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Registration open for CART Town meeting
Registration is now available to Champ Car fans for the next
installment of the Champ Car Town Meeting series Monday, April 28th in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, site of the May 29-31 Milwaukee Mile Centennial
250 Presented by Miller Lite for Round 6 of the Champ Car World
Series. The Milwaukee Town Meeting will get underway at 7:00 p.m. on
Monday at the Wisconsin Exposition Center, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave. in
nearby West Allis, Wisconsin. Fans can now register to receive free
tickets to the event by going to the official website of the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford,
www.champcarworldseries.com. Champ Car World Series points leader
Paul Tracy (#3 Player’s/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of
Player's/Forsythe Racing and Champ Car Ladder System standout A.J.
Allmendinger of the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship will highlight
the Town Meeting panel. After winning the first three rounds of the
season, Tracy was named driver of the season’s first quarter, a
prestigious award presented by Legends Marketing Group which
recognizes the best drivers in North American auto racing.
Allmendinger, one of the top up-and-coming American open wheel racers,
won the second round of the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship earlier
this month at Long Beach in only his second race in the Atlantic
series. Also included on the Town Meeting panel are Joe Chrnelich, CEO
of Wisconsin State Fair Park which features the fabled Milwaukee Mile
oval, and Champ Car Vice President of Communications Adam Saal. The
evening’s festivities will be hosted by local motorsports luminary
David Hobbs. Earlier in the day on Monday, both Tracy and Allmendinger
will be on hand at the Milwaukee County Historical Society for a VIP
luncheon and the grand opening of The Milwaukee Mile’s Centennial
exhibit celebrating 100 years of racing at the storied facility. Both
drivers, who will be competing at The Mile in their respective series
May 29-31, will be signing autographs from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. (CDT) at
the Historical Society located at 910 N. Old World Third Street in
Milwaukee. The Champ Cars will race under the lights for the first
time ever Saturday, May 31st at the Milwaukee Mile, where Tracy will
be looking to defend his 2002 title, and Allmendinger will make his
competitive oval racing debut in the Toyota Atlantic cars.
4/23/03
Fellows fastest at Sears Point
Road-course specialist Ron Fellows posted the fastest lap Wednesday
during a NASCAR Winston Cup test session at Infineon Raceway. Fellows,
who will compete on the two NASCAR road courses this year for Dale
Earnhardt Inc., recorded the fastest lap ever recorded on the 10-turn,
2-mile circuit for Winston Cup stock cars at 1 minute, 16.24 seconds.
Tony Stewart (Home Depot Chevrolet) holds the official track record of
1:16.64, set in 2002. "I'm surprised a little bit at the time
and how fast it was, but the equipment and resources I have at DEI are
incredible and it showed in this test," said Fellows, who has twice
won at Infineon Raceway in the American Le Mans Series driving a
Corvette. "With a little luck I think I have a chance to not only be
competitive here in June but possibly win the race. This is a
top-flight team." Mark Martin (Viagra Ford), one of six Winston Cup
drivers testing the road course in preparation for the Dodge/Save Mart
350 (June 19-22), was second in testing at 1:16.47, while Winston Cup
points leader Matt Kenseth (DeWalt Ford) was third at 1:17.19. Jamie
McMurray (Havoline Dodge, 1:17.24), Casey Mears (Target Dodge,
1:17.47) and Jack Sprague (NetZero Pontiac, 1:18.04) completed the
session. "Dale Jr. is in the hunt for a championship, so whatever I
can do to help him and Steve (Park) and Mike (Waltrip) with their
road-race programs is also one of my jobs," Fellows said. "I'm hoping
we can make this a win-win for everyone."
4/23/03
Lingering effects from crash keep de
Ferran on sidelines Gil de Ferran was supposed to make his
return to driving today at Indy after his March 23rd accident.
However, pain from not one, but two broken vertebrae (neck and lower
back), along with dizzy spells from his concussion forced him out. He
is now shooting for a return on opening day at Indy. Like we
stated previously, Gil has had several concussions. One more and it
may end his career. Racing wheel-to-wheel on ovals in open wheel
cars, with hard concrete walls in close proximity, has to weigh on his
mind.
4/23/03
Scheckter crashes yet again
We lost count how many times this guy has crashed. There was one
other accident during the day. At approximately 2 p.m. (EST) at Indy
today, Tomas Scheckter made contact with the outside retaining wall
exiting Turn 3 in his No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G
Force/Toyota/Firestone. He was uninjured. “We tried some pretty
radical changes, and it made the car too loose,” Scheckter said. “I
was on my out lap, and in Turn 3 it started to come around. I caught
it once, then twice, but it just came around and hit the wall pretty
good. It all happened really fast. I'm just glad that it happened on
my out lap and not when I was up to full speed.”
4/23/03
Mugello day 2 test times
Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tires Time Laps
1 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari B 1m21.667s 37
2 Luca Badoer Ferrari B 1m21.730s 48
3 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes M 1m22.672s 62
4 Olivier Panis Toyota M 1m23.077s 36
5 Cristiano da Matta Toyota M 1m23.700s 42
6 Mark Webber Jaguar M 1m23.762s 33
7 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber-Petronas B 1m23.817s 19
8 Jacques Villeneuve BAR-Honda B 1m24.673s 51
9 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes M 1m24.690s 53
10 Jenson Button BAR-Honda B 1m24.692s 30
4/23/03
Montoya fastest, then crashes
Juan Pablo Montoya set the fastest time in testing at Silverstone
today, but then had a huge crash at the high-speed Becketts corner in
the afternoon. The Colombian lost control of his car at the exit of
the Becketts complex, which then spun before skimming over a gravel
trap and into the tire barriers. It took trackside marshals ten
minutes to extract Montoya from the car, as he was trapped underneath
the crumpled tire barrier. He was taken to the medical center for an
examination but was given a clean bill of health, thanks in part to
the HANS Device.
4/23/03 Industry News
SARS closes big auto show
Shanghai Auto Show is closing three days early, highlighting the
threat which the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak
poses to the mainland's economic prospects. Officials at the country's
biggest automotive fair, which opened on Monday at the International
Exhibition Centre in Pudong, said it would close at 6 pm today,
instead of Sunday evening. Organizers had planned for at least 400,000
visitors during the six days but attendances were already well down.
"The closure follows the decision of the city government last weekend
to limit meetings attended by large numbers of people," an official
said. "The organizers met this morning [Wednesday] and made the
decision."
4/23/03
Scott Dixon broke pelvis too
More bad news for the IRL, as the injury rate mounts for the most
dangerous form of motorsports in the world. Scott Dixon's
injuries are far worse than first thought after his recent high speed
crash in the Japan round of the Indy Racing League. X-rays today in
the US have revealed that Dixon has fractured his pelvis in three
places, that is to go along with his broken wrist. Dixon has been
complaining of a sore hip ever since the crash and doctors have only
just discovered the latest injury. However he still remains optimistic
of driving in the famous Indy 500 next month. But his mother Glenys
Dixon says if Scott does drive in the Indy 500, he will still be in
some pain and discomfort. Add the Kenny Brack and Mario Andretti
cars that were wiped out at Indy today, Foyt's car two days ago, and
one can see that the human and race car expense in the IRL is pushing
costs through the roof.
4/23/03
Like it or not, AR1 disagrees
with Chris PookUPDATE A reader
writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I fully agree with you on the
issue of turbos versus V10s, and when I read Kirby's article
on CART.com this morning, thought of something else. Out of
the many various views expressed in the article (Chris Pook's,
Cosworth VP Ian Biscoe's, Jim McGee's, and others), a meeting
point might be precisely what someone on your crew had
suggested in an article last year. A single spec engine (I
believe this was after the Cosworth deal was announced, but
details were not), badged (and maybe tweaked) by several
different manufacturers. Incorporated with several people's
suggestion of a spec ECU, I think this would provide a formula
much easier to regulate and monitor than any normal
multi-manufacturer formula. And yet it would have the pizzazz
of a manufacturer-driven series. This morning (after reading
Kirby's article), I was talking with an electrical contractor
who is a die-hard race fan, who's been to the Long Beach Grand
Prix many times, and goes to most every (auto) race at
Fontana. He knew Paul Tracy was running away with the CART
series, and knew that most of the "big names" had gone to the
IRL. But, interestingly, he didn't know that every single
engine on the track in CART was now being built by Cosworth.
He even watched a bit of this year's LBGP on SPEED, and didn't
catch that fact. Which makes you think... if you put a bunch
of manufacturers' badges on 'em, how many of the joes in the
TV audience are even going to realize that they're all the
same engine? Is that advertising bang for the buck, or what?
Of course, as a former Cosworth employee I might be just a
leeeettle bit prejudiced, but irrespective, I think it makes
sense. David Laufer Dear David, Yes, that
was a proposal I presented to CART last year. Have
Cosworth take care of the rebuilds of a standard spec engine
and sell the badging rights to any manufacturer who wants to
play. Spend money on marketing, not R&D. Manufacturers
would commit to a minimum amount of dollars to marketing the
series around their product, pay CART a tolling fee, grow the
series together, rather than beat each other into the ground
wasting millions on R&D. Make it affordable,
reliable and competitive. CART did not take up my
suggestion at the time and now the series is paying dearly for
it. The paddock is very cash poor with only one engine
manufacturer. Manufacturers buy TV ad time, hospitality,
etc. CART is falling short in all those areas.
CART desperately needs more manufacturers, the sooner the
better. Mark Cipolloni4/22/03
- On CART.com, Chris Pook explains his view of the engine rule
debate going on in CART now. "Champ Car today, as a marketing,
public relations, promotion and business facilitation company
that happens to sanction motor car races has by far the most
efficient marketing delivery system in North America," Pooks
says. "Since North America--Canada, the USA and Mexico--is the
single largest automotive buying trade block in the world, we
need to clearly take full advantage of our assets. By
operating events in the major metropolitan markets that we
currently have on our schedule as well as those we plan on
adding over the next two or three years, we have a tremendous
product to offer to the automobile manufacturers of the world.
"In order to close the loop for these manufacturers, we need
to align our race cars with the everyday automobile as much as
possible - gasoline engines being the first step along the
way. We also must remember that technology is important - our
audience/market is clearly a technology conscious group,
therefore if we are going to go to a normally aspirated
engine, the V10 makes all the sense in the world - at least
that is what we are being told! " Pook agrees that strict
technical management of ECUs must take place. "Having said
that technology is important, we must not let it drive the
cost of engines out of sight, thus the need to manage the ECU
programs in concert with the manufacturers involved in the
series. The cost of gasoline in North America it appears, is
on the path to match the cost in Europe! Mileage is going to
be an important factor very shortly in the public's decision
as to which car they will purchase - we must work with our
manufacturer's and give and/or provide for them 'selling
tools' which they can use to market their products. We must
not forget that this is all about "selling cars". Champ Car
racing is just one strategy and it is our responsibility as a
sanctioning body to make it an efficient strategy." Pook says
Champ Car will work closely with Ford and other manufacturers
in determining the best rules package for the future. "Having
said all this," Pook concludes, "we must now listen to our
partner Ford Motor Company and find out what works for them -
is it 2005 or 2006 or when? We must also recognize that we are
in very difficult economic times - difficult economic times
for all automobile manufacturers. The days of spending
millions of dollars on R & D for race car engines are, I
believe, going away. Yes there will be budgets for
development. However, we must encourage our automobile
manufacturer friends to spend their money in and around our
series promoting the sale of their automobiles. "We have a
very good and loyal audience who will buy their products. We
have major markets in which we can dominate the media with
their brands for three to five weeks each year. We can drive
traffic to dealerships who in turn will sell their products.
It is a good program, however like all programs, timing is
critical and that is what we are working through at this
time." AR1 View - if Chris is serious that
he wants to align CART with the engine manufacturers, than
CART had better take a long hard look at a small displacement
turbo engine. As documented thoroughly here on AR1, the
trend for passenger cars is NOT V-10 engines, but smaller,
more fuel efficient engines that are turbocharged to gain back
lost HP from the small displacement. You will see more and
more cars with turbos in the coming years and we would not be
surprised to see every passenger car turbocharged 20 years
from now. Turbos for street cars are now very reliable with
the advent of synthetic oils that can withstand the high
temperatures generating by a turbo spinning at very high RPM.
The sophisticated ECU's take care of turbo lag, etc.
In Europe, where gas prices are very high, turbos are
proliferating with almost every manufacturer now using them..
A very small percentage of passenger cars will have V10
engines in the next decade, so while they are sexy, is that
really where the manufacturers want to be? If CART is
going to mimic the 2006 low-cost F1 V10 engine specs that is
one thing, but if not, a 1.5 Liter turbo gasoline engine (V8)
will better align CART with the manufacturers and the
passenger cars they sell. After all, as Chris stated -
this is all about "selling cars." How about this idea -
a 1.5 Liter turbo V10? Mark Cipolloni
4/23/03 F3000
Minassian denies claims
Minassian has denied these claims and would like to make it
clear to the motorsport community that immediately following
the Barcelona test session, the week before the race in Imola,
he expressed concerns regarding the team’s preparation for the
season. “I thought that as Brand Motorsport was essentially a
new team, that they were under-prepared to compete at this
level,” commented Minassian. “If it wasn’t for Martin
Kendrick’s heartfelt request for me to compete, I would not
have been in Imola at all that weekend.” Immediately following
the first round of the F3000 Championship, Minassian quit the
team. “I was not under contract to the team,” he said. “When I
joined Brand they had an experienced level of staff supporting
the team, but a few weeks prior to the first race they left.”
“I don’t understand why Martin is being so vociferous to me, I
thought we had a good working relationship, I even helped him
to find a new engineer. I find his comments disrespectful and
hurtful at the very least.”
4/23/03
Lauda
hits out at Jag Niki Lauda is blaming Jaguar for
Antonio Pizzonia’s poor form so far this season. Pizzonia has
made an uncertain start to his F1 career, prompting rumours –
denied by Jaguar – that he may not see out the season. Lauda
said: "I really don't know what they are doing to be honest
but Pizzonia would need for sure more guidance from the top
which nobody will do there, I guess." "He performed very well
in the wet, which is always complicated, and here too. I am a
little bit disappointed about Pizzonia because I thought he
might be a little closer. "I always knew that Webber, because
of his experience, would be in the lead but he’s doing a
perfect job."
4/23/03
Will SARS cancel CART's Toronto race?2nd UPDATE The New Jersey Health
Commissioner has advised all New Jersey residents to avoid any travel
to SARS infected places, including Hong Kong and Toronto, two places
he specifically named. Will CART attempt to do what Major League
Baseball has instructed its teams going into Toronto to do? MLB has
told told its teams and players that on road trips to Toronto, they
should avoid giving autographs, visit no hospitals or medical
facilities and avoid all large crowds. Unfortunately for CART and fans
attending the race, it's awfully difficult to avoid large crowds at
the downtown Toronto race track. It very likely may call for CART to
close off the pit lane and close the paddock area to the public, as
well as instruct their drivers to avoid fan contact and cancel any
autograph sessions. It certainly won't help CART sell tickets, but
could help the drivers to avoid contracting the highly-contagious
disease that has no known cure. This story isn't ready to
go away just yet. 4/22/03 - A reader writes, I live in
the city of Toronto and I have to comment on the SARS scare. Yes it is
true that unfortunately 14 people have died from SARS in the Toronto
area, but what the media fails to mention is that there are still 3
million people in the city living their daily lives. We are not going
around with masks on our faces and gloves on our hands. We are taking
the public transit , going to the movies and shopping malls, and
living our normal day to day lives. Our public health officials are
doing a great job of containing the spread of SARS. It is the media
that has put the fear in people by not reporting how life is still
going on in Toronto. It is safe to come to the city of Toronto, and it
would be an incredible loss to CART or anybody else that cancelled
their plans to come to this great city. Thank you. Carol
Boomhour, Toronto, Canada4/21/03 - Will the spread of SARS force CART to cancel one or more of its
Canadian races? A 14th person died in Canada this weekend, and
this can't be taken lightly. A number of sporting events have
been cancelled in the affected regions already, and as the disease
spreads, more will die until a cure is found. At this time, the
areas with large numbers of SARS cases are Toronto, Canada; Singapore;
Hanoi, Vietnam; Taiwan; and the following regions in China: Guangdong,
Hong Kong, and Shanxi. International travelers departing from any of
the affected areas should be screened for possible SARS before
boarding their airplanes. Travelers with one or more symptoms of the
disease who have a history of exposure and who appear ill must be seen
by a physician who, after an examination, may advise them to delay
their trip until they are well enough to travel. Mark Cipolloni
4/23/03
Let them raceUPDATE Another reader responds,
Dear AR1, I agree that CART should give the teams all the fuel they
want, give them a boost button, and do away with the mandatory pit
stops. The racing has become a bit contrived with the mandatory stops.
If a driver wants to save fuel and do one less stop that is fine, but
he will pay a big price if a full course caution comes out and he is
stuck with old tires and less fuel compared to others who are gassing
it with fresher tires. This will also create more overtaking attempts,
with the guys with older tires trying to hold off the fresher clad
runners. AR1 claims that CART needs more passing, but how do you do
this if you are running a spec engine and forcing the teams to pit at
the same time thereby making them equal at all times? By allowing
different fuel and tire strategies you will change the performance of
each car, making some slower and some faster at certain times during
the race, and then you will increase the amount of passing. Regards,
Bob Lowe Woburn, MA Bob, you make a valid point. We
were just explaining CART's strategy to get the drivers to run all out
all the time because people were complaining that too many drivers
were on a fuel economy run. We have floated a proposal to CART on how
to create a significant amount of passing, with or without mandatory
pitstops. Cosworth has given CART a formal cost estimate to
implement the concept. We are hopeful CART will enact it.
In a nutshell, the concept is this - since CART races on a lot of
tight street and road courses where it will always be hard to pass,
why not implement a "go button" on the wheel that would give the
drivers extra turbo boost pressure 10 times per race, say 50 extra HP
for a duration of say 5 seconds. The onboard computer would
track how many pushes he has used. Each push would gobble up
precious fuel of course. The driver would have to choose when
and where he used his 10 pushes. Does he use pushes at the
start, during the race at key passing opportunities, or save them for
the finish? Does a driver being overtaken also push his button
to prevent be overtaken, or does he let the driver past and save the
push? You can imagine all the strategy it would take to manage
your allotment of 10 pushes. It would create potentially 10
passes per driver almost anywhere on the track. While some may
refer to this as rather artificial, is it anymore artificial than the
draft on an oval? Passing with a draft, at say, Fontana takes
zero skill, so why would this concept really be anymore artificial?
On a superspeedway, do you draft past on the penultimate lap and risk
being repassed on the last lap, or do you wait? It is the same
sort of strategy with the "go button." Do you push
it coming off the corner, half way down the straight, or wait
until the next opportunity. All the other current
strategy would still apply, this just adds another element of
suspense. If CART wants to continue to race on tight
concrete walled canyons, then we believe the Go Button is the best way
to create more passing and intrigue, because even w/o traction
control, there have been zero passes for the lead on the track so far
this year, so although better, it's not enough for the kind of racing
CART does. CART has a history of races with zero on-track
passes for the lead, and this has directly contributed to its
falling TV ratings. The majority of American fans are
born and bred on the notion that "passing is racing" and
"follow the leader is a parade." Mark Cipolloni4/22/03 - A reader
writes, Dear AR1, regarding CART's new pitstop rule, why mandatory pit
stops and defined pit stop windows? Here’s a novel idea. Why not give
the teams all the fuel they can burn (CART and Cosworth do control the
engines) and LET THE DAMN TEAMS RACE ! ! Maybe throw in “the button”
and see if that improves the shows in the concrete canyons but
essentially get the “expletive deleted” out of the way and let ‘em
race! Stop trying to manage the competition! And while I’m ranting I
oh so enjoyed seeing the Andretti/Honda/IRL TV spot that, basically,
snatched the town meeting idea served up to Mr. Pook on a silver
platter, when was that, LAST YEAR, you remember it don’t you, the fan
idea for TV spots that made fun of the IRL not being able to turn
right. Honda took it and turned it around and shoved it right up
CART’s . . . . wastegate! Nice to see they’re not burning any midnight
oil in the CART offices trying to figure out how to put The * Grandson
and his tin horn “vision” back their place. Bet Ford could have
produced a similar commercial, but, “Why would you want to do that?”
Jim Anderson, Chicago, IL Dear Jim, CART is the
USA's #1 parade company, and the only way to pass is to have pit
stops. Without the turbo boost button idea to give the drivers a
chance to slip past, it's follow-the-leader all day long.
However, in CART's defense, if they gave them all the fuel they wanted
and did not mandate pit stops, teams would still conserve fuel and try
to eliminate a pit stop to win the race. CART's theory is if you
make them have to stop, there is no advantage gained by saving fuel,
hence why not race hard between stops and burn all you have.
Mark Cipolloni
Foyt crashes again Will
someone please park this kid before he really hurts himself. He is
totally out of his element. Who is paying for all the cars he
has torn up this year? Certainly not his bankrupt sponsors
Conseco! There was only one incident during private testing at Indy
today when rookie A.J. Foyt IV made contact with the outside retaining
wall in Turns 1 and 2 in his No. 14 Conseco/A.J. Foyt Racing Panoz G
Force/Toyota/Firestone. Foyt was unhurt. “I went out for
the afternoon run, and the temperature was a little hotter, and the
car picked up more of a push,” Foyt said. “I glanced off the wall in
Turn 1 which knocked out the front brakes. It wouldn’t turn going into
(Turn) 2, and it did a slow spin and brushed the wall with the other
side in Turn 2. The front and rear suspension was damaged on both
sides.”
4/22/03
Private testing notes from Indy
Luyendyk turns laps: Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk
tested his No. 20 Meijer Mo Nunn Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone
on April 22, his first laps in the new IndyCar Series equipment that
will be used through 2005. “It’s very nice,” Luyendyk said. “I’m
really impressed with the Toyota engine. It’s smooth as silk. Driving
out on the track, the car is very quiet. Everything works the way it
should. The engine is very smooth and feels very nice to drive. The
gearbox feels good, and the guys that put together the car – it works
perfect, and everything is very tight. They did a good job. “I’m a
little slower today than these guys, but I came to shake the car down.
I’m not very comfortable in the car – we need to modify the seat, and
I’ve got a little bit of helmet lift that I don’t want all month.
Still, I was able to drive the car quickly, but we need to go
quicker.” Luyendyk has not been in a car since he finished 16th in the
Michigan Indy 400 in July 2002. He sees that as a slight disadvantage
over the other drivers who are regular IndyCar Series competitors.
“They just come in, get in the car and go, and I’m just getting back
into the rhythm again,” Luyendyk said. “I take my time to get my tires
up to temperature and up to pressure, and they do that in a little
shorter amount of laps. But this is no checkered flag today, and we’re
just getting into things slowly, and that’s what you have to do. “It’s
so easy to get caught out at this place – it can bite you if you start
running into the corners on cold tires, and it’s pretty cold today.”
4/22/03
Mugello test times for Tuesday
Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tires Time Laps
1 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes M 1m22.805s 71
2 Luca Badoer Ferrari B 1m22.994s 82
3 Olivier Panis Toyota M 1m23.142s 93
4 Alex Wurz McLaren-Mercedes M 1m23.886s 47
5 Ricardo Zonta Toyota M 1m23.945s 65
6 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber-Petronas B 1m24.267s 57
4/22/03 Industry News
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and good customer relationships are so very important in life today.
Unser is a man who has lived his life to the fullest, accomplished so
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4/22/03
12 teams test at Indy Twelve
IRL IndyCar Series drivers prepared for the 87th Indianapolis 500 by
testing in cold conditions April 22 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. Among the drivers was Alex Barron, who tested the No. 6
Marlboro Team Penske Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone. Barron, who won
Bank One Indianapolis 500 co-Rookie of the Year honors with Tomas
Scheckter last year, has been substituting for Gil de Ferran, who
suffered a concussion and a minor back fracture in an accident during
the Purex Dial Indy 200 on March 23 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Barron, from Menifee, Calif., completed 102 laps today at the
Speedway. “The track is a bit different from last year because they
shaved the track last year, and the track is a bit more seasoned now,”
Barron said. “The cars are quite a bit different with the change, so
to show up here and get in the car, we got a pretty good balance right
away. We’re just trying to get a good balance on the car, and at that
point we’ll probably try something else. So far, it’s gone pretty
good.” Temperatures struggled to reach 50 degrees at the Speedway, and
Barron hopes for better weather when the team tests April 23. “It’s
pretty cold today, which is a little bit of an issue with the balance
of the car,” Barron said. “Hopefully tomorrow it will be a little bit
better. I know some teams tested on Saturday (April 19), and it was
like 70 degrees, so it’s quite a bit different.” Despite his testing
at the Speedway for Penske, no Indy 500 seat is guaranteed for Barron,
who won in 2002 at Nashville. Should de Ferran be ready to drive by
Opening Day at the Speedway on May 4, Barron is most likely back to
his role as one of the top free agents on the driver market. “Either
way, you get exposure,” Barron said of driving for Marlboro Team
Penske. “At the same time, it helps you get to know the new cars, and
no matter where you end up, that’s going to pay off for you. And, it
helps Team Penske get a good base for the month of May and the
direction as far as package-wise.” Should Barron not continue with
Penske when de Ferran returns, his hiring as a substitute for the most
successful team in Indy-style racing helps to raise his worthy stock
even higher. “They’re one of the elite teams, for sure,” Barron said.
“They do everything real professional. I think when you’re a part of
that, you learn a lot. Being here at Indy with a team like this, it’s
hard to go wrong.”
4/22/03
CART adopts new rules for
Brands Hatch
The drivers and teams of the 2003 Champ Car World Series will
add their legacies to the fabled list of competitors that have
raced at Britain’s Brands Hatch circuit, and the series
announced today that it has adopted a new set of rules that
will ensure that the competition level will be the equal of
any series that has participated there. The 19 cars of the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford will take to the tricky seven-turn 1.2-mile Brands Hatch
track for the May 3-5 London Champ Car Trophy event, and will
do so under new single-event guidelines that will enhance
competition along with providing maximum safety for drivers
and teams. Addressing driver’s concerns over the ability to
get a clear qualifying lap on the 1.2-mile short course, Champ
Car adopted a single-car qualifying format that will give each
competitor six laps to chase the pole position, with four of
those laps being timed. The running order for the first round
of qualifying will be set by practice times while Sunday’s
final qualifying order will be based on the Saturday results.
In accordance with new rules put in place in 2002, there is a
single championship point available to the leaders of both
qualifying sessions, and the fastest car in each session is
guaranteed a front-row starting spot for Monday’s 165-lap
race. The other change goes into effect on race day, as Champ
Car management and its teams agreed to revoke the mandatory
pit windows for the Brands Hatch event. The pit windows have
been replaced for the event by a rule that states that each
car must complete two pit stops under green-flag conditions.
The green-flag service must include a four-tire change in
order to count toward the two mandatory stops. Teams may pit
under caution periods at will, but can only add fuel to the
car, and can only have two team members over the wall during a
yellow-flag stop. “We took the concerns that our drivers had
over the lack of clear space during qualifying and created a
scenario that will allow them to run flat out as they fight
for the pole,” said Champ Car Vice-President of Operations
John Lopes. “The rule changes governing pit stops at Brands
Hatch will also provide for a full afternoon of full-out
racing with teams now able to use different strategies in
pursuit of victory.” The London Champ Car Trophy, which will
see points leader Paul Tracy go for his record-tying fourth
consecutive victory, will be seen on CBS Sports on May 10 at 1
p.m. The CBS coverage will begin on May 4 with a season
preview and qualifying show at 12 p.m.
4/22/03
Mosley says F1 too easy
Mosley says the F1 teams are generally opposing the bans on
the grounds of suspicion of cheating and protecting their
investments on expensive electronic systems. But the FIA boss
says the real, hidden reason is that each team thinks 'it has
got the best system, and they don't want to give it up.' He
adds: 'And I fully understand that.' The Englishman, however,
says public opinion overrides all the leading teams'
objections put forward in a meeting of F1 team bosses at the
Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola) circuit on Thursday. 'The idea
that you can press a button at the start in Monaco and beat
the guy into Sainte Devote just because you've got a better
system isn't really acceptable,' Mosley said. 'That is not
what you expect from the best drivers in the world.' Ron
Dennis (McLaren) and Sir Frank Williams intend to take the
governing FIA to arbitration if it goes ahead with plans to
rob the pinnacle of motorsports of it's electronic fancies.
But Max stayed firm in the bosses meeting by telling them 'it
is not a question of what you want, it's what the public want
because in the end they pay for it.'
4/22/03
CBS to televise Miami race Following
in the footsteps of what was the highest-rated race in the
2002 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered
by Ford season, organizers of the Grand Prix Americas
announced today that this year’s Champ Car street race in
downtown Miami will be televised live on CBS. The second-year
event, which will be Round 15 of the 2003 Champ Car World
Series schedule, received a rating of 1.4 with a 3 share on
CBS last year, reaching 1,449,000 households – a rating that
was the highest of the season for the Champ Cars. Locally in
Miami, the inaugural race was shown on tape-delay, due to a
conflict with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and received a rating
of 6.7. “We are thrilled to be on the CBS network once again,”
said Chuck M. Martinez, president and general manager, Grand
Prix Americas. “This increased exposure will allow us to
showcase our spectacular event and put the spotlight on the
beautiful scenery and people of Miami.” Time of the broadcast
will vary depending on CBS’s football schedule. In cities
where CBS is carrying a West Coast game, The Grand Prix
Americas will be aired live. In the other cities, the race
will be broadcast on tape-delay. The race will be the seventh
to be televised on CBS in the 2003 season. “We are looking at
ways to help teams build value for their sponsors and partners
and getting the Grand Prix Americas in front of the fans is a
key part of aiding our teams,” said CART CEO and President
Christopher R. Pook.
4/22/03
Cope picks up sponsor
Great Barrier Reef announces today their sponsorship of
Derrike Cope a Winston Cup driver scheduled to race in the
Auto Club 500 at the California Speedway April 27, 2003. Mr.
Cope is a former Daytona 500 winner and a television analyst
for Fox Sports News’ “NASCAR This Morning”. “Getting involved
in the fastest growing sport in the United States fulfills a
marketing objective of increasing our brand awareness”, stated
Mike Hardy, Chief Operating Officer for Great Barrier Reef.
“We believe that the demographics of NASCAR coincide closely
with the demographics of our target customer base. We will use
this relationship with Derrike to bring the excitement of
NASCAR to our subscribers and the value of our service to an
even wider population.” Hardy also stated “We at Great Barrier
Reef are pleased to enter into this venture with Derrike Cope.
We feel he represents the same values in which we strongly
believe: Hard work, value for you money and quality
performance.” Great Barrier Reef, Inc. (GBR) provides Internet
access services to subscribers across the United States.
4/22/03
Free test days slated for Road
Atlanta As a gesture of appreciation to the
teams that have made a full-season commitment, and to fans who
have supported the series and its events, the American Le Mans
Series is sponsoring two days of open testing at Road Atlanta
on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 27-28. Road Atlanta will be the
site for the next race on the American Le Mans Series
schedule, the June 27-29 Atlanta Grand Prix. The two-hour,
45-minute timed event will be televised live by CBS Sports and
broadcast live by the American Le Mans Series Radio Web. The
test session at Road Atlanta will be open to the public at no
charge and will be free to all ALMS Championship Incentive
Plan entrants. The 2.54-mile circuit will be open for testing
from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days, with a scheduled one-hour
lunch break each day. The American Le Mans Series always
builds its schedule around the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the famed
French endurance racing event upon which the series is based.
Many teams that compete in ALMS events also compete at Le Mans
and are required to be in France for pre-practice on May 4, as
well as the race on June 14-15. Therefore, the series is
currently in its annual schedule break. While there are many
American Le Mans Series teams going to Le Mans, there are also
many that are not,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of
the ALMS. “This test will give the teams staying home the
opportunity to get some track time during the break in our
schedule and help prepare themselves for the Atlanta Grand
Prix. It will also give the fans a chance to get a free sample
of the cars and action they will see when a full American Le
Mans Series grid convenes at Road Atlanta at the end of June.”
Road Atlanta will also host the season finale for the American
Le Mans Series, the sixth annual Petit Le Mans Oct. 15-18. The
track is currently offering a special, discounted “Two Event
Ticket,” as well as separate tickets to both events.
Information is available online at
www.roadatlanta.com
or by calling 1-800-849-RACE (7223).
4/22/03
NASCAR site eyed in Linden NJ
A developer who sought to build a NASCAR racing track at the
Meadowlands Sports Complex now wants to build the speedway at
an industrial site in Linden, The Star-Ledger of Newark
reported Tuesday. The $401 million proposal by developer and
former state Assemblyman Morton Salkind calls for Liberty
Speedway at Linden to feature a 100,000-seat grandstand -
expandable to 140,000 seats - and a .92-mile track in
accordance with NASCAR regulations, the newspaper reported. It
also calls for a 400,000-square-foot entertainment center and
a 20-story hotel and conference center. If approved, the track
would be the only NASCAR facility in the New Jersey-New York
metropolitan area. Salkind submitted a similar plan last fall
for the Meadowlands complex in East Rutherford. That plan is
technically still on the table, although Salkind now prefers
the Linden site. AP Story
4/22/03
Testing for LeMans at Paul
Ricard Audi, Bentley, Ascari, Oreca and
Pescarolo prepared for Le Mans 24 hours at the Paul Ricard
HTTT. Being the only track in Europe with a straight as
long as the Le Mans straight, the Paul Ricard HTTT is the
ideal track to fully test and optimize the car preparation for
the race. The 2002 test session was concluding as Audi
finished 1, 2, 3 and Bentley, just behind in fourth place at
the 2002 edition of Le Mans 24 Hours race. In 2003, teams
Bentley, Audi Goh, Prodrive and Solution F decided to renew
testing at the Paul Ricard HTTT to search and find the right
car settings for the Preliminary Test Session to take place at
Le Mans on May 5th to 6th 2003. (Race June 14th/15th ).
The Paul Ricard HTTT was open to the teams between Tuesday,
April 15th at 10:00 am and Wednesday, April 16th at 6:00 pm,
giving the opportunity to complete a long and intensive test
session and a 24 hours simulation. After over 30 hours on
track solutions 1B ( 5, 759) and 1A ( 5, 752 km ), team
Bentley with drivers R. Capello, T. Kristensen, G. Smith, M.
Blundell and J. Herbert, completed over 5 000 km, setting best
times ahead of rivals Audi Goh and Prodrive. Team Audi Goh,
trained of endurance racing, chose to work more on the car’s
setting with drivers S.Ara, J. Magnussen and M. Werner than on
endurance racing. The team completed around 2 000 km in the 30
hours, using the track only three hours during the night.
Car Racing, the owner of the three Ferrari 550 Maranello
present at the Paul Ricard HTTT, chose to use the time to mixe
the preparation of two Prodrive Ferraris for Le Mans 24 Hours
completing some 5 000 km and one Ferrari for the French GT
Championship (GT FFSA) prepared by team Solution F who
completed some 500 km. Drivers K. Burt, J. Davies, A.
Davidson, T.Enge, P. Kox, D. Turner, L. Alphand, J. Polican
and M. Neugarten split between the three cars searching for
the best settings. Philippe Gurdjian , President and CEO of
Excelis said at the end of the session : “ In the last 30
hours, we have given teams the opportunity to exploit the Paul
Ricard High Tech Test Track in order to prepare for the
legendary Le Mans 24 Hours. Two of the three teams completed
more or less 5 000 km which is the Le Mans 24 Hours race
distance of the winners in 2002 (Audi). Nine spins only in
more than 30 hours… no major problem during this session,
which is the best satisfaction we can have. Big efforts have
been put together by all the actors of this session, and our
wish now is to see these teams succeed at the next 24 Hours of
Le Mans”. Tuesday April 15th from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Track 1B : 5,759 Km
Weather: dry –strong South East wind –Air temperature mini
10C°, maxi 22C°
Team Number of Laps Best Lap
Bentley 272 1 :41 :331
Audi Goh 102 1 :42 :627
Prodrive 151 1 :52 :375 Tuesday April 15th from 5:00 pm to Wednesday 16th /6:00 pm
Track 1A : 5,752 km
Weather: dry – moderated wind – full moon, Air temperature
mini 10C° maxi 22C°
Bentley 718 1 :38 :275
Audi Goh 228 1 :39 :644
Prodrive 690 1 :48 :909
Solution F 86 1 :51 :413
4/22/03 Industry News
New Honda President a product
of racing Honda
Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that Mr. Takeo Fukui will
become the company’s sixth President and Chief Executive
Officer effective in late June 2003. Mr. Fukui, 58, currently
a Senior Managing and Representative Director, will succeed
Mr. Hiroyuki Yoshino, 63, who will assume the post of Director
and Advisor to Honda Motor Co. This management succession will
occur following the final decision of the Honda Motor Board of
Directors after the company’s annual shareholders meeting in
late June 2003. Mr. Fukui brings a vast 34 years of experience
with Honda to his new role, including expertise in research
and development, engineering, environmental technology, racing
activities and the manufacturing of automobiles, motorcycles
and power products. Mr. Fukui joined Honda in 1969, after
graduating from Waseda University with a B.S. in Applied
Chemistry. He started his career at Honda as a member of the
Honda project team that developed the Honda CVCC (Compound
Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine, which made the Honda
Civic the first car to meet the strict emissions standards set
by the U.S. Clean Air Act. In 1978, Fukui was transferred to
the area of motorcycle racing, where he devoted almost a
decade to Honda’s racing success including in the World Grand
Prix 500cc class – where Honda won the championship for the
first time in 1983. After 19 years with Honda R&D Co.,
including serving as Managing Director as well as President of
Honda Racing Corp., Fukui was appointed to the Board of
Directors of Honda Motor Co. in 1988. As Managing Director and
later as Senior Managing Director of Honda R&D Co., Mr. Fukui
assumed the entire responsibility for motorcycle development
from 1987 to 1992. In 1992, he became General Manager of the
Hamamatsu Factory – a production facility with one of the most
complex product mixes of any Honda factory in the world,
including motorcycles, power products and auto transmissions.
From 1994 to 1998, he served as Executive Vice President and
later as President of Honda of America Mfg., Inc. in Ohio,
where production volume significantly expanded under his
tenure in order to meet increasing customer demand for Honda
products in the North American market. In 1998, Mr. Fukui was
named President of Honda R&D Co., his current post, and
promoted to Senior Managing Director of Honda Motor Co. in
1999 with the additional responsibility for Honda’s
motorsports activities, including Formula One Grand Prix
racing. Mr. Hiroyuki Yoshino has served as Honda’s fifth CEO
since assuming the position in June 1998. He has been with
Honda more than 40 years, including the past five years as
President and CEO. Under Mr. Yoshino’s strong leadership,
Honda has expanded its global business from 10 million
customers in 1998 to more than 15 million customers in 2002
while creating two new autonomous regional operations in South
America and China. The company also has continued to advance
its technological leadership, including the introduction of
two gas-electric hybrid vehicles, the “FCX” fuel cell vehicle
and ASIMO, the world’s first bi-pedal humanoid robot.
Significantly, over the past four years, Honda has innovated
its global manufacturing operations to the flexible “New
Manufacturing System” that enables Honda to quickly and
flexibly respond to changes in the marketplace on a global
basis.
More feedback on passing in CART
Dear AutoRacing1.com, A bit of venting along with a bit of agreement.
While I agree the Speed numbers seem somewhat suspect, don't forget
the numbers for Fox Espanol. Also, it's pretty tough for CART to
challenge the last holes of The Masters golf tournament. IRL was way
down also. Focus on the positive; people outside this country
understand the nature of road racing. Yes, it's more like soccer than
basketball. In soccer, each score is extremely valuable and cause for
wild celebration. In road/street racing, an on-track pass for position
is a beautiful and rare thing. For example, the Mexico City race was
estimated to have had 20 million Mexican households tuned in. That's
more viewers than ANY NASCAR race, ever! Every race, CART pulls
in more global viewers than anything but World Rally and F1. The IRL
isn't on the global radar, and NASCAR is barely a blip. CART has a
great product for the significant percentage of the planet who "get"
road racing. Sure, we'd all like to see more passing but at the end of
the day the fast guys qualify up front and pull away. CART was making
great headway in gradually introducing road racing to the American
public, but the Split has changed that. CART has to focus on it's
strengths and hope that it can obtain financial stability in a global market
and then gradually reintroduce itself to the American public. (Danica
Patrick running up front in a 2005 Champ Car, for example). Like many
people, I'd like to see CART go to speedway wings on the street and
road courses, and full multi-element wings on the ovals, with
increases in ground effects for both. Yes, the racing could improve
with cars able to follow nose to tail through corners under both
scenarios. CART might be wise to pick up a couple of used chassis and
do their own "entertainment" setup testing. However, I think that any
improvement in the ability of cars to pass wouldn't be so dramatic as
to offset the basic loss of interest by the American fan in the short
term. It's just going to take time. You imply that the powers that be
aren't thinking about this stuff; I have a feeling that they are.
Lando Magee Dime Box, Texas Dear Lando, You make some valid
points, but.....Judging by the lack of new sponsors in the CART
paddock, one can argue that the TV ratings are being watched
by the
powers to be. What is surprising is how far their SPEED ratings have fallen
since last year. Clearly CART's marketing program is not
working, probably because it is underfunded. As for CART having
a great international audience. It used to with ESPN
International - some 200 countries received CART broadcasts. Now
CART is broadcast in very few overseas markets, perhaps 10.
Mark Cipolloni
4/22/03
Feedback on passing in CART
Dear AutoRacing1.com, Rubber Band Racing vs. Parade Racing. Which is
better? Granted, the IRL and NASCAR races do have passing, but in most
cases, the passing seems fake to me. It seems like the only reason
there is a pass is because of drafting, not because there was some
incredible move on the part of a driver (i.e., true racing) or because
one Team tweaked the car just that much better than another. In many
races, the lead cars can look like a rubber band, where cars go back
and forth for the lead because the car that just got passed can now
draft the car in front and eventually overtake it. This occurred over
and over again during the CART Michigan race a couple years ago and
the ABC announcers were going crazy about how great the racing was. I
didn't agree. In this type of race, the winner is the driver that
happens to be at the right part of the rubber band at the right time.
One of the best oval races I have seen lately was last year's Fontana
race. What a great race. In this race it seemed like a second place
car could overtake the lead car and could actually pull away. It
seemed like you could actually see the guy that was driving better and
pushing harder get rewarded. I do believe that CART needs more
passing. When passing occurs in CART on a road/street course, there's
no other passing that's better. It can be very exciting. But I feel
that road racing is different that oval racing and fans have to
understand this. During a road/street race, not only does the driver
race his fellow competitors, but he is also racing the track, and I
believe a lot of people don't understand that and therefore, don't
enjoy it. As example would be Michel Jourdain, Jr.'s incredible drive
at the end of the Long Beach race. He needed at least a 40 second lead
over Fernandez to ensure the win, and he laid it out and did his part
and got the 40 seconds. Even though CART still needs improvement, I do
have to say that this year's racing does seem a lot better than I have
seen for a while. I recall St. Petersburg's race were Bourdais was
screaming through the pack. That was fun to watch. As a side note, the
television coverage on that race was great. They showed a lot of great
action and it seemed like the cameras were pointing in the right
direction at the right time. Thanks, Kevin Kelch, Omaha, Nebraska
Dear Kevin, what you say is absolutely true, but only the hard core
fan understands that. CART needs to win over the "fringe" fans
and new fans to grow, but those fans are going to NASCAR instead,
where cars do pass for the lead. Mark Cipolloni
4/22/03
Trans-Am passing feedback
Dear Autoracing1.com, On April 17th Jeff Skinner wrote to say that
Boris' pass took away, not added to the TA race, that Scott had a huge
lead and that without reversing the grid there is no passing at LB...I
don't know which race he was watching, but Scott never had more than
.8 second lead over Boris. If you want to call that a huge lead? Boris
matched Scott's time lap after lap and even took a close peek for a
pass attempt in T8 just before the yellow. At that point, I knew it
was a matter of time before BS pounced. Also, was Jeff asleep during
the grueling duel between Stu Hayner, Bobby Sak, Greg Pickett and
Jorge Diaz Jr.? Those 5 swapped places more times than Cher changes
her wig. Jorge fought back from a contact/spin to finish an impressive
5th. And where was Jeff last year when we had four lead changes
between three drivers on the last lap? If that isn't passing....Sheesh,
what more do you want on a street course? Caroline B. Wright,
Series PA Announcer, Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup
4/22/03
Boris Said afraid to speak mind
According to this San Diego Union Tribune
article, Boris Said is outspoken. That's the feature that
makes the reigning Trans-Am champ so popular with fans and the media
in this era of goody-two-shoes drivers, media consultants and
formatted responses. Listen hard to some of the pabulum from the
post-race press conferences you see on television. After the driver
thanks every sponsor, his crew, the troops engaged in whichever
conflict plus the fans and mentions what a great venue the race was
in, he will dodge the one or two questions put to him with an
orchestrated, politically correct comment. Where have you gone Darrell
Waltrip, A.J. Foyt and Richard Petty? Which is why Said is so
refreshing. He's old school. He says what he thinks. And that has
gotten him into a world of trouble – and his likely departure from the
Trans-Am circuit. "This could be my last Trans-Am race for awhile,"
the Carlsbad resident said Sunday after driving a Ford Mustang to his
first Long Beach win. "I'm nervous about Trans-Am officials
controlling my destiny. I'm nervous about them pulling my professional
license if I say another thing they don't like. My living is racing.
I've never had a problem before and now my future is being threatened.
"There is no freedom of speech here (Trans-Am)."
4/22/03
Concrete wall ends Priestley's career
Sports Business Daily reports that Jason Priestley told Entertainment
Tonight that he has decided to end his racing career. "I worry about
hitting my head again really hard and sort of what that would do to
me," said Priestley. Priestley is another victim of what is
quickly becoming the most dangerous form of racing in the world - open
wheel Indy Cars cars on oval tracks.
4/21/03 F3000
Photos added
We have added photos to the Townsend Bell story on the F3000 race from
Imola, Italy this past weekend. See story & photos
4/21/03
Yasukawa and Wheldon pass Indy
rookie test Roger Yasukawa joined six other rookie drivers
at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today to complete the IRL IndyCar
Series mandatory Rookie Orientation Program in preparation for the
87th running of the Indianapolis 500. Yasukawa was required to
complete four speed phases in the #55 Panasonic ARTA
Dallara/Honda/Firestone on the 2.5-mile oval. Cool temperatures
relegated the speed segments to 2002 standards of 200 to 215 mph, with
each phase increasing by five mph. “Today went really well,” said
Yasukawa. “Obviously our aim was to get the rookie orientation done
and for me to get used to the track. We were able to accomplish both
of those and we had pretty good speed at the end of the day. I think
there are a couple of more things that I need to do with my driving
[style] but for me to be here for the first time at the Speedway, I am
really happy with the overall outcome. It was very hard to imagine how
it was going to be, and now that I have driven here I can go back
tonight and think a lot more on what to try. “Overall the track is
definitely very challenging and very fast. Turn One is especially
challenging because it is kind of blind when you turn in and you
definitely have to know where you are going. As you go faster the car
balance feels better, but then you don’t have much of a margin of
error so you have to be accurate as you go faster. That combination
makes it very challenging for the driver and engineer. The team is
doing a great job, and John [Dick, race engineer] and Tom [Anderson,
managing director] both have great experience at this track. They are
both definitely teaching me a lot.” Klein Tools/Jim Beam driver Dan
Wheldon completed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Rookie Orientation
Program today, paving the way for his first start in the Indianapolis
500 on May 25. The 24-year-old Brit completed the four speed phases:
completing 10 consecutive laps at 200-205 mph, 205-210 mph, 210-215
mph and anything above 215 mph. He also showed the consistent car
control needed to pass the test. “The Klein Tools/Jim Beam car has
been fast,” said Wheldon. “We just took our time getting up to speed.
Tino Belli (Andretti Green technical director), who is going to be my
engineer for the month of May, is keen on me peaking at the right
time. I think they're just keeping me on an even keel right now, so
come qualifying, we should be good. I'd say I'm in a good position
with the Andretti Green Racing team. They've got great personnel and
everyone is very strong at their positions. Rookie tests have been
administered at the Speedway since 1936. The Rookie Orientation
Program is an opportunity for rookie drivers to get experience on the
famous 2.5-mile oval before the veterans arrive for Opening Day on May
4. It also gives them a chance to learn different lines around the
track without traffic. "It is different, because Indy has four corners
rather than the usual two,” said Wheldon. “It's a real good place.
When you look at a circuit map you think, 'Oh four corners, pretty
similar.' But when you get out there, they are completely different.
It just takes a little while to adapt to what each corner wants and
here, since you're going so fast, there is just less margin for error.
So, everything has to be right to be fast, and that's what we're
working on."
4/21/03
Buddy Rice breezes through
rookie test Buddy Rice has turned hundreds of laps
in IRL IndyCar Series events, starting from the front row and
nearly winning his first race. Still, for the Indianapolis
500, Rice is a rookie. Rice was the first driver to pass the
Rookie Orientation Program on Monday at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, making himself and the No. 52 Red Bull Cheever
Racing Dallara/Chevrolet eligible for the 87th running of the
Indy 500 next month. Rice was exempt from the first two phases
of the program, in which drivers are required to maintain
pre-determined levels of speed for 10 consecutive laps while
showing consistent car control. Brian Barnhart, senior vice
president of the Indy Racing League, decides whether a driver
has completed a phase after consulting with IRL director of
special projects Johnny Rutherford and IRL driving coach Al
Unser. While far from inexperienced, Rice recognized the
tradition of -- and the need for -- ROP. "Nigel Mansell won
the world championship in Formula One in 1992 and came here in
'93 and had to go through rookie orientation," Rice said.
"It's part of the rules. It's just the way it is. It's good to
get through it. Now we can get on to testing and get on with
the month of May." Rice was required to run 10 laps between
210 mph and 215 mph, then had to run 10 laps at 215 or more.
Rice topped out with a lap of 220.719 mph. The Red Bull
Cheever Racing team will continue testing Tuesday and
Wednesday in preparation for the Indy 500 on May 25th. Opening
day of practice is set for May 4, with pole qualifying on May
10 and the race set for May 25. Rice is enthusiastic,
especially after recording 94 laps during a test Saturday at
IMS. "Hopefully the whole month will go the way Saturday's
test went," Rice said. "If it does, it will be pretty
exciting. It will be exciting either way. Every week we're
making progress."
4/21/03
Team plans for 500 jumbled by
injuries This
Indy Star
article says, The field for the 87th annual
Indianapolis 500 is in a world of hurt. Already faced with the
possibility of having its skimpiest participation list in
decades, officials charged with hosting the 33-car Greatest
Spectacle in Racing are also unsure which drivers they will
have. Previously, NASCAR champion Tony Stewart said he would
not participate. So did last year's controversial runner-up,
Paul Tracy. Recent injuries have derailed Gil de Ferran, Dario
Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon as the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway approaches May 4, the first day of official
practice.
More....
4/21/03
Williams thinks F1 split will
be avoided This Reuters
article says, A deal will be done between the various
parties in Formula One to prevent a damaging future split in
the sport, according to team boss Frank Williams. "There
will be a deal," he said on Saturday when asked about a move
last week by all 10 teams to sign a memorandum of
understanding to work with leading European carmakers in
planning a new series from 2008. The existing 'Concorde
Agreement' between teams, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone
and governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) runs
until 2007. FIA president Max Mosley said this week that the
likelihood of two rival series in the future had increased,
although he believed a solution would be found. The carmakers
-- Ford, BMW, Renault, Ferrari's parent FIAT and
DaimlerChysler -- want teams to have a far greater slice of
the sport's revenues and have set up their own GPWC company to
pave the way for their own championship. "Everyone it seems to
me gets in a bit of a tizz about the GPWC and the split and
this and that," said Williams at the San Marino Grand Prix.
"But there's four more years to go on the (existing) contract.
If I had a four-year contract with BMW, I'd have my feet up on
the table, I'd be relaxed so to speak. What's the fuss?"
Williams suggested the unanimous agreement of teams to sign
the memorandum at a meeting in Munich was more of a warning
shot to Formula One supremo Ecclestone. "I think it was just
the teams stating a position that unless Bernie has a better
offer -- and he's not very good at making great offers, bless
him -- for the long term after 2007 then we'd rather go GPWC,"
said Williams. "But I think we all realize that a lot of water
has got to flow under the bridge before the GPWC becomes a
real series. And we also know that one series is better than
two series."
4/21/03 Industry News
CARA Charities schedules auction
– With the 2003 racing season now in full swing, racing fans will have
the opportunity to bid for some of open-wheel racing’s great
collectibles in the new CARA Charities Online Auction this week (April
20-26) at caraux.org. Some
unique motorsports items are available to the highest bidder
throughout the week that concludes on Saturday, April 26, at midnight.
A variety of open-wheel racing memorabilia including driver uniforms,
crew uniforms, special car parts and specially autographed shirts,
shoes, programs and other racing collectibles. All proceeds from the
items will go to charity. Among the 25 auction pieces include:
• Tony Kanaan McDonalds Autographed Firesuit
• Tora Takagi Pioneer Autographed Firesuit
• Adrian Fernandez Autographed Tecate Team Crew Shirt
• Tony Kanaan Autographed Racing Shoes
• 2002 Toyota CART Posters Autographed By All Toyota Drivers including
CART series champion Cristiana da Matta.
• Cam Cover Plaque From A Ford Cosworth Engine
• 1991 Indy 500 Poster Autographed by Winner Rick Mears
• Autographed Checkered Flag by all Toyota Atlantic drivers
• Newman Haas Fleece Jacket autographed by Da Matta and Fittipaldi
These special auction items are currently featured on CARA Charities (caraux.org)
and the highest bidders will be notified by April 28. Payment must be
received by May 5th. If the money is not received by the deadline, the
next highest bidder will win. Shipping charges are to be paid by the
winning bidder. For further information, look on the websites at
www.caraux.org. Or also contact
the CARA Charities office at (317) 299-2277 or e-mail to
carachar@aol.com.
F1 cars really look drivable vs. Champ
Cars A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Perhaps you can
explain to me why F1 cars look like they move around more through the
turns and the drivers appear to saw at the wheel much more than CART
drivers do in Champ Cars. Dave Alborghetti, Phoenix, AZ,
Dear Dave, there are a couple of factors at work here.
First,
as you can see in the photo to the right of the Ferrari, F1 cars use a
much smaller diameter wheel, resulting in a much higher tire side
wall. A higher tire sidewall results in much more flexing of the
tire as you can see in the photo. Champ Cars have a much lower
and stiffer tire sidewall (larger wheel diameter) much like you see on
high performance street tires. Explaining it in layman's terms,
a lower profile tire gives a much stiffer (and harder) ride and is
better performing. However, it's also less forgiving, so when
the car gets a little sideways, it can snap right around on the
driver. The second factor is that Champ Cars are overweight by
some 400 pounds meaning they need stiffer springs. Spring rates
on a F1 car are usually much less because the cars are so light.
The combination of the "spring" rate of the tire flex and the spring
rate of the actual springs, contributes to the overall stiffness of
the car. A "softer" sprung car is better over bumps and looks
like it is dancing around more. The driver can also "play" with
a softer sprung car, throwing the car around more through the corners,
without it getting away from him. Hence a F1 car is more
entertaining to watch, as the driver "dances with it" it from side to
side as he saws at the wheel. Great stuff, and it separates the
men from the boys so-to-speak. If CART is going to adopt a
F1-like engine in 2005, and become a true training ground for F1,
perhaps CART will also consider using the same size wheels and tires
as F1 cars, and a lighter car. Mark Cipolloni
4/20/03
Baltimore fans tuning into NASCAR
According to the folks at Fox TV, through last Sunday's race at
Martinsville, Va., Baltimore is averaging a 5.0/11 rating/share, which
is a 35 percent increase over last year's mark of 3.7/8 to this same
point in the season. This sharp increase makes the city the nation's
fastest-growing TV market and puts it into the vanguard of a group of
NASCAR "hot pockets" that fall outside the sport's traditional
Southeastern market. Other surging markets include Boston (up 24
percent), Seattle (21 percent) and Minneapolis (15 percent).
4/20/03
Ground breaking this week for Houston
SuperSpeedway
A private groundbreaking ceremony for the Houston Super Speedway is
slated for Tuesday. Steve Martin, an executive with track developer
Star State Investments Inc., said he will give an update on the status
of the racetrack at Tuesday’s ceremony. He also said construction on
the $100 million racetrack could begin within 30 days. “We have been
working very diligently on it,” he said. “It’s going to be great for
people to see how far we’ve come along. They will be able to say, ‘All
the hype and hoopla is gone. They are starting.’” Martin said
Tuesday’s ceremony is not open to the public. He said the company has
sent out about 200 invitations to public officials, corporations and
media members. “It’s kind of our coming-out party,” Martin said. The
investment company is planning to build a speedway on 2,700 acres of
farm land at Highway 288 and FM 1462. The racetrack will seat about
90,000 people, and the investment company is hoping to attract both
Indy Racing League and NASCAR events. “We are focused on getting the
track on the ground,” Martin said. “Then I think we can talk about
some of the other opportunities.” In the next 14 or 15 months, the
investment company will focus on building the track, crash walls and
areas inside the track for pit crews. In the following year, the focus
will shift to the parking lot, grandstands and luxury suites, Martin
said.
IRL injuries mount
In what is likely the most dangerous form of auto racing
worldwide, the injuries to IRL drivers from Motegi continue to
mount. Although not officially reported, Jaques Lazier
also suffered a mild concussion as a result of his accident in
Japan. As for the other more serious injuries at Motegi, this
ESPN.com
article says - Trammell operated on Kanaan's broken
left arm Tuesday while Scheid and hand special Dr. Tim Dickey
performed surgery on Dixon's right hand and wrist three days
later. "Tony had a plate in his arm from another accident and
his new break was just beyond the old one so we had to put in
a new plate," said Trammell, who had Kanaan stay at his home
and rehab from his 2000. "His arm is pretty sore but at least
he's had experience in rehabbing this thing." Dixon, who made
contact with Kanaan and sent them smashing into the third-turn
wall as they battled for the lead, opted for screws and plates
rather than the 10 weeks required to have the seven small
fractures heal on their own. "They put a screw on the bone the
wrist rolls on and then screws or plates on all the other
broken bones to make it stronger," said Dixon, who captured
the IRL season-opener and has consistently been the fastest
driver along with Kanaan. "It's a little sore but the doctors
think I'll probably be able to do some laps in that first week
of practice so that's encouraging.". This article
contains a running tally of all injuries in CART and the IRL
since the IRL was formed. The alarming injury rate in
the IRL has some people renaming it the "Injured" Racing
League. We can only imagine that the driver insurance
rates in the IRL are skyrocketing.
4/20/03 F3000
Wirdheim wins first round of F3000
Championship After claiming Pole Position on Friday,
Arden Driver Bjorn Wirdheim led from start to finish of the 31 lap
race, commencing the season in the same winning form that he finished
the 2002 season. Under pressure throughout the race from Red Bull
Driver Patrick Friesacher the young Swede always looked fully in
control as the two pulled out a huge lead over Ricardo Sperafico with
Bjorn recording the fastest race lap on lap 6. Wirdheim was not the
only impressive performance today with Townsend Bell making an action
packed start to his F3000 career. After Qualifying an extremely
credible fifth, the American Driver made a good start (his first ever
standing start) and immediately put Vitantonio Liuzzi under pressure
for fourth place. This battle went on until about half distance
allowing Pantano to close and make an optimistic move at Tosa tapping
the Arden Driver into a spin, dropping him into 16th place. Townsend
recovered extremely well passing numerous cars to finish 9th just out
of the points. Bjorn Wirdheim commented: "Everything went well for me
today and I have felt confident in the car all weekend. Patrick was
always not far behind so I pushed hard from start to finish. My only
problem in the race was lapping one of the back markers but other than
that I felt pretty in control". Townsend Bell commented: "This has
been a weekend of new experiences for me, especially with my first
standing start. I had the pace to run quicker than Liuzzi but I just
couldn't find a way past. I was surprised when I got a tap from
behind, having lost a lot of ground I managed to get up to 9th before
running out of laps". Christian Horner commented: "We knew coming here
that we were well prepared and Bjorn's performance today was excellent
as the Red Bull car was never more than a second behind. Townsend also
backed up his strong pre-season Testing form with a very respectable
performance. Despite it being his first ever standing start it
certainly didn't look like it and he was unlucky to have been nudged
out of 5th place. Looking at his times after he rejoined he was
capable of running in the top three".
4/19/03
Teams test new equipment at Indy
1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack was joined by two Indy
rookies – Buddy Rice and Vitor Meira – in private testing at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 19. The three drivers combined
for a total of 321 laps of testing with the new Indy Racing League
IndyCar™ Series chassis and engine combinations. Meira, driving the
No. 2 Menards/Johns Manville Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone for Team
Menard, completed the most laps with 148. Brack, who also won the 1998
Indy Racing League IndyCar™ Series season championship driving for A.J.
Foyt Racing, took his first laps at the legendary 2.5-mile oval with
Team Rahal driving the No. 15 Rahal/Letterman/Miller Lite/Pioneer
Dallara/Honda/Firestone. “It’s been a pain-free day for us,” said
Brack, who completed 79 laps of testing. “We’ve done a lot of small
trials. We’re getting there and it’s going pretty good. The speeds
were decent and everything feels good, and that’s all you can ask for
on the first day of testing. We have the whole month to get really
fast.” Buddy Rice completed 94 laps in the No. 52 Red Bull Cheever
Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone. Rice has competed in eight IndyCar
Series races in his career, but has yet to experience driving in “The
Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” In his typically cool demeanor, Rice
says he’s taking the days leading up to Indy one at a time. “We’re
shaking down our (Indianapolis) car and just getting it all ready,” he
said, “just trying to get some seat time with the new Dallara and the
Chevy, and seeing where we’re going to be for the month of May. “(I
am) definitely excited, but there’s a lot going on. Got this (test)
today, then I go through my rookie orientation next week, then it’s
off to Nashville for a night test. I think after that it will set in
that we’re getting ready for the month of May.” Meira, who will be a
teammate to full-time Team Menard driver Jaques Lazier at Indy, will
drive the No. 22 Menards/Johns Manville Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone in
his first attempt to qualify for the world’s most prestigious auto
race. April 19 was Meira’s first day of testing on the famed Speedway
oval. The driver from Brazilia, Brazil, said it was an emotional
experience given the history of the Speedway, but kept his emotions in
check. “Today is the first time this car has come here,” said Meira.
“There is a lot to do, lots to improve. We’re still working, but the
good thing is that every stop, every change we do is for the better,
so we’re on the right way. “I tried today to keep my emotions as low
as possible. It doesn’t match very well – speed and a lot of emotion.
Even to only have done a few laps here is special because someday you
can say you did some laps at Indianapolis.”
4/19/03
CART
driver Tracy wins first Qtr DOY balloting
With three consecutive victories to start the 2003 Bridgestone
Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season, Paul Tracy
(#3 Player’s/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) has set the Champ
Car series aflame as he chases his first series championship. That
flame spread like a wildfire through all other divisions of racing in
the first three months of the season and when the smoke cleared, Tracy
was the lone tree standing as the Champ Car series leader was named as
the winner of the national Driver of the Quarter award by the Legends
Marketing Group. The award, which has been in existence for 36 years,
goes to the top driver among all racing series and inserts the
Canadian driver as one of the four candidates to win the Driver of the
Year award, which went to series champion Cristiano da Matta in 2002.
“I’m extremely honored to have been selected, especially when you look
at all the other drivers who were nominated,” said Tracy. “It’s also
rewarding because it takes into account all the major racing series in
North America and because fans have their say in the voting. It’s been
a terrific start to the season not only for myself, but also for the
Champ Car World Series with three great events. I cant’ say enough
about the support that Team Player’s has shown me since I joined and
I’m happy that I was able to put together a string of victories this
early in the season as we strive to bring a championship title back to
Canada.” Tracy opened his year with a win at St. Petersburg, then
followed that up with a victory in Monterrey, Mexico. He completed the
sweep this past weekend at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach when he
beat Adrian Fernandez (#51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) to the finish. Tracy was chosen ahead
of such nominees as Dayton 500 winner Michael Waltrip, NASCAR Winston
Cup points leader Matt Kenseth, IRL race winner Tony Kanaan and NHRA
Top Fuel rookie Brandon Bernstein who won two of the first three
national events this year after taking over for his famous father
Kenny Bernstein. The Driver of the Year title is unique because it is
the only award that encompasses all of the racing series in the United
States and fan participation. A panel of 18 leading journalists from
across the U.S. and a fan vote on Speedtv.com determine the winner. In
quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9,6,4,3,2,1 basis.
In recognition of this honor Tracy will receive a trophy and a Maurice
Lacroix Swiss Watch. Maurice Lacroix USA – the official watch of the
Driver of the Year award– is one of the fastest-growing Swiss watch
manufacturers in America, with more than 400 quality jewelers
representing the award-winning collection in the United States. In
addition to Tracy’s award being announced Saturday night on SPEED
Channel, the ceremony where da Matta was officially given the 2002
Driver of the Year award will be broadcast Sunday night on SPEED
Channel. The award was given in conjunction with the induction
ceremonies for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, where
former Champ Car title winner and current team owner Emerson
Fittipaldi was added to the list of racing luminaries in the Talladega
museum.
4/19/03 MotoGP
Japanese rider succumbs3rd UPDATE The MotoGP community
was today mourning the death of one of its brightest stars, as Daijiro
Kato finally lost his brave battle for life in the Yokkaichi Central
Hospital, Japan. Kato has been in a coma since a horrific crash two
weeks ago at the Suzuka Circuit, venue of the first round of the 2003
MotoGP World Championship. The former 250cc World Champion suffered
head, neck and chest injuries in the accident and has been fighting
for his life in the intensive care unit of the hospital, where he
passed away on Sunday morning at 00:42 local time. Kato, 27, leaves
behind a widow and two children. 4/16/03 - The MotoGP community
continues to hold out hope for Daijiro Kato, who remains in coma one
week after his tragic crash at the Suzuka Circuit. Honda´s Japanese
website has reported that they have received more than 4,600 messages
from well-wishers around the world, whilst here at motograndprix.com
the total has soared to over 1,500. Members of the MotoGP paddock have
also been expressing their solidarity with the former 250cc World
Champion, including Ducati rider Loris Capirossi and Fuchs Kawasaki
Team Manager Harald Eckl. `We had a dream debut with our bike but our
excitement was completely overshadowed by what happened to Kato,´ said
Capirossi. `He is in bad shape but we are all thinking about him and
we hope he will show signs of improvement in the next few days.´
Meanwhile, Eckl added: `It is a sad time for motorcycle sport. We are
all thinking about Daijiro and his family and we are praying for a
miracle.´ Kato has shown no major signs of improvement since his pulse
and heartbeat stabilised at the end of last week. 4/8/03
- There has been a
slight improvement in the state of Daijiro Kato over the last
few hours, according to his close friend and fellow MotoGP
rider Makoto Tamada. Kato is in a critical condition after
suffering serious injuries to his head, neck and chest, but
Tamada this morning told motograndprix.com that his heart rate
is stronger after 48 hours in the intensive care unit of the
Mie Medical Center in Yokkaaichi. The hospital have not made
any official statement and are unlikely to do so unless there
is a major change in Kato´s condition. `I still can´t believe
it,´ said Tamada. `I don´t know how to take in what has
happened to Daijiro. I can only pray that he recovers and I am
at the temple right now. I went straight from the circuit to
the hospital after the race. Yesterday his blood pressure,
which had been low, recovered. Even though he has survived the
most important stage after the accident, the doctor says he is
still in grave danger. It is difficult to predict the future
of the situation´. 4/7/03 - Japanese motorcyclist Daijiro Kato was fighting for his life
after crashing Sunday during the season-opening Grand Prix of
Japan. The 26-year-old rider sustained serious head, neck and
chest injuries and was in critical condition, race officials
said. He was in a coma when flown to the hospital by
helicopter. The first news from the medical team on the track
was that Kato's heart had stopped and he was unconscious, race
medical director Claudio Macchiagodena said. "Only fast action
in the ambulance to resuscitate his heart gave him the chance
to fight for his life," Macchiagodena said. Kato, a former
250cc world champion, hit the wall with his Honda. The
3.6-mile Suzuka track is considered one of the most dangerous
in Grand Prix motorcycling.
AP Story
4/19/03
NASCAR Busch series struggling According
to this AP
article, As the Busch Series prepares for its only California
visit in next Saturday's Auto Club 300 at California Speedway in
Fontana, questions surround the health of NASCAR's No. 2 series. ``I
can't say the series is very healthy right now,'' said two-time Busch
Series champion Randy LaJoie. ``I'd say we are almost in turmoil. The
costs are too high and guys are being driven out of the sport. And the
teams being brought in as field-fillers are not competitive. ``It's
really hurting the series.'' Racing full time in the Busch Series
since 1996, LaJoie is sort of the dean of the Busch Series. He says he
has no interest in Winston Cup, preferring to have Sundays off with
his family. In his 301 career starts, he has seen NASCAR grow into a
major sport. But he hasn't seen the rewards his peers are earning
across the track in the Winston Cup garage. ``It's so top heavy right
now, it's sickening,'' LaJoie said. ``You get more money for finishing
last in the Winston Cup race than you do for winning the Busch Series
race.''.
4/19/03 Industry News
Rockingham track sold to management
According to Autosport Professional, The future of Britain's only oval
race circuit, Rockingham Motor Speedway, is said to have been secured
following a management buy-out. CEO Ashley Pover and chairman Joe
Dickinson have acquired a majority stake in the Corby venue, believed
to be 75 percent of the stock, from banker Guy Hands.
4/19/03
Bahrain
circuit on fast track This Gulf News
article says, Work on the Bahrain Racing Circuit is running
ahead of schedule and officials say they are confident it will be
completed by March next year. Structures are already springing up at
the 170-hectare site in Sakhir and workmen have so far finished 17.5
per cent of the BD52 million project. According to the original plans
they were only scheduled to complete 13.4pc of the Formula One track
by now. But time is of the essence and main contractor Cybarco-WCT is
aware of pressures to meet the March 7 deadline. "One of the major
factors is the time constraints," said project manager Costas
Philippides. "But we knew that when we tendered for the project." A
whopping fine will be imposed if the project is not finished on time -
a cost which will be picked up by the contractors, who have secured
commitments from international banks. If it is not ready, the amount
will increase every 30 days after the deadline to a maximum of $40m.
But there is also a maximum bonus on offer if it is finished ahead of
schedule.
4/19/03
Ecclestone urges team owners to forget
GPWC Alan Henry writes in this article in The
Guardian - Bernie Ecclestone has warned the formula one teams that it
would be in their best interests to ditch their plans, in alliance
with the major car makers, to stage an independent grand prix series
from the start of 2008. He has urged the teams to accept his
compromise offer and so end the deadlock over the breakaway series
that the manufacturers have threatened in a bid to increase the income
channeled their way. Ecclestone is determined to avoid the
possibility of a split in 2008, when the manufacturers are due to set
up their Grand Prix World Championship in competition with the
official FIA formula one world championship. "There's been an offer on
the table which they shouldn't refuse," said Ecclestone, whose role as
formula one commercial rights holder through his 25% stake in his SLEC
organization could be in jeopardy if the new series eventually took
off. "This would be more than they had ever dreamed of," he said. "The
problem is that the manufacturers' concerns started when we sold SLEC
to Kirch and they were worried that the sport would be dominated by
pay-to-view television. That didn't happen, but now they are concerned
about other things." As things stand, the top 10 teams share 47% of
the television revenue generated by the formula one world
championship, with the 53% balance going to SLEC, which is owned by
Kirch (75%) and Ecclestone (25%). This means around $200m (Ł131.5m) is
divided between the teams on a sliding scale ranging from 20% ($40m)
to Ferrari to around 4% ($8m) for Minardi. Ecclestone would not be
drawn on just how much extra money he has offered, but is contemptuous
of GPWC's claims that it can channel as much as 80% of the television
income into the teams' pockets. "I have been around this business for
a while and wouldn't like to be starting out in it just now," he said.
"But they forget these things. If I was one of these teams with the
sort of investment they have in formula one, the last thing I would be
doing is to try and destabilize the sport." He added: "We don't even
know how many teams will still be in business in 2008, let alone how
many of the car manufacturers will stay involved."
4/19/03
Schu Brothers Dominate Grid
Michael and Ralf Schumacher share the front row of the grid for
Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix. The German pair, in their respective
Ferrari and Williams racers, were a couple of tenths quicker than
their team-mates Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) and Juan Pablo Montoya
(Williams) in third and fourth. Mark Webber continued to impress in
his Jaguar Racing R4, with fifth, ahead of McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen
and an on-form Jacques Villeneuve (BAR). Full report to follow of
Saturday's shoot-out qualifying session.
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock (Saturday 1)
Pitlane pundits will be peering to the heavens when Saturday's
shoot-out session gets underway at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)
circuit this afternoon. Local weather reports say that patchy cloud
will intensify in the afternoon with a 'slight chance of rain.' The
cloud will linger for Sunday's 2003 San Marino Grand Prix with
scattered showers penned, again, for 2 o'clock - race-time. Back on
track, Peter Sauber concurred with his similarly tire-shod teams on
Friday that Bridgestone were the boots to have at Imola. The Swiss,
noting that his Sauber racers could have done better and that Ferrari
held the provisional (Friday) front-row, said 'These tires are
extremely good over one lap. 'I think we can be confident for an
improvement tomorrow (Saturday).' Nick Heidfeld and Heinz-Harald
Frentzen were 14th and 10th on Friday. Bridgestone's technical manager
agreed, saying: 'Friday showed us the real competitiveness of our
tires. It has definitely given us confidence for the race.' Ferrari's
technical boss Ross Brawn said Bridgestone are quick over one lap, but
it may not matter much if the skies turn dark on Sunday afternoon, as
predicted. 'We may well be using our wet tire,' the Englishman
laughed. Brawn's BAR counterpart Geoff Willis, meanwhile, said there
isn't 'too much between' Bridgestone and Michelin in Italy this
weekend. He added, 'Certainly in comparison to last year we have made
a huge step closer to the Ferraris which is part of our plan.'
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock
(Saturday 2) Michelin motorsport director
Pierre Dupasquier was surprised after Friday qualifying at Imola
yesterday. The Frenchman had outwardly boasted that his French boots
should hold the mantle in Italy despite claims that lower ambient
temperatures would swing the pendulum to Bridgestone. He said after
Michelin's rivals scooped the two best times: 'There were one or two
surprises today, but overall we are pleased with the way our tires
have performed and there is everything still to play for this
weekend.' Dupasquier insisted that 'some cars might have been running
on very soft rubber. The forecasters predict that we might have rain,
as well.' Renault's engineering director Pat Symonds blamed at least
some of his racers' poor form on Friday - 13th and 16th - on
uncompetitive Michelin tires. He said the Enstone ranks are 'obviously
very unsatisfied with the present result which places us too far
behind our direct competitors.' The slowest Renault ace, Italian Jarno
Trulli, said his unbalanced R23 contender 'should improve' on
Saturday. Also on Michelin tires at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit on
Friday was a new face, Matteo Bobbi, who completed his first testing
session for Minardi. But the Milanese ace, who's paid up to $1m to
test the PS03 at four GP circuits in 2003, notched up just 10 laps
after a Cosworth engine sensor failed. Bobbi, who languished six
seconds off the pace, said he was 'happy that on the first run my lap
time was not so far away from that of Jos (Verstappen).' He added, 'We
lost time in the pits while the mechanics attended to the car, and
then when I went back for my final run with about three minutes of the
session left, there was a problem with the gearbox.'
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock
(Saturday 3) McLaren boss Ron Dennis has
warned the racing world not to write off his silver chargers at Imola.
Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard were just eighth and ninth after
the Friday shoot-out, but Dennis insists the team 'spent a
considerable amount of time' on tire selection', rather than chassis
set-up. 'It's clearly that [the set-up] is not yet there,' he said,
'but the engineers are now focusing on that challenge for [Saturday's]
qualifying.' Mercedes boss Norbert Haug was a little more forthright
in claiming that McLaren's MP4-17 was simply 'not quick enough.'
Quicker than both McLarens was rising sensation Mark Webber, who again
demonstrated the quality of his Jaguar Racing R4 by going fifth.
Furthermore, the Leaping Cat insists it is solved the fuel pick-up
issue that has meant carrying extra fuel in the first three races of
the 2003 season. A statement explained how 'the problem has not
re-occurred thereby allowing the Jaguar R4 to demonstrate its true
form for the first time this season.' Dr Mark Gillan, Head of Vehicle
Performance, added that Webber's fifth was the 'clearest indication
yet' of the improved direction that Jaguar Racing is taking. Ferrari's
world champion Michael Schumacher headed into this weekend's Imola
Grand Prix insisting that 'all the mistakes' of 2003 were behind him.
As the circuit burst into life for opening Friday practice, though,
the 34-year-old ran his F2002 off the track ending his run with a
myriad of light damage. Technical director Ross Brawn said the lost
track time was 'not a problem' as the Scuderia tested extensively at
Imola last February. 'The mechanics did a good job in repairing the
damage quickly,' he added before his boys in scarlet went one and two
in Friday qualifying. He noted, 'The cars seem to be well balanced.
The tires worked well over the single flying lap.'
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock
(Saturday 4) No-one at Brackley-based BAR is
particularly happy with Honda's latest specification of V10 engine.
Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve are using the revised unit at
Imola this weekend, Button claiming that, although it's a good first
step, 'we really need to continue to make progress.' Honda's
engineering head Shuhei Nakamoto said BAR's form on Friday in San
Marino, where Jenson and Jacques finished 6th and 7th, wasn't 'too bad
but I'm not completely happy either.' Faces at the similarly
Japanese-owned Toyota team were even more glum after Friday's
provisional shoot-out qualifying session. Olivier Panis was 12th
quickest after taking a 'few risks' to iron out serious handling
problems, but team-mate Cristiano Da Matta's TF103 continued to
languish and wound up 18th. Chief designer Gustav Brunner said Toyota
would be adapting Cristiano's car to 'reflect the major changes' made
to Olivier's ahead of the Saturday blast. 'I sincerely hope we will
make some more steps ahead,' he said. Fortunes are looking a little
better, meanwhile, in blue and white as BMW-Williams eye up a
challenge of the Ferrari pace in Imola. Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo
Montoya were third and fourth quickest, less than half a second behind
the scarlet leaders, with chief engineer Sam Michael praising a 'good
start to the weekend.' 'Our performance is definitely improving,' the
Australian notes of an FW25 boasting a few more aerodynamic revisions
in Sam Marino. He added, 'It is good to see the chassis works well
with these changes. We are looking forward to tomorrow.' Outgoing BMW
boss Gerhard Berger, meanwhile - on duty at the Enzo e Dino Circuit
this weekend - also admired the effect of new aerodynamic components
on the troubled Williams car. 'Our result shows a big step forward,'
said the Austrian. 'It shows what the potential of our car is. On
Sunday, there could be a place on the podium for us.'
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock
(Saturday 5) Michael Schumacher's blistering
pace in the Friday qualifying session at Imola yesterday was an
outright lap record. The German lapped the 3-mile circuit in 1 minute,
20.628 seconds, beating his previous record of 1:21.091 set in
qualifying for last year's race on the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit.
Rubens Barrichello's 1:21.082 was also faster than Michael's '02
benchmark set in the same F2002 contender. Meanwhile, news from
Brazil's Autodromo Carlos Pace circuit - home of the last F1 blast in
Sao Paulo - is that track officials have vowed to fix a dangerous
drainage problem. No less than 6 drivers were caught out at the Turn
Three, Curva do Sol corner, flooded by persistent rivers of water
streaming from a nearby drainage ditch. 'We will improve the drainage
system,' Interlagos' managing director Julio Lima said. 'There will be
no more rivers crossing the track.' Back at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari
circuit for this weekend's San Marino event, McLaren ace David
Coulthard says he 'wasn't surprised' to hear of the Scuderia's
decision to delay the all-new F2003-GA. 'I wasn't really paying
attention,' said the Scot, 'but it doesn't surprise me. It is,
however, interesting that all that testing can't create a reliable car
for Ferrari. 'Clearly they are having a few major issues with it.' As
Saturday's two 45-minute free practice sessions got underway, it
wasn't long before Williams' Ralf Schumacher smacked his FW25 into the
Variante Alta tire barriers. Meanwhile Renault, whose drivers Fernando
Alonso and Jarno Trulli struggled for balance on Friday, tried
'dramatically' altered chassis set-ups ahead of today's qualifying
blast. Alonso, sixth before Saturday qualifying, said the changes paid
off. 'It was a bit of a risk, but it paid,' he said. 'I now feel much
more confident for qualifying and for the race.'
4/19/03
FIA Probe Leaves Alonso
Untroubled Fernando Alonso has played down
news that his third place in the Brazilian Grand Prix is under threat.
FIA President Max Mosley hinted that the Spaniard had passed under
yellow flags at Interlagos before driving too quickly in a Safety Car
period. The 21-year-old said in Imola: 'For me I don't really know
much about the investigation. I'm not worried about it. 'I did a good
race in Brazil and I'm happy with what I did in the race so I don't
see any point to have any worries.' Fernando admitted that he knew
about Mark Webber's crashed Jaguar at Turn 12 but only got the news on
the radio seconds before his 60g impact. 'I had (the warning) too
late,' he said. 'When you have the safety car you have yellow flags
for the whole lap. But you can't do a lap at 10kmh.' Alonso crashed at
more than 150mph under double-yellow flags, precipitating a red-flag
and trip to hospital.
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock
(Saturday 6) Jordan aimed for a top ten
qualifying result at the Imola circuit on Saturday despite two
Cosworth engine failures in practice. Brazilian GP winner Giancarlo
Fisichella's failure was due to a broken water seal, but team manager
Tim Edwards insisted that it 'doesn't really affect anything too
much.' He explained that Jordan would fit fresh engines for qualifying
and the race, anyway. Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello was fastest in the
final practice session before shoot-out qualifying, ahead of Ralf
Schumacher who crashed his Williams heavily before the end of the
session. An impressive Mark Webber was third, while Michael Schumacher
continued to struggle (fifth) after spinning into the gravel.
Meanwhile, ousted BAR team founder Craig Pollock admitted that he'd
like to fill one of Formula One's two vacant garages in pitlane. The
Scot, who still manages BAR racer Jacques Villeneuve, admitted at
Imola that it's 'not out the question' that he'd return to the F1
paddock as team principal, but only in 2005. 'I would need the backing
of a car manufacturer and a title sponsor in place,' he continued.
Michael Schumacher has vowed to return to 'winning ways' for his
beloved 'Tifosi' at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit on Sunday. 'We
have the same car and the same people,' he said, harking back to the
Maranello-led one-two in 2002. 'All I can do is to appeal to our fans
to spend Easter at Imola to support us. The past is in our favor.'
4/19/03
Schu Admits
He's Under Pressure Michael Schumacher
admits he is under pressure after making mistakes in the opening three
races of season 2003. The Ferrari-driving world champion said the
criticism after crashing into Jarno Trulli at Sepang, and into the
wall at Interlagos, 'has been intense.' He adds, 'It is also
understandable. But the pressure from outside is nothing compared with
the pressure I put myself through every time I go racing. 'We
understand where things have gone wrong,' the German continues. 'I
have made mistakes that are unacceptable to me, but we all make them.
'I have just got to hope that I have got them all out of my system for
the rest of the season.'
4/19/03
Schumachers'
Mother In Coma Michael and Ralf Schumacher's
mother is in a coma, German daily Bild Zeitung reported on Saturday.
27-year-old Ralf, younger brother to world champion Michael, said
Elisabeth Schumacher underwent an emergency operation in Cologne last
Saturday after falling at home. 'Her condition is certainly stable but
we're still very worried about her,' Ralf, the Williams ace, told Bild
from Imola's Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit. He added, 'Of course, in the
circumstances we've been wondering if we should be racing at all. But
we are in permanent contact with the doctors.' Michael and Ralf
snatched the front-row of the San Marino GP grid on Saturday
afternoon, respectively separated by less than a tenth of a second.
4/19/03
Last Racing Voyage For F2002
Rubens Barrichello is expecting to climb into his F2002 racer for the
last time this Sunday, the Brazilian mused in Imola. He said whether
the all-new, but unreliable, F2003-GA Ferrari rears it's racing head
at Barcelona depends largely on a subsequent test at the Mugello track
next week. 'Last week the test was rained out and that delayed
everything a little bit,' said the 30-year-old. 'Performance-wise I
think the car is fantastic but we had small problems so we thought it
was better just to delay it a little bit, but I hope that we've got it
very soon. 'At the moment I think it's just for this weekend, then
we'll have the new one.' Team-mate Michael Schumacher reckons the
F2002 is capable of winning at Imola after the team in scarlet waltzed
to a dominant one-two last year. 'For the moment, it seems to be the
case this year too,' he said before Saturday qualifying. 'Given our
experience with the F2002, racing it here seems to have been a good
decision so far.'
4/19/03
Word In The Imola Paddock
(Saturday 7) Kimi Raikkonen on whether pole
is a realistic target for the San Marino Grand Prix after lining up
just eighth on Friday: 'It wasn't the best yesterday,' he said of
McLaren's form so far in Imola, 'but we are battling for first place.
'I don't think we are far away in qualifying,' the boy-faced Finn
continued. Jaguar's Mark Webber, meanwhile, reckons the team wearing
scarlet are a Schu-in for pole position when the grid goes final
qualifying. The Australian ace was third quickest in final practice at
the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit, in his rapid R4. 'Whenever the
Ferrari went out,' he said of Friday, 'I think it would have been
quickest.' 'We saw in Malaysia that Michael was massively up on
Friday. They've just had their toast landing butter side down so far.'
David Coulthard concurs that Ferrari still has 'the quicker car over a
single lap.' The McLaren-driving Scot added: 'If you look at their two
dry qualifications on a Friday, they were a second quicker on both of
them.' BMW's outgoing motorsport director Gerhard Berger insisted that
Michael Schumacher and Ferrari remain undoubted favorites for the
title. The Austrian said, 'The F2002 is still a cutting-edge machine.'
Gary Anderson on where his Jordan-Ford EJ13 can improve at the
challenging Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit, otherwise known simply as
'Imola.' The technical director said, 'We need to work on the car to
make it ride the curbs a bit better and try and find some lap time for
tomorrow.' He said the special trophy ceremony on Friday, to award
Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella with his Brazilian GP prize, was
undoubtedly the 'best bit' of the weekend so far.
4/19/03
Lauda Praises His Jaguar Line-Up
Niki Lauda has praised his appointment of 2003 Jaguar Racing drivers
despite being dismissed by employers Ford late last year. The great
Austrian gave Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia the nod to wear green
in 2003 and said the former Australian ace was doing a 'perfect job'.
The 26-year-old, Webber, was quickest in the wet session at Interlagos
a fortnight ago before lining up third for the Brazilian GP grid. 'He
performed very well in the wet, which is always complicated, and here
too,' said Lauda, at Imola as a TV commentator. Lauda, the ex-triple
world champion, admitted that 22-year-old Antonio Pizzonia had failed
to impress in his first year of Formula One racing. 'He has
disappointed me a bit,' said Niki, 'because I thought he might be a
little closer to Mark. 'I don't know what Jaguar are doing to help him
but the lad needs more guidance,' the outspoken ace added. 'Maybe
there's no-one there to do it...'
4/19/03
Ralf Rejects Sacking Rumor
Ralf Schumacher has fended off a rising rumor in the Imola F1 paddock
that he'll be dumped by Williams at the end of this season. Several -
particularly British - news sources claim that the 27-year-old German
may have his lucrative 2004 contract with the Grove team ended
prematurely in favor of the rated Giancarlo Fisichella. 'It's news to
me,' said Ralf. 'I am working on my future after 2004 and I'm talking
to a number of teams.' The Kerpen-born ace, younger brother to world
champion at Ferrari Michael Schumacher, has been linked to Toyota and
Jaguar. Meanwhile, privateer team boss Eddie Jordan says he'll do 'all
he can' to see Giancarlo Fisichella move up the grid into a world
championship-winning team. 'I'd rather see him fight for regular
wins,' said the Irishman at Imola, 'than stop him from getting to the
top.' 'I would help him to go if there is a place and if there is a
real good opportunity.'
4/19/03
Michelin Advise Two-Stoppers
Pierre Dupasquier is strongly suggesting that his Michelin-clad
Formula One team partners opt for two-stop strategies on Sunday. The
Frenchman, Michelin sporting boss, said 'everything points' to drivers
making multiple stops at San Marino with it's high penalty for heavy
fuel loads and short pitlane. He says the penalty for a heavy fuel
load is 'quite substantial' at Imola - about four to five-tenths per
lap for every extra 10kg a driver carries. Dupasquier continues: 'If
any driver opts for a longer run, however, our tires will sufficiently
durable.'
4/19/03
Irvine Questions 'Bizarre'
Decision Eddie Irvine has questioned
McLaren's 'bizarre appointment' of Pedro de la Rosa to the role of
test driver. The outspoken Ulsterman failed to find a seat in pitlane
for 2003 after, along with Spanish ace de la Rosa, he was axed from a
stint at Jaguar Racing. The 37-year-old said that while 31-year-old
Pedro is 'a lovely guy,' when it comes to technical feedback -
essential for a development role - 'he is useless.' Irvine adds, 'It's
even more bizarre when you consider that another ex-partner of mine,
Luciano Burti, is a brilliant test driver and wants to get back into
F1.' Burti's appointment at Scuderia Ferrari (2002) came to an end
when erratic Brazilian Felipe Massa got the nod for this season.
4/19/03
Not Our Fault, Say F1 Timekeepers
Formula One's official timekeepers TAG-Heuer
insist that the bungled Brazilian Grand Prix result was not down to
them. Giancarlo Fisichella and Kimi Raikkonen swapped winner's
trophies on Friday at the Imola circuit after FIA admitted the result
was wrong at Interlagos. But TAG-Heuer, who had the finger of blame
pointed at them for apparently messing up the result, are adamant that
their timekeeping was correct. 'We have established that there was no
problem with the timing,' said TAG's F1 manager Jean Campiche. 'Our
timekeeping was correct and we have no responsibility for this.'
4/19/03
Italian leads Infiniti Pro test at Indy
As foreign road racers continue to dominate all aspects of the IRL,
Italian IRL Infiniti Pro Series newcomer Marco Cioci led a field of
sixteen drivers during testing April 18 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in preparation for the inaugural Freedom 100 on May 17.
Cioci, a veteran of European Formula 3000 competition, topped the
speed charts with a fastest lap of 47.8385 seconds, 188.133 mph in the
No. 6 Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone. Full Story
4/18/03
Herdez team tests at Portland
Sophomore Champ Car competitor Mario Dominguez and veteran Roberto
Moreno completed two days of testing earlier this week at Portland
International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The team completed over 500
miles of testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, having traveled north to
Portland following last weekend’s fourth round of the Bridgestone
Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford in Long Beach,
California. Tom Brown – Chief Engineer: “It was our first time ever as
a team to test at Portland and we went there with a number of items on
the agenda; firstly to complete some tasks that were left over from
our pre-season testing at Sebring, then to address some questions that
had come up in the first three events, to apply some geometry changes
that we had developed while testing on the 7-post rig, to test the
Brands Hatch kit that we’ll be using next time out, and finally to do
a little bit of preparation for the Portland race coming up in June.
“The test went exceptionally well overall and I believe that we
achieved all of our objectives. The team is really coming together as
a whole now and I think we saw that last weekend in Long Beach and
again in Portland. Everyone, from the mechanics to the drivers to the
engineers to the crew chiefs, is working together very smoothly. “With
regards to Mario, I think he made some significant progress. Portland
has not been his favorite track in the past but I think his confidence
is building now and the extra time there during the test has probably
made it more to his liking. We also focused on developing some
qualifying strategies – things like getting up to speed quicker and
doing shorter qualifying stints – which we think will be quite helpful
to us going forward.” Chris Gorne – Race Engineer, Car 4 – Moreno: “It
was a good test for us. We spent quite a bit of time working on
suspension development - work that is vital but impossible to do
during a race meeting. Like any development exercise, sometimes it
works, sometimes not - but it’s all good information.”
4/18/03
Patrick Racing also tests new road
course Visteon/Patrick Racing held its first in-season test
of the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford season running three days, April 15-17, at Arizona Motorsports
Park in Phoenix, Arizona. Oriol Servia, behind the wheel of the #20
Visteon/Patrick Racing car, which is powered by Ford-Cosworth and uses
a Lola chassis and Bridgestone tires, ran a total of 223 laps on the
2.21 mile Arizona Motorsports road course during the three days. On
the first day wind and dust aborted the morning session after one run.
However, the Visteon/Patrick Racing Team went back out a 1:35 PM and
managed to get in a solid day of testing. They ran a total of 83 laps
the first day, 30 in the backup car and 53 in the primary car, with a
fast lap of 75.51 seconds. The next day the team got in a full
day of testing, all in the primary car, running a total of 103 laps
with a quick lap of 73.11 seconds. The final day once again saw wind
and dust hamper the team’s test. They only ran 37 laps, again all in
the primary car, but still managed to turn their fastest lap of the
test running a quick time of 72.21 seconds. “The Visteon/Patrick
Racing Team had a great test in Arizona,” Servia said. “We worked with
some new aerodynamic parts and learned a lot about the car. I think
the things we learned will really help us, especially in the next two
races in England and Germany,” Servia concluded. Patrick Racing
General Manager Jim McGee said, “This was the first test since the
start of the season for the Visteon/Patrick Racing Team and I am very
pleased with the results. Our fastest time was quicker than the group
that tested here before Long Beach, but more importantly it gave Oriol
and the engineering staff an opportunity to work with the car and try
a few things. Overall, it was a very positive test. We ran almost 500
miles and learned a lot.” Next up for Visteon/Patrick Racing is the
London Champ Car Trophy at Brands Hatch on May 3-5.
4/18/03
Milwaukee to host Town Meeting
Continuing with the plan to bring key figures in the Bridgestone
Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford to the fans in and
around its race markets, Champ Car will conduct another event in its
ever-popular Town Meeting series as it visits Milwaukee – site of the
May 29-31 Milwaukee Mile Centennial 250 Presented by Miller Lite – at
the end of this month. The Milwaukee Town Meeting will get underway at
7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 28th at the Wisconsin Exposition Center,
8200 W. Greenfield Ave. in nearby West Allis, Wisconsin. Fans can
register to receive free tickets to the event by going to the official
website of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered
by Ford,
www.champcarworldseries.com. Registration for the event will begin
online Wednesday, April 23rd. Milwaukee will see another blue-ribbon
Champ Car panel featuring points leader Paul Tracy (#3 Player’s/Indeck
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Player's/Forsythe Racing who’s
established a new Champ Car World Series standard by winning the first
three rounds of the season. Joe Chrnelich, CEO of Wisconsin State Fair
Park which features the fabled Milwaukee Mile oval, will also be Champ
Car’s guest that evening and the festivities will be hosted by local
motorsports luminary David Hobbs. Additional panel members are
expected to be announced in the coming days. The Town Meeting concept
made its popular debut last year in Columbus, Ohio and gives local
Champ Car fans a chance to ask questions of a star-studded panel
comprised of the best and brightest personalities of the Champ Car
World Series. The Milwaukee Town Meeting follows successful forums
hosted on the West Coast in both Portland and Long Beach earlier this
year. The May 31 Saturday Champ Car night race at The Milwaukee Mile
will be the culmination of a year of changes for the track celebrating
its 100th birthday this summer. The newly-refurbished facility has
installed new grandstands and improved amenities for the fans, and
will give them the opportunity to see the red-hot Tracy try to defend
his 2002 Milwaukee win under the illumination of Musco lighting on the
final weekend in May.
4/18/03
Mario impressed with Tracy,
Bourdais In this
Arizona newspaper
article, Mario Andretti has this to say about Paul
Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais - Mario on Paul Tracy winning the
first three races of the CART season: "He's done some heady
racing, and I'm glad to see him doing so well. He deserves it.
He's such an exciting driver. He can measure up against
anybody." Mario on CART rookie Sebastien Bourdais: "If I was
an owner, I'd hire him. I watched him last year almost lap the
field at Monaco, and that takes a lot of talent with a capital
T."
4/18/03
Newman makes big donation & fan
happy It was hardly a typical day at the races for
Elizabeth and Michael Rorman and their two sons, Ben (age
seven) and Josh (age nine), of Rossmoor. In addition to
watching the climactic finish to the 29th annual Toyota Long
Beach Grand Prix, they were special guests of actor/race car
co-owner Paul Newman and PacifiCare Health Systems, the
sponsor of Newman/Haas Racing's number-one car driven by
third-place finisher Bruno Junqueira. The special day was made
possible thanks to a $100,000 donation from Newman's
successful food business, Newman's Own, and the PacifiCare
Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cypress, Calif.-based
PacifiCare, one of the nation's largest consumer health
organizations. "It couldn't have gone better," said Elizabeth
Rorman, who, at age 37, is battling metastatic breast cancer,
and saw a wish come true for her two young sons and their
father. "They took pace car rides around the track at more
than 100 miles-per-hour. I don't think they'll ever feel like
riding in the car with their dad again -- it's just too boring
compared to today." The Rorman family also enjoyed a festive
lunch and took in the race at PacifiCare's Pit Row race suite,
and Elizabeth and Michael appeared in a pre-race ceremony
highlighting the $100,000 donation. The ceremony included
actor Paul Newman, PacifiCare President and Chief Executive
Officer Howard G. Phanstiel, PacifiCare Foundation Director
Riva Gebel and Thomas Rollerson, founder and president of the
Dream Foundation, the Santa Barbara, national charity that
helped make the Rorman family dream come true. "We, and our
Dream Foundation family, the Rormans, are very grateful for
the support and compassion Newman's Own, PacifiCare and its
foundation, and the entire Long Beach Grand Prix Association
showed us this weekend. It was a special event for all of us,"
said Rollerson. "It is so wonderful to see an organization
such as PacifiCare go beyond the medical needs of the body to
address the heart and soul of the human spirit. Thanks to this
extraordinary contribution from both Newman's Own and
PacifiCare, the Dream Foundation can continue to keep hopes
and dreams alive for those in need." "We share the Newman/Haas
Racing team's dedication to innovation and a willingness to
take well-calculated risks in order to win," said Phanstiel.
"We also share Mr. Newman's commitment to caring backed with
action. All of us at PacifiCare were happy to help,
demonstrating again that 'Caring is good. Doing something is
better.'" Dream Foundation is a national pioneer in granting
wishes to terminally ill adults. Since its founding in 1994,
the Dream Foundation has fulfilled thousands of dreams from
adults who are emotionally, financially and physically
devastated by terminal illness. The goal of the foundation is
to ensure that no adult, whose life will end prematurely due
to a terminal illness, must ever pass from this earth without
realizing one final wish from the heart. Additional
information on the Dream Foundation can be found on its Web
site,
www.dreamfoundation.org. NHR
4/18/03
HB Bailey passes awayUPDATE
All of the information we have regarding arrangements for H.B.
Bailey is as follows: Visitation 6-8 p.m., Monday, April 21,
at Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land, TX. Memorial Service
4 p.m., Tuesday, April 22, at Sugar Creek Baptist Church. A
private burial service for family members will be held Tuesday
morning, April 22. 4/17/03 - Herring
Burl Bailey, known in racing circles for nearly 30 years as H.B. Bailey, passed away early this morning at Methodist
Hospital from heart failure. A popular competitor in the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1964-90, Bailey was one of the top
independent drivers of the time, and a leader among the group.
On the track, he was a three-time member of the Darlington
Record Club at the famed Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In the
Grand American division in 1972, Bailey won the Daytona pole
and finished second in the national championship standings.
"Our sport was built by people like H.B. Bailey," said Richard
Petty, who raced alongside him for years. "We all did things
the same way in those days - we drove ourselves to the race
track, we worked hard when we got there, we raced hard and
then we drove home. H.B. was a racer through and through, and
the sport is better off because he was a part of it. We will
miss him." Bailey, 66, is survived by his wife of 21 years,
Michelle; four sons, Dennis Burl, Kirk, John Travis and Joe
Dan; and two daughters, Kittie and Sarah Lynn. Joe Dan Bailey,
who is with the NASCAR Technical Institute, is the only child
currently involved in motorsports. Funeral arrangements were
pending Thursday afternoon.
4/18/03 F3000
Bell 5th in debut F3000 go
Arden International's Bjorn Wirdheim is on pole position for
tomorrow's opening round of the FIA Formula 3000 Championship
at Imola. The team's strong form was emphasized by his
American teammate Townsend Bell being fifth fastest.
Position/Driver Team Fastest
Lap
1 Bjorn Wirdheim Arden International 1m38.153s
2 Patrick Friesacher Red Bull Junior Team F3000 1m38.338s
3 Vitantonio Liuzzi Red Bull Junior Team F3000 1m38.811s
4 Ricardo Sperafico Coloni F3000 1m38.919s
5 Townsend Bell Arden International 1m39.077s
6 Yannick Schroeder PSM-ISR Charouz 1m39.257s
7 Giorgio Pantano Durango Formula 1m39.443s
8 Raffaele Giammaria Durango Formula 1m39.850s
9 Nicolas Minassian Brand Motorsport 1m39.930s
10 Enrico Toccacelo Jordan Grand Prix Junior Team 1m39.940s
11 Jeffrey van Hooydonk Team Astromega 1m39.992s
12 Tony Schmidt Team Astromega 1m40.005s
13 Nicolas Kiesa Den Bla Avis 1m40.011s
14 Gary Paffett Brand Motorsport 1m40.174s
15 Jaroslav Janis PSM-ISR Charouz 1m40.247s
16 Zsolt Baumgartner Coloni F3000 1m40.359s
17 Rob Nguyen BCN F3000 1m40.530s
18 Robbie Kerr Den Bla Avis 1m40.897s
19 Derek Hill Jordan Grand Prix Junior Team 1m41.351s
20 Valerio Scassellati BCN F3000 1m43.205s
4/18/03
Bourdais completes final
pre-season test Lilly driver Sebastien Bourdais
completed a two-day test at the new 2.23-mile, 16-turn Arizona
Motorsports Park yesterday and was pleased with the results.
Initially Newman/Haas Racing had planned to join more than
one-half of the Champ Car World Series field at Portland
International Raceway earlier this week but the weather
forecast, which called for rain, convinced them to move the
final two days of Bourdais allowed eight test to Arizona. "We
only had two test days left of our eight that had to be used
before the end of April so we decided to move the test to
Phoenix," said Bourdais, 24. "It was a productive test and we
learned quite a lot. It's hard to simulate a specific track
but we learned some fundamental things that will hopefully
help us throughout the season." Bourdais completed over 300
miles on Wednesday and over 150 on Thursday with a best lap
time of 71.7 around the new road course that opened in March
in Litchfield Park. Visteon driver Oriol Servia also tested at
the track with Bourdais. "We had a very good test," said Brian
Lisles, General Manager for Newman/Haas Racing. "On the first
day we focused on aerodynamic parts that we will utilize for
the rest of the season and found some things that we think
will help us remain competitive. On the second day, we
concentrated on mechanical areas that could help improve our
performance. Overall we are very pleased with what we were
able to accomplish over the two days." Bourdais, 24, won two
of the first three pole positions so far this season as well
as led all three events. Bourdais, PacifiCare driver Bruno
Junqueira and all of Newman/Haas Racing are now focused on
preparation for the next two rounds of the Bridgestone
Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford in England
and Germany. Neither team driver has competed at Brands Hatch
in the United Kingdom while the 154-lap race at EuroSpeedway
in Lausitz, Germany will mark the first oval race of the
season as well as the first oval race for rookie Bourdais.
4/18/03
CART's new night race put Mile
in new light This Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
article says, OK, so they're only lights. They can't
feed the hungry or cure a horrible disease. They're not even a
long-term fix for the ails of open-wheel racing. But when the
folks from Musco Lighting flipped the switch Thursday night,
and a racing legacy pushed a silver Mustang Cobra pace car
through Turn 3, the Milwaukee Mile looked as good as ever. By
this time, darkness had engulfed the new grandstand rising
along the front stretch. Necessarily, all attention focused on
a preview of CART's first nighttime race, the May 31 Milwaukee
Mile Centennial 250 presented by Miller Lite. Wow! Now, I
realize that might sound a little silly. They're lights. Just
lights. People have been putting up lights and racing at night
for years on everything from the littlest dirt ovals that dot
the countryside to the giant Daytona International Speedway.
But this was the Mile, one of only a few urban speedways and a
racetrack with a hundred years of history, and somehow turning
on two powerful, temporary light banks made the place feel
special.
4/18/03
Franchitti to miss Indy 500
Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola driver Dario Franchitti will miss
the 2003 Indianapolis 500 and possibly the three Indy Racing
League IndyCar Series races in June said Dr. Terry Trammell,
orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedics Indianapolis. Trammell said
Franchitti has an L1 stable burst fracture that does not
require surgery but does require bracing for approximately
three months. Franchitti will not be cleared to drive for
approximately three months from the date of injury. He was
injured while riding his motorcycle on Friday, April 4 in his
hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland. Franchitti said, “I’m pretty
devastated right now, between not being able to compete in the
Indy 500 and possibly missing a couple of the other races. I’m
going to work hard to get back in the car as fast as possible.
I’m in a wee bit of pain right now. Dr. Trammell knows what he
is doing so I will listen to him and do whatever possible to
get back in the car. It’s disappointing that I won’t be with
the team at its first Indy 500. I feel bad for everyone at
Andretti Green especially (owners) Michael (Andretti), Kim
(Green), Kevin (Savoree) and I’m really going to miss working
with my guys over the next month. I will be on hand to help in
any way but my primary focus is to get back in the car as soon
as possible.” Further updates on Franchitti’s condition will
be provided when available.
4/18/03
SPEED Channel to air DOY Awards
SPEED Channel will air the Driver of the Year Awards Gala
honoring 2002 Champ Car Champion Cristiano da Matta on Sunday
at 9 PM ET. The event recently took place in Talledega. Da
Matta taped an acceptance speech from Melbourne prior to the
event. Former Newman Haas Racing driver Christian Fittipaldi
is also on the show as he accepted an award for his uncle
Emerson Fittipaldi. Check your local listing to reconfirm air
time.
4/18/03
Toyota Atlantic Sponsor Council
meeting In an effort to foster a unified
CART Toyota Atlantic Championship and foster
business-to-business relationships between the team and series
sponsors, the first meeting of the Toyota Atlantic Sponsor
Council was held at Long Beach on Thursday, April 10.
A steering committee was selected at the meeting and consists
of CART Toyota Atlantic Championship President Vicki O'Connor,
Toyota National Motorsports Manager Les Unger, Yokohama Tire
Corporation Director of Marketing Communications Art Michalik,
and Transnet Racing owner Juan Garcia. The meeting was
open to all CART Toyota Atlantic Championship teams, as well
as their existing and potential sponsors, and set a course for
future discussions that will take place throughout the season.
Key issues discussed were ways to assist teams in their quest
to find sponsors, providing value to current and new partners,
and ideas on helping teams create sponsorship proposals that
capture the interest of potential new partners. With that in
mind, the Toyota Atlantic Sponsor Council will meet again in
conjunction with the Grand Prix of Monterey at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca, where a sponsorship proposal workshop with input
from key Champ Car World Series and CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship sponsors will be held. "It was extremely
helpful to gather all of our teams and partners into the same
room and discuss the issues and opportunities in front of us
this season," said O'Connor. "In today's environment, it has
never been more important to deliver value to our sponsors,
and the creation of a Sponsor Council is a wonderful idea. By
working together as a group, we can use what we learn in these
meetings to create successful programs for the series and all
of its teams."
4/18/03
Yokohama announces promotion
with SPEED Officials from SPEED Channel
and Yokohama Tire Corporation have announced that Yokohama has
agreed to become the presenting sponsor of all CART Toyota
Atlantic Championship race broadcasts on the television
network. The agreement includes television commercials,
broadcast mentions, and on-air billboards. In addition
to its involvement in the Toyota Atlantic broadcasts, Yokohama
will be a part of other SPEED Channel programming, including
American Le Mans, and FIA World Rally events. The agreement
extends through the end of the 2003 racing season. "We
are very pleased with this agreement," said Yokohama Tire
Corporation Director of Marketing Communications, Art Michalik.
"It is one more step in our continuing efforts to support the
Toyota Atlantic Championship series, and increase Yokohama's
brand awareness among true enthusiasts. It is even more
fitting in that this year marks Yokohama's 15th year as the
official tire and associate sponsor for the Toyota Atlantic
Championship series. The other great thing is that SPEED
Channel is such an ideal fit for us. The depth and breadth of
their programming reaches true racing and auto enthusiasts.
Our variety of performance offerings suits the needs of this
audience."
4/18/03
Atlantic tests notes from
Laguna Seca With six weeks remaining
before the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship reconvenes for
the Milwaukee Mile Centennial 250 Presented by Miller Lite at
the historic Milwaukee Mile on the weekend of May 31 (SPEED,
June 1, 9:00 p.m. ET), most of the teams in the series took
advantage of the opportunity to put their machines through
paces at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Wednesday.
Participating in the test were Pacific Coast Motorsports;,
Dorricott Racing; DSTP Motorsports; Lynx Racing; Polestar
Atlantic, LLC; Team Rahal; RuSPORT; Sierra Sierra Racing;
Starwood Team Jensen; and Transnet Racing. The test was
conducted in cool temperatures and overcast skies, but that
didn't prevent the teams from putting several miles on their
machines. Long Beach winner A.J. Allmendinger (#4
RuSPORT) posted the unofficial fastest time at 1:17.5,
followed by Sierra Sierra Racing's Ryan Dalziel (#28 Discovery
Lake/Daily Record Newspaper) at 1:18.4, and Alex Figge (#69
Pacific Coast Motorsports/Patrick Racing) at 1:18.5. Rounding
out the top five were RuSPORT's Aaron Justus (#3 RuSPORT) at
1:18.6 and Sierra Sierra's Marc DeVellis (#67 Pro-Works) at
1:18.7. Rain during the afternoon prevented many teams from
running the entire day, and the test was interrupted only
once, when Jonathan Macri (#84 NTN) pulled his car off-course
just shy of Turn 3. The CART Toyota Atlantic Championship will
visit Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on the weekend of June 14, for
the Grand Prix of Monterey, which is Round 4 of the 12-race
2003 season.
4/18/03
Word in the Imola Paddock - 4 Peter
Sauber and Nick Heidfeld traveled to Russia last week at the
behest of new communications provider and sponsor Mobile
TeleSystems (MTS). Starting with a photo shoot at Moscow's Red
Square, directly in front of the Kremlin, Heidfeld later did a
few show-laps in a go-kart. 'We were able to get a personal
impression of the quality of the MTS network in Moscow,' said
Sauber, 'which is certainly up to par with the networks of
major western cities.' .........Meanwhile, Max Mosley said he
wouldn't carry on as President of Formula One's governing body
FIA if he thought he was getting 'too old.' The 63-year-old
Englishman, who became President in the early Nineties, said
the biggest danger of holding a high position within a sport
is 'staying too long.' 'One has seen one or two examples of
that in sporting bodies when people get into the position and
stay too long,' he said. He said he'd only stand for another
term, not set for renewal until late 2005, if he got an
'overwhelming' indication of people wanting him to stay. But
he added, 'I've always felt if one is old enough to be the
father of the people driving that is acceptable. 'When you get
old enough to be the grandfather, though, you have got to
start thinking about it and that is not such a long way off.'
4/18/03
Word in the Imola Paddock - 3 FIA
President Max Mosley has insisted that the deadly SARS virus
won't threaten the Canadian Grand Prix. The North American
country is one of the worst affected by the rapidly-spreading
virus that has already claimed more than 100 victims
world-wide. 'I hope not,' said Mosley in an Imola news
conference. 'At the moment, and one has to be realistic about
these things, I think you're talking about a few dozens of
deaths. 'But compared to the world population it's not
significant and at the moment there's no suggestion of any
restrictions on travel to almost any part of the world, still
less to our Grands Prix.' ...............Turning his attention
back onto the race-track, Max Mosley revealed that a 'major'
meeting has been planned to discuss the imminent (2004) bans
on electronic driver aids. 'The teams want them, but the FIA's
position is that we're not happy,' he said of traction
control, launch control and fully automatic gearboxes. Mosley
said a meeting with team bosses on Thursday had found 'broad'
agreement on standard components like standard rear wings, for
the future. Meanwhile, world champion Michael Schumacher
admits that season 2003 hasn't gone his way after strategy,
technical and driver errors colored three race losses since
Australia. 'I would wish to have more points,' said the candid
German in Imola's paddock on Friday morning. He again backed
Ferrari's decision to delay the introduction of a new F2003-GA
racer on the grounds of unproven reliability. 'The car has the
potential to be quicker,' he said, 'but it is just not ready
yet.'
4/18/03
Word in the Imola Paddock - 2 Jarno
Trulli and Allan McNish ensured that Renault's extra testing
session on Friday was 'less than productive.' But head
engineer Pat Symonds said a mechanical problem on Trulli's
car, followed by a spin by dedicated Friday tester Allan
McNish, had not put the Enstone team too far behind in Italy.
'I made a mistake and touched both the inside and outside
curbs,' admitted Scotsman McNish, 'which meant I spun and we
had to cut the session short.' Meanwhile, McLaren tester Pedro
de la Rosa reckons his Woking-based ranks will have a tough
job to maintain the pace on Ferrari's home soil this weekend.
'I'm sure things will go back to normal,' said the Spanish
ace, newly signed as McLaren's second tester.........'Imola's
lay-out is very well adapted to Ferrari, together with the
Bridgestone tires as good braking is of the uttermost
importance there.' But the 31-year-old conceded that if the
Italian marque 'does not start making a move on from here,
things will be difficult for them.'.........In other news
raising it's head at Imola, a team principal wrote a
strongly-worded letter to FIA President Max Mosley after the
Brazilian GP asking him to overturn the new rule mandating
only one wet-tire compound per race. But Mosley, refusing to
budge, said all bosses voted unanimously to change the rule
last October: 'I wrote back saying absolutely, but it is the
team that chose the rule, not us. 'We didn't tell them what
tires, they chose the tires, they took the tires. They were
tires agreed between the tire company and the team.' Still on
the wet'n'wild Interlagos weekend, McLaren ace David Coulthard
says it's ridiculous that Fernando Alonso was handed third
place after causing an accident that cut the race short. The
Scot, robbed of victory after pitting just before the red flag
came out at Interlagos, said it 'doesn't seem right that the
guy who caused the accident can get on the podium.'
4/18/03
Ferrari rebounds at Imola Michael
Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari bounced back to dominate
one-lap qualifying on home soil at the Enzo e Dino circuit
today (Friday). The 34-year-old world champion was nearly half
a second faster than team-mate Rubens Barrichello as the pair
get down to business on the final racing outing of last year's
F2002 car. Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya will start
tomorrow's quest for the grid in 17th and 18th positions
tomorrow after going next quickest in their improved Williams
FW25s. Jaguar and Mark Webber continued to impress with fifth
spot, ahead of the two BAR-Hondas and both McLaren drivers who
struggled with pace on their Michelin tires. Belated Brazil
winner Giancarlo Fisichella managed eleventh place, 1.7
seconds ahead of team-mate Ralph Firman, while Cristiano Da
Matta (Toyota) and Antonio Pizzonia similarly failed to match
their team-mates' pace. The Minardis of Jos Verstappen and
Justin Wilson brought up the rear, and will start tomorrow's
Saturday shoot-out for the grid first.
Pos
Driver
Team
T
Time
Gap
1
M Schumacher
Ferrari
B
1:20.628
136.860 mph
2
Barrichello
Ferrari
B
1:21.082
0.454
3
R Schumacher
WilliamsF1
M
1:21.193
0.565
4
Montoya
WilliamsF1
M
1:21.490
0.862
5
Webber
Jaguar
M
1:21.669
1.041
6
Button
BAR
B
1:21.891
1.263
7
Villeneuve
BAR
B
1:21.926
1.298
8
Raikkonen
McLaren
M
1:22.147
1.519
9
Coulthard
McLaren
M
1:22.326
1.698
10
Frentzen
Sauber
B
1:22.531
1.903
11
Fisichella
Jordan
B
1:22.724
2.096
12
Panis
Toyota
M
1:22.765
2.137
13
Alonso
Renault
M
1:22.809
2.181
14
Heidfeld
Sauber
B
1:22.911
2.283
15
Pizzonia
Jaguar
M
1:22.919
2.291
16
Trulli
Renault
M
1:23.100
2.472
17
Firman
Jordan
B
1:24.360
3.732
18
da Matta
Toyota
M
1:24.854
4.226
19
Verstappen
Minardi
B
1:24.990
4.362
20
Wilson
Minardi
B
1:25.195
4.567
4/18/03
Imola AM practice notes Ferrari's
troubled Formula One season showed no signs of improving on
Friday morning as Michael Schumacher sat out much of the
practice session with a cracked suspension. 2001 San Marino
Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher topped the times in the
one-hour session before one-lap qualifying, the German pipping
Williams team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya by a tenth. The skies
stayed clear and promised not to rain on the afternoon's
Friday shoot-out; hardly a cloud in sight at a fine and mild
Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit. Mark Webber, still competitive in
his Jaguar R4, was third fastest in opening practice ahead of
the Renault of Jarno Trulli (fifth) and Rubens Barrichello
(ninth). Jacques Villeneuve struggled for track-time and pace
after a suspected gearbox problem halted progress on his
BAR005, while Antonio Pizzonia (Jaguar) also languished with
reliability gremlins. Both Ferrari aces, meanwhile, skidded
into the gravel in a trend followed by David Coulthard, Ralph
Firman and others. 'I am quite happy with the balance of my
car,' said Jarno Trulli of Renault, 'However, there's still a
lot to be done in this area.'
Pizzonia fastest in Friday free
practice Jaguar driver Antonio Pizzonia was the
quickest in this morning's free testing session, the young Brazilian
completing a total of 33 laps to record a best overall time of
1:23.099, just over a tenth quicker than the EJ13 of Giancarlo
Fisichella. Mark Webber was third quickest , three and a half tenths
slower than his teammate while Ralph Firman put his Jordan into fourth
overall after thirty laps.
4/18/03
Mosley rips out heart of GPWC FIA
president Max Mosley met with the media Thursday in Imola and answered a lot
of questions. On the issue of two F1 champions starting in 2008,
Mosley had this to say - "Well, in one sense there would only be one
FIA Formula One World Championship and that would be the one that
started in 1950 and was won by Fangio etc, etc. But there is
absolutely nothing to stop someone starting a rival series and it
would be wrong to prevent them doing that. Under the Concorde
Agreement, we have to announce the regulations for 2008 no later than
the 31st of December, 2005. Now once the Concorde Agreement expires,
that's to say 2008, we are then fully in control of the regulations in
Formula One just like we are in every other branch of motor sport, so
some time between now and the end of 2005, we will announce the
regulations for the FIA Formula One World Championship for the year
2008 and thereafter. If the teams, the manufacturers or a combination
of them, the existing teams, wish to run a private series, they are
absolutely free to do so. We would give them every possible help and
they would then be expected to produce their regulations and their
technical regulations and sporting regulations and at some point
before the middle of 2007 they would submit them to the FIA unless
there was something which affected safety or something completely
outrageous to do with fairness, we would approve them and they would
then run their series in 2008 and thereafter. You would then have the
FIA Formula One World Championship to whatever the regulations we
announce in 2005, you would have the GPWC series, whatever they chose
to call it, with the regulations made available no later than the
middle of 2007 and then competition would reign." In essence,
what Mosley is saying is that the GPWC can go off and start their own
series, but the FIA World Championship will remain under the control
of the FIA and be the same championship that started in 1950, with all
its history and status. If you want to be the recognized "World
Driving Champion" you will race in the traditional FIA series.
If you want to be the GPWC champion, it will carry the same status as
winning the Dallara Nissan Telefonica World Series, i.e. just another
series, albeit a very expensive one. Without the official "World
Championship" stature, the GPWC will be either stillborn, or die
quickly from 1) high-cost with little return, 2) almost no fan
interest (the fans want to know who the World Champion is, not watch
some overpaid prima dona in the rich boys series) and, 3)
internal in-fighting between the manufacturers. Bernie
Ecclestone must be getting a real chuckle. Mark C.
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CART
driver Tracy wins first Qtr DOY balloting
With three consecutive victories to start the 2003 Bridgestone
Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season, Paul Tracy
(#3 Player’s/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) has set the Champ
Car series aflame as he chases his first series championship. That
flame spread like a wildfire through all other divisions of racing in
the first three months of the season and when the smoke cleared, Tracy
was the lone tree standing as the Champ Car series leader was named as
the winner of the national Driver of the Quarter award by the Legends
Marketing Group. The award, which has been in existence for 36 years,
goes to the top driver among all racing series and inserts the
Canadian driver as one of the four candidates to win the Driver of the
Year award, which went to series champion Cristiano da Matta in 2002.
“I’m extremely honored to have been selected, especially when you look
at all the other drivers who were nominated,” said Tracy. “It’s also
rewarding because it takes into account all the major racing series in
North America and because fans have their say in the voting. It’s been
a terrific start to the season not only for myself, but also for the
Champ Car World Series with three great events. I cant’ say enough
about the support that Team Player’s has shown me since I joined and
I’m happy that I was able to put together a string of victories this
early in the season as we strive to bring a championship title back to
Canada.” Tracy opened his year with a win at St. Petersburg, then
followed that up with a victory in Monterrey, Mexico. He completed the
sweep this past weekend at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach when he
beat Adrian Fernandez (#51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) to the finish. Tracy was chosen ahead
of such nominees as Dayton 500 winner Michael Waltrip, NASCAR Winston
Cup points leader Matt Kenseth, IRL race winner Tony Kanaan and NHRA
Top Fuel rookie Brandon Bernstein who won two of the first three
national events this year after taking over for his famous father
Kenny Bernstein. The Driver of the Year title is unique because it is
the only award that encompasses all of the racing series in the United
States and fan participation. A panel of 18 leading journalists from
across the U.S. and a fan vote on Speedtv.com determine the winner. In
quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9,6,4,3,2,1 basis.
In recognition of this honor Tracy will receive a trophy and a Maurice
Lacroix Swiss Watch. Maurice Lacroix USA – the official watch of the
Driver of the Year award– is one of the fastest-growing Swiss watch
manufacturers in America, with more than 400 quality jewelers
representing the award-winning collection in the United States. In
addition to Tracy’s award being announced Saturday night on SPEED
Channel, the ceremony where da Matta was officially given the 2002
Driver of the Year award will be broadcast Sunday night on SPEED
Channel. The award was given in conjunction with the induction
ceremonies for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, where
former Champ Car title winner and current team owner Emerson
Fittipaldi was added to the list of racing luminaries in the Talladega
museum.
Bahrain
circuit on fast track This Gulf News
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