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Pook talks to Mack This
appeared in this morning's Orange County Register - George Mack couldn't
land a ride for Sunday's Indy 500, but he's vowing to return. Mack
finished 17th as an Indy rookie after becoming only the second black
to make the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." He didn't have enough
sponsorship money to go for two years in a row. "It's a bitter pill to
swallow," Mack said. "But I'll be back. We're moving on to some other
stuff. We just didn't have time to get it done this year." Mack hasn't
been doing any racing since he lost his IRL ride. He couldn't bear the
thought of circling a short track after competing at Indy. "Unless I
can race here, I don't want to do it anymore," Mack said. "It's just
not the same." He's also discussed a possible deal with the rival CART
series. Growing up, Mack raced go-karts against the son of CART
president Chris Pook. "(Pook) called me up and we talked," Mack said.
"I haven't committed to anything. ... But they're looking for some
more well-known drivers. All they've got is rookies and guys you've
never heard of. [Editor's Note, we wonder if Mr. Mack includes himself
in that characterization.]
5/24/03
Trying to dry Lowes Motor Speedway
In an effort to dry out many of the rain soaked parking areas around
the track, Lowe’s Motor Speedway has used four helicopters from Henry
Aviation to hover over the saturated areas to get them dry enough to
use for Sunday’s Coca Cola 600. Nearly five inches of rain have fallen
over the area in the past several days, washing out several events and
turning the adjoining parking and camping areas into mud. Despite the
four helicopters flying at 10am and working until dark, speedway
officials still believe 10 to 15 percent of the lots would still not
be usable for Sunday’s race.
5/24/03
Rubbermaid extends Roush deal
Rubbermaid has announced they have agreed to a multi-year contract
extension with Roush Racing and driver Kurt Busch. Rubbermaid, which
has sponsored Busch in the Winston Cup Series for the last two
seasons, has signed on for three more years, according to Busch. With
Roush driver Matt Kenseth recently renewing with DeWalt, Rouch has
shored up deals for two of his four Winston Cups teams. Roush is still
looking to secure sponsorship for Mark Martin and Jeff Burton.
Rubbermaid also announced an alliance with the Victory Junction Camp
through their Blue Ice brand. The company will donate $5,000 to the
building fund and give a Blue Ice kit to each kid at the camp founded
by Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie in memory of
their son Adam.
5/24/03 Formula Ford
We told you to keep your eye on this young American Jonathan
Bomarito's breakthrough performance at Lime Rock should place the
focus squarely on him ... He is a dedicated, hard working racer and a
great young man, attending college in his hometown of Monterey,
California when he's not racing ...Under overcast skies, 26 Zetec
Championship cars took to the demanding 1.53-mile Lime Rock,
Connecticut road course for the first race of the Memorial Day weekend
doubleheader. At the start, Bomarito, starting from the pole position,
maintained the lead, as the field went three-abreast into turn one. As
the lap progressed, several cars battled for position, with cars going
side-by-side in many of the corners. Showing the speed he displayed in
qualifying, when he set a new lap record, Bomarito steadily began to
build a lead on second place. As Bomarito, driving the No. 23 Valley
Financial PR1 Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, built his lead, second
through fourth place ran nose-to-tail. With four laps remaining in the
race, the field was given the green flag. For the third time, Bomarito
got an excellent jump, using a back maker to extend his lead. For the
remainder of the race Bomarito was unchallenged, capturing his first
career win by 0.898 second. "It’s was a tough race," said Bomarito,
who led all 30 laps. "I was able to get a great jump on all the
restarts and lapped traffic seemed to actually help me. Hopefully we
can do the same thing Monday in race two." "I fought all race long,"
said Barber, who maintains the championship lead heading into Round
Four. "We made some changes to the car from qualifying which made it
better, but we still need to find a little more." "My car was very
good after the yellows," said Kasemets, who is the active race win
leader, with four career wins. "Starting where I did, I was only
hoping for a good finish." "I think my experience here really helped,"
said Dona, who has raced at Lime Rock numerous times. "I'm getting
faster every time I'm in the car and went over a second faster than
I've ever gone here before." Lime Rock Park, with finishing position,
starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps and
reason out.
1. (1), Jonathan Bomarito(R), Monterey, Calif., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
30.
2. (3), Westley Barber(R), Saffron Walden, England, F2A Van Diemen
Ford, 30.
3. (7), Tonis Kasemets, Mundelein, Ill., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
4. (4), Andrew Prendeville(R), Morristown, N.J., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
30.
5. (8), Craig Baltzer(R), Bettendorf, Iowa, F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
6. (11), Matt McDonough, West Newbury, Mass., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
7. (5), Andy Brumbaugh, Blythewood, S.C., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
8. (15), Adam Pecorari(R), Aston, Pa., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
9. (13), Chris Festa(R), Atlanta, Ga., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
10. (10), Steve Welk(R), Franklin, Wis., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
11. (9), Charlie Kimball(R), Camarillo, Calif., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
30.
12. (6), Doug Prendeville(R), Morristown, N.J., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
30.
13. (16), Chris Dona(R), Sandown, N.H., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 30.
14. (18), Doug Smith, Plantation, Fla., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 30.
15. (20), Alan D. Guibord(R), Bedford, N.H., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 30.
16. (24), Erick Hansen(R), Grayslake, Ill., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 29.
17. (25), Andy Chu, Beltsville, Md., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 29.
18. (19), Mark Cruz, Landing, N.J., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 29.
19. (17), Douglas Kniffin(R), Syosset, N.Y., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 29.
20. (23), John Levy(R), Newton, Mass., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 29.
21. (21), Ira Fierberg, Manhattan Beach, Calif., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
28.
22. (26), Alan R. Guibord(R), Southport, Conn., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
27.
23. (22), Bob Wright, Old Chatham, N.Y., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 19, ACC.
24. (2), Lawson Aschenbach, Gaithersburg, Md., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
17, ENGINE.
25. (14), Dustin Hodges, St Charles, Mo., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 8,
SPUN.
26. (12), James Gue, Alpheretta, Ga., F2A Van Diemen Ford, 3, MECH.
Time of race: 31 minutes, 51.055 seconds.
Average speed: 86.465 mph
Margin of victory: .89799 seconds
Lap leaders: Laps 1-30, #23 Jonathan Bomarito(R)
Fastest race lap: #3 Westley Barber(R), 0:50.230 (109.655 mph)
Fastest qualifier: #23 Jonathan Bomarito(R), 0:49.810 (110.580 mph)
5/24/03
Miller takes pole at Lime Rock
Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup Driver Johnny Miller has
long claimed Lime Rock Park owed him something. He cashed it all in
Saturday as the driver of the No. 64 Eaton Cutler-Hammer Jaguar XKR
earned his first pole of 2003 and gave Jaguar its first pole at the
1.53-mile, eight-turn permanent road course. For his efforts, Miller
received two bonus championship points, and the Jaguar Pole Award, a
performance-based initiative that rewards drivers who win the pole at
each Trans-Am Series events this season. “The car was really good. It
was good yesterday,” said Miller, who backed up his fast efforts in
the first two practice sessions Friday with a pole speed of 51.315
seconds at 107.337 miles per hour. “We made a few changes to figure
out where it was going to go with old tires. We were really working on
the car, and ended up with a good qualifying car out a great race car.
“The track has changed quite a bit since yesterday,” added Miller,
who’s last pole came at Road America in 2000. “We had a push and
(teammate Scott Pruett) said he had a push, but we were able to pull
off two or three good laps without hurting the tires.” Pruett, driver
of the No. 7 Jaguar R Performance XKR, qualified second. “We just
carried too much push,” said Pruett, who leads the points going into
Monday’s Trans-Am 100. “We missed the setup a little bit, which
probably came from me not racing here for the last 14 years. I took a
gamble on the setup, and we were just a little bit off. We have a good
rain setup on the car for Monday, and if it’s dry, we still have a
little work to do.” Hayner (No. 2 Trenton Forging/GMAC Commercial
Finance Chevrolet Corvette), who won the pole here last season, was
third fastest. “The car was great,” said Hayner. “We learned a lot
last year. We came out of the box with a great setup and actually
improved on it a little bit. We have a new engine program this year,
and with all of the changes we still went four-tenths quicker this
year than last year’s pole speed. We’re really happy about that.” Both
Pruett and Hayner received one bonus point for qualifying in the top
three. The provisional qualifying positions for Monday's 66-lap,
100.98 mile Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup Round 4, at
Lime Rock Park, with starting position, driver, car and fast lap with
speed
1. Johnny Miller, Jaguar XKR, 0:51.315, 107.337.
2. Scott Pruett, Jaguar XKR, 0:51.813, 106.305.
3. Stu Hayner, Chevrolet Corvette, 0:51.958, 106.009.
4. Brian Simo, Jaguar XKR, 0:52.211, 105.495.
5. Jorge Diaz, Jr. (R), Jaguar XKR, 0:52.231, 105.455.
6. Bobby Sak (R), Chevrolet Corvette, 0:52.328, 105.259.
7. Tomy Drissi, Jaguar XKR, 0:52.345, 105.225.
8. Michael Lewis, Jaguar XKR, 0:52.452, 105.010.
9. Randy Ruhlman, Chevrolet Corvette, 0:52.494, 104.926.
10. Paul Newman, Chevrolet Corvette, 0:52.843, 104.233.
11. Joey Scarallo (R), Chevrolet Corvette, 0:53.175, 103.583.
12. John Baucom, Jaguar XKR., 0:53.220, 103.495.
13. Tim Cowen, Ford Mustang, 0:54.042, 101.921.
14. Michael Brockman, Chevrolet Camaro, 0:54.132, 101.751.
15. Simon Gregg, Chevrolet Corvette, 0:54.353, 101.338.
16. Garrett Kletjian (R), Chevrolet Corvette, 0:55.704, 98.880.
17. Peter Rogal(R), Jaguar XKR, 0:57.140, 96.395.
5/24/03
Is CART using tire warmers at
Milwaukee? A reader writes, Dear AR1, CART has to be
using tire warmers at Milwaukee right? With the race beginning right
around sundown, temperatures are probably going to dip to the low 50s
during the race -- with obviously no sun to heat the track up with the
lower temps. Peter Parker, Detroit, MI Dear John,
No they are not. We call it penny wise and pound foolish.
CART thinks it's saving money by not allowing its teams to use tire
warmers, but now that they are racing at night when it's cool, we can
see at least one $300,000 car wiped out against those hard concrete
walls because of cold tires. $300,000 would pay for warmers for
the entire grid for years. Besides money, however, CART also thinks
driving fast on cold tires out of the pits separate the men from the
boys. The Juan Montoyas of the world were always fast on their
out lap, gaining seconds on their competition. The mere average
drivers tiptoe around while their tires come up to temp. The great
drivers are sideways and on it right out of the pits. Mark C.
5/24/03
Is CART going down the wrong engine
path?UPDATE
A reader responds, Dear AR1, While there may be some other valid
reasons for CART to stick with turbos, I have to take exception to
your portrayal of the production engine scene trending toward turbos.
Of the 217 different light vehicle engines offered in North America
for the 2003 model year, only 22 are turbo gasoline engines (3 Saabs,
6 Volvos, 1 Dodge, 1 Mercedes V12, 1 Maybach V12, 1 Subaru, 1
Mitsubishi, 3 Porsches, and 5 VW/Audis). There are five turbo diesel
light truck engines (2 GMs, 2 Ford-Navistars, 1 Dodge-Cummins) and 1
turbo diesel passenger car engine (VW). Looking at North
American volume: The Saab turbos represent about 0.6% of parent GM's
volume. The Volvo turbos represent about 1.9% of parent Ford's volume.
The Dodge (Neon SRT-4, PT Cruiser GT) turbo, Mercedes V12 and Maybach
V12 turbos represent about 0.9% of Daimler-Chrysler's volume. Subaru
is 11.9% turbos. The Lancer Evo doesn't register on Mitsi's volume.
About 13.7% of Porsche's volume is turbo currently; but this will be
dominated by the unknown proportion of turbo vs non-turbo Cayenne SUV
sales as they ramp up. VW/Audi gasoline turbos represent 37.2% of
their volume (their turbo diesel, the one offered in a passenger car
in North America at present represents another 9%). While it may sound
a little impressive that 10% (22/217) of the engines offered are
gasoline turbo, volume tells the story... of all the light vehicle
engines sold in North America in 2003, only about 2% will be gasoline
turbo. Note that BMW, HONDA, TOYOTA, NISSAN, MAZDA, all the GM
brands (other than Saab), the FORD brands (other than Volvo), Hyundai,
Isuzu, Kia, and Suzuki offer exactly ZERO passenger car turbos in
North America. While some try to point out that turbos far
outnumber V10s, that is not the distinction that matters. The debate
should not include the number of cylinders, just the distinction
between turbo vs. normally aspirated. The unique development paths you
follow and most of the problems you conquer with a turbo racing engine
program generally apply to 2% of production engines... the development
paths you follow and most of the problems you conquer with a normally
aspirated racing engine program generally apply to 98% of production
engines, regardless of the number of cylinders they may have. If you
argue that the number of cylinders and their configuration is
important from a marketing standpoint, I would point out that only
Saab, Volvo, Dodge, and VW/Audi produce inline 4 cylinder gasoline
turbos in any appreciable volume. Compare that to the list above of
companies that don't make ANY gasoline turbos. Side note: In
case anyone wonders, of the 217 engines, 10 are supercharged (1 GM V6,
2 Jaguar V8s, 2 Ford V8s, 3 Mercedes (I4, V6, V8), 1 BMW (Mini Cooper
S), and 1 Nissan V6). About 0.4% of total North American sales volume.
Larry Adcock, Westfield, IN Dear Larry, Thanks for
writing, you make some valid points. However, the point is that
"future" engines are moving toward turbo for all the obvious reasons,
NOT toward normally aspirated V10. Now that turbos are reliable and
computers control how they function, it's a no-brainer and the
companies are beginning to realize that - more power for the same fuel
mileage and same displacement. Nothing you do to an engine can match
the performance benefits gained from pressurizing the intake and
combustion chambers. You can even turn the engines at a lower RPM and
save wear. And as you point out, of the 217 engines, 32 (22 turbo, 10
supercharged) pressurize the intake and combustion chambers with great
results - more HP without the need to increase displacement or RPM.
So while today turbos (and Superchargers) are a small percentage of
the overall market, and while American companies are way behind the
8-ball (like always) and have yet to adopt them in large numbers, they
ARE the future. Mark C.5/23/03 - Chris Pook says "We've got to come into
line with the way the world's automobile manufacturers are thinking if
we're going to be sensible and successful," Pook remarked. "And, since
the world's automobile manufacturers are not using methanol and the
turbo seems to be confined to diesels, with the exception of Porsche
and Saab, we think it's essential to go normally aspirated and that
the V-10 is the way to go. We also firmly believe that we must focus
the automobile manufacturers on the marketing and selling portion. We
want to have an efficient engine that has a relationship to what the
public can buy, particularly with the price of gasoline going the way
it is. We need to challenge these manufacturers to deal with the
mileage issue, and we want them to spend their money on the marketing
and selling of their cars, and to use our series as a platform for
that." AR1 says, think again Chris. Turbo's are popping up
left and right on passenger cars. Just heard the Nissan 350Z
will get a twin-turbo model in 2005. Here is a list we got a
year ago on turbo street cars (there are a lot more turbo trucks on
the road), some sold in Europe, some in the USA. There's a lot more now
(for example the 2003 Mitsubishi EVO III has twin turbos and
blows everything away in its class).
Alpha Romeo 156,
166,
GTV,
Audi,
A3,
A4,
A6,
A8,
BMW,
Série 3,
Série 5,
Série 7,
Citroën,
Xantia,
Xsara,
Berlingo,
Picasso,
Evasion,
Xm,
DaimlerChrysler,
Class C,
Class E,
Class S,
Class V,
Smart,
Sprinter,
Vito,
Fiat,
Bravo, Brava,
Coupé,
Marea,
Multipla,
Purito,
Ulysse,
Ford,
Escort,
Focus,
Fiesta,
Galaxy,
Mondeo,
Iveco,
Areno Bicento 20,
Areno Master,
Daily,
Lancia,
Zeta,
Lotus,
Esprit V8 Biturbo,
Nissan,
Light Truck,
Patrol,
Primera,
Terrano,
Opel,
Astra,
Frontera,
Omega,
Sintra,
Vectra,
Peugeot,
306,
406,
605,
806,
Partner (End 99),
Renault,
Espace,
Laguna,
Mégane,
Safrane,
Scénic,
Master,
Rolls Royce,
Bentley Arnage Biturbo,
Rover,
Discovery,
Defender,
Freelander,
Série 200/400,
Saab,
V6,
9-5,
9-3.3,
Seat,
Arosas ,
Alhambra,
Cordoba,
Ibiza,
Toledo,
Skoda,
Octavia,
Felicia,
Volkswagen,
Bora,
Lupo,
Beetle,
Golf,
Jetta,
Passat,
Sharan,
T4 Bus,
LT transporter,
Volvo,
S40,
V40. Bottom line - turbos are the future for the majority of passenger cars.
V10's will only be found on exotic cars like the new Porsche Carrera
GT, which will cost well over $100,000. Fact - turbos are now
reliable and deliver more HP for a given engine displacement, gasoline
or diesel. Prediction - as manufacturers race to make their cars more
fuel efficient and faster, turbos will become the norm and will be
around long after normally aspirated V10's become boat anchors - too
big, too heavy, and too fuel inefficient. Mark C.
5/24/03
Foyt, Andretti feud over grandson
This Duluth News Tribune newspaper
article says, After all these years, A.J. Foyt and Mario
Andretti still have it. The two greatest legends walking around the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week can still find their way under
the other's skin. "He better not walk by me," Foyt, a four-time
Indianapolis 500 winner, said of Andretti, the 1969 winner, "or we
will have a few words." "I don't think I can win with A.J.," Andretti
said. "Any possible way." This week, Foyt's anger flashes at anybody
who questions the race-readiness of his grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, who
will celebrate his 19th birthday from Row 8 of Sunday's race. He is
the youngest known qualifier in Indy 500 history. His "Paw-Paw," the
team owner, picked up a newspaper this week and saw Andretti, among
other people, publicly doubting whether the young Foyt, for all his
obvious talent, had the necessary experience for this race. "Andretti
doesn't have no room to talk, with all the wrecks he caused," the
elder Foyt remarked. A.J. Foyt IV has spun his car a few times at Indy
this month, including a 180-degree spin coming out of the second turn
of his first qualifying lap on May 4. As the car fishtailed in
reverse, he kept it from hitting the wall. "I don't mind people saying
the truth. I'd be the first one to tell you if I thought he screwed
up," the elder Foyt said. In fact, he did, originally -- Foyt said he
jumped all over his grandson until he determined that a crew error was
to blame. Foyt said he went back and apologized. "I know my
grandfather wouldn't put me in a car if he didn't think I was ready to
run," said the younger Foyt, known as Anthony in his civilian life. "I
passed my rookie test like every other guy out there. I made a few
mistakes, but other guys made mistakes, too." The deadness in his
voice as he talks about this subject speaks better than words of how
sick he is of this subject. Foyt talks about how he can't wait for
Sunday, how he has been aiming for that moment since he started in
karts at age 11. His grandfather just can't understand how people
can't let this be a feel-good story. Foyt said he's so ticked off
right now because "they're trying to play a head game with Anthony."
Foyt mentioned that he has a great relationship with Michael Andretti,
who will start from Row 5 in his last go at Indy on Sunday, that
Michael told him that was the scariest qualifying day he had ever
experienced with all the wind. For his part, Mario Andretti sounded
chagrined Thursday with how his own remarks came out. "For me to stand
here and judge A.J., it's his own grandson," Andretti said as he stood
in the garage owned by his son Michael. "If he feels he's ready, he's
ready. Some of these things that happened, a couple of these scrapes
that he had, I feel for him, because the worst thing for any young man
with talent is to be spooked here, and I'm sure that he got spooked
when those things happened." Andretti then called Foyt "a nice, nice
young man with a lot of talent. I wish him the best. I really,
honestly, sincerely do." Foyt's focus this week, it is fair to say,
has been on racing. He talks about how he's going to be doing this
"all my life." Around here, he already has to head out of his garage
almost at a full trot or instantly get bogged down by autograph
seekers. "They love the Foyt name," he said. "It doesn't bother me."
He knew he had a ride at some point (called nepotism). "My grandpa's
the owner," he pointed out. And his grandpa won't ever change. Don't
get A.J. Foyt started on three-time Indy winner Bobby Unser, who
weighed in with a tough critique of his own this week. "He's a
complete idiot," Foyt said.
5/24/03
Marco
Andretti winning regularly The second race
weekend of the Skip Barber Eastern Region Championship got underway
last weekend at Lime Rock Park, with five race groups competing on the
historic 1.53-mile track. The race weekend weather forecast called for
rain, and the Skip Barber crew changed the field to treaded Michelins
in case the rain were to materialize. Fortunately, the rain held off
for the two days of racing, and the treaded Michelins were none the
less very fast at Lime Rock. The first race of the weekend for race
group three pitted youth versus experience, as Marco Andretti
(pictured above right relaxing between races with at Lime Rock with
uncle Jeff Andretti) and Peter Ludwig fought for the lead. Andretti
led early, but was passed by Ludwig on the twelfth lap, only to repass
him on the very next trip by the stripe. Andretti held on to the lead
to the finish, with Ludwig staying in contact with the young racer for
the entire race to take second place, just 3 seconds behind Andretti.
It was Andretti's 4th win of the year. Greg Den Herder took
third place, with Tim Hoagland winning the Masters Category and
William Murphy scoring Rookie of the Race honors. Race group three
rejoined on Saturday, with Marco Andretti again leading the pack to
the green flag on the second attempt after the field was too spread
out on the first attempt. A spin in the daunting downhill cost Ludwig
his opportunity to take the fight to Andretti, but the battle behind
kept things interesting as Tim Hoagland and Todor Mitev battled for
position while Ludwig worked his way back through the field, taking
spots from both drivers as he powered back into second place. Bill
Hammer scored most progressive honors, with Andretti carding the
fastest lap of the race and the win, his 5th of the year. Prior
to the Lime Rock weekend, Marco Andretti kicked off the first race
weekend of the season for the Skip Barber Eastern and Midwest
Regionals at Virginia International Raceway. Four race groups battled
it out over the 3.12-mile long course layout in Danville, Virginia.
Marco Andretti competed in Race group 4 and added to his career wins
tally to put him in the lead in points standings. Race group 4 got
their weekend underway with rain again plaguing the track as Andretti,
who took his first wins in Skip Barber Racing competition at Daytona
just two weeks back, led the field to the green with Chase Patzer in
tow and John Peterson in third. Fred Rasch started in third, but was
fourth at the end of the first lap before Eric Ives passed him for the
position. Rasch battled back to take the spot for the next three laps
as Andretti continued to build the gap between himself and the rest of
the field on each lap. Ives, Peterson, and Rasch continued to dispute
positions three, four, and five for the entire second half of the
race, each taking a lap in each position before swapping once again.
The outcome wasn’t settled until the final lap, as Andretti motored to
his third race win in as many tries.
Andretti testing and winning at Daytona
5/24/03 Formula 3
Piquet Jr. wins double pole Nelson
Piquet Jr has claimed pole positions for both rounds of the British
Formula 3 championship at Silverstone this weekend. British F3 Silverstone race 1 qualifying
1 Nelson Piquet Jr Piquet Sports 1m44.502s
2 Robert Dahlgren Fortec 1m44.668s
3 Danny Watts Hitech 1m44.674s
4 Richard Antinucci Carlin 1m44.734s
5 Adam Carroll Menu 1m44.759s
6 Alan ven der Merwe Carlin 1m44.898s Race 2 qualifying
1 Nelson Piquet Jr Piquet Sports 1m44.039s
2 Alan van der Merwe Carlin 1m44.180s
3 Richard Antinucci Carlin 1m44.510s
4 Rob Austin Menu 1m44.510s
5 Adam Carroll Menu 1m44.548s
6 Danny Watts Hitech 1m44.568s
5/24/03
Shell drops Denver sponsorship, another
to take its place This Rocky Mountain News
article says, Shell Oil took one lap around the course with
the Denver Grand Prix and dropped out of the race Friday. The
Houston-based company, which served as the race event's title sponsor
in its inaugural year, acknowledged Friday that it won't be back. But
Grand Prix Vice President and General Manager John Frew hinted that
the organization already has a new title sponsor in the wings. "Shell
was proud to have sponsored the 2002 Denver Grand Prix, and we're
committed to growing our business in the Denver area," said Shell
spokesman Tim O'Leary. "To support this business growth, we've chosen
to spend our promotional and advertising resources in ways other than
the Grand Prix sponsorship." Shell had prompted speculation about its
possible withdrawal when it missed its exclusive window of opportunity
to exercise its option on a series of one-year contracts. The parties
never revealed the value of the contract, but typically a sponsorship
of that magnitude would be worth about $500,000 per year and possibly
more. The three-day Grand Prix attracted about 100,000 fans last year.
The loss of a title sponsor could have two negative consequences, said
Dean Bonham, a sports marketing consultant in Denver who writes a
column for the Rocky Mountain News. The Grand Prix could experience
economic and credibility issues, he said. "In this day and age, events
really prefer to have title and/or presenting sponsors, and those that
don't, there's the question of why they don't," he said. He hastened
to add, "That doesn't mean the sky is falling. That event was very
highly thought of by most of the corporate executives I spoke with
last year, and my instinct is that somebody will pick it up (as a
title sponsor)." Shell did not arrive on the scene until a little more
than a month before last year's Labor Day weekend event. And Frew said
his organization will hold a news conference June 11 to announce "new
sponsors." "I guarantee this race will have a name," he said. He
declined to reveal details. Shell became involved last year just as
the company acquired the rights to re-brand 130 Texaco stations in the
Denver area, creating a need to generate greater awareness of the
Shell logo. While last year's economic climate hindered the search for
a title sponsor, this year's situation is probably just as bad, Bonham
said. The difference is, a prospective title sponsor will be able to
make its decision based on what it saw in the inaugural event.
"Frankly, I think they're in a pretty good position," Bonham said.
"The event . . . came off very well, and they delivered a very high
level of value for Shell. My guess is, Shell executives would probably
act as a reference for the Grand Prix." He added, "I suggest their
reason (for withdrawal) has less to do with value they got from the
event and more to do with internal issues at the company." Frew said
Shell informed him that the company "wants to catch its breath after
its absorption of Texaco."
5/24/03
Increased security will delay Gordon
Recent increased national security has thrown into limbo Robby
Gordon's plans for transportation between Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and Lowe's Motor Speedway Sunday for the Double. At the moment, the
FAA has banned any helicopter flights into and out of either speedway
for one hour before and after the race. As a result, plans are being
made for Gordon to golf cart out of Indianapolis Motor Speedway via a
police escort to his rental car parked nearby, from where he will
continue to the Indianapolis airport with the police escort. He will
fly from Indianapolis to the Concord airport, where he will jump into
a van led by a police escort into Lowe's Motor Speedway. Final plans
will not be determined until Sunday morning. Gordon will practice the
#31 Cingular Wireless Chevy Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway and then
host a Double Duty fans' barbecue dinner at Team Gordon before
departing Concord for Indianapolis at 6:30pm/et Saturday. RCR PR
5/24/03
Brooke says racing safe In a
court filing in her divorce suit, Brooke Gordon says her husband,
Jeff, is not entitled to more than 50 percent of their marital assets
because his job is a safe one. "Husband's contention that his
voluntary occupation as a NASCAR race driver should entitle him to
more than 50 percent of the net assets ... is not only legally but
also factually unwarranted," said the filing posted Friday on the Web
site thesmokinggun.com. "Moreover, NASCAR is safer ... than the
husband contends." The filing cites U.S. Department of Labor
statistics and other sources listing occupations in such industries as
construction and commercial fishing as being more dangerous and saying
that workers in those occupations have not been awarded larger
portions of marital estates in Florida.
ThatsRacin.com
5/24/03
Stewart against banking at Homestead Winston
Cup champion Tony Stewart, who has won two of the four Cup races at
Homestead Miami Speedway, says the upcoming project to add banking to
the flat track is unnecessary. "We ran two and three wide at times
down there last year," Stewart said. "I don't understand track owners.
They always have to copy somebody else's place, and they think they
have to reinvent the wheel."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5/24/03
Another outbreak of SARS in Toronto Just
when it looked as though SARS was under control in Toronto,
there's been another major outbreak with Toronto health officials
reporting that there have recently been 20 new cases of SARS
discovered there. However, there are no travel warnings to
Toronto, just precautions that travelers be smart about avoiding
people who appear to have symptoms and watch who you shake hands with. Mark C.
5/24/03
Will the stench of corruption continue?
A reader writes, Dear AR1, With last year's ludicrous 500 and the
aftermath "awarding Team Penske" it's quid pro quo" for joining the
IRL and taking the Japanese manufacturers away from CART, and
last week's Freedom 100 farce with Ed Carpenter, many fans are
wondering if favoritism and nepotism will be replaced by honor and
integrity. While controversy has never been a stranger to Indy
(remember 1963 and 1981?) it is hoped that some semblance of integrity
will be restored lest the remaining fans "hold their noses" and
finally desert this once great motorsports institution.
Mordichai Rosen, LA, California Dear Mordichai, While
it appears blatant to many outsiders, there is no way to prove if
there is favoritism and nepotism in the IRL. Like the so-called NASCAR
"The Call" no one has ever been able to prove it. It just
happens that way. For example, if Michael Andretti wins on
Sunday, everyone will say he got The Call from the IRL and was
given a "special" rev limiter as a reward for leaving CART,
badmouthing CART on his way out, and going to the IRL. They will also think the Green
team got The Call for having the race taken away from them in
last year's controversial finish. And last, they will think Honda too
was part of The Call for having been cheated out of a win at
Indy when Scott Goodyear passed the pace car at Indy in the early
90's. Based on that, Andretti has three "Calls" coming his way and
should win the Indy 500, his last race, which will bring the IRL much
needed big headlines. We shall see. Mark C.
5/24/03
George's IRL plan went awry
This AP
article says, Tony George founded the Indy Racing League with
the idea of providing a low-cost oval series that would showcase
American drivers. That mission seems to have veered off course heading
into Sunday's Indianapolis 500, which will have a bunch of big-money
teams and foreign drivers contending for a trip to Victory Lane. "The
look of the IRL is definitely a lot different than it was two or three
years ago,' said Ron Hemelgarn, one of the few remaining owners who's
been there since the beginning. "There's a lot of new faces.' In many
ways, the IRL has morphed into CART, the series so loathed by George
that he decided to start his own circuit in 1996. Sure, George's
upstart league has brought CART to its knees during a bitter,
seven-year struggle for control of open-wheel racing. But at what
cost? Most of CART's top car owners, including Roger Penske and Chip
Ganassi, defected to the IRL in the past two years. They brought along
talented foreign drivers such as two-time Indy 500 champion Helio
Castroneves, a Brazilian. Meanwhile, IRL teams that used to get by on
a shoestring budget have been put out of business. Foreign drivers
hold down half of the regular jobs on the circuit. The
homegrown-to-foreign ratio is better in the Indy 500, which managed to
fill its 33-car lineup with mostly American drivers on one- race
deals. Former IRL regulars such as Alex Barron and Billy Boat are
among those who hope to use those 500 miles to improve their job
prospects. "It's extremely tough,' Barron said. "I've just got to do
the best I can. If a good result happens, maybe something will come
up.' [Editor's Note: Talk to Jim Guthrie, the IRL's first
poster boy and find out how he feels about the IRL today. He and a lot
of other drivers and team owners must feel used and betrayed by Tony
George and the IRL. They were good enough when the IRL needed them,
but now they are cast aside like yesterday's newspapers.]
5/24/03
Cheever - "I'm in trouble"
Eddie Cheever said he suspects Chevy is "angry and embarrassed" by
Toyota and Honda taking the first 17 positions on the grid. "I'm
hoping they are," he said. "I hope they find that American grit and
fight back with a vengeance. If they don't, I'm in trouble."
Psst, Eddie - it's only going to get worse as time goes on. As
Toyota and Honda battle each other, Chevy will fall further and
further behind.
5/24/03
Teams can use tire warmers at Indy Although
temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s at race time, fans
won't see a repeat of the 1992 race when cold tires caused a number of
crashes. The IRL is allowing teams to use tire warmers for the first
time. F1 uses them and now the IRL. CART is still
procrastinating over them.
5/24/03
More debate over Foyt IV Everyone
but AJ himself thinks Foyt IV is not ready for the big leagues.
Now IRL supporter and announcer Scott Goodyear chimes in - "I said at
the end of last season, before I even knew about Foyt moving up, that
everyone in the Pro Series needed to return for another year,"
Goodyear said. "They all needed more experience with rear-engine cars
with this kind of downforce."
Keep your eye on this young American Jonathan
Bomarito... this young man is one to watch ... a true "natural" ... We
have been quiet about Jonathan Bomarito for a while on purpose ...
However, we can assure you, knowing eyes have been on him ever since
he won the first CART Stars of Tomorrow program by beating AJ
Allmendinger and everyone else ... He tested the Champ Car with AJ for
Team Rahal in 2000 and is beginning to show the world what he can do
in race cars with wings and shocks ... The USA F2000 Zetec
Championship has as one of it's competitors, Westley Barber, last
years dominant winner of the British F2000 Zetec Championship ... one
of Europe's highly touted lads ... The rest of the Lime Rock weekend
should be interesting. As of this writing, Jonathan sits second in
points, having run a close second to Barber in the opening rounds at
Sebring, where Barber's team, Cape Motorsports, has many miles of
testing. When the teams hit Phoenix for a Zetec West event recently,
it was Jonathan Bomarito who served notice to Cape and Barber by
besting him in both events ... This should make for a very interesting
and competitive F2000 Zetec Championship Season! Jonathan
Bomarito, of Monterey, Calif., captured the pole for Round Three of
the 2003 Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship at Lime Rock Park.
Completing the top-three is Lawson Aschenbach, of Gaithersburg, Md.,
and Westley Barber, of Saffron Walden, England. The top ACC qualifier
is Chris Dona, of Sandown, N.H. On a dry track in overcast conditions,
the Zetec Championship took to the Lime Rock road course for the first
time since 1994. Early in the 20-minute session, the cars worked on
getting heat in the tires, with times steadily dropping. By the midway
point of the session, Bomarito, driving the No. 23 Valley Financial
PR1 Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, had moved to the top of the charts.
Soon after Bomarito had posted the fastest time, Aschenbach, driving
the No. 2 King Automotive/M&M Welding Cape Motorsports Van Diemen
Ford, jumped to the top of the charts, with his teammate, Barber,
driving the No. 3 Cape Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, moving into
second. As the session progressed, the trio repeatedly swapped the
fastest lap. Late in the session, Bomarito retook the pole position
with a lap faster than the previous lap record. At the checkered flag,
Bomarito had captured the pole position for Saturday’s race one of the
doubleheader with a new lap record of 0:49.810 (110.580 MPH). The pole
position is the second of his career in five starts. "I’m very
surprised I got the pole,” said Bomarito, who is second in the
Championship. “The team did a fantastic job giving me car that was
comfortable to drive fast. I think the race will be real exciting.”
Qualifying times for Saturday's 32-lap, 48.960-mile Round Three race
at Lime Rock Park, with qualifying position, driver, hometown, car,
time and speed in miles-per-hour.
1. (23), Jonathan Bomarito(R), Monterey, Calif., F2A Van Diemen
Ford,0:49.810, 110.580.
2. (2), Lawson Aschenbach, Gaithersburg, Md., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.120,109.896.
3. (3), Westley Barber(R), Saffron Walden, England, F2A Van Diemen
Ford,0:50.136, 109.861.
4. (25), Andrew Prendeville(R), Morristown, N.J., F2A Van Diemen
Ford,0:50.217, 109.684.
5. (86), Andy Brumbaugh, Blythewood, S.C., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.220,109.677.
6. (24), Doug Prendeville(R), Morristown, N.J., F2A Van Diemen
Ford,0:50.247, 109.618.
7. (9), Tonis Kasemets, Mundelein, Ill., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.248,109.616.
8. (8), Craig Baltzer(R), Bettendorf, Iowa, F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.285,109.535.
9. (91), Charlie Kimball(R), Camarillo, Calif., F2A Van Diemen
Ford,0:50.295, 109.513.
10. (7), Steve Welk(R), Franklin, Wis., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.519,109.028.
11. (6), Matt McDonough, West Newbury, Mass., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.600,108.853.
12. (12), James Gue, Alpheretta, Ga., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:50.735,108.564.
13. (19), Chris Festa(R), Atlanta, Ga., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:51.037,107.921.
14. (97), Dustin Hodges, St Charles, Mo., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:51.184,107.611.
15. (28), Adam Pecorari(R), Aston, Pa., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:51.260,107.452.
16. (37), Chris Dona(R), Sandown, N.H., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
0:51.592,106.760.
17. (13), Douglas Kniffin(R), Syosset, N.Y., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
0:52.554,104.806.
18. (44), Doug Smith, Plantation, Fla., F2A Van Diemen Ford,
0:53.389,103.167.
19. (96), Mark Cruz, Landing, N.J., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 0:53.426,
103.095.
20. (95), Alan D. Guibord(R), Bedford, N.H., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
0:53.453,103.043.
21. (27), Ira Fierberg, Manhattan Beach, Calif., F2A Van Diemen
Ford,0:53.505, 102.943.
22. (90), Bob Wright, Old Chatham, N.Y., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
0:53.770,102.436.
23. (18), John Levy(R), Newton, Mass., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
0:54.429,101.196.
24. (36), Erick Hansen(R), Grayslake, Ill., ACC Van Diemen Ford,
0:54.701,100.692.
25. (58), Andy Chu, Beltsville, Md., ACC Van Diemen Ford, 0:54.743,
100.615.
26. (94), Alan R. Guibord(R), Southport, Conn., ACC Van Diemen
Ford,0:56.677, 97.182.
5/24/03
Interest in Indy 500 has stalled,
announcers 2nd rate This
Harrisburg, NC Ledger
article says, Ever since open-wheel racing split into two
groups -- the IRL and CART -- the Indy 500 has been much like a
wishbone being tugged at from two sides. In the end, something has to
give, and it is clear now that what was once the premier racing event
in the U.S. and arguably the most important race in the world has been
the victim. When Tony George started the IRL, the only thing that gave
the series any credibility, the only thing that attracted teams and
drivers, was the fact that it was built around the Indy 500. The
surest way to get in Indy was to run the IRL series, which had
different specifications for its cars and engines than CART. At first,
the fratricidal split in open-wheel competition seemed not to affect
Indy, which was of such magnitude that even with many top drivers,
specifically those in CART, now out, it simply moved on. But
underneath all the glitter and glamour and prestige, the Indy 500 is
in trouble. The wishbone was beginning to crack. For a while, it
inexorably rolled on, like the tide. But at some point even the tide
turns. It stops, and then retreats. And the Indy 500 is in full
retreat now. It is certainly not the most important race in the world
anymore and the Daytona 500 has probably surpassed it as the biggest
race in the U.S. Heck, it may not even be the biggest race this
weekend, with Charlotte's Coca-Cola 600 to run here at Lowe's Motor
Speedway, mounting a strong challenge. This is what the once-proud
Indy 500 has come to:
A frantic, last-minute scramble just to
make sure it had enough entries to fill the 33-car field.
Drivers few people have heard of. There
are a few, like Robby Gordon and Michael Andretti, but it's nothing
like the glory days of an A.J. Foyt, the Unsers, Andrettis and Mears.
Virtually empty stands for qualifying and
Sunday's bump day, in which cars already in the field can be knocked
out by challengers not in the race. The problem was that there were no
challengers because everybody was in the race.
For the first time in memory, the
probability that the race will not sell out. In another first, the
track is advertising tickets for sale.
If there hadn't been rain, there would
have been more people in the stands Thursday night for Winston Cup
qualifying than there were at Indy, and Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 will be
a sellout, although Indy, with its 250,000 seats, will still have a
larger crowd. And over at ABC, which televises the Indy 500, they have
gotten desperate to attract viewers. Last Sunday, ABC's Dan Jenkins
ripped the print media for downgrading the race and proceeded to
defend it by making a number of useless points like the fact that so
far this season, there has only been one blown engine in IRL
competition, as if that has anything to do with anything. And Jack
Arute also blasted detractors, saying this would be perhaps the most
competitive race ever and that it was still the holy grail of
motorsports. But the Indy 500 has slipped, and badly, and if it is not
yet second rate, it certainly has second-rate announcers.
5/24/03 Industry News
NJ forms panel to study auto racing
Maybe too late, the state has decided to take the initiative in
possibly bringing a motorsports facility to New Jersey. At one time it
was believed that if Gov. Christie Whitman would have reached out to
motorspeedway developer O. Bruton Smith, there might be a Sports
Entertainment District in Cumberland County right now. But that didn't
happen and all attempts up and down the state to bring in even a
smaller version of racing have failed. Now Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew,
D-1st Dist., is getting involved by proposing an 11-member Assembly
Task Force on Motorsports. The resolution is co-sponsored by
Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo of the 29th District. According to Van
Drew, the resolution calls for a broad overview and study of
motorsports and how they would affect the economy and tourism of the
state, as well as the practical application on infrastructure and
local government concerns. Most motorsport diehards believe there is
room in the state for both a NASCAR-type facility as well as a smaller
venue for racing. The resolution does not differentiate between the
two and does not target a specific area. It stresses that,
"Motorsports are a fast-growing spectator sport with a nationwide
annual attendance of more than 10 million, and New Jersey has a long
history of motorsports-type activity and a limited number and type of
motorsports as well as a limited number of locations for motorsports
activities." The proposed task force would consist of 11 members
appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, six members
appointed from the Assembly (no more than three from either political
party) and five members from the public who have an interest or
expertise in motor sports. Donald Fauerbach, executive director of the
New Jersey Conference of Mayors, said that the measure was a long time
coming. Currently, there are no proposals for such a facility in
Cumberland County, since the Manhattan-based Five Partners Asset
Management LLC, headed by Joseph Cayre withdrew its bid. Fauerbach's
reference to 1997 -- Jan. 28, 1997 to be exact -- was the first time
NASCAR racetrack developer Smith -- who built Texas Speedway -- came
to South Jersey. The quest -- the first in this area -- was in
Galloway at that time. For there, it moved to the Hamilton Mall area
and eventually to Cumberland County. At the same time, the Meadowlands
became the new hot spot for a major racing facility, seemingly
knocking Cumberland County out of the box. A study was commissioned,
but the plan never found favor with the horsemen and those who wanted
more shopping development.
Bridgeton News
5/23/03
F1 calendar can expand if teams paid
Formula One's team principals are split over whether to accept an
informal proposal to expand the calendar to 20 races. Bernie
Ecclestone wants to increase the calendar from its present 16 grands
prix to accommodate new races in China, Bahrain, and possibly Russia,
Turkey, and others. The 72-year-old has reportedly also told Austrian
and Belgian race organizers, plus officials at the under-threat Imola
event (Italy), that their chances of retaining F1 will increase if the
teams accept his plan. Ron Dennis (McLaren) and Sir Frank Williams
offered a lukewarm reception to the plan warning that it will only
cost struggling F1 teams even more money. But Minardi chief Paul
Stoddart says he'll accept the proposal if Bernie ensures teams are
'paid for it.' 'I would accept 20 races as long as the teams are
paid,' he said. 'It costs a lot of money, extra races.' The Australian
also said extra races should maintain the pattern of two weeks apart
on the calendar. 'What I don't like are back to back races,' he said.
'It's a hard enough and fast enough life without them.'
F1Central
5/23/03
McLaren sets debut date for new car
McLaren's new Formula One car is likely to make its race debut in the
European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring on June 29, according to the
team's managing director Martin Whitmarsh. "There is a target to go
racing at the European Grand Prix but we will manage the risk by
making the decision nearer the date," he told BBC radio on Friday. The
new MP4-18 made its first track appearance this week at the Le
Castellet circuit in southern France with Austrian Alexander Wurz at
the wheel.
5/23/03
Daytona Hospital Trauma Surgeons to
Walk Off Jobs on June 1 On
Thursday, Volusia County medical officials and Daytona International
Speedway executives considered ways they will seek treatment for
critically injured patients without Halifax Medical Center's six
trauma surgeons, who say they'll walk off their job on June 1. The
doctors are doing this to protest what they called impossibly high
costs of malpractice insurance. If Halifax's trauma center, the only
one of its kind in Volusia and Flagler counties, were to be
unavailable, seriously injured persons would likely have to be
airlifted to Orlando, Jacksonville, Melbourne or Tampa for treatment,
officials said. Daytona plays host to the NASCAR's Pepsi 400 on July
5. Having access to emergency care during the racing weekend is
crucial, said David Holcombe, NASCAR's director of risk management.
Volusia County officials are fearful that the extra time spent
airlifting patients to alternative centers would both prove too costly
and overburden the emergency rooms in other cities. Dr. David Ramshaw,
one of Halifax's trauma surgeons, said doctors were also disturbed by
the scenario, but feel they have no other choice. "It's not that we
don't want to handle these patients," Ramshaw said. "We'll continue to
see patients and do the best we can to take care of them."
Sarasota Herald Tribune
5/23/03
Limited number of tickets
available for 500 celebration A limited amount of tickets
are still available for the Indianapolis 500 Victory
Celebration that will take place May 26, the day after the
87th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The Indianapolis 500 Victory
Celebration will start at 4 p.m. (EST) May 26 at the Indiana
Roof Ballroom, 140 W. Washington St. in Indianapolis. Tickets
are $75 per person or $750 for a table of 10. Seating is
limited and subject to availability. For more information or
to purchase tickets, call Mary Jo Corson at the Speedway’s
ticket office at (317) 492-6709. Speedway officials are
encouraging those interesting in purchasing tickets to place
orders before Race Day, May 25. All 33 drivers in the starting
field for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will receive
their awards during the Victory Celebration, with special
salutes to the winning driver and team. Other awards will be
presented, including the Bank One Indianapolis 500 Rookie of
the Year and the Scott Brayton Driver’s Trophy. The
celebration will be broadcast from 8-10 p.m. (EST) May 26 on
Indianapolis CBS affiliate WISH-TV Channel 8 and also will be
broadcast from 8:30-10:30 p.m. (EDT) May 27 on ESPN2.
5/23/03
Sponsor woes haunt Indy 500 This
AP
article says, Sponsors once paid top dollar for
exposure in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, but these days,
the Indy Racing League and the speedway are no longer at the
front of the pack. A tough sponsorship market blamed on the
slow economy, rising racing costs and the IRL's split with the
rival CART series is leaving some drivers feeling more like
beggars than racers. Sarah Fisher and George Mack have made
inroads into a sport traditionally dominated by white males —
Fisher as the third woman ever to compete at the Indianapolis
500, Mack as the second black competitor. But this year,
Fisher has spent as much time knocking on prospective
sponsors' doors as she has racing, and Mack hasn't raced at
all.......Racing industry analysts trace the problems to the
1996 IRL-CART split, which left the rival open-wheel series
competing for the same pot of money. It also drove away fans
and hurt TV ratings, damaging open-wheel racing's
attractiveness to sponsors while NASCAR's popularity surged.
The slow-to-rebound economy has made matters worse. "When you
have a driver like Sarah Fisher whose story is as good as hers
is, and still they can't get a full-season sponsor for her, I
think that speaks loudly about the trouble the IRL is having
and open-wheel racing is having," said Bill King, motorsports
writer for Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal.....When
the IRL was formed, one of the key missions was to keep costs
reasonable. DeBord estimates the cost of fielding an IRL car
at $5.5-million to $7.5-million per season — about double the
level three years ago. The cost has increased in part because
some teams from the more expensive, high-technology CART
series have moved to the IRL, bringing with them bigger
sponsorships and greater spending, he said.....The costs are
scaring away small businesses that have traditionally
sponsored IRL teams and racers, said Jonathan Byrd II, general
manager of Jonathan Byrd Cafeteria. Last year, the banquet and
food business based in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood
ended an Indy team sponsorship that dated to 1985. "What you
could do for $3-million in 1996 and 1997 you can't do
anymore," Byrd said......NASCAR, meanwhile, is second only to
the NFL in network television ratings for sports events, and
stock car racing commands a far bigger TV audience than the
IRL and CART, fuelling greater sponsorship demand. "We're very
pleased with where we are with the sponsorship situation,
given the economy," said Terrence Burns, NASCAR's consumer
communications director. In open-wheel racing, the sponsorship
struggle has left many teams feeling helpless, including the
IRL's low-budget PDM Racing and driver Jimmy Kite. "We're an
American team with an American driver with a
red-white-and-blue car, and there's got to be somebody out
there who wants to be part of the greatest spectacle in motor
racing," team owner Paul Diatlovich said. "When the economy
was good, money was hard to come by. Now, it's next to
impossible."
5/23/03
Montoya fastest at Paul Ricard
Day 4
Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tires Time Laps
1 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW M 1m32.307s 69
2 Alex Wurz McLaren-Mercedes M 1m33.566s 30*
3 Marc Gene Williams-BMW M 1m34.059s 65
4 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes M 1m34.099s 74*
5 Ricardo Zonta Toyota M 1m36.218s 62
* Wurz in MP4-18, de la Rosa in MP4-17D
5/23/03
Indy 500's power to fill stands
fading This Hoosier Times
article says, If you'll pardon the slang, the crowds
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ain't what they used to be.
To be sure, the race Sunday will host the world's single
biggest one-day sports crowd this year, around 300,000. But in
a development that veteran fans might find unthinkable, the
event that for half a century has been a sellout still has
tickets available. And at the track — not just from the
scalpers prowling 16th Street and Georgetown Road. By 11 a.m.
Sunday, the scalpers will be unloading their ducats at below
face value. In the 1960s, the Indianapolis 500 Pole Day
qualifications would attract 200,000 people. Now, even on a
beautiful day, 20,000 come. The prerace Carburetion Day and
Pit Stop Competition events the Thursday before the race would
pull 75,000. Not any more. Judging crowds spread across half a
square mile of real estate is a tricky business, but in
perfect weather Thursday, there might have been half that
many. And from a veteran self-described "gearhead" fan to an
Indy vice president to Roger Penske, the racing legend whose
drivers and cars have won 12 Indy 500s, all cite the same
reasons:
The recession.
Fierce competition for folks'
sports and entertainment dollars.
Other races than the Indy 500 at
the fabled track.
And what has come to be known
simply as "The Split."
The Split is the infamous division
of IndyCar racing in 1996 between the Championship Auto Racing
Teams series, or CART, and Indy owner Tony George's fledgling
Indy Racing League, the IRL. It divided more than teams,
drivers and even racing families. It divided fans, TV
audiences and the corporate sponsors whose megabucks fuel the
sport. That's what fan Bill Fender said Thursday he thought
was the No. 1 source of declining crowds at Indy. Fender, 53,
of Greenville in southeastern Indiana, has been coming to the
race since 1968. He was surveying things from the top row of
the stands just below the open-air press building balcony
Thursday, clenching a can of Miller Lite — the new "Official
Beer" of the 500. "I don't know; I guess it all goes back to
The Split," he said when asked why he thinks fewer and fewer
fans are showing up. He doesn't buy the recession argument,
noting, "It's cheap to come out today, $10. It's easy." He
said The Split divided the sport and drove off fans and
sponsors — and the sponsors bring fans. For example, Penske
had said just an hour earlier that his sponsors, most notably
Marlboro, brought 5,000 people to Indy last year. Fender said
the IRL may have won the battle with CART for supremacy but
lost the war for sports fans' money and attention.
5/23/03
Indy 500 a melting pot of best
drivers? This ESPN.com
article says, Thirteen of Sunday's 33 starters for the
87th Indianapolis 500 are foreign-born -- including six of the
fastest seven qualifiers. Ditto for five of the last six Indy
winners, even though '98 champ Eddie Cheever spent most of his
childhood in Italy after being born in Arizona. There are six
Brazilians, four Californians and nobody from Indiana, which
boasts the most (seven) Indy winners in history. Graduates
from the midget and sprint-car ranks have three
representatives as the rest of the lineup is comprised of road
racers. The last true American oval-tracker to pull into
Victory Lane here was Al Unser in 1987. Foreigners are
flourishing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which doesn't
play real well with many of the Indy Racing League faithful,
but it's a trend that began back in the mid-60s and
immediately raised Indy's international profile. "Look how
much better The Masters is with all the world-class golfers
and the same thing happened here when (Jimmy) Clark, (Jackie)
Stewart, (Graham) Hill and (Jochen) Rindt came to
Indianapolis," said Mario Andretti, who conquered both worlds
by winning Indy in 1969 and the Formula One title in 1978.
"Indianapolis should be a melting pot for talent. You
want to compete against the best." That was the case in the
mid-80s when two-time F1 champ Emerson Fittipaldi became an
Indy-car regular. F1 kings Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell
also competed at Indianapolis in the early '90s, with Mansell
capturing the '93 CART championship. By 1995, only USAC midget
star Stan Fox managed to crack the lineup at Indy, as road
racers dominated the rest of the field. When open-wheel racing
split in 1996, IRL founder Tony George made a lot of noise
about restoring the American midget and sprint racer to Indy's
landscape. And seven Yankee oval-trackers graced the '96
field.
5/23/03
Ron Dennis slams Fuel Rigs
McLaren boss Ron Dennis has slammed F1 fuel rig makers
Intertechnique as "appalling". When asked if Intertechnique
were proactive in sorting problems, Dennis told Autosport
magazine: "They are, to be honest, appalling. "Most of the
efforts to optimize the equipment have been made by the teams
and the FIA. "We realized a long time ago that the right way
to get the best out of these systems was to take the
responsibility ourselves." Dennis added that the fire which
struck Schumacher should not have been possible because of
fail-safe devices on the rigs. He said: "What you had there
was something that technically shouldn’t be able to happen."
5/23/03
Tracy still feels he won last
year's Indy 500UPDATE
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I saw the article mentioned in
"Tracy still feels he won last year's Indy 500 This AP article
says, A year has gone by, but Paul Tracy's version of events
has not changed. He still believes he won the Indianapolis
500..." I immediately tried, in vain, to contact Mr. Eddie Pells at the AP ( he was the author of the article). I wanted
to be sure he realized his article had a few facts that were
incorrect. The most important was this: "The process took five
weeks and, after each step, IRL vice president of operations
Brian Barnhart and, finally, IRL president Tony George came to
the same conclusion: Castroneves was ahead when the yellow
came out, and therefore, his victory should stand." Not true
Mr. Pells, there was NEVER a review of the facts. The final
decision that was made was that the race day decision could
not be appealed. Mr. Pells, your implication that Tony and
Brian, reviewed the evidence and made a decision is blatantly
FALSE. Can anyone from AR1, contact the AP and try to set Mr.
Pells straight? Gary Shell Dear Gary, We will
send Mr. Pell the article AR1 wrote on this topic, The Unappealable
Appeal, George reigns in George-Town. 5/23/03
- This AP
article says, A year has gone by, but Paul Tracy's
version of events has not changed. He still believes he won
the Indianapolis 500 on the track and lost it in a boardroom.
Last year's disputed runner-up insists it doesn't bother him.
"What can I do about it, other than move on?" he said. Yet
there is a distinct sense that, for Tracy, this chapter will
never quite be closed. Tracy considers himself, not Helio
Castroneves, the 2002 champion, even though "I don't have the
trophy or the money to prove it." He no longer drives for
owner Barry Green, who spent thousands of dollars in a
five-week appeal that brought nothing for him and Tracy.
Still, life and racing moves on. Green sold his team to
Michael Andretti, who moved it to IRL this year. Tracy drives
for Gerry Forsythe and is tied for first in the Championship
Auto Racing Teams standings through five races. He won the
first three events of the season. Although this is an open
week in CART, Tracy is not racing this week at Indy, the rival
IRL's showcase event. In fact, while Castroneves is going for
his third straight victory Sunday, Tracy will be on an
airplane, somewhere between his home in Las Vegas and Toronto.
He won't watch the race. Of course, in his mind, the most
intriguing action isn't always on the oval. "There were a lot
of wheels in motion" last year, Tracy said. "There are a lot
of politics in racing." .....The IRL said it was Castroneves.
Tracy and Green protested the decision and then appealed it.
The process took five weeks and, after each step, IRL vice
president of operations Brian Barnhart and, finally, IRL
president Tony George came to the same conclusion: Castroneves
was ahead when the yellow came out, and therefore, his victory
should stand. Tracy insists there is indisputable evidence
that shows otherwise. "But the video evidence is all property
of Indy Motor Speedway," Tracy said. "There's a lot of that
stuff there that will never be seen." For a number of reasons
-- especially because Tracy drives for CART and Castroneves
drives for IRL -- Tracy speculates the IRL overlooked
compelling evidence to make sure their guy won. As they have
all along, IRL officials call Tracy's claims hogwash. "There
are no such thing as backdoor deals," IRL spokesman John
Griffin said. "That's totally ridiculous." Griffin said
Barnhart's judgment has always been impeccable. "Brian's
well-respected by practically everyone in this garage area,"
Griffin said. Apparently, Tracy isn't on that list.
5/23/03
ABC taking steps to halt Indy
500 plunge This USA Today
article says, Everything shouldn't be a popularity
contest. Because if it were, it'd be hard to get past the
obvious trend involving the Indianapolis 500 and television:
The race has lost much of its appeal. ABC's Indy 500 coverage
drew an average of 4.8% of U.S. TV households last year.
That's less than half the rating, 10.9%, it drew a decade
before. And the Indy 500 actually was lapped by Fox's
Coca-Cola 600, a NASCAR race in only its second year on
broadcast TV. The Winston Cup race ran on the same day as the
Indy event and ended up with a slightly better rating, 5.1%.
The pair will face off again Sunday, with ABC's 39th
consecutive year of coverage from Indianapolis leading off at
11 a.m. ET. And Bob Goodrich, who first worked on ABC's Indy
coverage as a gofer in 1970 and has produced the broadcast
since 1985, says the network will counter with new production
wrinkles. They include:
• During cautions, viewers will see a flashing yellow light
that's keyed to the same electronic system that flashes a
yellow light on drivers' dashboards. Says Goodrich, "That will
instantaneously tell viewers when there's a problem."
• Reporters will tag along with three race teams — ABC's Jack
Arute with Team Penske, Gary Gerould with Andretti Green and
Vince Welch with Kelley Racing — from the time they leave
their hotels about dawn until the race begins.
• Owner Tom Kelley will be miked throughout the race. He was
bound to get extra attention anyway: Former president George
Bush will be attending the race as his guest.
• On-screen graphics will be changed to include more
information. "Quite honestly, the modern-day viewer is
flipping around all the time," Goodrich says. "My goal is for
flippers to not have to wait more than a couple minutes to
find out about their favorite driver."
• ABC, whose cameras include 24 in cars and two embedded in
track turns, will add a roving handheld camera in the stands
for crowd reaction.
[Editor's Note: What this author
and the IRL fail to realize is that although ABC's telecast
may get better, if the fans don't tune in to watch because
they no longer care about the sport, what good is it?
The only thing the IRL and ABC can hope for is bad weather
across the country so no one leaves their homes for holiday
weekend picnics and sits in front of the TV all day Sunday.
They also had better hope Annika Sorenstam misses the cut
today for the final two rounds of the PGA tournament. If
she makes the cut, she can have a major impact on the 500
ratings.]
5/23/03
Indy 500, a pathetic paradoxUPDATE
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I can absolutely confirm that piece
was indeed written by THE Robin Miller - not only did I see a
copy of the original with his headshot and byline, he appeared
on the front cover of the paper (an Indy local alternative
free weekly). Name withheld by request
5/21/03 - This Nuvo
article by a Robin Miller (we do not know if it is the
same Robin Miller of ESPN fame. We suspect it's an
imposter, but whoever it is, they really hammer the man who
brings his hammer to work everyday. Tony George says "In the
land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” Is this an old
Arab proverb or the new marketing slogan for the Indy Racing
League and the few hundred people who still refuse to admit
what they’re really seeing this month at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway? Because, even if you’re just
a tad bit realistic, you must acknowledge that the 87th
Indianapolis 500 is a pathetic paradox in almost every way.
Tony “We’re Right Where We Need To Be” George’s so-called
“vision” is a laughable hoax that’s even left some of the IRL
hardliners blinking in disbelief. There are barely enough cars
for the “greatest spectacle in racing,” qualifying required
four laps instead of speed, Bump Day lost its soul and the IRL’s supposed mantra was exposed as a fraud. Let’s start with
the IRL’s BS premise from 1994. Because George
supposedly despised CART’s engine leases, foreign
manufacturers, greedy car owners, escalating costs, road
racers and had concerns about preserving Indy’s integrity, he
started his own series. And, in the process, killed the
Indianapolis 500 by guaranteeing 25 of the 33 spots for his
followers and bringing in Racin Gardner and Bronco Brad
Murphey to replace Andretti, Unser, Rahal, Sullivan, Tracy and
Fittipaldi. Fast forward to May of 2003. Honda and
Toyota left CART and have literally taken over the IRL.
They’ve won every race so far, led almost every lap, own all
but one of the top teams and are kicking Chevrolet’s behind up
and down 16th Street. General Motors claims it’s coming back
in 2004, but who in the hell is going to want them? Maybe Fred Treadway, Brad Calkins, Larry Cahill, 310 Racing or Curb
Motorsports. Oh, that’s right: All those old IRL teams dropped
out this year because they couldn’t afford the new IRL. Thirty
of the 33 starters are road racers, 28 with direct ties to
CART, while only three drivers came from the midget and
sprint-car ranks, which George vowed to return to prominence
here with his league. Young USAC stars like J.J. Yeley, Tracy
Hines and Boston Reid are looking to join Jeff Gordon, Tony
Stewart and Jason Leffler in NASCAR because, obviously,
there’s no place for them in the IRL unless they bring money.
Or become George’s relative. Of course Donnie Beechler, a
36-time IRL starter, was at the track but couldn’t get a
silver badge to get into the pits to chase a ride until the
second week of practice. “They made me feel like I had never
been here before,” he said. While Beechler was treated
like an outsider, the IRL can’t quit gushing about how
wonderful it is to have Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Bobby
Rahal and Michael Andretti in “The League.” All those owners
George hated and feared are now part of his extended family.
Penske and Ganassi can’t spew enough praise on George’s
vision. And some of those phony announcers who hated Juan
Montoya in 2000 are now gung-ho about interviewing Tora Takagi
or Scott Dixon or any number of those evil foreigners from
CART. Ah, but I digress. Because of the IRL’s new cars this
season and new partners, we have a more expensive IRL that is
sadly short of functioning teams. The month’s top storyline
was whether there would be enough cars for the traditional 11
rows of three. The IRL party line from Baghdad Bob (aka Fred
Nation) is that the Enron scandal, the Lakers losing, Conseco
stock, SARS, the end of Friends and chuckholes on Georgetown
Road are responsible for the lack of cars in Gasoline Alley.
Barnhart’s new battle cry was “quality not quantity,” which
naturally played well with the IRL minions. But many
old-timers and people with a true passion for what Indy means
were gagging about the loss of excitement and commitment on
Bump Day. Bump Day became an insult to any driver who ever
hung his butt out to make the show or died trying. There were
nine cars for nine spots and IMS only wanted to fill the
field. It didn’t dare want to take a chance on knocking out
Sarah or one of A.J.’s cars. But, hell, just because nobody
got bumped didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy all the rock and
roll music being played behind the Gondola (The Star’s term
for the Pagoda in a 2002 story) or blaring over the PA system.
Some misguided dork with a marketing degree actually thinks
Cracker is going to bring all the fans back from the mid-’90s
or that “Art In Motion” (the IMS ad campaign for 2003) is
somehow going to inspire new, sophisticated customers.
The only thing lamer than the IMS marketing department is
CART’s, but in the name of Bill Vukovich this is the greatest
racetrack in the world. PROMOTE THE DARN DRIVERS!!! Or the
still-bargain prices of practice ($5) and qualifying ($10). Just as
sickening to traditionalists was the Infiniti Pro Series debut this
month. A handful of under-powered shit boxes droning around Indy so
Tony’s stepson can get some headlines? Indy was special because it was
Indy cars. What’s next, figure 8’s on opening day? It’s all too
depressing. George is a 100 percent hypocrite because the IRL has
morphed into CART and he didn’t give a fiddler’s f&%# about American drivers, IRL
loyalty or preserving anything resembling tradition. Tom
Carnegie is announcing hot dog eating contests instead of new
track records. Ticket demand continues to drop, but IMS is
raising prices next year. Fill Day instead of Bump Day. To
quote a good friend of mine: “It’s over.” And I’m afraid it’s
never coming back.
5/23/03
Salles in, Yoong out at Coyne Gualter
Salles announced today that he will make a return to the CART
series in the next race, at Milwaukee, on May 31st. The
Brazilian driver will compete with Dale Coyne, replacing Alex
Yoong. Yoong took over the Dale Coyne seat from Roberto
Gonzalez for the second round of the championship in
Monterrey, finishing his debut Champ Car race in a solid ninth
position. The news is positive for Gualter Salles who
returns to the series for the first time since 2000. “It´s
great to come back to CART,” Salles said. “I was talking to
Dale since the beginning of the year. I’m sure that is going
to be a wonderful experience to race in such a competitive
series that has great media coverage all over the
world.” Salles will test the car next Tuesday, at Nazareth.
“It will be an important day for me to work on the set up of
the car”, the Brazilian stated. Salles also races at the
Brazilian Stock Car series, on team ‘Golden Cross’, where he
is in fourth position of 32 drivers. “I don’t know what I
will do in the future,” Salles continued. “I’ll probably do
more races on CART series this year, but I intend to stay in
Brazilian Stock Car series, because I’m racing for the title there
and this is very important for me and my sponsors.” Salles drove for Coyne a number of years in the past.
5/23/03
F1 truce close?
Speculation is mounting that a peace deal is close to being
agreed to between Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and the
consortium of manufacturers threatening to form a breakaway
championship in 2008. According to reports in German magazine
Sport Bild, heads of the GPWC – formed of Mercedes, Renault,
BMW, Ford and Ferrari – have agreed to receive 60 percent of
TV revenues from 2008 onwards. They currently receive 47
percent. The GPWC is threatening to start a rival series in
2008 unless it receives more power and, crucially, more money
from the sport. While the initial threat was believed to be
simply that, in recent weeks plans appear to have taken on a
far more serious tone and the chances of a rival series
appeared to become a real possibility. However, the reports
from Germany suggest a breakthrough – paving the way for a new
Concorde Agreement to come into operation when the present one
expires in five years time. Neither side have publicly
commented on the claims.
SportsBusiness.com (Requires Membership)
5/23/03
Penske team signs sponsorship
deal Team
Penske Racing has signed a major sponsorship deal with US
online mortgage lender, Quicken Loans. The deal is a
'multi-tiered marketing and business development agreement'
with Quicken aiming to drive business and brand awareness.
Under the terms of the agreement, Quicken Loans logos will
appear on the Marlboro Team Penske cars in the IRL beginning
with this week's running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
They will need to replace Marlboro eventually and Roger
appears to be starting to find replacements already.
SportsBusiness.com (Requires Membership)
5/23/03
Is the IRL becoming another CART? This
Canadian Press
article says, Tony George founded the Indy Racing League with
the idea of providing a low-cost oval series that would showcase
American drivers. That mission seems to have veered off course heading
into Sunday's Indianapolis 500, which will have a bunch of big-money
teams and foreign drivers contending for a trip to Victory Lane. "The
look of the IRL is definitely a lot different than it was two or three
years ago," said Ron Hemelgarn, one of the few remaining owners who's
been there since the beginning. "There's a lot of new faces." In many
ways, the IRL has morphed into CART, the series so loathed by George
that he decided to start his own circuit in 1996. Sure, George's
upstart league has brought CART to its knees during a bitter,
seven-year struggle for control of open-wheel racing. But at what
cost? Most of CART's top car owners, including Roger Penske and Chip
Ganassi, defected to the IRL in the past two years. They brought along
talented foreign drivers such as two-time Indy 500 champion Helio
Castroneves, a Brazilian. Meanwhile, IRL teams that used to get by on
a shoestring budget have been put out of business. Foreign drivers
hold down half of the regular jobs on the circuit.
5/23/03
Mario Andretti fully supportive of son,
may race again This Sport Ticker
article says, At 63, Mario Andretti appears fit enough to
climb into an Indy car and drive it in Sunday in the 87th Indianapolis
500. But Andretti retired from this race in 1994 and, with the
exception of his return to the cockpit during a test session on April
23 that ended with a spectacular airborne crash, his motorsports
interests are in the pit area. On Thursday, Andretti looked over the
10 race cars that lined the Andretti/Green garages in Gasoline Alley .
If things had turned out differently, one of those cars could have
been his as he was trying to substitute for the injured Tony Kanaan.
"The video had nothing to do with it and I didn't have to announce to
the world what I was doing," Andretti said, referring to footage of
his crash. "It was all impromptu, and if Tony Kanaan had a setback
because of the injury and I would have been needed to step in, I would
have been more than ready to do it. "I needed another compelling
reason to do it. It wouldn't have taken too much to convince me, but I
needed another one."............."It meant more to me than that, how
much I appreciated the opportunity Michael gave to me," Mario said.
"He gave me another life, knowing how much I love the driving. And to
get into my zone again at this stage in my life was more than a gift.
I'm just sorry that it cost a car. At the end of the day, the man
upstairs was looking after me, and that's the main
thing."..........The elder Andretti leaves open the possibility he
could compete in a race or two. And he maintains a keen interest in
driving in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. "Le Mans to me is like Indy right
now, I really enjoy it," Andretti said (Alex Zanardi says he wants to
drive LeMans with Mario).........Now that his son is involved in the
IRL, Mario Andretti's tone has softened a bit, his words not as harsh
as they once were. But his beliefs are strong that two sides working
against each other is the major reason open-wheel racing is falling
off the sports map in the United States. "Nobody is winning anything,"
the elder Andretti said of the costly war between CART and the IRL.
"Right now, in my opinion, it should be all together. I keep saying
this and I maintain it. Going in two different directions like this,
neither organization is winning. Fans are losing and competitors are
losing. It's time to create a win-win situation for everyone. That is
wishful thinking on my part, but I will never stop wishing." And how
does he propose that those wishes come true? "By intelligent minds
sitting down and creating the mind-set for that to happen," Andretti
said. "You have to believe it can be done, and then you can get it
done. The leadership of the two organizations aren't thinking that
way, and that's the problem at the moment that we have to change."
Mario Andretti remembers when Pole Day at the Indianapolis 500 brought
in crowds in excess of 250,000. "Shocked and sad," he said of his
reaction to this year's meager Pole Day crowd. "I'm just saddened. I
love and appreciated what this place stood for and all the people that
have attended. To me, the qualifying days, those were the real fans.
The event, you only have people that go to a race once, like the Super
Bowl and the Kentucky Derby. The real fans were here for qualifying.
Somehow, they aren't here anymore, and that's the part that saddens me
more than anything else in the world." . "I'm really good at night,
I'm very good in the rain. All those things work for me, and if I feel
physically the way I feel today, yes, I'd do Le Mans. "Paul Newman is
running at Lime Rock on Monday and I'm 15 years newer than he is. I
still have some life in there. If the opportunity presents itself and
it's the right one, I have to assess the moment. I can't make
long-range plans right now, I have to be realistic." Mario drove until
he was 54; Michael is retiring at 40. Although Mario believes his son
has many years of racing left, he accepts his decision to step aside
and focus on being a team owner.
5/23/03
The 500 fights to regain lost interestUPDATE
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I think it’s now possible to separate “the
eventual complete destruction of Indy Car racing” into the eventual
demise of the IRL vs. the survival of CART, albeit as potentially a
very different product from what we know it to be today, a product
CART fans may or may not care for. CART’s future is far less
speculative in my opinion than that of the IRL. CART’s only major
issue at this time is the lack of a major network TV package. The
balance of it’s business model is basically sound and, hopefully,
capable of weathering the economy with or without Bernie’s support.
The IRL is a totally different matter. As I asserted late last year,
2003 would be a pivotal year for both CART and the IRL but more so for
the IRL. As the IRL strayed farther and farther from Tony’s founding
“vision” so too would the supporters of that vision stray from Tony. I
believe this is what we are seeing this year with the IRL and the 500
in particular. The IRL supporters are finally seeing Tony and his
vision for what it is: selfishness, greed and a failed attempt by a
spoiled rich kid to hijack open wheel motorsport in North America. IRL
support began to wane with the reserved grid debacle that debased
every 500 grid since and coalesced with Paul Tracy’s 500 victory last
year. The influx of CART defectors has driven off more of the IRL’s
core fan base and has failed to attract new (CART) fans. Suddenly the
IRL has become CART. What happened to “the vision?” asked the IRL
faithful. Seems they won't support this version of the IRL. The
fans are now voting with their pocketbooks after enduring years of
self serving IRL business decisions (gee, sound like the old CART
model too). As I have also stated, “the marketplace will decide.” The
market place is sending Tony a loud and clear message. The question
now becomes will he respond and embrace some form of unification
before it’s too late to salvage any vestige of the great race? Many
feel it’s too late for that, that the damage has been done. Time, and
the market place, will tell. This morning's piece on the
Business of The Indy 500 has glossed over MANY important
issues that suggest their (the IRL and IMS) problems go much
deeper than "the economy," which IMS management so glibly
blame for this year's failure to sell out, their loss of
corporate support and their rapidly eroding fan base. The
"vision" of IRL founder and IMS President Tony George has
polarized open wheel motorsports in North America and
alienated the fan base that once supported that vision.
Motorsports fans are voting with their checkbooks this year
and the voting is not going in Mr. George's favor. There is
much more to this story but your reporters need to dig deeper
than the IRL media kit. J.N. Anderson, Chicago, Illinois5/23/03 - This
Indy Star
article talks about the difficulty the Indy Speedway is having
in selling tickets and corporate suites. What they fail to
realize is that 1) the Indy 500 has become a 1-day event, the rest of
the month of May is dead, 2) Tony George's split of Indy Car racing,
and not the economy is to blame for the sad state of affairs.
It's been downhill since the split, which occurred when the economy
was booming. Blaming the economy is just a smokescreen to take
blame away from where it properly belongs. Most people are
starting to realize where the blame lies. Now it remains to be
seen whether the creation of the IRL will eventually lead to the
eventual complete destruction of Indy Car racing. All
indications are that it will.
5/23/03
The Winston TV rating down 5% FX
coverage of The Winston on Saturday night drew 3,080,000 households,
yielding a 3.9 final rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. This
was good enough for 5th place on cable last week, behind two NBA
playoff games and two WWE events. Last year's race drew a 4.13 rating
and 3.2 million homes, meaning that this year's rating is down 5%. The
nine races on FOX this year -- not including the Daytona 500 -- are
averaging a 6.9 rating in Minneapolis/St. Paul, a 15-percent
improvement on the national average (6.0) and 17 percent higher than
the average in this market at the same point last year (5.9). Among
the top 20 markets in the United States, the Twin Cities is the third
fastest-growing in relation to NASCAR ratings trailing only Seattle
(up 22 percent) and Boston (up 21 percent). Ed Goren, president of Fox
Sports, credits the switch of the Fox affiliation from WFTC (Ch. 29)
to the stronger KMSP (Ch. 9) last September as one reason. "The
increase speaks to the strength of NASCAR as well as the strength of
KMSP," Goren said. "The reality is that NASCAR is more than a regional
sport. Week in, week out, we are seeing strong numbers from all over
the country." Fox Sports president Ed Goren not only believes
the NASCAR Winston Cup Series has finally shed its regional
perception, he said the racing circuit has become one of the
"healthiest" sports on the tube. In the three years since Fox, NBC and
Turner Sports started their $2.8 billion, six-year contract with
NASCAR, ratings have skyrocketed. According to figures compiled by
Sports Business Journal, ratings in the last three years have
increased 109 percent in Chicago, 35 percent in New York and 34
percent in Los Angeles. "As far as ratings go, I don't know if there's
a healthier sport in this country," Goren told the magazine. "The
national ratings week in and week out declare that this is a national
sport." . . . The national ratings continue to support the racing
series' contention it's the second-most popular sport on television.
It trails only the National Football League in ratings. The top six
markets in the country for racing are: Greensboro, N.C., (15.9),
Greenville, S.C., (13.4), Charlotte (13.1), Indianapolis (11.8),
Knoxville, Tenn., (10.6) and Dayton, Ohio, (10.6). What has NASCAR
doing cartwheels is the fact ratings also are up in non-racing areas
like Buffalo and Seattle (both up 22 percent) and Boston (21).
MotorsportsTV.com
5/23/03
Austria TV rating in USA Last
weekend's Austrian GP on SPEED garnered a 0.38 TV rating in the USA.
Sam Hornish Jr. and Ed Carpenter
interview In this week's weekly IRL
teleconference we will look back on the inaugural running of the
Infiniti Pro Series Freedom 100 with winner Ed Carpenter, as well as
look towards this weekend’s 87th running of the Indianapolis 500 with
the 2001 and 2002 IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr. Transcript
5/23/03
Denver signs up with TicketsWest
In an effort to provide customers with more convenience, the Shell
Grand Prix of Denver today announced that it has an agreement with
TicketsWest to provide ticketing service for the annual Labor Day
weekend event which this year will take place August 29-31. Beginning
Monday, May 26, tickets for the Shell Grand Prix of Denver will be
available via all TicketsWest regional outlets located in all King
Soopers stores, selected City Market Stores,
www.ticketswest.com, or by
calling toll-free, (866) 464-2626. “We are excited about creating this
new partnership with TicketsWest,” said John Frew, vice president and
general manager of the Shell Grand Prix of Denver. “TicketsWest
provides us with the strongest regional ticketing system in Colorado
and therefore ensures that access is convenient and easy for our
customers to purchase tickets to our event.”
5/23/03
Dario says Helio only has one Indy 500
winUPDATE A
reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I was very happy to hear
Dario Franchitti tell the truth about how Paul Tracy won last year's
Indy 500. Finally, a driver who is not towing the IRL "party line".
Have you noticed on the ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 coverage that they have not
shown any footage from last year? All the shots of Helio Castroneves
seem to be from 2001. Are they hiding something? Chris Silhavey
Stratford, CT5/22/03 - Flipping through the channels today and
noticed Dario Franchitti being interviewed on RPM2nite. He was asked
about Castroneves' shot at 3 in a row and had an interesting response.
He said that based on everything he saw last year (remember, he was on
Team Green with Paul Tracy), that it was very clear that Paul Tracy
won last year's Indy 500, so in his mind he felt that Castroneves was
really going for win number two. We suspect he saw all the
evidence.
5/22/03
Da Matta looks to CART experience for
Monaco ”I have never raced at Monaco, but the other drivers
tell me that it is just fantastic to drive around,” he said. “There
are lots of challenging corners and I hope that my street track
experience in ChampCar will help me get to grips with it quickly. As
to how we will get on in Monaco, I have no idea. I just hope the car
performs more like it did in Spain, rather than how it was in
Austria!”
5/22/03
Homestead demolition progressing fast
already The wall of Turn Two at Homestead-Miami
Speedway gets torn down under rainy skies in South Florida on
Thursday, May 22. With the walls already demolished, construction
crews are busy tearing up the track along Turns Three and Four at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. Photo Credit: Homestead Miami Raceway.
5/22/03
Cheever team wins pit stop competition Red
Bull Cheever Racing and driver Buddy Rice won the 27th annual
Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day May 22 at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis 500 rookie Rice and Red
Bull Cheever Racing defeated defending contest and race winners
Marlboro Team Penske and Helio Castroneves in the final. Red Bull
Cheever Racing changed four tires and completed a simulated fueling of
the No. 52 Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone driven
by Rice in 8.8401 seconds. Marlboro Team Penske finished similar
service for Castroneves and the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone in 9.1341 seconds. The team earned $30,000 of
an $80,000 purse for the victory. “We worked really hard to get in
here today,” Rice said. “It is the third time (for the team) in this
competition. This is really good for these guys, for Cheever Racing,
and a good way to roll into Sunday. I am not getting anything (none of
the $30,000 prize). It is all going to the crew. They worked hard for
this. I really didn’t do anything. It is all on them right now.” This
is the first Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge championship for Red
Bull Cheever Racing. The team finished second in 1997 with team owner
Eddie Cheever Jr. as the driver. Cheever also finished second as a
driver in 1992 with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. The last time a rookie
driver won the Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge was in 1997 when
Kenny Brack won with Galles Racing Int’l. “This is great,” Cheever
said. “This is going to last until the start of the race. But this is
a great day for us. The mechanics have worked very hard, Buddy did a
great job, and we win. We probably have the best mechanics in the pit,
that’s for sure, so we are very ready when the new Chevy power plants
come in. We’re going to be at the front.” Red Bull Cheever Racing
defeated Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and driver Robbie Buhl in the first
round and then defeated Andretti Green Racing and Michael Andretti in
the second round after Andretti had to forfeit due to a throttle
problem. In the semifinals, Rice defeated Kelley Racing and two-time
Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr.
5/22/03
CART stock watch
MPH closed at $2.55 Down $0.26 on
Volume of 101,500 shares.
$1.91 Bid - $2.87 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $2.50/$2.85
MPH Value Change Down 9.25%
DOW Jones Up 77.59 or 0.91% on Volume of 1.8 billion shares.
NASDAQ Up 17.68 or 1.19%
S&P 500 Up 8.45 or 0.92%
Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago www.andersongroupe.com
5/22/03
Indy signs DVD deal Created
to provide generations of open-wheel and motorsports fans with
high-quality home entertainment products, Shoreline Media
Group (SMG) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Productions
announced May 22 a marketing agreement for the sales and
distribution of home DVD and video products featuring the
legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The partnership, which
will result in the release of its first title in July, will
focus on the history of the legendary 2.5-mile track to create
innovative new programming sold to consumers via both SMG’s
direct and specialty retail distribution system. IMS
Productions, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s broadcast
production company, will produce the new products. Developed
exclusively for the home entertainment market, these special
productions will feature a wide variety of Indianapolis
500-themed content and will incorporate the award-winning
production, editing and soundtrack values that helped
popularize the broadcasts of the Indianapolis 500 and Indy
Racing League events. Also announced was the partnership’s
two-year production schedule that included the relationship’s
first release focusing on the revolutionary era of the 1960s.
Currently entitled “Indianapolis 500: The 60’s,” the new
production will include video highlights, special interviews
and rare, never-before-seen archival footage of that special
time in motorsports history. A second production, this one
highlighting the revolutionary era of the 1970s, is scheduled
for release in time for this year’s holiday season. At least
two more productions are expected to be completed during the
2004 calendar year as part of this “Legacy Series.” SMG will
provide IMS Productions with marketing and distribution
channels for Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor
Speedway-related DVD products. SMG also will provide sales
support and a turn-key fulfillment system that incorporates
design, packaging, marketing, duplication, product warehousing
and order fulfillment via a special toll-free number – (800)
856-4266 – and e-commerce sales, including its Web site,
www.sportsdvdheadquarters.com. In a unique multi-tiered launch
strategy, these high-quality products initially will be
available only via direct sales and Internet sites before
launching into specialty retail. Extensive national
advertising featuring full-page, four-color print ads will
accompany the launch of each title. Consumers will also have
access to the IMS products via sportsdvdheadquarters.com,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Internet sites, mailings, on-track
promotions and eventually through direct sales at all IRL
events. “Our goal is to provide our fans with the opportunity
to enjoy the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s historical heritage
via this innovative program,” said Fred Nation, IMS executive
vice president of communications. “We are very pleased to
announce this innovative new relationship with Shoreline Media
Group. Race fans can now build an entertainment library of
Indy 500 DVD products that are unique in content and provide
the highest level of quality.”
5/22/03 Industry News
DaimlerChrysler
drops plans for $1.2 billion plant DaimlerChrysler
AG's decision to abandon plans for a $1.2 billion assembly
plant in Windsor, Ontario, has prompted union officials once
again to say the Canadian government is sabotaging the
nation's auto industry by refusing to provide needed
incentives to automakers. DaimlerChrysler, citing poor
economic conditions in automotive markets, said early Thursday
it had decided not to build the plant, which would have
created 2,500 jobs.
5/22/03
Nadeau is conscious
Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau has regained consciousness and
is speaking again, nearly three weeks after he crashed during
practice at Richmond International Raceway. Jay Frye, general
manager of Nadeau's U.S. Army team, visited the driver Tuesday
at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. Nadeau had
been semiconscious in previous visits. "The difference since
the last time I saw Jerry was incredible," Frye said Thursday.
"It was an emotional and wonderful feeling when he made the
first move to shake my hand. Yesterday he was hugging and
kissing his daughter (3-month-old Natalie Kate) and had pizza
for dinner."
5/22/03 Industry News
Alejandro de Tomaso 1928-2003 Alejandro
de Tomaso, an Argentine car racer who founded the de Tomaso
car company, has died at the age of 76.
5/22/03
Japanese engines dominate Carb
Day at Indy 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner
Kenny Brack was the fastest driver during Miller Lite Carb Day
practice May 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the last
practice before the 87th Indianapolis 500. 1998 IRL IndyCar
Series champion Brack turned a top lap of 39.3516 seconds,
228.707 mph in the No. 15 Rahal/Letterman/Miller Lite/Pioneer
Dallara/Honda/Firestone. “It’s been a fantastic day for us and
Team Rahal today,” Brack said. “It’s race preparation, so
we’ve done a lot of stuff in the few laps that we’ve been able
to run, and the car seems to run fine. So let’s hope it stays
the same until Sunday.” The 87th Indianapolis 500 starts at
noon (EDT) Sunday and will be televised live on ABC. Brack
will start sixth in the 33-car field. “I think it’s going to
be a very tough race,” Brack said. “There’s a lot of cars that
are very closely matched. From what I’ve seen so far, there
are a lot of cars that are very similar in speed, and it’s
going to be a tough race to win.” Juan Pablo Montoya was the
last driver to lead Carb Day practice and win the race in the
same year, in 2000. Robby Gordon was second in
practice today at 39.4997, 227.850 in the No. 27
Archipelago/Motorola Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Gordon will
attempt to complete the Indy 500-NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 “daily
double” Sunday, racing in the early afternoon in Indianapolis
and in the evening at Charlotte, N.C. Gil de Ferran was third
at 39.5062, 227.812 in the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone. 1999 IndyCar Series champion Greg
Ray was fourth at 39.5100, 227.790 in the No. 13 TrimSpa
Special Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone. Scott Dixon rounded out
the top five at 39.5233, 227.714 in the No. 9 Target Chip
Ganassi Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone. Dixon is the
top rookie qualifier, starting fourth. De Ferran’s
teammate, MBNA Pole winner Helio Castroneves, was sixth at
39.6488, 226.993 in the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone. Castroneves will attempt to win an
unprecedented third straight Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Pos Driver Name
Car # C/E/T Best Time Best Speed
Best Lap Difference
1 Kenny Brack 15 D/H/F 39.3516
228.7070 6
2 Robby Gordon 27 D/H/F 39.4997
227.8500 15 +0.1481
3 Gil de Ferran 6 G/T/F 39.5062
227.8120 12 +0.1546
4 Greg Ray 13 G/H/F 39.5100
227.7900 20 +0.1584
5 Scott Dixon 9 G/T/F 39.5233
227.7140 8 +0.1717
6 Helio Castroneves 3 D/T/F 39.6488
226.9930 6 +0.2972
7 Tony Renna 32 D/T/F 39.7000
226.7000 11 +0.3484
8 Tony Kanaan 11 D/H/F 39.7073
226.6590 20 +0.3557
9 Tomas Scheckter 10 G/T/F 39.7601
226.3580 9 +0.4085
10 Scott Sharp 8 D/T/F 39.7800
226.2440 12 +0.4284
11 Michael Andretti 7 D/H/F 39.7896
226.1900 22 +0.4380
12 Felipe Giaffone 21 G/T/F 39.8267
225.9790 6 +0.4751
13 Roger Yasukawa 55 D/H/F 39.8771
225.6930 18 +0.5255
14 Jaques Lazier 2 D/C/F 39.9225
225.4370 26 +0.5709
15 Jimmy Vasser 19 D/H/F 39.9508
225.2770 19 +0.5992
16 Alex Barron 20 G/T/F 39.9551
225.2530 7 +0.6035
17 Vitor Meira 22 D/C/F 39.9582
225.2350 9 +0.6066
18 Al Unser Jr 31 D/T/F 40.0274
224.8460 9 +0.6758
19 Robbie Buhl 24 D/C/F 40.0401
224.7750 14 +0.6885
20 Airton Dare 41 G/T/F 40.0617
224.6530 11 +0.7101
21 Tora Takagi 12 G/T/F 40.0916
224.4860 10 +0.7400
22 Richie Hearn 99 G/T/F 40.1843
223.9680 52 +0.8327
23 Buddy Rice 52 D/C/F 40.2432
223.6400 7 +0.8916
24 Shinji Nakano 54 D/H/F 40.2520
223.5910 8 +0.9004
25 Sam Hornish Jr 4 D/C/F 40.2685
223.5000 7 +0.9169
26 Buddy Lazier 91 D/C/F 40.4621
222.4300 23 +1.1105
27 Shigeaki Hattori 5 D/T/F 40.5039
222.2010 10 +1.1523
28 Billy Boat 98 D/C/F 40.5357
222.0270 18 +1.1841
29 AJ Foyt IV 14 D/T/F 40.6088
221.6270 11 +1.2572
30 Jimmy Kite 18 D/C/F 40.8348
220.4000 15 +1.4832
31 Sarah Fisher 23 D/C/F 41.0098
219.4600 9 +1.6582
32 Dan Wheldon 26 D/H/F 69.6182
129.2770 2 +30.2666
5/22/03
Thursday test times from Paul
Ricard, Juan and David tied
1 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW
1:10.815 71 laps
1 David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1:10.815 120 laps
3 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes 1:11.435 93 laps
4 Marc Gene Williams-BMW 1:12.082 106 laps
5 Cristiano da Matta Toyota 1:12.320 104 laps
6 Allan McNish Renault 1:12.427 156 laps
7 Alexander Wurz McLaren-Mercedes 1:14.620 10 laps
5/22/03
Tough times at Indy Speedway This
AP
article says, Vendors hawking Indianapolis 500 tickets
outside the speedway share a common frustration with the
unemployed Indy drivers pitching their skills to owners. On
both sides of the track, there are few takers. "I'm losing
money instead of making it," said William Carter, who was
trying to sell tickets during the final week of practice.
"There's nobody selling or buying." Tickets once hotter than
the Memorial Day sun are available at bargain prices, and the
May 25 race is not sold out - a rarity in the event's storied
87-year history. At the month-long practice and qualifying
sessions, attendance was down even as some of the familiar
names such as Penske, Rahal and Unser returned after defecting
to the rival CART series. The open-wheel Indy cars still
zipped around the 2½-mile oval, the vibrations jolting the
chests of nearby fans. Longtime track announcer Tom Carnegie
provided the deep-voiced play-by-play, just as he has for more
than 50 years............Ticket sales have never recovered
from the CART-IRL split in 1996, according to Peduto. "It was
great the year before. It was huge," he said. "The next year
it was nothing. I couldn't believe how quickly it fell apart."
Of course, the actual attendance is a mystery because the
speedway never releases figures. It's estimated that 300,000
to 325,000 fans attend the race, though the days of 20,000 at
practice and 75,000 on pole day have been gone as long as Rick
Mears. A little mystery and debate over the numbers is a good
thing, said Fred Nation, IRL's spokesman. "You see estimates
of 400,000, 500,000. That's a bit high," he said. "We just say
we have over 250,000 permanent seats. Beyond that, we don't
know necessarily how many people are here on race day. We
don't have turnstiles, so we don't count people." Even some
corporate sponsors, which prop up most racing leagues with
needed cash, are shying away from the pricey suites. "One of
our long-terms corporate clients just came off the most
profitable year in their history, yet they have cut in half
their ticket orders for all the events," George said. "They're
being challenged at the very highest level to improve the
bottom line."......."It hasn't been the same since the split."
That's been a common refrain at the track ever since CART left
in 1996. Former Indy winners such as Al Unser Jr., Emerson
Fittipaldi and Bobby Rahal left for CART while the Indy 500
went on as planned with fields of largely unknown drivers.
George even guaranteed 25 of the 33 spots in the field to
members of his then-fledgling series. The split "was kind of
like the baseball strike" of 1994, angering and confusing
fans, said Miller, a former writer for The Indianapolis Star.
"I'm starting to think it's never going to recover."
5/22/03
Toyota in the wind
We wonder how Ford, Dodge, Pontiac and Chevy are going to feel
when Toyota puts up big money and steals their best Winston
Cup teams away. According to Charlotte area sources, the
Toyota factory folks are busy booking time at the Lockheed
wind tunnel for 2004. How much time? According to TFR's
sources every bit of it that they can get,” so much so that if
the non-Toyota teams aren't careful they could get shut out of
the Marietta, Ga. based facility. "That's the way they work,"
said one team official, who dealt with Toyota in Championship
Auto Racing Teams. "They're not afraid to spend their money."
Team Ford Racing
5/22/03 Industry News
Andrew Craig in London Olympic
bid According to Sportsbusiness.com, former ISL and CART
executive Andrew Craig has emerged as a leading contender for
the position of chief executive of London's bid for the 2012
Olympic Games. Sources close to the bid say Craig's
well-respected work on the Olympic TOP program of premier
sponsors when he worked with then-Olympic marketing partners
the IOC, has put him in the frame for the job.
5/22/03
Sponsor steps up to back Sarah rest of
year GMAC
joined AOL Broadband and Raybestos to back Sarah Fisher's
participation in the final 13 races of the 2003 IRL season. Exact
terms of the deal were not released, but it's believed to be worth
between $250,000-$500,000 according to the Indy Star [Editor's Note:
Since when is that enough to do 13 races in the IRL unless Tony George
is funding the rest behind the scenes]. Fisher, 22, had been working
off an unnerving race-to-race plan that wasn't doing her undermanned
team any favors. She had different lead sponsors at the IRL's first
three races this season, each arranged just days before the event. "We
were sick of not knowing (about participation)," Fisher said during
Community Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "To know what we've
got as a budget is going to be a lot better for all of us -- the
mechanics, the engineers and myself."
SPEED Channel to shadow Robby Gordon
From the outside pole at the famed Brickyard to the final lap at
Lowe's Motor Speedway, SPEED Channel will live up to its slogan "No
One Gets You Closer," when the network follows NASCAR Winston Cup
Series driver Robby Gordon on his 1,100-mile Memorial Day weekend
quest to compete in the Indy 500 and Charlotte's Coca Cola 600 - on
the same day. SPEED Channel will have unlimited access to Gordon
throughout the day, even accompanying the multi-talented driver on the
jet ride between events. In addition, SPEED Channel has been
documenting Gordon's preparation for both events, recording everything
from his initial practice sessions at Indy to his efforts in The
Winston Open last week. The footage, along with highlights from
Gordon's three previous doubles, will be compiled into a one-hour
SPEED Channel special to be aired Wed., May 28 at 7 p.m. ET. "When you
think of Robby Gordon, one of the words that pop into mind is
'extreme' and you certainly don't get more extreme than 1,100 miles of
some of the toughest racing in the world in a single day," said Rick
Miner, SPEED Channel's Senior VP Programming/Production and Executive
Producer. "Robby has granted SPEED unprecedented access, not only to
his on-track performance, but to his every moment leading up to and
throughout both events. We were with him when he landed a spot on the
front row for Indy and we will be with him on the helicopter ride from
Concord Regional Airport to Lowe's Motor Speedway."
5/21/03
Fittipaldi lands 3-race deal
Christian Fittipaldi, nephew of open-wheel legend Emerson Fittipaldi,
will attempt to qualify a Petty Enterprises #44 Dodge in three
upcoming events, via sponsorship from Bugles. The car will have a Sam
Bass-designed Bugles paint scheme. The car will be entered in the
Pepsi 400 at Daytona, the EA Sports 500 at Talladega, and the UAW-GM
Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The agreement also includes
Bugles sponsorship of the #44 Dodge for a race early in the 2004
season. NASCAR PR
5/21/03
Ganassi team fined $10,000 for
infraction
The No. 40 Dodge team of Sterling Marlin was fined $10,000 by NASCAR
on Wednesday for rules infractions incurred at The Winston all-star
event last Saturday. Lee McCall, Marlin's crew chief, drew the fine
for an improperly attached weight that was found by NASCAR inspectors
during pre-race qualifying inspections.
5/21/03
Writer slams Michael Andretti This
article by Kate Shaw really slams Michael Andretti, somewhat
unjustly. While Andretti did turn his back on CART and kick them
while they were down, to portray him as a completely fan unfriendly
person is simply not fair. When Michael is at the race track he
is all business, very serious. Many people took that to be he
hated the fans because he hardly smiled. Simply not true.
He had his reasons for doing what he did. It's a free country
and anyone is allowed to burn their bridges behind them if they so
choose.
5/21/03
Indy Pit Stop competition Thursday Twelve
of the fastest pit crews in motorsports will challenge for bragging
rights May 22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the first-place trophy
and $30,000 winner’s check for the 27th annual Checkers/Rally’s Pit
Stop Challenge. Since 1977, the Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge
has paired the finest pit crews and drivers – including 10
Indianapolis 500 winners – in exciting head-to-head competition to
determine the fastest pit crew at Indy for the year. The 2003 grid
will showcase many of the finest teams and most popular drivers in the
IRL IndyCar Series as they compete for an $80,000 purse. Ten of the 12
drivers taking part have won an IndyCar Series race. But the two
winless drivers still have plenty of star power: open-wheel racing
legend Michael Andretti and rising star Buddy Rice. The 2003
Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge at 1:30 p.m. (EST, Indy time) as
part of Miller Lite Carb Day activities and will be televised live on
ESPN2. First-round pairings:
·No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Robbie
Buhl) vs. No. 52 Red Bull Cheever Racing (Buddy Rice).
·No. 31 Kelley Racing (Al Unser Jr.) vs.
No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon).
·No. 15 Team Rahal (Kenny Brack) vs. No. 8
Kelley Racing (Scott Sharp).
·No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Tomas
Scheckter) vs. No. 21 Mo Nunn Racing (Felipe Giaffone).
Teams that received a first-round bye and
will compete in Round Two are: No. 7 Andretti Green Racing (Michael
Andretti); No. 4 Panther Racing (Sam Hornish Jr.); No. 3 Marlboro Team
Penske (Helio Castroneves); and No. 11 Andretti Green Racing (Tony
Kanaan). The Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge involves a four-round
format. Eight teams go head to head, two at a time, in Round One. Four
teams get a bye in the first round and take on the Round One winners
in the second round. In each round, the team must change all four
tires and make a simulated fuel hose connection to the car’s fuel tank
for a minimum of three seconds. The winner in each round is determined
by the fastest time, and the onus is on crews to complete the stop
without a rules infraction as time penalties can make the difference
between victory and elimination. In 2002, the Marlboro Team Penske
crew of Helio Castroneves won the competition, delivering Penske
Racing its record seventh Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge victory.
Three days later, Castroneves won his second consecutive Indianapolis
500, a record 12th for Penske Racing. The pit stop competition is part
of a full and exciting day of activities during Miller Lite Carb Day
on May 22 at the Speedway. Final practice for the 33 Indianapolis
500-Mile Race competitors takes place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (EST), the
Checker’s/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge gets underway at 1:30 p.m., and
the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert starts at 3:30 p.m. 1999 Indy winner
Kenny Brack and his band, Kenny Brack and the Subwoofers, is the
opening act for the concert, and Virgin Music recording artists
Cracker will headline the show. Admission is $10, with children 5 and
under free. All Miller Lite Carb Day activities are included in the
ticket price.
5/21/03
CART races reach 9 million TV audience
per race The strength of the worldwide television package
put together for the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World
Series Powered by Ford is paying off in the first quarter of the
season as the first five races have drawn an average viewership of
over nine million people. Led by strong coverage in the United States
with SPEED Channel and CBS Sports, 27 worldwide outlets in 152
countries carry either live, tape-delayed or extensive highlight
packages of each CART Champ Car event. The outlets are combining to
carry a per-event average of 64 hours of worldwide race and qualifying
coverage. To date, the March 23 Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey
Presented by Herdez has been the most-watched race of the year,
drawing a reported 10,414,469 viewers across the globe. The numbers
are reported in terms of viewers by many foreign broadcasters and the
household numbers usually reported by U.S.-based outlets have been
converted to viewers for the purpose of comparison. “These television
numbers are very encouraging and back up our message to teams,
sponsors and partners that we provide a unique marketing opportunity
for companies around the world,” said CART President and CEO
Christopher R. Pook. “But we must continue to build on these numbers
and increase our coverage. The numbers show that the demand is there
for our series and we plan to build on this solid foundation to
consistently deliver our series message to a worldwide audience.”
Brazil viewership has consistently been the strongest of any nation
through the first five races with Rede TV numbers averaging 2.85
million peak-hour viewers per event. Latin America, through Fox Sports
International and ESPN International’s coverage on RPM Semanal has
been a strong region as has South Korea with SBS Sports, Australia
with Network 10 and Mexico with TV Azteca. Eurosport broadcast numbers
for the events in Brands Hatch and EuroSpeedway are yet to be
reported, but the European network did report nearly a half-million
viewers for the Round 3 Champ Car event in Long Beach. Stateside, CBS
Sports has drawn an increased audience in its first three broadcasts
of the year, with the German 500 broadcast on May 11 drawing over a
million households – which equates to a season-high 1.3 million
viewers. CBS Sports will broadcast five more Champ Car events during
the 2003 season, showing upcoming races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,
Portland, Cleveland, Toronto and Miami. The next Champ Car World
Series event will take place with the historic The Milwaukee Mile
Centennial 250 Presented by Miller Lite where the open-wheel series
will run at night on the 1.032-mile oval for the first time ever. Live
qualifying coverage on Friday, May 30 begins on SPEED Channel at 9:30
p.m. Eastern Time with Saturday night’s live race coverage on SPEED
Channel beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern.
5/21/03
CART stock watch
MPH closed at $2.81 Down $0.30 on Volume
of 105,500 shares.
$2.14 Bid - $3.12 Ask on close.
Session Low/High $2.77/$3.07
MPH Value Change Down 9.65%
DOW Jones Up 25.07 or 0.30% on Volume of 1.79 billion shares.
NASDAQ Down 1.22 or 0.08%
S&P 500 Up 3.69 or 0.4% Courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe - Chicago
5/21/03
Orsi in return appearance to
Toyota Atlantics Series
Minden, Nev.-based Sierra Sierra Enterprises announced today
that 2001 CART Toyota Atlantic champion Hoover Orsi will
replace Canadian Marc DeVellis and drive the team's #7
Pro-Works Toyota/Swift at the upcoming Milwaukee Mile
Centennial 250 Presented by Miller Lite on Saturday, May 31
(SPEED Channel, 6/1, 9:00 p.m. ET). Orsi, the winner of five
races en route to the 2001 championship including the event at
The Milwaukee Mile, was selected to replace DeVellis based on
his past history in the series as well as his prowess on oval
circuits. Two of the Brazilian's five career Toyota Atlantic
victories have come on oval circuits, as he won from the pole
position at Chicago Motor Speedway in 2001 as well as the '01
Milwaukee race. "We're thrilled to welcome a driver as
talented as Hoover Orsi to the team for the Milwaukee race,
and we're fortunate that a driver with Hoover's ability is
available," said Sierra Sierra Enterprises team manager,
Richard Raeder. "This decision was difficult for our team, as
we believe Marc DeVellis is extremely talented and we enjoy
working with him. However, we just felt that our best
opportunity to compete for the victory in Milwaukee was by
going with Hoover based on what he has done in the past. We
are confident that Hoover will have little difficulty getting
up to speed when we get on-track in Milwaukee." The
25-year-old driver from Sao Paulo, Brazil returns to the
series for the first time since he finished third in the 2001
CART Toyota Atlantic Championship season finale at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca to cap his championship season. In
addition to his five career Toyota Atlantic race victories,
Orsi has qualified on the pole position in four Toyota
Atlantic races, and has finished on the podium a total of 14
times in 24 career Toyota Atlantic starts, including 11
podiums in the 12-race 2001 season. Prior to entering Atlantic
competition in 2000, Orsi won the 1999 South American Formula
3 Championship in the Class A division with four victories,
five second place results, and three third place finishes. "It
will be great to see Hoover back behind the wheel of a Toyota
Atlantic machine at Milwaukee," said CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship president, Vicki O'Connor. "Clearly, he is one of
the most talented drivers ever to compete in our series, and I
can't wait to see him battling wheel-to-wheel with the other
fierce competitors that we've got in the series this year. I
expect the race to be thrilling, and there's little doubt that
Hoover will be right there in the middle of it all."
5/21/03
Indy 500, a pathetic paradox This
Nuvo
article by a Robin Miller (we do not know if it is the
same Robin Miller of ESPN fame. We suspect it's an
imposter, but whoever it is, they really hammer the man who
brings his hammer to work everyday. Tony George says "In the
land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” Is this an old
Arab proverb or the new marketing slogan for the Indy Racing
League and the few hundred people who still refuse to admit
what they’re really seeing this month at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway? Because, even if you’re just
a tad bit realistic, you must acknowledge that the 87th
Indianapolis 500 is a pathetic paradox in almost every way.
Tony “We’re Right Where We Need To Be” George’s so-called
“vision” is a laughable hoax that’s even left some of the IRL
hardliners blinking in disbelief. There are barely enough cars
for the “greatest spectacle in racing,” qualifying required
four laps instead of speed, Bump Day lost its soul and the IRL’s supposed mantra was exposed as a fraud. Let’s start with
the IRL’s BS premise from 1994. Because George
supposedly despised CART’s engine leases, foreign
manufacturers, greedy car owners, escalating costs, road
racers and had concerns about preserving Indy’s integrity, he
started his own series. And, in the process, killed the
Indianapolis 500 by guaranteeing 25 of the 33 spots for his
followers and bringing in Racin Gardner and Bronco Brad
Murphey to replace Andretti, Unser, Rahal, Sullivan, Tracy and
Fittipaldi. Fast forward to May of 2003. Honda and
Toyota left CART and have literally taken over the IRL.
They’ve won every race so far, led almost every lap, own all
but one of the top teams and are kicking Chevrolet’s behind up
and down 16th Street. General Motors claims it’s coming back
in 2004, but who in the hell is going to want them? Maybe Fred Treadway, Brad Calkins, Larry Cahill, 310 Racing or Curb
Motorsports. Oh, that’s right: All those old IRL teams dropped
out this year because they couldn’t afford the new IRL. Thirty
of the 33 starters are road racers, 28 with direct ties to
CART, while only three drivers came from the midget and
sprint-car ranks, which George vowed to return to prominence
here with his league. Young USAC stars like J.J. Yeley, Tracy
Hines and Boston Reid are looking to join Jeff Gordon, Tony
Stewart and Jason Leffler in NASCAR because, obviously,
there’s no place for them in the IRL unless they bring money.
Or become George’s relative. Of course Donnie Beechler, a
36-time IRL starter, was at the track but couldn’t get a
silver badge to get into the pits to chase a ride until the
second week of practice. “They made me feel like I had never
been here before,” he said. While Beechler was treated
like an outsider, the IRL can’t quit gushing about how
wonderful it is to have Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Bobby
Rahal and Michael Andretti in “The League.” All those owners
George hated and feared are now part of his extended family.
Penske and Ganassi can’t spew enough praise on George’s
vision. And some of those phony announcers who hated Juan
Montoya in 2000 are now gung-ho about interviewing Tora Takagi
or Scott Dixon or any number of those evil foreigners from
CART. Ah, but I digress. Because of the IRL’s new cars this
season and new partners, we have a more expensive IRL that is
sadly short of functioning teams. The month’s top storyline
was whether there would be enough cars for the traditional 11
rows of three. The IRL party line from Baghdad Bob (aka Fred
Nation) is that the Enron scandal, the Lakers losing, Conseco
stock, SARS, the end of Friends and chuckholes on Georgetown
Road are responsible for the lack of cars in Gasoline Alley.
Barnhart’s new battle cry was “quality not quantity,” which
naturally played well with the IRL minions. But many
old-timers and people with a true passion for what Indy means
were gagging about the loss of excitement and commitment on
Bump Day. Bump Day became an insult to any driver who ever
hung his butt out to make the show or died trying. There were
nine cars for nine spots and IMS only wanted to fill the
field. It didn’t dare want to take a chance on knocking out
Sarah or one of A.J.’s cars. But, hell, just because nobody
got bumped didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy all the rock and
roll music being played behind the Gondola (The Star’s term
for the Pagoda in a 2002 story) or blaring over the PA system.
Some misguided dork with a marketing degree actually thinks
Cracker is going to bring all the fans back from the mid-’90s
or that “Art In Motion” (the IMS ad campaign for 2003) is
somehow going to inspire new, sophisticated customers.
The only thing lamer than the IMS marketing department is
CART’s, but in the name of Bill Vukovich this is the greatest
racetrack in the world. PROMOTE THE DARN DRIVERS!!! Or the
still-bargain prices of practice ($5) and qualifying ($10). Just as
sickening to traditionalists was the Infiniti Pro Series debut this
month. A handful of under-powered shit boxes droning around Indy so
Tony’s stepson can get some headlines? Indy was special because it was
Indy cars. What’s next, figure 8’s on opening day? It’s all too
depressing. George is a 100 percent hypocrite because the IRL has
morphed into CART and he didn’t give a fiddler’s f&%# about American drivers, IRL
loyalty or preserving anything resembling tradition. Tom
Carnegie is announcing hot dog eating contests instead of new
track records. Ticket demand continues to drop, but IMS is
raising prices next year. Fill Day instead of Bump Day. To
quote a good friend of mine: “It’s over.” And I’m afraid it’s
never coming back.
5/21/03
Stars coming out for Indy “The
Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will bring out the stars as
several nationally known celebrities are expected to attend
the festivities surrounding the 87th running of the
Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25. Among the prominent
figures expected to attend the race include well-known
Hollywood stars Tim Allen, Dennis Miller and Steven Spielberg,
and former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Former U.S.
Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush also will be in
Indianapolis on race weekend and will attend the race. Singing
sensations scheduled to perform on Race Day morning are Daniel
Rodriguez, Wynonna Judd, Darryl Worley and Brian McKnight.
Rodriguez, a seven-year veteran of the New York City Police
Department who captivated the United States with his stirring
a cappella versions of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God
Bless America” in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, will sing
the National Anthem prior to the start of the “500.” Motown
artist McKnight and country music star Wynonna will perform on
the Coca-Cola Stage in the Bombardier Pagoda Plaza. McKnight
will take the stage at 9:05 a.m. (EST), with Judd at 10:20
a.m. Country music sensation Worley will sing at 10:15 a.m.
from the Victory Podium. Andrew Firestone, the current
bachelor on ABC’s “The Bachelor,” will attend with his new
fiancée, Jen, both at the “500” and the Flagstar Bank 500
Festival Parade. “The Bachelor” wrapped up its current season
on Sunday, May 18. Charlie Maher, who finished runner-up in
ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” also will be at the “500.” Actor Jim
Caviezel, who will portray Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s new
movie, “The Passion,” will be in attendance. Caviezel drove
the Pace Car for the 86th Indianapolis 500 last year. CELEBRITIES ANTICIPATED TO ATTEND 87TH INDIANAPOLIS 500
Muhammad Ali (legendary boxer)
Tim Allen (actor/comedian)
Neil Boortz (national radio talk show host)
Avery Brooks (actor, “Star Trek”)
Former President George Bush
Ruth Buzzie (actress/comedian)
Jim Caviezel (actor)
Former President Bill Clinton
Bryan Cranston (actor, “Malcolm in the Middle”)
Howie D. (Backstreet Boys group)
Anthony Edwards (actor)
Andrew Firestone (“The Bachelor”)
George Hamilton (actor)
Florence Henderson (actress/singer)
Orlando Jones (actor)
Naomi Judd (singer)
Wynonna Judd (singer)
General John Keane (Vice chief of staff, U.S. Army)
Jeannette Lee (champion billiards player)
David Letterman (late-night TV icon)
Charlie Maher (“The Bachelorette”)
Peter Max (Official Indy 500 artist)
Mercy Me (Christian band)
John McGinley (actor, “Scrubs”)
Brian McKnight (singer)
Bode Miller (U.S. Olympian)
Dennis Miller (actor/comedian)
Beverley Mitchell (Actress, “7th Heaven”)
James Mungro (NFL running back)
Jim Nabors (actor/singer)
Bubba Paris (former NFL player)
Daniel Rodriguez (singer)
Ryne Sandberg (Former baseball all-star)
Steven Spielberg (filmmaker/producer)
Staind (alternative rock band)
Joe Tiller (Purdue football coach)
David Wolf (astronaut)
Darryl Worley (singer)
5/21/03
Fans tuning out at Indy
This Toronto Sun
article says, If Annika Sorenstam misses the cut at
the Colonial PGA tournament this weekend the loudest cheer
this side of Vijay Singh will come from the offices of
Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Tony George Jr. and ABC
Sports. Both already are nervous about the drop in TV ratings
that has plagued the Indianapolis 500 the past two seasons.
In 2002 the Indy 500 -- once the undisputed heavyweight
champion of motorsports television -- was clobbered by the
ratings pulled in by NASCAR's Daytona 500. Network executives
at ABC were alarmed last season when NBC's 10.2 share for the
Daytona 500 was more than double the Indy numbers of a year
earlier. More shocking is the 38% drop [Editor's note, it has
dropped much more than 38%, it went from 10.9 to 4.8, you do the
math] in TV ratings the Indy 500 has felt since 1995. To add
insult to injury, George's crown jewel is no longer even the
biggest TV motorsports draw on the Memorial Day weekend. That
honor is now held by Winston Cup's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's
Motor Speedway. The programmers at ABC shelled out top dollar
to carry the Indy Racing League in order to get the Indy 500.
To see its numbers further eroded by Sorenstam's circus act at
this week's PGA Tour stop would be like putting salt in a
wound. There is another number, however, that has troubling
implications for Indianapolis, and that's the lack of
competitiveness by the Chevrolet-powered cars. Indy cars
powered by Japanese engines have the top 17 spots on the Indy
grid. Defending IRL champion Sam Hornish will start 18th in
his Panther Racing Dallara/Chevrolet. The IRL has completed a
combined 600 laps of racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway,
Phoenix International Raceway and Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.
The leader board shows Toyota with 358 laps led, Honda with
242 and Chevrolet zero. Those are the numbing facts Hornish
and his other Chevy-backed teams have to deal with in
preparation for the 87th version of the Indy 500. Eddie
Cheever Jr., the 1998 Indy 500 champion who owns Buddy Rice's
Dallara/Chevrolet, went public with his frustrations as his
team struggled in qualifying. He said Chevrolet may not have
been ready to compete against the F-1 inspired engine
technology that Toyota and Honda brought to the IRL.
5/21/03
CART guns for private, global
ambitions This Portland Tribune
article says, Christopher Pook, the Championship Auto
Racing Teams chief executive officer, would like to think he
made some inroads in Europe. He visited with manufacturers,
promoters and corporate types in Paris; London; Monte Carlo;
Milan, Italy; Stuttgart and Hanover, Germany; and Switzerland.
In what is the most pivotal year for CART's long-term
existence, Pook is trying to persuade manufacturers to join
the series in 2005, when CART will begin using petrol-powered,
3-liter V-10 engines similar to those in Formula One and on
roads everywhere. Pook also wants to attract enough corporate
money and interest to add races in China and South Korea, as
well as a third European date. That would further globalize
CART, which also has emphasized street-course racing in its
business plan. Behind the scenes, negotiating continues as
Formula One chairman Bernie Ecclestone considers buying a
stake in CART. He would join existing team owner Gerald
Forsythe, who owns 24.7 percent of CART's stock, as the
series' primary owners, and the two probably would make
immediate moves to privatize the company. Pook shies away from
calling CART a possible "feeder series" for Formula One. Pook
and Ecclestone, who worked together on the Long Beach Grand
Prix, foresee CART as its own entity, especially with threats
by F1 manufacturers to form their own series in 2008. Another
CART official, David Clare, worked under Ecclestone in F1 for
eight years and would prove to be an important figure in a
CART-F1 partnership. CART, trying to rebound from near death
in 2002, has a two-year agreement to run Ford Cosworth
turbocharged engines, as well as Lola and Reynard chassis.
Pook has abandoned plans to try to align with the Indy Racing
League, going so far as to be quoted in the Long Beach Press
Telegram on teams that defected to the IRL: "I wouldn't
relieve myself on their brains even if they were on fire." The
Champ Car series remains alive because it had about $120
million in reserve. The CART owners have opted to use cash to
promote many of their events and to help car owners with
engine costs. In 2002, expenses went up about $3 million, and
revenues went down $13 million. Some investors say the "cash
burn rate" for the company was higher than expected. Pook
stands by his fledgling series, saying the total attendance in
2002 -- a record, 20-race tally of 2,686,640 -- speaks for
itself.
5/21/03
Energizer sponsorship for
Kanaan Energizer has joined forces with
Andretti Green Racing, beginning with this month’s activities
leading up to the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Energizer is one of the world's largest manufacturers of dry
cell batteries and flashlights and a global leader in the
dynamic business of providing portable power. “We’re very
excited to have Energizer on board with Andretti Green
Racing,” said Kevin Savoree, who co-owns the team with Michael
Andretti and Kim Green. “Energizer is a leader in its industry
and is one of the most recognizable brand names in the
marketplace.” The Energizer mark appears on the sides of Tony
Kanaan’s Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone, which will
roll from the middle of the front row for Sunday’s running of
the Indianapolis 500.
5/21/03
Real reason for Schumacher fire
Ferrari issued the following statement this morning regarding
the fire during Schumacher's pitstop Sunday. Scuderia Ferrari
Marlboro has carried out an investigation into the problems
which occurred during Michael Schumacher's first stop in the
Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday 18th May. The results of the
investigation are as follows: During Rubens Barrichello's pit
stop on lap 21, a small amount of fuel remained in the
breather hose of the rig, which was then used to refuel
Schumacher's car two laps later. It appeared that a seal was
damaged on the breather hose, so the fuel left inside it was
able to escape onto the exhausts, thus starting a fire, which
was further exacerbated by vapour escaping from the same hose.
5/21/03
Indy overrun by the Japanese
This ESPN.com
article talks about the fierce battle between Toyota
and Honda and how these two Japanese companies have completely
taken over the IRL and the Indy 500. Chevy teams are out
to lunch.
5/20/03
Ex-Football players, Ganassi eye new
shops
Former NFL quarterback Roger Staubach and fellow retired Dallas
Cowboys QB Troy Aikman are said to be eyeing a Concord business park
for a 70,000-square-foot race shop to house the NASCAR team they're
forming, called Hall of Fame Racing. Meanwhile, Chip Ganassi Racing
with Felix Sabates and its trio of teams now based in Mooresville's
Lakeside Business Park, is looking for an $11 million facility that
would more than double the size of its operation, says Gene Haskett,
executive vice president. Haskett recently gave a serious look at the
vacant, 427,000-square-foot former Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
Ltd. building, also in Mooresville, but found it too large. "We are
still looking," he says. Ganassi needs about 220,000 square feet for
its three Winston Cup teams -- featuring drivers Sterling Marlin,
Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray.
5/20/03
Fans can win prizes at Indy
More than 19,000 Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans will win IMS
merchandise and concessions thanks to the Coca-Cola “Under the Cap”
promotion. Fans attending Indianapolis 500 activities at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 500 Festival Community Day on May 21
through Race Day on May 25 and the Brickyard 400 from Aug. 1-3 can win
prizes by purchasing a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola Classic from any
concession stand on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Fans need simply to remove the cap from their bottle of Coca-Cola and
check under the cap to find out if they’ve won prizes such as event
hats, key chains and decals or IMS concessions such as Indy Dogs (hot
dogs) or a free 20-ounce Coca-Cola Classic. Two grand prize-winning
Coca-Cola bottle caps will provide two fans with the ultimate Indy
experience: two tickets to Victory Lane celebrations at the conclusion
of the 87th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the 10th Brickyard 400.
“With the odds of winning a prize at one in six, Coca-Cola is going to
make a lot of Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans very happy … more than
19,000, in fact,” said Joie Chitwood, senior vice president of
business affairs for IMS. “We thank our partners at Coca-Cola for
joining us in such an exciting promotion. It gives us a unique avenue
for rewarding our loyal fans.” The Speedway’s “Under the Cap”
promotion is unique in that it is the only such promotion that is
taking place entirely within a single sports facility.
5/20/03
Posey to be Grand Marshal at Lime Rock
Former driver and Connecticut native Sam Posey has been named Honorary
Grand Marshal for the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup
race, scheduled for Monday, May 26, at Lime Rock Park. No one has more
of an affinity or personal attachment to Lime Rock Park than Posey. He
won the Trans-Am Series race here from the pole in 1969 in a Ford
Mustang. He is also responsible for designing many of the buildings at
Lime Rock, including the control tower. Posey, who grew up just five
miles from Lime Rock Park, was also the first driver to break the
one-minute mark at the 1.53-mile, eight-turn road course. That feat
was accomplished in 1967, in a McLaren he owned. Adding to his
Trans-Am Series experience, Posey has competed in Formula One, Can-Am,
Indy 500, IMSA, Formula 5000 and at Le Mans. “It’s great to see the
Trans-Am Series coming home to Lime Rock, where it’s always had a
special relationship with the track and the fans,” said Posey. “It’s
particularly good to know that this year is going to be the most
competitive race in recent history. “Lime Rock brings out much closer
racing than other places,” added Posey. “You don’t have a tight turn
separated by long straights. Lime Rock has fast turns, so you’re
coming through the turn at the same speed and there’s a lot of close
racing.” The Series is pleased to welcome Posey back to the
Series. Posey competed from the Series’ inaugural year in 1966 until
1974. In all, Posey has three Trans-Am Series victories, 18 top-five
and 23 top-10 finishes in 31 starts. “Sam Posey competed with the
likes of Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones and many other legendary
drivers, making him a significant part of the Trans-Am Series legend,”
said Trans-Am Series Executive Director John Clagett. “Sam is also a
part of the legend that is Lime Rock Park, and has helped make
motorsports great, not only through his achievements on the track, but
with his dedication to excellence in the broadcast booth and to the
community in which he grew up. “We are honored and privileged to have
Sam as our Grand Marshal,” added Clagett.
5/20/03
Wheldon tests at TMS
Rain at a speedway usually dampens the spirits of drivers and teams.
Not so for Dan Wheldon. All-day showers at Texas Motor Speedway
Tuesday cut short a planned two-day test session for Wheldon and
Andretti-Green Racing preparing for the June 7 Bombardier 500k. This
didn’t phase Wheldon who was most optimistic about his chances at “The
Great American Speedway” as well as Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
Wheldon’s test at Texas amounted to day and evening runs Monday. It
served as the final tune-up for the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
race June 7. Wheldon is ready in his Klein Tools/Jim Beam
Dallara/Honda. “It’s a track I enjoy, certainly a different
discipline,” said Wheldon. “I think it is an area (high-banked
superspeedways) where my experience level needs to be improved. I
think I have some to learn. When we come back, I’m sure we will have a
good car.” Wheldon is excited about his prospects in Sunday’s
Indianapolis 500 where he will start in the middle of the second row
in fifth position. “It’s good, very, very good,” commented the
English-born Wheldon. “Andretti-Green Racing has done a fantastic job.
I think the Klein Tools/Jim Beam crew has worked very hard as have all
of our crews. You have seen four cars run this month without a hitch
and run very competitive. “We are expecting good things for the race.
It’s going to be a long race. We are going to play it nice and safe to
start with and see what happens. I don’t think you want to be too safe
because you don’t want to be shoved out in the marbles. We will run
around for the first 400 miles, position ourselves well in the last
100. I’m looking forward to it, definitely!”
5/20/03
Feud continues, CART pulls speakers out
of summit
This AP
article says, CART and the Indy Racing League can't stop
feuding. Three of five CART panelists withdrew Tuesday from a two-day
open-wheel racing summit after questioning the forum's objectivity.
CART officials were also put off by the location, the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, which is owned by Tony George's family. George was the
founder of the Indy Racing League and the key player in the CART-IRL
split in 1996. "There's a reason political summits are held in places
like Geneva or Iceland, and that's because of neutrality,'' CART
spokesman Adam Saal said. The two-day discussion was focused on
improving the image of open-wheel racing amid a poor economy and the
rapid growth in popularity of NASCAR. Topics included how to attract
more sponsors and fans as well as increasing television viewership.
CART officials attended last year's discussion and were prepared to
send several panelists, including president and CEO Chris Pook, when
the tentative itinerary was scheduled in January. Initially, Pook was
to headline a panel with CART officials called ``Charting A New
Course.'' He was taken off the agenda in February. Executive vice
president Fred Nation said the IRL also anticipated having its own
panel, which followed last year's format. Nation said those plans were
scrapped because organizers wanted more panel discussions rather than
``sales pitches.'' ``They wanted Chris Pook to be part of the event
and they were told Tony George would not be part of the conference,''
said summit director Rob Berlinger. ``We decided we wouldn't have
Chris Pook here as well.'' Berlinger works for Street and Smith's
Sports Business Journal, which put on the event. Two CART panelists --
chief operating officer David Clare and vice president John Lopes --
were to speak Tuesday. Vicki O'Connor, president of the CART-owned
Toyota Atlantic series, was to participate Wednesday. CART
officials told organizers Monday afternoon those three would attend.
CART doctors Terry Trammell and Steve Olvey are scheduled to take part
in Wednesday's discussion about safety improvements. Saal said CART
became more concerned with the summit because of comments made during
this month's practice and qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. ``It
did appear to be an unobjective and unfair environment,'' he said. The
summit's location was another issue. Last year, the first day was held
at a downtown hotel, the second session at the speedway. This year the
entire summit was inside the speedway's media center. ``If that was an
issue, somebody should have thought of it before the night before,''
Nation said. ``At the end of the day, this is a blip on the screen.''
Berlinger said CART had discussed its concerns early on but still
expected series officials to take part in the summit. Saal also said
CART has been holding its own town hall meetings at many of its race
venues. The next one is scheduled for June 2 in Cleveland, where the
Cleveland Grand Prix is scheduled July 5. CART, however, missed an
opportunity to address a large media contingent in Indianapolis for
Sunday's Indianapolis 500. ``If we felt we were walking into a fair
and open forum, we'd participate,'' Saal said. Organizers of the
summit called CART's decision a surprise. ``I think it makes a
difference to the people who paid to be here to hear about a broad
range of views in open-wheel racing,'' Nation said. ``I think the
participants who are here will hear many valuable viewpoints.''
5/20/03
Tony George is engineering
Indy's demiseUPDATE A reader responds, Finally,
a reporter with the nerve (I would use a stronger term if I could) to
tell the truth. Thank God he doesn't work for the Indy Star and then
he would have to lie. I am so sick of the Indy Star reporters spewing
the lies and garbage that comes out of the mouths of Tony George,
Penske, Ganassi, Andretti and Barnhart. Everyone in racing knows that
you can't believe anything written in the Indy Star about open wheel
racing. Does Tony George own the Indy Star or are all the reporters
afraid of being "Robin Millered" if they report the facts? Tony George
has ruined the Indy 500. There is no doubt about it. He wanted to be
famous but instead he will live in infamy, as the person who ruined a
once great tradition. His grandfather must be rolling over in his
grave. Tony George is nothing but a disgrace. M. Marshall, Chicago,
IL Dear Ms. Marshall, we would not classify Tony George as a
disgrace. He did what in his mind he thought was right.
Most people don't agree with him, and history has shown that it was
probably a very big mistake, one that may eventually kill the sport
entirely, but this is America, and he has a right to do what he did,
just as the fans have a right not to buy race tickets if they choose
to boycott. We may not like what he did, but Bill France and
NASCAR are laughing all the way to the bank. He played right
into their hands and never saw it coming. Well now the NASCAR
locomotive is going to steam right over his IRL series and there is
nothing he can do about it. He won't miss it this time.
Unfortunately it's too late. He killed it. Mark C.5/20/03 - This St. Joseph News Press
article says, Let’s just say it right away.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and IRL mastermind Tony
George is a joke. A bad joke. A joke who’s running open-wheel
racing into history’s dust bin with one bad idea after
another. Want to know how I really feel? Just look at the
circus unfolding today at Indianapolis. Today’s Bump Day, a
great day, a day when drivers and race teams usually struggle
to become part of the 33-car Indy 500 grid. Not this year. No
struggle is anticipated, no drama or tension or tears from a
driver who can’t quite make the field. No. This year is
different. Much different. As of Saturday morning, only 33
driver-car combinations were on the official entry list.
Twenty-four already qualified last weekend, leaving nine spots
for the taking. The problem? Indy teams have struggled to find
nine more cars to enter. Sure, there are more than nine cars
constructed with the ability to run what used to be “The
Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Teams just can’t find the money
to run them. Sponsorship dollars thin. Interest wanes. The
demand just doesn’t meet the supply anymore. These problems
are courtesy of Tony George. OK, I admit, George is an easy
target in all of this. He’s the man on top, the big wheel, the
high-profile personality. But he’s the right target. His
management — or lack thereof — of open-wheel racing has led to
all of this. It starts with his formation of the Indy Racing
League in the mid-1990s. Not only did it create a deep fissure
in American open-wheel racing — the top teams and drivers
boycotted the series and the Indy 500 for years — it ripped
the spirit right out of the sport. I know, I know, Penske is
back, the Andrettis are back, Bobby Rahal is back. But their
prodigal relationship with The Brickyard isn’t what really
diminished the 500. It was George’s IRL vision. When he
started the series, he wanted cheaper cars and American
drivers competing in an open-wheel version of NASCAR. Trouble
is, Indy fans don’t want to see another version of NASCAR. If
they want to watch NASCAR racing, they’ll watch NASCAR, not
the IRL. George hasn’t gotten the point, despite low
attendance and TV ratings for races outside of Indianapolis
(the Kansas Speedway race is one of the few that ever draws a
major crowd). Moreover, George’s NASCAR-like vision robbed the
Indy 500 of its pioneering spirit, the spirit that once made
it the world’s greatest race. The cars became too cheap and
too slow to push the boundaries of speed and endurance. Quite
frankly, folks, that’s what always drew the nation’s spotlight
to Indy. When fans watched the 500, they saw 33 cars and
drivers flirt with the outer limits of possibility. They
weren’t watching for the wheel-to-wheel racing or photo
finishes (although they were pleased when it happened). In
short, fans knew Indianapolis stood for something. It was the
testing ground for new engines, new chassis and new drivers,
combinations that broke track records nearly every year. It’s
not that way anymore. And until George brings that spirit
back, the Indianapolis 500 will continue sinking into
obscurity. And that’s a shame.
5/20/03
Paul Newman enters Trans-Am
race
The year was 1966. The Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich®
Tires Cup, then called the Trans-American Sedan Championship,
was in its first year of competition. Actor Paul Newman walked
on the scene, and the making of two legends began. Newman
competed in one Trans-Am Series race that year, co-driving
with Brock Yates, and finished 12th in the Under Two Liter
Class at Virginia International Raceway. That legend will
continue Monday, May 26, at Lime Rock Park, as Newman, along
with teammate Michael Brockman, will return to Trans-Am Series
competition. Newman will drive the No. 78 Chevrolet Corvette,
which Butch Leitzinger drove to two victories, and earned the
Rookie of the Year title last season. Brockman will drive the
No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro. Newman has a storied history at Lime
Rock. Of his five Trans-Am Series victories, two have come at
the 1.53-mile, eight-turn permanent road course. In all, the
Connecticut native has 14 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in
68 Trans-Am Series starts. Newman is never one to mince words,
and was quick to point out his motivation for racing at Lime
Rock this year. “I’m trying to maintain a pulse,” quipped
Newman. Along with his Trans-Am Series achievements, Newman
has four SCCA national titles at the Valvoline Runoffs, SCCA’s
National Championship race. Newman earned his first of his
SCCA titles in 1976 in the D-Production class. He also won
championships in the 1979 C-Production class and earned the
title in GT-1 class in 1985 and 1986. Newman finished ninth in
last year’s Runoffs, in the GT-1 class, driving a Rocketsports
Jaguar XKR. Along with his affinity for sports car racing,
Newman has competed in stock cars, and is currently co-owner
with Carl Haas of Newman/Haas Racing’s Champ Car World Series
team. Brockman is no stranger to Trans-Am Series competition.
Brockman finished seventh in his sole Trans-Am Series start in
1969 at Watkins Glen in a Camaro. Brockman has teamed with
Newman on several occasions in races such as the Rolex 24 at
Daytona and he competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000.
His Lime Rock experience includes racing a Lotus Turbo Esprit
in the Supercar Series and in IMSA Camel Lights.
5/20/03
Associate sponsor renews for
Miami race
Southern Wine & Spirits returns as an exclusive partner with
the Grand Prix Americas, Downtown Miami’s premier auto street
race taking place September 26-28, 2003, announced Chuck M.
Martinez, president and general manager, Grand Prix Americas.
Southern Wine & Spirits will supply the wine and spirits for
The Club as well as the Grand Prix Americas Foundation “Magic
in Miami” Charity Ball taking place on Thursday, September 25,
2003. “Southern Wine and Spirits is thrilled to once again
support the Grand Prix Americas and all the excitement that it
brings to Downtown Miami,” Richard Booth, vice-president and
general manager, Southern Wine & Spirits of South Florida.
“The inaugural race was a wonderful event, and it made perfect
sense for us to partner with them again. Founded in 1968,
Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., is the single
largest distributor of wine, spirits, beer and other
non-alcoholic beverages in the United States. Today, Southern
Wine & Spirits of America operates in 11 states, including its
original Florida market, where its corporate headquarters is
located in Miami.
5/20/03
ESPN to distribute Indy 500
broadcast worldwide
ESPN will distribute the Indianapolis 500, the world’s most
prestigious auto race, to the largest worldwide television
audience in the 87-year history of the event, it was announced
May 20 by Mark S. Reilly, ESPN’s vice president and general
manager of international sales. The green flag will fall on
the 33-car starting field of the Indianapolis 500 at noon
(EDT) May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ESPN, which
is the exclusive worldwide television representative of the
Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500,
will televise the Indianapolis 500 live to more than 140
countries and territories outside of the United States via its
affiliated networks in Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America,
New Zealand and the Middle East. ESPN also is responsible for
the global syndication of the Indy 500 for broadcast in
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom. In addition, ESPN has
reached an agreement with Eurosport, the most widely available
channel in Europe, reaching more than 95 million homes and 250
million viewers in 54 countries, to televise the Indianapolis
500 on same-day delay. In the United States, the Indianapolis
500 will be telecast live to a nationwide audience on
Disney-owned ABC. When combined with ESPN’s international
distribution efforts, the estimated worldwide total for the
Indianapolis 500 will exceed more than 200 countries and 325
million households worldwide for the second consecutive year.
5/20/03
Indy 500 tickets on eBay
A reader writes, Dear AR1, Not only is the Speedway stuck with
tickets for the 500, so are about
181 (matching items) others on Ebay. Please note that
this 181 number are for two or more tickets and a majority
haven't even got a bid on them even when priced below face
value. It's pathetic what this event has fallen to, I went to
my first in 94 and got tickets from a neighbor who had been on
the "waiting list" for 9 years. 7 years later and they're a
dime a dozen. Hell, they can't give them away!
Dan Kellione
5/20/03
New McLaren to debut tomorrow
The Team McLaren Mercedes MP4-18 Formula One car will make its
testing debut on Wednesday 21st May 2003 at the Paul Ricard
circuit, in the South of France. Third Driver Alexander Wurz
will drive the MP4-18 during the course of the three-day test
session. The details of the race introduction of the new car
will be confirmed at a later date once the car has fulfilled
the team’s expectations with regard to reliability and speed.
The Paul Ricard test will also see Team McLaren Mercedes
drivers David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen continue the
development of the 17-D together with test driver Pedro de la
Rosa. The MP4-18 incorporates a number of visible differences.
These include a shorter and lower nose, a more tightly
packaged rear and a slight dorsal fin shaping to the engine
cover. In addition the new Mercedes-Benz engine, the FO 110P
V10, has been lowered within the car, producing centre of
gravity benefits. The MP4-18’s program at the Paul Ricard test
will see the team focusing on systems, aerodynamic and
components evaluation. After the first test, the Team McLaren
Mercedes team will continue the car’s development schedule and
once the initial program has been completed, David Coulthard
and Kimi Raikkonen will take over.
5/20/03
Andretti team picks up yet
another sponsor
Tony Kanaan’s #11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone has
received additional sponsorship backing from Kraft as an
associate sponsor. Kraft markets many of the world's leading
food brands, including Kraft cheese, Maxwell House and Jacobs
coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Philadelphia cream
cheese, Oscar Mayer meats, Post cereals and Milka chocolates,
in more than 150 countries. The Kraft brand marks of Altoids,
Oreo Cookies, Planter’s Peanuts and Oscar Mayer are featured
on Kanaan’s IRL IndyCar Series machine. “The addition of Kraft
to the Andretti Green Racing operation is great news,” said
Kevin Savoree, who co-owns the team with Michael Andretti and
Kim Green. “Hopefully, we can provide them with a proper
introduction to the sport by giving them an Indy 500 victory
on Sunday.”
5/20/03
Is Foyt ready for Indy?
CART pulled Shigeaki Hattori's license when he crashed a lot.
The IRL has pulled the license for other drivers who have
crashed far less than AJ Foyt IV, yet because he is AJ's
grandson, the IRL turns the other cheek. A double
standard so-to-speak. This Indy Star
article talks about this topic.
5/20/03
Hornaday to standby for Gordon
Ron Hornaday said that Richard Childress asked him to fill in
for Robby Gordon if for some reason he doesn't get back from
Indy in time for the race. Hornaday got fitted for the seat
today and will hang out with the team and get ready just in
case. Gordon will be attempting to run the Indy 500 and
Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio
5/20/03
Penske Racing on Junkyard Wars
Junkyard Wars, the television show on The Learning Channel,
will air a contest recorded after the 2002 racing season
ended. The 'war' was between the Penske Racing NASCAR Team,
the Penske Racing IRL Team, and Don Prudhomme's drag racing
team. The show will air on Sunday, May 25th from
9:00-11:00pm/et (re-air dates/times: May 26, 12:00mid/et; May
28, 9:00pm/et; May 29, 12:00mid/et and June 1st at 6:00pm/et).
From their website: They don't speak to each other” much less
compete in the same race! But Junkyard Wars has done the
impossible. Never before have the three main auto-racing
sports competed against each other on such a uniquely level
playing field. It's a tough challenge, but the three car-crazy
teams are up to it. The teams must build a vehicle from the
ground up, from only junkyard parts, and then compete against
one another on three courses: a drag strip, twisting road
track and half-mile oval, all to win Junkyard Mega-Wars'
Triple Track Trophy. The Triple Track Challenge was held at
Irwindale Speedway in California. For each of the three
challenge stages, a different driver was at the controls. The
junkyard race cars will be tested on acceleration,
maneuverability and overall racing performance. The first race
was held on the 1/8-mile-long drag strip and the teams went
for the fastest time from a standing start to the finish line.
Next, the cars tackled a tricky figure-8 course in which they
had to navigate their way around various cones. Finally, the
teams took on the banked 1/3-mile oval circuit. Each car
completes 10 laps. The fastest 10-lap time will win this
stage. A combined score for all three events will determine
the Triple Track Trophy winner. Keeping an eye on the
proceedings is veteran dragster driver and builder Pat Foster,
who lends his expertise as judge. Tyler and Karyn are also
joined by former host Cathy Rogers to make the occasion
special. This one-of-a-kind event will bring auto-racing's
"backroom boys," "the brains and muscle behind racing
heroes," into the spotlight. But these teams are no strangers
to success: they've put drivers like Rusty Wallace, Larry
Dixon and Helio Castroneves into the winner's circle.
5/20/03
Circle K leaving NASCAR
On Wednesday, a series of television and radio commercials
developed by Dailey & Associates of West Hollywood, Calif.,
will mark the move of Circle K convenience stores in a new
marketing direction, company officials said. "With our NASCAR
sponsorship ending this year, we are transitioning away from
our positioning as The Official Pit Stop of NASCAR," said
Kathleen Grodsky, director of retail advertising and brand
management for ConocoPhillips, Circle K's parent company. "We
were excited by the challenge of repositioning the brand. Our
new tagline "What else do you need?" addresses both our
selection and services and can be implemented operationally
and across all consumer and internal communications," said
Grodsky.
MotorsportsTV
5/20/03
Irvine tells Jag to sack
Pizzonia Eddie Irvine has told his old team once again to
sack driver Antonio Pizzonia. Irvine, whose contract with the Jaguar
team was not renewed after the end of last season insists that Jaguar
has made the wrong decision to keep the young Brazilian after the
controversy of the Spanish Grand Prix where it seemed almost certain
Pizzonia would be replaced before the next race. "If your driver is not
performing well for their first four races then why would you
suddenly want to keep him for the rest of the season?" Irvine
asked The Sun newspaper. "Pizzonia will only delay the team in
making progress." "A team needs two drivers in order to bring
it forwards," he added. "Jaguar should have got Justin Wilson
into the team."
5/20/03 Industry News
Brands announces yet another new hire
Financially troubled Brands Hatch Circuits Ltd - formerly Octagon
Motorsports - has appointed a new marketing executive to handle
corporate hospitality and business sales. Dirk Kelly's remit will
include developing and implementing the business-to-business and
corporate hospitality marketing strategies at the five circuits owned
by the group, particularly for the key events such as British Grand
Prix, World Superbikes and private track days. Kelly will report to
group marketing manager Alasdair Farrimond. Said Farrimond: “Dirk’s
appointment is a valuable addition to my team. A key part of the
group’s portfolio is our business-to-business division and Dirk’s
experience in this area will ensure that we can deliver comprehensive
and well-executed campaigns.”
5/20/03
Hornish signs deal
Management and marketing firm Sports Management Network Inc (SMN) has
brokered a deal between its client - IndyCar racing champion Sam
Hornish Jr and Swiss watch firm Maurice Lacroix. Said Maurice Lacroix
USA president Bob Siragusa: “His outstanding accomplishments on the
race track speak for themselves. Off the track, we believe Sam will be
an excellent spokesman for our products.” Hornish will be featured in
print and internet advertising as well as collateral materials.
Additionally, Hornish will be making personal appearances and
participating in public relations efforts on behalf of Maurice Lacroix.
5/20/03
Jarrett's team signs hotel deal
NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett's racing team has signed a
sponsorship deal with Six Continents Hotels. The deal will
see the hotel chain utilize the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure team
during its reward scheme this year. Said Jarrett: "We are extremely
excited about this project, as it is our second major sponsorship deal
in as many months for the Racing Adventure this year. "Sponsorships
have become a major profit centre for the company as we progress
through our growth stages."
5/20/03
Museum in Elliott's hometown
floundering
When Thunder Road USA (www.thunderroadusa.com)
opened last year, many envisioned an economic windfall for this small
northeast Georgia town known for breeding NASCAR winners. The $12
million, 40,000-square-foot auto racing museum was expected to attract
up to 250,000 visitors a year, generate hundreds of jobs and increase
sales tax revenues. One year later, Thunder Road USA is struggling
with $10 million in debt and poor attendance. Only about 48,000
visitors came to the museum last year, forcing staff cutbacks and
shorter operating hours. Officials are now considering plans to sell
nearby land to help pay off its debt. General manager Tom French said
they may also try staging live music and targeting corporate meetings
and birthday parties. The museum, which includes Georgia's racing hall
of fame, features memorials to NASCAR's racing greats, interactive
games, a track for remote-controlled cars, racing simulators, a
theater, gift shop and diner. Museum board member Russ Wallace said
it's still the pride of Dawsonville, home to NASCAR greats Bill
Elliott, Gober Sosebee and Lloyd Seay. Wallace said he is confident
the museum will rebound financially in the coming months and denied
talk that it will close down.
Charlotte Observer/AP
5/20/03
Indy Bump Day
TV ratings
A solid NBA audience (4.8) as a lead-in and a later start time helped
time trials for the Indy 500 score a 2.0 overnight rating and 5 share
on Sunday for Bump Day Time Trials, as reported by Sports Business
Daily. It remains to be seen if this number holds in the final
ratings. Last year the final rating dropped to a 1.0, but it did
not have the help of the NBA to boost the rating as this year had.
5/20/03
Da Matta disappointed with Toyota
Toyota’s Cristiano da Matta believes his team has made little progress
since the beginning of the season compared to other F1 teams, hinting
that performances have actually dipped since the inaugural race in
Australia. Da Matta caused two aborted starts when the launch control
on his Toyota failed in Austria, the stewards eventually ordering him
to start from the back of the grid and turn launch control off.
Although he finished the race in tenth place, da Matta said he had
"drove 10 times harder than any other race this year". "At the
beginning of the year, in the first few races, even though we didn't
collect the results, performance-wise we were in better shape than we
are now.”
5/20/03 Nissan Superfund World Series
Montagny doubles up at Magny Cours
In this F3000 series, but with more powerful engines, Franck Montagny
stretched his championship lead in the Superfund World Series by
Nissan with victory in both races at Magny-Cours, his 5th win in 6
races. The Gabord Competicion driver was in a class of his own in the
first race, which was held in treacherous wet conditions, passing pole
sitter Bruce Jouanny at the Adelaide hairpin on the first lap before
disappearing into the lead to take the flag 41 seconds ahead of the
chasing pack! From sixth on the grid Montagny had to work harder to
win race two, but it took just five laps for him to take the lead on
the now predominantly dry track. The Frenchman also set the fastest
lap in both races, to haul a maximum 42 points from the third round of
the series.
Race 1 Results:
1. F. Montagny Gabord Competición 32'59.863
2. B. Besson Salunier Racing at 41.364
3. P. Villaamil RC Motorsport at 43.940
4. J. Ravier Epsilon-Euskadi at 53.462
5. H. Kovalainen Gabord Competición at 59.284
6. B. Jouanny Tata Team Carlin at 1'00.316
7. A. Burgueño Vergani RFS at 1'01.838
8. C. Pereira RC Motorsport at 1'02.934
9. A. Vilariño Epsilon Euskadi at 1'12.554
10. P. Edwards KTR at 1'13.788
11. F. Porteiro KTR at 1'52.038
12. N. Siedler Superfund Zele-Rac. at 2'07.689
13. D. Andre Saulnier Racing 1 lap
14. M. Zangarelli GD Racing 1 lap
15. S. Porteiro Adrian Campos M. 1 lap Fastest Lap: F. Montagny Gabord Competición 1'54.753 (138.4
km/h) Lap 11 Race 2 Results:
1 F. Montagny Gabord Competición 42'31”086
2 S Sarrazin Racing Engineering at 16.915
3 B. Besson Salunier Racing at 18.824
4 N. Kartikheyan Tata Team Carlin at 19.684
5 B. Leinders Racing Engineering at 23.876
6 H. Kovalainen Gabord Competición at 32.385
7 P. Villaamil RC Motorsport at 45.045
8 B. Jouanny Tata Team Carlin at 45.407
9 T. Rocha Superfund Zele-Racing at 1'04.034
10 P. Edwards KTR at 1'07.217
11 D. Andre Saulnier Racing at 1'14.389
12 A. Vilariño Epsilon Euskadi at 1 lap Fastest Lap: Franck Montagny, 1.30.170 (176.1 km/h) Lap 21
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