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Vegas almost a sellout
Las Vegas Motor Speedway announced today that all reserved seats for
the March 2 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event
are sold out. Race fans who have not yet purchased tickets for the
sixth annual event still may attend the Winston Cup race by purchasing
a special $88 "Triple Play" package. The Triple Play includes infield
access for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, a reserved seat for the March
1 Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series race and a general-admission seat
for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Sept. 27. "Our ticket
sales this year have been unprecedented, especially in a difficult
economy,” said Chris Powell, LVMS' president and general manager. “I
fully believe this points up several facts – that Las Vegas Motor
Speedway is a great place to watch NASCAR racing, and that Las Vegas
is a wonderful city to visit.” A number of stands will be erected in
the infield area, and they will be available on a first-come,
first-served basis for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. Some reserved
handicap area tickets remain, as well as individual suite-access
packages.
2/12/03
Waltrip trashes VasserUPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1,
NASCAR is an alternative for the Indy Retirement League. Good ole boys
Rusty & DJ & other 40 somethings would have no prayer of any success
in CART. DW has a very high opinion of himself...even when he
was way overdue to retire he was talking like he was still a great
driver. Jimmy Vasser realizes that his best open wheel days are behind
him and rather than risk getting killed in the IRL against those
concrete walls, he is going for the the money in NASCAR. Personally I
hope he kicks ass and makes DW look even more foolish than he does
now. Robert Lowe2/11/03 - Darrell Waltrip trashed CART driver Jimmy Vasser today on Speed
Channel Busch practice. Waltrip said that Vasser was talking down
about stock cars years ago like they were not as good as open
wheel...and why is he NOW here running in a stock car at Daytona.
2/12/03
Panoz Motorsports Group promotions
The Panoz Motor Sports Group has promoted two of its senior executives
and has created and filled two new staff positions in its Braselton,
Ga., headquarters. The Panoz Motor Sports Group is a holding company
for the various motorsports interests of Don Panoz. Included are the
American Le Mans Series, the Panoz Racing Series, the Panoz Racing
School, Mosport International Raceway, Road Atlanta Motorsports Center
and Sebring International Raceway. Scott Atherton, who has been
President and COO of the Panoz Motor Sports Group since August of
2000, has been promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. In
addition, he has been named President and CEO of the American Le Mans
Series. Atherton was previously the President and General Manager of
California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and held similar positions
with Nazareth Speedway and Laguna Seca Raceway. He started his
motorsports career in marketing with Domino’s Pizza. John Evenson, who
has been Vice-President of Broadcast Administration for the Panoz
Motor Sports Group since November of 2001, has been promoted to
Vice-President of Communications/Television. Evenson will continue to
be responsible for all aspects of television for the American Le Mans
Series, as well as the American Le Mans Series Radio Web. His expanded
duties include oversight of all communications functions, as well as
promotions and creative services. Evenson’s sports industry career
includes Vice-President positions with Turner Sports and the PGA Tour,
as well as communications and television work with CART. He also
worked in communications for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Filling the two
newly-created positions are Paul Ryan, Director of Creative Services
for the Panoz Motor Sports Group, and Annamae Meigher, Director of
Merchandise Operations.
2/12/03
Ford responds to Toyota
announcementUPDATE This NASCAR.com
article has some more interesting quotes about Toyota, some
from none other than Richard Petty. 2/12/03 - DAN DAVIS, Director, Ford Racing Technology -- "We're not
surprised, by any means. It's been well-known in the industry
that they have been looking at the Craftsman Truck Series as a
possible means to prepare for a Winston Cup effort. They
certainly have been active looking for talent in the NASCAR
garages already. We welcome the competition in NASCAR from any
manufacturer. That's always been our approach when new
competition comes into a series we participate in. We've
competed against Toyota in other racing series, and we know
how hard they compete as a manufacturer."
2/12/03
Alonso tops Wed. in Valencia
Testing resumed in Valencia Wednesday, and at the end of the day it
was Fernando Alonso in the Renault sitting atop the time sheet, where
there is usually a Ferrari, Williams or McLaren driver. Alonso wrapped
up a three day test for Renault in the R23 Wednesday, evaluating new
engine parts. "We had a useful final day with Fernando," said
Technical Director Mike Gascoyne. "He completed a successful
evaluation of new engine parts, and concluded a productive three days'
work. We will continue our program next week in Barcelona."
Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tires Time Laps
1 Fernando Alonso Renault M 1m11.30s 35
2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari B 1m11.38s 92
3 Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW M 1m11.47s 44
4 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan-Ford B 1m12.01s 53
5 Mark Webber Jaguar M 1m12.45s 35
6 Jenson Button BAR-Honda B 1m12.57s 58
7 Marc Gene Williams-BMW M 1m12.80s 60
8 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW M 1m12.98s 94
2/12/03
More on CART sues Road America
We have added a statement from the IRL to the story by
Mark Cipolloni on the CART lawsuit against Road America.
2/12/03
Miami race
lands sponsor
Grand Prix Americas, Downtown Miami’s premier auto street
race, has secured Dark Dog energy drink as an exclusive
partner for the 2003 race announced Chuck M. Martinez,
president and general manager, Grand Prix Americas. The
contract calls for a two-year partnership with the racing
event. “The combination of their ALMS sponsorship and being
headquartered in South Florida makes them a perfect fit as an
exclusive partner of the Grand Prix Americas,” said Martinez.
“We are thrilled to have Dark Dog involved with our event and
look forward to a long and mutually rewarding partnership.” We
are very excited about being involved with our community,”
said Randy Ridenour CEO, Dark Dog America. “The fact the race
is so close to home brings an extra added value to us both
personally as well with business.” Grand Prix Americas, taking
place September 26-28, 2003, is a historic event, bringing
together two of North America’s premier road racing series.
Bridgestone presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford will join the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) promoting a
“dual-headline” that makes the Grand Prix Americas one of the
foremost motorsports weekends of the year. Earlier this month,
Dark Dog America also announced it will be the primary sponsor
of Team Bucknum Racing (TBR) and its Pilbeam MP91 entry in the
LMP 675 class of the ALMS throughout 2003. Dark Dog (www.darkdogamerica.com)
produces energy drinks, with natural guaraná caffeine and
vitamins. Dark Dog is the first premium energy drink, which
has been awarded with two high profile awards for outstanding
quality. The company is a growing and dynamic organization,
founded in Austria in 1995, and based domestically in
Hollywood, Florida. Over the last seven years, Dark Dog has
developed into one of the world’s strongest brands and is
currently the number two energy drink in the world in terms of
brand recognition.
2/12/03
CART sues Road AmericaUPDATE For
more on this, please see
story by
Mark Cipolloni on our home page. 2/12/03 - Road
America, one of the most popular racetracks among Championship
Auto Racing Teams drivers and fans, is being sued by the
open-wheel racing organization. CART, which has raced annually
at the four-mile track in Elkhart Lake since 1982, filed the
suit Tuesday in federal court in Indianapolis, according to a
release issued by Road America. Cheryl Barnes, the track’s
director of communications, said as of Tuesday Road America
officials had not seen the papers and were unaware of the
nature of the lawsuit. Road America president and general
manager George Bruggenthies said he anticipated this year’s
CART weekend, set for Aug. 1-3, to go on as scheduled. “That’s
been our intention … our plan up to this point,” he said.
Neither Barnes nor Bruggenthies would comment further. Road
America’s contract with CART runs through this season. Whether
CART returns to Elkhart Lake next year and beyond is
uncertain. CART president Chris Pook talked last month about
his desire to stage events in bigger markets. The remarks led
to speculation that CART and Road America would part company
following this season’s race. Road America officials have
dismissed that speculation. The CART weekend at Road America
has consistently been Sheboygan County’s largest annual
sporting event, bringing thousands of fans and millions of
dollars in tourism revenue into the area. In 1995, ’96, ’98
and ’99, announced crowds of 75,000 spectators passed through
Road America’s gates on CART race day and 115,000 for the
weekends. In recent years, race day crowds have averaged about
60,000.
Sheboygan Press
2/12/03
Bill Elliott withdraws
Bill Elliott is expected to announce today that he's
withdrawing his name from the circuit's Most Popular Driver
contest. Elliott has won the honor 16 times. So many that the
National Motorsports Press Association, which runs the contest
that allows fans to pick the winner, already has decided that
whenever Elliott retires, the award will be renamed the Bill
Elliott Trophy.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2/12/03
ISC management changes, Jim
France takes over
International Speedway Corporation Chairman William C. France,
69, announced Monday several changes to the Company's
management team. James C. France, 58, who has served as ISC's
President and Chief Operating Officer since 1987, will become
CEO. William C. France, who has been CEO and Chairman since
1987 will continue as Chairman. Lesa D. Kennedy, 41, Executive
Vice President of the Company, will become President. In
addition, John R. Saunders, 46, ISC's Senior Vice President of
Operations, will be named Senior Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer. All of the proposed management changes will
take place at the Company's April Board meeting. RIS
2/12/03
Ticket prices up at ISC tracks
Ticket prices for NASCAR Winston Cup races will increase about
3 percent next year, while Busch Series events will stay about
the same at International Speedway Corp. tracks, company
officials said Tuesday. At a few locations, such as Michigan
International Speedway, the company will experiment with
combination-ticket pricing, reducing Busch Series prices for
fans who order their seats in advance. Those who wait until
race day will pay higher admissions. Daytona International
Speedway is not included in the experiment. DIS is offering
backstretch combo tickets for the Feb. 15 Koolerz 300 race and
the Feb. 16 Daytona 500 race in the $175-$220 range. Most
front stretch seats already have been sold out.
Daytona Beach News-Journal
2/12/03
NASCAR launches real-time PDA
service NASCAR is celebrating its new media
offerings after revealing a new line in wireless content and
breaking the 100,000 subscriber barrier for its paid-for live
race coverage online. Digital Orchid Inc. has unveiled
NASCAR.com To Go, a suite of real-time wireless NASCAR content
applications, available to consumers on a variety of select
mobile devices offered on the AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS and
T-Mobile networks. It is a subscription-based mobile service
that gives subscribers access to view and share a variety of
real-time NASCAR Winston Cup content via their wireless
devices. Said Drew Reifenberger, executive vice president and
general manager of Turner Sports Interactive and NASCAR.com:
"It is no secret that our priority at NASCAR.com is to provide
racing fans with the most complete and in-depth NASCAR
experience possible when they can’t make it to the track.
“This new service is a perfect extension of those ideals and
another example of the ever evolving relationship between
sports and technology, a union that we at NASCAR.com are
excited to be ahead of the curve on.” Meanwhile, the official
website of the motorsport says it has signed up more than
100,000 subscribers to its TrackPass since it launched last
February. TrackPass provides online live race coverage for all
NASCAR Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series practice,
qualifying and races, as well as access to NASCAR.com’s
library of audio and video clips.
Sportsbusiness.com
2/12/03
Daytona 500 not most important
race According to this Tampa Bay Tribune
article, The Daytona 500 is NASCAR's biggest show. It
pays the most money, attracts the most media and has the
longest buildup. But with rules and other circumstances being
different at Daytona than at most other tracks, does winning
the 500 mean what it should? Heading into Sunday's 500, one
prominent crew chief says no. ``I'm not saying the Daytona 500
is not a big race,'' said Frank Stoddard, crew chief for Ward
Burton. ``It is a big race. I'm just saying that when I lay my
head down on the pillow at night, it would mean more to me to
win Indianapolis Brickyard 400 because I know it is not just
about circumstances that happened on that day. ``You can go to
Daytona and have the best car by three- tenths of a second and
do nothing and have somebody knock you out of the race. But
you can go to Indianapolis and if you're three-tenths quicker
out there, unless you really screw something up, you have a
good chance of winning that day.''
2/12/03
Tickets still available for
Daytona 500 There are still some tickets
available for the Daytona 500. "`We have always sold out the
500,'' said Kathy Catron, senior manager of publicity for
Daytona International Speedway. "`But we still have some
tickets left.'' The only tickets available are a combination
package - the Daytona 500 and Saturday's Busch Series Koolerz
300 - selling for $175. They are available on the Internet at
daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by phone at (386)
253-7223. If you just want to experience Daytona International
Speedway, there are plenty of tickets available for Thursday's
Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying races, Friday's Craftsman Truck
Florida Dodge Dealers 250 and Saturday's Busch race. And
infield tickets for the 500 are available for $90.
2/12/03 Industry News
Triathlon bike formerly owned
by Paul Tracy Offered for sale to AutoRacing1.Com
Subscribers, a 2001 BP-1
Stealth Carbon fiber bike, very fast and extremely cool. .
See Classified page.
2/12/03
Home Depot not interested in
replacing Winston Home Depot doesn't plan to
increase its commitment to NASCAR, even though the
organization is seeking a new title sponsor for the Winston
Cup Series. "We enjoy the relationship we have with NASCAR
today," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, chief executive and
president of Home Depot. "It's at the appropriate level." The
Atlanta-based retailer sponsors driver Tony Stewart, the 2002
Winston Cup champion. Former Washington Redskins head coach
Joe Gibbs is Stewart's team owner. Last week, R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Co., which makes Winston cigarettes, and NASCAR
confirmed that talks have taken place about a change in the
title sponsorship. Limits on advertising by cigarette makers
and the weak economy have R.J. Reynolds thinking about ending
the partnership that started in 1971.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2/12/03
Brooke gets Evernham
Ray Evernham was subpoenaed in Jeff Gordon's divorce case
Tuesday, accepting the papers from a sheriff's deputy outside
Daytona International Speedway. Brooke Gordon's lawyers want
to look at the contracts NASCAR car owners have with their
drivers and sponsors to determine what Gordon is worth as a
car owner. The four-time Winston Cup champion owns a stake of
Hendrick Motorsports. The car owners fought original subpoenas
they received over the past month at their home offices, but
the lawyers have been trying to serve them during preparations
for Sunday's season-opening Daytona 500 to get them to appear
in a Florida court. NASCAR turned away a process server
attempting to get into the track last week, and Evernham said
officials from the sanctioning body asked him to go outside of
the track on Tuesday to accept the papers. "NASCAR asked me to
do it and to not make a scene about it," Evernham said. "So I
did it because I care about this sport, unlike Mrs. Gordon,
who is trying to make a circus of the Daytona 500." Evernham,
who won three Winston Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief, was
the best man at the Gordons' wedding. The subpoena orders
Evernham to appear in court this Friday, but he said he would
not be showing up. "I have 150 employees to worry about and
two race cars to get ready for the biggest event of the year,"
he said. "I'm not stopping to go to court." Car owner Chip
Ganassi said he was not served before he left Daytona on
Monday to return to his home in Pittsburgh, but was told a
deputy had been looking for him where he had been staying when
he first arrived for the race. Roush Racing general manager
Geoff Smith said his organization had not received an order to
appear in a Florida court. (Fox/AP)
2/12/03
NASCAR starts big push into
Europe
First the TV, then followed by European races? And with
Honda and Toyota coming in, soon to be followed by Japan, the
rest of Asia and an eventual push to worldwide motorsports
dominance, overtaking F1 as the biggest series? Don't
bet against it. The National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the North American Sports Network (NASN),
the new American sports television channel, have partnered to
bring the entire 2003 season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series
live to sports and racing fans, a first for the United Kingdom
and Ireland. Additionally, the entire 2003 season of NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series will be carried on the digital
television channel which is available in more than 7.5 million
homes on Sky (satellite) and ntl:home (cable). Live coverage
of the 2003 NASCAR season on NASN starts with the Budweiser
Shootout on February 8, 2003 leading up to the 45th running of
the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16th. "We're pleased to
bring the live action and great competition of the NASCAR
Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to our
fans in the UK and Ireland. NASCAR's partnership with NASN
helps us tap into an important motor sports market and provide
additional exposure for our drivers, teams, tracks and
sponsors," said Paul Brooks, vice president, broadcasting,
NASCAR. "We are dedicated to bringing fans the best North
American sports 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and our
schedule is not complete without NASCAR," said Amory Schwarz,
NASN chief operating officer. "NASN will broadcast the races
live to ensure our viewers will enjoy the drama and excitement
of NASCAR precisely as the action unfolds."
2/12/03 Industry News
Sony PDA for the discriminating race
fan Offered for sale to AutoRacing1.Com Subscribers, Sony Clié PEG-NR70V Personal Digital Assistant w/Palm OS 4.1. See Classified page.
2/12/03
Infineon develops technology to
eliminate need for F1 drivers There are some people in F1
who think the technology rampage should continue because it's neat
stuff. The cars are already pretty automatic, with the driver
only having to accelerate, brake and turn the wheel, and even that is
all assisted. However Infineon (Sears Point sponsor) has
developed a technology that would make the need to have a driver in
the cockpit of a F1 unnecessary. Researchers at Infineon
Technologies in Germany had developed new semiconductor technology
that would allow scientists to read electrical signals in living nerve
cells, the company said on Tuesday. Being able to read and record the
signals, with the aid of computers, would help scientists better
understand how the brain worked and could eventually lead to
treatments for neurological diseases, like Alzheimer's, said Roland
Thewes, senior director in corporate research at Munich-based
Infineon. "For example, you could put slices from brain nerve cells on
the chip, apply drugs and see how the nerve signals and cells react to
a particular drug," he said in an interview. Infineon researchers
worked with scientists at the Max Planck Institute, located outside
Munich, on the new biosensor chip, dubbed the "Neuro-Chip". The Neuro-Chip,
about the size of a fingernail, had 16,000 sensors that monitor
electrical pulses in cells submerged in electrolyte nutrient fluid
that coated the semiconductor and kept the neurons alive, Mr Thewes
said. Amplifiers embedded in the circuitry enable each sensor to
detect and process the low voltage signals throughout the different
cell layers. The data can then be transmitted to a computer and
eventually transformed into a color picture for analysis. A
future application that Ron Dennis would love could see a computer and
sensors attached to Michael Schumacher's brain allowing him to drive
his Ferrari from his living room at home. While we don't expect
this to happen, we only point out just how ridiculous the amount of
technology in F1 that has taken the sport out of racing, and how bad
it could get if not stopped now. Mark C.
Driver Team Tires Laps Time Speed/Gap
Kimi Raikkonen McLaren M 65 1:07.191 138.394 mph
Cristiano da Matta Toyota M 51 1:07.514 -0.323
David Coulthard McLaren M 72 1:07.796 -0.605
Ricardo Zonta Toyota M 40 1:09.947 -2.756
2/11/03
Daytona practice crash sends
teams scrambling
A five-car crash during practice for the Daytona 500 sent
three teams scrambling for backup cars to use in Thursday's
twin 125-mile qualifying races. With the cars running in a big
pack Tuesday, rookie Jack Sprague, riding between Mike Skinner
and Steve Park, suddenly banged off Park. He then slid down
the banking into Skinner, who went sideways. Jeff Burton and
Elliott Sadler then drove into the melee. When the wreckage
was cleared, the crews of Skinner, Burton and Sadler all had
to pull their backups off their haulers to get them ready for
the qualifying races. Sprague's crew said the nose of his car
could be repaired and Park's had only a little sheet metal
damage on the left rear quarter panel, near the tire. They
will have one opportunity to practice Wednesday. "To the best
of my knowledge, we got ran into by a rookie," Skinner said.
"Whether he got pushed down there or not, I don't know."
Sprague said: "I was in the middle, Park was on the outside
and he didn't stay up and he hit me in the right front, drove
me into Skinner and it was all over." Park refused to take the
blame for starting the accident. "He bounced off me. I was up
by the wall and couldn't go any higher except for the
grandstands," he said. Dale Jarrett had the fast time in the
practice at 188.494 mph. Skinner was fifth, Sprague was 12th,
Park 19th, Burton 25th and Sadler 41st.
2/11/03
Schumacher stuns in new Ferrari
debut
Michael Schumacher sent out a stunning warning to Ferrari’s
rivals by breaking the lap record at Fiorano in his first time
out in the F2003-GA today. Schumacher completed 78
trouble-free laps and went consistently quicker as the day
wore on. Schumachers shaved the best part of half-a-second off
the old lap record after setting a quickest time of 57.045s
during his first day of testing in the new car at Ferrari's
test track. Schumacher’s previous mark of 57.476s was set last
summer in the F2002.
2/11/03 Industry News
Final phase of work at Infineon
Raceway Infineon Raceway has completed the on-track
design work for three circuit enhancements, and workers have
begun the final phase of the project: placing the asphalt.
These changes are designed to increase rider safety at the AMA
Supercuts Superbike Challenge, presented by Honda of Milpitas,
May 2-4. The redesigned portions of track at Turns 1, 10 and
11 will be used strictly by the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S.
Superbike Championship Series and 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 enhancements further
demonstrate Infineon Raceway’s goal of becoming one of the
safest AMA-sanctioned circuits in the country. A
polymer-modified asphalt was used on the three portions of
track. It is the same blend of asphalt that covers the entire
circuit. 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. The
track has been extended 50 feet in a straight line before
entering Turn 1. Riders will now 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. The
entry into Turn 10 has been 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,
plus it should also turn into an exciting passing zone in
front of the Hillside Terraces. 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. 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.
2/11/03
IRL on Channel 5 in the UK
In another AR1 exclusive, we have learned that IRL races will
be televised on TV Channel 5 in the UK this year.
Channel 5 TV reaches 80%+ of the UK population via terrestrial
TV. Channel 5 will not televise CART races, they will be
on Eurosport throughout all countries in Europe.
2/11/03
France tells Smith forget about
it
According to this Dallas Forth Worth Star Telegram
article, Texas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith may
be in a buying mood for racetracks in the NASCAR Winston Cup
Series. But Smith can forget about purchasing any facilities
owned by corporate rival International Speedway Corp., to add
to his Speedway Motorsports Inc. empire. Bill France
Jr., chairman of the family-owned ISC and NASCAR, has flatly
dismissed the idea of selling any ISC tracks and their Winston
Cup race dates to Smith. "You know better than that,"
France said during an impromptu news conference at the Daytona
International Speedway on Monday afternoon. Reminded
that Smith said during a Media Day visit to TMS in Fort Worth
two weeks ago that he was in a "buying mood" for racetracks --
including those owned by ISC -- France replied, "Bruton,
sometimes when he opens his mouth, he sounds constipated."
Joking that he had walked into the media center only to get
out of the sun, France also touched on the following topics:
There is no hard deadline to
implement NASCAR's proposed realignment plan for swapping
Winston Cup race dates beginning in 2004, after a cool
reception from series track operators/promoters.
"We've put a word behind that,
called 'beyond' ... 2004 and beyond," France said.
The proposed schedule realignment
is being undertaken, in part, to accommodate the wishes of
NASCAR's network TV partners.
"For the amount of revenue they're
[the networks] putting into the sport, we've got to pay
attention to 'em," France said.
A proposal made by Smith to split
NASCAR into two divisions to create more race dates has been
deemed unworkable by the sanctioning body and likely would be
rejected by its TV partners.
A major foreign manufacturer,
rumored to be Toyota, is expected to announce its intention of
joining the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this week.
At age 69, France is in good
health after a protracted battle with cancer, as well as
recovering from a triple bypass and surgery for a broken leg
last year.
"I feel pretty good. I still kind
of walk a little wobbly, like I've had a few drinks," France
said.
"It's like you put your feet in a
deep freeze and your head in a microwave oven. On average, you
feel pretty good."
2/11/03
Watson turns down Jag
Former F1 star John Watson has turned down the role of 'front
man' with the Jaguar F1 team, a role that Martin Brundle,
another F1 driver turned commentator, also rejected. "I was
flattered to even be considered for such a position," Watson
told the Belfast Telegraph. "But I've decided it is not the
role for me." "I had a couple of meetings with Tony Purnell,"
added the five-time GP winner. "And other senior members of
the new Jaguar set-up and they outlined a wide-ranging and
exciting concept. But I felt the terms and conditions of the
job were not appropriate for me."
2/11/03
Newman receives Academy Award
nomination
Legendary Oscar-winning actor and co-owner of Newman/Haas
Racing Paul Newman has received an Academy Award nomination
for Best Supporting Actor for his role in last summer's
Depression-era film, Road to Perdition. Newman portrayed mob
boss John Rooney in the film, which also starred Tom Hanks and
Jude Law. Road to Perdition tallied seven total nominations
for this year's Academy Awards. Newman most recently earned an
Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as pool shark Eddie
Felson in The Color of Money. Newman and co-owner Carl Haas
earned their fourth Champ Car season championship when
Cristiano da Matta won the 2002 title. The team's two cars
carried the movie's logo on their rear wings for four races
this past year, winning three of the four races. ABC will
broadcast the Oscar ceremony live from the Kodak Theatre in
Hollywood, California on March 23rd and the 2003 Bridgestone
Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season
kicks off in St. Petersburg, Florida on February 23rd with the
inaugural Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
2/11/03
Can the Union 76 balls be
painted?
According to this Winston Salem Journal
article, those bright orange Unocal balls at NASCAR
tracks are soon to be replaced, after the decision of the
parent company, ConocoPhillips, to pull out of NASCAR. Unocal,
first as Pure, was one of this sport's first major sponsors,
going back to the beach-racing days of the early 1950s. The
debate now is whether those advertising balls will be painted
ExxonMobil red-and-white or Shell yellow. Those are the two
companies expected to make the biggest offers to NASCAR for
the marketing rights. Why would ConocoPhillips, the nation's
third-largest oil company, give up NASCAR rights? Company
officials say it's because they plan to continue to market
regionally with their various brands, not nationally.
2/11/03
Montoya breaks Valencia record
Today Juan Pablo Montoya lapped Valencia in 1m10.4s in his
BMW-powered FW25, breaking the previous best set of 1m10.6s by
Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren-Mercedes set earlier this year.
2/11/03
Eurospeedway signs sponsor
EuroSpeedway has signed an agreement with Feldschlößchen AG
Brewery it was announced. Headquartered in Dresden,
Germany, they will be the official beer company of
Eurospeedway, though it was not announced if a specific brand
name would be used.
2/11/03
Schumacher to decide on future
Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher said in
interview due for publication on Wednesday that he will "most
probably" decide this year whether he'll continue his racing
career after his contract with Ferrari ends in 2004. "I'm in
the lucky position that the decision depends mainly on me,"
the five-time world champion told Kicker magazine. "The car is
changing so I have to change," said the 34-year-old. "The day
when I don't do anything or don't want to do anything is also
the day that I'd be better off giving up."
2/11/03
Sponsor for Fontana race
The Automobile Club of Southern California has signed a
multi-year agreement to be the title sponsor for the April
NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at the Southern
California-based superspeedway. The Auto Club 500 is scheduled
for April 27, at California Speedway
2/11/03
Silverstone downsizing staff
According to Grandprix.com, There have been more lay-offs at
Silverstone, the latest group of 20 including circuit director Brian
Pallett. This will bring the staff at Silverstone down to under 40
people. This has been caused by the poor results achieved by Octagon
Motorsport which owns a lease to run the circuit. It has been strongly
rumored for several months that Octagon is about to be bought by
Bernie Ecclestone but this deal seems to have gone quiet in recent
days and there are now fears that the British GP may be in doubt
because of the Octagon financial situation.
2/11/03
Salo to drive in CART and ALMS
As reported elsewhere on this site, Mika Salo will drive for PK
Racing in St. Pete, alongside Patrick Lemarie. He will
also drive in ALMS for Audi at Sebring and LeMans, however,
LeMans conflicts with CART's race at Laguna Seca, assuming his
ride with PK Racing is for a full season.
Jean Todt, Paolo Martinelli, Rory Byrne
and Ross Brawn
2/10/03
Privateer Panoz ALMS entry
The outstanding field of professional sports car racing teams that
will contest the 2003 American Le Mans Series continues to take shape
as the running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring draws closer.
The 51st annual edition of America’s oldest sports car race will open
the season Mar. 12-15. The Panoz marque will again be represented in
the LMP 900 class of this year's American Le Mans Series, but the high
performance manufacturer will have a fresh face for the 2003 season.
Two Panoz LMP-01 cars will be fielded by JML Team Panoz, a privateer
team working in conjunction with Elan Motor Sport Technologies - the
racing division of the Panoz companies in 2003. Panoz LMP-01 machines
scored two overall wins in the 2002 season. The new program reflects
this year's efforts of leading manufacturers Audi and Porsche -
supporting a privateer team rather than assembling an entire factory
effort. "I believed it would be unfair and inappropriate for the owner
of the series and the sanctioning body to be the only factory effort
when virtually all other LMP 900 entries were competing as
privateers," Team and ALMS Founder, Don Panoz said. "We have completed
final negotiations with JML Team Panoz." The team will be managed and
owned by experienced technical director and racing engineer John
McLoughlin - himself a team owner and former Technical Director of the
Professional Sportscar Series. JML Team Panoz is planning to contest
the American Le Mans Series championship as well as the 24 Hours of Le
Mans. The cars will again be powered by Elan Power Products engines,
developed on-site at EMT's Braselton headquarters. Elan Power Products
will continue to provide on-track support at all events. "We are
confident that the Panoz marque will be extremely well represented by
John and his team in the year ahead," Panoz said. "We have closely
analysed the way other manufacturers have structured their motorsport
programs and believe this will prove to be extremely beneficial in the
long run - both for the Panoz brand and the American Le Mans Series
championship itself." Drivers for the season are expected to be
announced in the near future.
2/10/03
Brooke lawyers bring subpoenas to the
track
According to this AP
article, Jeff Gordon's divorce case spilled over to the race
track Monday when attorneys for his wife tried to subpoena several car
owners at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR officials did not
allow process servers into the track. Most of the top teams have been
subpoenaed at their home offices in the past month, and all have
refused to open their books to Brooke Gordon and her lawyers. Because
the divorce is being heard in Florida, her lawyers want the car owners
to have to fight new subpoenas in a local court. "We wanted to take
advantage of the fact they are in Florida and issue Florida
subpoenas," said Terry Young, an Orlando-based attorney representing
Brooke Gordon. "If they choose to contest them, we want them to go
before a Florida judge to do so." Young said a process server was
turned away Friday when NASCAR teams reported to the track to prepare
for Sunday's Daytona 500, so the papers were sent again Monday with
Volusia County sheriff's deputies. Young did not know if the deputies
had gotten into the track, but a NASCAR official said they did not
allow the subpoenas in. Gordon, the four-time Winston Cup champion,
was aware of what was happening at the track. "It's out of my control,
but I think it's really disgusting," he said. "It's a real shame that
they are trying to drag all these other guys into this because to me,
there are other ways for them to get what they are looking for. This
is just harassment."
2/10/03 Industry News
Mid-Ohio founder dies
Les Griebling, founder of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington,
Ohio, passed away Thursday afternoon in Manatee Memorial Hospital in
Bradenton, Florida, following a brief illness. He was 78. In 1961,
Griebling designed, built and opened Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on
rolling farmland near Lexington. He owned and operated the racetrack
until selling to Jim Trueman in 1981. The Griebling family remains
connected to Mid-Ohio today, as youngest son Tracy supervises the
track maintenance department. Son Al retired in 2002 after a long
career at the track, while Gary has spent countless hours in various
capacities as well.
2/10/03
Renault testing problems
“We had a productive first day of testing with Allan focusing on long
runs aimed at race-reliability for the first Grand Prix of the
season,” Mike Gascoyne explained. “In the morning however, his run was
cut short due to engine problems. In the afternoon he ran useful
mileage even though his testing was hampered by minor gearbox problem.
Tomorrow Allan will continue race-reliability evaluation. Fernando had
a limited program to work on with some engine mapping. In the next
days he will concentrate on Michelin tire evaluation for Melbourne.”
2/10/03
Heidfeld
crying like baby over HANSUPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1,
I think there are many drivers out there who would love to have Nick
Heidfeld's seat and would have no problem wearing the HANS device!
Maybe he should step aside in favor of someone who has no problem with
it! Rick Flaute, Dayton, Ohio.
2/10/03 - "In theory it is a good thing but in practice it doesn't work
for me," Heidfeld told autosport.com, having first tried the
system in free practice at the Italian Grand Prix last year.
"In Monza I had a headache after the Friday, so I didn't use
it anymore. I don't know how it will be possible to use it at
Melbourne. At the moment, there is no way. For me, personally,
I feel it is more dangerous because I couldn't concentrate for
a whole race, it would start to hurt and I could lose
concentration and crash." He added: "The rules say it has to
be used. I would like to see that rule changed, but at this
moment I can't see it. I hear some other drivers have had
problems with it and I'd like to speak with them about it."
All CART drivers use it and have become comfortable with it on
all road courses. Only the F1 drivers are crying like
babies.
2/10/03
Mosley calls for more cost
cuttingUPDATE
Updated with a more complete story. 2/10/03 - Tell us if this doesn't sound more like CART
and F1 moving closer together. Max Mosley is telling the teams
that F1 could move to a single engine supplier by 2006 to
reduce engine costs by 90%...a la CART. In essence he is
telling the engine manufacturers if they complain too much,
the FIA will contract with a Cosworth or a John Judd to supply
the entire field. Either they get on board with the
program of cutting costs, or they are out. More......
2/10/03
Monday test times from Valencia
1. Ralf Schumacher - Williams -
1:11.99 - 65 laps
2. Juan Pablo Montoya - Williams - 1:12.44 - 45 laps
3. Fernando Alonso - Renault - 1:12.54 - 36 laps
4. Ralph Firman - Jordan - 1:13.46 - 73 laps
5. Allan McNish - Renault - 1:14.94 - 51 laps
2/10/03
Fittipaldi-Dingman team to
expand to two cars
The team will be run out of the Mi-Jack Conquest Racing
headquarters in Indianapolis, as the team has entered a
partnership with the Eric Bachelart-owned team that will run
its first Champ Car season with Mario Haberfeld at the wheel.
The team will start the season with one fully funded car, but
is still in discussions and looking for long-term primary
sponsors for the 2003 season and beyond. Furthermore, in their
continued efforts to provide marketing and branding support
for their future sponsors, Fittipaldi-Dingman Racing's
strategy is to not only run a second car later this season,
but to run a two-car team starting in the 2004 campaign.
Dingman will use his business acumen to help the team achieve
that goal, as the 29-year-old financier will concentrate his
efforts on the off-track search for new business
relationships.
2/10/03
CART scoops IRL in Brazil
The IRL has more Brazilian drivers than CART now, but the
Champ Car World Series will be the only North American
open-wheel racing series to be broadcast live on an
over-the-air network in the country of Brazil in 2003. The
deal announced today with RedeTV! is geared toward a younger
audience, will do more than just carry the Champ Car events.
Promotion will include CART and its drivers in all aspects of
its programming and in-market promotions designed to build the
viewing audience. The network has full digital capability and
offers the latest technology in the television industry.
We wonder what Hollywood thinks?
2/10/03
Daly comments on car owners
Derek Daly made a pretty bold statement on SPEED Channel this
past weekend talking about the defections to the IRL he said
"In my opinion (paraphrased) , those owners, when they took
the money and ran proved that they never should have been in a
decision making capacity with CART in the first place, because
their interests were only self-serving, which is no way to run
a company."
2/10/03
Vasser gets sponsor for
300-miler
Jimmy Vasser has agreed to a deal with Aventis Bio-Services
that will make them the primary sponsor on his NASCAR Busch
Series car at Daytona for the Koolerz 300 on February 15,
2003. Vasser will be driving the No. 30 Dodge fielded by Braun
Racing. Player Management International coordinated the
sponsorship deal and it was completed late last week. 1996
CART Champion, Jimmy Vasser, will make his stock car racing
debut in the NASCAR BGN Series “Koolerz 300” at the Daytona
International Speedway. This much anticipated debut will mark
the beginning of a new era for the open wheel veteran and
serve as a “springboard” for future races. Sponsor – “Aventis
Bio-Services”, will join Vasser in a one-race deal for
Daytona. “I really look forward to making my NASCAR debut and
making it at a place like Daytona makes it even more
exciting,” stated Vasser. “I have run a few IROC races at
Daytona (1997 & 1999), but being in the draft with 42 other
stockcars will be a new experience that I really look forward
to. Also, having a company such as Aventis Bio-Services come
on board to be apart of this is cool.” He added, “My plan is
to do 10-12 NASCAR BGN races this year and learn on different
tracks, get to know people and teams and see how I do,” stated
Vasser. “I see myself racing in NASCAR in the future and this
is the first step in getting the necessary experience.”
2/10/03
Only 10,000 tickets sold for Malaysian GP
According to the Star
article, the organisers of the Malaysian F1 race,
Sepang International Circuit (SIC), have only 10,000 confirmed
sales so far. But they are confident of hitting their target
of 100,000 for next month's Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix. SIC
advertising and promotions manager Azlan Akil said the 10,000
figure was much higher compared to this time last year. “I
must say that ticket sales took a dive during the Chinese New
Year period but we expect it to pick up from now,” said Azlan
after the launching of the F1 Fest at the City Square here
yesterday by Johor Tourism general manager Datuk Abdul Karim
Hassan.
2/10/03
Bud Shootout ratings soar
Fox's telecast of Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout telecast
rating soared 61% over last year's. The race, moved to prime
time for the first time, drew an ''average audience'' of 9.5
million. Many more viewers were watching at the finish; 9.5
million was the average during the entire course of the race.
According to Fox officials, the race beat NBC, CBS and ABC in
the coveted demographic audience of adults age 18-49.
According to Fox, it drew a 3.8 demographic rating, NBC a 2.4,
ABC a 2.2 and CBS a 2.0.
2/10/03
Firman to debut on MondayUPDATE Ralph Firman made his test debut for new
team Jordan (see photos below). The 27-year-old had his first
run in the Jordan EJ13 at Valencia. The EJ13 was running its
brand new yellow livery which reflects the team’s renewed
sponsorship deal with Benson and Hedges. There were no times
available from this morning’s session. Firman is concentrating
on getting comfortable in the car and acclimatizing to F1
after spending six seasons racing in the Japanese Formula
Nippon series. 2/9/03 - Ralph Firman will have his
debut test for Jordan. The Briton will drive the EJ13 at Valencia on
Monday morning.
2/10/03
$10 to $15 million to run Cup
team
This Charleston Post and Courier
article spells out the issues related to sponsorship
woes in NASCAR. Most telling - to be a top-10 car your
budget is $10 to $15 million per year, compared to $5 to $6
million in the IRL and CART. That is a lot of money, but
then again NASCAR does get high TV ratings. Still the
NASCAR cost pales in comparison to a F1 team, where annual
budgets surpass $100 million per car.
2/10/03
Leffler to attempt Indy 500 run
Add Jason Leffler's name to the list of NASCAR drivers who
plan an attempt at the Indianapolis 500 in May. Leffler,
former USAC Midget and Silver Crown champ, drove in 2001 for
Chip Ganassi and retreated last year to Craftsman Trucks with
Ultra Motorsports. He's back in Ultra's No. 2 Trucks this
year. Leffler and team officials revealed Friday night that he
would try to make at try at the 500, with details not yet
clear, such as whose car he might drive or what sponsorship is
available. John Andretti and Robby Gordon also have been given
permission to run in the 500, with Gordon running the past two
years there in cars co-owned by Cup car owner Richard
Childress. Neither Andretti nor Gordon has made clear exactly
what the plans are. Andretti says he wants to race at Indy
because his cousin Michael will be making his final drive at
the Speedway before retiring.
SPEED TV
Fontana tickets
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I noticed in this mornings LA Times
an ad for Winston Cup Tickets for the Fontana race. Shouldn't
it be sold out by now? I was a season ticket holder since day
one, only so I could assure myself of prime seats for the CART
races. I attended the Cup races, but they bored me, the
spectacle surrounding it was fun though. Anyway, I did not
renew my tickets this year because I will not be forced to buy
IRL tickets along with all the other races they put on the
schedule to justify almost doubling the price. I'm curious how
season ticket sales went. Were there many more people like me
who didn't renew? The speedway contacted me several times
about renewing, I told them I just wasn't interested in the
IRL and would by my CART tickets at a later date. Can you do
some snooping and find out how ticket sales went? A lot of us
are interested. Thanks! Steve Graves, Claremont, CA
Dear Steve, we have not heard how ticket sales are going at
Fontana, but given the near zero interest in the IRL race
there last year, we could see how some people might be upset
with being forced to pay extra for them this year.
Mark C.
2/9/03
Trans-Am announces five key
appointments The Trans-Am Series for the
BFGoodrich Tires Cup Executive Director John Clagett announced
five racing professionals, with several decades of experience
among them, have joined the production car-based sports car
racing series. ³We sought the best and the brightest to join
the Trans-Am Series,² said Clagett. ³We needed the right
people to assist us during this year of transition. These five
individuals represent the very best in their respective areas
of expertise. I don¹t think we could have found a better group
of people to further the Trans-Am legacy.² Dee Duncan returns
to the Trans-Am Series as Manager, Marketing Services/Series
Administrator after working in the private sector last year.
Duncan previously worked in several positions within SCCA Pro
Racing, including as its chief registrar. In her new position,
Duncan will serve in a dual role. As series administrator, she
will act as Series liaison among teams, sponsors and
competitors, producing entry lists, and other administrative
duties. In her marketing services role, Duncan will assist in
all aspects of Series marketing. Chief Registrar Wanda Simons
returns for her sophomore Trans-Am Series season after working
with the NASCAR Goody¹s Dash Series. Simons will be
responsible for credentials and she will assist with other
administrative duties. Technical Advisor Dennis Kazmerowski
will be in charge of vehicle inspection and will assist
Technical Director Dave King in the completion and maintenance
of the Series rulebook. ³With the new leadership and
direction, I think the future of the Trans-Am Series is
exciting,² said Kazmerowski. Series Announcer Caroline Wright
has been calling races for many years. Most recently, Wright,
a racing driver herself, became the first female driver to
score a class victory in a Grand Am Cup race, winning the
Sport Touring II class at Florida¹s Daytona International
Speedway. Justin Anderson, manager, public relations, comes to
the Trans-Am Series after a three-year tenure as a staff
writer for National Speed Sport News. In his new position,
Anderson is responsible for all aspects of the Trans-Am Series
public relations efforts, as well as the series web site,
www.trans-amseries.com.
2/9/03
Rain delay at DaytonaUPDATE The rain was just too heavy
and persistent. Qualifications will now be Monday afternoon.
2/9/03 - Today's Daytona 500 pole qualifying has been rain delayed by heavy
rains in Daytona Beach, Florida. Because the track has lights,
they can qualify as late as 11:00 PM tonight, so we suspect they will
eventually get them in today.
2/9/03
Malaysia hoping for more fans from
Singapore A record 92,500
spectators attended last year's Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang, with
Singaporeans making up a significant proportion of the foreign fans.
Singaporeans accounted for one quarter of the 60,000 foreign
spectators. This year, organizers are confident of hitting the 100,000
mark, especially with rules changed to make the race more exciting.
Organizers also do not expect the present Singapore-Malaysia relations
to affect attendance.
2/9/03
Indian
driver says he can make it in F1...or CART According to this
Indian Express newspaper article,
brushing aside the disappointments of the last season, India’s top
motorsports driver Narain Karthikeyan today said he was confident of
breaking into the Formula One grade soon. “After the crash last year
due to which I failed to participate in some meets, I am much more fit
both physically and mentally and I think I can make it this time,” the
“fastest Indian in the world” told reporters here today. Karthikeyan,
who finished last year’s championship in Brazil as one of the fastest
drivers in the highly competitive Telefonica World Series, would be
participating in nine races in the same series this year, starting
with the race in Barcelona, Spain on March 30. Despite the crash, for
which he lost valuable 80 points, he claimed one pole position and set
a fastest time ever in the Interlagos circuit (other than F1). Terming
2002, which was his first year on the European circuit, as a ‘learning
year’, the 26-year old shot back at critics who said that age was no
more on his side. “Some people are saying that I am too old for
Formula-1. But there are certain racers who made their debut in F-1 at
the age of 29. As far as I am concerned I know that I can do it,” said
Karthikeyan who would be driving for a British team. He blamed lack of
opportunity as one of the reasons for his failure to make it to F-1.
“I am quicker than some of the young crops at F-1. Getting opportunity
is the main thing.” He also urged sponsors to come forward and finance
him as he intensifies efforts to join the big league. “Though I am
getting good money like the cricketers, it is not enough as I have to
spend everything on races.” With all the Indians living in the
USA, CART would be wise to take a look at this guy (as well as Alex
Yoong, who is half Chinese).
2/9/03
Shanghai's
unique F1 circuit taking shape According to this Malaysian
The Star newspaper
article, come October next year, China will join the F1 circus
with the inaugural race in Shanghai. But it will be one with a
difference. The turns and straights will spell out a favored Chinese
character, shang, meaning ascend. And because there are two rivers
around the circuit, the team bungalows will be built on the water.
Drivers and team members will take water cruises to and from the
circuit. The Shanghai circuit is one of two new legs for the F1 next
year, the other being Bahrain. The 5.4km track, now in the first phase
of construction, will have 15 turns and five straights besides the
obligatory medical centre, pit building, support paddock, workshop and
karting track. It is estimated to cost two billion yuan (RM912mil).
Located in Anting Town, Jiading District, which is on the
north-western outskirts of the city, the circuit is planned to be the
largest in Asia with a grandstand capacity of 200,000 spectators.
Malaysia's capacity at Sepang is 100,000. “We have thousands of people
working on it (the track) now. It must be completed by March next year
for the inspection by FIA,” said Shanghai International Circuit deputy
general manager Yu Zhifei. Construction of roads and rail traffic in
the city are also underway. Among them are highways and a fast
light-rail traffic line. A 650-km highway network will be in place
while the light-rail will connect downtown Shanghai, Jiading New Area
and International Automobile City in Anting to the circuit. So
enthusiastic are the Chinese about the circuit that they even have a
mascot for the circuit, Raceman who strikes a “gangsta rapper”
like-pose to help establish a brand name. And they are still learning.
They have visited Germany, Brazil, Spain and Monaco. Recently, they
visited Malaysia where local company Asian Overland Services Tours and
Travel, has been appointed as their global marketing agent. “There are
similarities in our cultures so it is easier. Plus our collaboration
will hopefully gain new audiences in Asia,” added Yu. They will also
learn about race organization, track management and track preparation
from the Sepang International Circuit, organizers of the Malaysian
race. “We will have a track which is more futuristic looking. There
will even be a motorsports centre where all future automobile
activities like car shows can be held,' said Yu, adding that winning
the F1 bid last year was a feather in China's cap as they have already
won the right to host the Olympics in 2008. “It is a challenge to do
this (bringing F1 to China),” said general manager Mao Xiaohan. Of
course, we all cheered and screamed when we won the bid. Now, it's
down to the work. “Firstly, we have to develop F1 in the country from
every aspect like getting the local audience to the organization.
There is also training and educating the public.” On Malaysia's side,
SIC welcomed the inclusion of Shanghai. General manager Ahmad Mustafa
said a wider audience would be acquired with the partnership. The
immediate effect would be an increase in spectators from China coming
to the Malaysian race. Special packages are being drawn up for them.
More....
2/9/03
Sauber lands Russian sponsorship Sauber Petronas have
landed another sponsor, Russian telecommunications giant MTS, Mobile
TeleSystems. In this difficult climate where its getting harder and
harder for teams to gain sponsorship, Sauber Petronas seem to have
their future secured. In the first 9 months of last year, MTS recorded
a net profit of 191.9 million US dollars, their total revenue for that
period in 2002 was $952.5 million. The company mainly operates in
Russia and Eastern Europe where it has over 100 million customers.
Team Principal, Peter Sauber delightfully commented on the new
sponsorship package: "In a difficult economic environment we've
managed to lock in a package of solid financial backing. Nine days
ago, Red Bull decided to extend their partnership with us, and now
we've been able to secure MTS as another sponsor. This underscores the
appeal of our team. “Together with our sponsors, Petronas and Credit
Suisse, we now have a solid basis for our forward-looking strategy,
which includes the construction of our ultra-modern wind tunnel
adjacent to our Hinwil plant."
2/9/03
Massa to do double duty Ferrari has agreed to make Felipe
Massa available to the Sauber team for testing when he is not testing
for Ferrari.
2/9/03
Daddy Firman helps secure JordanUPDATE Ralph Firman Senior, is not only the man who
founded Van Diemen, but he had a major role in helping along the
careers of many racing drivers, including Ayrton Senna, who lived with
the Firmans for a year when he first moved to Europe from Brazil. At
that time Ayrton promised the very young Ralph Jr that he would help
him become a Grand Prix driver when he grew up. Sadly he didn't get
the chance, but it is great news that Ralph Jr. is there now.
2/9/03 - According to Alan Henry,
in the British newspaper The Guardian, the Benson & Hedges deal with
Jordan is worth $22 million. In addition to its other sponsorship
deals, its share of the TV revenue and the recent 'handout' from
Bernie Ecclestone and rival F1 teams, this should give the Jordan team
a fairly solid foundation. Meanwhile according to The Sun, Ralph will
be paid just $8,000 a race. The other thing about the RF deal which
hasn't been made publicly known is that daddy Firman bought a
substantial shareholding in Jordan GP.
c
NASCAR=IROC with decals
This Indy Star
article says the same the we have been saying for weeks now,
Winston Cup cars are now all essentially the same, the only difference
being the decals and car number. What wins races is HP, the
driver and the crew. In the end, as seven-time champion Richard
Petty noted, the idea of Tauruses vs. Monte Carlos vs. Intrepids vs.
Grand Prixs is all something of a moot point anyway. "You don't run
stock cars anymore," he said. "You run race cars."
2/9/03
Chance of rain A chance
of rain is forecast for today in Daytona, which could disrupt the
qualifying schedule, with time trials set to begin at 1:15 p.m. ET. If
the trials are rained out, the tentative plan is to reschedule them
for Monday at 1:05 p.m. There is no word how that would affect
second-round trials, which were scheduled for 1:05 Monday, or whether
that would be scrubbed.
2/9/03
More on Petty movie
If all goes well, Disney's movie on Richard Petty and the Petty family
should be filmed this year and be in theatres sometime in 2004, said
Bill Scott, executive vice president at Petty Enterprises. Disney got
involved in November. Dennis Quaid originally was set to play Lee
Petty but now is expected to play Richard. Scripts are being rewritten
to include more of the Petty family story than just the relationship
between Lee and Richard. "This has been a project that has been
ongoing; I personally have been working on this for four years," Scott
said. "I really believe it's going to happen this year." Scott said
he's not sure where filming will take place but says he'd "be
surprised" if it was done outside North Carolina "based on our
conversations." Roanoke
Times
2/9/03
Brayton's Indy quest in trouble It's
unthinkable, but Brayton Racing, the open-wheel team from Coldwater,
might miss its chance to run in this year's Indianapolis 500. Brayton,
well known at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is short of sponsorship
money, which has forced it to delay the purchase of a competitive
engine and chassis package for the fast-approaching Indy Racing League
season. Without backing from at least another major sponsor, the team
likely will be parked for the year. The season's first IRL race,
the Toyota Indy 300, is scheduled for March 2 at Homestead-Miami
Speedway. At this stage, it's unlikely Brayton Racing will be on the
grid. The team's main sponsor is Rhino Cleaning Products, as it was
last year, but the racing costs in the IRL are rising. "It's tough,"
said Todd Brayton, who along with his schoolteacher wife, Teri, owns
the race team. "I go home at night and hug my son. It's a strange
feeling to think we might not be at Indianapolis, or anywhere, this
year. But we are not giving up."
Detroit Free Press
2/8/03
Changes at Patrick Racing appear to be
working Patrick Racing made a number of key changes to
its organization over the winter, including hiring Steve Challis as
Director of Engineering. Driver Oriol Servia was one of the
dominant drivers during the three days of testing at Sebring this past
week. Servia was the quickest in two of the three individual sessions
he ran and topped the combined speed charts when the team packed up
following the morning practice session on Thursday, February 6.
Now that the team is ready to run at the front again, it begs the
question, when are they going to hook up Oriol up with a teammate?
Two-car teams are always better than one. As we understand it,
CART's goal for next year is for all the teams to be 2-car efforts.
If that is the case, it sure would be nice if both cars on every team
had the same paint scheme a la F1. As it is now, in most cases
the fans have no idea the 2 cars are teammates. If sponsorship
money is combined for the two cars, one would think a good graphic
artist can make the cars color-scheme work for both sponsors. By being
on two cars instead of one, a sponsor has twice the chance to
win.....and we spell that "value". Mark C.
2/8/03
NASCAR drivers sign drug test forms
On Friday NASCAR collected signed copies of its substance abuse policy
from drivers and team members - a requirement before cars are allowed
on the track. The four-page document gives the sanctioning body
permission to randomly drug test anyone involved in the series. NASCAR
tested fewer than a dozen competitors in its top three series last
season, said Kevin Triplett, managing director of business operations.
The policy has undergone several changes over the past 10 years, but
remains the same as the 2002 document, Triplett said. NASCAR prohibits
all illegal drugs at any time under the policy; bans the use of
alcohol on the day of an event; and warns of the effect of certain
prescription and nonprescription medications. Random tests are done
when NASCAR has a "reasonable cause" to believe a participant might
have violated its policy, Triplett said. The strictest part of the
policy is the rule on the consumption of alcohol, with a blood alcohol
level set at 0.02 percent to be considered under the influence. The
limit in Florida, where the season-opening Daytona 500 will be run on
Feb. 16, is 0.08. "This is a pretty dangerous sport," Triplett said.
"You have people working around machines and heavy equipment, so we
have strict rules."
2/8/03
CART teams test Homestead road course
A number of CART teams have made the trek from Spring Training at
Sebring to Homestead, Florida where they are testing on the road
course, both yesterday and again early next week. Motorcycle
races are in town this weekend.
2/8/03
Red Light District
NASCAR's new garage access policy went into effect for the first time
Friday when officials cleared the garage of guests and fans lacking
proper credentials 30 minutes before the cars went on the track. A
half-hour before the cars scheduled to take part in Saturday night's
Budweiser Shootout went out for the first on-track appearance of 2003
for Winston Cup cars, red lights above each entrance and affixed to
several of the team haulers in the garage area began to flash. About a
dozen security people and police made a sweep through the garage
compound, but there were few people without the required "hot passes"
or NASCAR season credentials. A bigger test of the new policy is
expected before the Shootout and prior to pole qualifying Sunday for
the Daytona 500.
ThatsRacin/AP
2/8/03
Chevy out to lunch? A
reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Once again just like in
California, 11 out the top 12 cars were Honda or Toyota powered. Sam
Hornish was 9th in a Chevy. I don't see many wins by Chevy in the IRL
this year. One has to wonder how this will effect Chevy's IRL program
in future? Mike Neubauer, Ohio. Dear Mike, it's
possible the Chevy's are sandbagging, but we hear the Toyota teams are
too. Many suspected Hornish had the best engine the last two
years, enabling him to win the Championship. Now that advantage
may have evaporated, and if that is the case, Sam move move to instant
backmarker. Mark C.
2/8/03
Tobacco ad ban in UK As of midnight Thursday, all
billboard, newspaper and magazine advertising of cigarettes and other
tobacco products will be banned in England. To the dismay of
anti-smoking campaigners and indeed the government however, it's
believed, in some circles, that the ban will actually end up causing
some people to smoke more, since with the amount of money saved on
advertising, tobacco companies will simply begin a 'price war', which
is exactly what happened in Australia. The next step will be a total
ban on such things as point-of-sale banners in shops and petrol
stations, while campaigners are looking at ways of plugging loopholes
whereby tobacco companies associate themselves, and thereby their name
and product, with clothing, music etc. Then of course as from July
this year all tobacco sponsorship of national sport is banned, with a
ban on global sports due to come into effect in July 2005, unless they
move the date forward again. PitPass
2/8/03
Daytona biggest purse ever
The richest race purse in the history of NASCAR Winston Cup Series
competition will be at stake when the green flag waves on the 45th
annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway. The
posted awards for this year's Daytona 500 are $13,816,240, an increase
of $1.5 million from last year's posted awards. The posted awards for
last year's Daytona 500, won by Ward Burton, were $12,314,505. "The
Daytona 500 is the most prestigious race in the NASCAR Winston Cup
Series and this year's competitors will be rewarded handsomely for
their efforts," Speedway President Robin Braig said. The driver that
takes the checkered flag in the Daytona 500 will pocket a minimum of
$1,352,080. The second, third, fourth and fifth-place finishers will
receive $949,550, $654,850, $503,175 and $375,075, respectively
2/8/03
Schumacher wants to keep gizmos ‘I am not such a big fan
of the changes coming into effect at Silverstone,’ Schumacher said. ‘I
like the challenge of driving the car with electronic aids, because
you can get closer to perfection. I don’t think the rule changes will
have much effect on the top drivers, but some of the younger, less
experienced ones might find it more difficult.’ Schumacher also
thought the lack of traction control could be a hazard in slippery
conditions. ‘Not having traction control can be dangerous in the wet,
especially as the rules now only allow one type of rain tire,’ he
said. Of course
there were many who believed that
Michael Schumacher had an "Illegal Car", with "Traction Control" that
was not legal in 1994 when Ayrton Senna crashed and died at Imola
being chased close by Schumacher. At Brazil, Eddie Irvine had followed
both of them and said that the rear ends of both cars were acting much
differently. Senna's had a lot of movement and Schumacher
none. At Aida,, after Senna was taken out, he observed the Benetton's
of Lehto and Schumacher, and said they were not the same. Many
believed that Senna's frustrations had to do with the fact that Senna knew
that Schumacher's car was illegal, and didn't say anything at the time.
If this speculation is true, then perhaps that explains why Michael is
against losing the gizmos for fear he won't be as dominant anymore.
Butt ugly A
reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I caught a glimpse of the photos
you published on the Test in West from Phoenix. I usually don't
write letters to the editor, but this time I felt I just had to
comment. The new IRL cars can only be described in two words,
"butt ugly." Never in my life would I ever have thought a race
car can be made so unappealing. And they wonder why Indy Car
racing is dying. Steve Laufler, San Bernardino, CA.
2/7/03
Car Count
Interestingly CART had 18 cars running at Spring Training this
week and the IRL, which some were saying would have 30 cars
this year, has had only slightly more than CART had in their Test in The
West at Fontana and Phoenix. If the IRL is going to get
up to 30 cars, it's becoming increasingly clear that Tony
George is going to have to fund quite a few. We think
the IRL will end up with around 24 cars for the majority of
the races, and CART 20.
2/7/03
Drivers underpaid, need a Union
This
article says, Soaring television ratings. Rising
attendance. Increased national awareness. Big bucks. As NASCAR
continues its push toward a perch among America's mainstream
sports, its profits are skyrocketing. Since the sport is owned
by one family, the France family of Daytona Beach, Fla., there
is no way of knowing exactly how much it makes. But this year,
Forbes Magazine estimated the NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr.
made $1 billion. France's brother Jim, chairman of NASCAR's
sister company, International Speedway Corporation, which owns
most of the race tracks on the Cup schedule, also pulled in $1
billion. The drivers, because of lucrative merchandise and
endorsement deals, are not doing badly, either, but their
share of the pot is dramatically smaller than that of the
athletes in the four mainstream sports -- professional
football, basketball, baseball and hockey. A Newsday study
conducted at the end of last season shows that drivers in the
three highest series in NASCAR get just 18 percent of the
estimated $1.869 billion NASCAR pulled in last year.
Meanwhile, athletes in the four other major professional
sports took home at least 50 percent of their sport's annual
revenue......There have been only two attempts to unionize the
drivers. In 1961, it was the trio of Tim Flock, Curtis Turner
and Fireball Roberts who formed the Federation of Professional
Athletes. At that time, Bill France -- the late founder of
NASCAR -- made it clear that there would be no union in his
sport. Legend has it that France said he would "enforce that
with a pistol." Flock, Turner and Roberts were banned from
NASCAR for life. However, days later, Roberts withdrew his
support for the union and returned to racing, and France
allowed Flock and Turner back in when they were well past
their primes. In 1969, Richard Petty attempted to form the
Professional Drivers Association and boycott a race at
Talladega Superspeedway because he and others believed that
racing conditions weren't safe. France brought in some minor
league racers with the help of an up-and-comer named Richard
Childress and put on the show, anyway. The next week, all the
NASCAR regulars returned. It taught the same lesson France
meant to teach Flock and Turner. The lesson that Bill France
Jr. reinforced after the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001.
"They're going to start that race with or without us," Wallace
said. "We raced the very next race after Dale Earnhardt's
death. That taught us all a big lesson. The show's going to go
on without us." If there were a union, things in NASCAR would
change.
2/7/03
10 things to look for this
seasonUPDATE
A reader sent this letter to Ed Hinton - Hello Ed, I just read
most of the article you wrote recently "10 things" and I have
a few comments. First of all what's with the perpetual
negativity about open wheel racing. How is the outlook on open
wheel racing in America ever going to change with articles
like that. Here we are going into the beginning of the new
season for both IRL and CART with all kinds of new and
exciting changes for both series and instead of you
highlighting the positive all you can do is point out the
negative. Maybe I was wrong the last time I wrote to you
asking if you are on Tony George's payroll. Perhaps it's the
France family that throws you a bone every now and then.
Secondly, how can you say that IRL has all the talent when you
haven't even seen a CART race yet with its new teams and
drives? And, I suppose Jimmy Vasser is a no name along with
Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier? Sure its not Andretti or
Unser, but at the end of this season those old goats will be
gone too. Try giving some credit to the more challenging
series and new blood. Try writing something positive for a
change. You even have the balls to give your beloved NASCAR a
shot calling the cars crude. Why so negative? Are you
frustrated that you never amounted to much in terms of driving
or are you just a miserable person? Sam Mancuso, Miami, FL2/7/03 - More incomplete information going into a press
article about CART In this Chicago Tribune
article titled "10 things to look for this season"
[Editor's note: You need to register with the Chicago Tribune
to view the article.), author Ed Hinton paints a reasonably
accurate picture of the IRL for this year (except for his
comment on the wealth and talent), but he apparently didn't
check out all of the facts before bashing CART. Under the 9th
thing Hinton listed, he says that the IRL has taken "command
of American open-wheel racing--what's left of it. All the
wealth and talent now has shifted from CART to the IRL, and
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George has won the
seven-year war. But national interest virtually has collapsed
in the process. The IRL still can't draw flies into the
grandstands, except for a handful of tracks, including Indy
itself. Much depends on whether the IRL's super-close finishes
will get the attention of a significant television audience
and make the whole series a must-see for ticket buyers. Some
race fans just have to have the sleeker, higher-tech Indy cars
over crude NASCAR machinery and that sophisticated
constituency, if solidified, could launch the IRL into
mainstream popularity. 10. CART continues to struggle but
hangs on. For all the bombastic cheerleading of CART President
Christopher Pook, his organization remains on life support
from Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone. And even some Ford
insiders acknowledge privately how sad the situation is.
During the off-season, CART was caught doing what many had
suspected all along--vastly inflating its attendance
estimates. At the revived street race in Miami, CART publicly
estimated a crowd of 85,000. But the National Speed Sport News
uncovered an internal memo in which CART reckoned the paid
attendance at barely 16,000. The season-opening street race in
St. Petersburg, Fla., on Feb. 23 hasn't even the tradition of
Miami to stimulate some interest. What? Are 100,000 retirees
and Buccaneers fans going to show up for a car race? And this
year, CART's crowd estimates are sure to be scrutinized more
closely. Worst of all, with the defection of driver Michael
Andretti to the IRL as an owner and 2002 CART champion
Cristiano da Matta to Formula One, CART now has precisely zero
names that any but the most intense open-wheel enthusiasts
have ever heard of."
More . . .
2/7/03
CART announces marshalling
partnership with SCCA
Champ Car President and CEO Christopher R. Pook announced
today at the Sports Car Club of America National Convention
that all stateside marshalls that will work events on the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford will be required to hold a current SCCA license in 2003.
"The Sports Car Club of America has the most comprehensive
training and accreditation program for volunteer operations
staff, and for 2003, we'll be requiring an SCCA license to
work a Champ Car event in the United States," said Pook.
"Trackside observation is critical in providing Champ Car race
officials with the information they need to run our Champ Car
race events. We now know that the best way to address these
needs in the United States is with the SCCA." Champ Car
officials will be instrumental in helping the SCCA train
prospective corner workers and officials, partnering with the
SCCA in the founding of the new SCCA University, which will
include CART officials such as Drs. Steve Olvey and Terry
Trammell along with members of the Simple Green Safety Team.
The purpose of the school is to familiarize prospective
officials with the latest techniques and requirements used in
running a Champ Car event. "This is a major announcement for
the SCCA, as it recognizes the knowledge and expertise of our
members," said Steve Johnson, SCCA President and CEO. "A
relationship such as this with Champ Car, one of the worldwide
leaders in professional motorsports, helps to position the
SCCA as one of the worldwide leaders in event operations.
We've had a long history with Champ Car, and look forward to
this partnership and look forward to future initiatives
together. This announcement also goes hand-in-hand with the
launch of the new SCCA University, which will formalize all
training programs within the SCCA."
2/7/03
Could IRL race at Daytona?
This Jacksonville newspaper
article talks about whether the IRL could ever race at
Daytona. Brian Barnhart thinks it's possible, but the
article talks about the two Indy Car drivers who died there
the first year the track opened. Forty-four years after
a fatal attempt to marry open-wheel cars with the high banks
of Daytona, the thought remains so unnerving that a second
attempt has never been made. On a speedway that each year
plays host to stock cars, motorcycles, sports cars and go-kart
events, the absence of open-wheel cars remains conspicuous.
Despite its split with Indy-car racing in the 1990s and its
recent woes, CART has never made serious inquiries about
racing at Daytona. Neither has Formula One, which when looking
for a home in the 1990s for the new United States Grand Prix
opted to return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where it had
raced in the 1950s. The Indy Racing League has inquired about
racing at Daytona. "If the opportunity presented itself, we'd
take a look at it," Brian Barnhart, the vice president in
charge of competition, said. "It's certainly possible."
However, John Saunders, a senior vice president at Daytona
International Speedway, said facility officials haven't
seriously considered the request because of liability issues
associated with cars racing faster than 200 mph and the
facility's busy race schedule.
More....
2/7/03 IROC
IROC in search of sponsor too
The International Race of Champions [IROC] announced today it
would seek a replacement Title Sponsor for 2004 due to the
departure of True Value from auto racing at the conclusion of
the 2003 season. The departure of TruServ from auto racing is
due to realignment of the corporation's marketing investments.
The Specialized Marketing Group, Inc.. (TSMGI), headquartered
in Deerfield, IL, who currently handles licensed product
relations for the IROC Series, has been retained to pursue
sponsorship and manage sponsor relations and event activities.
IROC is hopeful for other changes in 2004.. "We're looking to
move the series forward in our search for a new Title Sponsor,
in addition to our search for car manufacturer support, "
said, Signore. "Our goal is to start anew in 2004 and with the
right sponsorship package we could pursue ways to diversify
the current format, which we have been locked into due to
scheduling and economics. The strength of the IROC Series as a
marketing platform has been clearly defined by the long-term
relationships encompassing its 26-year history and we are
looking forward to continuing that tradition with new
long-term partners."
2/7/03
Beer battles at Daytona
Coors Light is the official beer of Daytona International
Speedway, but that doesn't necessarily stop Anheuser-Busch
from sponsoring a race here (or a car, of course). But it
reportedly cramps the style of everyone who recently became
Rusty Wallace fans. Wallace's sponsor, Miller Lite, had
announced that if Rusty wins his first Daytona 500 on Feb. 16,
every adult in attendance would receive a coupon for a free
six-pack of the primary sponsor's product. That, however,
constitutes marketing, and without track approval (and a
waiver from Coors, no doubt), Miller won't be allowed to give
away anything "on property."
Daytona Beach News Journal
2/7/03
Featherlite renews with CART
Champ Car and Iowa-based Featherlite, Inc. announced today the
extension of their relationship through 2003, a partnership
that originally began in 1995. Through the agreement
Featherlite will continue as the "Official Trailer of Champ
Car," providing the series with custom-built trailers designed
to transport equipment to each North American event on the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford schedule. "We are extremely pleased to welcome
Featherlite back for another season with the Champ Car World
Series," said Champ Car Vice President of Marketing Steve
Fusek. "The Featherlite trailers used by Champ Car and many of
our teams serve a vital role in the overall success of our
events. They allow us to take our product on the road. Working
together, we have developed an effective program that meets
Featherlite's objectives and allows them to generate business
in our paddock. They have been a great partner over the years,
and we look forward to doing business with them for years to
come." While on the road, each of the 53-foot Featherlite
trailers in the Champ Car fleet, known as T1, T2, T3, T4 and
the CBU - short for Champ Car Business Unit, carry important
equipment needed to put on a successful race event. Typical
items include; four rescue trucks and a fifth truck outfitted
with a jet blower-all used by the Simple Green Safety Team,
sensitive computer equipment, timing and scoring cables and
scales used for technical inspection. At the track, these
trailers convert into mobile work stations used by Champ Car
personnel. T1 is home to the series technical inspection
center and also provides work space for the Champ Car
competition staff while T2 serves as competition headquarters
and provides office space for competition staff and a work
area for Ford engineers overseeing the crash box safety
program. T3, now known as the Motorola Communications Center,
houses work space for Racing Radios service personnel as well
as all the Motorola two-way radio and wireless communications
equipment used by the series. T4 provides work areas for Champ
Car logistics, marketing and promoter operations personnel and
the CBU houses several conference rooms and office space for
Champ Car World Series executives. "Featherlite is very happy
to renew its support of the Champ Car World Series," said
Featherlite President and CEO Conrad Clement. "The Champ Car
World Series is an electrifying schedule of races and we
appreciate the opportunity to expose some of the nation's most
talented race teams and their sponsors to the unique product
we build. We look forward to offering unparalleled support and
service to Champ Car and its teams in 2003."
2/7/03
Newman Haas meeting with IRL
According to this USA Today
article, CART champion team Newman/Haas Racing has scheduled
talks Friday with the Indy Racing League's most senior administrative
official. General manager Brian Lisles, team manager John Tzouanakis
and senior engineer Peter Gibbons are due to meet with the IRL's
senior vice president of operations Brian Barnhart at Phoenix
International Raceway during the second phase of the IndyCar Series'
Test In The West. Neither the team nor the IRL will comment on the
meeting. There is speculation among IndyCar teams that Newman/Haas
wants to explore a return to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time
since the 1996 CART/IRL split. But the team dismisses any possibility
of launching a separate effort for the May 25 event. "We assure you
that we have no plans to run the Indy 500," says spokeswoman Kathi
Lauterbach, who would not explain why the team's senior management
requested the meeting with Barnhart. It is known that the team had
discussions with Toyota, which powered Cristiano da Matta to the 2002
CART title, and investigated buying IndyCar chassis late last season.
The IRL confirms that Newman/Haas, which is co-owned by actor Paul
Newman, has at least thought about contesting the 500. "The only
(CART) team that has had contact with us about the 500 is Newman/Haas
— and that has been only minimal," IRL's Barnhart said.
2/7/03
Ticket sales for German 500
On Wednesday the advance booking started for the return of the Champ
Car World Series at EuroSpeedway Lausitz from 9th to 11th May 2003.
Fans can choose between three ticket categories, Gold, Silver or
Bronze, offered for prices of 149 EUR, 99 EUR and 49 EUR. Compared
with the two previous years the ticket categories were simplified and
the ticket prices were arranged more fan friendly. And the key: one
ticket is valid for all three event days. The desired paddock tickets
are limited on 5000 tickets, exclusively in the advance booking
available, valid for all three event days for a price of 50 Euro. From
Wednesday, February 5th , ticket order is possible under the info- and
ticket hotline +49(0) 1805 / 88 02 88 or in the web on
www.eurospeedway.de.
Christopher Pook, CART president and CEO: "CART and EuroSpeedway
Lausitz offers in May a world-class event. We want to reach the same
success like in the premiere year in 2001 and offer to the German and
European motor sport fans a unique race spectacle in the
2-Miles-Superspeedway for excellent prices. No other racing series
than the Champ Cars offers more fascinating motor sport and
entertainment to such fan-friendly prizes". EuroSpeedway Lausitz boss
Hans-Jörg Fischer is pleased, to be able to announce with the start of
the ticket advance booking two support races, which will go to the
starting line within the scope of the German 500: "With the FIA
Sportscar Championship and the V8STAR we have two series in the
support program, which could be everyone for itself the main event of
one race weekend. Such a top-class racing package on one weekend is a
real innovation". Two further support races are planned.
2/7/03
Gordon may do double
From a question on Robby Gordon's Mailbag on
CNNSI.com, will Gordon run the Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500 this
year? "I'd love to do the Double on Memorial Day weekend again, so I'm
working on getting a sponsor for the Indy 500 right now and I think
I'm getting close. Cingular Wireless sponsored me in the Double last
May when I competed in the Indy 500 and then flew to Charlotte for the
Coca-Cola 600. That was a blast but it was also a lot of work and an
exhausting day. I finished eighth at Indy and brought home a
16th-place finish in the Winston Cup race. If I get the chance to do
it again, I'll make sure I take the IV fluids between the races and
work out a little more leading up to the race. It takes a lot of
stamina to make 1,100 miles."
2/7/03
Another Sauber sponsor Swisscom Mobile will be Sauber
Petronas' official partner for telecommunications in the 2003 season.
The mobile communications provider will be supplying the team with
infrastructure tailored to the Formula 1 environment. Urs Schäppi,
Head of Connectivity Services at Swisscom Mobile, says: "The
collaboration between two major Swiss companies, which have acquired
an outstanding reputation in the high-tech sector, will be
particularly appealing to customers who share our enthusiasm for
technology." Team principal Peter Sauber adds: "Swisscom Mobile and
Sauber Petronas have common interests that complement each other in an
excellent way, enabling both companies to benefit from a number of
synergies."
2/7/03
Brawn hints at how FIA will police rules Ferrari’s Ross
Brawn has revealed how the FIA plan to police traction control in
2003. Speaking at the launch of the new F2003-GA at Maranello, the
Ferrari technical director said that the governing body would be
installing monitoring devices in the cars to detect whether electronic
driver aids like traction control and launch control were being used.
He said: "In order to introduce more control, the FIA is introducing a
kind of spy in the cockpit, a monitoring device that detects the use
of these types of devices."
2/7/03
The Falcon has landed (Crash landed?)UPDATE It looks like Tony George
will have to pay someone to run a Falcon at this point. Time is
close to running out on the IRL's third chassis manufacturer. No
Falcon is ready to test and every team now has at least two G-Forces
or Dallaras. 1/10/03 - This Indy Star
article says, Access Motorsports has signed a letter of intent
with MK to purchase the Ken Anderson-designed Falcon, although Access
doesn't have the funding in place to announce a program or a driver.
Access is based in Indianapolis and led by veteran team manager Ted
Bitting and chief mechanic Jamie Nanny, former core members of the
once-proud Treadway Racing team. Bitting said the team is "50-50" on
competing this season and is working with drivers Robby McGehee and
George Mack on what could be a two-car team. The Falcon is due to make
its first test later this month with Hemelgarn Racing at Phoenix and
Fontana, Calif. Ron Hemelgarn and his team manager, Lee Kunzman, said
they will not commit to MK -- or any manufacturer -- until more
sponsorship has been secured. Hemelgarn, who took a chance in 2000
with the Riley & Scott chassis, said the Falcon faces a lot of
pressure to compete quickly with Dallara and G-Force, which have
extensive IRL experience. "It's a big unknown, so it's got to hit
right away or it's not going to hit," he said.
2/7/03
Overall fast times from Spring Training
Pos
Car
Driver
Engine/Chassis/Tires
Time
Behind
Next
Behind
Leader
1.
2
S.
Bourdais
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
50.584
2.
1
B.
Junqueira
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
50.804
0.220
0.220
3.
9X
M.
Jourdain Jr.
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
50.841
0.037
0.257
4.
20
O.
Servia
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
50.940
0.099
0.356
5.
32
P.
Carpentier
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
51.141
0.201
0.557
6.
33
A.
Tagliani
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
51.142
0.001
0.558
7.
15
D.
Manning
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
51.204
0.062
0.620
8.
55
M.
Dominguez
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
51.244
0.040
0.660
9.
12
J.
Vasser
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
51.336
0.092
0.752
10.
4
R.
Moreno
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
51.465
0.058
0.881
11.
31
R.
Hunter-Reay
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
51.495
0.030
0.911
12.
3
P.
Tracy
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
51.545
0.050
0.961
13.
51
A.
Fernandez
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
51.606
0.061
1.022
14.
34
M.
Haberfeld
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
51.644
0.038
1.060
15.
19
J.
Camathias
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
51.830
0.186
1.246
16.
5
R.
Lavín
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
52.321
0.242
1.737
17.
27
P.
Lemarie
Ford-Lola-Bridgestone
52.338
0.017
1.754
18.
11
R.
Gonzalez
Ford-Reynard-Bridgestone
52.992
0.654
2.408
* Series rookie
2/7/03
Spencer sues Chip Ganassi
Attorneys for Jimmy Spencer have filed a lawsuit in Mecklenburg County
Superior Court seeking damages from Chip Ganassi, Spencer's former
Winston Cup car owner, for breach of contract and interference with
Spencer's racing career. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, seeks $600,000
for the difference between the salary Spencer says he was to be paid
for 2003, the second year of his contract with Chip Ganassi Racing,
and what he is to make this year as the driver for Ultra Motorsports.
Spencer drove the No. 41 Dodges owned by Ganassi last season, but says
he was told over the telephone on or about Nov. 5, 2002, that he was
fired. Casey Mears will drive the No. 41 cars in the 2003 season. The
lawsuit also charges that Ganassi made an agreement to monetarily
assist James Finch, the owner of a Busch series team for which Spencer
drove 23 races last year, with fielding Finch's Busch team for 2003.
Part of the terms for that agreement, the lawsuit alleges, was for
Finch not to employ Spencer as a driver this year. The suit seeks
damages of no less than $10,000 for Spencer for his lost opportunity
for employment with Finch. It also seeks payment of money Spencer says
he is owed for souvenir and collectibles sales for the third and
fourth quarters of 2002. Ganassi said he had neither read nor seen the
lawsuit and would not comment on it. Spencer referred questions to
Bill Diehl, his Charlotte attorney. "There were significant efforts
made to settle this dispute that were ignored by Mr. Ganassi," Diehl
said. "We tried not to file suit but we couldn't even get him to
return a phone call. This is real clear, as clear as it gets. Mr.
Spencer's only alternative is to ignore it and lose money."
Charlotte Observer
2/7/03
Andretti vs. Andretti at Indy
John Andretti has been given permission from the Petty team to run in
the Indianapolis 500 this season, just in time to race against his
cousin one last time. Former CART champion Michael Andretti said last
week he'll retire after the Indy 500 in May to concentrate on being a
car owner. John Andretti, who spends his time racing stock cars for
Petty Enterprises in NASCAR, said Thursday he wants to be in the field
when his cousin takes his final green flag in the Indy 500. ``I want
to be in that race against Michael,'' John said. ``The thing we've
always said about the Andrettis is, `He who gets hurt last, wins.'
``Well, Michael always lost because he always got hurt, and I want to
give him one last chance.'' This will make a story, something
the Indy 500 needs to stop Indy 500 TV ratings from their recent
slide.
2/7/03
Jourdain has eyes on title
[Translation by Ed McFarlane] Next Objective: The Title By
Enrique Guadarrama / Enviado/El Norte Michel Jourdain Jr. achieved the
status of the most consistent driver thanks to his work in the 2002
races, and now the Mexican states that his mission in 2003 is nothing
less than to win the CART series title. Jourdain Jr., who this year
starts his eighth season in the American series, will be one of the
most experienced young drivers ion the grid. The Mexican was placed in
the top 10 of the Championship in 2002 with 105 points in his first
season with Team Rahal. For sure what we want this year is to maintain
the consistency that we had last year, to finish races, and we hope to
end up higher in 2003, the most important thing is to qualify better.
"If we qualify better and finish races like we did last year, I think
that this season we will visit the podium often and in that case
there's no doubt that we could attain the CART Championship, that's
the main objective." Talking about hopes for the 2003 season, which
starts next 23rd February in St. Petersburg, Jourdain Jr. acknowledges
that Team Rahal will be competitive on the street circuits. "I'll
stick to what I've said in previous interviews, that this year Team
Rahal will be very strong on street circuits, and it's on the
permanent courses that we will have to work better. I feel very
positive because the team has worked very well, they have made many
changes in respect of last season and I think that it's all looking
good." This year Jourdain Jr. faces up tp a season without being able
to share information with a team mate, now that Jimmy Vasser has left
for a new team run by Stefan Johansson. "Jimmy (Vasser) gave me the
benefit of his support and knowledge, we had a great relationship, but
this will not be the first time that I've run alone in a team, so this
year we have to up our game." In his seven years in CART, the driver
from Mexico City has started 120 races and scored a podium at the
Michigan Superspeedway in 2001, where he finished third, running in
that year with the Bettenhausen Team. Given the rising numbers of
Mexicans on the CART grid, Jourdain Jr. thinks that this situation
will be great for motorsport fans. "It's definitively a good
thing (the arrival of more Mexicans) especially for the Mexican fans
who follow CART and for the races being held in Monterrey and Mexico
City." It's worth remembering that Michel Jourdain Jr. ended last
season as the driver who had finished the most laps, in total 2,368.
Spring Training observations
Our Scott Morris spent some time at Spring Training this week as well
shooting photos and filed these random observations:
Not in the Kurt Busch Transcript: Merrill
Cain giving Kurt a hard time for being late. He said that they had
granted him a license, and that now made him subject to fines (for
being late to a press conference), and that he would be receiving that
notice in the mail soon. Haha.
Wally Dallenbach, when asked if he is here
on CART business or pleasure replied with a sneaky smile "Oh...I'm
just here on a project"
Jimmy Vasser, when asked about the
Reynard, said to a colleague in the pit "It needs some serious help",
(but then again, this might just be posturing)
Robin Miller to Jourdain after the Kurt
Bush press conference when Jourdain commented on driving a stock car
"Trust me...It would be a piece of cake for you"
Dan Partel was seen in the Lola trailer
and hanging around with the Lola guys quite a bit.
The Players team has stickers on their
toolboxes that have a logo of a crossed-out Tony George face from
crapwagon.com
Robin Miller said he is trying to get CART
to do their own show with him on Speedvision.
Memo Gidley was milling about the pit and
paddock of course...sniffing around, as were several other drivers
from the Barber Dodge ranks.
Asked Dr. Steve Olvey if he has spoken
with Alex Zanardi lately, and he said Alex is very into racing karts
right now, but is looking at running touring cars, as they have been
successfully outfitted with hand controls before.
We were very surprised and impressed by
Haberfeld. According to our segment timing, Haberfeld's speed in
sections of the course did not seem to show in his overall lap times.
He was visibly faster on the two more technical sections of the course
than any other driver (was he sandbagging?). He also was the only new
driver that I saw taking the same line as Tracy and Servia, through
the tricky turn 3-4 section. I think he might be quite a surprise.
He's my dark horse pick for a win or two this season.
2/7/03
Mid-Ohio date changed back to
August 10thUPDATE This change is also good
for both the IRL and CART as now they don't go head-to-head on the
same weekend in the same market (Mid-Ohio and Kentucky are
geographically close to each other) 2/5/03 - According to Mid-Ohio's
website, the date of this years CART race has been
switched back to August 10th. It was moved to August
17th when Road America was switched to August 3rd. The
means CART again has races on three consecutive weekends,
Vancouver, Road America and Mid-Ohio. We have updated
our schedule pages.
2/6/03
The
5 Amigos
Last year there were three Mexican drivers in CART, and the were
affectionately called the 3 Amigos. This year there are five
Mexican driver in CART, that we now call the 5 Amigos. From left
to right, Adrian Fernández, Michel Jourdain Jr., Roberto
González, Rodolfo Lavín and Mario Dominguez.
2/6/03
The new Champ Car series
This Portland Oregonian
article says, This isn't the CART of five years ago, or even
of last season. It even wants to be known by a different name: Champ
Car. It is a leaner series that reflects Pook's vision of taking the
competition to major urban markets around the nation and the world,
combining new and established talent and teams that can operate on a
budget that doesn't rival those of small governments. The cost of
running the season has gone from about $10 million in 2002 to about $5
million this year. The series and Ford are offering nearly $1 million
in incentives for each car this season.
2/6/03
Andretti said CART had to die
In a Gordon Kirby article
on CART.com, Jim McGee was quoted as saying Michael Andretti told him
CART had to die. Chip Ganassi and Kim Green echoed similar
sentiments, inline with Roger Penske, that CART would and must die.
They must have been disheartened to read Cancel The Funeral,
by Steve Levinson. Not only is CART going to survive, they are
going to be even more shocked because we can now say with more
certainty that CART,
like the Phoenix, is about to rise from the ashes, and when it
does, those who turned their back on CART will be on the outside
looking in, while each day worrying about the Handwriting on those Concrete
Walls.
2/6/03
Purex and Dial to sponsor Phoenix race
The Dial Corporation announced Feb. 6 that its Purex laundry detergents
and Dial soap brands will share the title sponsorship of the prestigious
Indy Racing League IndyCar Series event on March 23 at Phoenix
International Raceway. The Purex Dial Indy 200 will be televised live at
3:30 p.m. (EST) on ABC Sports. Purex, the nation’s fastest-growing
detergent and leading value brand in the laundry detergent segment, is
the co-primary sponsor of the No. 24 Team Purex/Aventis
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone driven by IndyCar Series veteran Robbie
Buhl. Dial soap, celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2003, is a major
associate sponsor of Buhl’s car for the third consecutive year. The
annual Phoenix race is a “home event” for Dial, which has its corporate
headquarters in nearby Scottsdale, said Todd Gatzulis, marketing
director of Purex and Dial’s other laundry care products, including Zout
stain remover and Twenty Mule Team Borax laundry booster.
2/6/03
Possible departure of Winston stuns
Spencer When news trickled out this week of the possible
departure of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as the title sponsor of
NASCAR's top series, many eyes and ears turned toward Jimmy Spencer - a
sure bet to always put things in perspective. Spencer has been a vocal
supporter of the company for years, dating back to his days driving the
Travis Carter-owned race cars that were sponsored by RJR in the mid
'90s. On Thursday, the future of NASCAR sponsorship was just one of many
topics thrown at Spencer during Daytona Media Day. And as usual, Spencer
had a lot to say. "When I heard about it, it bothered me, and it still
bothers me," Spencer said. "They (RJR) were the ones who brought this
sport to the forefront, whether it was going out on the town and giving
away tickets, or doing promotions. I feel they brought us at least 75%
of the fan base. This is NASCAR Winston Cup. It's hard to think that it
could be called something else. It just doesn't sound right if the word
'Winston' isn't there." Spencer's admiration for T. Wayne Robertson, the
former president of sports marketing for RJR who oversaw the company's
NASCAR Winston Cup program, has been well documented. Spencer credits
Robertson for the boost in popularity in racing, and even since
Robertson's 1998 passing, the sport is still affected by his leadership.
"He did incredible things for this sport," Spencer said. "The Winston
Cup Preview was his idea to give back to the fans and give to charity.
He used to give out tickets like it was candy, just to get people going
to the tracks." Winston and NASCAR have reportedly discussed the
prospect of the sanctioning body finding a new title sponsor for its top
racing series, which, if it happens, would end a relationship of 32
years. The speculation comes one week after longtime NASCAR sponsor
Unical 76 announced it was leaving the sport. "I feel it's the economy,"
Spencer said. "There is a lot of stuff going on all over the United
States right now that we can't control. But if Winston leaves NASCAR -
and right now it's just people speculating - but if it happens, it would
certainly be something I never thought would happen. Hopefully the
economy will turn around, not only for RJR but for a lot of people."
2/6/03
Bourdais takes top time at
Spring Training
CART rookie Sebastien Bourdais turned a blistering 50.584 sec.
lap at Sebring this afternoon to take top honors in this weeks
CART Spring Training. The Frenchmen goes into the 2003
season as one of the favorites to win the title.......not bad
for a rookie.
1st Sebastien Bourdais 50.584 /
118.781 mph
2nd Bruno Junqueira 50.804 / 118.266 mph
OVERALL: Each driver ran two sessions today. Junqueira ran in
the first session, while Bourdais ran in the second and third
and Junqueira completed the test by running in the fourth
session. Junqueira was the fastest driver in his session with
30 minutes to go before his day ended when the clutch
malfunctioned. However, no driver was able to beat his time in
the final 30 minutes. Each driver concentrated on making long
runs on old tires in each of their first sessions and ran in
qualifying trim for their second.
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, #2 Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone: "We
learned a few things from the test and it was good to see how
we compared to all of the other teams. We still have a lot of
work to do to be ready for the first race though. I was also
able to get some practice doing pit stops. The car was really
good and consistent on full tanks and old tires. It was
amazing. Near the end of my session the track was getting
faster and faster. The track was almost black with rubber in
the last session. It's a shame that Bruno didn't get to run at
the end when it was the fastest. With each day, we are getting
closer and closer to being ready for the first race but there
is still much work to do."
BRUNO JUNQUEIRA, #1 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone:
"Overall the test was very good. To have a small problem end
our test is disappointing but it is good to have these
problems during tests rather than in a race. We were able to
get a good balance on the car with full tanks and old tires in
the morning session. The PacifiCare car was good in the
afternoon session but we were never able to run on new tires
because of the problem and see the potential of the car. I am
confident that we were capable of a faster lap time."
2/6/03
FOX announcers rip Brooke GordonDarrell Waltrip: ''I don't know what would give anybody
the right to think that he can subpoena another driver's records
or anything else. This is just between Jeff and Brooke, not
between Roush Racing or any other race team. It seems irrelevant
and intrusive to even consider something like that.'' Jeff
Hammond: ''When people start sticking their noses where it
doesn't belong, then I get offended. I feel like this is none of
Brooke's business, and it's none of her lawyer's business … they
shouldn't bring everybody else into it. I don't agree with how
she's handling this situation right now. I've lost a lot of
respect for Brooke and her lawyer.'' Larry McReynolds:
''My gosh, there's enough [assets valued at $50 million] to go
around for both of them for the rest of their lives. They
shouldn't ruin our sport trying to get more for themselves. I
hate to see other people in our sport dragged into their
personal problems.''
2/6/03
The
next American idol
With the new CART season kicking off at month’s end in St.
Petersburg, a huge number of rookies will comprise a
substantial portion of the field in this critical rebuilding
year. Among the 2003 field is Floridian Ryan Hunter-Reay, for
whom there could hardly be a more appropriate locale for
launching the next phase of his meteoric open wheel career.
More....
2/6/03
More
on Brewer/Pantano
Giorgio Pantano's Management Team, Brask Management, released
a statement last week saying that they had cancelled Pantano's
deal with Dan Brewer. "We cancelled the agreement due to
breach of several significant points in our agreement by BC
Motorsports and also due to the fact that the bond for
participation in the CART Championship wasn't posted with the
organizers," stated Team Brask Chairman Lars-Christian Brask.
"I just hope that this will be a warning to the motorsport
community to be aware of the tactics by the principal of BC
Motorsports; Dana/Khalid Brewer," he concluded. This is
a loss to CART because Pantano is fast, very fast, on pace
with Sebastien Bourdais. Another team would be wise to
pick him up, however, right now it appears he is headed back
to F3000 and that really is too bad.
2/6/03
What RJR and Winston have meant
to NASCAR This CBS
Sportsline
article describes just how much Winston has done for
NASCAR. If they pullout, one has to wonder if their
replacement (we are sure there will be a replacement) would do
as much.
2/6/03
Massa signs with Ferrari
Ferrari announces that it has signed an agreement with the
driver Felipe Massa that will join Scuderia Ferrari for the 2003
race season, as a test driver, working alongside test driver
Luca Badoer.
2/6/03 Industry News
Shell profits up...yes and no
Royal Dutch/Shell on Thursday reported profits at the upper end
of analysts' expectations, but the return on average capital
employed, a measure of performance preferred by many major oil
companies, dropped to 14 per cent from 19.2 per cent. And while
fourth-quarter adjusted current cost of supplies earnings rose
46 per cent to $2.78bn for the fourth quarter, full-year
adjusted CCS earnings for 2002 were 23 per cent down at $9.2bn
as upstream and downstream income fell back.
2/6/03
Benson & Hedges deal worth $22
million
According to Alan Henry, in the British newspaper The
Guardian, the Benson & Hedges deal with Jordan is worth $22
million. In addition to its other sponsorship deals, its
share of the TV revenue and the recent 'handout' from Bernie
Ecclestone and rival F1 teams, this should give the Jordan team
a fairly solid foundation as it. At yesterday's press
conference, where the B&H deal was announced and Ralph Firman
unveiled, team boss Eddie Jordan said he was looking forward to
the new season: "I'm a total optimist," he said. "I think we've
got a really sweet car this year. I think in the recent past we
got carried away, finishing third in the '99 championship and
winning races. We got overcomplicated in our efforts to move
forward, losing our basic principles." Meanwhile according to
The Sun, Ralph will be paid just $8,000 a race.
2/6/03
Still a lot for Fernández to do
This El Norte
article By Enrique Guadarrama says (translation by Ed
McFarlane), Adrian Fernández had an injury-plagued season last
year, but the same old Adrian Fernandez is looking happy
because this 2003 season brings another chance to show that he
still has the ability to win races. The owner and driver of
Fernandez Racing opened the doors yesterday of his "home on
wheels" to talk about the dreams that keep him going in this
fast moving sport and the daily work that his team is doing to
keep up to with the front runners of the CART Series. "Life
has given me a third chance to show that Adrian Fernandez
still has a heck of a lot in him." said the Mexican, as he
enjoyed a salad at the end of the morning practice session of
Spring Training." The Mexican was involved in two accidents
last year at Vancouver and Australia, which put his life in
danger. After being injured in Australia, Adrian stayed away
from the track and he returned a couple of weeks ago at Laguna
Seca. "You can't escape accidents, they're a fact of life, but
we're hoping that this year things will turn out in a positive
way" He added that after the accidents he thought of retiring,
but currently he has no objective other than to return to the
podium and win races. "We hope to make up the lost ground, and
show that Fernandez Racing was formed to be a winning team" he
added. On the arrival of new talent and the rule changes in
CART, Adrian said that they would be positive for the series.
"We are in a transitional situation and Chris Pook has brought
in excellent people in the last few months, that will help the
series a lot, and concerning the youngsters, I can foresee
that they will all be competitive." Gustavo del Campo, who now
performs the role of team manager, said that Fernandez Racing
will work on different aspects of the car to turn up well
prepared for the season opener. "Today (Tuesday) we worked on
the braking system and tomorrow we will focus on the shock
absorbers" said Del Campo, " on the last day of training we
will try out a different aerodynamic package." "The team is
very optimistic, Adrian is very focused on returning to his
known level in CART." Fernandez Racing will cease training
tomorrow (Thursday) in anticipation of the season opener next
23rd February in the streets of St. Petersburg.
2/6/03
Snap-on
to continue sponsorship
Committed to helping karting teams pursue excellence in their
sport, snapon.com and
Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow have announced a three-year
relationship, with snapon.com
sponsoring the Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow racing series
through 2005. “We are pleased to take our sponsorship of the
Stars of Tomorrow series to the next level as title sponsor,
and we look forward to an extended relationship with the Stars
organization,” said Carl Johanson, Snap-on manager of
motorsports. “The demographic of the racers, technicians and
fans in karting provides an ideal way for us to continue to
support our existing customers, and to introduce new customers
to the quality and value of the Snap-on® brand.”
Burti quits Ferrari testing role
Luciano Burti has quit his role as test driver for the Ferrari Formula 1
team and plans a return to racing this season according to his official
website. The Brazilian is expected to be replaced by Felipe Massa who
failed to secure a race seat with Jordan. "I am grateful to Ferrari for
the opportunity in 2002," said Burti. "It was a fantastic experience,
and it gave me the condition to improve my technique, knowledge and
speed. "I had a deal with them for the 2003 season, but I decided to
return to racing. Due to my good relationship with the team, they agreed
to release me, and we will keep a close link for future opportunities
with Ferrari and Maserati. "I realised that I am ready to compete, and
my aim for 2003 is to race in a competitive series, where I can win
races and championships, which is my main motivation in motor racing."
2/6/03
Hornish may be overpowered
It was widely known in the IRL paddock that Sam Hornish had the most HP
the last two years, which powered him to the IRL championship. Now
that Toyota and Honda have arrived, and Hornish still has a Chevy, his
chances of winning regularly has taken a big step backward (on ovals the
car is 99.9% of the equation). Speeds posted at California
Speedway for the Test In West this week were telling. Hornish was 13th
among the 22 drivers participating and the fastest car powered by a
Chevrolet engine was 12th (with Vitor Meira) against newcomers Toyota
and Honda. Hornish downplayed his lack of speed. His Panther Racing car
wasn't fast on opening day last year, either. "We'll be all right," he
said. Said Michael Andretti, who ran only limited laps in his Honda:
"Honda and Toyota know how much they'll compete against each other. I'm
not sure General Motors knows how much (competition) they're in for."
2/6/03
Just one Joest Audi in ALMS
Team Joest will campaign a single Audi R8 LMP 900 prototype in all 10
ALMS races in 2003, with German drivers Frank Biela and Marco Werner
at the wheel. Audi North America will support the Joest team's
campaign, with the car again being sponsored by Infineon. “I am sure
that both drivers will complement each other perfectly,” said Ralf
Jüttner, technical director for Infineon Team Joest. “We have known
Frank for a long time and value his experience and consistency. Marco
Werner made an impressive debut appearance at last year’s running of
the Le Mans 24 Hours.”
2/10/03 - "In theory it is a good thing but in practice it doesn't work
for me," Heidfeld told autosport.com, having first tried the
system in free practice at the Italian Grand Prix last year.
"In Monza I had a headache after the Friday, so I didn't use
it anymore. I don't know how it will be possible to use it at
Melbourne. At the moment, there is no way. For me, personally,
I feel it is more dangerous because I couldn't concentrate for
a whole race, it would start to hurt and I could lose
concentration and crash." He added: "The rules say it has to
be used. I would like to see that rule changed, but at this
moment I can't see it. I hear some other drivers have had
problems with it and I'd like to speak with them about it."
All CART drivers use it and have become comfortable with it on
all road courses. Only the F1 drivers are crying like
babies.
S.
Bourdais 
B.
Junqueira 
M.
Jourdain Jr. 
O.
Servia 
P.
Carpentier
D.
Manning 
J.
Vasser 
J.
Camathias 
The
next American idol
With the new CART season kicking off at month’s end in St.
Petersburg, a huge number of rookies will comprise a
substantial portion of the field in this critical rebuilding
year. Among the 2003 field is Floridian Ryan Hunter-Reay, for
whom there could hardly be a more appropriate locale for
launching the next phase of his meteoric open wheel career.
More
on Brewer/Pantano
Giorgio Pantano's Management Team, Brask Management, released
a statement last week saying that they had cancelled Pantano's
deal with Dan Brewer. "We cancelled the agreement due to
breach of several significant points in our agreement by BC
Motorsports and also due to the fact that the bond for
participation in the CART Championship wasn't posted with the
organizers," stated Team Brask Chairman Lars-Christian Brask.
"I just hope that this will be a warning to the motorsport
community to be aware of the tactics by the principal of BC
Motorsports; Dana/Khalid Brewer," he concluded. This is
a loss to CART because Pantano is fast, very fast, on pace
with Sebastien Bourdais. Another team would be wise to
pick him up, however, right now it appears he is headed back
to F3000 and that really is too bad.
Much
More...click on 2002 archives button below
