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Pos Driver Team Time
1 Oriol Servia Patrick Racing 50.940s
2 Sebastien Bourdais Newman/Haas 50.975s
3 Bruno Junqueira Newman/Haas 51.045s
4 Jimmy Vasser American Spirit Team Johansson 51.353s
5 Alex Tagliani Rocketsports 51.434s
6 Michel Jourdain Jr Team Rahal 51.469
7 Roberto Moreno Herdez Competition 51.644s
8 Patrick Carpentier Forsythe Racing 51.724s
9 Paul Tracy Forsythe Racing 51.737s
10 Adrian Fernandez Fernandez Racing 51.778s
11 Mario Dominguez Herdez Competition 51.888s
12 Ryan Hunter-Reay American Spirit Team Johansson 51.956s
13 Darren Manning Walker Racing 52.075s
14 Mario Haberfeld Conquest Racing 52.404s
15 Rodolfo Lavin Walker Racing 52.577s
16 Joel Camathias Dale Coyne Racing 52.632s
17 Roberto Gonzalez Dale Coyne Racing 53.131s
18 Patrick Lemarie PK Racing 53.444s
2/5/03
Rahal to appear at karting expo
Racing luminary and Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow principal Bobby Rahal
will be attending the Kart Expo International February 22-23 at the
Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois just outside of Chicago.
“My partners and I are committed to getting the word out on the Stars
of Tomorrow,” said Rahal. “We are putting a program together that will
benefit the professional kart racer and aspiring open wheel drivers
for years to come and I am pleased to be able to spread that message
at the Kart Expo. It is one of the biggest events of the year and one
Stars is proud to attend.” Rahal will be at the Stars of Tomorrow
booth in the expo center on Saturday the 22nd and will also
participate in the Stars open forum session starting at 1pm in Skybox
3-4 at the center.
2/5/03
Brett Bodine' wife charged The
wife of NASCAR driver Brett Bodine was charged with making harassing
phone calls and threatening a woman she suspected was involved with her
husband. Diane Bodine surrendered to authorities Tuesday and was
released on $6,500 bond. Her lawyer said she denies all the charges.
Police said she was calling a Loganville woman, a corporate employee of
the restaurant chain Hooters of America, one of Brett Bodine's NASCAR
sponsors. Her name was not released.
2/5/03
Concrete pit boxes for Richmond
With its latest expansion project moving along on schedule, officials at
Richmond International Raceway have added one more upgrade to their list
of things to do: they are converting the pit stalls from asphalt to
concrete. The change is mostly being made to accommodate the wishes of
Indy Racing League teams. The IRL races at Richmond at the end of June,
and expressed fears that the pinpoint jacks used by IRL pit crews could
damage the blacktop in intense heat. NASCAR crews use larger jacks less
likely to damage the pit surface. The pit stall work is just one of many
projects under way at the track, which is adding about 3,000 seats and
building a new press box with elevator access in the first and second
turns. The work should be complete when the track opens for its first
weekend of NASCAR Busch and Winston Cup racing May 1, track president
Doug Fritz said. The expansion will push Richmond's seating capacity to
about 105,000, and Fritz said Henrico County has given clearance for an
additional 45,000 seats to be added. He said a study of demand for
tickets will dictate when, or if, the track chooses to expand again.
AP Story
2/5/03
Changes to The Winston
NASCAR and R.J. Reynolds officials on Wednesday confirmed changes to
the format of the 2003 Winston all-star race, including a record $1
million payoff for the winner. The race, scheduled for May 17 at
Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, features race winners from the
2002 and 2003 seasons as well as past winners of the event.
Then-rookie Ryan Newman won the 2002 Winston and its then-record
$750,000 purse. The race, entering its 19th season, has been hosted by
Lowe's Motor Speedway since 1987. The Winston will continue to be run
in three segments for a total of 90 laps. However, several changes
have been in those segments and to The Winston Open, a race among
drivers not already qualified for The Winston. Among the changes:
The first segment will consist of 40 laps,
during which teams must make a mandatory green-flag, four-tire pit
stop. If there's a late-segment caution, efforts will be made by
NASCAR to ensure a green-flag finish. The top-20 finishers advance to
the next segment.
Following a 10-minute break, during which
teams may work on their cars without losing track position, the second
segment of 30 laps will be held. Only the top-14 finishers will
advance to the third segment.
Following another 10-minute break, the
final segment of 20 laps will take place. The starting order will be
inverted from positions three through 10 following a random selection
process during the break. Only green-flag laps will count toward the
total.
The winner of the final segments receives
$1 million. The winner of the first two segments - as well as the pole
winner - receives $50,000.
The Winston Open, which included
opportunities for two drivers to advance to The Winston the last two
years, will return to one race in 2003. However, the race will consist
of two segments - of 20 and 10 laps - and only the top-14 finishers
from the first will advance to the second. Only green-flag laps will
count in the final segment and only the winner will advance to The
Winston. The Winston weekend will also feature the debut of the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck series at Lowe's Motor Speedway, with the inaugural
Hardee's 200 set for May 16
2/5/03
No Chicago race for 2003
We have been reporting this for a long time, but surprisingly other
publications seemed to think Chicago might happen this year.
This Chicago-area Daily Southtown
article says that Championship Auto Racing Teams will not hold
a race in the Chicago area this year, either at Chicago Motor Speedway
in Cicero or on the streets surrounding Grant Park. Two sources, one
at CART's headquarters in Indianapolis, confirmed Tuesday the
open-wheel racing organization's race this year, still listed as
tentative on the CART schedule for May 18, will not be held. CART is
hoping to return to Chicago in 2004. Merrill Cain, CART's senior
manager of public relations, didn't deny that the Cicero track, opened
to great fanfare in 1999, was out, but wasn't ready to say a race
downtown would not be held this May. "We've looked at all our options
in Chicago," Cain said from Sebring, Fla., where teams from the CART
series are practicing this week. "We don't have a drop-dead date."
That may be because one isn't needed. It's logistically impossible for
CART to race downtown. With construction ongoing on Columbus Drive,
the thoroughfare is unavailable for either racing or street traffic.
Closing down Lake Shore Drive for a race weekend and the time it takes
to install and remove barriers and catch fences would be impossible,
with Columbus already out of service. What's more, the most likely
staging area for an auto race — which requires several acres of paved
ground — would be the Soldier Field parking lot, and that's taken up
in part by the reconstruction of the stadium. Officials at Chicago
Motor Speedway, better known as Sportsman's Park, confirmed Tuesday
there would be no racing of any kind there this year. "Nothing,"
Sportsman's spokesman John Brokopp said. In fact, Sportsman's has been
for sale since the National Jockey Club transferred its equine
operation to adjacent Hawthorne Race Course.
More.....
2/5/03
Servia
leads 2nd day at Sebring
Oriol Servia (#20 Visteon Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) had
never started a Champ Car season with the same team that he
had finished the previous campaign with until 2003, but he is
making the most of the stability found at Patrick Racing this
year as the Spaniard has been fast in early testing. Today,
Servia showed the benefits of staying put with the Patrick
team that he ran 10 races in 2002, topping an 18-car field
during the second day of Champ Car Spring Training at Sebring
International Raceway on Wednesday. Servia negotiated the
tight road course in a time of 50.940 seconds (117.951mph) to
top the time sheets in what was the fastest lap of the two
days to date. "It felt very good and the car was pretty quick
today, although I still think that Newman/Haas has an
advantage on the field," Servia said. "The last time I was
with the same team that I finished the last year with, I won
the championship in Indy Lights so we're looking forward to
having a good year." The Newman/Haas teammates were both among
the top-three qualifiers again on Wednesday just as they were
on the opening of the three days. Sebastien Bourdais (#2
Newman/Haas Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) put up the
second-best lap of the day with an effort of 50.953 seconds
(117.920mph), making the rookie the only driver in the field
to break into the 50-second range in each of the first two
days. He was followed by his stablemate Bruno Junqueira (#1
PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), who led the second
session of the day with a time of 51.045 seconds (117.708mph).
Junqueira led what ended up being a warm second session as the
heavy cloud cover that blanketed the area during the morning,
gave way to sunshine
2/5/03
First photos of Kurt Busch in
Champ Car
Check out our Home page for the first photos of NASCAR Winston
up driver Kurt Busch in a CART Champ Car - today at Sebring,
Florida driving Michel Jourdain's car. He turned a
respectable 54.72 second lap. He spun on his last lap and
called it a day. He ran more than 20 laps. For him
to turn a lap only 3.5 seconds off fast time today, given it
was his first time in a Champ Car, says the guy may have an
open wheel future if he wanted it. More photos to follow
later.
2/5/03
Unser Jr's son moves up CART
ladder
Albert Unser, son of former CART Champion Al Unser Jr., will
be moving up the next step on CART's ladder. He will
drive in the CART Barber Dodge Pro Series this year. The
Barber Dodge Pro Series released its 2003 schedule today, with
ten rounds slated for the 18th year of the Official Entry
Level Professional Race Series of Champ Car. The schedule
reflects the development of the partnership with Champ Car, as
the Pro Series will race in support of the Champ Car World
Series every race weekend of its season. The Champ Cars had
over 2.6 million race attendees during the 2002 season and
provide an ideal setting for the young drivers in the Pro
Series to show their stuff not only in front of large crowds,
but also in front of the decision makers and team owners in
Toyota Atlantic and Champ Cars, where all the young drivers
aspire to race eventually. The season will open in St.
Petersburg, Florida on the weekend of February 21-23 and
conclude in Montreal at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the
weekend of September 5-7. The Series will once again cover the
NAFTA region with a visit to Mexico's Fundidora Park in
Monterrey, six dates in the United States, as well as three
races in Canada with visits to Toronto, Vancouver, and
Montreal. Confirmation of a tenth date slated for the
beginning of the summer will be announced shortly. Actual race
dates are still to be determined, as some races will be
featured on Saturday with other races taking place immediately
before the Champ Cars take to the track for battle on Sunday.
"We are tremendously pleased to have two new events in St.
Petersburg and Monterrey, Mexico and a full schedule
supporting the Champ Car World Series highlighting not only
the Series' stature in motorsports but also the substantial
value it delivers to drivers at the beginning of their
careers. No other development series at this level puts its
drivers in front of that many fans and decision makers with a
real opportunity to demonstrate their talent at a cost that is
arguably second to none," says Steve Sewell, VP of Motorsports
Development for Skip Barber. Schedule:
February 21-22 St. Petersburg,
Florida
March 21-23 Fundidora Park, Monterrey, Mexico
June 13-15 Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.
June 20-22 Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR
July 4-5 Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio
July 11-13 Molson Indy Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
July 25-27 Molson Indy Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
Aug. 1-3 Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
Aug. 15-17 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
Sept. 5-7 Circuit Gilles Villenueve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2/5/03 Industry News
Eight
to be inducted into motorsports Hall of Fame
Three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Darrell Waltrip, sports
car driver and teacher Bob Bondurant, master of midget car
racing Mel Kenyon, motorcycle ace Gary Nixon and driver safety
pioneer Bill Simpson will lead a class of eight racing legends
into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on June 12, 2003.
The annual Induction Ceremony will be staged at the historic
State Theatre in Detroit. Rounding out the tribute to the
class of 2003 will be posthumous induction honors for drag
racing engine builder Ed Donovan, hydroplane racer and
designer Ted Jones and dirt track sprint car king Tommy
Hinnershitz. “The Hall of Fame celebrates outstanding
achievement along with motorsports’ contributions to American
culture,” says Hall of Fame President Ron Watson. “The
inductee class of 2003 represents innovative thinking, concern
for education and safety, plus the ultimate in racing skills.
What a great group!”
2/5/03
Tracy says CART's future bright
In this Toronto Sun
article, It will be a long time before Paul Tracy is
ready to step aside in favor of a new group of young drivers
in the Champ Car World Series, but he sure likes the ones who
have made the jump this season. In the first day of testing
for the full field of Champ Cars at Spring Training in
Sebring, Fla., the 34-year-old Toronto native said the young
drivers have brought a new spark to the former CART series.
"It's evolution," Tracy said yesterday. "Names like (Michael)
Andretti ... they don't stay around forever. There has to be a
turnover if any sport is to be successful." Tracy's comment on
his former teammate -- who moved his new team to the rival
Indy Racing League from CART -- was a dig at Andretti's claim
that the Champ Car series would fail at getting 18-car fields
this season. "The naysayers, the people who were leaving to go
to the IRL, they were the ones that were saying we were not
going to have enough cars," Tracy said.
2/5/03
New
Toyota Atlantic logo
In keeping with Championship Auto Racing Teams' new logo and
branding announced last month, CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship officials today unveiled a new logo for the
series, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.
The new logo prominently features the series title sponsor,
Toyota, along with a front view of an abstract Atlantic car
entering a turn and the new CART corporate logo in black and
white on an orange field below the words, "Atlantic
Championship." Some versions of the logo also incorporate the
Yokohama Tire Corporation logo in deference to Yokohama's
status as presenting sponsor of the series. "Our new series
logo does a wonderful job of capturing the speed and
excitement of the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship," said
Toyota Atlantic President Vicki O'Connor. "The logo is very
modern, and fits very well with the overall look that CART has
created to identify its brands. It clearly defines Toyota
Atlantic as a member of the CART family, and I think it will
look great on all of our cars, transporters, uniforms,
stationery, and other materials."
2/5/03
Trans-Am with Cup at Sears
Point
There will be no reason for race fans to make a mad dash to
their cars following the checkered flag of the Dodge/Save Mart
350 NASCAR Winston Cup event at Infineon Raceway on June 22.
Avoid the traffic congestion by staying in your seat for the
second half of a racing doubleheader as the NASCAR Winston Cup
stock cars will be followed by the longest-running road-racing
series in North America for a 100-mile feature on the 12-turn,
2-mile road course. The Trans-Am Series, which enters its 38th
year of competition in 2003, has been added to the weekend
schedule, with the green flag set to drop approximately 30
minutes following the conclusion of the Dodge/Save Mart 350.
“Trans-Am has a tremendous heritage at this track and in the
history of American road racing,” said Steve Page, president
and general manager at Infineon Raceway. “Some of the most
exciting, competitive events we've ever staged have been
Trans-Am races. This is going to be a terrific addition to the
show for our fans.”
2/5/03
Scenes from Sebring
We have added some photos from Sebring on Monday and Tuesday
to our report.
2/5/03
2003 Frequencies
We have updated our NASCAR Scanner Frequencies page with 2003 numbers in
time for Daytona Speedweeks. You can find a link on our NASCAR
page.
2/5/03
F1 eyes India Hermann Tilke, the man who
designs most of the Formula 1 circuits these days, has been visiting
the city of Bangalore in India to inspect a site which the local
government is considering turning into a Formula 1 racing facility.
Tilke was accompanied on his trip by Michael Taub, who has been trying
to organize an Indian Grand Prix for several years and was heavily
involved in the abortive project in Calcutta. The pair met with state
government officials from various departments and the state's chief
minister S M Krishna. They are trying to convince the local
authorities that a race in the area could be a major boost for tourism
in the region.
GrandPrix.com
Gearing up for the Grand Prix
This St. Petersburg Times
article says that the normally quiet downtown streets were
alive Monday with the sounds of squealing tires, a 750-horsepower
engine and the staccato bursts of air guns as Championship Auto Racing
Teams made a promotional pit stop. Literally. With the inaugural Grand
Prix of St. Petersburg less than three weeks away, event organizers
gave fans a sneak preview. Driver Bruno Junqueira turned two laps on
the 1.78-mile street circuit and his Newman-Haas crew gave a pit-stop
demonstration on Central Avenue. A curious crowd of about 300 included
race fans, dog walkers and business men and women. "It's good to see
so many people," said Junqueira, a native of Brazil who lives in
Miami. "I hope there will be a lot of people for the race. It's a good
track. It's fast. It's pretty wide, especially on the main
straightaway by the airport. There's going to be some passing, for
sure. It's going to be very exciting." CART opens its season Feb.
21-23 in St. Petersburg. Junqueira said he expects cars to reach
speeds of 170-180 mph on the temporary street circuit's long
straightaways, though he did not come close to that in Monday's
exhibition laps because he thought it best not to pass the police
escort. "I just did two laps very slow with the police car in front of
me," Junqueira said. "He wrote me a ticket because I exceeded the
speed limit." During the pit stop demonstration, team members showed
off their speed by changing four tires in less than eight seconds.
Unlike NASCAR, which uses hand jacks to change tires two at a time,
CART lifts the entire car with an internal, pressurized jack to change
four tires at once. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, who grew up
within a few miles of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, got in on the act,
donning a team shirt and holding the sign board that indicated where
Junqueira should stop for service. Baker stood to the side, the sign
dangling from a long pole. "It was very cool," Baker said. "I just
learned I'm the lollipop man. That's what they call this job." With
attendance required, all drivers participated in promotional photo
shoots around town and a media interview at the Bayfront Center. The
teams will spend today through Thursday testing at Sebring
International Raceway before returning to St. Petersburg on Feb. 20.
"The course looks good," veteran driver Roberto Moreno said. "A street
course always brings a lot of challenges. It looks like there are some
fast corners and chicanes. The road is resurfaced and that is very
important to us. I like the atmosphere of the people here. I think
this is a place people will like to come." MUSICAL LINEUP: Rock band
Better Than Ezra will perform Feb. 22. The concert is free to Saturday
ticket-holders.
2/5/03
Dan Davis wants CART to
finalize new engine regs
According to this Star News
article, Dan Davis said if the spec engine proves
reliable and produces tight racing, CART should at least
consider keeping it around. "I'm in a wait-and-see mode.
I want CART to be successful, but I'm not sure what route that
means it should take," Davis said. "If the spec engine is very
successful, I'd say let's stay with it." Pook acknowledged
it's a "delicate situation." He met with Davis on Monday night
in St. Petersburg to discuss it and vowed the mistakes of his
predecessors in dealing with now-departed Honda and Toyota
won't be repeated. "Ford will continue to be a brand with us.
We're not going to dump them," Pook said. "You don't treat
your good customers that way. You may tweak 'em a little,
though." Pook is committed to bringing more manufacturers into
the sport and said he already has had conversations with
potential engine suppliers. He wants the rules package for
2005 and beyond decided quickly and not dragged out by
internal haggling, as has happened in the past. His timetable:
new engines approved in 2003, developed and tested in 2004 and
raced in 2005. Davis said Ford isn't afraid of competition --
only the price tag that comes with it. The cost of doing
business against Toyota and Honda got out of hand.
2/5/03
By the numbers in Miami
An article appeared last week in National Speed Sport News
written by Steve Mayer disputing the attendance numbers for
the GP of the Americas in Miami last year. AR1 decided
to contact Chuck Martinez, General Manager, of the Miami race
to get his side of the story. As expected , he painted a
somewhat different picture than the National Speed Sport News
article, a publication which tries to discredit anything and
everything about CART, while turning its head to what is going
on in the IRL or NASCAR. They cater to an oval track
audience, and CART certainly isn't that. Back to the
story at hand. As Mayer points out in the article,
28,379 tickets were distributed. What they failed to say
is that they were 3-day tickets, and people were there all 3
days. The grandstands on Saturday were as full as
Sunday. 3 x 28,379 is more than the 85,000 attendance
that was reported for the event. The article neglected
to mention that while the grandstands are empty on Friday and
Saturday at IRL's oval races, such is not the case at CART
events...so total attendance did indeed top 85,000, meaning
the NSSN article's claims that the attendance figures released
were erroneous are simply incorrect. However, the folks
in Miami do admit that not all 85,00 were paid attendance.
The complimentary tickets included:
3,000 were given to
underprivileged children x 3 = 9,000
500+ media x 3 = 1,500
Tickets were allotted for guests
of the Intercontinental hotel that were not going to the race
(about 500 x 3 = 1,500)
1,000 to the Miami Dade college
for using their facilities x 3 = 3,000
Any Miami Dade student who showed
their ID were admitted free Friday
1,000 tickets were given to local
businesses inconvenienced by the race x 3 = 3,000
Tickets were given for radio and
TV promotions (about 500 x 3 = 1,500)
Tickets were given for future
hospitality and sponsors (about 500 x 3 = 1,500)
200 tickets were given to the
marching band
400 tickets were given to
volunteers x 3 = 1,200
Although we don't have exact
figures, based on what was provided to us, total paid
attendance for the three day event was in the neighborhood of
60,000. All this proves is that you can come up with
different numbers depending on how you want to slant the
article.
2/4/03
Giaffone leads Toyota dominance
in test in west in California OK, so it’s very early,
but a trend started to emerge after the first day for IRL
IndyCar Series teams at the annual Test in the West on Feb. 4 at
California Speedway. Felipe Giaffone and the Panoz G
Force/Toyota/Firestone combination already are moving targets
for the rest of the field – very speedy targets, that is. 2001
Bombardier Rookie of the Year Giaffone dominated testing on the
2-mile oval, turning a fast lap of 31.8988 seconds, 225.714 mph,
in the No. 21 Hollywood Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone fielded
by Mo Nunn Racing. “My car was very good out of the box, and I
had two big drafts,” Giaffone said. “Tony (Kanaan) gave me the
first one, and Tomas (Scheckter) gave me the second one. The
timing was just right; I had new tires, and I was lucky to have
everyone in front of me, and I just happened to have a good
lap.” Tomas Scheckter was second at 32.2601, 223.186 in the No.
10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone, as
that equipment package swept the top two spots. “Everything is
going well,” Scheckter said. “Felipe was consistently quick
today, and we’re just working different setups to make sure the
car is good for the race later on this year.” The
Dallara/Honda/Firestone package of IndyCar Series newcomer
Andretti Green Racing also was strong, taking the next two
spots. Tony Kanaan was third at 32.3527, 222.547 in the No. 11
7-Eleven entry, while Dario Franchitti was fourth at 32.3546,
222.534. Gil de Ferran rounded out the top five at 32.3559,
222.525 in the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone.
2/4/03
Toyota names potent IRL driver
lineup Toyota announced their 2003 IRL driver lineup
today. Five teams are running Toyota V8 power out of the
TRD shops in California::
Penske Racing - Gil de Ferran
Penske Racing - Helio Castroneves
Kelley Racing - Scott Sharp
Kelley Racing - Al Unser Jr.
Ganassi Racing - Scott Dixon
Ganassi Racing - Tomas Scheckter
Mo Nunn Racing - Felipe Giaffone
Mo Nunn Racing - Tora Takagi
AJ Foyt Racing - AJ Foyt IV
AJ Foyt Racing - Shigeaki Hattori (4
races only)
2/4/03
Campbell named GM at Laguna
Seca Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca today announced
that Gill Campbell, who has been serving as General Manager of
the facility on a contract basis since December 2001, was
recently made a staff member with a three-year employment
agreement to manage the facility. “Gill has proven to be a
very dynamic manager, accomplishing a great deal in a short
period of time,” said Kathryn Hayworth, president of the
Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP),
operators of the track located within the Monterey County
Parks' Laguna Seca Recreation Area. “She has solidified many
of our most important relationships and has initiated others
that will greatly benefit the facility,” Hayworth continued.
“It was a unanimous vote by the board to retain her.” Since
taking over the management of the facility in December 2001,
Campbell has overseen construction of the new $7.5 million
Premier Pit Row Suite and garage complex and implemented
several new fan-friendly policies. “Gill has really energized
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and we couldn't be happier with the
announcement that she will be on staff for at least the next
three years,” said Charlie Hughes, president & CEO of Mazda
North American Operations, whose company has partnered with
the racetrack.
2/4/03
Tecate official beer of LBGP
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach officials today announced that
Tecate, the fourth largest import beer in the U.S., has been
named the Official Import Beer of the crown jewel of the Champ
Car World Series, which will take place this year April 11-13.
The multi-year sponsorship agreement allows Tecate to benefit
from both on- and off-track exposure including pouring rights
at the event. Just as importantly, Tecate’s on-track marketing
package will allow for national and international media
exposure via the television broadcast of the Toyota Grand Prix
of Long Beach. “The sponsorship could not have come at a
better time as more and more Mexican-Americans have come to
appreciate the sport of open-wheel racing,” said Andres
Siefken, Senior Brand Manager – Mexican Brands, Labatt USA.
“Southern California is a key growth market for Tecate and we
want to continue to build upon the success we’ve had with this
diverse consumer base. This partnership reinforces Tecate’s
commitment to its number-one market.” Tecate is a sponsor of
Champ Car driver Adrián Fernández’ #51 Champ Car. “We are
proud to welcome Tecate into our family of sponsors,” said Jim
Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of
Long Beach. “The presence of Adrián Fernández at the Champ Car
race in Long Beach has attracted a large Hispanic following
and his association with Tecate helps to reinforce that
presence. We look forward to a strong sponsorship and
promotional relationship with Tecate.”
2/4/03
New Format For Budweiser Shootout
At Daytona The inaugural nighttime running of
the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 8 at Daytona International
Speedway will have an added twist with a new format.
The 70-lap Budweiser Shootout will now feature a break after the
first 20 laps of the race. Drivers and crews will have a
10-minute period where they can service their cars with tires,
fuel or any minor adjustments for the final 50 laps. After
the 10-minute break, cars will return to the track for a
double-file restart in the same order as they were at the end of
the first 20 laps. Since cars will be running a smaller fuel
cell, fans may expect see another pit stop in the final 50 laps.
The second 50-lap segment must end in a green-white-checkered
finish. Caution laps will count toward the total in both
segments. For the first time in the history of the event,
the Budweiser Shootout will be held under the lights on
Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports
in prime time. The Budweiser Shootout has been traditionally
scheduled during Speedweeks on a Sunday afternoon, a week before
the Daytona 500. The list of drivers eligible for the
Budweiser Shootout is a who's who of NASCAR and consists of Dale
Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie
Johnson, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman,
Ward Burton, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Craven, Ricky Rudd, Kevin
Harvick, Mark Martin, Geoffrey Bodine, Ken Schrader, Todd Bodine
and Terry Labonte. Stewart, the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup
Series champion, will be gunning for a record third straight
Budweiser Shootout victory. In 2001, he held off the late Dale
Earnhardt and in 2002 he withstood a furious challenge from Dale
Earnhardt Jr.
2/4/03
Hendrick signs 17-year old Kyle Busch
Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick today announced the
signing of driver Kyle Busch to a multi-year contract. The
17-year-old will run at least seven NASCAR Busch Series events
under the Hendrick banner in 2003, with a full schedule planned
for 2004. "Kyle is one of the best young racers I've ever
been around and it's certainly exciting to have him on board,"
Hendrick said. "To say he has a bright future would be an
understatement." Busch, who will also compete in
four Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) events with
Hendrick Motorsports this season, will become eligible for Busch
Series competition when he turns 18 on May 2. He and 19-year-old
teammate Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 5 GMAC Financial
Services Chevrolet, will form the youngest tandem in NASCAR
history.
2/4/03
CART in China
Chris Pook repeated to us today that CART is eyeing either
China, Japan or South Korea to get back into the Asian market.
He did say that CART would not go to China until they see how
F1 makes out. F1 will race in China in 2004, so don't
look for CART before 2005. Let's not forget that mighty
Microsoft has lost money in China for the last 10 years, so
erring on the side of caution is perhaps warranted. Mark C.
2/4/03
Williams doomed The new Williams FW25 first took
to the track on January 31st, but its real first test started
the day after. Yesterday, after its third day of testing, Ralf
Schumacher, for one, clearly thinks he has no hopes of
challenging Ferrari for the title. “If we look at the
timesheet, we can conclude that our future doesn't look too
bright” - Ralf Schumacher said - “but I don't want to be too
pessimistic because we'll improve the car which is not in its
final aerodynamic shape yet. The past few years, we took the
previous year's car and modified it. This year we started with
a clean sheet of paper, so we have to develop the whole car.”
Ralf Schumacher keeps faith in this new FW25, but he's under
no illusion he'll be able to join Ferrari at the top of the
Formula One hierarchy: “We still have to try some very
important new parts in the next few days,” - added Ralf - “we
should have a better idea of the car's potential when we get
to Valencia in two weeks. As far as Ferrari is concerned, I
can't see what we could do to challenge them. Their new
contender will be better, but even by keeping their old F2002,
they'd still win the championship.”
2/4/03
International TV
CART will make some major announcements next week with regard
to international TV deals, one in Europe and one in Brazil.
For those of you who read our rumors page, you already know
what those announcements will probably be. Mark C.
2/4/03
Alex Tagliani falls illUPDATE Alex Tagliani is
here at Sebring today and feeling a bit better.
2/4/03 - According to today's ''Le Journal de Montreal'', Alex Tagliani
could be very sick, he's expected to be at Sebring today but
that's if he's able to get there because the doctors don't yet
know what's his sickness is about... He has an ear infection
and swelling on his lungs, they think it might be a food
poisoning but its been around for a couple of weeks now and
has people around him anxious and concerned. He missed
yesterday's media conference. Mark C.
2/4/03
More on VW to F1 The CEO of the Volkswagen Auto
Group, Bernd Pischetsrieder, told the German newspaper Die
Welt that VW in Formula 1 could be a possibility. VW's
subsidiary group, Audi, has become one of the top names in
global motorsport the past few years with their domination of
the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the new cost cutting rules
presented this season by the FIA, most prominent being the
reduction in electronic aids, the idea of joining the F1
fraternity could become more of a reality than a dream to VW.
"If we could be in F1 tomorrow, that would be excellent,”
Pischetsrieder told German newspaper Die Welt. The Audi team
has had so much success that VW's other subsidiary, Bentley,
has yet to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans due to the supremacy by
their sister company. VW had decided this year that they would
not bring a factory supported Audi team this year in the hopes
that the British manufacturer can take the overall honors this
year. This could be a possible step to phase out Audi out of
the sportscar racing arena much like what BMW did during the
2000 season. After winning Le Mans overall in 1999 BMW
announced their plans to enter into F1 and then left their
sportscars to run one more year in the American Le Mans
Series. Audi will be doing the same this season in the ALMS
but will send most of their factory drivers to Le Mans to
assist Bentley in their efforts.
F1Central.net
2/4/03
Bentley announces driver lineup
An all-star lineup consisting of three former Formula One
drivers has been announced by British manufacturer Bentley for
the second of two Prototype race cars it will field in its
North American racing debut in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of
Sebring. Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell, both of England,
and Australian David Brabham will team up in an effort to win
America’s oldest sports car race, which will be run Mar. 12-15
at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway and will kick off the
2003 season for the American Le Mans Series. Herbert was part
of the winning factory Audi team in last year’s Sebring event
and is a three-time winner in Formula One competition. He has
driven for ADT Champion Racing the past two seasons on the
ALMS and will return to the team for the rest of the season
after Sebring. Brabham, who drove for the factory Panoz team
the past four years, has seven career American Le Mans Series
wins and is a former class winner at Sebring. Both Herbert and
Blundell are former winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The
driver lineup for the other Bentley entry was announced in
early January. Defending American Le Mans Series champion Tom
Kristensen of Denmark will be joined by his Audi co-driver
from the past two years, Rinaldo “Dindo” Capello of Italy, as
well as veteran driver Guy Smith of England. Kristensen and
Capello are two-time Sebring winners, with Capello part of the
winning team the past two years. After an absence from racing
of 71 years, Bentley returned with an entry at Le Mans in 2001
and finished third. The beautiful closed-roof racer also
competed in the French endurance racing classic in 2002 and
finished fourth. The participation in Sebring will mark the
first time that a factory Bentley has raced in the United
States since an entry in the Indianapolis 500 in 1922. The
Bentley entries, which will be sponsored by Breitling, will
run on Michelin tires at Sebring and Le Mans for the first
time. The six “Bentley Boys” will also race together in the 24
Hours of Le Mans in June.
2/4/03
Jordan
signs Firman Finally, it's official - Ralph Firman
has landed the final Formula One racing seat in pitlane. The
27-year-old from Norfolk has signed a three-year contract with
Eddie Jordan and will make his grand prix debut in just over a
month, at the Australian Grand Prix. 'He may be a rookie in F1
terms but Ralph brings a lot of racing experience and a
formidable track record along with his enthusiasm and
commitment,' said team boss Jordan. Speculation suggests that
the Anglo-Irishman, reigning Formula Nippon champion and
former F3 ace, brings several million dollars in sponsorship -
most notably from Ford of Ireland. Eddie adds: 'I'm impressed
with his very cool and disciplined approach and I have a lot
of confidence that he and Fisichella will be an awesome
partnership on the track. 'The news that Ralph has joined us,
allied to other important developments, means that Jordan Ford
is a force to be reckoned with in 2003, and I can't wait for
the season to start.' A champion kart racer, Firman is also a
former winner of the McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the
Year Award, and has a famous father in Ralph Senior - a former
mechanic to Emerson Fittipaldi and the founder of Van Diemen.
After an initial seat-fitting in the Jordan Ford EJ13 at the
team's Silverstone base yesterday, Firman is preparing for his
first test with the team to be held in Valencia, Spain, next
week. He said: 'I am thrilled to have this chance to race in
Formula One especially as it is with Jordan, one of the few
teams to have won Grands Prix in recent years. 'It's also a
team that has brought many notable names into Formula One and
I can see that it's an extremely friendly and professional
operation. 'Although this will be my first season, I have
worked hard to build up my experience whilst racing in Japan,
so although F1 will be something new I feel ready and quite
comfortable with it. 'I am really looking forward to going to
Melbourne next month.'
2/4/03
Indy Racing veterans press
conference, a fan responds
UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1, Interesting that
when interviewing the "IRL veterans," the first thing they spoke
of was their injuries.....DeFerran and Lazier. I wonder what the
new CART drivers are going to think when getting into the pack
and one of the IRL hotheads tries to show off and wrecks the
pack. Its not like NASCAR! Dario seemed fairly hesitant to
answer the question about running in such a pack. Also, it was
funny to note that Kanaan said he was delighted when approached
by Andretti to drive for his team in the IRL. Wasn't he
one of the most outspoken and biggest complainers about the IRL
when it was first rumored he was being shipped off? D. Hughes, Jacksonville, FL Dear Derek, the
veterans have all head good careers and they all know the
extreme danger oval track racing presents. Don't think for
a moment they are not concerned about being injured.
Spinal injuries are the most feared. No one wants to end
up like Sam Schmidt. Some people are speculating that Michael
Andretti is retiring at Indy and not later, because he is not
looking forward to racing at Texas Motor Speedway. He was
not enamored with the place when CART tried to race there in
2001. He was quoted as saying to Paul Tracy, his teammate,
we have no business being here. Paul's response was, we get paid
to drive, so drive. Tracy was not in favor of CART
canceling the race. Mark C.2/3/03 - Michael Andretti, Robbie Buhl, Gil de
Ferran, Dario Franchitti, Jaques Lazier, Tony Kanaan, Scott
Sharp.
Transcript
2/4/03
Roush signs Kenseth and Busch
Matt Kenseth signed a long-term deal with Roush Racing on
Monday, preventing what was expected to be a competitive
free-agency chase. Roush also inked Kurt Busch to a new deal,
hours after it was announced that his brother, Kyle, would not
sign with the company as planned when he turns 18 in May. "All
Roush Racing drivers are now signed for long-term periods, which
will keep 'Silly Season' disruptions to a minimum this year and
allow all of our teams to focus solely on racing,'' said Roush
general manager Geoff Smith.
Lehto and Herbert to drive Audi
Former Formula 1 driver JJ Lehto has been confirmed in the
Team ADT Champion Racing Audi American Le Mans Series squad
for 2003 alongside Britain's Johnny Herbert. This of
course means Herbert has given up any hope of landing a CART
ride. Mark C.
2/4/03
CART wants more Americans
Chris Pook stated in an interview at St. Pete on Monday that
CART is keen on getting more American drivers into Champ Cars
and to look for a program geared to help make that happen to
materialize later in the year. Mark C.
2/4/03
Daytona SuperStore opens
The Daytona Superstore is new to Speedweeks 2003 and will be
located just east of the pedestrian bridge on International
Speedway Boulevard. This new shopping experience will host a
grand opening Thursday, Feb. 7 and remain open through the
Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16. The Daytona Superstore, similar
to structures seen during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City,
is a 16,000 square foot, 30-foot high structure with all the
comforts of a mall. The interior is fully carpeted, has climate
control and has a surround sound system for special
announcements about both racing and merchandise.
2/4/03 Industry News
First China-made BMW's
The first mainland-made BMW will hit the streets early next
year and production will not be affected by a legal dispute
between its Chinese partner and its former chairman, according
to a BMW executive. The head of BMW for Greater China, Kurt
Seeman, told the San Lian Sheng Huo magazine, published
yesterday, that its joint venture in Shenyang with Brilliance
China Automotive Holdings would receive its production licence
soon, probably early next month, and the first model would
roll off the production line about eight months later. So a
Chinese-made BMW would be cruising on a mainland highway by
March next year at the latest, he said. Initial output would
be 20,000 to 30,000 of the 3 series models a year, costing
less than 400,000 yuan (about HK$375,560) each, compared with
between 560,000 and 630,000 yuan respectively for the imported
318i and 325i. Mr Seeman said his company sold 9,395 BMWs in
Greater China last year, of which 6,667 were sold on the
mainland. "Our mainland clients are the youngest in the world,
mostly chief executives of private companies who want to enjoy
their success." He said the Shenyang plant would be able to
make the full range of BMW models and would start with the
smallest - the 3 series - and follow with the 5 series.
2/4/03
Trans-Am confirms 11 races
The Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup has confirmed
an 11-race schedule for the 2003 season. Negotiations are
ongoing for a 12th race, which will be announced at a later
date. All events will be carried either live or tape-delayed
by the SPEED Channel. ³I¹m pleased with the schedule we¹ve put
together for our competitors, sponsors and fans,² said
Trans-Am Series Executive Director John Clagett. ³It¹s a solid
program for America¹s longest running road racing series. It
includes traditional dates and circuits and also brings some
exciting new venues online. It will deliver tremendous value
for our marketing partners and teams.
DATE VENUE CITY, STATE TV AIRING
Feb. 23 St. Petersburg Street Course St. Petersburg, Fla. SDD
2/23 5:30 p.m.
April 13 Long Beach Street Course Long Beach, Calif. SDD, 9
p.m.
May 18 Mosport Int¹l Raceway Bowmanville, Ontario SDD, 5:30
p.m.
May 26 Lime Rock Park Lakeville, Conn. LIVE, 2 p.m.
June 22 Infineon Raceway Sonoma, Calif. TD, 6/27, 8 p.m.
June 28 Washington, D.C. Street Course Washington, D.C. SDD
5:30 p.m.
July 4 Burke Lakefront Airport Cleveland TD, 7/5 3:30 p.m.
Aug. 2 Trois-Rivieres Street Course Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
LIVE, 1 p.m.
Aug. 24 Road America Elkhart Lake, Wis. LIVE, 1 p.m.
Aug. 31 Denver Street Course Denver TD, 9/1, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 Puerto Rico Circuit TBD Puerto Rico TD, 11/1, 1p.m.
2/4/03
Forsythe buys back CART stock
In another AR1 exclusive, Gerald Forsythe sold a block of CART
stock just before Christmas for tax purposes, but bought it
all back last week. This is important because some
people thought Forsythe selling was a sign he was losing
interest in CART. Such is not the case. In fact,
just the opposite. Stay tuned to AR1. Mark C.
2/3/03
Indy 500 winners press conference
Gathered at the test in the west - Kenny Brack, Helio
Castroneves, Eddie Cheever Jr., Buddy Lazier, Al Unser.
Transcript.
2/3/03
Bankrupt Conseco to sponsor Foyt
IV Conseco, one of America’s leading insurance,
investment and lending companies, will sponsor the car driven by
rookie A.J. Foyt IV in the IRL IndyCar Series in 2003, team
owner A.J. Foyt announced Feb. 3. Foyt also revealed that
IndyCar Series veteran Shigeaki Hattori will be the younger
Foyt’s teammate for the first four races of the season in an
EPSON-sponsored car.
2/3/03
Smith refuses to move races to
get 2nd TMS date Bruton Smith has no plans to
get a second NASCAR Winston Cup race in Texas by moving one of
his company's eight other races or through the purchase of
another track with a date. "If I bought one tomorrow, it's going
to Las Vegas, not here," Smith said Wednesday at Texas Motor
Speedway, one of six tracks his Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns.
More....
2/3/03
Martin to run Kraft car in Bud
Shootout Roush Racing's Mark Martin will be
making a record 15th straight start in the Budweiser Shootout,
when the green flags drops on this years all-star event. This
year's Shootout will be run on Saturday night (Feb. 9, 2003).
Martin will be at the helm of the No. 6 Kraft Ford Taurus in
this year's event. Martin, who did not win a pole in 2002, won
the Bud Shootout in 1999, and will start his 16th shootout via a
past-champions provisional.
2/3/03
Monday test times from
Barcelona
Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tires
Time Laps
1 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari B 1m16.900s 64
2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari B 1m17.282s 88
3 Cristiano de Matta Toyota M 1m17.563s 77*
4 Jarno Trulli Renault M 1m17.778s 54*
5 Jenson Button BAR-Honda B 1m17.826s 66*
6 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas B 1m17.907s 94*
7 Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar-Cosworth M 1m18.079s 41*
8 Jacques Villeneuve BAR-Honda B 1m18.342s 68*
9 Juan-Pablo Montoya WilliamsF1 BMW M 1m18.511s 41
10 Ralf Schumacher WilliamsF1 BMW M 1m18.725s 62*
11 Allan McNish Renault M 1m19.203s 64*
12 Juan-Pablo Montoya WilliamsF1 BMW M 1m19.735s 17*
2/3/03
The beauty of St. Petersburg
These pictures of the St. Petersburg track taken from left to
right (turn 9 to turn 10 and beyond) depict a very Long Beach
like setting.
Photos by Mark
Cipolloni
2/3/03
Mears signs on as consultant for
Pro series Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner
Rick Mears has been hired by the Indy Racing League as a driver
coach and consultant for the IRL Infiniti Pro Series, league
officials announced Feb. 3. In his role, Mears will mentor and
coach promising drivers as they hone their skills in the
Infiniti Pro Series in hopes of competing in the IRL IndyCar
Series and the Indianapolis 500. He will work closely with Brian
Barnhart, senior vice president of racing operations for the
IRL, and Roger Bailey, executive director of the Infiniti Pro
Series.
2/3/03
CART to finalize schedule
Chris Pook assured us today that CART will finalize their 2003
race schedule and 2003 USA TV schedule sometime this week. We
expect a 19-race schedule.
2/3/03
Smaller fuel cells for Daytona
Drivers looking to secure a spot in the 45th annual Daytona 500
through the Feb. 13 Gatorade 125's will have something new to
think about this year and that's a pit stop. The smaller
fuel cells used previously by NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams in
the EA Sports 500 last October at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
will be in place during Speedweeks 2003 and the already
unpredictable Gatorade 125's. The Gatorade 125 qualifying races
will complete the field for the Feb. 16 Daytona 500. The top-14
finishers in each Gatorade 125 (with the exception of the
already qualified pole winner and outside pole winner) earn
positions 3-30 on the starting grid. The rest of the 43-car
field is filled based on qualifying speeds and car owner
provisional points. In past years, a driver could complete all
50 laps of his qualifier with a standard 22-gallon fuel cell
without having to make a pit stop for gasoline. With the smaller
fuel cells - which hold approximately 13.5 gallons of gas - they
will have to make a pit stop in this year's Gatorade 125's. For
teams who lack owner's points or a fast qualifying speed, the
Gatorade 125's are critical. Fans should keep a close eye on pit
road because their favorite driver's pit strategy could be the
key to making the starting field for stock car racing's richest
and most prestigious race. The smaller fuel cell will have
the driver and crew chief pondering several questions during the
Gatorade 125's. When to pit? How many tires? How much fuel?
"It's another element and dimension to the race now," said 1990
Daytona 500 champion Derrike Cope, driver and owner of the No.
37 Friendly's Chevrolet who sits 53rd in the 2002 owner's
standings. "You've just got to pay attention. You've got to have
scenarios lined up - the what ifs - and when one of them comes
on, you just have to react to that instinctively and make your
decision and hope it's the right one." Kyle Petty, driver of the
No. 45 Georgia-Pacific Dodge, has made 23 starts in the Gatorade
125's. He has competed in the 50-lap qualifier when pit stops
were necessary and is prepared to make one in his 50-lap
qualifier next week. "It's only been in recent years that you
could run the full 125," said Petty, who sits 23rd in owner's
points. "Many years before that, it was always a pit stop in the
125's. It just takes it back to the old strategy. The trick is
going to be to pit right in the 125's and stay with the group
because if you get separated you're not going to have enough
time to get caught back up. It does change that strategy a
little bit."
2/3/03
Indy 500 veteran car owner dies
Jack B. Hinkle, who owned cars that Jack McGrath placed on the
front row of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race five years in a row
during the early 1950s, died in his sleep Jan. 31 at his home in
Wichita, Kan. He was 90. McGrath drove Hinkle’s car between
1950-55, winning the pole in 1954 and leading four races for a
total of 70 laps. McGrath qualified third in 1951, led 11 laps
and placed third in the race. He qualified the car in the same
position the next year, led six laps and finished 11th. He was
right back in third again for the start of the 1953 race and
came home fifth. McGrath put Hinkle’s car on the pole in 1954
and ran out front for 47 laps before sliding back to third in
the final rundown. McGrath was back in his familiar third-place
starting position in 1955 and led six laps, but a magneto
problem ended his race after 54 laps in 26th place. Hinkle, a
retired oilman, drove Class A sports cars in SCCA races until he
was 71. The funeral will be Feb. 4 at the Metropolitan Baptist
Church, 925 W. Douglas, Wichita, Kan. 67213
2/3/03
Adrian Fernandez hints at 2nd
car At a media
conference in St. Pete today, we asked Adrian Fernández
whether he was looking to get back to two cars this year.
He stated that he was looking to run two cars at select races
later in the year.
2/3/03
PacifiCare to sponsor three
CART races The Newman Haas team unveiled PacifiCare (a
health Care HMO company) as the new sponsor for Bruno
Junqueira's car. In addition to sponsoring the car, PacifiCare
will be an official sponsor of the Long Beach, Milwaukee, and
Denver CART races in 2003.
2/3/03
Newman
Haas unveils new sponsor The Newman Haas team
unveiled PacifiCare (a
health Care HMO company) as the new sponsor for Bruno
Junqueira's car. The company has been involved in the
sponsorship of various sporting events over the years.
We will have more on this later. Mark C.
2/3/03
Pook waves green flag on St.
Pete This morning CART President Chris Pook and the
Mayor of St. Petersburg waved the green flag on a CART
Transporter parade around the new St. Petersburg circuit.
AutoRacing1.com was there to catch the action Mark C.
2/3/03
Rick Mast did what he did
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, In response to the article
by Stan Creekmore, does not one's desire to perform at one's
given avocation have nothing to do with Mr. Mast's decision? Ask
R Petty. How much of his lung capacity does he maintain? Think
maybe that he would or should have given up his career? Maybe
you are a stick and ball sportsperson. How many have those
individuals seen their own demise due to Steroids and other
physically enhancing substances? Lyle Alzado ring a bell?
2/3/03
Rahal would still like to run
two cars We chatted with Bobby Rahal briefly last
night. He said right now they are running a single car
in CART in 2003, but he definitely would run a second car if
the right deal materializes. Mark C.
2/3/03
St. Pete ticket sales
Ticket sales for CART's season opener really slowed up while
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were making their drive toward the
Super Bowl. However, now the sales have really picked up
and we are told the place will look pretty full on race day.
A sellout is not expected for this first year event. The
race has no title sponsor, but they have 17 associate
sponsors. The promoter decided against a title sponsor
until the "right" one can be found. Mark C.
Both Moreno and Gonzalez
confirmed Roberto Moreno is confirmed at Herdez
Racing and Roberto Gonzalez is confirmed (will be any day now)
at Dale Coyne Racing. This means Alex Yoong must look
for another team if he is able to come up with the necessary
sponsor money. Mark C.
2/3/03
CART brings flavor of season
opener to St. Pete The St. Petersburg Time reports
that on Monday, there will be a team of transporters from
7:15-8 a.m.; a practice lap around the 14-turn, 1.78-mile
temporary street circuit at 11:15 a.m.; and a pit-stop
demonstration at noon. The activities are open to the public.
Teams are stopping on their way to Spring Training at Sebring
International Raceway, a test session Tuesday-Thursday in
which teams work out kinks in preparation for the 20-race
season.
More . . .
2/3/03
Kneifel
gives St. Pete track thumbs up CART Chief Steward
Chris Kneifel says he is really excited about the St. Pete
track. "This is probably the best street circuit on the
schedule. I count at least four legitimate places to
pass, braking into 1, braking into 4, braking into 10 and
braking for 13. Chris thought it's possible that once the cars
brake for turn 1, it might be 100% throttle to turn 4. Mark
C.
2/3/03
Eurosport and CART
UPDATE
We spoke to the Eurosport folks
that are here in St. Petersburg. They heard just before
leaving for the USA that they would show CART races live
throughout Europe, including the UK. They indicated that
Sky did not get the contract for the UK, they did. The
only country Eurosport may not do is France, where AB Moteurs
has the contract, however, Eurosport is trying to negotiate
that away from AB Moteurs. (click here
for tentative Eurosport schedule) Mark C.
2/2/03 - Still doubt whether Eurosport will televise CART
in 2003? They are here in force in St. Petersburg for
CART's Spring Training? Don't.
2/3/03
Chris Pook confirms Houston
- The CART contingent gathered in St. Petersburg, Florida
Sunday night to kickoff their 2003 season. Chris Pook
addressed the cocktail reception crowd and during his speech
announced that CART will return to Houston in 2004. Mark C.
2/2/03
Good
News for Newman Haas - UPDATE
As it turns out, the launch of Cialis on Tuesday is for Europe
where the drug has already been approved. It's also
approved in Brazil. USA FDA approval has yet to happen,
but it is getting close we are told. 2/2/03 -
Newman Haas has had to run the Eli Lilly name on their cars
because the FDA had not yet approved it's new Viagra beater, Cialis,
which is ultimately destined to be on the sidepods of
Sebastien Bourdais's cars.
The company wants team co-owner Paul Newman as their spokesperson.
That's all about to change, and this may mean two Newman Haas sponsor
announcements, because we heard they were going to announce Bruno Junqueira's new sponsor this week too. Story - Viagra's grip on the “self-help” market could end as it comes
head-to-head with a new rival. Prozac’s maker, Eli Lilly, is forcing
its way into the industry with the launch of its Cialis drug on
Tuesday, also aimed at helping the little man down below.
In a publicity stunt, it plans a 24-hour news conference to make the
point that the drug lasts for at least 24 hours. While Viagra patients
must take the drug at least an hour before a “tryst”, user-friendly
Cialis is taken just once. Quite whether enjoying the effects for a
full 24 hours is a selling point remains to be seen. The organizers
hope the marathon will make the Guinness Book of Records but officials
will have to be alert and ready for action at a moment’s notice. There
will be no samples in the goodie bags for fear they might turn into
suitcases."
2/2/03
Renault to test this week
RenaultF1 will test its new R23 car this week. From 3-5
February the team (which has chosen to restrict its testing
during the season to just ten days - taking up the option of
extra practice at Grand Prix weekends instead) will field
Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso, and test driver Allan McNish
during all three days. “Our winter testing is progresing
well,” admits Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering.
“We have been able to make lots of progress in the last few
weeks with the hybrid car, and our aim to is to the car as
reliable as possible for Melbourne. This means that we won’t
be focusing on performance next week, but rather on learning
even more about the car and how it behaves.”
2/2/03
GT cars 1-2-3
Rolex 24 While things continue to look
promising for The Racers Group #66 Porsche, problems continue
to occur for the Daytona Prototypes. In fact, so
pathetic are the Grand-Am prototypes that GT cars hold 1-2-3
with just minutes left to run. A far cry from ALMS. For the Brumos #59
Porsche Daytona Prototype, an overheating problem forced the
crew to change radiators. Trouble also plagued the Multimatic
#88 Ford when what was supposed to be a routine pit, turned
into a header change. The overall and GT leader at the end of
the hour continued to be The Racers Group #66 Porsche, while
the #88 Ford sat in second place overall and at the front of
the Daytona Prototypes. The Risi Competizione #35 Ferrari
rounded out the top-three overall. The GTS class leader
continued to be the Morgan-Dollar #46 Corvette, and the Team
Seattle/Essex #5 Nissan Lola led the SRPII field.
2/2/03
Ralf thinks he can beat Michael
Ralf Schumacher has tried to shatter the myth behind big brother
Michael's apparent invincibility by insisting: "He can be beaten." The
27-year-old reckons he is among a select few who can defeat him - if
they had the right car. He said: "There are four or five drivers in
Formula One who are able to win the title but they need the right
package. Schumacher believes he can emulate his 34-year-old brother's
achievements at Ferrari and restore Williams to the summit of the
world championship. He added: "I believe I can do it here, that's why
I signed. I'm sure we're going in the right direction and that we'll
find success."
2/2/03
Nazareth tickets
The most expensive ticket for this years Firestone Indy 225 at Nazareth
is $39 if you buy before April 5th ($50 afterwards). For $39 you a
reserved seat and for $29 ($40 after April 5th) general admission, you
can sit anywhere in the grandstands. Why ay $39 or $50 when you
can pay $29 since there will be plenty of seats open. This price
is a far cry from the $75+ they used to charge for the CART race, and
the attendance for the IRL was less than for CART. Roger Penske
could not understand how CART could dump his Nazareth track from their
schedule. Now they are practically giving the tickets away to prop
up faltering IRL interest with NE dirt track oval fans, many who can't
afford high ticket prices. Unfortunately for Nazareth, now that
the race has been moved from April to August, hometown hero Michael
Andretti will already be retired and won't help with their ticket sales.
Father Mario Andretti refuses to help Nazareth as long as it is an IRL
race.
2/2/03
IRL losing more big American names
The IRL has had a hard time retaining its big name drivers, especially
Americans. The biggest names either retire, are sidelined by
injuries, or move on to a bigger series. Michael Andretti will
retire after Indy, Al Unser Jr., who is older and slower than Andretti
should have retired a couple of years ago, Eddie Cheever has hung it up
this year, Tony Stewart moved to NASCAR, Buddy Lazier may be out of a
ride, and Billy Boat is hanging on by a shoestring, The best
drivers left in the IRL are all foreigners, except for Sam Hornish Jr.,
and he has his eyes on NASCAR.
2/2/03
Upgrades for Hungary
The Hungaroring will be lengthened by just over 400 meters in an
effort to increase the number of overtaking/outbraking opportunities.
The first corner is to be re-profiled in addition to the corner behind
the pits which is to be tightened. Over the years the circuit has been
know for follow-the-leader racing.
2/2/03
Barcelona test times to date
Date Driver Team Tires Time Speed/Gap
23-Jan Michael Schumacher Ferrari B 1:15.020 141.034 mph
14-Jan David Coulthard McLaren M 1:15.266 0.246
15-Jan Alexander Wurz McLaren M 1:15.511 0.491
23-Jan Rubens Barrichello Ferrari B 1:15.730 0.710
16-Jan Kimi Raikkonen McLaren M 1:16.007 0.987
16-Jan Juan Pablo Montoya WilliamsF1 M 1:16.151 1.131
16-Jan Olivier Panis Toyota M 1:16.386 1.366
23-Jan Luca Badoer Ferrari B 1:16.431 1.411
14-Jan Marc Gene WilliamsF1 M 1:16.568 1.548
15-Jan Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber B 1:16.656 1.636
14-Jan Nick Heidfeld Sauber B 1:16.688 1.668
17-Jan Fernando Alonso Renault M 1:16.920 1.900
16-Jan Christiano da Matta Toyota M 1:17.008 1.988
16-Jan Anthony Davidson BAR B 1:17.628 2.608
17-Jan Takuma Sato BAR B 1:17.749 2.729
23-Jan Jacques Villeneuve BAR B 1:18.195 3.175
23-Jan Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar M 1:18.349 3.329
15-Jan Jenson Button BAR B 1:18.388 3.368
23-Jan Mark Webber Jaguar M 1:18.532 3.512
17-Jan Jarno Trulli Renault M 1:18.910 3.890
1-Feb Ralf Schumacher WilliamsF1 M 1:19.050 4.030
24-Jan Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan B 1:19.077 4.057
14-Jan Olivier Beretta WilliamsF1 M 1:19.160 4.140
15-Jan Allan McNish Renault M 1:21.157 6.137
2/2/03
Martinsville upgrades
Martinsville Speedway officials announced Friday the largest one-year
capital expenditures project in the 56-year history of the track.
Speedway president Clay Campbell unveiled plans that included
construction of a new, six-lane entrance to the facility, moving the
railroad tracks that parallel the speedway’s back stretch to allow for
future expansion, and the addition of 2,000 high-rise seats. Work on the
new entrance and seats will begin immediately after the running of the
Virginia 500 on April 13. Those two projects should be completed in time
for the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race on October 19. A
start-up date on the railroad shift has not been set, but the venture
should be completed within a year. “Racing at Martinsville Speedway is
more popular than ever, but to keep growing our fan base, we must
continue to grow,” said Campbell. “But the very first thing we needed to
address is getting traffic in and out of the track. “The present
entrance was built in the early 1970s; we need something that represents
our growth in the years since then.” The new entrance will be six lanes
wide with four lanes for vehicular traffic and two for pedestrian
traffic. It will begin at the site of the present entrance, then veer to
the left and proceed through the middle of the large parking area on the
left side of Speedway Road. The new road will intersect with Speedway
Road near the souvenir and display area. The 2,000 new seats will be
added in the first-and-second turn end of the track, and will be
positioned above the suites in that area. When that section of suites
was built in 2000, they were constructed with features to allow for
seating expansion. The 2,000 new seats will increase the track’s seating
capacity to 88,000. “The demand for tickets to Martinsville races keeps
growing and we’ve got to keep up with that demand. That’s why we felt we
needed to move quickly with these new seats,” said Campbell. “When fans
want to buy a ticket to a race here, we want to make the best effort we
can to have seats available.”
2/1/03
Kelley Racing gets #31 for Unser
Kelley Racing is pleased to announce that they have secured car No. 31
for driver Al Unser Jr. and the Corteco/Bryant entry for the 2003
IndyCar season. "There was a request from another team to change to the
No. 7 car that had been on the Corteco/Bryant entry in the 2002 season,"
explained team owner Tom Kelley. "So when the topic came up about
changing car numbers Al made an enthusiastic suggestion that he return
to the No. 31 car. For Al, the first year (1994) he ran No. 31 on his
car it was an incredible season for him. So knowing that, how could we
say no?"
2/1/03 Industry News
Ford makes bigger push in China
This Autoweek
article says, CHONGQING, China -- To the accompaniment of
flamenco dancers and fireworks, a gold Fiesta subcompact rolled off
the line at Ford Motor Co.'s assembly plant here last week to launch
the U.S. automaker into China's red-hot passenger-vehicle market. With
Job 1 behind it, Ford must move fast to catch up to a fast-developing
market that exploded in 2002 to an estimated 1.1 million light
vehicles after years of ho-hum performance. But China's
passenger-vehicle market, effectively created 20 years ago by
Volkswagen, has become jammed with formidable competitors. Besides
Volkswagen, which still holds a commanding 41 percent share of the
local market, the competition includes General Motors, which has a
150,000-unit plant in Shanghai and a claimed 10 percent of the market.
Looming even larger on the competitive horizon are Japan's Big 3 -
Toyota, Nissan and Honda. The three Japanese automakers have announced
major expansions here that will create more than 1 million units of
additional capacity a year. In the wings: Korean automakers Hyundai
and Kia, awaiting final approval for plans to produce more than
500,000 cars a year. David Thursfield, Ford's president of
international operations and head of global purchasing, isn't
concerned by the towering competition. "We've probably come at the
right time," Thursfield said at a press conference here. "We've hit
the sweet spot of the market with the product we've got right now."
Moreover, he said, Ford intends to expand its lineup and output
rapidly as it races to catch up - both with its rivals and with
China's surging demand. "The China auto market could be in excess of 5
million units in the next three or four years," Thursfield said. "It
could be No. 2 or No. 3 in the world in the not-too-distant future -
we can't afford to overlook that." [Editor's Note: Now you understand
why CART and F1 want to be in China].
2/1/03
Red Bull stays with Sauber
The Austrian energy drink company Red Bull and Sauber Petronas will
remain partners in 2003, it has been announced by the Swiss team. Red
Bull - formerly shareholders in Sauber - have extended their
sponsorship contract by one year. The Red Bull presence on the car
will be the same as in the 2002 season. "Together with all team
members I'm delighted that our partnership with Red Bull will go into
its ninth year," said Team Principal Peter Sauber. "During this long
period, Red Bull has been a fundamental support for the team and has
thus contributed to our success. Our main sponsors Petronas, Credit
Suisse and Red Bull form a solid basis for a successful future of the
team."
2/1/03
Mario Andretti reveals how Ron Dennis
never paid Michael In
this 2-part PitPass
interview, Mario Andretti says, "That year Senna was not going
to sign, so he (Dennis) signed up Michael for quite a bit of money, a
considerable amount of money, he could afford it because they were not
paying Senna. So what happened was that when Senna decided to sign the
contract, by then Ron had secured Hakkinen from Lotus, and then two
things happened. One; he could not afford to pay Senna and Michael. So
Michael, all of a sudden, these were skipped payments, he wasn't
getting paid. And in addition he wasn't giving Michael any testing.
Michael was begging to test, but he had to give miles to Hakkinen,
because all of a sudden Hakkinen (who had been head-hunted from Lotus)
was not driving in the races. It put pressure on and he said to
Michael obviously to save face that he had to get Michael to cut at
the end of the season. I begged Ron Dennis to let him run but to no
avail. Michael didn't get paid in 2 years. Nobody knows that but he
became the fall guy for a blunder that Ron Dennis created for himself.
It left Michael with a terrible taste. He was destroyed about all of
that." "Michael had no testing that year (Like other rookie F1 drivers
have nowadays), he had never run the car. The only thing he did was a
bit on the year old car, and I think he was doing incredibly well
considering. At Magny-Cours he had a great race, he started eighteenth
and finished fourth. "After Magny-Cours they tested, just him and
Senna, they tested two days and Michael was a tenth away from Senna
all through the time." The entire interview is a must-read, and
shows why Mario Andretti is a true legend.
2/1/03
Priestly describes horror of being
another oval wall victim
This is one race driver who will only be doing road racing in the
future. In his first public interview since the crash which nearly
claimed his life, Priestley told ABC's 20/20 that thoughts of fellow
actor Christopher Reeve were constantly in his mind. "I was really,
really terrified that that was gonna be me," says Priestley. "I actually
checked out and for some reason I got sent back," recalls Priestley.
"They tell me that when they were pulling me out of the car and they
pulled my helmet off, my nose was pushed so far up into my forehead,
they could actually see into my sinuses. And look into my head."
Priestley was making a final practice run on August 11 in preparation
for the Pro Series race at Kansas Speedway when he lost control and
slammed head on into wall at 182 mph. He caromed off the wall and
suffered a second impact before coming to a stop. When paramedics
arrived, there was no immediate signs of life. Priestley's face was
smashed almost beyond recognition. He suffered serious injuries to his
feet and back. He underwent extensive surgery to repair his eye socket,
his nose and to fuse his broken vertebrae. Priestley admits that his
dream of qualifying and racing in the Indianapolis 500 may have to be
put on hold - at least for the foreseeable future. "I don't know
if I would be able to take a car into the corners with the velocity that
you need to, to compete in, in that race," he tells 20/20. "I don't
think you can go through something like this without being changed by
it." Priestley has gone on record as only doing road racing
if he ever gets back behind the wheel.
2/1/03
Bruton Smith fighting higher taxes in
Vegas
Las Vegas Motor Speedway would like to secure another NASCAR Winston Cup
race, but Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposed tax plan could be an obstacle,
track owner Bruton Smith said Thursday. Smith said he would like to add
one Cup race to the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, scheduled for March 2.
Speedway Motorsports Inc. would have to purchase a track and shift its
race to the speedway, or buy an existing event from another track. "If
we're fortunate enough to buy a speedway or buy a race, it goes to
Vegas," Smith said Thursday by telephone from his office in Charlotte,
N.C. But he said proposed tax increases in Nevada could be a problem.
"If all the stuff I'm reading is true, we may not be able to," he said.
Smith was referring to Guinn's plan for a 7.3 percent tax on admission
to professional sporting events and increases in property tax and gross
receipts on all business revenue over $450,000. "We're a young business
there and we're looking at all of those taxes. It's not right," he said.
More...
2/1/03
Grand-Am Series losing interest
Whereas the entry list for the ALMS Sebring 12-Hours is at an
all-time high, judging by the number of entries for this weekend's
Grand-Am Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, it might be close to falling off
the radar screen. New rules from the Grand American Road Racing
Association have chased many teams away. A new Daytona Prototype
apparently isn't popular with car owners who are tired of building and
rebuilding their expensive fleet of cars. Instead of the customary 75
to 80 cars Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, there are but
44 entries for the premier twice-around-the-clock endurance race in
America. Oval track magnet Bill France, created the Grand-Am
series and molded it to the dumbed down low-tech formula that is stock
car racing, but it has never really caught on. Some think the
series was created to prevent Don Panoz and his ALMS series from
getting too powerful and gaining market share and taking potential
sponsors away from NASCAR. That is all conjecture of course, but
coincidentally, Indy Car racing floundered when the IRL was
formed. CART was also predominately a road racing series and
gaining power. Bill France was very supportive of the IRL being
created, many think to stave off the advances being made by another
road racing contingent. The war goes on between ALMS and
Grand-Am, and so far ALMS has been able to maintain the advantage with
its higher-tech formula. Whether or not it was Bill France's
tactic to conquer and divide, so far it's working.
CART sponsor bullish on series
This Portland Tribune article,
written by Jason Vondersmith (who was all CART doom and gloom last
year), says, Norm Daniels once said CART should pack its bags and go
home. Today, he has invited the racing series to stay — for another
year, at least. “I believe the series will continue to stabilize every
week they get one more issue behind them,” says Daniels, president of
G.I. Joe’s, which recently agreed to sponsor the Championship Auto
Racing Teams event at Portland International Raceway in 2003. “In
business, you do what you have to do. At the end of the day, maybe you
end up with something that is pretty special,” Daniels says. “It’s a
gamble. We think it’s a good bet.” On death’s doorstep last January,
and on life-support all last year, CART has survived. Twenty races
have been scheduled for 2003, starting Feb. 23 at St. Petersburg,
Fla., and including one, June 22, at PIR.
More....
2/1/03
CART stock watch
Today's NYSE Trading In MPH
MPH closed at $3.64 Up $0.36 on Volume of 155,600 shares.
Session Low/High $3.75 / $3.22
MPH Value Change Down 2.64%
DOW Jones Up 108.61
NASDAQ Down 1.44
S&P 500 Up 11.08
1/31/03
Andretti test photos
Here are some photos of Michael Andretti recently testing his new
Dallara Honda at Homestead (courtesy of Andretti.com).
1/31/03
Indy 500 ticket sales lagging badlyUPDATE
Since tickets are not selling as well as expected (usually sold
out by now), Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced
Jan. 31 that reserved tickets for the Indianapolis 500 and the
Brickyard 400 will be sold online at
www.imstix.com as well as
through traditional methods. United States Grand Prix tickets
were available online in 2002. Beginning at 8 a.m. (EST)
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003, tickets for all days of on-track
activity in the Month of May – including a limited supply of
reserved seats for the 2003 Indianapolis 500 – will go on sale
at www.imstix.com. In
addition to gate tickets for all days, fans can purchase parking
passes for official IMS parking lots online. Tickets for the
Brickyard 400 practice day Aug. 1 and for the True Value
International Race of Champions event Aug. 2 are available at
imstix.com, but any
remaining reserved seats for this year’s Brickyard 400 will not
be sold online until April. “The Speedway debuted this online
ticket system in 2002 for the USGP,” said Peggy Swalls, IMS vice
president of administration, who directs the ticketing
department. “It worked so well, we adjusted the timetable to be
able to sell reserved 500 and 400 tickets on the Web. When you
are dealing with a venue the size of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, a project like this becomes monumental.” IMS
traditionally sells all of its reserved tickets for the
Indianapolis 500, but at any given time throughout the year
tickets can become available. General admission tickets always
are available for the massive infield, even on race day.
“Customers are always encouraged to call to check on their
upgrade status, review their account or check on ticket
availability,” said Joie Chitwood, IMS senior vice president of
business affairs. “When the upgrade process through renewal
orders is finally completed, tickets often do become available.
We’re excited that some of these tickets are available to kick
off this new feature of
imstix.com.” 1/29/03 -
Normally the Indy 500 sells out all its seats by June or July following
each Memorial Day race. However, even with Ganassi, Penske,
Andretti Green, Nunn, Toyota, Honda, etc dumping CART for the IRL, interest in this
years Indy 500 may be at an all-time low. According to this
Brickyard webpage,
tickets are still available in most grandstands. This is unheard
of. Will they eventually sellout? Probably, but it's clear
by the lackluster TV ratings, and now slow ticket sales, that interest in
the Indy 500 is waning. AR1 has long maintained that NASCAR has
sucked the oval track market dry in the USA, leaving little left for
open wheel racing. Chris Pook is well aware of this, and has
correctly positioned CART to be the premier road racing series in North
America. Now in bed with Bernie Ecclestone, there's little doubt
where CART's future lies. With that said, the Indy 500 is still a
very special race. You don't just erase all the heritage and
history the event holds. However, it's now possible last years
finish controversy that left many people believing Paul Tracy was
cheated out of a win (CART's third in a row), has done more damage to
the Indy 500's reputation than we first thought. Another possible reason
is the economy, but CART ticket sales are up. Beating a dead horse, where's my
fork?
1/31/03
Menard & Cheever joint technology
effort
Red Bull Cheever Racing will participate in the eighth annual
IRL Test in the West Feb. 3-8 at California Speedway and Phoenix
International Raceway. Led by veteran F1 technical
director Bernard Dudot, Menard Cheever Technologies (MCT) will
be in full force at the Test in the West. The MCT crew will
provide engineering and development strategies for both Red Bull
Cheever Racing and Team Menard.
1/31/03
Happy Birthday Buddy
Today is is Buddy Rice's 27th birthday. He was born at Good
Samaritan hospital in Phoenix, Ariz. Raised in Phoenix, Buddy
now lives less than a mile from his parents Bud and Nancy.
"I am anxious to get in the car at California and Phoenix for
the Test in the West. We saw a little bit of what the other
teams had at Homestead, but this will be a better measure. Still
we are concentrating on what we need to get done. We have a
limited number of test days and a lot of work to do with
our new Red Bull Dallara-Chevy package. For the first time this
year Eddie will be testing with us which will help with this
work load. It will be an important week for us."
1/31/03
Rick Shaffer takes PR role for
American Spirit
For the past two years, Rick Shaffer served as editor of
CART.com. However, he recently made a career change and will
be handling the public relations duties for the new American
Spirit Team Johansson and drivers Jimmy Vasser and Ryan
Hunter-Reay. Rick has been involved in Champ Car racing since
the late 1980s when he covered the sport for The Indianapolis
Star. From 1993 to 1998, he handled the public relations for
Bettenhausen Motorsports and drivers Stefan Johansson, Patrick
Carpentier and Helio Castroneves. After authoring the
Autocourse CART History book in 1999, he also did some for PR
work for Stefan’s Indy Lights team. It is through his years of
association with Stefan that he now finds himself working with
him again.
1/31/03
Alex
Yoong - the Chinese connection Alex Yoong is the only
Chinese driver (actually he is 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 Malaysian)
driver on the horizon who is prepared to compete at the top
levels of open wheel racing. This is extremely important for
both F1 and CART as they look to break into the Chinese
market. Without a Chinese driver on the grid, it's going to be
difficult, if not impossible, to get the Chinese fans excited
about F1 or CART. Both CART and F1 would be well served
to start grooming some young Chinese drivers for their series,
because right now Alex Yoong isn't driving in either series,
meaning when CART and F1 arrive in China, they'll likely be
scratching their heads and wondering why the Chinese are
complacent about the racing. Both series need to
start building fan interest in China now, years before
actually racing there. There are many possible ways to
achieve this through TV, and to the benefit of the sponsors. For example, if BAT wants to
push their tobacco products in China, they cannot rely on TV
because advertising of tobacco on TV is banned in China. So a
company like BAT can resort to event sponsorship or
team/driver sponsorship to associate their imagery with the
excitement of motorsports. F1 is expensive but they have
implemented a voluntary self imposed withdrawal of tobacco
sponsorship by 2006. Such is not the case for CART. What
better than to have Champ Cars in China with an Asian driver
of Chinese ethnic origin - - a win-win partnership for both
BAT and CART! Similarly products like Budweiser, McDonalds or
Ford may want to advertise on Chinese TV to reach the Chinese
consumer. If Champ Cars are in China and all races televised
on Beijing TV as rumored, these American products can sponsor
the teams or the series (Ford does now so Ford probably wants
CART to be in China to get the added value) and transfer some
portion of their product advertising budgets that would have
gone to Chinese TV, to the teams, or to CART directly, to
achieve product exposure on the sidepods of race cars or on
drivers uniforms.
1/31/03
Minardi lodges complaint against BridgestoneUPDATE Bridgestone has
released a statement regarding the confusion surrounding its
negotiations with Minardi. "Following recent speculation
regarding the supply of Bridgestone tires to the Minardi
Formula 1 team for the forthcoming 2003 FIA Formula One World
Championship, Bridgestone Motorsport would like to clarify the
situation," the statement read. "Bridgestone received a
request from the Minardi team regarding the supply of tires
for the forthcoming season in October 2002 and this request
was carefully considered. During this time, Minardi continued
to test with tires supplied by Bridgestone's rival.
Bridgestone subsequently explained its situation to the
Minardi team." "Following a second enquiry seen by Bridgestone
in the New Year, Bridgestone agreed to reconsider Minardi's
request and sent a proposal to the team for the supply of
tires for the 2003 season. Negotiations between the two
parties are currently taking place." "However, for legal and
insurance reasons, until all formalities have been completed
it will not be possible to supply Bridgestone tires."
"Bridgestone is looking forward to a successful conclusion to
the negotiations with Minardi." 1/30/03 - Paul
Stoddart: “It is with regret that Minardi must face the fact that
Bridgestone does not want to provide us with tires. We are sadly
forced to lodge a complaint to the FIA, as we believe Bridgestone is
under obligation to provide us with tires if we look at the 2003
rules. After more than three months trying to come to an agreement, I
can safely state that we were never able to get in touch with Hiroshi
Yasukawa, director at Bridgestone Motorsport. I wasn't able to talk to
him, let alone meet with him. I can't believe a corporation such as
Bridgestone deals in this fashion with some of their clients. Because
of this lack of communication, Minardi wasted two testing days, which
we would have liked to avoid knowing the current circumstances.”
Switch to Chevy decals not slowing
Stewart
[Editor's Note - all the bodies are identical now, so what they are
calling a switch is simply a change in the headlight decals to look like
a Chevy] Tony Stewart’s race team made a bold move switching from
Pontiacs to Monte Carlos following its championship season in 2002. So
far, the switch is working out just fine. Stewart completed the second
day of a two-day test Wednesday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and says
he’s ready to embark on defending his title. "If we were going to make a
switch this was the year to do it," Stewart said. "The Pontiac was
making a body-style switch this year anyway, and the two cars are not
that different. We still need to wait until there are more cars here,
but we’ve come back with the same setups as last year and it’s working
out alright." Stewart was one of 26 NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series
teams testing at LVMS in preparation for the March 2 UAW-DaimlerChrysler
400 and March 1 Sam’s Town 300. "We’re still working just as hard as we
did last year," Stewart said. "That’s why we’re here. At the same time,
that also lets us concentrate on having a good time this year. I’ve said
it 100 times and I’ll say it 101, we don’t feel a lot of pressure. After
last year, we’ve proven that we could pretty much go through the worst
circumstances and still win a championship. We don’t have to prove that
to anybody anymore." Stewart also turned the week’s fastest lap on
Wednesday by circling the 1.5-mile superspeedway in 32 seconds (168.750
mph). Teammate Bobby Labonte (32.51, 166.103 mph) and rookie Casey Mears
(32.60, 165.644 mph) were next on the speed chart. Kevin Harvick turned
the fastest lap by a Busch car running a lap in 32.75 seconds (164.885
mph).
1/31/03
Kansas a sellout?
Season tickets for the 2003 Kansas Speedway schedule have sold out, a
package that includes the Kansas Indy 300 for the IRL IndyCar Series and
the Aventis Racing For Kids 100 for the IRL Infiniti Pro Series on July
6. All 80,187 season tickets have been sold for the 1.5-mile oval in
Kansas City. The only reason they are sold out is because fans are
forced to buy the season ticket package to get a NASCAR Winston Cup
ticket. Rest assured, it would not be a sellout if not for that.
1/31/03
Priestley interview
Jason Priestley, who suffered serious injuries in an Infiniti Pro Series
practice accident last August at Kentucky Speedway (another oval wall
victim), will talk about his road to recovery with co-host Barbara
Walters on ABC’s “20/20” on Friday, Jan. 31. The one-hour show starts at
10 p.m. (EST). Check your local listings.
1/31/03
Autocourse
CART Official Champ Car Yearbook 2002-2003
by Jeremy Shaw Officially
endorsed by CART, this yearbook celebrates its tenth year of
publication. This beautifully illustrated book relates the story of
another thrilling CART Fed Ex series racing season and includes profiles
of the 2002 Champion and other leading personalities. It also features
detailed reports of each round of the series, glorious full-color
photography throughout and team-by-team review with the latest team
developments combined with topical features and comprehensive statistics
and results. All these elements make this a must have title. Hardcover,
9-1/2 x 12-1/2, 192 pp, 250 color photos.
Pre-order and save 30% List Price: $34.95
Price: $24.47
1/30/03
Lavín third Atlantic Series graduate to
Champ Cars Bolstering the position of the CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship's position as the top rung of the Champ Car Ladder System,
Walker Racing and owner Derrick Walker today announced that 2001-02
Toyota Atlantic competitor Rodolfo Lavin has signed-on to drive
alongside British rookie Darren Manning in a two-car assault in the 2003
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.
More......
1/30/03
Alex Zanardi interview
Here is a link
(Real Audio - 27 minutes) to an interview by BBC Radio with Alex Zanardi
from his boat in Monaco. Alex makes some interesting comments
about his accident and his future.
1/30/03
Record 65 entries for 12-Hours of Sebring
One of the most diverse and competitive fields of sports cars to be
assembled in modern times will race in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of
Sebring, the opening event of the 2003 season for the American Le Mans
Series that will be run Mar. 12-15 at Sebring (Fla.) International
Raceway. The event will be the 51st running of America’s oldest sports
car race and will open the fifth season for the American Le Mans Series,
which started in 1999. The popularity of the event has led IMSA, the
sanctioning body for the American Le Mans Series, to make the
unprecedented move of accepting all 65 entries for the race that were
submitted before the deadline of January 29. Although pit road at
Sebring typically accommodates 60 cars, IMSA officials have agreed to
take whatever action necessary to be able to start up to five additional
cars in the race. The 65 entrants will be sent event invitations and
will have until 5 p.m. (U.S. Eastern) on Monday, February 3, to accept
the invitations and confirm their participation in the race.
1/30/03
Ford on prov. pole, Chevy faster for
Rolex 24The Rolex Sports
Car Series held first round qualifying for this weekend's 41st Rolex 24
At Daytona today at Daytona International Speedway. Scott Maxwell put
the #88 1-800-PITSHOP.COM Ford Focus Daytona Prototype of Multimatic on
the pole with a 115.969 mph lap in 1:50.512, however it was Justin Bell
clocking the quickest time in the #40 Xtremelens Corvette of Derhaag
Motorsports with his 1:49.394 lap at 117.155 mph. More....
1/30/03
Walker Racing announcement
transcript
Here is a
link to the full transcript of today's Walker Racing
2-car team announcement.
1/30/03 Industry News
Infineon Raceway safety upgrades Infineon Raceway
began work this week on three track enhancements designed to
increase rider safety for the AMA Supercuts Superbike
Challenge, presented by Honda of Milpitas, May 2-4. Raceway
officials have redesigned Turns 1, 10 and 11, further
demonstrating the facility’s commitment to making Infineon
Raceway one of the safest tracks in the country for
motorcycles. The redesigned portions will be used strictly by
the AMA and the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. The
traditional road course will be used for all other events at
Infineon Raceway, including NASCAR Winston Cup and the
American Le Mans Series. The changes were made with the aid of
AMA Superbike riders Eric (Kawasaki) and Ben Bostrom (Honda),
Miguel Duhamel (Honda), Aaron Yates (Suzuki), and AMA Road
Race Manager Ron Barrick, who visited the track two months
ago. The enhancements will be in place for an AMA Superbike
test session at Infineon Raceway on March 20. Turn 1 has been
a sweeping left-hander, putting riders at a dangerous angle as
they approach a pedestrian bridge at the apex of Turn 1. Once
the work is complete, the track will be extended 50 feet in a
straight line before entering Turn 1. Riders will then make a
left turn at approximately 90 degrees, which is designed to
direct them away from the bridge and up the circuit toward
Turn 2. "I think that the commitment the raceway is showing
the riders is great," said Eric Bostrom, who placed second in
the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship last season.
"This place is going from one of the most dangerous tracks in
the past to becoming one of the more safer tracks. The track
is showing that it wants to make a commitment to rider safety
and that's important. We don't see that everywhere we go." The
entry into Turn 10, considered the fastest segments of the
road course with speeds approaching 160 mph, will also be
altered to increase rider safety. As riders crest Turn 8A,
they will no longer continue down the famous esses. Instead
they will continue down a straight line for 900 feet, parallel
with the Hillside Terraces at Turn 9, before making a
90-degree right-hand turn, followed by a sharp left-hand turn,
which will blend them back with the original road course just
before Turn 10. This alteration will slow the bikes down
substantially, lowering the risk entering Turn 10. The final
safety enhancement will occur at Turn 11, which will see the
entry shortened by approximately 40 feet. The change will
direct riders away from the wall as they exit the hairpin turn
and direct them toward the start/finish line. This marks the
second change to Turn 11, which was shortened by two-tenths of
one mile in 2000 to provide riders with nearly 300 additional
feet of runoff room. All three changes demonstrate Infineon
Raceway’s commitment to rider safety. Increased run-off was
added at virtually every turn on the road course during a $50
million Modernization Plan, and the racing surface has also
been permanently separated from the slick drag strip. "I think
the input from the riders is going to help make this placer
safer, and that's the important thing," said Duhamel. "We want
it safer and more fun for the riders but we also want it to be
exciting for the fans. That's the ultimate mix. I'm just glad
the track took the time to get our input."
1/30/03
Thursday test times from Valencia Weather: Sunny
and strong winds Temperature: Track 18°; Air 13° (Track
Length: 4.005 kilometers)
Names Chassis Laptime Laps
1. David Coulthard McLaren 1m.10.977s 48
2. Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber 1m.11.109s 43
3. Alexander Wurz McLaren 1m.11.123s 66
4. Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1m.11.308s 96
5. Nick Heidfeld Sauber 1m.11.418s 50
6. Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1m.11.521s 62
7. Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan 1m.11.709s 62
8. Olivier Panis Toyota 1m.11.931s 63
9. Luca Badoer Ferrari 1m.12.105s 40
10. Jacques Villeneuve BAR 1m.12.119s 71
11. Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar 1m.12.329s 62
12. Jenson Button BAR 1m.12.404s 62
13. Cristiano Da Matta Toyota 1m.12.414s 77
14. Jos Verstappen Minardi 1m.15.182s 47
Best
Times To Date Date Driver Team Tires Time Speed/Gap
23-Jan Kimi Raikkonen McLaren M 1:10.647 126.839 mph
22-Jan Juan Pablo Montoya WilliamsF1 M 1:10.794 0.147
30-Jan David Coulthard McLaren M 1:10.977 0.330
29-Jan Alexander Wurz McLaren M 1:11.095 0.448
30-Jan Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber B 1:11.109 0.462
30-Jan Rubens Barrichello Ferrari B 1:11.308 0.661
30-Jan Nick Heidfeld Sauber B 1:11.418 0.771
30-Jan Michael Schumacher Ferrari B 1:11.521 0.874
28-Jan Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan B 1:11.703 1.056
28-Jan Olivier Panis Toyota M 1:11.867 1.220
24-Jan Marc Gene WilliamsF1 M 1:11.901 1.254
28-Jan Mark Webber Jaguar M 1:11.952 1.305
30-Jan Luca Badoer Ferrari B 1:12.105 1.458
30-Jan Jacques Villeneuve BAR B 1:12.119 1.472
30-Jan Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar M 1:12.329 1.682
30-Jan Jenson Button BAR B 1:12.404 1.757
30-Jan Christiano da Matta Toyota M 1:12.414 1.767
28-Jan Gary Paffett McLaren M 1:12.890 2.243
28-Jan Takuma Sato BAR B 1:13.118 2.471
30-Jan Jos Verstappen Minardi A 1:15.182 4.535
29-Jan Justin Wilson Minardi M 1:17.192 6.545
1/30/03
Ford hires Pemberton
One of the most respected and well-liked personalities in auto
racing will be joining Ford Racing as Greg Specht, Manager of
Ford Racing Operations, announced today that former Winston Cup
crew chief Robin Pemberton has been hired as the manufacturer's
NASCAR Field Manager. Pemberton, who assumes his new duties on
Feb. 1, has signed a multi-year agreement and will be
responsible for overseeing Ford's development in the NASCAR
Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series. He will attend
key test and wind tunnel sessions, in addition to being
available at the race track on selected weekends. "This isn't a
new idea at all for us. We've been wanting to have someone in
this Field Manager role for a couple of years, and we just
wanted to make sure we had the right person for the job," said
Specht. "When Robin became available, we contacted him right
away. "Having someone like Robin with 25 years experience inside
the sport, working closely with NASCAR and with the teams ...
well, that's just not something we can do as well on a regular
basis from up here in Dearborn," added Specht. "He'll be able to
go on our behalf to team shops to discuss pressing issues, or go
to NASCAR and have meetings ... and be able to do those things
on a very regular basis." The addition of Pemberton, a native of
Ballston Spa, NY, reunites Ford with the man who played a major
role in the development and success of Taurus. Pemberton and his
Penske South crew did much of the aerodynamic work on what
became the first full-time four-door entry in NASCAR Winston
Cup. He led an effort that produced the first race Taurus ever
built, and was rewarded when Rusty Wallace took the new car to
Victory Lane in its inaugural race - the 1998 Budweiser
Shootout. Press
Conference transcript
1/30/03 Industry News
LeMans
on DVD One of the better racing movies of all time,
LeMans, starring Steve McQueen, can now be pre-ordered on DVD.
You can pre-order online and get a 25% discount by clicking
here.
1/30/03
Fernández tours Monterrey track
According to this El Norte
article, [Translation by Ed McFarlane] The developments
in the CART track surprise Adrian. By Enrique Guadarrama/El
Norte Monterrey, Mexico.- Adrian Fernandez showed surprise at
the advances and the work which has have been carried out in the
Fundidora Park for the Monterrey Grand Prix. The pilot and owner
of Fernandez Racing did a tour of the Fundidora Park circuit
accompanied by the Governor Fernando Elizondo and the Mayor of
Monterrey, Felipe de Jesus Cantu. Adrian is the first pilot of
the CART series to visit the Monterrey circuit, where on 23rd
March 2003 the second race of the season will be held. "I am
very pleased with the developments, I congratulate the
organizers because this race is consolidating and I hope that it
continues to be one of the most important in the CART calendar."
said the Mexican driver. The Mexican maintains that he will
remain competitive in the series despite the arrival of new
drivers. At the end of the tour, Adrian, the Governor and Mayor
posed before dozens of photographers
1/30/03
Homestead race a Brazilian affair
Brazilians have the opportunity to support their fellow
countrymen and celebrate "CARNAVAL", in a special Brazilian
cheering section during the Toyota Indy 300, the IRL IndyCar
Series season-opener, February 28 - March 2 at Homestead-Miami
Speedway. A total of six Brazilian drivers: Helio Castroneves,
Gil de Ferran, Tony Kanaan, Felipe Giaffone, Airton Dare, and
Vitor Meira, are expected to compete in the Toyota Indy 300 at
speeds exceeding 200 miles-per-hour at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
All six Brazilian drivers come to the Toyota Indy 300 with
outstanding credentials. Castroneves of Marlboro Team Penske, is
the two-time defending champion of the Indianapolis 500. De
Ferran, also of Marlboro Team Penske, won the Champ Car
championship in 2000 and 2001 before moving to the IRL IndyCar
Series in 2002. Kanaan, along with Michael Andretti and Dario
Franchitti, is part of the Andretti Green Racing team that will
be making its IRL IndyCar Series debut at the Toyota Indy 300.
Giaffone, of Mo Nunn Racing, who finished fourth in IndyCar
Series driver points last season. Dare was the IndyCar Series
Rookie of the Year in 2000, and Meira sat on the pole at last
year's IndyCar Series season finale at Texas. Four of the six
Brazilian drivers currently reside in South Florida, making
Homestead-Miami Speedway a popular venue to open the 2003
season. "It's always nice to have the atmosphere and weather
that we've had in Miami." said Castroneves. "So if people miss
this race, they are going to miss a good show. People don't miss
it; it's going to be a good one." "I love it here at
Homestead-Miami Speedway," added de Ferran. "This is the home
track for me, since we live just north of here. To have the
season opener here it's fun, there's a lot of friends and family
that come over here. Psychologically, it's great to have the
season opener here, it's next to my home, friends and family."
1/30/03
F1 TV numbers not down as much as feared F1
television audiences for 2002 were not as low as was
previously reported, according to a new investigation
conducted by international research company Sports Marketing
Surveys. They report that the overall global decline in people
watching the sport was down 8%, far lower than previously
claims that the 'drop-off' had been in the region of 15%.
Although the number of people tuning in to watch live
broadcasts from qualifying and the race itself was down 14%
overall, other dedicated timeslots for Formula One programs
have made this fall less substantial. In Hungary, where
coverage of the sport switched from M1 to the popular RTL
channel, 5% more people watched compared to 2001, although in
the UK viewing figures are down 11% compared to 10% and 9%
declines in Germany and Italy respectively.
1/30/03
Russians to drive in 12-Hours of Sebring
Nikolay Fomenko and Alexey Vassiliev aren't just adding depth to the
field at the Twelve Hours of Sebring -- they're making history. The duo
will be the first Russian drivers to compete in the Sebring race in its
51-year history and are believed to be among the few ever to compete in
any major automobile race in the United States. Fomenko and Vassiliev,
both of Moscow, will co-drive a Porsche 911 GT3 RS fielded by RWS-Yukos
Motorsports of Switzerland in the ALMS 2003 season opener on March 15 in
Sebring, Fla. Both drivers are veterans of auto racing, most recently as
competitors in the FIA GT Series in Europe in 2001 and 2002. Fomenko,
40, has been racing since 1995 and is well-known in Russia as an actor,
showman, TV and radio presenter. Vasiliev, 31, has been racing since he
was 14 and has enjoyed success in karting, rallying, ice racing and in
touring cars. In GT racing, they drove Porsches for a German team, TNK
Racing.
1/30/03
Will
new G-Force pierce other cars?
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I could not notice how long and
pointy the nose of the new G-Force is. I am concerned that in a
side impact with another car at 220 MPH that it could pierce right
through the side of another cars cockpit, possibly cutting the poor
driver in half. I have never seen a nose like that before.
Chuck Smith, Dallas, Texas Dear Chuck, one would hope that
the IRL has done impact tests with that nose to make sure what you
suggest won't happen. We saw what happened to Alex Zanardi, but
CART and the IRL have beefed up the sides of their cockpits. Let's
just hope this new nose crushes before it pierces the cockpit wall.
Mark C.
1/30/03
Gordon's divorce could be most revealing
This Atlanta Journal
article says Winston Cup drivers have often found themselves
trying to outrun Jeff Gordon. In the past few weeks the top car owners
on the NASCAR circuit have shown just as much determination in trying to
keep Brooke Gordon's attorneys from getting a look at their team
records. Jeffrey Fisher, who is representing Brooke Gordon in her
divorce against the four-time Winston Cup champion, says he needs
information about team contracts and drivers' pay to determine what
Gordon is really worth. He has subpoenaed records from various competing
teams. Most race team owners say their contracts with sponsors and
drivers are private and should stay that way. Such deals are highly
sensitive in NASCAR, where each car owner works out separate agreements
with every individual. Fisher says he's not asking for anything that he
and other attorneys haven't gotten in cases involving high-profile
sports stars. He's also surprised by the unified resistance to his
request. "This is the first time in my career in a case of this
magnitude that I've received across-the-board refusals to give any
meaningful type of information." Fisher said. He said all he wants is
"legitimate and standard valuation information to do a comparative
analysis of the value of [Jeff Gordon]'s equity in his race teams versus
other race teams. . . ."We're trying to do it in the least intrusive way
possible, but we do need information from the competitors, and I know of
no reason why they won't give it to us.".......Geoff Smith, a veteran
attorney who also is president of Roush Racing, said he and other race
teams have filed a joint motion seeking to quash Fisher's subpeonas. "We
reacted very strongly because the request is so far out of bounds that
it's almost incomprehensible," Smith said, adding that the request is
for every contract the team has in motorsports, including contracts with
drivers, sponsors and licensees. "They've basically said, 'Give us
everything you've ever had on paper and we'll decide whether we want to
look at it,'" Smith said. "Nothing they asked for is proper to give up."
1/30/03
Johnson fastest in Vegas again
For the second straight day Jimmie Johnson led all drivers with the
fastest lap in race trim. The No.48 Lowe's Chevrolet driver posted a
time of 32.016 seconds (168.666 m.p.h.). Johnson was followed by his
teammate/owner, four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon (168.010
m.p.h.), Las Vegas native Kurt Busch (167.681 m.p.h.), Steve Park
(167.053 m.p.h.) and 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart
(165.776 m.p.h.). Also testing at the 1.5-mile oval was Ward Burton,
Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Greg Biffle, Johnny Benson and
Jeremy Mayfield. Testing will continue Wednesday and Thursday with more
than 22 teams expected to get in some track time.
1/30/03
Walker to announce Manning today
England's Darren Manning will be confirmed as a driver in Walker
Racing's 2003 line-up later today (Thursday), according to AUTOSPORT
magazine. Manning finished ninth in his one-off outing at Rockingham
last year, and his chance for a fulltime drive came when Walker's deal
with Mexican Roberto Gonzalez fell through last week. Team boss Derrick
Walker has fielded Japanese drivers, including Shinji Nakano and Tora
Takagi, over the past few years and said he was looking forward to
working with Manning. "It'll be a hell of a relief to have somebody who
thinks the way we do and drives his socks off for all the right
reasons," said Walker. "It'll be a refreshing change." Manning said: "I
haven't signed a contract yet, but I'm very excited. To race fulltime in
Champ Cars is the kind of deal I've dreamed of." We have updated
our
2003 CART Silly Season Page.
1/30/03
Champ
Car stars announce regional karting info The Champ Car Stars
of Tomorrow karting series released preliminary 2003 regional
championship information today. The regional series serve to support the
national series by providing driver training, track time, and support to
the karting business infrastructure. “This announcement is the first
step in a series of actions to put together a stable, effective regional
series over the long term,” said Stars’ Operations Director Paul Zalud.
“A great karting organization isn’t made overnight, or with just a
single national series. Stars is here for a long time, and our efforts
in the regions will help support vibrant karting competition and
business.” Regional promoters and coordinators reflect a breadth of
experience in karting, from Enzo Chiovitti, Tom Johnson, and Sally
Mangham in the east to Mike Manning, Tim Holden, Kevin Williams, and
George Durbin in the west. As a result of the merger with the WKA/SCCA
Constructor’s Championship, the WKA will be involved with regions east
of the Mississippi, and Stars classes may be included in some of the
established WKA series. “It is important that we proceed deliberately
and with reasoned decisions,” said Zalud. “Time is certainly a factor,
but it takes far more time to reverse decisions and correct mistakes
rather than making the right ones the first time. We welcome the
experience of the WKA and the partnership with Randy Kugler in
supporting the regional Stars programs.” A regional map with information
on the series and coordinators can be found in the Racing section at
www.cartstars.com. More regional announcements will be forthcoming as
details are finalized.
1/30/03
Sauber signs new sponsor Sauber and Vescal, one of the
leading suppliers of heating systems in Switzerland, have signed a
partnership agreement that is to run over a period of several years.
Vescal supplies the concrete core heating system of the ultra-modern
wind tunnel currently being built adjacent to the Sauber factory in
Hinwil. "As a supplier of heating products, Vescal subscribes to the
same values that distinguish Sauber: performance at high speed,
perfection in delivering results and the personal commitment of all
team members. That is why Vescal was selected as the supplier for the
concrete core heating system of Sauber's new wind tunnel. It's a great
way to launch a mutually beneficial co-operation for the next few
years," said Jacques Sanche, Chief Executive of Vescal. Vescal is a
leading Swiss supplier of heating systems. The company's business is
heat production, water heating, heat release/distribution and heating
system components. All of Vescal's activities are focused on a single
objective: combining state-of-the-art products to create a perfectly
coordinated heating system. This is why Vescal focuses on high-end
products and strong brands, like Oertli, De Dietrich, Metalplast and
Tabs.
1/30/03 Industry News
New Houston Superspeedway eyes CART, IRL and NASCAR
According to this Houston Business Journal
article, a Houston-based investment group is shifting plans
into high gear on a motor speedway development south of Houston. Star
State Investments, a group of eight mostly local businessmen, is
quietly acquiring land surrounding the proposed Brazoria County
speedway, located at the intersection of Highway 288 and FM 1462. Last
summer, Star State purchased 2,700 acres of land in the area and
announced plans to build a tri-oval, 1.76-mile speedway — as well as a
regional conference center, hotel and golf course — on the site. (See
"Investor group revs up plans for motor speedway near Houston," July
19-25, 2002.) Star State this month purchased an additional 96 acres,
bringing the total amount of land the group controls to nearly 2,800
acres. The additional land was acquired to build a grand entrance to
the planned complex. Star State has hired prominent Houston firm
Hermes Architects to create a master plan for the property. Firm
principal Leroy Hermes was involved with a team of architects
responsible for the design of Reliant Stadium, and has been
responsible for a number of other high-profile public and private
commercial real estate ventures. While the project sounds grandiose,
it is still very much in its infancy. The property, most of which is
prairie land, is all undeveloped. Alvin City Manager Paul Horn says
Alvin officials are in support of the project. "It's going to be a big
shot in the arm for our area," he says. Martin would not reveal the
names of Star State's principals. However their resumes read as a
"Who's Who" of corporate America. The partners comprise a former
president of Coca-Cola Foods, a retired software executive, a
Houston-based homebuilder, a former chief marketing officer of
Pennzoil and two out-of-town businessmen with racing affiliations.
Martin's background is in golf course development and consulting. The
partners have personally invested in excess of $8 million in the
project, which has been dubbed Brazoria Meadows. The racetrack will be
called Houston Super Speedway, although a quest to bring in a
corporate naming rights partner is under way. Initially, the facility
will seat 75,000 patrons. A proposed second phase will increase
capacity to 150,000 permanent seats. If all goes as planned, Star
State expects the Houston racetrack to rival the Texas Motor Speedway
in Fort Worth and the Kansas International Speedway in Kansas City,
hosting sanctioned open-wheel and stock car races such as the NASCAR
series, Championship Auto Racing Team (CART) and the Indy Racing
League (IRL). The convention center came into play when the firm
commissioned a feasibility study to determine demand for such a
facility. Martin says the results indicated a healthy demand. "We're
25 miles from the Medical Center, we're on a highly accessible
highway, and the Gulf Coast is comprised of a variety of petrochemical
companies," he says. "I think we have enough corporate participation,
and that gave us the confidence."
Good
News for Newman Haas - UPDATE
As it turns out, the launch of Cialis on Tuesday is for Europe
where the drug has already been approved. It's also
approved in Brazil. USA FDA approval has yet to happen,
but it is getting close we are told. 2/2/03 -
Newman Haas has had to run the Eli Lilly name on their cars
because the FDA had not yet approved it's new Viagra beater, Cialis,
which is ultimately destined to be on the sidepods of
Sebastien Bourdais's cars.
The company wants team co-owner Paul Newman as their spokesperson.
That's all about to change, and this may mean two Newman Haas sponsor
announcements, because we heard they were going to announce Bruno Junqueira's new sponsor this week too. Story - Viagra's grip on the “self-help” market could end as it comes
head-to-head with a new rival. Prozac’s maker, Eli Lilly, is forcing
its way into the industry with the launch of its Cialis drug on
Tuesday, also aimed at helping the little man down below.
In a publicity stunt, it plans a 24-hour news conference to make the
point that the drug lasts for at least 24 hours. While Viagra patients
must take the drug at least an hour before a “tryst”, user-friendly
Cialis is taken just once. Quite whether enjoying the effects for a
full 24 hours is a selling point remains to be seen. The organizers
hope the marathon will make the Guinness Book of Records but officials
will have to be alert and ready for action at a moment’s notice. There
will be no samples in the goodie bags for fear they might turn into
suitcases."
Champ
Car stars announce regional karting info The Champ Car Stars
of Tomorrow karting series released preliminary 2003 regional
championship information today. The regional series serve to support the
national series by providing driver training, track time, and support to
the karting business infrastructure. “This announcement is the first
step in a series of actions to put together a stable, effective regional
series over the long term,” said Stars’ Operations Director Paul Zalud.
“A great karting organization isn’t made overnight, or with just a
single national series. Stars is here for a long time, and our efforts
in the regions will help support vibrant karting competition and
business.” Regional promoters and coordinators reflect a breadth of
experience in karting, from Enzo Chiovitti, Tom Johnson, and Sally
Mangham in the east to Mike Manning, Tim Holden, Kevin Williams, and
George Durbin in the west. As a result of the merger with the WKA/SCCA
Constructor’s Championship, the WKA will be involved with regions east
of the Mississippi, and Stars classes may be included in some of the
established WKA series. “It is important that we proceed deliberately
and with reasoned decisions,” said Zalud. “Time is certainly a factor,
but it takes far more time to reverse decisions and correct mistakes
rather than making the right ones the first time. We welcome the
experience of the WKA and the partnership with Randy Kugler in
supporting the regional Stars programs.” A regional map with information
on the series and coordinators can be found in the Racing section at
www.cartstars.com. More regional announcements will be forthcoming as
details are finalized.
Much
More...click on 2002 archives button below
