ran laps
on the 1.25-mile Firebird road circuit on Friday in the first of
a two-day session that will provide the team with the
opportunity to work with its new Lola chassis. Carpentier, who
is coming off the best season of his six-year CART career, has
previously run with the Reynard chassis, but his adjustment to
the new package seems destined to be a smooth transition if his
first laps of the off-season are an indication. “It was great to
get back on the track again,” said Carpentier. “Today, we spent
a lot of the time just doing a typical shakedown of the car. It
wasn’t so much a case of seeing how things went with the Lola
chassis as it was seeing how the car reacted overall. It was
basically a feeling-out process, and things went well on all
fronts.” Carpentier, who had the track all to himself, said the
surface was slippery in places, but he actually welcomed the
slick conditions. “In one way it’s good to have a track like
that because without the help of traction control this year, we
have to rework that aspect of racing in terms of the power and
engine relationship, and how that affects the handling of the
car.” Carpentier’s teammate, Paul Tracy, was on hand as an
observer at the Firebird test session . He will turn his own
first laps with Team Player’s next week January 20-21 on the
Sebring road circuit in Florida. Sebring is also the site of
this year’s CART spring training sessions, February 4-6, when
all of the teams in the series there are currently 19 will run
officially timed laps. Prior to spring training, the CART teams
will gather at Laguna Seca, California (January 25-26) for
untimed testing sessions.
1/17/03
Diaz to test for Fernández
Fernandez Racing will kick off its pre-season testing
program with Toyota Atlantic driving talent Luis Diaz putting
the #51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex machine through its initial
paces at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., on
Monday. He will shake down the new
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone package to be piloted by
owner/driver Adrian Fernandez as the team prepares for the start
of the 2003 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series
powered by Ford. Diaz, 24, of Mexico City, made his Champ Car
career debut with Fernandez Racing at the 2002 CART season
finale – the Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante – after Fernandez was
sidelined due to a fracture of the T2 vertebrae resulting from a
multi-car incident in Australia. “We are happy that Luis will be
putting some miles on our new car while further developing his
skills,” said Fernandez. “He has done a great job for us in the
past, and this seat time in a Champ Car is very valuable as he
looks towards the future.” Fernandez will make his first
on-track appearance of the season at the CART open test to be
held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., on
January 25 and 26. He will undergo a follow-up CT scan next week
on his injuries, but doesn’t anticipate any problems: “This is
more of a routine checkup to make super-sure everything is okay.
I have been talking with [CART Chief Orthopedic Consultant] Dr.
Trammell and he feels very confident that I will be able to
participate in the test.” Diaz finished fourth in the CART
Toyota Atlantic Championship last season, driving a Telmex/Quaker
State-sponsored Swift for Dorricott Racing. “I am grateful to
Adrian and the team for the opportunity to get back behind the
wheel of a Champ Car,” said Diaz. “My goal is to move up to the
Champ Cars one day, and this seat time is so valuable. I spent
this week with Adrian and he has been helping me with my fitness
and nutrition programs. I have witnessed first hand the hard
work he is putting in to get back to 100 percent.”
1/17/03
Smaller spoilers, softer tires
According to this That's Racin
article, Winston Cup series director John Darby
confirmed Thursday that NASCAR is moving toward cutting the
height of rear spoilers and softening tires to help reduce the
aerodynamic problems that have plagued the series in recent
years. For the first time, Darby put somewhat of a timetable on
addressing the problem. During preseason testing the past two
weeks, such drivers as Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin have
expressed their desire to see changes come sooner, rather than
later. The primary complaint is that the dependency on
aerodynamics of the cars, combined with the harder tire
compound, have made passing extremely difficult and put more
emphasis on pit stops during races. "Obviously, Goodyear will
have to have a lot of notice. It's easy to soften one tire, but
they have to manufacturer tires enough for everyone to race on,"
Darby said. "That process alone is likely a three-month lead
time." The tire change assessment itself indicates a change
involving tires and spoilers would likely not be implemented
before the second half of the season or even 2004.
1/17/03
Jordan extends Bridgestone deal
The Jordan F1 team has extended their agreement with tire
suppliers Bridgestone for a fifth year. The deal comes two
days after the team reportedly received $16 million from the
FIA in a redistribution of television revenues. "Bridgestone
have been a crucial partner to Jordan over the last four years
and I'm very pleased we have extended our relationship," said
team chief Eddie Jordan. "The Jordan Ford EJ13 package, with
the chassis from Henri Durand and Gary Anderson, combined with
Ford Cosworth RS power and Bridgestone tires will be a strong
contender and we are looking forward to a season of good
racing."
1/17/03
Mosley talks tough
Ferrari along with McLaren are not too happy with the changes
to be made to the sport but Max Mosley does not care. "I
wouldn't say we've got Ferrari's unqualified support by any
means. Because some of these things could be seen as being
quite detrimental to them. Even Ferrari is coming under
pressure to reduce costs, but they are now saying: 'We've got
all these systems in place and we can't use them.' But
whatever you decide as a cut-off point, this sort of problem
will always be the case." "McLaren was absolutely against it.
And I think Ron went into shock when he realized what we were
proposing. If a major manufacturer doesn't like it, too bad.
If a major manufacturer pulls out of the sport because of it,
again too bad. What we will gain from these rule changes is
far bigger than what we will lose by their absence." "When
Ferrari was losing, and bearing in mind that they are the
best-known brand in Formula One, you could imagine people
saying that for commercial reasons, Bernie Ecclestone and
possibly the FIA would want to help them win. But when it gets
to the stage that their top driver is on the podium at every
race for more than a season, and where people are switching
off the television because of Ferrari, then anybody who
believes that we are helping them must be mad. Because we
would be sawing off the branch we're sitting on. "We've
never been partial to Ferrari. The main basis for that
accusation is the famous bargeboard test. Where McLaren
screwed up their case. If McLaren had pressed the point
properly they would have won the case," he said. "Had they
asked Ferrari to prove that their deflector was at the correct
angle, they couldn't possibly have done it because it had been
removed from the car and the car wasn't in the court. But they
didn't make that point. I can't go in to argue McLaren's case;
if they screw up, they screw up. Anyway, it's manifest
nonsense after what has happened over the last two seasons."
1/17/03
IMG's McCormack suffers heart
attack
This happened a day after announcing the CART night race -
Mark McCormack, founder and chairman of sports management giant
IMG, was in critical condition yesterday after suffering a heart
attack, the company said. IMG said the 72-year-old McCormack had
immediate medical attention and was hospitalized. McCormack was
named one of the top 10 most powerful people in sports last
December by The Sporting News. His Cleveland-based company
represents dozens of major sport stars including golfers Tiger
Woods and David Duval, baseball player Derek Jeter of the New
York Yankees, tennis stars Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati
as well as Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch. IMG has 85
offices in 33 countries and employs almost 3,000 people. The
company did not immediately say where McCormack was being
treated.
1/17/03
Night race makes headlines in
Milwaukee, but.....
A reader writes, Dear AR1, Just wanted to drop a note
telling you about the great response the Milwaukee night race
has received in Milwaukee. Helped by the fact the it was a slow
sports day in Wisconsin, the night race received major air time
in both the early news and the 10:00 P.M. sports on all major TV
stations in Milwaukee. The announcement also received front page
and bold text headlines in the sports section this morning. I
believe this will be the start of a rebirth at Milwaukee. Two
concerns, weather can be dicey at night in early June. A cold
weekend will kill the night race. Also, the track needs some
extra entertainment like a concert before the race to really put
on a show. Also listed in today's Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel is a report that Road America stands a good chance of
losing it's CART race next year. Dave Kallmann quotes Pook after
asking the question if the track and the series are heading in
different directions due to the date change this year. Pook is
quoted as saying "That's the message, isn't it?" I believe Pook
is missing the boat on this one. When you look at the license
plates of the cars at the Champ car race it has an extremely
large Illinois presence. Giving up a track the quality of RA for
the short term gain of a street race in downtown Chicago is very
short sighted. It leaves the door open for the IRL to fill the
date at RA and they will get a great crowd there due to the
atmosphere of the place. It also goes against what Pook and CART
are selling as their image, I will be less interested in a
series that only runs on street circuits. Everyone wants to hold
up Long Beach as the model for CART racing on the street.
However, Road America and Mid-Ohio have lasted much longer, are
better for racing and are more stable than all the other street
races that have come and gone. Thank you. Arno Fritz,
Milwaukee, WI Dear Arno, CART must find a way to make
Road America work. Yes, it is hard to get people to travel
far distances for a CART race, but if they drop Road America
from their schedule in 2004, it will be perhaps the biggest
mistake in the history of the series. If CART is willing
to invest, and sometimes lose, money in urban markets, it must
be willing to invest in places like Road America, which is so
steeped in history....besides being a fantastic road race track,
the best in North America. CART dropping Road America will
be analogous to F1 dropping Spa, and a piece of their history
lost forever. If CART builds the drivers into household
names, the fans will travel great distances, NASCAR has proven
that. Let's hope in the end, common sense prevails.
Mark C.
1/17/03
IRL testing news from Fontana Dario
Franchitti continued to prepare for his first full season of IRL
IndyCar Series competition by testing Jan. 16 at California
Speedway. Franchitti, 29, from Edinburgh, Scotland, tested an
Andretti Green Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone on the 2-mile
oval. “Everything is going pretty good here at California
Speedway,” Franchitti said. “We’re working with a lot of
different things on the car, and Honda has given us some good
power from an engine standpoint. We are still early in our
testing program, but we are already seeing some progress. The
IRL has asked us to test a few different aerodynamic packages,
and I think the racing will be good fun if we can find the right
combination.” IndyCar Series rookie Roger Yasukawa, who lives in
nearby Los Angeles, also tested at the 2-mile oval Jan. 16. He
drove the No. 55 Panasonic ARTA Dallara/Honda/Firestone for
Super Aguri Fernandez Racing. Both drivers will test again on
Jan. 17.
1/17/03
Friday test times from
Barcelona
Today's Times
Driver
Team
Tires
Laps
Time
Speed/Gap
Fernando Alonso
Renault
M
79
1:16.920
137.551 mph
Marc Gene
WilliamsF1
M
103
1:17.296
0.376
Takuma Sato
BAR
B
44
1:17.749
0.829
Juan Pablo Montoya
WilliamsF1
M
43
1:17.877
0.957
Antonio Pizzonia
Jaguar
M
86
1:18.717
1.797
Jarno Trulli
Renault
M
62
1:18.910
1.990
1/17/03 F3000
Townsend Bell getting married, aiming for F3000
Townsend Bell is getting married to his business manager Rod
Campbell's daughter Heather Campbell this weekend
(congratulations to the couple). For 2003
he is aiming for a ride with a top team in Formula 3000 and the word on
the street is that he is close to signing a deal with one of
the leading British teams. We talked to Rod Campbell about
Townsend at CART's Awards banquet in Miami. Bell had aspirations of getting
into Formula 1 but was unable to raise the money to compete
for the available drives and now intends to use Formula 3000
to make an impression on the F1 team bosses. He was also
trying to get back into Champ Cars but that did not
materialize as well.
1/17/03
Senna court case reopened
This Racing Lines
article says, Just over 3 years ago Patrick Head and
Adrian Newey were cleared of culpable homicide in relation to
the death of Ayrton Senna on May 1st 1994. However the Italian
supreme court is to re-open the case. The decision to clear
the british duo came after years of investigations and legal
actions and seemed to bring an end to the whole sorry
business. However the prosecutors involved have finally asked
for the case to be reviewed once again and applied to the
Italian Supreme Court (known as La Corte Suprema di Cassazione).
More.....
1/17/03
Bill France back to health NASCAR's
chairman Bill France Jr. is just fine after recent health problems and
back at work keeping a watchful eye over the family business. ``I'm
feeling better, a lot better,'' the 69-year-old France said in an
interview with The Associated Press. ``My hip's a little sore, that's
it. But the way I see it, things are good because I'm on the right side
of the grass.'' France, the oldest son of NASCAR founder Bill France
Sr., broke his right hip in August when he fell after misjudging a step
in a Daytona restaurant. Before he could be treated for that injury,
doctors insisted he have heart bypass surgery. The long recovery and a
setback -- one lung filled with fluid in early December -- kept him away
from most NASCAR functions and led to speculation that the cancer he
beat in 2001 was back. A recent checkup, though, gave him a clean bill
of health, he said. ``As far as I can tell, the genie is still in the
bottle,'' France said. ``She was playing in the sand right close to the
bottle. We had to grab her and put her back in.''
1/17/03
Petty to chair motorsports association Richard
Petty, the driver with the most wins in NASCAR history, will serve as
chairman of the newly formed N.C. Motorsports Association. The
association, which is based in Clemmons, was created last summer to
promote the economic impact of the motorsports industry on the N.C.
economy.
1/17/03
Vasser to drive Busch and CART
According to this Indy Star
article, Vasser will divide his time between rookie owner Stefan
Johansson's CART team and a NASCAR Busch Series team the driver is
partly funding himself. AR1 sources say Vasser may bring a
personal services contract he signed with Ford, though that is not
confirmed. If true, it may further explain the "American" spirit
team name. Vasser said loyalty drove him to find a way to stay in
CART. "It's a pivotal year and I didn't want to be walking out on them,"
he said. "Good things are starting to happen. It's shaping up to be more
than what people thought it would be."
Winston
Cup TV Guide Preview After the successful launch last year of
its first-ever sports-themed standalone magazine, NASCAR 2002, TV Guide
is rolling out its second-annual NASCAR preview magazine, TV Guide
Winston Cup. Hitting newsstands January 20, the full-size publication
(as opposed to TV Guide’s customary digest size) is a comprehensive
preview of the upcoming 2003 season. Targeted at the millions of NASCAR
faithful, it also serves as the perfect primer for the many recent
NASCAR converts. TV Guide Winston Cup features two different
collectible covers, one with 2002 Winston Cup Champion Tony Stewart and
the other featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr., along with teammates Steve Park
and Michael Waltrip. Each issue also includes a full-size poster of
either Earnhardt Jr. or Jeff Gordon. Fans will also find one of two sets
of collectible trading cards: one set features the top stars of Winston
Cup racing, the other is a set of commemorative Dale Earnhardt tribute
cards. The 96-page, full-color magazine provides an exciting look at the
season to come, with several features contributed by some of the
nation’s top NASCAR journalists, including David Poole, Monte Dutton,
Mike Hembree and Jim McLaurin.
1/17/03
Celebrate Paul Newman's 78th birthday CELEBRATE
CART TEAM OWNER PAUL NEWMAN’S 78TH BIRTHDAY AT A SPECIAL BENEFIT MATINEE
to support Westport Country (Connecticut) Playhouse at the closing
performance, Sunday, January 26, 2003. Ticket prices range from $2,000
to $250. Call 203-227-7617 ext. 13 for more information.
1/17/03
Cleveland
race biggest mobile lighting project ever The July 5 event will be run under the lights as
world-renowned Musco Lighting will turn the airport runways
into what will be the world's largest outdoor lighting
project. Musco, which has lent its temporary and permanent
lighting facilities to events ranging from The Olympic Games
to rock concerts, will erect 22 lighting towers to illuminate
the racing circuit. By way of comparison, Musco states that a
typical college football game requires four towers, Ground
Zero in New York required five towers, and the Battle of Big
Horn outdoor golf match required eight towers.
"This is by far the largest mobile lighting challenge we've
ever taken on," said Musco President Joe Crookham. "These
twenty-two trucks, generators and lighting systems will create as much
light as nearly a
half-million
car headlights." The Musco Light
is the most powerful and innovative mobile lighting tool available. The
system provides an array of fifteen remote controlled 6K HMI lights
mounted on a 150-foot hydraulic boom to give you 120 million candela of
light on wheels. Completely self-contained and self-sufficient, the
Musco Light’s range is incredible — you can flood up to 40,000 square
feet with 25 footcandles up to 1/2 mile away. They will simply
drive the 22 trucks on and off the airport as needed during the race
weekend.
1/16/03
FIA to force manufacturers to add teams At Wednesday's
meeting with the team bosses, the FIA revealed that should the engine
suppliers not agree to supply multiple teams then the FIA would push
through a rule stipulating that they must. Even without their consent.
'The FIA will invite the major manufacturers currently supplying
engines to teams competing in the Championship to ensure collectively
that all teams have competitive engines at a readily affordable cost,'
the FIA statement read. 'In default of satisfactory and agreed
arrangements, the FIA reserves the right to introduce a change to the
Sporting Regulations to achieve this result.' 'The savings to an
engine supplier by reason of the single-engine rule for 2004 will
normally exceed the costs of supplying a second team.' 'This is
because development costs will have been met in supplying the first
team while, as a result of the new rule, the total number of engines
supplied to the first and second teams together in 2004 can be
expected to be less than the number supplied to the first team alone
in 2003.'
1/16/03 Industry News
Condolences to Bussing family We
extend our condolences to AR1 extended family member Joe Bussing, who lost
his father Ed this week. Joe is a loyal customer of AR1. The
Bussing's are hard core CART fans
who have been to every CART race since CART was formed. Edward Stephen
Bussing, 68 of Speedway. He passed away on January 15, 2003. He was born
October 18, 1934 in Brazil, IN and grew up in Dana, IN. Ed had worked for
General Motors at the Chevrolet Bus & Truck Division. He retired in 1993
after 32 1/2 years service. He was also a Navy veteran. Ed was a member of
St. Christopher Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council
#3682, UAW Local 23, Slovenian National Home and the Yaggers Conservation
Club. He was preceded in death by his Son: Eddie Bussing. He is survived by
his wife: Mary Agnes Milharcic Bussing; Sons: John & Joe Bussing; Daughters:
Monica Condon & Marla Greenway; Sisters: Anna Marg Fravel, Betty Jo Brown,
Gert Corley, Madeline Hendrix. He also had 6 Grandchildren. A Prayer Service
will be held at 10:30am Saturday (1-18-03) at the Usher Funeral Home and a
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11am Saturday (1-18-03) at St.
Christopher Catholic Church. Friends may call from 4-8pm Friday (1-17-03) at
the Usher Funeral Home. Ed donated his body to the Indiana University
Medical School. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Holy Trinity
Day Care Center.
1/16/03
CART stock watch
Today's NYSE Trading In MPH
MPH closed at $3.65 Up $0.39 on Volume of 162,400 shares.
MPH Value Change Up 11.96%
1/16/03
Race partner, Octagon, ignores
CART UPDATE Finally
something has appeared on the Brands Hatch website, barely. This
news release on the Octagon Motorsports website says that the
MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) announced a significant move
ahead of the 2003 season with news that Championship Auto Racing Teams
Inc. (CART) will feature Britain's premier saloon car race series at
Brands Hatch, prior to the main Champ Car race. Taking place on May Bank
Holiday weekend (3-5 May) and with the popularity of CART and BTCC
combined, the event is set to attract the largest event audience for
motor-racing this year outside of the F1 British Grand Prix. Brands
Hatch will witness the second round of the MSA British Touring Car
Championship with the meeting at Thruxton being rescheduled for later in
the season, ensuring that race fans in Hampshire do not miss out.
Richard West, MSA British Touring Car Championship Series Director
commented: "This has been an important week for the Championship,
reinforcing the stature of the series in the Motorsport calendar.
Hosting the second round at Brands Hatch prior to the U.K. CART race
will increase the growing popularity of BTCC and open it up to new
audiences, providing us with a strong platform for growth in 2003."
(Editor's Note: The site provides a link for Event and Ticket
Information and a further link to the weekend racing schedule. Notice
that the race will be on Monday, a Bank Holiday. 1/13/03
- If you go to Octagon's website for Brands Hatch
http://www.octagonmotorsports.com/ you will see zero mention
of the upcoming CART race on May 5th. Octagon was hired
last year to help CART with several marketing related things and
for international TV negotiations. To not even mention the
CART race is a slap in the face to CART. Eurospeedway had their
announcement up the same day the race was announced. Let's
hope the rumors of Bernie Ecclestone buying Octagon are true,
because certainly there is a lot of room for improvement.
1/16/03 Industry News
2003 Mid-Ohio news TrueSports, Inc., parent company of Mid-Ohio Sports Car
Course, announced today that Mid-Ohio will provide road racing
fans six world-class motorsports events in 2003. Sports car
racing’s past and present will be featured in June, with July
giving way to two-wheeled action for the 21st consecutive
year. The world’s best professional drivers converge on the
track in August and set the stage for the top amateur drivers
in the country competing for twenty-four national
championships in late September. More.....
1/16/03 Industry News
Road America to host Harley's Road
America will host to up to 20,000 motorcyclists during Harley-Davidson's
100th Anniversary celebration, according to George Bruggenthies, president
and general manager. The motorcycle riders are expected to start arriving
Aug. 25 and stay through Labor Day, which concludes Harley's 100th
Anniversary Milwaukee celebration. Road America was selected as a campsite
because of its long history with motorcycle racing, the area's reputation
for service and hospitality and the track's ability to host a large number
of guests. Visitors will be able to register online using Road America's
secure website, www.roadamerica.com
in a new website section, under construction, called Cruisin' Cycle Central
®. All camping reservations must be made in advance. The event is being
produced by Destination Wisconsin, of Milwaukee, Wisc., and Homecoming Tours
of Melbourne, Australia in partnership with Road America. Campers may stay
on the grounds for a weekly fee of $115 per person. Daily activity passes
will be available for $35. Motorcycle clubs may stay together in a group if
they make a group reservation; all camping reservations must be made in
advance. Daily activities will include traditional motorcycle rally and meet
activities, including burn-out contests and a ride-in motorcycle show. (A
burn-out contest is when a rider spins the back tire until it literally
burns out; a ride-in motorcycle show allows riders with customized
motorcycles to compete in a bike show.) Judges will award prizes to
contestants each day. All activities will be held at Road America. Because
the race track is booked, motorcyclists will be able to watch on-track
sports car activities. Road America's existing vendors will be asked to
participate in food and beverage service, and additional vendors will be
brought in to complement the non profits who serve food at the track's
races. The track will develop a vendor midway in the paddock area. "It's
going to be a big week for Road America, for the community and the state,"
said Bruggenthies. "We're looking forward to having motorcycle enthusiasts
from all over the world staying here." The race track will be working
closely with community leaders and will encourage motorcyclists to ride the
scenic Kettle Moraine and visit area communities, Bruggenthies said.
1/16/03
Toyota supports cost cuts Toyota released this today -
"Toyota supports and appreciates any FIA initiatives aimed at reducing
costs, increasing the safety and improving the excitement for
spectators of the Formula One. In absence of an agreement between the
teams, Toyota welcomes the proposal received yesterday from the FIA
and will attend the meeting of the Technical Working Group in London
on January 17, with the intent to positively contribute to the
definition of the detailed rules. Toyota expects the FIA to be
open-minded and accept constructive proposals from the teams aimed to
reduce costs, with no compromise for the drivers safety."
1/16/03
Important sportscar summit held
American Le Mans Series executives met in Paris today with
representatives of auto manufacturers and officials of the Automobile
Club de l’Ouest (ACO) to discuss plans for the future of Le Mans-style
sports car racing. Don Panoz, the founder of the American Le Mans
Series, represented the series in the summit meeting along with ALMS
President Scott Atherton and Doug Robinson, the Executive Director of
series sanctioning body IMSA. The ALMS operates on an agreement with the
ACO, which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to utilize both the “Le
Mans” name as well as the technical rules of the event. Automobile
manufacturers participating in the meeting included Audi, Michelotto
(Ferrari), SARD (Toyota), General Motors, Panoz and Porsche. Topics
included new technical rules for Prototype racing that will take effect
in 2004 and will be shared by the ACO and the FIA, performance criteria
for each class of car, balance of performances between 2003 and 2004
cars and plans for future European endurance sports car races. Robinson
has been heavily involved in the development of the new rules for much
of the past 18 months. “It was a very spirited and productive meeting,”
said Atherton, who returned to the United States with Panoz and Robinson
after the meeting. “This meeting was by invitation of the ACO and was
designed as an open forum of communication on a number of topics related
to the new specifications and how they can best be implemented with
current guidelines. “It’s very early, but indications are that
manufacturers are finding the new rules to be appealing. The presence of
a number of manufacturer representatives at the meeting, and those who
wanted to be there, is an indication of the interest level,” he said.
The 2003 American Le Mans Series season begins with the Mobil 1 Twelve
Hours of Sebring at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway Mar. 12-15.
ALMS
1/16/03
Players team ready to test
With the start of the 2003 Champ Car World Series less
than six weeks away, drivers Patrick Carpentier and Paul Tracy
are looking at an intensive schedule as they work to develop the
new Lola chassis that Team Player’s will be using this season.
Carpentier will be the first to conduct testing sessions when he
takes to the Firebird road course in Phoenix on Friday and
Saturday (January 17-18). “Because of the testing delay imposed
by CART in order to provide an equal opportunity to teams that
recently joined the series, we weren’t able to run testing
sessions before the Christmas holidays, as we did in the past,”
explained Carpentier. “Still, Paul and I will be entitled to
seven days of testing each prior to the start of the season, and
that should give us sufficient time to determine the strengths
and weaknesses of the new engine-chassis package.” Carpentier
has spent much of the off-season making the trek between Las
Vegas and his hometown of Joliette, where he took advantage of
Quebec’s ideal winter conditions to do some snowmobiling.
Carpentier’s teammate, Paul Tracy, will turn his first laps with
Team Player’s a few days later (January 20-21) on the Sebring
road circuit. Sebring is also the site of this year’s CART
spring training sessions, February 4-6, when all of the teams in
the series will run officially timed laps. Prior to spring
training, the CART teams will gather at Laguna Seca (January
25-26) for untimed testing sessions. “I’m really looking forward
to putting on my new driver’s suit and getting to know my
engineers and mechanics,” said Tracy. “I’ve been training on the
road bike almost every day for the last two months – on the
twisty terrain of Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas – and I’m
raring to go. We have a lot of work to do before the season
starts, but I’m confident that Team Player’s will be up to the
challenge.”
1/16/03
IRL cars 100% throttle at
Homestead South Florida Motorsports Report is a TV
show that airs every Sunday in southern Florida. This
Sunday their show will feature interviews from recent IRL
testing at Homestead. Reporter Tony Castaneira interviews
Michael Andretti, Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan. Tony
Kanaan told the reporter that the IRL cars are 100% throttle on
the flat Homestead track, which we find appalling. Wasn't
racing supposed to be about driver skill? We knew the cars
were 100% throttle on the banked tracks, but to run 100%
throttle on the flat Homestead track.......perhaps we are just
too old fashioned. We always thought racing was a sport
and the athletes skill (the driver) meant something.
Mark C.
1/16/03
Pook says CART rebuilding right
on schedule
This AP
article by Mike Harris says CART president and CEO Chris
Pook can joke now about the freefall his series has been in
since last year. "I'd venture to say the elevator has quit going
down now and is going up steadily," he said. Some had predicted
the Champ car series would race with fewer than the promised
minimum of 20 cars in its lineup, promoters would withdraw
events from the series - or perhaps it wouldn't take to the
track at all in 2003. Pook can smile about those predictions
now. He said the series has a 20-race schedule in place, 17 cars
already under contract, 18 signed orders for the new
Ford-Cosworth engines and the possibility of a few more entries
before the season begins Feb. 23 at a new venue in St.
Petersburg, Fla. "We can see where we are with our teams and our
new team owners, and we can very clearly see the direction we're
heading in," Pook said in an interview with The Associated
Press.
More.....
1/16/03
Penske team promotes Beresford Nick
Goozee, Managing Director of Penske Cars, Ltd., announced that
Nigel Beresford has been named Technical Director. In his new
role, Beresford will be responsible for overseeing diverse
engineering projects involving Penske Racing and Penske Cars,
and liaising with the Team’s technical partners. Beresford, 44,
first joined Penske Racing in 1992 when he worked as race
engineer for Rick Mears. During the 1993 and 1994 seasons he
worked as race engineer for Paul Tracy scoring eight wins and
six poles. When Tracy left the Team at the end of the 1994
season, Beresford moved back to England and resumed his Formula
One career with Team Tyrrell. Beresford returned to Marlboro
Team Penske in 1996 and was named Head of Engineering at Penske
Cars, Ltd. at the start of the 1997 season. Prior to joining
Penske, Beresford had worked for the Tyrrell Formula One Team
since 1986 under the direction of Dr. Harvey Postlethwaite.
Initially employed as a design engineer, he also spent a period
managing the wind tunnel testing program before becoming race
engineer for Jonathan Palmer in 1989. He was transferred to Jean
Alesi's car for 1990 (scoring second places in Phoenix and
Monaco) and worked with Stefano Modena in 1991 (placing second
at the Canadian Grand Prix). When he returned to Tyrrell in
1995, he was named Operations Manager, responsible for the
preparation and durability of the race cars for the two-car
team.
1/16/03
Thursday test times from Barcelona, Coulthard on top again
D Coulthard McLaren Mercedes
MP4/17B M 1:15.382 53
K Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes MP4/17B M 1:16.007 66
J Montoya Williams BMW FW24 M 1:16.151 65
O Panis Toyota Toyota TF103 M 1:16.386 48
C da Matta Toyota Toyota TF102B M 1:17.008 58
A Wurz McLaren Mercedes MP4/17B M 1:17.480 94
M Gene Williams BMW FW24B M 1:17.587 71
A Davidson BAR Honda 005 B 1:17.628 26
F Alonso Renault Renault R202 M 1:17.865 57
A Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth R3B M 1:18.817 50
J Trulli Renault Renault R202 M 1:20.778 77
1/16/03 Industry News
Mickey Thompson murder trial update
Here’s a belated update on the trial of Mike Goodwin for the deaths
of Mickey and Trudy Thompson. (He continues to be held in the Orange
County Jail.) On December 6, 2002 the court determined that “all
actions and the court date would be stayed". The next activity will
be on February 21, 2003, when the 4th District Court of Appeals will
hear the appeal filed by the defense regarding the jurisdiction
motion to move the trial from the Orange County Courts to the Los
Angeles Courts. (You will recall that Orange County is pursuing the
case because Goodwin lived there and the planning for the murders
purportedly took place there. The actual murders took place in
Bradbury, which is in Los Angeles County). It is possible that the
Appellate Court could take anywhere from sixty days to several
months to return with a ruling. This timing indicates that the trial
will likely not get underway on the currently scheduled date of
April 7, 2003. It is possible that the trial could be
many months away.
1/16/03
Cowboys to start Winston Cup team
According to this Dallas Morning News
article, Former Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger
Staubach plan to become owners of a NASCAR Winston Cup team in time
for the 2004 season, Aikman confirmed Thursday.
1/16/03
Friendly Ice Cream to sponsor Cope
Friendly Ice Cream Corporation will sponsor Quest Motor Racing and
the #37 Chevrolet of driver Derrike Cope in 2003. The announcement
was made today. Friendly's, a family restaurant company serving
signature sandwiches, entrees and ice cream desserts, will sponsor
Cope for the majority of NASCAR Winston Cup races this season,
continuing a sponsorship which began last season. The first race
will be February's Daytona 500. NASCAR and Friendly’s demographics
are similar, becoming a sponsor and getting involved with NASCAR is
a great fit for Friendly’s. This sponsorship fulfills a marketing
objective for Friendly’s of increasing brand awareness. We believe
Friendly’s and Quest Motor Racing make a formidable team and we look
forward to a strong racing season,” stated Peter E. Bell, Senior
Director, Marketing for Friendly’s.
1/16/03
Schumacher OK with F1 changes
"My view is that it doesn't really change so much because,
with all the electronic possibilities, you needed a very good
team around you and good engineers to work with you to
understand the system 100 percent in order to maximize
everything because you have so many possibilities with all the
aids,” he said. “I don't see that I, or any good driver, will
take the advantage by a big amount. I honestly don't think so.
A good team is always a good team.” “The only way I can see
that (a big change) is in rain conditions because I believe,
without traction control in particular, it will be very, very
difficult and you need a lot more feeling in order to be on
the pace. At the same time, it will be quite a bit more
dangerous. But it has been the same in the past and we will
have to deal with that -- so it is going to be a little bit
more exciting.” “Personally I believe that Formula One has to
adjust to changing times,” the reigning world champion
admitted. “Perhaps with this F1 will become more accessible
for smaller teams. There are huge expenses involved in the
sport and some of the smaller teams are afraid. Maybe it is
something positive, F1 has to consider how to find funds. We
know that in races the technical details are not always so
important - you can have a race without these aids.”
1/16/03
FIA strips Ron Dennis of his toys Although most
F1 team bosses were delighted with the new FIA rules, Ron
Dennis left the meeting visibly upset as he left the meeting.
"I have nothing to say," he told the gathered press.
McLaren has an extensive state-of-the-art facility and want to
remain very-high tech. Now, however, much of that has
been stripped away, meaning a lot of McLaren staff will become
redundant. If the engine manufacturers were to start a
breakaway series, we expect Ron Dennis would jump ship with
them. However, the breakaway series will die quickly.
The FIA won't recognize it as a World Championship, they won't
have the rights to any existing F1 races, and if Bernie tells
Max, "Max, have the FIA pass a rule that any driver competing
in the breakaway series will never be eligible for a F1 World
Championship Super License," that will effectively cause the
breakaway series to be stillborn. No driver would race
for the breakaway series knowing they can never become World
Driving Champion. In essence, Bernie and Max hold all
the trump cards, and people like Ron Dennis are just going to
have to learn to live with it. It has been this sort of
selfish thinking by team owners and manufacturers in the past
that got F1 (and CART) in the mess they currently find
themselves. Mark C.
1/16/03
Australian GP chief hails changes The drastic
cost-cutting moves in Formula One overnight were greeted today by the
Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Mr Ron Walker, as
"great news for motor sport -- and for F1 and the Foster's Australian
Grand Prix in particular". "The body that runs world motor sport, the
Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), is getting F1 out of
the space age and returning it to pure motor racing," Mr Walker said.
"The operating costs for the teams had got way out of control and so
much of the money being spent meant nothing to the people who matter
most in the big picture -- the hundreds of millions of viewers around
the world watching GPs on television." "The moves we have seen from
the FIA overnight will get those costs back under control over the
next couple of years and will be for the benefit of everyone involved
in the sport and who love watching the global phenomenon of F1." Mr
Walker said that, as a member of the Formula One Commission, he had
long been arguing for many of the clamps that will now be enforced.
"The teams, because of the intense competition in which they are
involved, were not going to initiate these moves. None of them was
going to dare to be brave enough to put the brake on the
spiraling
costs, so I applaud the FIA president, Max Mosley, and FOM (Formula
One Management) chief, Bernie Ecclestone, for having the fortitude to
take lead on this and impose a massive load of common sense." "It is
wonderful news for the sport of F1 and, with Melbourne as the host of
the opening round of the 2003 world championship on March 6-9, it is
great for the Foster's Australian Grand Prix and the hundreds of
thousands of people who will come to Albert Park for the four-day
carnival -- this year and in future years." Mr Mosley and Mr
Ecclestone advised the 10 F1 team principals of the moves at a meeting
in London last night, Australian time.
1/16/03
Max: Teams will get over it This ITV-F1 article
says that yesterday's FIA meeting went relatively well and most teams
were in favor of the radical changes to F1 after they got over their
initial shock.
Andretti reiterates he may retireUPDATE A reader writes, Dear
AutoRacing1.com, Great article. It acknowledges that the competition in
CART is too good now and he has to go to the IRL to be competitive.
Furthermore it states that CART is too tough for old folks and they can
only survive in the IRL. Funny note though, the only good thing Michael
could really say about the IRL was that "it was fun and they at least
still have Indianapolis!" Sounds like someone really trying to justify
their decision! Momentum my arse! Derek Hughes,
Jacksonville, FL 1/16/03 - In this AP
article, Michael Andretti said he is considering leaving the
cockpit for good after racing in the Indy 500 — the race his father,
Mario, won in 1969, and the win Michael doesn't have and most covets. "I
know I don't want to be out there driving if I cannot give it 110 per
cent, and I don't know right now whether I can do both," Andretti said.
"My future in racing is ownership, so that is where my real commitment
is going to be. I want to make this team one of the best, if not the
best, and that is my goal. "So, if I cannot do that and drive at the
same time, then ... driving is the thing that I will probably give up
only because I know that I am getting to the end there anyway."
1/16/03
Tony George needs a bigger hammer
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I can't help but remember
Tony George's words back in May when it appeared he had CART on the
ropes. When asked if the Honda to IRL announcement was the final
nail in CART's coffin, Tony stated, "I bring my hammer to work
everyday," in other words he was boasting how he stole just about all
the big names out of the CART paddock and CART was just about dead.
Well here it is seven months later and the tables are completely turned.
The IRL ended up with all of CART's dead wood and CART has all the new
young blood. The talk is all about CART now, the excitement of all
the unknowns for next year, and its alliance with Bernie Ecclestone and
F1. I have to agree with you that yesterday's announcement of the
radical rules changes in F1, opens the door for CART and F1 to use
identical engines in 2005, sans all the unnecessary electronics and
exotic materials. Finally we will see affordable V-10's that all
teams can afford, and I think you are right, now new manufacturers can
afford to participate and get more bang for their buck. Tony
George had better get a bigger hammer, because clearly the one he had
didn't get the job done. I wonder if he hammered his thumb in the
last few days with all the positive CART press? Regards,
Jonathan Moser, LA, California Dear Jonathan, the Phoenix has
not yet risen, but clearly it's safe to say CART appears well on the
road to a full recovery by 2005. Mark C.
1/16/03
A little story on PK Racing's Kevin
Kalkhoven
This Motley Fool
article
will give you a little background on PK Racing partner Kevin Kalkhoven.
"JDS Uniphase is in an outstanding position today from the perspective
of our financial performance and strength, our market position, our
products, and our strategy." With those words, Kevin Kalkhoven, the
chief architect of fiber optics phenomenon, turned the reins of JDS
Uniphase over to Jozef Strauss. Kalkhoven left in the midst of an
acquisition orgy by JDS, in which it combined with Uniphase, and then
acquired, among other less prominent companies, E-Tek, OCLI, and the
biggest fish of all, SDL. More....
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Mario
Andretti helps blood drive succeed Race fans were treated to a
joyride around the world-famous road course at Infineon Raceway on
Tuesday, and at the same time they aided a worthy cause. More than 300
race fans braved cold and wet conditions at the 2nd annual "High Speed
Blood Drive" to benefit the American Red Cross. Race fans were treated
to a hot lap at speed around the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course in
exchange for donating a pint of blood. The bonus was that 75 lucky
people were given hot laps around the track by Mario Andretti, the only
driver in history to win races in five different decades. “We're
delighted that we were able to help the Red Cross at a time of such
critical need,” said Steve Page, president and general manager at
Infineon Raceway. “The turnout was tremendous and we are grateful to
Mario for helping to attract so many donors. We look forward to hosting
and growing this event in future years.” Race fans lined up more than an
hour before the start of the blood drive, anxious to meet their favorite
driver. Andretti not only spent the day giving fans laps around the
track in a 2003 Audi Quattro S8, he also signed autographs, took
pictures and mingled with the fans. Other hot laps were given by
instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. The event was
co-sponsored by The Bone 107.7 FM out of San Francisco. "This was a very
unique experience," said Christian Reed, from San Francisco. "I came out
for a good cause to donate blood but I also had the excitement of
meeting Mario and going 90 mph around hairpin turns. It doesn't get any
better than that on a rainy Tuesday afternoon." Said Kimberly Taylor, a
Vallejo resident: "The lap with Mario was something I'll never forget. I
was videotaping while he was going around so I started to get a little
sick but it was pretty fun. This was just a great way to get people to
come out and donate blood, by having Mario out here." The drive
netted 106 pints of blood, exceeding expectations of the American Red
Cross, which called it one of their best events in the Bay Area. That
number was more than a 300-percent increase over the amount of blood
donated at last year's High Speed Blood Drive at Infineon Raceway.
American Red Cross representatives said the 106 units will help save 318
lives. "Currently we have a one-to-two day supply of blood so every unit
that we collected today will help save lives," said Phil Bureau,
director, recruiting marketing blood services for the Northern
California Region of the American Red Cross. "This has been a great
event." Andretti, a spokesman for Infineon Technologies, was pleased to
spend the day with race fans, and also help the American Red Cross. He
is the 1978 Formula One world champion, a four-time CART champion and
former winner of both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. "I had a
great time today. It's amazing to see how many race fans came out to
donate blood, especially considering the bad weather. I just hope they
had a good time with me in the car," Andretti said
Castroneves
gunning for Indy 3-peat
Helio Castroneves bent down and admired his back-to-back countenances on
auto racing’s most famous trophy, the Borg-Warner Trophy, as the TV
cameras zeroed in on him and his beaming smile. Castroneves is
undefeated at Indy, winning his first two attempts.
1/20/03
- Remember you read it here first, days ago. 2002 FIA F3000 Team
Champions Arden International have today confirmed that American
Driver Townsend Bell will partner Bjorn Wirdheim during this years
F3000 Championship. Townsend 26, joins the Team on a 2 year contract
after previously dominating the 2001 Indy Lights Championship and
several promising performances in the 2002 CART Championship Series.
Townsend will commence testing with the Team in February at Imola as
part of an extensive pre-season test program prior to the first race
at Imola on 19th April. Christian Horner commented: "I am delighted
that we have secured Townsend's services to join our F3000 program.
For us it is critical, after such a successful season last year with
Tomas Enge and Bjorn Wirdheim, that we have a Driver who will push
Bjorn. In Townsend we have a Driver with considerable ability whom we
firmly believe will achieve this after a very impressive career in the
USA. The whole Team will now be focusing on repeating and exceeding
our 2002 performance in what I'm sure will be another close and
exciting year of F3000 racing". Townsend Bell commented: "I am
delighted to be joining the top Team in F3000 and thank Arden for
giving me this opportunity. The FIA F3000 Championship is the obvious
step to Grand Prix Racing and I am really looking forward to racing on
European Circuits. 2003 will be a learning year as all the circuits
will be new to me but I am confident that with the new free practice
format I will be able to get up to speed quickly. I can't wait to get
started". The F3000 category is widely regarded in Europe to be
the next step to Formula One, as previous champions have included
Ricardo Zonta, and Christian Fittipaldi. The category has been the
stepping stone for other Barber Dodge graduates on their way to glory,
as Kenny Brack and Juan Montoya both secured championships in F3000
after having raced in the Pro Series. The F3000 series runs identical
Lola B2/50 cars with Zytek engines producing over 450 hp.
Cleveland
race biggest mobile lighting project ever The July 5 event will be run under the lights as
world-renowned Musco Lighting will turn the airport runways
into what will be the world's largest outdoor lighting
project. Musco, which has lent its temporary and permanent
lighting facilities to events ranging from The Olympic Games
to rock concerts, will erect 22 lighting towers to illuminate
the racing circuit. By way of comparison, Musco states that a
typical college football game requires four towers, Ground
Zero in New York required five towers, and the Battle of Big
Horn outdoor golf match required eight towers.
"This is by far the largest mobile lighting challenge we've
ever taken on," said Musco President Joe Crookham. "These
twenty-two trucks, generators and lighting systems will create as much
light as nearly a
half-million
car headlights." The
Much
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