Thanks for visiting our Hot News page
Please visit our
Rumors page for all the scuttlebutt. If you have some
news, or can supply more information about one listed here,
e-mail us with as much supporting information as possible
and we may post it. User agreement & disclaimer. Newer rumors supercede older ones of the same topic. Go to our
forums to discuss any hot news.
Dispelling other CART financial myths
Facts from CART 2002 SEC Form 10K filed recently
Total revenues for 2002 were $57.2
million, Total expenses for 2002 were $81.9 million - a loss of $24.7
Television revenue for 2002 was $4.5
million, Television expense was $11.0 million - a loss of $5.5 million
Sanction fees for 2002 were $36.6 million,
Race distributions for 2002 were $19.8 million - a profit of $16.8
million
Loss before income taxes for 2002 was
$20.9 million, NET LOSS. Net loss for 2002 was $14.5 million after tax
credit
On March 7, 2003, CART acquired 100% of
the equity in Raceworks, LLC. The purchase price was $1.2 million,
including $473,000 of cash and a promissory note of $722,000, without
interest, and assumption of liabilities of $4.6 million
In 2002, CART promoted the races in
Chicago and Miami. In addition, they entered into one new agreement
and amended four existing sanction agreements with promoters to
include revenue sharing arrangements with promoters at their events.
In 2003, CART will promote six of our events: Cleveland, OH, Portland,
OR, Miami, FL, Lexington, OH, Kent, UK and Lausitz, Germany and they
have entered into agreements with promoters that include revenue
sharing arrangements for five events.
3/27/03
CART Shareholder Equity year-by-year
Facts from CART 2002 SEC Form 10K filed recently
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2002 (in 1,000's)
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 6,773
$27,765
$19,504
$7,216
$15,080
Short-term investments
79,489
87,621
98,206
91,758
61,610
Working capital
92,288
111,604
119,953
99,480
72,219
Total assets
114,451
132,941
144,101
124,887
97,186
Long-term debt (including current portion)
--
--
--
--
314
Total stockholders' equity
$103,018
$117,936
$133,894
$114,330
$86,219
3/27/03
Penske to resign from ISC In
what can be viewed as a crack forming in the oval track cartel, Roger
Penske will resign as the Vice Chairman and member of the Board of
Directors of ISC according to a proxy statement released by ISC.
One of Penske's long time right-hand men, Walter Czarnecki, Executive
Vice President of Penske Corporation, is also leaving the ISC board.
We reported about one year ago that Penske sold almost $1 billion
worth of ISC stock. No real explanation was given for the
resignations (one April 9th), but one has to wonder if there was some
sort of falling out between Penske, one of the most powerful men in
racing, and the mighty France family. His son Greg Penske will
remain on the ISC Board, but he does not wield the power of his
father. Roger is a very shrewd businessman, so he may be up to
something, however, one rumor making the rounds is that Roger promised
big attendance at IRL races at ISC's tracks and that has not
materialized, causing the fallout. We rather doubt that is the
case. Mark C.
3/27/03
Test times from Barcelona
Driver Team T Laps Time Gap
1. R Schumacher WilliamsF1 M 59 1:15.352 140.413 mph
2. Coulthard McLaren M 65 1:16.077 0.725
3. Panis Toyota M 102 1:17.173 1.821
4. Barrichello Ferrari B 85 1:17.335 1.983
5. M Schumacher Ferrari B 98 1:17.794 2.442
6. Raikkonen McLaren M 99 1:18.164 2.812
7. Button BAR B 51 1:18.269 2.917
8. Gene WilliamsF1 M 84 1:18.619 3.267
9. Frentzen Sauber B 111 1:18.757 3.405
10. Villeneuve BAR B 31 1:19.244 3.892
Fourth and fifth today were
Ferrari team-mates Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher.
Today the Brazilian had his first run in the Scuderia's 2003
car, whole the German had to resort to the 2002 version.
Barrichello was so delighted with the new car he posted the
fourth fastest time of the day, albeit almost 2s off the pace.
Possibly of greater significance however is the news that he
successfully tried a modified HANS device, which he found much
better than the type he's been using up until now, which
hopefully means he'll be able to start preparing for next
week's home GP.
3/27/03 F3000
Rain in Jerez Rain
frustrated the F3000 competitors set to test at Jerez in
Southern Spain today as only 10 cars used the circuit to
develop their cars for the F3000 season. Townsend Bell, the
rookie Californian, ran only in the morning session and posted
a 5th best time for the morning’s wet run. The ARDEN team
decided there was no particular advantage to testing in the
rain in the afternoon so elected to stay dry and work on
changing setups for tomorrow’s final day at Jerez ending up
8th best of the day. Christian Horner, team boss said, “The
weather was very unkind to our guys in Spain, if they had
stayed in England and tested at Silverstone they would have
had a glorious day. Never mind, looking on the positive side,
it was good for Bjorn & Townsend to get some practice in the
wet!!” The rains subsided in the afternoon, so times were a
bit improved by other drivers. All are hoping to have a dry
track on Friday. American Derek Hill, another Californian, has
joined the Super Nova team and tested today at Jerez . He was
7th quickest in the morning, and improved to 6th best in the
afternoon. The morning and afternoon’s combined times were:
1. J. Janis ISR – Charourz 1:46.90
2. Y. Schroeder ISR – Charourz 1:47.26
3. E. Toccacello Super Nova 1:47.37
4. N. Kiesa Den Bla Navis 1:47.40
5. G. Pantano Durango 1:47.83
6. D. Hill Super Nova 1:48.10
7. B. Wirdheim Arden 1:48.74
8. T. Bell Arden 1:49.20
9. R. Gianmaria Durango 1:49.75
10. G. Mazzacane BCN 1:52.83
3/27/03 Industry News
Toyota stock price in free-fall
This Autoweek.com
article talks about the significant drop in the price
of Toyota stock since the beginning of the year, this for a
company that is doing better than most and making a reasonable
profit.
3/27/03
No new McLaren until June
Team boss Ron Dennis says the grand prix appearance of MP4-18A
may be delayed as late as the Canadian Grand Prix in June -
the mid-point of season 2003 - even though it should begin
track testing late next month. 'We won't bring the new car in
prematurely,' the boss of 2003's only F1 winners David
Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen said. Their present racing mount,
the older MP4-17D, comprises substantial aerodynamic and
mechanical steps from its 2002 configuration including a new
rear-end, gearbox and wing structures. Dennis adds, 'We didn't
come into the season expecting to be as competitive as we are
but we are delighted it has gone so well.'
3/27/03
Bernie says qualifying will
change The new one-lap qualifying system has
been described as “horrible” by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. He
believes all the excitement has gone and suggests the FIA will
wait a bit longer before changing it. Ecclestone told the
Brazilian new agency Agencia Estado, “They [the drivers] don't
have the chance to try to beat a rival who has better their
time. "There's no fighting - the excitement of qualifying has
gone."
3/27/03 Industry News
Shell Oil to cut workforce
Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Cos. said Wednesday that up to 15
percent of its global exploration and production work force,
or about 4,300 jobs, will be axed by 2006. Walter van de
Vijver, managing director of Shell's E&P business, which
employs 28,600 people worldwide, announced the cuts in a
presentation to analysts. Van de Vijver said they were part of
Shell's reorganization of its upstream business, which
involves the discovery, drilling and production of oil and
natural gas products. Shell was updating analysts with further
details of its restructuring plan announced in February,
designed to consolidate separate worldwide business units into
five regional centers. Simon Buerk, a spokesman for Shell in
London, said the location of the job cuts was still to be
determined.
3/27/03
NASCAR ad policy baffling at
times
This USA Today
article talks about how NASCAR decides what sponsors
are appropriate for NASCAR.
3/27/03
Gearbox
does in Monteiro
The gear box of the Reynard # 7 driven by Tiago Monteiro had
problems right from the opening lap in the Monterrey Grand
Prix refusing to go into 5th gear and preventing the
Portuguese driver from defending the ninth placing from which
he started, due to electronic problems. But things just got
worse when it stuck in 6th on the third lap, causing the
Fittipaldi Dingman Racing driver to prematurely abandon the
race. The driver from Oporto, who drove a errorless weekend
and who had obtained ninth position in the qualifying, knew
that this race was going to be difficult, but never guessed
that he would be forced to pull his car over into the
sidelines so early on the third lap of the Mexican
racetrack. “I did my duty, I made no mistakes but problems can
appear at any time and for any driver. We know that races also
have this less pleasant side, and we just have to think about
the next race” stated Tiago Monteiro resignedly. “The start
went normally until it came time to get into 5th gear, which
would not go in, which made things a little complicated. I
then spoke to Emerson on the radio, who asked me if I could
keep on with the race? I said yes, but I lost several
positions. I was losing quite a bit in two areas of the
circuit, but I could continue the race and try to finish to
maybe get some points. I wanted to hold out, as we had all
worked so hard in the team in a difficult weekend where we
learned a lot. Then the gear box stuck in 6th and I had to
give up”, explained Tiago Monteiro who wanted to finish the
whole race to get more experience. The next step will be two
days testing in Phoenix and then the 3rd race of the season in
Long Beach, California, on April 13th.
3/27/03
Barrichello still crying like a
baby All the CART, NASCAR and other drivers
use the HANS Device, including many in F1, with no problem.
But because Rubens Barrichello (and Justin Wilson) did not
take the time before the season to get a properly fitting HANS
Device, he continues to
cry like a baby without his bottle about having to
wear the thing. With all the money Ferrari is paying
him, he should just fly to the USA, get it fit properly,
and move on. Talk about F1 drivers being overpaid Prima
Dona's.
3/27/03
Bernie nears deal with CARTUPDATE In addition to the
Guardian article, this Grandprix.com article
gives another reason why Bernie may buy CART. They paint
the exact scenario AR1 painted months ago - that buy buying
CART, Bernie could easily make it the new World Championship
series should the manufacturers attempt to start their own
series. Mark C.3/27/03 - Respected F1 journalist Alan Henry writes in this UK Guardian
Newspaper
article - Chris Pook, the chief executive officer of CART, met
Bernie Ecclestone last week amid speculation that the formula one
commercial rights holder is poised to buy a controlling stake in the
North American championship. A senior formula one source suggested
yesterday that, unless the manufacturers row back from their threat to
launch a breakaway world championship in 2008, Ecclestone could
suggest to the sport's governing body, the FIA, that CART become the
official formula one world championship (gee, where did you hear that
before?). Pook, founder of the Long Beach grand prix in California,
which was run as a round of the formula one world championship from
1976 to 1983, is a long-time ally of Ecclestone, who purchased a stake
in the Long Beach race after it became a round of the CART series in
1984. Shares in CART, a publicly quoted company, have slumped to
around $3. Asked last year if he would be interested in buying into
CART, Ecclestone hinted he would consider it if the shares fell to $6.
Speculation that Ecclestone would take a stake in CART was heightened
when David Clare, for eight years one of his most trusted members of
the formula one administration management team, took over as CART's
chief operating officer alongside Pook late last year. CART is also
set to expand further outside the United States. For the past two
years it has competed on the Rockingham oval track, near Corby in
Northamptonshire, and this year it will return to Brands Hatch for the
first time since 1978. There are also plans for a race at Estoril, the
former venue for the Portuguese grand prix, next year. The FIA is set
to take a positive view of such expansion. "The FIA is here to
encourage international motor racing and we would do whatever we could
to help," said its president Max Mosley. Ecclestone's association with
CART would raise the series' profile and profitability in the wake of
the damaging split with the Indy Racing League at the end of 1995
which divided the US racing establishment into two separate camps. Up
to now the IRL, based around the blue ribbon Indianapolis 500, has had
the upper hand, with CART left very much in the second division.
CART's association with formula one would encourage the flow of
American drivers into formula one and stimulate interest within the
United States, which has hitherto shown a marked indifference to the
grand prix series. Ecclestone's links with circuits across the world
will also help CART's profile and the association with formula one
will inevitably enhance its attraction as a television package within
the US where it has been struggling against IRL over the past six
years. Further evidence that CART and formula one may be on a
converging course is emphasized by Pook's plans to switch to
three-liter V10 engines, similar to those used in grand prix events,
from the start of 2005.
More....
3/27/03 Industry News
CARA Soap is Hope project
This month CARA Charities has introduced its newest project,
“Soap Is Hope”, for battered, abused and homeless women, men
and children throughout North America by donating items from
the racing industry. CARA Charities, founded in 1981 and
serves the open-wheel community through charitable work, plans
to bring hope to battered and abused women, men and children,
the homeless and disadvantaged by helping provide them with
toiletry essentials. “All of us in the racing industry travel,
and our hotel rooms always have sample size soap, shampoo,
conditioners, etc,” said Mary Lou Bogner, national director
for CARA Charities. “We are asking our community to collect
any extra-unused items and bring them to the track. We will
have a collection site at the ministry location for the event
weekend. Every little bit helps. These efforts will go a long
way toward improving this group’s self esteem and
independence. If everyone could donate any new full sized
items, they would also be very welcome. Together we can make a
difference!” The “Soap Is Hope” toiletries, donated from the
entire racing community including spectators, sponsors,
officials, crew persons and drivers, will be collected by CARA
Charities members at the IRL and ChampCar events – in a
designated paddock area – and distributed to the local women
and children’s shelters in the local areas surrounding the
racing events. CARA Charities, entering its third decade of
service to the auto racing community, has been one of the most
recognized charitable groups in all of motorsports and has
donated nearly $3.5 million in the charity’s 22 years.
Projects like “Buckle Up Baby” has helped CARA Charities,
along with the Bridgestone/Firestone Trust Fund, donate over
$500,000 to children’s hospitals and clinics throughout North
America. In 2000, CARA Charities was awarded the National
highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Buckle Up America
Champion Award in recognition of this successful program. In
2003, CARA Charities is preparing for another outstanding year
of fund raising through its activities including the Indy 500
Fashion Show in May, the “Taste of CART” at Mid-Ohio in
August, Indy Shop Tour in September and the Christmas Ornament
program.
ALMS teams get LeMans green light
Racing teams that compete in the American Le Mans Series are prevalent
on the list of 50 teams selected for the 2003 running of the 24 Hours
of Le Mans that was announced Thursday by the Automobile Club de
l’Ouest (ACO), organizers of the famed endurance racing classic. The
24 Hours of Le Mans will be run June 14-15 at the Circuit de La Sarthe
in France. Teams that also competed regularly in the American Le Mans
Series have won the event overall four straight years and have also
scored numerous class wins. Of the 50 selected teams, 32 were
represented in the recent Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the event
that opened the 2003 season for the American Le Mans Series, and at
least 20 are expected to regularly compete in American Le Mans Series
events in 2003. Because of the strong relationship that exists between
the American Le Mans Series and the ACO, teams that regularly compete
in American Le Mans Series events receive special consideration in the
selection process for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Three of the invited
teams received automatic berths in the 24 Hours of Le Mans due to
their class wins in last year’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, the
final event of the American Le Mans Series season. The relationship
between the Series and the ACO also includes designating the Petit Le
Mans as a qualifying event for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The teams
receiving automatic berths for winning at Road Atlanta last October
include Corvette Racing, which has won the GTS class at Le Mans the
past two seasons and will field two cars at Le Mans. Also included are
Intersport Racing (LMP 675 class) and Alex Job Racing (GT class), both
of which will be racing at Le Mans for the first time in 2003 and will
field single-car entries. Five teams that will regularly compete in
American Le Mans Series events in 2003 have received invitations for
the LMP 900 (Prototype) class, including the two-car JML Team Panoz
entry (Panoz LMP01), Jim Matthews/Riley & Scott Racing (R&S MkIIIC-Yates),
ADT Champion Racing (Audi R8) and the Sezio Florida Racing Team (Norma
M2000-2-Ford). The class includes 16 cars. The LMP 675 class for
smaller Prototypes includes seven cars, with invitees Intersport
Racing (Lola EX257-MG) and Team Bucknum Racing (Pilbeam MP91) also
slated to run the full American Le Mans Series this season. The two
factory Chevrolet Corvette C5-R machines from Corvette Racing head the
10-car GTS class. In addition to the Corvettes, other teams in the
class that will run the American Le Mans Series schedule include
Carsport America (Pagani Zonda GR), Konrad Motorsport (Saleen S7R) and
Veloqx Prodrive Racing with a pair of Ferrari 550 Maranellos. Fifteen
cars have been invited to compete at Le Mans in the GT class, with
seven of them American Le Mans Series regulars. Leading the way is The
Racers Group, which won the GT class at Le Mans last year with a
Porsche 91 GT3 RS. The Job team, which won the GT class team
championship in the American Le Mans Series last year, will also run a
Porsche, as will Orbit Racing and Seikel Motorsport. Risi Competizione
will run a pair of Ferrari 360 Modenas at Le Mans, while JMB Racing
will run a single Ferrari. Six cars have been chosen as Reserve Cars,
including second entries from Konrad Motorsport, The Racers Group and
Orbit. Five of the six Reserve Cars competed at Sebring earlier this
month. The 56 selected cars have been invited to take part in a
special Pre-Practice session at Le Mans on May 4. The full list can be
viewed at www.lemans.org.
3/27/03
Mexican
fans trust in Pook
A Mexican fan sends this photo from last weekends CART race in
Monterrey, Mexico.
3/27/03
CART TV rating for MonterreyUPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1,
wasn't Joe Heitzler the one who got this TV contract with SPEED?
Wasn't he the one who sold himself as a TV experts who would land CART
this great TV contract? Amazing. And he's suing CART?
If the man had any principals he would just go away quietly given what
he did to the series. Mordichai Rosen, LA, Calif.
3/27/03 - CART's TV rating for last weekends Monterrey, Mexico race was another
dismal result - a 0.15, down from a 0.20 for St. Pete. The war
likely had a slight affect, but the IRL was up slightly from last year
in Phoenix. In a nutshell, you're talking about 97,000 homes
tuned in -- with an announced (but obviously inflated) crowd of
92,000, CART had roughly the same amount of people watching in person
as they did on TV. The ratings seem suspect, very suspect, but
that's all we have to go with. CART and
its teams are not going to land any sponsors with TV ratings like
that, and will soon go out of business. Rather than deal with a
bankrupt CART, SPEED would be better off cutting CART loose now so it
can get its races on network TV or another cable network where it gets
decent ratings, with SPEED picking up overseas races, qualifying and
other "specials". In order for a contract to work, it needs to
work for both party's. At this rate, we can't believe ratings
like that are working for either party. Mark C.
3/27/03 Industry News
Big profits for GM in China General
Motors' (GM) mainland joint venture had a fourfold gain in profit last
year after rising incomes and easier financing lifted sales of its
Buick and Sail cars in Asia's fastest-growing market. Shanghai General
Motors net income surged to 2.9 billion yuan (about HK$2.72 billion)
last year from 749 million yuan in 2001, said Zhang Tao, an official
at Shanghai Automotive, GM's partner. Sales rose 61 per cent to 18.5
billion yuan. Boshi Fund Management's Zhou Feng in Shenzhen
said: "We are very optimistic about GM's sales growth in China." He
indicated the vehicle market would expand at least 30 per cent a year
during the next five to 10 years. Half of GM's US$1.5 billion venture
in the mainland's biggest city, which produces Buick and Sail cars, is
owned by the Shanghai Automotive group. Shanghai Auto directly owns 20
per cent. General Motors China Group chairman Philip Murtaugh said:
"GM improved its performance and increased its investments in China."
Bloomberg
3/26/03
Changes to the Winston
There will be a slight change to the qualifying format of The Winston,
scheduled to run at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 17th. In 2002 teams
could make their mandatory pit stop anytime during the 3 lap
qualifying run. This year team must pit after they take the green flag
to qualifying and before the end of their 3 laps. The drive must enter
pit road at the normal pit road speed [45mph I think], but after the
pitstop is completed, there will be no pit road speed once they exit
their pit box. Also, during the race, plans are once again to invert
the field, how it will be inverted or how many drivers is to be
determined. The top 20 will advance to the 2nd segment (of three) and
top 14 after the 2nd segment will advance to the 3rd segment.
Winston Cup Scene -
Subscription Required to read online
3/26/03
Zanardi returns to EuroSpeedway as
Grand Marshal
18 months after his serious accident, Alex Zanardi returns as Grand
Marshal to the EuroSpeedway Lausitz Germany, Klettwitz, March 26,
2003. After his serious accident in the premičre year of the German
500, the Italian racing driver Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi returns to
the EuroSpeedway Lausitz as Grand Marshal on the occasion of the Champ
Car race on May 11th. This was announced today by CART, the Champ Car
umbrella organization, and EuroSpeedway Lausitz. As Grand Marshal, the
former Formula One pilot and Champ Car champion will be the highest
representative of the Champ Car World Series at the race in Germany.
Just 18 months after his serious accident, in which Alex Zanardi lost
both legs, he will speak the famous start phrase: "Gentlemen, start
your engines", and thus send the Champ Car pilots into the race. The
Champ Car drivers and teams responded to this announcement with great
joy and respect. At EuroSpeedway Lausitz, everyone is especially
delighted by this honor. Hans-Joerg Fischer, the managing director of
EuroSpeedway Lausitz, remarked: "Like no other racing driver, Alex
Zanardi stands for motor sports with all its facets. We have even
greater respect for his outstanding personality and the way in which
Alex Zanardi mastered his fate. It is an extraordinary honor for my
team and me, for CART and all Champ Car pilots, as well as for the
entire Lausitz region, to be able to welcome him again as a member of
this great international family at the German 500."
3/26/03
Barron to replace injured de Ferran
Penske Racing, Inc. announced plans to continue fielding two Marlboro
Team Penske entries at Twin Ring, Motegi on Sunday, April 13th.
Two-time National Champion and full time Marlboro Team Penske driver
Gil de Ferran will not compete due to injuries suffered at Phoenix
International Raceway. His replacement will be IndyCar Series veteran
Alex Barron. “Obviously I am extremely disappointed that I will be
unable to compete at the inaugural event at Twin Ring Motegi. I wish
Alex and the Team the best of luck in Japan,” said de Ferran. “I
respect Dr. Bock’s decision and want to thank the medical staffs of
the Indy Racing League, Phoenix International Raceway and Good
Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Phoenix for their excellent
care.” De Ferran is expected to make a full recovery in time to begin
activities for the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500-mile race on
Sunday, May 25th. “Gil suffered a minor fracture of the neck & lower
back and a slight concussion,” said Dr. Henry Bock, Director of
Medical Services, Indy Racing League. “These injuries will require a
minimum of four weeks to heal, relegating Gil to the sideline for
Motegi.” “Our primary concern is Gil’s health. We understand that Dr.
Bock’s decision is in the best interest of Gil and his timely
recovery,” said Tim Cindric, President, Penske Racing, Inc. “It is
important to our program to have an experienced driver in Gil’s car as
we head to Motegi for the first time with the Indy Racing League. We
are fortunate that Alex Barron is available under these
circumstances.” Last season Barron finished fifth in the IRL IndyCar
Series point standings on the strength of 11 top-ten finishes in 15
events, including his first IndyCar Series victory at Nashville
Superspeedway. He was also named co-Rookie of the Year for his fourth
place finish at the 86th Indianapolis 500-mile race. “I look forward
to representing Marlboro Team Penske and Roger again, though these are
certainly difficult circumstances,” said Barron. “I wish Gil all the
best for a speedy recovery.”
3/26/03 F3000
Townsend Bell blisters Jerez The
first of 3 days of testing for Townsend Bell at Jerez in Spain
took place today with the young Californian setting the pace
for the 6 teams running in a private session. Tbell turned a
time of 1 minute 33.54 seconds on his fastest lap edging his
teammate Bjorn Wirdheim by a tenth of a second. Neither driver
in the ARDEN International team had raced or tested at Jerez
prior to today. Bell commented, "We are here to learn more
about the setup and how the car reacts to changes, than to
prepare for a race here". This track in Southern Spain in not
on either the F3000 or the F1 schedule. Christian Horner, team
boss said, "both drivers have been working through different
programs on this first day of our testing here at Jerez.
Townsend was impressively quick today and is working well in
his new surroundings". Today's unofficial times (no FIA timing
until Thursday and Fridays testing) are as follows:
1. T. Bell Arden 1:33.54
2. B. Wirdheim Arden 1:33.64
3. G. Pantano Durango 1:33.91
4. J. Janis ISR 1:34.04
5. Y. Schroeder ISR 1:34.40
6. G. Bruni Durango 1:34.72
The full contingent of challengers in the F3000 series is
expected to be at Jerez for Thursday and Friday's official FIA
test.
3/26/03
Phoenix
crowd
A few readers have asked what the crowd looked like at Phoenix
last weekend for the IRL race. This photo was taken just
before the race was starting. Click to see wider view.
3/26/03
De la Rosa tops testing in
Barcelona today
1 Pedro de la Rosa
McLaren-Mercedes 1:15.506 31 laps
2 David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1:16.132 65 laps
3 Marc Gene WilliamsF1 BMW 1:16.144 85 laps
4 Juan Pablo Montoya WilliamsF1 BMW 1:16.373 73 laps
5 Luca Badoer Ferrari 1:17.571 65 laps
6 Jenson Button BAR Honda 1:17.734 107 laps
7 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:17.964 87 laps
8 Cristiano da Matta Toyota 1:18.157 73 laps
9 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber Petronas 1:19.105 89 laps
3/26/03
Menard Cheever buy TWR
Menard Cheever Technologies (MCT) has acquired the independent
United Kingdom engine design company, TWR Engines, announced
owners John Menard and Eddie Cheever Jr. today. The move
reinforces the company's intention to become a worldwide
leader in the design and supply of engines, vehicles and
associated technology. "This is a big step for the technical
company Eddie and I formed last year," John Menard said. "The
resources and knowledge of the workforce at TWR Engines opens
the door to a great number of new business opportunities. We
look forward to continuing, and building upon, the excellence
they have achieved in the motorsports and automotive
industries." TWR Engines will now be named MCT, U.K. and will
be based out of its existing facility in Kidlington,
Oxfordshire, England. Service to current and future customers
will be provided from this U.K. facility as well as the
expanded MCT facility in Indianapolis, Ind. Charlie Bamber
will continue to lead the group as General Manager of MCT,
U.K.
3/26/03
Fishel
to drive pace car
Herb Fishel, the executive director of GM Racing, will drive
the Chevy SSR Official Pace Vehicle at the start of the 2003
Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. As Official Pace Vehicle driver,
Fishel will lead the 33-car starting field of the world’s
greatest auto race to a green-flag start at 11 a.m. (EST)
Sunday, May 25. “During Herb’s career at General Motors, he
had a greater influence on the Indianapolis 500 than most
people realize,” said Tony George, president and CEO of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I am excited for Herb that after
40 years in motorsports with GM, he will have the opportunity
to realize a lifelong dream by pacing the Indy 500. “During
the 20 years I have known
Herb, I have witnessed many of his contributions to
motorsports at Indy, at Le Mans and in Winston Cup, and I have
personally benefited from his experience, knowledge and
guidance.” Fishel is entering the 40th year of his career and
has been a powerful behind-the-scenes force in American
motorsports. Being on center stage at the start of the world’s
largest single-day sporting event is the culmination of a
lifelong dream, he said. “Driving the SSR Indy 500 Pace
Vehicle as I enter the 40th year of my career is a tremendous
honor,” Fishel said. “I’m going to make the most of this
opportunity. If I can take 1,000 people around the track in
the month of May, I’ll do it!
3/26/03
Andretti turns in his own Indy
500 entry
Acting in his capacity as owner of Andretti Green Racing,
Michael Andretti today filed his entry for the 87th running of
the Indianapolis 500, which will be held on May 25. It was the
first time in his 20-year career that Andretti, who has
competed in 13 Indy 500’s, personally filed his own entry. The
40-year old driver announced this past January he would retire
from competition following this year’s Indy 500 to focus his
attention on his ownership role at Andretti Green Racing (AGR),
with partners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree, was in Indianapolis
today to file entries for AGR’s four-car Indy 500 effort.
“This is a bit of a strange feeling for me,” Andretti said to
Brian Barnhart, the Indy Racing League’s senior vice
president, racing operations. “Along with being here to file
entries for Andretti Green Racing drivers Dario Franchitti,
Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon, I am also here to turn in my own
for the Indy 500. It’s the first time I have to do this and
I’ll say that it feels kind of odd to be handing in the one
for my very last race.” Along with filing his official Indy
500 entry in the #7 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone,
Andretti also confirmed that Andretti Green would also field
Tony Kanaan in the #11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone,
Dario Franchitti in the #27 Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola
Dallara/Honda/Firestone as well as Dan Wheldon, who will make
his IndyCar Series debut with AGR at the Indy 500, in the #26
Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone. “We are
extremely excited to be fielding four cars for this race,”
added Andretti. “We believe that we have clearly demonstrated
our ability to run a first-rate organization and are confident
that we can be competitive in Indianapolis this year. While I
believe that any of our drivers could win the Indy 500, I
certainly have my sights set on winning this race for the
first time in my career.”
3/26/03
NASCAR considering Ephedra ban
NASCAR gives random drug tests but does not check for ephedra,
which has been banned by other sports leagues but is sold in
malls and grocery stores. Kevin Triplett, NASCAR's managing
director of business operations, says an ephedra ban "is
something we're looking at." Ephedra, which is extracted from
an Asian plant, is banned in college sports, the Olympics, the
NFL and minor league baseball. Although supplement
manufacturer Stacker 2 sponsors Kenny Wallace's race #23 car,
Triplett says that would not stop NASCAR from considering an
ephedra ban. Karen Finocchio, vice president of marketing for
NVE, Stacker 2's parent company, says the company stands
behind its ephedra supplement but notes it also offers an
ephedra-free version. She says users should follow the
extensive set of guidelines printed on the bottle. "Take it as
directed," she says. "Consult your physician. ... Know your
limitations."
USA Today
3/26/03
Compromise on Autopsy fight
According to this New Bern Sun Journal
article, Autopsy photos would be open to viewing by
the general public, but only certain people would be allowed
to receive copies of such photos under a proposal that made
its way out of a House committee on Tuesday. The compromise
bill adopted by a House Judiciary committee would allow copies
of autopsy photos to be distributed to:
* The chief medical examiner or his designee.
* The investigating medical examiner, the district attorney, a
superior court judge and law enforcement officials.
* A personal representative of the deceased (such as the
next-of-kin).
* A person authorized by court order and another medical
examiner or doctor who would use the photo for teaching and
training purposes.
Anyone denied access to copies of the photos can file a
special proceeding before a clerk of court. Clerks would be
authorized to grant the request if they think the person
asking for the photos has good cause.
3/26/03
Will 2003 be the last year for
the British GP? According to this BBC
article, The British Grand Prix could be axed next
season, according to ex-Formula One driver Martin Brundle,
chairman of the company that owns Silverstone. Brundle -
chairman of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which leases the
circuit to Octagon Motorsports - said: "I think you have to
question the British Grand Prix after this year. "There is no
short-term answer that is apparent yet." F1 supremo Bernie
Ecclestone has long criticized the annual race at Silverstone,
claiming the facilities and traffic control is sub-standard.
But the event was thrown into fresh doubt when Octagon decided
to sell up earlier this month. It would be bizarre if there
was a Turkish Grand Prix and not a British Grand Prix. Octagon
bought a 15-year lease to run the Grand Prix in 1999, but
parent company Interpublic is planning to sell all its
motorsport business because of debts. And it remains unclear
whether Octagon will find a buyer - Ecclestone has himself
admitted that the contract he struck with company was not
commercially viable.
3/26/03
It's the drivers in ads stupid!
A Racing News Online article by Chapman Rackaway echoes our
sentiments exactly regarding promotion of the drivers in all
their ads as the real secret to their success. - NASCAR
has the sponsors, but the IRL and CART have had big-name
sponsors with big checkbooks, too. Only NASCAR has managed to
attempt building real brand equity and name recognition by
using the drivers as a central part of its advertising. NASCAR
will continue to be successful over the next few years as long
as the advertisers continue to showcase the drivers and give
them vehicles to show off their personalities. Watching a
NASCAR race, your bladder might cramp because not only do you
not want to miss the race, you don't want to miss the
commercials. It's the Super Bowl of ads, every week. Case in
point is the UPS campaign, which might be sport's best ad run.
UPS wasn't going to make Dale Jarrett into something he's not.
Jarrett is not a screamer, or a big joker. Instead, Gentleman
Jarrett's son, much like his dad, is a quiet man with focus.
Jarrett's not going to be a sly wit like some other racers can
be. So, UPS made him the straight man, and he's excellent in
the role. Most of UPS' commercials come easily to memory,
partly because of Jarrett's dazed expression as he reacts to
one ridiculous request to race the truck after
another.....NASCAR has created, intentionally or not, an
independent force that expands the NASCAR brand identity.
Through NASCAR racers being present in ads that run during
races and after, the drivers, sponsors, and series all develop
widespread awareness with viewers. When was the last time you
could recall an IndyCar or ChampCar driver that you identified
with an ad on television? Target's sponsorship doesn't count,
since they included CART cars with their Winston Cup Ganassi
efforts. The ad presence isn't the end all and be all of
NASCAR's success, but it helps NASCAR build itself into an
ever-greater series. Why will NASCAR continue to be successful
in the future? It's the ads, stupid!
3/26/03
CART to drop mandatory pit
window
According to this Autoweek
article, CART's mandatory pit window rule, which no
one has anything good to say about, will disappear at Brands
Hatch in May.
3/26/03
Kerry Earnhardt looking forward
to dream start FitzBradshaw Racing and driver Kerry Earnhardt have entered
the No. 83 Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet for the
Samsung/RadioShack 500. Earnhardt, 20th in this week’s NASCAR
Busch Series points, was slated to drive the No. 83 Aaron’s
Dream Machine in select NASCAR Winston Cup Series races during
the 2002 season, however, rain cancelled qualifying for all
events he entered. Those were FitzBradshaw's first attempts in
NASCAR Winston Cup Series and no owner points had been
accumulated; thus no provisional berths were available to the
older brother of Dale Earnhardt Jr. … “We’re excited about
this race,” Kerry Earnhardt said. “We tried a couple times
last year to make races, and each time we tried we got rained
out. It was a pretty big joke around the garage.”
3/26/03
Dale Jr. in another kind of
fast lane
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) has a cameo
role, playing himself, in Friday’s (March 28) episode of the
FOX show “Fastlane” (8 p.m. ET and PT). The show is about two
undercover police officers fighting crime in Los Angeles; the
show stars Peter Facinelli ("The Scorpion King," "Riding in
Cars with Boys"), Bill Bellamy ("Any Given Sunday," "The
Brothers") and Tiffani Thiessen ("Beverly Hills 90210," "The
Ladies Man") and airs Fridays.
3/26/03
Concern for de Ferran's health2nd
UPDATE The growing awareness of the potential
adverse consequences of concussion has resulted in the
implementation of baseline neuropsychological testing by the
majority of National Football League (NFL) teams, the entire
National Hockey League (NHL). See related
article. We don't expect de Ferran will want
to risk racing in the IRL much longer. 3/25/03
-
Gil de Ferran will be out at least six weeks, which means he will miss
the Motegi race, but should be ready to qualify in time for the Indy
500. 3/24/03 - Since
going to the IRL, Gil de Ferran has now had two concussions in less
that six months from hitting concrete walls. Concussions are
traumatic head injuries that occur from both mild and severe blows to
the head. Some head injuries may appear to be mild but research is
finding that concussions can have serious, long-term effects. Repeat
head injuries or cumulative concussions, can have long-term
implications. Recent studies on the cumulative effects of concussions
in high school athletes have shown that even mild concussions can
result in serious long-term problems, particularly if an athlete is
allowed to return to play too early, or has a history of concussions
or other head injuries. According to researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the brain has an
increased vulnerability to severe, perhaps permanent, injury for at
least a full day following a concussion. In a study with mice, the
effects of a second brain trauma within 24 hours seemed temporary. The
mice returned to almost normal and did well on tests of cognitive and
motor skills. But, at about 56 days, there was "a measurable breakdown
in motor skills and, subsequently, a breakdown in the cells of the
brain," said Tracy K. McIntosh, Ph.D., the Director of the Penn Head
Injury Center. "Our findings represent the first real attempt to look
at the science behind head injuries – and we were startled to see how
permanent the damage can be," he said. This has serious implications
for amateur and professional athletes, as well as victims of abuse and
accidents, because permanent cognitive damage is not immediate. The
effects of RHI may not be felt for months later. A growing body of
data suggests that those who suffer RHIs in sports may be at greater
risk for neurodegenerative diseases later in life. The cumulative
damage from successive concussions can increase the risk of
premature senility, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease,
neurologists warn. [Journal of Neurosurgery, November 2001]. A
number of IRL drivers have retired early, after their Neurologists
recommended to them that another concussion could seriously impair
them. One has to think that Gil's doctors are telling him to
stay away from the concrete walls, hence ovals. Mark C.
3/26/03
What racing in Beijing would
mean for CART
These days China does not do anything small. They have
such a vast population, that racing will get a big attendance
and big TV ratings. How big? Consider this - An
estimated 26 million viewers in the Beijing area alone, tuned
in to the opening F1 round in Australia. The race was
broadcast in China by its only national TV company, CCTV, who
are committed to screening all this year's races. Racing
is growing in popularity in China, and with CART in Beijing
and F1 in Shanghai, Bernie will have China covered. CART
will be on CCTV as well, expect that announcement in Long
Beach we hear. Alex Yoong, who is half Chinese and half
English (though a Malaysian citizen) will be a key element of
CART's foray into China in 2005. F1 racing in Shanghai
in 2004 will raise China's awareness of racing, paving the way
for CART (hopefully called F1A by then) into Beijing.
Beijing will not be outdone by Shanghai, that sort of thing
just does not happen in China where there is a great rivalry
between Beijing and Shanghai. Shanghai is projected to
fill its 200,000 grandstand seats for its F1 race. We
guess Beijing will build at least 200,001 for its CART
circuit. Mark C.
3/26/03
Barrichello could miss home
race Ruebens Barrichello will be testing a
modified version (identical to the one worn by David
Coulthard) of HANS during a test session at the Circuit de
Cataluyńa in Barcelona, Spain, this week, but if the problems
cannot be rectified over the weekend then he could well miss
the next race. "Malaysia showed that with the current set-up
Rubens feels pain but I would expect we will be able to solve
the problem," a Ferrari spokesperson was quoted as saying by
British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph. "We are testing a new
system and for the time being we are not speculating on having
any more difficulties with it. But if any driver is not
comfortable then we would use our second driver."
3/26/03
Roush thinks Toyota will be bad
for NASCAR
Jack Roush, head of Roush Racing, said Tuesday that while
Toyota will bring new sponsors and generate added interest in
stock car racing, America would be better off if NASCAR stayed
``red, white and blue.'' Toyota will become the first Japanese
manufacturer to compete in one of NASCAR's top three divisions
next year when it enters the Craftsman Truck Series. The
company is expected to move up to Winston Cup within a few
years.
Tampa Tribune
3/26/03
Paul Tracy interview
You may be interested in reading this
interview with Champ Car points leader Paul Tracy in Ask Men
Magazine.
Best ever crowd for Malaysia
According to organizers of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the weekend's
racing was the most attended since its inaugural event in 1999.
The event attracted 101,485 fans on race day - the first time the
figure has passed six digits since Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine
dominated the debut grand prix in 1999. Race officials add
that the heat and humidity failed to detract a total of 168,000
enthusiastic spectators over the three days of Formula One action.
3/26/03
Strange bedfellows
David Phillips points out in this SPEED article, -
name another sport where you’d find the ex-CEO of the organizing body
suing both the organization and a couple of its most prominent team
owners while employed by a third team owner (Gerald Forsythe), who
also happens to be the largest single shareholder of the organization
said ex-CEO is litigating. And just what is that ex-CEO doing for said
team owner? Why, working as the new CEO of two of the biggest events
on the schedule of the organization he’s suing, of course. If truth
were ever stranger than fiction it was the sight of ousted CART CEO
Joseph Heitzler working the Fundidora Park paddock, press room and
operations center as GRAND’s CEO of the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand
Prix; much as he figures to do eight months down the road as GRAND’s
CEO of the Gran Premio Telmex/Gigante Presented by Banamex/Visa at the
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City......This would also be
the same Gerald Forsythe who, on the one hand, has a rather frosty
relationship with Heitzler’s successor—Chris Pook—and on the other
hand, is backing Pook’s efforts to engineer what appears to be a
takeover of CART by Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone; and who does
not hesitate to make that initiative public even though publicity
about his business moves is anathema to Mr. Ecclestone . .
..Meanwhile, there was Heitzler talking on pit lane with Carl Haas
(who he’s suing for defamation of character) while a bevy of fellow
former CART employees including Don Helms and Martin Thake
(ex-television marketing director and senior manager of circuit
development, respectively) roamed Fundidora Park in “GRAND” polo
shirts. Racing makes strange bedfellows indeed.
3/26/03
Rebuttal to Brock Yates In response to Brock Yates
latest article,
a reader writes, Dear Brock,
It is the year two-thousand and three. The alleged “good old days” you
thirst for, the days of Foyt, Mears, Gurney, et al have passed for
good. Get a grip Man! Change is inevitable. The sport must evolve or
die. All The * Grandson is doing with the IRL is retarding (no pun
intended) this evolution by foisting “his vision,” version 2.0 now, on
an ever dwindling base of open wheel oval racing fans that are
increasingly sending their disposable motorsports dollar to Daytona
Beach.
It was refreshing to read your current assessment of the IRL in
relationship to the upcoming 500, a race which has been a hollow shell
of itself since the day The * Grandson decided he would reserve grid
positions for his IRL cronies. The CART teams pushed cinch and went on
to build CART into the premier motorsports series in North America.
But eventually the lure of that yard of bricks became to strong.
One-by-one the CART teams trickled back to Indy with their one-off,
May only dash-for-the-cash efforts. They came. They won. They took all
of Tony’s money home. Year-after-year the CART contingent siphoned off
the big money until Tony finally said “Enough!” and motorsports fans
got last years “competition managed” disgrace. Bearing in mind the
fact an “Indy 500” fan is not necessarily the same thing as a
“motorsports fan,” I believe the “motorsports fans” that viewed last
years 500 decided they no longer shared in Tony’s “vision.” The “Indy
500 fans” never noticed as they were dozing after their afternoon
Ensure. Tony and NASCAR will put the IRL in the ground. Not CART.
CART on the other hand is adapting to the times, to the realities of
the market place and the global economy. CART (Mr. Pook) knows it must
deliver value for the motorsports dollar invested by fans and
sponsors. That means putting a quality product (it’s all about the
quality of the racin’) where the population base is. I too love Road
America and hate to see it go. But I am more than willing to sacrifice
5 R/As for one race on Chicago’s lake front, or any other Top 10 ADI
market for that matter. Ditto Mid-Ohio.
CART also realizes, unlike NASCAR and the IRL, that the technology
must also evolve. Global compression of the manufacturing base means
the companies that will invest in the future of the sport must have
some sensible economies of scale along with ROI to take to their Board
of Directors. Over time these economies of scale will reduce the cost
of competition while increasing manufacturer diversity and
competition. I do agree on the methanol vs. high octane pump gas
issue. At least everyone will be able to SEE the fire for a change
(again, technology to the rescue. I must assume SOMEONE will have the
safety thing worked out by the time they race ‘em).
The future of motorsports on a global level is about the stakeholders
(I know the term is almost cliché, but it applies in spirit).
Motorsport is not, thank God, like stick-and-ball sport. As Hemmingway
said, “the only TRUE sports are mountain climbing, bull fighting and
motor racing. The rest are mere child’s games.” Motorsports requires a
special investment from all it’s constituents in order to succeed.
CART enjoys this commitment from it’s fan base and will, I have no
doubt, soon enjoy the same commitment from the sponsors because CART
is adapting it’s product to fulfill the needs of their stakeholders.
The IRL, and to a lesser extent NASCAR, are not doing this. I sure
hope Honda and Toyota and all the x-CART teams are getting what
they’re paying for. Judging by the number of fans in the stands at
Phoenix and Homestead . . . . they are.
Freedom & Whiskey (yes Brock, I know who said that first),
J.N. Anderson, Chicago, Illinois
(P.S. The Monday after CART’s outstanding Mexico event, a highly
successful Town Meeting, and maybe Bernie’s eye for a good thing,
CART’s stock value climbed 30%.)
3/25/03
Roush crew chief penalized
NASCAR suspended Trucks Series crew chief John Monsam for two months
and fined him $1,500 Tuesday for using an illegal spring at Mesa Marin
Raceway. NASCAR also fined Raymond Newman $250 for using unapproved
jacking bolts on Ken Weaver's truck team. Monsam, crew chief for Jon
Wood, will miss two races because the Truck Series does not run every
weekend. He was penalized after inspectors found the right-front
spring on the No. 50 Ford was illegal following Wood's second-place
finish Sunday. Jack Roush, who fields the truck, was furious Monsam
used an illegal spring. "We have a zero tolerance policy regarding
rules compliance, and accordingly agree that NASCAR's penalty to John
Monsam is fair under the circumstances," Roush said. "We do not expect
John ever to repeat that type of decision again. He is a good man and
crew chief, and I hope that everyone on the team can learn from this
mistake so we can move ahead and focus on winning races." Roush did
not announce a replacement for Monsam.
3/25/03 Industry News
Fiat to sell Toro Insurance
Fiat SpA, Italy's biggest manufacturer, agreed to sell its insurance
unit to Finanziaria De Agostini, an investment company, for 2.4
billion euros ($2.5 billion), raising cash for its unprofitable auto
business. The sale of Toro Assicurazioni SpA will cut Fiat's net debt
by 1.4 billion euros and bring a capital gain of about 350 million
euros, the Turin-based company said in an e-mailed statement. Fiat's
net debt at the end of 2002 was 3.8 billion euros. Fiat had a record
2.9 billion-euro loss in the fourth quarter partly because of costs
associated with cutting jobs and closing factories at its car unit.
The company pledged to sell Toro, Italy's third-biggest insurer and
the FiatAvio SpA aeronautics arm, two of its most profitable
businesses, to invest in developing new car models. "The sale of Toro
is a big sacrifice for us, but a necessary one to cut debt and sustain
our development," said Fiat Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Morchio.
Bloomberg
3/25/03 Industry News
TMS to debut new safety light system
In a continued commitment to improve driver safety, Texas Motor
Speedway and System Electric Inc. of Fort Worth has developed and
installed a unique new caution light system. The Warning Emergency
System (WES) caution lights are imbedded in the asphalt at the base of
the retaining walls in the speedway's four turns. The WES lights are
available for use in this weekend's Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR
Winston Cup race and the O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race should
NASCAR choose to use them. "In our never-ending effort to improve
driver safety, we wanted to develop caution lights that were directly
in the view of the drivers," said Eddie Gossage, General Manager of
Texas Motor Speedway. "In the turns the drivers are focusing on the
race track ahead of them and since the WES lights are imbedded into
the asphalt surface, our tests indicate the drivers will see them
easier. We believe it will give the drivers quicker notification of a
problem somewhere on the race track and that makes the racing safer."
The initial application installed WES lights in eight different
locations around Texas Motor Speedway. Four sets of WES lights are
located in turns one and two while an additional four sets are located
in turns three and four. The WES light system supplements the
speedway's existing caution light system. The WES lights are similar
to airport runway lights. Each location provides a 15- foot long strip
of LED lights that are six inches wide. Each 15-foot section includes
a total of 180 LED lights. Should the WES lights prove successful, it
is possible to install the lights all the way around the speedway
surface. Further development may also allow them to be installed along
the inside apron of the turns. "The WES lights are very directional
and are very bright to the driver even in the brightest part of the
day," said Gossage. "Only fans sitting at a perfect angle will be able
to see the lights but to the drivers they will be very clear and
visible." Developing the WES lights were Dwayne Lyons, Electrical
Engineer for System Electric; Wes Harris, Vice President of
Development for Speedway Motorsports Inc.; Jim Stufflebeam, Director
of Development for Texas Motor Speedway; and Mat Stolley, Director of
Operations for Texas Motor Speedway.
3/25/03
Argent to sponsor Toyota Atlantic race at Long Beach
The Grand Prix Association of Long Beach announced that Argent
Mortgage Company, LLC has agreed to become the Official Mortgage
Company of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and title sponsor of
its CART Toyota Atlantic Championship race scheduled for Sunday, April
13. Argent Mortgage Company, with headquarters in Orange, Calif., is
also the sponsor of the Team Argent #24 racecar piloted by rookie
driver Danica Patrick in the CART Toyota Atlantic Series Championship.
The Team Argent car is owned by three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal
and talk show host David Letterman. "We just recently changed our name
to Argent Mortgage Company in January," said Johanna Padberg, Vice
President of Marketing. "The re-branding of our identity has been our
priority and sponsorship of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
creates awareness as well as the opportunity to entertain our key
clients."
3/25/03
CART stock watchFinal
UPDATE
An outstanding day today for MPH!
MPH closed at $4.25 Up $0.98 on Volume of 225,600 shares.
$3.53 Bid - $4.47 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $3.51 / $4.31
MPH Value Change Up 29.97%
DOW Jones Up 65.55 or 0.8% on Volume of 1.58 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 21.23 or 1.55%
S&P 500 Up 10.51 or 1.22%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago www.andersongroupe.com
3/25/03
Badoer back on track
Ferrari got their Brazilian Grand Prix preparations underway
at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain on Tuesday. Rubens
Barrichello and Luca Badoer were in action for the Scuderia
and the F2003-GA returned to action. It was a sunny day in
Spain as Luca Badoer returned to the cockpit of the F2003-GA
after his testing accidents in his previous two tests. Badoer
completed 57 laps in the new chassis as he continued to
develop the chassis. His best lap of the day was 1.17.822.
Joining him in Spain was Rubens Barrichello who was
concentrating on tire testing for Brazil with the F2002. The
Brazilian driver completed a total of 75 laps with his best
being 1.17.750. Ferrari will continue testing here tomorrow
with the same drivers in action.
3/25/03
Barcelona Tuesday test times
Driver Team Tires Laps Time Gap
1. Gene WilliamsF1 M 48 1:17.288 136.896 mph
2. de la Rosa McLaren M 68 1:17.448 0.160
3. da Matta Toyota M 61 1:17.531 0.243
4. Montoya WilliamsF1 M 62 1:17.731 0.443
5. Barrichello Ferrari B 75 1:17.750 0.462
6. Badoer Ferrari B 56 1:17.822 0.534
7. Sato BAR B 93 1:18.906 1.618
3/25/03
CART Town Meeting The transcript of last
nights CART Town meeting in Long Beach is now complete.
See link on our Home page.
3/25/03
ALMS
announcer off to IRAQ war John Hindhaugh, lead
announcer for the American Le Mans Series Radio Web, has
traveled to Kuwait to take part in media coverage of the war
in Iraq. Hindhaugh left London on Monday for the journey to
Kuwait City, where he will work for Globecast, one of the
world’s largest satellite uplink broadcast companies. One of
Globecast’s clients is the Reuters News Agency, which is
providing facilities for journalists across the Gulf Region.
Hindhaugh expects to be in the area for at least a month,
coordinating with Reuters journalists and other broadcasters
to uplink video and live reports from Kuwait City. In
addition, he will spend time working with a mobile unit that
will travel as part of a military operation. “It’s a project
management and client liaison role, although I have had a
refresher course on camera operation and satellite uplink
protocol so that I can give some of the other staff a break,”
said Hindhaugh. “Most of the staff has been there for at least
a month now and are pretty tired. Don’t bet against me popping
up on your TV screens at some stage.” Hindhaugh said that he
had been on standby for the Gulf trip for some time and said
that he had grown frustrated with the waiting and uncertainty
about his travel plans. However, all of that changed when he
was at Sebring International Raceway for the recent Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring, the opening event of the 2003
American Le Mans Series season. He had been expecting to
travel to Qatar to work in the $1 million Hollywood-designed
main press center at the U.S. Strategic Command Center at
Doha. However, he received a call while at Sebring to send his
details through to the Kuwaiti Embassy in London in
preparation for a deployment on his return. He went to the
media center at Sebring and faxed a copy of his passport to
London to get the process underway, then went ahead with his
Radio Web duties for the race. Upon returning home to England,
he learned that the Kuwaitis had approved his application. He
traveled to London to collect the necessary papers, then drove
to the Globecast depot at Farnham, U.K., to receive essential
items such as a flak jacket, protection suit and respirator.
He caught an overnight flight from London to Bahrain, and then
on to Kuwait City. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me and
I am delighted that Globecast and Reuters have shown so much
confidence in approaching me for this important role,” he
said. “All of my sports car friends have been very kind. I
have found it extremely supportive that drivers, team members
and fellow journalists have made the effort to pass on their
good wishes.” Hindhaugh, who has been the anchor of the
American Le Mans Series Radio Web since the formation of the
professional sports car racing series in 1999, is known for
his enthusiastic delivery while announcing the action to
listeners around the world. “I’ve been revising my knowledge
of military vehicles,” he said. “So I should be able to do a
decent commentary on the race to Baghdad.”
3/25/03
Should CART retain road courses? After the
meeting Town Meeting in LB last night, it was brought out that
CART's direction is street races (as Chris said during the
meeting 'bring the show to the fans'). The comment
overheard was if fans feel CART should keep its natural
terrain road courses, i.e. Laguna, Mid-Ohio, Elkhart Lake,
they better let Chris know that because he is headed the other
direction.
3/25/03
Dale Coyne Racing news
Joel Camathias is scheduled to do his first oval test in one
week at Homestead, Florida. Alex Yoong and Dale Coyne are
working to put a program together for the rest of the season
and have scheduled a road course test in Arizona just prior to
Long Beach.
3/25/03
Andretti appeals to fans for help With the
Indianapolis 500 and his retirement from professional driving
just 61 days away, Michael Andretti is appealing to race fans
across North America and around the world to assist him in
creating a photographic exhibit that will highlight memorable
moments of his twenty year career as well as pay homage to the
scores of fans who have supported him over the past two
decades. As part of the recently announced Countdown to Indy
program Andretti, who has been racing top-tier Indy-style cars
since 1983, is seeking fan photos and other visual materials
that will become part of a permanent online collection as well
as a temporary exhibit he will launch during this year’s 87th
running of the Indianapolis 500. “Over the past twenty years
I’ve autographed thousands of cards and photographs of myself
or my race cars for fans,” says Andretti who will retire to
focus exclusively on the newly formed Andretti Green Racing
team with his partners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree. “I’ve
signed some outstanding action and candid photos as well as
many of myself with a fan or with someone’s family members.
When you see someone in an autograph session you don’t really
have much of a chance to ask questions about the photos you’re
signing, but I’ve often wondered about many of them and whom
they belonged to. I thought it would be interesting to look
back at my career through the eyes of race fans and so I am
inviting them to send me images they have taken between 1983
and 2003 along with a short description or caption that we can
put on display in Indianapolis during the month of May as well
as house permanently on the Andretti family website.” Along
with photos, Andretti is also seeking event posters or other
visuals including copies of each of the race team autograph
cards produced for him between 1983 and 2003. The exhibit will
be opened to the public in early May and details on the
location and hours will be announced shortly. With a racing
record that includes 15 IndyCar Series seasons with at least
one victory; 309 CART starts (for which he is the series
all-time leader); 313 IndyCar starts; 6,658 career laps led
including 398 laps led at the Indianapolis 500 in six races
(which leaves him 12th on the all time laps led list and most
of any driver who has yet to win the race); 13 Indianapolis
500 starts and the1991 CART Championship, Andretti remains one
of the most dominant and talented drivers in American racing
history. Those interested in contributing photos and/or “hero”
cards for exhibition can send them to: Paula Prime Andretti
International 630 Selvaggio Drive, Suite 500 Nazareth, PA
18064. All contributors are asked to include their name,
address and daytime telephone number with their photographs so
that they may be contacted regarding authenticity and usage
permission. Those who wish to have their originals scanned and
returned are asked to send a self-addressed, stamped envelope
with the correct postage along with their photo. All digital
images should be sent on CD, memory card or diskette. Email
submissions can be sent to fans@andretti.com. “I’m really
excited to have the chance to see the photos and get to know
the stories that go along with them,” says Andretti. “Twenty
years is a long time and it’s going to be a lot of fun to see
what’s out there. I really appreciate all the time and effort
fans have given to supporting me since I began racing. I’d
like to let everyone know who these wonderful people are and
what they mean to me. It’s been a great twenty years.”
3/25/03
Quote of the week
Chris Pook was asked at last nights CART Town Meeting in Long
Beach whether or not he would try to recruit some of the
higher profile CART teams that defected to the IRL, and get
them back to CART. He had the crowd roaring with
laughter when he said, "there is defection with style and
defection with manure....and there will be no shit in my
house." He never got to answer the question, but you get
the idea who he won't be trying to woo back.
3/25/03
Pioneer deal for Jag
Jaguar Racing has just concluded a multi-year technical partnership
with Pioneer Automotive Electronics Sales Inc.
3/25/03 Industry News
Volkswagen announces positive results
The Volkswagen Group has just announced its second best results in the
history of the company, with a profit in 2002 of more than $4.2bn.
This compares to $4.71bn in 2001. The company's sales were up to $93bn
compared to $94.72 in 2001. In total the company's production dropped
by nearly 100,000 to 4.984m vehicles and despite the difficult
economic climate VW remained Europe's biggest car manufacturer. The VW
brand remains the big cash generator with a profit of $2.67bn while
Audi produced $1.5bn. It is worth noting that the biggest growth for
Volkswagen was in Asia.
Yoong and Karthikeyan
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, you guys never seem to miss
hitting the nail on the head. I just read the article about Alex
Yoong and Narain Karthikeyan and have to admit I didn't understand how
key these two drivers can be to CART's future, both in the USA and in
Asia, nor did I know much about them. I hope CART is listening.
Thanks for opening my eyes. Dale McDaniel Baton Rouge, LA
Dear Dale, yes these two would help CART's efforts, as would a few
more American drivers. Mark C.
3/25/03
Is Yoong the real deal?UPDATE We are reminded that the
Coyne team has added the resources of someone with a background of a
John Bright (who was the engineer for Alex this weekend), which is a
step in the right direction. They are working very hard to build a
stronger organization, which our original Hot News item did not
mention. If you look what the team has done in only two races in
2002 (remember German driver Lotterer in Mexico City) and this year
with drivers of unknown skill levels, obviously there is some talent
among the team. 3/24/03 - Consider this - Alex's lap times were very often with 0.3 of
the leader and very similar to the lead pack. Do you think his
car was as good as the Newman-Haas, Rahal, and Forsythe cars?
He hasn't raced at all in 5 months. He never drove a champ car
before Friday, nor did he ever see the Monterrey track before.
Many members of the pit crew didn't come to the race. Alex had
never worked with the crew chief before and had to do most of
the car setup himself. The throttle was sticking and the seat
was shaped so late they didn't get it right and his shoulder
was killing him. His hands are completely blistered and he had
never driven in that long of a race. He said the car was
getting worse so he slowed so it could make it to the end.
That is why his lap times dropped from 1:17's to 1:19's for
the last 20 laps. However, his best race lap was a
1:17.469 (15th best, but 1 full second faster than his
teammate) vs. the fastest race lap by Junqueira of 1:15.700,
so don't look for him on the podium just yet. Bottom
line - given the right team and Engineer, Yoong may be better
than some people think. Mark C.
3/24/03
Bet you didn't know Did you
know that 3-Time World Driving Champion Sir Jackie Stewart has a
serious handicap, which makes his feats that much more amazing. He
sees everything backwards, i.e. he is dyslexic. In a recent
presentation to handicapped kids in China, Stewart reveals his
weakness. "If you offered me $100 million I could not recite the
alphabet. I didn't learn it and I don't know it," he says. To prove
his point he starts, fluently at first: "a, b, d, d . . ." When he
stumbles at "o" he is helped by a young boy in the front row. Sir
Jackie encourages him and together they complete the 26 letters.
Stewart has no problem, however, recalling details of his "27 Grand
Prix wins from 99 starts - that's not a bad batting average". Sir
Jackie then tells the audience how he only discovered he was dyslexic
at the age of 42. One of his sons experienced difficulties at school
and the family visited a specialist. "I also had trouble at school,"
admitted Stewart senior at the time, to which the doctor responded:
"Perhaps we ought to test you, too." He did and both Stewart and his
two sons - Paul and Mark - finally understood why they found certain
tasks difficult. "It saved my life," he says, keen to help his
audience through his own experiences. "I went through my whole life
thinking I was thick, but now I understood." To the parents in the
room - some of whom are not sufferers - he addressed his next comment:
"The amount of mental frustration, the lack of self esteem . . . I
suffered from a major inferiority complex." Stewart tends to pause
when speaking, choosing his words perfectly and with care, but this
time you understand he is probably recalling what he later describes
as "the deep, deep pain". "I've made millions and millions of pounds,
I don't know how much I have," says Jackie towards the end of his
presentation, a smile on his face, making a point about dyslexia not
being an impediment to success. He's not boasting. He's making a joke
at his own expense to reinforce what he is selling. "I am on the board
of Moet & Chandon, Ford, Aston Martin, Gleneagles and the British
Racing Drivers Club, but I can't read a balance sheet. "By most
people's standards I am still dumb." Mathew Marsh
3/24/03
Bristol TV ratings down, IRL up
The Food City 500 on FOX turned in overnight numbers of a 5.1 rating
and 11 share. That's a 9 percent decline from last year's race, and is
more than likely due to war coverage. A FOX spokesperson says that it
"is still a pretty impressive number and speaks volumes for the
loyalty of the NASCAR audience." We also hear, though
unconfirmed, that the IRL race from Phoenix got a 1.5/3 share rating
on ABC, up from 1.2/2 share last year. However, this is an
overnight with 55 markets counted. This proves that network TV
is the place to be and if CART hasn't reserved network time for 2004
and 2005 already, they're behind the 8-ball again. Mark C.
3/24/03
Lemarie picks up his pace
Missed after the Monterrey race was the fact that Frenchmen
Patrick Lemarie turned the 6th fastest race lap, so perhaps he
will show well in upcoming races, after struggling badly in
his first race. Mark C.
3/24/03
Two drivers hospitalized from Phoenix
crashes, another broken back for IRL2nd
UPDATE IRL IndyCar Series drivers Gil de
Ferran and Roger Yasukawa were released today from Good
Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Phoenix after crashing in
separate incidents during the Purex Dial Indy 200 on March 23
at Phoenix International Raceway. de Ferran, from Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., suffered a minor fracture of the lower back
and a slight concussion, said Dr. Henry Bock, Indy Racing
League director of medical services. He will receive further
treatment for the back injury in Florida, Bock said. Yasukawa,
from Los Angeles, suffered a slight concussion, Bock said.
Neither driver has been cleared to drive, Bock said. Their
status for the Indy Japan 300 on April 13 at Twin Ring Motegi
is subject to further evaluation, Bock said. Updates on their
status will be provided when available. 3/23/03 -
Unfortunately the injury toll continues to mount for the dangerous
all-oval IRL series (see related article on injuries
since 1996). Roger Yasukawa will be kept overnight for
observation at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix following a crash in
the Purex Dial Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway this
afternoon. Yasukawa spun and made contact with the outside retaining
wall in Turn Two at the halfway mark of the 200-lap IRL IndyCar Series
event, and was transported to Good Samaritan after complaining of
upper back pain. He hopes to his home in West Hollywood,
California, tomorrow morning. de Ferran, from Fort Lauderdale,
Fla., suffered a minor fracture of the lower back and a concussion,
said Dr. Henry Bock, Indy Racing League director of medical services.
He is in fair condition, awake and alert. A medical update will
be issued Monday. 3/23/03 - Gil
de Ferran was transported to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in
Phoenix with a concussion and complaining of lumbar pain. He was awake
and alert. Rookie Roger Yasukawa was transported to Good Samaritan
Regional Medical Center in Phoenix complaining of back pain after
crashing on Lap 100 in his No. 55 Panasonic ARTA
Dallara/Honda/Firestone. He was awake and alert.
3/24/03
GrandAm extends SPEED deal
through 2006
Grand American Road Racing Association announced today that is
has extended its contract with SPEED Channel through 2006.
SPEED Channel will continue as the exclusive North American
broadcaster of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series and
Grand-Am Cup Series. "SPEED Channel is the perfect home for
Grand American Road Racing. It has been an integral part of
our growth since the beginning, and now we will continue that
growth together in the coming season," said Grand American
President Roger Edmondson. "SPEED Channel has enjoyed a long
relationship with Grand American Road Racing and keeping the
Rolex Sports Car Series on SPEED through 2006 is a natural
move for this network," said SPEED Channel President Jim
Liberatore. "We look forward to working with the team at Grand
American in demonstrating our commitment to American road
racing and continuing the evolution of SPEED Channel
television coverage." As part of the contract extension, SPEED
Channel will broadcast all of the Rolex Sports Car Series
events through 2006, with a minimum of six live races in 2004,
seven in 2005 and eight in 2006. The Rolex Series premier
event - the Rolex 24 At Daytona - is guaranteed a minimum of
12 hours of live coverage each year. SPEED Channel will also
continue its coverage of the Grand-Am Cup Series, broadcasting
all the series' races run in conjunction with the Rolex Sports
Car Series on a tape delayed basis.
3/24/03
What, no replays?
A reader writes, Dear AR1: I came across something very
disturbing as I tried desperately tried to find a rebroadcast
of this Sundays CART race. Speed TV does not have one. I
looked at their schedule for this week and I saw F1
rebroadcast twice, even the Atlantic cars, touring cars and
stock cars get a rebroadcast but no CART. Boy, to have
partners like this, I can see nothing but positive growth for
CART. Not! Arno Fritz, Milwaukee, WI Dear Arno, we are
surprised to hear this. Given CART's ratings are so low
on SPEED, one would think they would at least re-air the races
to at least get the cumulative effect. Mark C.
3/24/03 Industry News
Hill signs with Super Nova
Derek Hill, son of 1961 Formula 1 World Champion Phil, has
signed to drive for Jordan's official junior team, Super Nova
Racing, alongside Enrico Toccacelo in the 2003 International
F3000 Championship. Hill, the second American to sign up for
the series, Townsend Bell has signed for rival team Arden,
will test for the first time at Jerez next week. “I'm thrilled
to be signed with a top championship-winning team like Super
Nova,” said Bell. “It's what the last two years in
International F3000 have been all about, gaining experience
and racing with the best. This season holds a lot of potential
and I look forward to making the most of it.” Super Nova team
manager added: “It's great to have Derek Hill finally on board
as we've been friends for the last couple of years since he
tested with us in Jerez with his father present. “Derek
demonstrated last year with Durango that he can run at the
front and I am sure that with our guidance he can fight for
the championship crown this season.”
Autosport
3/24/03
Would Race Safe system work for
NASCAR?
TThe IRL and ARCA both use the "race safe" system of in-car
caution lights. When a caution comes out at their races, a
light on the dashboard of each driver comes on at the same
time, alerting the drivers. Would such a system work in
NASCAR? Would it be helpful? Here is what some drivers had to
say. ANDY BELMONT; Driver; #91 Southern Pan Systems Pontiac;
NASCAR Busch Series: "There are good things about it. We’ve
seen it a couple of races this year and it does bring
something to the table. I think it’s good we’re constantly
looking at new ways and, more importantly, better ways to help
administrate the races. "Still, there is only so much NASCAR
or ARCA or whoever can do as a governing body. At some point,
racers have to be racers. With the Race Safe system in the
cars or not in the cars, the job still ultimately falls to the
racers to do the right thing. "The light in the car is pretty
close to exact, coming on almost exactly when the caution
comes out. It’s pretty simultaneous, and it’s a pretty cool
deal that they can do that. I think one of the initial
concerns is the Race Safe light might run a second or two
behind the actual caution. That might not sound like a lot but
at a Texas or Atlanta, a second or two can be two or 300
yards. If there were bugs in that, it looks like they have
been worked out. "That might have been the biggest concern
with the system anybody would have - how quickly it operates.
If it comes on at the same time as the caution lights around
the track, that’s about all you can ask for. "My concern, and
I think the concern a lot of drivers have, is how dependent
some people become on it. Keep in mind this isn’t the only
indication you have of trouble. The caution flag at the
start-finish line, your spotter, and caution lights around the
race track . . . all of those things combined help you. Add in
this light, and it helps even more. "But you can’t be
dependent solely on any of those things. I am afraid we’re not
teaching the younger drivers coming into the sport all of the
techniques for avoiding trouble. For example, go into the
first turn at Talladega and every veteran driver out there
will glance across to look for smoke in the second turn. You
see smoke there and you know there is a problem. It’s
instinctive. It’s something you learned when you first started
driving. We need to teach these younger drivers to do things
like that. "Race Safe adds to what we have but a driver has to
take advantage of everything he has. We don’t want it to
create a dependency. "I’m thinking the next best step is where
race control could override everybody’s radio and tell you
what’s going on. They could break in on you at any point and
tell you there is a caution. That’s what the lights do - they
take the caution lights that are around the race track and put
them in your car. This would put NASCAR or ARCA radios in your
car. Maybe that’s the next area we need to look at closely."
STANTON BARRETT, Driver, #60 OdoBan Ford, NASCAR Busch Series:
"(Race Safe system) wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world
but all I can see it doing is enhancing what we already have
in place . . . spotters, radios, caution lights. "The problem
isn’t making people aware of a caution; it’s what they do once
they know there is one. We need to do some things as a sport
but another way of screaming ‘Caution!’ isn’t really a
priority. It’s what people do, or continue to do, once the
caution comes out. A ‘gentleman’s agreement’ (not to race back
to the caution flag) requires you to remember the agreement.
If we do that, that will solve a whole lot of problems pretty
quickly." JOHN ANDRETTI, Driver, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker
Dodge: "There are probably positive things and negative things
about it. I can see where it might could help some but I can
see some problems too. I’m sure a lot of things could be
worked out. "The thing is it has to be where you can depend on
it. If you see the light come on, you have to be able to know
it’s the real thing. ‘False positives’ - just one, to be
honest - will kill it. If the driver doesn’t believe it the
second he sees it, then it’s not going to work. If it helps
you once, it’s great. If it helps you 10 times but hurts you
one time, you’re not going to have any faith in it. It’s a
tough deal. "Locating it would be pretty important too. You
are concentrating so hard and focusing so much on what you are
doing, that light has to be something to get your attention.
Maybe if they did it like those speedometer systems in some
cars, the kinds that show your speed on the windshield, that
would work. I don’t know but I do know it has to be something
special to get your attention."
3/24/03
NASCAR charity auction
The Betty Jane France Pediatric Center and "Speediatrics" will
get a little help from the world of cyberspace and the "World
Center of Racing" when an auction on E-Bay kicks off this week
to benefit the pediatric unit of Halifax Medical Center in
Daytona Beach, Fla. The E-Bay auction March 27-March 31 will
be promoted on NASCAR.com and DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com
with proceeds from the five-day auction going to Speediatrics.
Located not far from the fourth turn at Daytona International
Speedway, Speediatrics is the NASCAR-themed pediatric unit at
Halifax Medical Center. In surroundings designed by NASCAR
First Lady Betty Jane France, with modern equipment and
top-flight staff, youngsters literally race to the finish line
of recovery in a fun-filled facility often visited by top
drivers. Among the items up for auction are two Platinum
Level tickets to the June 28 Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert at
Daytona International Speedway. The Platinum Level tickets
include reserved parking, seating in the VIP area, hospitality
and a special limited edition Dale Earnhardt Tribute
custom-made guitar produced by Gibson. A Pepsi 400 Experience
complete with tickets, a motorhome and reserved parking in the
Speedway's infield is also up for grabs. The winning bidder of
this unique experience will enjoy the July 3-5 race weekend in
a 27-foot motorhome from Cruise America. Three nights of
racing including qualifying for the Pepsi 400, the Paul Revere
250 Rolex Sporstcar Series race, the NASCAR Busch Series 250
and the Pepsi 400 are part of the package. Other auction items
up for grabs include: a race helmet autographed by all
competitors in the True Value IROC XXVII Feb. 14 at Daytona;
two season tickets to the sold-out Kansas Speedway including
five races; a Richard Petty Driving Experience "Daytona King's
Experience"; and autographed memorabilia from some of
Speedweeks' celebrities including John Travolta, Mariah Carey,
Tony Hawk and Alice Cooper. To check out the charity auction,
simply go here
and click on the links to the Speediatrics auction.
3/24/03
Ralf on relationship with Juan
"I wouldn't say that I dislike him," the German tell Alan
Henry in The Guardian, "but we are totally different people
with different interests. We haven't even ever had a dinner
together. "I don't know," he adds, "it's very strange. We talk
to each other normally at the races but nothing beyond that.
"There was some tension between us at the beginning," adds
Ralf who has been linked with a possible move to Toyota,
"although more created from outside the team than from within
it, but there's no real problem now. The situation is just
fine by me."
3/24/03
GP of America's establishes
charity foundation
The Grand Prix Americas, Downtown Miami’s premier auto street
race, is establishing a foundation to raise funds for local
charities, announced Chuck M. Martinez, president and general
manager, Grand Prix Americas. The charities involved will be
Camillus House, Children’s Home Society, Miami-Dade Community
College Foundation, Cody Unser’s First Step Foundation and the
Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. The major fundraiser for the
Grand Prix Americas Foundation will be the Charity Ball taking
place Thursday night of race week, September 25, 2003. In
addition, the Grand Prix Americas will donate $1 for every
ticket sold on Saturday September 27, 2003, and during a
specific time frame will offer a 5% donation on all tickets
sold. The establishment of this foundation is another example
of our focused commitment to Miami,” said Martinez. “These
charities represent vital issues facing our communities.” The
Grand Prix Americas Foundation will be headed by a Board of
Directors that will examine every opportunity presented to
raise funds for the charities. “I am so pleased the Grand Prix
Americas has established a foundation to support these
wonderful organizations,” said Adrienne Arsht, chairman of
TotalBank and co-chairman of Grand Prix Americas foundation.
”Not only is the Grand Prix Americas a great event but now it
will substantially give back to our community. Also serving as
honorary co-chairs of the Grand Prix Americas Foundation are
Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi.
“It’s great to see the Grand Prix Americas contributing to our
community,” said Honorable City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
“Building on the success of last year’s race, the Charity Ball
promises to raise a lot of money for these great
organizations.”
3/24/03
Petty to hospitalUPDATE Kyle Petty returned
home Sunday night following the Food City 500 NASCAR Winston
Cup race. He is expected to be ready for this week’s events at
Texas Motor Speedway. Petty was examined at Bristol (Tenn.)
Regional following a crash Sunday, and was released. He will
obviously follow up with a routine examination from his
personal physician this week. "He’s very sore," said Steven
Lane, crew chief for Petty’s #45 Georgia-Pacific Dodge. "He
hit pretty hard, so you would expect that. But he should be
ready to go at Texas this week." 3/23/03 - Track medical officials transported Kyle Petty to Wellmont Bristol
Regional Medical Center by helicopter after the driver was hit trying
to squeeze by a spinning Ward Burton. Track officials reported Petty
did undergo a CAT scan and was awaiting release from the hospital..
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/24/03
What are Honda and Toyota
thinking? A
reader writes, Dear AR1, I can't help wonder what Honda and
Toyota, as well as Marlboro, Target, 7-11 and all those
involved with the IRL think when they look up in the
grandstands for the second consecutive race and see mostly
empty grandstands. Did they really believe all the lies
that the IRL was growing and CART was dead? Wayne
Johnson, Houston, Texas Dear Wayne, the IRL isn't
going to grow, no matter how much money they pump into it.
NASCAR has sucked the oval track market bone dry. The fans do
not have enough money to buy tickets to NASCAR and the IRL.
Even the Copper World Classis, once a big hit at Phoenix, is
dead. Quite frankly, those empty grandstands are
an embarrassment to the sport of Auto Racing. As for
CART, it's TV ratings on SPEED leave more than a lot to be
desired, but it's doing pretty well at the box office, which
paints a far better picture about the sport to the average
viewer. Mark C.
3/24/03 Industry News
PIR looks to state for money
According to the Arizona Republic, Phoenix International
Raceway President Bryan Sperber wants to attract a second
NASCAR Winston Cup Series race with some taxpayer help, and
Gov. Janet Napolitano believes assistance could be
forthcoming. Sperber wants to add permanent lighting and make
adjoining road improvements to help lure a second race. He
would like taxpayers to help fund the projects. "Sometimes you
have to spend a little money to make a lot of money," said
Gov. Napolitano, the honorary starter in Sunday's Purex Dial
Indy 200 at PIR. "So these things make a lot of sense to me."
Gov. Napolitano said she may meet with Sen. Jon Kyl, who has
helped out at PIR as a track marshal, to discuss legislative
options.
3/24/03 Industry News
More drivers paying for their
rides According to this NY Times article,
One of motor racing's oldest but least respected traditions is
having a renaissance in these hard times. Across the sport,
more and more drivers are paying their teams, rather than the
other way round. Nowhere is the divide between the rich and
the poor driver so vast as in Formula One. Michael Schumacher
races at the front for a salary of about $40 million, while
drivers closer to the back of the grid pay millions to hitch a
ride. The downturn in sponsorship has depleted the number of
teams that now have the luxury of choosing between good
drivers and rich drivers. Last year, Alex Yoong became the
first non-Japanese Asian to race in Formula One since Prince
Bira of Siam in the 1950's when he mustered about $10 million
in sponsorships from Malaysian businesses, the Malaysian
government and even the city of Kuala Lumpur to pay for his
seat with the Minardi team. On Sunday, when Formula One makes
its annual stop in Malaysia, Yoong will be racing in CART's
second race of the season in Monterrey, Mexico. Yoong, who
landed a job to drive in the United States-based series last
Monday, said a full season in CART could cost him $5 million
to $7 million, or a little more than the top paid drivers in
that series receive. But he also added that if he was
recruited, it would be for his talent. There are three paying
drivers in Formula One this season. Justin Wilson and Jos
Verstappen at Yoong's old team, Minardi, and Ralph Firman, at
the Jordan team.
More.....
3/24/03
Lemarie's engine stall a mystery
According to this SPEED Channel article,
Lemarie’s run at Monterrey was interrupted, rudely, when his engine
quite simply quit as he accelerated onto the pit straightaway on lap
14. CART’s Simple Green Safety team arrived on the scene quickly, as
usual, and restarted Lemarie with a minimum of fuss, whereupon he drove
the rest of the way to a 10th-place finish without another mechanical
problem. What’s up with that? “We’re not sure,” said Cosworth’s Ian
Bisco. “But it might have been the result of the throttle linkage
catching in the engine cover and triggering the full-throttle
shut-off. We actually had a similar problem yesterday with that car,
and the team trimmed some of the insulation around the engine cover.
They didn’t have any more problems with it, yesterday, but we’ll have
to take a look and see what caused it to quit today.”
3/24/03
Why CART and F1 eye China
Phil Murtaugh, chairman and chief executive of the General Motors
China Group says in a China newspaper "In China's first year as
a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), few industries grew at
a faster pace than the car industry. Last year, China accelerated its
transition away from a "bicycle kingdom" as competition grew and
vehicle sales hit record levels. Even the most optimistic
of forecasts proved wrong last year. Sales of cars and trucks grew at
an unprecedented rate of about 40 per cent, to more than 3.4 million
units. Leading the way were sales of passenger cars, which rose by
more than 60 per cent, to more than 1 million units. Among individual
market segments, there was particularly strong growth in small vans
and cars, light, medium and heavy-duty trucks and lower-to-medium
priced cars. As people in metropolises like Guangzhou and Shanghai
move further from the city centre and their jobs, personal transport
has become a greater necessity. As a result, private car purchases,
which accounted for a very small percentage of sales five or six years
ago, now account for more than half of the total. The question
on everyone's mind is: Can China's vehicle market sustain this level
of growth? The short answer is no. We anticipate annual growth of
between 10 and 15 per cent over the next five years. Growth may be
higher if the central government follows through on its WTO obligation
and gives foreign companies like our GMAC subsidiary the go-ahead to
offer financing. Even with the lower rate of growth, we still
see China outpacing all other markets and accounting for 17 per cent
or more of global industry growth through to 2012. As a result, we
expect China to overtake Germany as the world's third-largest vehicle
market next year, if not this year, trailing only the United States
and Japan. Within 25 years, we anticipate China will be the world's
largest market. General Motors has, justifiably, made China a
priority. We believe that in order to remain the world's largest car
maker, we must be a leader in all high-growth markets - especially
China. We are not alone. Established players such as Volkswagen are
focused on holding on to their market share, while newcomers from
Japan, South Korea and North America are investing heavily to
establish a beachhead."
British Eurosport disappoints againUPDATE I totally agree with what
your reader has written on the AR1 news page - British Eurosport are
up to their old tricks already. While I agree that the deal with
Eurosport gives the Champ Car World Series coverage across Europe, it
would seen that the UK arm of the channel isn't really interested -
almost as if it was something their parent company "lumped" on them as
they had already had their Sunday evenings sorted with the Italian
Football etc. Its a shame that as Eurosport International has the deal
for most of Europe and that is actually unavailable in Britain that
Sky Sports could not have had the UK rights (as I believe they wanted
to). But, every cloud has a silver lining - the coverage of the race
yesterday was delayed by showing the Sebring 12 hours instead (rather
than tennis or under 21s soccer) and they used the CART international
commentary feed with the excellent Jeremy Shaw rather than the two
ill-informed chaps in some studio somewhere watching a TV screen, as
the had for St Pete. Steve Linfield3/24/03 - A reader writes, Dear AR1, I sit on my couch in England on Sunday
night awaiting the CART race from Monterrey on British
Eurosport, and the race is due at 21.30 GMT, 2 hours after the race. I
notice that Sky, the British satellite channel, has the IRL race live
from Phoenix at 20.30 GMT. Come 21.30 I turn to Eurosport expecting
CART on a 2 hour delay, to find in its place a documentary about ALMS
being shown for no apparent reason, then 10 minutes into it they show
a graphic saying CART delayed to 23.00 hours. Once again CART has been
shafted by British Eurosport! Fool me ten times, I'm a plonker! When
will Chris Pook get off his butt and learn that in world-class
motorsport, the major market that counts isn't Miami, Los Angeles,
Shanghai or Anchorage, but the couches in front of the TVs of tens of
millions of sport fans worldwide? CART had great coverage from Sky in
the UK last year, now with British Eurosport we have to guess when
CART will be on, and then its too late to be! Come on Bernie and
save us from this nonsense." I'm sure Mr. Ecclestone would not let a
broadcaster mess his programs around in this way. Ed
McFarlane, Goadby, England Dear Ed, We agree that British
Eurosport should publish a schedule and stick to it. The benefit for
CART using Eurosport is the fact that the rest of Europe can now see
CART, whereas with Sky, only the UK could see the races. Mark
C.
3/24/03
Malaysia driver-by-driver analysis1. KIMI RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes 1h32'22
The 23-year-old earned his maiden grand prix victory, fittingly, with
his Iceman reputation intact in the sweltering Malaysian heat.
'I had no problems at all,' said the Finn. 'But I think it will be
tomorrow before it has sunk in that I have won a grand prix.'
More.......
3/23/03 Industry News
NASCAR, CART and IRL attendance
Weekend attendance figures for NASCAR, CART and IRL. CART's were
officially announced by the track (which we think is inflated), the others are estimated.
Zipadelli warned over Stewart actions
NASCAR officials issued a strong warning to Greg Zipadelli after his
driver, Tony Stewart, put the bumper to Ricky Rudd as the two rolled
down pit road. Rudd and Stewart were innocent victims in the incident
that also collected Kyle Petty..
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/23/03
NASCAR fans chant USA USA!
Rebecca Lynn Howard, nominated for Top New Female Artist by the
Academy of Country Music, performed the National Anthem before a sold
out crowd at Bristol Motor Speedway. Howard’s song “Forgive” is
topping the charts earning her a nomination in the writing category.
She co-wrote the song with Trey Bruce. “Forgive” has also been
nominated for Song of the Year. Cheers of “USA” rose from the stands
at Bristol Motor Speedway moments after Rebecca Lynn Howard sung
America the Beautiful as part of the pre-race ceremonies before the
start of the Food City 500.
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/23/03
NASCAR clamping down on illegal belts
NASCAR officials are clamping down of pit crew members who attach a
belt from their waist to the catch can. The belt is meant to keep the
driver from pulling out of his pit with the catch can stuck in the
rear of the car. However, if the can remains stuck the tether between
the can and the crew member could cause serious injury. For now
officials are simply seizing the belts and warning the crew member.
However, if the problem persist much longer officials will begin
handing out monetary fines.
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/23/03
Ever heard of HIPPA?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is
about to have an major effect on the release of information concerning
injuries sustained by drivers in accidents. In 1999 HHS (Health and
Human Resources) issued a Notice of Proposed Rules Mandate (NPRM)
detailing a proposed Medical Records Privacy Act. Comments were
collected regarding the NPRM, and the final rules were published in
the Federal Register on December 28, 2000. The Privacy Rule applies to
health plans, health care clearinghouses and health care providers who
conduct certain financial and administrative functions. These
organizations are collectively referred to as Covered Entities (CE).
Despite an intense lobbying effort to derail the HIPAA Privacy Rule at
the start of a new administration, President Bush allowed the rules
take effect on April 14, 2001. CEs have until April 14,2003 to become
compliant with the Privacy Rule. The only exception is small health
plans which have until April 14,2004. These regulations don’t just
govern the release of medical information concerning sports figures,
but includes all individuals in all walks of life.
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/23/03
NASCAR tidbits
The Winston Cup leader bonus will be worth $70,000 at Texas Motor
Speedway. The bonus is paid out to a winning driver if the driver is
also the points leader at the time. Kurt Busch became the sixth
different winner, in as many races, on the Winston Cup circuit in
2003. Busch joins Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth, Bobby
Labonte and Rick Craven as the only winners this year. NHRA Top
Fuel driver Larry Dixon stopped in the Bristol Infield Media Center to
promote the upcoming NHRA event at Bristol’s “Thunder Valley” Dragway.
It is said that Dixon, a long time employee at Don Prudhomme Racing
showed he deserved a spot in the driver’s seat, after Prudhomme
retired, when the boss gave him presented him with a trip to a driver
school as a Christmas present..
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/23/03
Alex
Yoong has respectable debut
Malaysia's first Formula 1 driver, Alex Yoong, made an impressive
debut in the “Bridgestone Presents Champ Car World Series” this Sunday
when he chalked up his first points in his first race with 9th
position and 4 points in the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix of
Mexico. Team owner of Team DCR, Dale Coyne, was ecstatic with Yoong's
performance when he remarked, "Arriving on a Thursday for his seat
fitting and racing in a Champ Car for the first time ever, with no
turbo-charged power experience behind him and on a circuit he had
never even seen before and to finish 9th out of 19 cars is a seriously
impressive performance." "Alex was very professional and level-headed
when he went about his business this weekend. He never put a foot
wrong and was quicker each time he went out in every session. He has a
bright future in Champ Car," added Coyne. Yoong had to start from the
back after he had to pit before the green flag was shown to fix his
seat belt, which had come loose during the formation lap. He quickly
moved up to 16th from 19th when he overtook a couple of cars in the
first lap. Yoong made up positions in his pit-stops and drove a
consistently good pace within seven to nine tenths of a second from
the front-running pack. He held the 10th position from lap 60 after
his second stop until the penultimate lap and finished 9th,
capitalizing on Jimmy Vasser's spin in the final lap. "It was a hard
race," said Yoong, who finished the 85-lap race with a time of 2h 03m
27.786s (the longest in his racing career). "I am very happy with the
results and I'm glad I kept up my physical training even when no drive
was in sight. Four points in my first race is very satisfying for me."
"My pace in the first half of the race was good and I found the grip
level of the track better than in qualifying. After my first second
stop, my throttle started sticking and the engine was misfiring, which
made me ease off to preserve the car to the finish." "I must thank
Dale Coyne and the team for giving me this opportunity. I really enjoy
racing in this series, which I consider to be most competitive,"
concluded Yoong. Yoong's fastest race lap was 1m 17.469s(,) which was
a second faster than his qualifying time. The next round will be held
in Long Beach, California on the 13th of April. Yoong will have to
discuss with Dale Coyne whether he will remain with the team when
Champ Car goes to Long Beach, while his management team continues
their search for the necessary sponsorship that will allow Yoong to
race in the rest of the Champ Car season. (Photo by Mike Levitt/LAT/CART)
3/23/03
Time for CART to call Force 10
It's apparent that the current Reynards are not competitive
with the Lola's. Force 10, owned by Paul Cherry bought
the rights from Team Penske to use the Reynske version of the
Reynard which made it at least competitive with the Lola's.
CART would not allow those modifications to be used by the
Reynard teams, citing the chassis freeze rules. In
effect, CART has assured the Reynard teams no chance of
winning because they are not capable of fiddling with the
rules to make the competition equal like NASCAR and the IRL
does. Part of the problem is CART's self-serving
Franchise Board, which won't allow a change to the Reynard's
because most of the Board Members, including Carl Haas who is
a distributor for Lola, already have Lola's and won't dare
vote to do what is right for the series, instead wanting to do
what is right for them. It's clear CART must dissolve
the Franchise Board as soon as possible. At this point
it is useless and getting in the way of CART doing what is
right. All other successful racing series are run like a
dictatorship whereby the teams have no vote on the rules, just
the ability to protest. CART's Director of Competition and
Racing John Lopes should be on the telephone to Force 10 to
sell those design changes to Van Diemen, who have bought the
rights to the Reynard. It's time for CART to do what's right
for the series, not what's right for its self-serving
Franchise Board members. Mark C.
3/23/03
NASCAR denies changes
On the morning of the Food City 500 the Winston Cup Director of
Competition, John Darby, denied reports the sanctioning body was close
to making changes to the rear spoilers. “It’s still something we want
to do but want to do it just to do it,” said Darby. “We could make
still make some changes this year but look at what we ’ve seen in the
first five races and it makes you ask ‘why do anything at all?’” Darby
says there could be at least two reductions in the spoiler height
without involving Goodyear, supplier of tires to the Winston Cup,
Busch and Truck Series teams. However, he further emphasized that any
change in the spoiler height is not likely to occur before mid-season.
Stan Creekmore/NASCAR Editor
3/23/03
Carpentier well enough to drive as
Players pair 1-2 in warm-ups
Team Player’s drivers Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier were one-two
in this morning's warm-up session in preparation for this afternoon’s
Tecate/TelMex Grand Prix of Monterrey in Mexico. The two Canadian
drivers were testing their back-up car as they both damaged their
primary cars during Saturday morning practice session. Tracy was
quickest of the 19 drivers entered for Round 2 of the Champ Car World
Series. He posted his best lap time around the 3.386-kilometre
(2.104-mile) road course in 1 minute 16.050 seconds for an average
speed of 160.287 km/h. Carpentier, who was a questionable starter
after missing Saturday's second qualifying session because of a flu
virus, was second quickest with a lap time of 1:16.275 for an average
speed of 159.814 km/h. He will suit up for today's race. Polesitter
Sébastien Bourdais finished third, followed by Orviol Servia from
Spain and Bruno Junqueira from Brazil.
3/23/03
Valiante wins season opener
Last years Championship runner-up Canadian Michael Valiante won
today's CART Toyota Atlantic season opener in Monterrey Mexico.
Jonathan Macri finished second and Danica Patrick, finished third in
her series debut. This women has "star" written all over her and
is undoubtedly the most talented women driver in racing right now.
Pole sitter and Mexican favorite Luis Diaz was taken out of contention
in a first turn incident with an overzealous AJ Allmendinger, who ran
into the back of him and cut his tire. Full
Story
3/23/03
Pairing with the IRL has destroyed the
Copper World Classic As
this Indy Star
article says, Phoenix International Raceway staged a midget
race Saturday that once was the talk of short-track racing. But where
there used to be 35,000 people in the grandstands and all the energy
imaginable for the Copper World Classic, there was next to nothing of
either Saturday as part of the Indy Racing League's Purex Indy 200
weekend. The U.S. Auto Club midgets and Silver Crown cars are playing
a supportive role to the IRL's two series this weekend. Only a few
thousand people were on hand to see the late-afternoon midget race,
won by Aaron Pollock of Troy, Ohio. Ford racing director Dan Davis
couldn't believe his eyes. He remembers the prestige the Copper World,
started in 1977, once had. "It's absolutely pathetic, and it shouldn't
be like this," he said. "This has gone from a pretty neat event to no
one here. There isn't anything festive about it now; it's just dead."
The Copper World lost its traditional early-February date in 2000 when
track officials paired it with the Indy cars. The idea was to make
both race weekends better, but it has gradually had the opposite
effect on the Copper World. [Editor's Note: Hello, is anyone
listening? Open wheel
oval track racing is done, stick a fork in it. Unless you
prop up ticket sales with 2 for 1 Winston Cup ticket deals, or you
give a lot of tickets away for free, in general race fans have lost
interest in watching open wheel cars drone around in circles.
This applies to CART as well as the IRL. The CART/IRL split has
killed it].
3/23/03
Wilson taken to hospital because of
HANS
Minardi racer Justin Wilson was airlifted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur
after his arms became temporarily paralyzed during a scorching
Malaysian Grand Prix. The 24-year-old British driver was suffering
with a trapped nerve and was stuck inside the cockpit of his Minardi
for eight minutes after finally retiring from the 56-lap race with 15
laps left because of the extreme pain. Wilson, competing in only his
second grand prix, ran into problems when the HANS (Head and Neck
Support) safety device worked loose making it much harder for him to
control the car with cockpit temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius
at Sepang. The Sheffield-born racer was taken to the circuit's medical
centre with his right arm in a sling while he was beginning to regain
movement in his left arm before he was taken to a local hospital for a
scan. "He had no movement in his arm or shoulder, they were completely
numb," said Minardi boss Paul Stoddart. "It took us eight minutes to
get him out of the car. He wasn't in a very good shape when he came
in. "We have all had trapped nerves and it's not a nice thing to
happen, it's certainly not a nice thing when you are doing 300km an
hour around a race track. "I don't know how he got back to the pits
but luckily he did as if he had stopped on the circuit in that heat it
could have been far worse." Stoddart was full of praise for the
bravery shown by Wilson. "That was a gladiator effort - no-one bar
Justin will know just how much pain he was in," added Stoddart. "I
didn't know he had guts like that, that's the kind of stuff champions
are made of. "You have got to give Justin credit, he must have been in
absolute bloody agony in that car. But he never came on the radio and
said anything until he literally couldn't turn the steering wheel any
more. "He had only just come in for a pit-stop a couple of laps
earlier and he still didn't say anything about the pain, but just kept
going. Full credit to him. It was bloody stupid but in a loveable way.
"He literally could not drive any more. When he came on the radio on
his final lap we heard the word steering and thought he had a problem
with that. Then we could hear him say, 'I can't turn the steering
wheel. "He lost five seconds in the first sector, seven in the second
and 12 seconds in the third sector."
3/23/03
Coulthard mad at McLaren
David Coulthard turned on his McLaren team after retiring at Sepang.
Coulthard was in second when his McLaren ground to a halt on lap three
with electrical gremlins. The Scot, who won the first race of the year
in Australia, was furious that an opportunity to build a championship
lead had gone begging. He said: "I'm very disappointed. When you’ve
got a car that is a year old you shouldn’t be having problems like
this. "Time and time again we have parked the car and it is just not
good enough. The benchmark is what Ferrari have in terms of
reliability and we are falling a long way short of that." Team boss
Ron Dennis said: "(I feel) disappointment for David. It was an
electrical problem but we don’t know exactly what."
3/23/03
Schu apologizes for mistake
On the first lap in Malaysia Michael Schumacher found himself coming
under pressure from David Coulthard and tried to squeeze up the inside
of Trulli and crashed into the Italian. The shunt earned Schumacher a
drive-through penalty and by the time he crossed the line in sixth
place he had been into the pits four times. "It was a tough race with
an unfortunate start. I made a mistake and hit Jarno and I have
apologized to him," Schumacher said. "That was the decisive moment of
my race." "It came as a big surprise that I was still able to fight
for points after I pitted for the drive-through penalty. So, I am
happy enough in the circumstances. I have no complaints about my car,
which worked very well, thanks to the team. Let's hope the next race
will be better."
3/23/03
Rubens races w/o HANS
Rubens Barrichello actually drove the Sepang race without the new
compulsory HANS system. The Brazilian has complained about it in the
past saying that it is very uncomfortable and caused his Melbourne
accident, so he was granted an exemption by the Malaysian stewards. He
said: "I must thank the stewards for allowing me to race without the
HANS system. Sid Watkins checked me out and agreed that I should not
use it, as I have got a small hernia which is quite painful. I tried
all weekend to make the HANS work and for the next race, we will have
a solution which should fix the problem."
3/23/03
New CART driver weight rules explained
Under new CART rules designed to deny lightweight drivers an undue
advantage, the median for drivers was declared to be 152 pounds this
season after all competitors were weighed at spring training. Tracy,
the heaviest driver on the circuit, weighed in at 176 pounds, so the
team wanted to trim 24 pounds from his car. "They been able to take
about 20 pounds off the car," Tracy said. "It's amazing how much
weight you add to a car by putting a nut here, a bolt there, a brace
over here. We'll go into Monterrey almost 25 pounds lighter than we
ran at St. Pete." Lightweight drivers will have to add ballasts to the
car, which all initially weigh 1,565 pounds, bringing the minimum
allowable driver-plus-car weight to 1,717 pounds (F1 cars weight 1,250
Lbs with driver, making Champ Cars 467 Lbs overweight compared to
their faster brethren. Time for a diet CART!)
Toronto Star
3/23/03
Newman's pole run at Bristol a stunner
Ryan Newman's qualifying run for Sunday's Food City 500 was, quite
simply, stunning. Newman toured Bristol Motor Speedway in 14.908
seconds, the first driver to turn a lap under 15 seconds at the
0.533-mile oval. That's 128.709 mph. Jeff Gordon's track record of
127.916 mph, was ground to dust. Gordon qualified second yesterday at
127.343 mph. Sterling Marlin, the No. 16 qualifier, is closer to
Gordon than Gordon is to Newman. Someone congratulated Gordon
afterward for almost winning the pole. "Almost, because I was second,"
Gordon said. "Not almost if you look at the times. My gosh, that's an
unbelievable lap that Ryan put out there. Our car was great today. I
don't know how I could have gone much faster. I certainly couldn't
have gone fast enough to beat Ryan." Newman was about three tenths of
a second faster than he'd been in practice earlier. He also spun the
car in practice but sustained no damage. "That was the most amazed
I've ever been after qualifying, to go that fast," said Newman, who
earned his second pole position of 2003. "I was so surprised with that
lap. The guys did it. Everything happened just right."
3/23/03
10-3-2-3-2 races for CARTUPDATE The two leading candidates
for CART's 2nd race in the Pacific Basin that Pook refers to are
Beijing, China and Seoul, South Korea. With the threat from
North Korea mere miles from Seoul, CART will have to think long and
hard about that one. However, with many Korean companies now
interested in CART (engine - Hyundai and Kia, and tire companies -
Kumho and
Hankook
Tires), and because it's easier to do business in Korea, Seoul may get
the nod. CART COO David Clare was summoned from South Korea to
work for CART, and his lovely wife is Korean. He certainly knows
the city and the country. F3 racing is popular in South Korea,
so potentially there could be Korean drivers in the pipeline.
Mark C.3/22/03 - Chris Pook - "We are on record as saying that we will have up
to 20 races. That's where we'd like to be. But there's no
reason why we can't have 18 races or 16 races. But our goal is
to have 20 races that fit within our business model that we
have articulated, and that is really basically two races in
Mexico, three races in Canada, 10 races in the United States,
three races in Europe and two races in the Pacific Basin.
That's really what our business model is."
3/22/03
McLaren and Williams lose support
Three Formula One bosses have spoken out against the threat of
arbitration by leading British teams McLaren and Williams. Jaguar's
new sporting director John Hogan says he respects their decision to
question the unilateral imposition of F1 rules-reform, but reckons it
'isn't smart.' He said, 'At the end of the day, it is a sport and
arbitration has nothing to do with sport.' Led by McLaren boss Ron
Dennis, Sir Frank Williams also feels that the mode of implementation
of FIA President Max Mosley's new rules was illegal and in breach of
the Concorde Agreement. But the dispute could stretch on for more than
eighteen months, leading BAR team principal David Richards to question
the sensitivity of bringing it into the public domain mere days before
season 2003 kicked off. Richards added, 'I don't share their views
which I'm sure are sincere and valid. But I feel it was unnecessary to
do it the way they did when everything was looking so positive for
F1.' Renault principal and managing director Flavio Briatore agrees
that Formula One needs to focus on the sport, and not political
wrangling, at a time when sponsorship is hard to come by. 'It's not
nice. It's not good,' said the flamboyant Italian. 'It doesn't bring
any good to us, only bad. We have so many controversial issues but we
need to make sure, above all else, that the spectators are enjoying
the sport.' Generally, Mosley's reforms such as one-shot qualifying
have been welcomed, although the teams are by and large unhappy about
bans on refuelling and set-up changes between Saturday and the grand
prix. The team bosses will meet with FIA delegate Charlie Whiting on
April 9 to discuss how the new weekend format is coming along.
3/22/03
90% chance of rain for race at Sepang
It's Sunday morning in Malaysia and all are confident that the
afternoon will see a down pour. Latest predictions have the chance of
thunderstorms at 90%. With the thunderstorms will come heavy rain
which is expected to arrive at the circuit mid to late afternoon.
Currently at Sepang (8:00am) temperatures are at twenty five degreases
Celsius and 94% humidity suggestion rain might not be too far down the
track. But if the weather does hold off like it has done for the past
two days the Formula One drivers are in for a sweltering hot afternoon
in the office.
3/22/03
Taylor leads flag-to-flag Infiniti
Pro Series points leader Mark Taylor remains perfect this season,
capturing the Phoenix 100 on March 22 at Phoenix International Raceway
for his second victory in as many starts this season. Pole winner
Taylor led all 100 laps in the No. 4 Fulmar Panther
Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone, beating runner-up Thiago Medeiros to the
finish by 1.0758 seconds in an incident-filled race. Tony Ave finished
third, as rookies swept the podium positions. Taylor averaged 92.611
mph on the 1-mile oval in a race slowed by cautions four times for 33
laps. He padded his points lead to 104-80 over series and race
runner-up Medeiros. It was only the second time in Indy Racing League
history that a driver led every lap of a race. Ryan Hampton led from
start to finish to win the Infiniti Pro Series race in August 2002 at
Gateway International Raceway. “It was a great race,” Taylor said. “I
was just able to keep it nice and stable up front. I had the advantage
of clean air up there and kept it all the way through the race. That
was a huge advantage.” Indeed. Taylor pulled away on each of the four
restarts, building a lead as large as 4.9 seconds on Lap 83. The final
caution period started on Lap 93 when Marty Roth hit the outside
retaining wall in Turn 4 with the No. 3 Roth/Stewart
Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone. He was unhurt. The caution set up a
one-lap chase for the checkered, as the green flew at the start of Lap
100. Taylor stayed ahead of Medeiros and Ave entering Turn 1 and never
trailed thereafter. Medeiros, who started ninth, still was happy with
his second consecutive runner-up finish of the season in the No. 36
Genoa Racing entry. “This weekend was very difficult for us,” Medeiros
said. “We never had tested here before. It was difficult to find a
very good setup in the short time of the practices. We didn’t have a
good car when we qualified, but the race was incredible.
Congratulations to everybody, the mechanics, the engineers.” Ave
completed a fine rally from a crash during practice Friday, earning a
top-three finish in his first Infiniti Pro Series start in the No. 91
RFMS/Hemelgarn Racing Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone. “The disappointing
part for me is that I made a mistake in traffic on Friday and got in
the fence,” Ave said. “Unfortunately, we lost a lot of laps. From
there, the guys did such a great job. They put that thing together. We
went out and it was just the same as it was before, which is amazing.
Hemelgarn Racing did such a great job. “Third is great, but I really
wanted to win the race.” Phoenix International Raceway is one of the
trickiest, most unforgiving tracks in the IRL, and the IndyCarTM
Series has raced at the facility every year since 1996. This was the
first Infiniti Pro Series race at the historic track, and its
difficult layout – every corner is different – caught some of the
drivers. Veterans Cory Witherill and Ed Carpenter, and rookie Tom Wood
were unhurt in separate incidents. Witherill was involved in two
incidents in the No. 92 WSA Healthcare entry. He spun exiting Turn 2
on Lap 21. He made no contact and returned to the race. But Witherill
and rookie Jonathan Urlin hit the outside wall in Turn 1 after the
checkered flag flew. Neither driver was hurt. The next Infiniti Pro
Series race is the inaugural Freedom 100 on May 17 at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. “Two wins in two races,” Taylor said. “Now we’ll take
it on to Indianapolis – that’s the important one this year. With my
knowledge of ovals – this is only my second race with the car – you
know you’re on a steep learning curve. It just shows what a great team
Panther is.”
3/22/03
Danica Patrick showing well in debut
Team Rahal's Argent Mortgage driver Danica Patrick qualified fifth for
Sunday's Grand Prix of Monterrey with a fast lap of 88.555 mph.
Patrick making her debut in the Toyota Atlantic Championship improving
by nearly a full three-seconds from Friday's qualifying. "I set some
pretty high expectations for myself and I said I wanted to qualifying
in the top-six and now we are fifth which is a really strong start,"
said Patrick. "I am pleased with it but as I look back over the
session I saw opportunities where I could have gone faster. I was on a
lap that was two-tenths quicker on my final lap but I ran out of fuel
and the car sputtered on the back stretch. We don't want to give
anything away. We are not done. This is only the first race so this is
a great start." "What a great qualifying session for Danica and this
Argent team," said three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal. "She has
shown improvement every time out and that is what you are looking for
from a young driver." Patrick is in some heady company at the front of
the Atlantic field. Three of the four drivers in front of her are
Atlantic veterans with Joey Hand (second) and Michael Valiante
(fourth) having led or battled for the championship last season.
3/22/03
Hometown driver Martinez win is
Monterrey
David Martinez of Monterrey, Mexico won the second round of the 2003
Barber Dodge Pro Series championship leading every lap to take a
flag-to-flag win at Fundidora Park in Monterrey, Mexico. Polesitter
Leonardo Maia came home second to extend his championship points lead,
with Telmex pilot Memo Rojas taking his second consecutive third place
finish this season to move into second in the points. Colin Fleming of
North Hills, California finished fourth with Nelson Philippe of
Velence, France taking his first-ever top five finish in Barber Dodge
competition. Canadian Dan Di Leo recovered from a first-lap off-course
excursion to finish sixth, with Barber-Champ Car Scholarship racer
Scott Poirier taking seventh. German Quiroga brought his
Gigante-liveried machine home in eighth with fellow Mexican Luis
Pelayo finishing ninth. Chris Baker of Houston, Texas, took the tenth
finishing spot after overcoming mechanical issues early in the
weekend. Martinez, who had just one start in the Barber Dodge Pro
Series before this weekend, at Cleveland in 1998, took the lead at the
start of the race, and never looked back, building up a six second
lead over Leo Maia and the rest of the field. Martinez had but one
goal for the race, to win in front of his home crowd, and was excited
to have done so. In taking the win, Martinez is the first Mexican
driver to win an international race in Mexico. "I knew that I had to
find a hole at the start to get by Leo, and fortunately, I found one,"
said Martinez. "Leo has been fast all weekend, so I wanted to get the
lead because if he did, it would have been really difficult to pass
him. Once I did on the first lap, I just got into a rhythm that was
comfortable for me, and before I knew it, there was a good gap behind
me. I wasn't to happy when the yellow came out, even though I knew I
had a fast car if we went back to green, but I am really happy with
this win in my hometown. Its really a dream for me."
3/22/03
Diaz thrills Mexican fans
For the second consecutive year, Mexican Luis Diaz (#33 Telmex/Dorricott
Racing Toyota/Swift) and American Joey Hand (#27 BG Products/DSTP
Motorsports Toyota/Swift) will share the front row when the green flag
falls on the 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship season Sunday
morning (SPEED Channel, 11:30 a.m. ET) for the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey
Grand Prix. In a thrilling battle with rookie driver A.J. Allmendinger
(#4 RuSPORT Toyota/Swift) in which the two drivers traded fast laps,
Diaz managed to put down the fastest lap of the weekend at 1:24.960
(89.153 mph) with two minutes remaining in the final qualifying to
take the pole position in front of thousands of his adoring
countrymen. It was Diaz's third career Toyota Atlantic pole position,
and his first since starting from the pole at Road America in 2002, a
race he would go on to win. Diaz finished fifth in last year's race
after leading the first five laps under rainy conditions before giving
way to his Dorricott Racing teammate, Jon Fogarty, who went on to
claim his first of two 2002 victories en route to the CART Toyota
Atlantic Championship title. Despite posting the third quickest speed
in today's final session at 1:25.385 (88.709 mph), Hand will start
from the outside of the front row based on the fact that he qualified
on the provisional pole yesterday. After starting second last year,
Hand picked up what would be his best result of the season with a
third place performance in the 2002 Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand
Prix.
3/22/03
Shanghai gears up for F1
This Grandprix.com article
says, The organizers of the planned Chinese Grand Prix were in
Malaysia to look at the facilities at Sepang and to learn more about
how each Formula 1 race operates. Work is well underway on the
construction of a huge racing facility close to the city of Shanghai.
Work began in October last year after a deal was struck for a race to
be held between 2004 and 2010. The new circuit is bigger and better
than anything seen in Formula 1 to date, underlining the huge
investment that is being made by the Chinese. There will be facilities
for 200,000 spectators, including a light railway which will go to the
track directly from downtown Shanghai. Access to the circuit by car
will be through a huge new motorway interchange to enable cars to get
in and out quickly. One unusual innovation in the facilities will be
an artificial lake behind the paddock on which team offices will be
built on stilts. This will ensure that teams have more privacy than at
most "fly-away" races where they are restricted to the pit garages and
makeshift accommodation in the paddock.
3/22/03
Yoong makes progress on 2nd Day
Malaysia's first ever Formula 1 driver made a solid start in his debut
with the "Bridgestone Presents Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford"
by finishing 14th out of 16 cars in the second qualifying session in
this weekend's Tecate Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix Mexico. The
conditions under which Yoong made his debut were not ideal by any
definition as he was facing the challenges of driving an all new car,
in a circuit unknown to him, under a new team environment and without
any testing prior to his arrival in Monterrey, Mexico from the other
side of the globe following a 33 hour journey across three continents,
arriving in Monterrey only a day before the weekend's program started
on Friday. In each of the four free practices and two qualifying
sessions held on Friday and Saturday Yoong took chunks off his best
times in each session to make solid progress throughout the two days.
He never put a foot wrong bar one spin which left him stalled in the
middle of the circuit in the first qualifying on Friday. Yoong, who
received a last minute call-up from the Dale Coyne Racing Team only
last Tuesday, clocked his best time of 1m 18.350s in the second
qualifying session on Saturday. His team-mate, J. Camathias of
Switzerland clocked 1m 19.305s in the same final qualifying session.
"I'm happy with the progress made so far and looking forward to a good
race tomorrow." said Yoong following the final qualifying session.
3/22/03
Sam who? A reader writes, Dear
AR1, I see IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. is out to lunch again this
weekend in Phoenix, qualifying a lowly 17th in the 22 car field.
Everyone knew he had a "special" engine the last two years. Now
that his Chevy doesn't produce as much HP as the Honda and Toyota
runners, I see the top Chevy is just 12th, and ole Sam is just an
also-ran. How long before the IRL has to give Sam and the rest
of the Chevy runners a special higher-RPM rev limiter to keep up.
Darren White, Chicago, IL. Dear Darren, as Michael
Andretti and Kannan said after qualifying, "I was flat out all
around." In 100% full throttle racing, HP is king. Mark
C.
3/22/03
Maia set track record, snares pole
Leonardo Maia of Oakland, California, set a new track record of
1:33.824 seconds on the 2.104-mile circuit at Fundidora Park in
Monterrey, Mexico, to snare the pole position for Saturday's race.
Provisional polesitter David Martinez of Monterrey, Mexico, will line
up second for the race after setting a time just 0.051 seconds short
of Maia's. Antoine Bessette of St. Bruno, Quebec, will start in third
with fellow Canadian Dan Di Leo joining him on the second row. The
first eleven qualifiers were within a second of the pole time,
demonstrating both the parity and competitive nature of the Barber
Dodge Pro Series. Memo Rojas of Mexico City, Mexico will line up next
to Barber-Champ Car Scholarship racer Scott Poirier, ahead of whom
Rojas emerged in a race-long battle for third at the opening round
race in St. Petersburg. Fellow Barber-Champ Car Scholarship racer
Colin Fleming took seventh spot in the final qualifying session, and
will start the race alongside of Beaconsfield, Quebec's Chris Green.
Telmex-supported Luis Pelayo is the third Mexican in the top ten
starting positions, and will start alongside of Josh Beaulieu of
Langley, B.C., Canada. The pole position is Maia's second of the
season, and the Brazilian-born championship points leader is looking
forward to the 3:45 pm scheduled race start. Start Pos/Car#/Driver/Hometown/Time/MPH
1/6/Leonardo Maia/Oakland, Calif./01:33.824/80.730
2/47/David Martinez L./Monterrey, Mexico/01:33.875/80.686
3/16/Antoine Bessette/St. Bruno, Quebec/01:34.160/80.442
4/19/Dan Di Leo/Markham, Ontario, Canada/01:34.364/80.268
5/15/Memo Rojas/Mexico City, Mexico/01:34.397/80.240
6/67/Scott Poirier/Deerfield Beach, Florida/01:34.649/80.026
7/28/Colin Fleming/North Hills, Calif./01:34.694/79.988
8/96/Chris Green/Beaconsfield, Quebec/01:34.707/79.977
9/49/Luis Pelayo/Mexico City, Mexico/01:34.711/79.974
10/27/Josh Beaulieu/Langley, B.C., Canada/01:34.770/79.924
11/26/Nelson Philippe/Valence, France/01:34.838/79.867
12/24/Burt Frisselle/Kihei, Hawaii/01:34.952/79.771
13/33/German Quiroga/Mexico City, Mexico/01:35.064/79.677
14/11/Chris Baker/Houston, Texas/01:35.478/79.331
15/18/Robbie Montinola/Laguna Beach, Calif./01:35.524/79.293
16/38/Juan Manuel Polar/Lima, Peru/01:35.696/79.151
17/31/Al Unser/Corrales, New Mexico/01:35.701/79.147
18/95/Victor Gonzalez/Hatoray, Puerto Rico/01:35.739/79.115
19/34/Mike Richardson/Kelowna, B.C., Canada/01:36.458/78.525
20/12/"Racer" Kashima/Tokyo, Japan/01:37.328/77.823
21/59/Hima Maher/Calgary, Alberta/01:37.699/77.528
3/22/03
DUI sidelines Fike Must
be the stress of oval racing and the risk of hitting those walls.
He isn't the first. Infiniti Pro Series driver Aaron Fike is
sitting out this weekend's event after being arrested for driving
under the influence of alcohol last week near his home in Galesburg,
Ill. Fike, 22, also will miss Sunday's U.S. Auto Club midget race in
Stockton, Calif., according to his father, Don Fike, who issued the
suspension. "He made a mistake and he needs to learn from it," Don
Fike said. "Now we've got to see how he comes back from it."
3/22/03
New
Barber/CART scholarship logo
Skip Barber Racing School introduced a new logo to identify
Barber-Champ Car Scholarship drivers today. The logo will be placed on
the cockpit sides and noses of current BDPS Scholarship drivers Colin
Fleming, Scott Poirier, Al Unser, Robbie Montinola, and Burt Frisselle.
The logo will also be flown on the Skip Barber Formula Dodge National
Championship presented by RACER cars of Karting Scholarship drivers
Joe D'Agostino, Phillippe Gelinas, Matt Jaskol, and David Jurca as
well as National Championship Scholarship driver Rafael Matos. "The
new logo is an exciting combination of the brand identities of Champ
Car and Skip Barber Racing," said George Tamayo, Director of Marketing
for Skip Barber Racing. "We at Skip Barber and Champ Car are
enormously proud of the Scholarship System that every year affords
young drivers an opportunity to climb the ladder. This logo will
identify those that are climbing it today as well as those at the top
who have benefited from it. We hope that they will wear it with the
same pride we have of them."
3/22/03
CART stars fastest in IRL practice This
Gainesville Sun
article says it all, maybe the IRL critics who used to claim
CART drivers were better had a point. Five of the top six
drivers who practiced Friday at Phoenix International Raceway for
Sunday's Indy 200 are former CART stars. The other one,
defending Phoenix champion Helio Castroneves, preceded them into the
IRL from CART by one season and has won the last two Indianapolis 500s
(and CART driver Juan Montoya before that). In other words what
the author was trying to say was that the IRL was comprised of all
CART wanna-bees before many CART road racers defected and took over
the series.
3/22/03
Bristol could end up on FX
If the Iraqi war interrupts the FOX broadcast of the Bristol race, the
backup plan is to show it on FX.
3/22/03
Bristol
adds seats the
1/2-mile high-banked Bristol Motor Speedway has added more grandstand
seats and now has a 160,000 seat capacity. For a 1/2 mile track
that is phenomenal - more than Talladega which is 2.66 miles around.
The grandstands are extremely steep and high. Being inside the
bowl during a race is quite an experience.
Toyota boss praises da Matta
Toyota team principal Ove Andersson has praised CART champion
Cristiano da Matta for his performance so far in his debut
season. "Christiano, I think, is doing very very well," said
Andersson. "He does a couple of laps here, it’s the first time
he’s seen the circuit. He did 20 laps this morning and he’s in
eleventh place. I think that’s very very good. He could have
been higher but we are very impressed with him and his
performance."
3/22/03
Martinez tops times in
Monterrey
David Martinez of Monterrey, Mexico, secured the provisional
pole in today's first qualifying session with a lap of
1:34.440 seconds on the 2.104-mile circuit at Fundidora Park.
Taking second position was Chris Green of Beaconsfield,
Quebec, who came up just .267 seconds short in his bid for his
first Barber Dodge pole position. Daniel Di Leo of
Markham, Ontario, secured third after spending much of the
session atop the timesheets before being bested late in the
session by Martinez and Green. Antoine Bessette, who held onto
the top spot with ten minutes remaining in the session, took
fourth spot with St. Petersburg round winner Leo Maia ending
the session in the top-five. Fellow Barber-Champ Car
Scholarship drivers Colin Fleming and Scott Poirier took sixth
and seventh respectively, with a pair of Mexican pilots,
German Quiroga and Memo Rojas, taking eighth and ninth. Al
Unser put in a strong performance during the first half of the
session, with times in the top five, but lost the handling on
his car by the end of the session to end with a provisional
tenth starting position. Pos/Car #/Driver/Hometown/Fastest Lap/MPH
1/47/David Martinez L./Monterrey, Mexico/01:34.440/80.203
2/96/Chris Green/Beaconsfield, Quebec/01:34.707/79.977
3/19/Dan Di Leo/Markham, Ontario, Canada/01:34.988/79.741
4/16/Antoine Bessette/St. Bruno, Quebec/01:35.034/79.702
5/6/Leonardo Maia/Oakland, Calif./01:35.050/79.689
6/28/Colin Fleming/North Hills, Calif./01:35.169/79.589
7/67/Scott Poirier/Deerfield Beach, Florida/01:35.256/79.516
8/15/Memo Rojas Mexico City, Mexico/01:35.473/79.336
9/33/German Quiroga/Mexico City, Mexico/01:35.537/79.282
10/31/Al Unser/Corrales, New Mexico/01:35.701/79.147
11/49/Luis Pelayo/Mexico City, Mexico/01:35.718/79.132
12/27/Josh Beaulieu/Langley, B.C., Canada/01:35.847/79.026
13/95/Victor Gonzalez/Hatoray, Puerto Rico/01:35.885/78.995
14/26/Nelson Philippe/Valence, France/01:35.905/78.978
15/11/Chris Baker/Houston, Texas/01:36.165/78.765
16/18/Robbie Montinola/Laguna Beach, Calif./01:36.189/78.745
17/24/Burt Frisselle/Kihei, Hawaii/01:36.398/78.574
18/38/Juan Manuel Polar/Lima, Peru/01:36.811/78.239
19/34/Mike Richardson/Kelowna, B.C., Canada/01:37.364/77.795
20/12/"Racer" Kashima/Tokyo, Japan/01:38.095/77.215
21/59/Hima Maher/Calgary, Alberta/01:38.675/76.761
AutoRacing1 is an independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by CART Inc., NASCAR, FIA, FedEx, Winston, or any other series sponsor. This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without permission. User agreement & disclaimer
New
Barber/CART scholarship logo
Skip Barber Racing School introduced a new logo to identify
Barber-Champ Car Scholarship drivers today. The logo will be placed on
the cockpit sides and noses of current BDPS Scholarship drivers Colin
Fleming, Scott Poirier, Al Unser, Robbie Montinola, and Burt Frisselle.
The logo will also be flown on the Skip Barber Formula Dodge National
Championship presented by RACER cars of Karting Scholarship drivers
Joe D'Agostino, Phillippe Gelinas, Matt Jaskol, and David Jurca as
well as National Championship Scholarship driver Rafael Matos. "The
new logo is an exciting combination of the brand identities of Champ
Car and Skip Barber Racing," said George Tamayo, Director of Marketing
for Skip Barber Racing. "We at Skip Barber and Champ Car are
enormously proud of the Scholarship System that every year affords
young drivers an opportunity to climb the ladder. This logo will
identify those that are climbing it today as well as those at the top
who have benefited from it. We hope that they will wear it with the
same pride we have of them."
Much
More...click on 2002 archives button below
