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IRL saved Hornish from McDonalds
Quote of the night at Richmond came from Sam Hornish after finishing
4th - "I never thought I'd be able to race Indy cars," he revealed. "I
never thought that I had the talent or would get the opportunity to do
it. The fact that I get to do it, even if it's a bad day it's better
than working in a fast-food restaurant."
6/28/03
Foyt IV dead last, hits wall again2nd UPDATE As predicted, Foyt
IV crashed out of a race again. This has got to be costing AJ
Foyt a tremendous amount of money to repair all the damaged cars. His
sponsor, Conseco, is in bankruptcy, so we doubt they are writing any
more checks. 6/28/03 - A reader writes, I
was just looking at the qualifying times for the IRL race tonight. AJ
Foyt IV posted a 153.450 qualifying time. That's almost 15 MPH slower
than the pole and almost 8 MPH slower than Buddy Lazier, the 21st
(second to last) qualifier! On a short track like Richmond, that could
be a serious safety problem, and I'm sure it has more than a couple of
drivers worried. Clearly, AJ is not going to park the kid, but when
will the IRL finally step in and take some action? This is ridiculous.
Dennis Szot - Dallas, TX Dear Dennis, CART did what was
right and pulled Shigeaki Hattori's drivers license years ago when he
was in over his head, but we can't see the IRL ever doing that to
Foyt's grandson, could you? Mark C.6/28/03 - Rookie AJ Foyt IV's appetite for finding the concrete wall almost
every race weekend continued in Richmond where he brushed the wall in
practice Friday. He was not injured. Odds are he will crash out
of tonight's race from his last in the field starting spot. It's
apparent he didn't inherit any of his grandfather's driving talent.
Tonight's race is likely to be an expensive one for IRL teams.
Others to sustain car damage so far this weekend include:
Foyt IV - Minor damage
Hornish - Major damage
Buhl - Major damage
Takagi - Major damage
Ray - Minor damage
Fisher - Minor damage
6/28/03
Weaver awarded pole at Road Atlanta
James Weaver was awarded the top starting position for Sunday's
American Le Mans Series Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta after Saturday's
qualifying was canceled due to wet track conditions at Road Atlanta.
The starting lineup for the race was determined by practice speeds
that were posted during three sessions held during the day and Weaver
set the fastest lap of 1:13.748 (123.990 mph) in the Dyson Racing
Lola-MG. Weaver will co-drive with Butch Leitzinger in Sunday's
two-hour, 45-minute sports car race. Frank Biela and Marco Werner will
start second in the Infineon Team Joest Audi R8, with Biela turning a
1:13.753 lap at the end of the final practice session to almost beat
Weaver's time. JJ Lehto and Johnny Herbert will start third in the ADT
Champion Racing Audi R8. Weaver set the fastest time in the LMP 675
class, as well as overall, while Biela's time was the fastest among
LMP 900 cars. Full
Story & Lineup
6/28/03
Why no fuel injection for NASCAR Steve Peterson, NASCAR's technical director for Winston
Cup, said one of the main reasons NASCAR hasn't switched to a
fuel-injection engine is the belief that it would be harder to control
rules violations. "Fuel injection can be very difficult to police once
it gets beyond the basic computer controls and programming," Peterson
said. "Computer code must be downloaded, analyzed and verified, and it
will always be suspect. Fuel injection is a real opportunity to tune
the system and attempt to add in driver aids and devices beyond the
technology limits." But other racing series are using fuel-injected
engines without any problems. Making the switch would mean many NASCAR
inspectors would need to be retrained, as would many of the mechanics
who work in the sport. Even if NASCAR stays with the push-rod,
carburetor engines indefinitely, the way the engines are produced
could undergo changes. Most teams build their own engines from
components supplied by the manufacturers. Some smaller teams lease
engines from a team that builds motors. Toyota might want to do it the
way it has in other racing series and build engines in-house and supply
them to teams through a sale or lease agreement. That could eliminate
a lot of jobs in NASCAR, but it also could reduce the costs of team
owners.
Dallas Morning News
6/28/03
Breaking news from Nurburgring
Kimi Raikkonen is treading eerily in the footsteps of compatriot, and
eventual double world champion, Mika Hakkinen. Another Finn
Not only are they both Finns and earned F1 success with McLaren, but
Mika - like 23-year-old Kimi on Saturday - earned his first pole at
the Nurburgring (1997). 'It's nice to hear that some other Finnish
bloke had a bit of fun here too,' laughed the 'Iceman' Raikkonen after
going fastest on Saturday. DC Puzzled
David Coulthard is baffled by his mysterious lack of pace when Formula
One goes one-lap qualifying. The McLaren veteran, notching up
150 grands prix this weekend, is more than a second slower than
pole-sitting team-mate Raikkonen around the Nurburgring. 'I'm
not getting enough out of the lap,' he said, 'but there's no problem
in the race. I honestly don't know what the story is, but I'm working
on a solution.' Confusion Reigns
Confusion reigned at the Nurburgring on Saturday morning when, for the
first time in memory, two separate time sheets were issued for the
practice sessions. The FIA's race director Charlie Whiting explained
why he had not issued the normal 'accumulative' timesheet for the two
45-minute sessions. 'There has been some confusion among the teams
about which tires they're allowed to use on Saturday. 'We told
the teams that they could treat each session as separate, so now we're
treating them the same in terms of timesheets.' McLaren Dilemma
McLaren chief Ron Dennis is facing a dilemma about when to introduce
the all-new, but so far un-raced and unproven, MP4-18. Kimi Raikkonen
scored the 'older' MP4-17D's first pole position in 26 races on
Saturday: 'We have a very fast racing car and another one waiting in
the wings.' Dennis concluded, 'We will have to do some serious
thinking over the next few weeks.' Gascoyne, Toyota
Renault are on the verge of losing their highly-rated technical wizard
Mike Gascoyne to big-spending Toyota. 'I've got absolutely no comment
to make,' he told British media in Germany. 'I'm just concentrating on
my job.' Toyota are offering Gascoyne a reported $6.5m to make the
switch. Toyota To Retain
Jacques Villeneuve has lost one of his future racing options as Toyota
vowed to keep current racers Olivier Panis and Cristiano Da Matta in
2004. He insisted: 'We didn't talk to them so it doesn't really
matter.' Earlier, Toyota chief Ove Andersson told reporters at the
Nurburgring, 'It is 95% certain we will keep our two drivers.' Minardi Sue
Minardi will sue three Malaysian companies over more than $1.5 million
in sponsorship allegedly owed to the struggling F1 team. Team chief
Paul Stoddart said in Germany that former driver Alex Yoong was owed
money under a deal for him to be paid a percentage of sponsorship he
raised.
6/28/03
Brazil's impact on the IRL
This Washington Post article talks
about how the IRL has become dominated by Brazilians, who have
displaced all the American short trackers. Ironically this is one
of the things the IRL contingent criticized CART for all those years.
People like AJ Foyt don't complain about the Brazilians anymore,
suddenly they are OK.
6/28/03
Takagi destroys car in final practiceUPDATE Three of the top four on
the grid crashed during the late-night session, including the two
Chevy-powered cars that made waves earlier in the evening by briefly
holding the pole position. Sarah Fisher and Sam Hornish Jr. crashed,
as did Tora Takagi and Robbie Buhl. Saturday night's race has
all he makings of a real crash fest. 6/27/03 - Tora Takagi, who qualified third today for Saturday night’s SunTrust
Indy Challenge on the Richmond International Raceway
three-quarter-mile oval, was unhurt but damaged his #12 Pioneer/Mo
Nunn Racing Toyota-powered Panoz G Force beyond repair during final
practice late this evening. Takagi lost control of his car in Turn
Two, spun and hit the outside retaining wall left-side first. The team
moved to Takagi’s back-up car for Saturday night’s race and, by IRL
IndyCar Series rules, start from the back of the 22-car field.
6/28/03
Williams BMW duo 1-2 in final practice
at Nürburgring Ralf Schumacher topped the timesheets for his
Williams team during this morning’s second free practice, having set a
time of 1MIN 31.305. Olivier Panis, who was first in the previous
session with a 1MIN 31.181 – the fastest time set this morning – ended
the 45-minutes in third spot, just behind the late-charging Williams
of Juan-Pablo Montoya.
Position/Driver Team Fastest Lap
1 Ralf Schumacher Williams 1m31.305s
2 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams 1m31.366s
3 Olivier Panis Toyota 1m31.490s
4 David Coulthard McLaren 1m31.608s
5 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren 1m32.021s
6 Cristiano da Matta Toyota 1m32.057s
7 Jarno Trulli Renault 1m32.356s
8 Fernando Alonso Renault 1m32.391s
9 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1m32.652s
10 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1m33.010s
11 Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar 1m33.076s
12 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan 1m33.214s
13 Jenson Button BAR 1m33.474s
14 Mark Webber Jaguar 1m33.635s
15 Nick Heidfeld Sauber 1m33.698s
16 Jacques Villeneuve BAR 1m34.085s
17 Ralph Firman Jordan 1m34.827s
18 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber 1m34.940s
19 Justin Wilson Minardi 1m36.026s
20 Jos Verstappen Minardi 1m36.381s
Haug suggests changes for qualifying
Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug believes that Formula 1 should
adopt a DTM-style 'Super-Pole' system, which has proven highly popular
in the German touring car series this year. "On the one hand,
mixed conditions can create unusual grids; but if you had two guys
fighting for the World Championship and it was decided by someone
getting a dry track and someone else having to run in the wet, I think
there would be a lot of criticism," said Haug. "We could
use a system similar to the DTM, where drivers have three sets of
tires to set their best lap, followed by a top-10 run-off. That would
mean that the window (for changeable conditions) is tighter."
"It (the current system) works well," he said, "and having fuel in the
car for qualifying works better than expected and creates surprises.
You need to look at the race on Sunday before you know where you are."
BMW's Mario Theissen, added: "I like one car out at a time because
everyone has full attention, but I think that perhaps it would be
better if you had a second run, like in skiing or ski-jumping, where
the top 50 percent get to go again. Qualifying with race fuels is
better than expected. Originally I was critical but it's interesting
for us even if a little hard for the spectators. "On
another matter, I think we should try to get back to common testing
ground rather than having separate schemes. I think it would be good
for the show to have more testing on a race weekend – it would be
better for the spectators and for the organizers."
6/27/03
Bobby Labonte renews with Gibbs thru
2008
Bobby Labonte has signed a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing that
will see the Texan stay with the team through the 2008 season.
"I feel great that I know where I am going to be driving for quite a
few more years," said a very happy Labonte. "Joe, Pat, J.D. and Coy
have all been wonderful to work with and work for and they have made
me feel like a part of their family since day one. I am very blessed
to have been able to drive for Joe and be a part of such a great
organization. He has taught me a lot over the nine years I have been
here, not only about myself, but also more importantly about being a
good Christian, a good husband and a good father. The wins we have
shared and the championship are really incredible, but I appreciate
those life lessons he has taught me more than anything else. For
Gibbs, the feelings are mutual. Having seen the good, the bad and the
ugly in professional sports, Gibbs knows how lucky he is to have
Labonte representing him and all of JGR's sponsors. "Bobby is a class
act," boasted Gibbs. "He is a guy that every kid in the country can
look up to and every parent can feel good about. He has done a superb
job for us and I don't think I could ever thank him enough for what he
has meant to Joe Gibbs Racing. We are happy to be able to make this
announcement about Bobby staying with us for a while and we hope that
shows our level of commitment to the fans, our employees and most
importantly our sponsors that we will continue to field the most
competitive teams in the industry."
6/27/03
How did the Chevys get so fast?
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I can't believe Sarah Fisher qualified 2nd
at Richmond, in a Chevy nonetheless. What's up with that?
Bubba Smith Atlanta, Georgia Dear Bubba, Richmond
is not a HP track, so the Chevy cars should be more competitive.
A brief rain shower interrupted qualifying Friday afternoon at
Richmond International Raceway, and gave those who ran afterwards the
advantage of a slightly cooler track surface. Three of those drivers –
Scott Dixon, Sarah Fisher and Tora Takagi – ended up posting the
fastest three qualifying speeds. Mark C.
6/27/03 F-3000
Americans Bell & Giebler show well at
Nurburgring Townsend Bell celebrated the birth of his son by
taking a very respectable sixth place in FIA F3000 qualifying at the
Nurburgring, while Arden International teammate Bjorn Wirdheim put
his Monaco disappointment behind him by taking pole for Saturday’s
race. Phil Giebler excelled and was running quickest
until the last forty-five seconds of the session when he dropped to
third. Story
6/27/03
Newman/Haas duo 1-2 at Road America Newman/Haas
Racing ended a successful one-day test late yesterday at the top of
the speed charts at the 4.048-mile Road America road course in
preparation for the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America on Aug.
3. Both PacifiCare driver Bruno Junqueira and Lilly driver Sebastien
Bourdais participated in the test for the team and posted the first
and second fastest lap times, respectively, on a day that featured 11
drivers on track. "The car was good and we were able to put in a
1:43.02 lap time which was the best for the day but we know everyone
will keep working hard before we come back to race so we have to as
well," said Junqueira, who earned his first Champ Car victory on this
course in 2001. "I love driving on the course. It's my favorite track
of the year. The baseline of the car was already very good but we made
some improvements that better suit my driving style. I'm looking
forward to the race already." "The test went pretty good, we ended
one-two and accomplished a lot during the day," added Bourdais, whose
lap time of 1:43.3 was second fastest unofficially. "It is a neat
place and it is a lot of fun to drive but it's unbelievably quick. It's a
track where if you put a wheel off in the grass it's over - you crash.
It's a tough place. I can see how the drivers who have won here say
it's an accomplishment they are very proud of."
6/27/03 F-3000
F3000 at Nurburgring - Wirdheim
takes pole on damp track
Position/Driver Team Fastest Lap
1 Bjorn Wirdheim Arden International 1m48.123s
2 Ricardo Sperafico Coloni F3000 1m48.140s
3 Enrico Toccacelo Jordan Grand Prix Junior Team 1m48.286s
4 Patrick Friesacher Red Bull Junior Team F3000 1m48.464s
5 Vitantonio Liuzzi Red Bull Junior Team F3000 1m48.717s
6 Townsend Bell Arden International 1m48.874s
7 Derek Hill Jordan Grand Prix Junior Team 1m48.998s
8 Jeffrey van Hooydonk Team Astromega 1m49.343s
9 Yannick Schroeder PSM-ISR Charouz 1m49.351s
10 Nicolas Kiesa Den Bla Avis 1m49.391s
11 Philip Gieber Den Bla Avis 1m49.440s
12 Jaroslav Janis PSM-ISR Charouz 1m49.500s
13 Tony Schmidt Team Astromega 1m49.875s
14 Giorgio Pantano Durango Formula 1m49.793s
15 Zsolt Baumgartner Coloni F3000 1m49.911s
16 Raffaele Giammaria Durango Formula 1m50.586s
17 Will Langhorne BCN F3000 1m50.607s
18 Valerio Scassellati BCN F3000 1m51.782s
6/27/03
News in brief from Nurburgring
BMW and Williams have agreed to terms on a highly-anticipated
deal to extend their partnership until the end of 2009.
'This new contract envisages enhanced integration between the
two partners,' said BMW board member Burkhard Goeschel........Mercedes
will supply just one Formula One team, in addition to McLaren,
with 'affordable' customer engines next season. Competition
boss Norbert Haug said a deal was likely to be announced
'within, I would say, the next six weeks..'........BAR ace
Jacques Villeneuve admits that his future looks bleak in
Formula One. 'There are a lot of discussions,' the
former world champion said, 'but right now nothing that looks
too positive. But I'm pretty sure some team will want
me.'..........Much of the Formula One field is unhappy with
changes to the formerly-named Veedol chicane for this year's
European Grand Prix at Nurburgring. 'The modifications
seem to work well,' said Michael Schumacher, who helped
finance and design the NGK corner. 'But the issue with
the bollards needs to be resolved.' Jenson Button
twice broke his wing on the corner-marker in question while
Juan Pablo Montoya said the old Veedol chicane was 'much more
exciting.'
6/27/03
Merrill Lynch bullish on turbo enginesUPDATE
A reader writes, Dear AR1, With regard to the Merrill Lynch
report you referenced on Garrett Engine Boosting Systems, Inc.
division of Honeywell International, Inc. - - The market
analysts are bullish on Garrett based on how they see the
future for turbocharging worldwide. There is plenty of data in
the report. While the naysayers and self-appointed
experts blow hot air, we are marching on. They are looking
backward and assuming little or no change is in the wind.
Market analysts and industry do not make financial commitments
without understanding market trends, or they don't last long.
When I first started doing motorsports turbo development in
1995, I didn't fully appreciate the durability and cost
potential of turbocharging in racing, having spent some years
on commercial passenger car applications. Even seasoned
commercial turbo application engineers usually don't because
they are used to comparisons in mild part-load situations
where the durability/cost benefit potential is less obvious.
With racing application at full load most of the time,
durability and cost issues arise. I had read many times in
automotive publications about expensive and fragile
turbocharged racing engines. I was starting to believe it must
be true. The industry even used cost reduction as a reason for
switching from turbo to N.A. in F1. Anyone can build a fragile
or expensive engine with or without turbo, so I don't doubt
there have been fragile expensive turbo engines. And anyone
can spend obscene amounts of money even if it is not
necessary. The question is, what is the durability record and
the necessary development/maintenance costs of the winners.
Then I was approached by the man in charge of developing an
engine for Toyota's GT One LeMans project (done in Germany).
He was previously involved in development of BMW's turbo F1
motor. He told me he would never seriously consider N.A. as
long as an equivalent performing turbo formula was an option.
The reason - Durability and Cost. So I asked him to elaborate.
Why specifically is turbo more durable and cheaper? The answer
- the need for RPM, multi-cylinders and and/or exotic
materials in order to live just long enough to win. Your
engine design life becomes one lap more than the race
distance. Here is a man who actually paid the bills for both
N.A. and turbo development and maintenance telling me there is
no comparison in durability or cost, in his opinion. Later I
had the same experience with another race engine developer
from Germany. Then Audi came along and told me basically the
same story. I am thinking, this is one of racings best kept
secrets. Influential people, some engineers, don't get it - or
say they don't for some political/marketing reason. So I
published a factual SAE paper using the arguments and data of
the experts who are on the cutting edge of race engine
development and who have actually paid the bills for both N.A.
and Turbo engine development and maintenance. I tried reading
your Forum, but the participants don't appear to have read or
understood your article so there is not much to engage. For
the most knowledgeable ones, a little knowledge can be
dangerous. Doug Milliken, Motorsports Manager, Garrett
Engine Boosting Systems6/27/03 -
In
regard to our recent article by Mark Cipolloni titled, Why turbos make
for superior street and race engines, we came across
this recent Merrill Lynch research
paper (PDF format) on Honeywell's Garrett turbocharger
division. For those who questioned the future of the
turbo engine market for passenger cars, you might find this
paper enlightening. It does a thorough analysis of the
turbo market, both now and in the future. The article
states that roughly 20% of all cars sold worldwide are
turbocharged today and it expects that number to reach 40% by
2010.
6/27/03
New Winston Cup team
Arnold Motorsports Is Pleased To Announce The
Formation Of Their New Team Which Will Compete In A Partial
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Schedule This Year And Go Full Time
In 2004. In Addition To Announcing The New Team, Donald L.
Arnold, Team Owner, Is Pleased And Privileged To Announce That
NASCAR Great Bobby Allison Will Serve As V.P. And Consultant.
"I'm Looking Forward To Them Putting This Deal Together,"
Allison Said. Dodge Has Been Chosen As The Manufacturer Of
Choice By Arnold Motorsports. Billy Bigby, Jr. Has Been Named
The Driver And The Engine Program Of Choice Is The Arrington
"A" Engine Program. "Bobby Will Consult With Us On Testing And
Also Be A Spokesperson For Our Team With Sponsors," Arnold
Continued.
Bobby Allison Website
6/27/03
Villeneuve will take salary cut
to win This AP
article says, Although his contract is up after this
year, it's not clear where the 32-year-old Villeneuve will end
up. He's too expensive for most teams to pursue - BAR can't
even afford to resign him at his going rate. Also, there's no
sign that a seat will open at Ferrari, Williams or McLaren,
the only teams that can afford him and also put him in a
competitive ride. Where Villeneuve ends up is anyone's guess.
"I don't want to wait until I am 50 to be in a position to be
competitive again," he said. "But when you make a decision,
you have to see what is available and what your options are,
and it is impossible for me to give you an answer until I know
what the options really are. "It is easy to say now, 'Oh, I
only want to drive in these kind of teams,' but when the
question is you drive in another team or you stay at home,
then maybe you will change your mind-set." Villeneuve is
suffering through a miserable fifth season with BAR with just
3 points and two straight DNFs - including two weeks ago at
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the track named after his late
father. But a driver in his position, unsure of where he'll
end up and unsure who even wants him in a car, doesn't really
have many choices. F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone wants Villeneuve
to retain a spot on the grid, where he and Schumacher are the
only active series champions. But Ecclestone believes that
years of running in the back of the pack have demoralized
Villeneuve and a top ride is the only thing that will
rejuvenate the driver. "How can he motivate himself? He has
won the CART series, the world championship, he has won a lot
of races," Ecclestone said. "I imagine he comes to a race and
thinks, 'If I really do a good job, maybe I can qualify 10th,
maybe, and maybe in a race I can run eighth or ninth.' Hey,
what difference is it to him if he is 13th or seventh? "I
would like to see him in the Ferrari." But that won't happen
because Villeneuve is too proud to be the No. 2 to Schumacher.
"I wouldn't drive in Rubens Barrichello's position,"
Villeneuve said. So Villeneuve has to take a long hard look
around the paddock and figure out where he can best fit in. He
says he'll take a pay cut if it means driving for a team that
can win races. "If it were a team in a position to bring the
results that I want I don't think that money would be a real
problem for me," he said. Pollock, a shareholder at BAR, still
thinks that team can be among the top three in F1 and has not
ruled out finding a way for Villeneuve to remain there. But
the manager is confident other winning teams will want the
driver and that a contract with a low-base salary and
performance incentives could make Villeneuve an extremely
attractive option. "Top drivers dictate that a lot of money be
spent on them," Pollock said. "But a top driver's head also
dictates that he wants to win. Having made the money in the
past, he would be going for a contract where he could win
now." Here is another
article on the topic. And yet another
article where Jacques admits his F1 future looks
bleak. Will he retire after this year, go fishing, or eat his
words and run in CART, which he said he would never do again?
6/27/03
Johansson relishes role as team
ownerThis
AP
article says, A veteran of Formula One and former CART
rookie of the year, Stefan Johansson is the first-year owner
of American Spirit Team Johansson, featuring Americans Jimmy
Vasser and rookie Ryan Hunter-Reay behind the wheel. "When I
stopped racing CART at the end of '96, I decided to start an
Indy Lights team," he said. "I ran that for a few years, then
this year there was an opportunity to get into CART, and I
decided it was a good thing to do." It's been somewhat of a
bumpy road in the first year. Johansson had about a month to
put together his team before the first race of the year, and
the challenges didn't stop there. Saddled with the inferior
Reynard chassis - the top five finishers at last weekend's G.I.
Joe's 200 were Lolas, a common theme all year - for this
season, the American Spirit team has had a difficult time
finding success in the CART series. "We're a little bit
hampered with this Reynard chassis," Johansson said. "We've
had some bad luck, we've had a lot of accidents, which has
obviously set us back a little bit. We had a few roadblocks in
our way early on, definitely - stuff that happens in your
daily life of doing business. We definitely had our fair share
of dramas. "You just chip away, add people where you need
people. It's constantly evolving. It typically takes three
years to build a winning team." But those dramas have not
dampened Johansson's enthusiasm for the sport that has
dominated his life for so long. "I'm committed to this 100
percent - you'd be a complete fool to jump into something this
intensive if it's only for one year," he said. "I'm incredibly
lucky to have been able to do this really for my entire life.
I love every aspect of this business, whether it's driving,
management or owning a team. "There's constantly pressure,
massive pressure the whole time. You've just got to figure it
out, you've got to think quick. When you come up with an
answer and it works, it's incredibly satisfying."
6/27/03
TV News Boris Said is
Dave Despain's guest tonight on Wind Tunnel at 11:00 on SPEED
Channel. Mike Pearl was hired this week at ABC as senior
vice president and executive producer. Pearl moves over from
Turner Sports, where he drew wide acclaim for his work on the
NBA broadcasts. From 1988 to 1995, Pearl worked at CBS, and
did some work on their racing coverage. Some IRL insiders are
encouraged by Pearl's hiring at ABC, where he'll have some of
the same responsibilities recently held by former ABC Sports
boss Howard Katz. Katz is now the COO at NFL Films, but was
shown the door at Disney by ESPN boss George Bodenheimer, who
assumed Katz' responsibilities at ABC. Pearl is known for his
creativity. Turner's NBA broadcasts have one of the best
studio shows in all of sports, and that energy and enthusiasm
can only help the IRL, which is really struggling to gain
traction in the ratings. This, of course, assumes that Disney
wants to put some of Pearl's expertise to work on the IRL.
MotorsportsTV.com
6/27/03
Williams & BMW extend
partnership Williams and engine suppliers BMW have
extended their partnership for a further five years until the
end of the 2009 season, it was announced today. The contract
between the two was due to end next season but the extension
was announced at BMW's home race, the European Grand Prix at
the Nurburgring. Dr. Burkhard Göschel is the board member of
the BMW Group responsible for the BMW Formula One Project. He
explained: “We are very pleased to have placed collaboration
with WilliamsF1 on a sound and long-term basis. This new
contract envisages enhanced integration between the two
partners. As an automobile manufacturer, we have options that
are simply not open to a racing team and we need to join
together in exploiting these possibilities. By the same token,
this is all about supporting the specialist expertise of one
of the most successful teams in the history of Formula One,
harnessing that expertise and achieving perfect integration.
We are convinced that this alignment will lay the foundation
stone for the future success of this project.” BMW WilliamsF1
Team Principal Frank Williams reflected, “BMW have been an
extremely impressive and highly motivated engine partner to
work with since 2000. I have every confidence that with the
structure of this new agreement we will be able to draw from a
deeper pool of BMW resource. When added together with the
technical competence and determination to win at WilliamsF1, I
believe that this relationship will yield significant
dividends.”
6/27/03
Trivia question2nd UPDATE Another reader
writes, I saw the answer posted to your trivia question about
the first driver to spray champagne. It's partially correct.
Here's Dan Gurney's side of the
story and a great 1996 piece by Lewis Franck. I
have a copy of that poster hanging by my desk at work. John
Hullinger6/27/03 - A reader writes, Dear AR1,
Dan Gurney is the answer to the next trivia question you posted below.
The why is; Dan Gurney didn't consume alcohol. So, he found something
else to do with the stuff when he won his first F1 race!
Gilles Villeneuve sponsor trivia part two: Up until the time
that Marlboro became a sponsor on the Ferrari team, the drivers
"owned" their suits, and they could sell their own space, so to speak.
Gilles "main sponsor" on his suit, when he was with Ferrari, was the
famous maker of Lambrusco, Giacobazzi. Jody Scheckter's was
Brooklyn, which, oddly enough, is an Italian brand of Chewing gum!
Daniel Manchester, Northbrook, IL6/26/03 - Who was the main sponsor of Gilles Villeneuve? Answer: In 1976,
Labatt signed its first sponsorship contract with Gilles Villeneuve.
This funding allowed him to complete his budget, to win the Formula
Atlantic series and to get himself noticed by the world of Formula 1.
After becoming an official Ferrari driver in 1978, Gilles Villeneuve
still wore the colors of Labatt when he scored his first career
victory, on the new circuit at Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal (a circuit
to which the brewery had made a large financial contribution). By the
way, it was with the froth from an enormous bottle of Labatt, not
champagne, that Gilles Villeneuve celebrated his victory that year.
Labatt would remain associated with the Quebec driver until his death
in 1982. During the years 1995-1998, the brewery would join forces
with another Formula 1 driver by the name of Villeneuve: his son
Jacques, who would become world champion in 1997. Will
Labatt make a comeback in racing soon? Rumors suggest it will.
Next trivia question: At each Grand Prix, the drivers on
the podium spray each other with champagne. Where does this tradition
come from?
6/27/03
Panis surprises in opening practice at
Nurburgring Olivier Panis
in a Toyota topped the charts in Friday morning practice for this
weekend's European GP at the Nurburgring. Mark Webber was just 0.027
back in his Jaguar and Kimi Raikkonen was 3rd in his McLaren, 0.063
sec back. Michelin runners dominated the session.
P. No Driver Team - Engine Tires
Times Ave/Gaps Laps
1. 20 PANIS Toyota M 1'31"197 203.217 Km/h 22
2. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 1'31"224 + 0'00"027 19
3. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'31"260 + 0'00"063 19
4. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1'31"513 + 0'00"316 22
5. 8 ALONSO Renault M 1'31"750 + 0'00"553 18
6. 15 PIZZONIA Jaguar Cosworth M 1'31"794 + 0'00"597 18
7. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1'31"918 + 0'00"721 22
8. 4 R. SCHUMACHER Williams BMW M 1'32"170 + 0'00"973 22
9. 21 DA MATTA Toyota M 1'32"492 + 0'01"295 26
10. 1 M. SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'32"560 + 0'01"363 23
11. 3 MONTOYA Williams BMW M 1'32"590 + 0'01"393 22
12. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B 1'32"607 + 0'01"410 17
13. 11 FISICHELLA Jordan Ford B 1'32"692 + 0'01"495 16
14. 10 FRENTZEN Sauber Petronas B 1'32"792 + 0'01"595 20
15. 17 BUTTON BAR Honda B 1'32"841 + 0'01"644 23
16. 9 HEIDFELD Sauber Petronas B 1'32"901 + 0'01"704 18
17. 16 VILLENEUVE BAR Honda B 1'33"602 + 0'02"405 21
18. 12 FIRMAN Jordan Ford B 1'33"643 + 0'02"446 17
19. 19 VERSTAPPEN Minardi Cosworth B 1'34"947 + 0'03"750 9
20. 18 WILSON Minardi Cosworth B 1'35"525 + 0'04"328 14
6/27/03
Interview with Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 DeWalt Power Tools
Taurus, is the NASCAR Winston Cup points leader as the series takes
its third and final break of the season. Kenseth, who has finished in
the top 10 in 13 of his last 15 starts, has a 174-point lead with 20
races remaining. Kenseth's Winston Cup points lead is the largest
after 16 races in the past 16 years. Transcript
6/27/03
Sony signs deal with F1 Sony
Computer Entertainment Europe yesterday signed a four-year contract
with Formula One Administration Ltd, making them the official
publisher of Formula One titles. Speaking on the new deal, Chris
Deering, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said "This
four year exclusive relationship is the basis for a very exciting
partnership between the world's leading motorsport and the most
successful video game platform. "Together I believe we will create a
totally new consumer game experience that combines the power of
PlayStation 2 with the exhilaration and spectacle of Formula One.
Short of pulling on gloves and a helmet this is as close to being in
the driver's seat as you're going to get."
6/27/03
Trulli fastest in Friday test a
Nurburgring Jarno Trulli
set the fastest time in the Friday test session at the European Grand
Prix, beating teammate Fernando Alonso. Trulli the most laps in the
test, completing 48 tours of the Nurburgring track. The Renault duo
were comfortably ahead of their nearest rival, Jaguar's Antonio
Pizzonia who was 0.880s back from Trulli.
Position/Driver Team Fastest Lap
1 Jarno Trulli Renault 1m32.085s
2 Fernando Alonso Renault 1m32.311s
3 Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar 1m32.965s
4 Ralph Firman Jordan 1m33.019s
5 Mark Webber Jaguar 1m33.174s
6 Allan McNish Renault 1m33.935s
7 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan 1m34.579s
8 Jos Verstappen Minardi 1m34.857s
9 Justin Wilson Minardi 1m35.455s
Petty
rides again for charity NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and more than 200 motorcyclists
roared into McKinney, Texas during the 9th annual Kyle Petty Charity
Ride Across America - a cross-country motorcycle ride that raises
money for children's hospitals and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. The
riders took a pit stop at Towne Lake Park where Petty led
motorcyclists and area residents on the Victory Challenge to raise
additional money for the charity. The Victory Challenge is a test-ride
program, through Victory Motorcycles, that encourages people across
the U.S. to visit a Victory dealership or demo-ride location and raise
money for kids by taking a test drive on a Victory motorcycle. The
program, which runs through June 30, donates $1 for each Victory
motorcycle test ride to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride.
6/27/03
Gidley
enjoyed shot at Trans-Am Memo Gidley finished fourth in his
first ever Trans-AM race this past weekend driving for Paul
Gentilozzi's Rocketsports Racing team. This one race deal was
sponsored by Ace Paint and 20 local Ace Hardware Dealers and was run
in conjunction with the NASCAR Winston Cup. Gidley's only
testing was fifty laps at Michigan's Gingerman road course the
previous Wednesday in a short shake down that helped him to at least
"feel comfortable and make sure everything fit right inside the car."
Memo found himself ninth quick in the first practice session late
Friday afternoon. "The car was heavier than anything I had ever
driven" said Gidley, "so first I had to get used to how the extra weight
responded in the turns and over the elevation changes of a track like
Infineon Raceway. "There was a lot to learn in a short time, but
I really enjoyed the challenge." Memo qualified fifth on
Saturday and ended the Sunday morning warm up in the third spot. "The
car felt very good on Sunday morning...there were still a few little
things I know I could have done to make it quicker had I had one more
session." During the race Memo made his way up to fourth place
and was in the hunt for third when on a restart, he and series points
leader, Johnny Miller got together in turn three. "I was boxed
in and looking for a way by third place when I felt a bump and found
myself sideways. There wasn't a lot I could do, as I was hit in my
blind spot. I thought I was going around but somehow managed to keep
the car from spinning." said Gidley. Unfortunately for
Miller, the result was a cut tire that would put him a lap down.
Gidley seemed to have one more chance at third after the final caution
of the day but ended up having to settle for fourth. "These cars
have a lot of horsepower and can easily burn off the rear tires" said
Gidley. "I thought I set my car up conservatively enough so that
my tires would be in good shape at the end. I guess I
missed it a little because although I was having a blast sliding the
Ace/Jaguar XKR around, my rear tires were pretty cooked at the end.
Happy with fourth? First race, I'll take it this time but not in the
future" Although this was a one-race program, Memo hopes
for the opportunity to drive in the Trans-Am series again soon. "I
really had a good time driving the Ace/Rocketsports Jaguar XKR" said
Gidley. "The Rocketsports team are excellent, worked hard and were a
great group. I hope to race with them again. I also wanted to thank
the fans that helped with financial support through the "Fans For
Memo" effort."
6/26/03
Will Legault be the next CART
boss? UPDATE Who is
Normand Legault? The multilingual Normand Legault is Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of GPF1 Inc. He was until recently,
President and General Manager of Grand Prix F1 du Canada Inc., an
event in which he became involved in 1978. Initially in charge of
sponsorship, Mr. Legault became General Manager in 1981, a position he
held until 1983. Between 1984 and 1989, he launched various
businesses in the field of communications and events, before returning
to Grand Prix du Canada in 1989 as a consultant. The following year,
he once again became General Manager of the company, which he acquired
a few years later. Attracting over 326,000 spectators, the 2002
edition of the Canadian Grand Prix was the largest sporting event in
Canada’s history. The ‘Promoter’s trophy for the best organized Grand
Prix’ was awarded to the Canadian Grand Prix for the year 2001.
Normand Legault is also a member of the International Formula One
Commission (Editor's Note: don't take this item lightly).
An active participant in the Montreal community, Mr. Legault was
President of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal for 2000-2001
and he is now Chairman. He is governor of the Université de Sherbrooke
faculty of administration, governor of the Regroupement des jeunes
gens d’affaires du Québec and President of the Club des Carabins of
University of Montréal. Mr. Legault is Chairman of the Place des
Arts, he is on the board of directors of the Société générale de
financement du Québec (SGF) and of Expert-Medic Inc. In addition to
being a member of the office of the FMMJ (Fondation du maire de
Montréal pour la jeunesse) fundraising campaign, he is also a member
of the UNICEF Ambassadors’ Committee. Mr. Legault was elected by La
Presse, Personality of the Year 2001. 6/26/03 - This morning's Journal de Montreal
reports that when contacted in his Montreal office, Normand
Legault (Canadian GP and CART Molson Indy Montreal boss) did
not deny the rumor, which came out this past weekend,
regarding him being the next CART President. According to
Gerry Forsythe, Legault was offered Chris Pook's position as
head of CART. After dancing around the question two or
three times, probably out of respect for his friend, Chris
Pook, Legault finally admitted that he was looking at the
offer, the opportunity to run CART, but stated that he
wouldn't comment right now and said that Pook was running CART
the best possible way for now. In fact, he stated, "replacing
Pook shouldn't be a surprise since he (Pook) personally stated
before that he wouldn't be around after 2004 or so."
There is a large photo and other CART and F1 news that
accompany the report. Mark C.
6/26/03
Herbert celebrates 39th birthday
Former Formula One winner Johnny Herbert celebrated his 39th birthday
Wednesday as he prepared to re-join ADT Champion Racing for this
weekend's Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta. The English driver, whose last
F1 win was in the 1999 Grand Prix of Europe at the Nurburgring for the
Stewart-Ford team, will be looking to score his second career win in
the American Le Mans Series and to help the Florida-based Champion
team win for the first time on the series. Herbert will co-drive with
another former F1 pilot, JJ Lehto of Finland, in the same Audi R8 that
the Champion team ran to third overall and the LMP 900 class win in
the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans. It marked the first appearance by an
American team on the overall Le Mans podium in 19 years. Herbert, who
drove for the Champion team on the ALMS in 2001 and 2002, drove for
Team Bentley at Le Mans and finished second overall. "Our Audi arrived
in Atlanta direct from France on Monday," said Herbert. "It has been
washed and polished plus an oil change which is remarkable considering
it completed around 3,200 miles at around 130 mph at Le Mans."
6/26/03
Danica
Patrick gets first laps in Prodrive Ferrari
It didn't take Danica Patrick long to look like a member of the famed
Prodrive Ferrari team. The rising young American racing star made her
first laps in the bright-red Ferrari 550 Maranello on Wednesday and
Thursday in a private test session and will make her debut in American
Le Mans Series competition in this weekend's Chevy Grand Prix of
Atlanta. Patrick, who also drives for Bobby Rahal's CART Toyota
Atlantic team, was fitting in with the British team, wearing the
Ferrari red in her new Prodrive racing suit and in a designer team
shirt when not in the car. She spent part of the day Wednesday getting
fitted into the car's seat as well as getting to know her crew and her
new co-driver, Jerome Policand of France, and had her first laps in
the car late Wednesday afternoon. "It's going well and I really like
the Ferrari," said the 21-year-old from Roscoe, Ill., on Thursday.
"I'm glad to have this time in the car in a testing situation because
it's different from the cars I'm used to driving. "The brakes are
especially different because I've never driven a car with carbon
brakes," she
said. "I also have to adjust to a car that rolls. It's really
important that I have a good weekend with this team. I'm happy to be
here because I want to race." Rahal, the former Indianapolis 500
winner who is working with Patrick as a mentor and advisor, was on
hand Wednesday and will return Sunday for the two-hour, 45-minute
race. The Prodrive team won the GTS class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
two weeks ago. Tomas Enge of the Czech Republic and Peter Kox of The
Netherlands, two of the three winning drivers from Le Mans, will steer
the other Prodrive entry in the Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta.
6/26/03
Players team happy with Road America
test
Team Player's driver Paul Tracy, the current leader in the Champ Car
World Series drivers' standings, was among 12 drivers taking part
Thursday in a testing session on the venerable Road America course,
site of the August 3 race in the series. "We really covered the board
in terms of what we needed to do," said Todd Malloy, the chief
engineer for Tracy's No. 3 car. " We worked mainly on aerodynamic
components specific to the Road America track. We tried different
shock absorbers/dampers and got some quality information from the
session. Most of the contending teams in the series were on hand for
the session. Tracy ran 27 laps, covering 110 miles, on the equivalent
of two fuel stints, a simulation of the pit frequency during the race
on the 4.048 road course, where Tracy has three career poles and two
victories, most recently in 2000. "It's always a lot of fun running
laps on Road America, even testing laps," said Tracy, whose best lap
on Thursday was one minute, 45.07 seconds, third fastest by the time
Team Player's packed up for the day. "I'm happy with the balance of
the car. We have a good set-up that I expect will enable us to run
well when we come back here in August. "The only disappointing thing
about the session today was not putting in as many laps as we would
have liked because of the punctures we sustained on the two rear
tires," added Tracy. "We were only allowed the two sets of tires, so
the punctures prematurely ended the session. But we couldn't do much
about it." On the strength of two consecutive podium finishes,
including his second-place finish last weekend at Portland, Tracy has
recaptured the lead in the drivers' standings, a 99-95 edge over
Brazilian Bruno Junqueira.
DRIVERS : Heinz-Harald FRENTZEN Nick HEIDFELD Michael
SCHUMACHER
Ralf SCHUMACHER Jos VERSTAPPEN
6/26/03
New sponsor for Minardi
Commencing with this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix of
Europe at the Nurburgring, Wilux Benelux, a producer of shower
cubicles and baths in the medium- and top-class segments,
becomes a commercial partner of the European Minardi Cosworth
F1 Team. The Wilux logo, along with the catch-phrase,
"Bathroom pleasure", will appear on the Minardi Formula One
cars, as well as on the overalls and helmets of drivers, Jos
Verstappen and Justin Wilson. For customers, there will be
interesting promotional activities surrounding each Grand
Prix, which will be announced in the media. For Wilux, an
organization with an annual turnover of some 60 million Euros
and about 180 employees, which exports bathroom equipment to
28 countries worldwide, the co-operation with Minardi is a
logical step. Managing Director, R. Wildschut, explains : “In
the past, Wilux has been involved as a sponsor in motorcycle
racing and football with a Dutch Premier League club. Given
our strong current market position, and in spite of the
recession, we believe that it is time for us to move to the
highest level in sports sponsorship. The co-operation with
Minardi is a logical step. We firmly believe in the team’s
capabilities and potential, and are glad to support them in
their efforts.” Jos Verstappen, who will be driving in his
100th Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, is the most successful
Dutch Formula One driver in history. He raced previously for
Benetton, Tyrrell, Stewart and Arrows, and signed for the
Faenza-based European Minardi team this season. His team-mate,
Justin Wilson, is in his first year of Formula One
competition. “For us, the combination of a Dutch driver in an
Italian team is just ideal,” says Wilux Managing Director,
Wildschut. “Our headquarters are located in The Netherlands,
but the design of our products comes from Italy, where we also
have our own facilities in San Dona di Piave, near Venice.”
The co-operation between Wilux Benelux and Minardi will be
promoted in various ways. For instance, the image of Jos
Verstappen’s Formula One car will be displayed on the Wilux
transporters that can be seen on the roads all over Europe.
Posters and other promotional material will appear in the
showrooms of Wilux dealers, and there will also be a sales
promotion around each Grand Prix, during which customers can
not only expect an interesting discount on Wilux products, but
also obtain exclusive items related to Formula One and
Minardi. Managing Director Wildschut of Wilux Benelux says :
“We are proud of being able to race together with Minardi, and
we look forward to a successful co-operation !” Minardi
6/26/03
Final NASCAR Sears Point TV Rating NASCAR finished
with final numbers of a 4.8 rating and 11 share for the
Winston Cup race from Infineon Raceway on FOX, according to
Nielsen Media Research. This is up 7 percent over last year.
The race drew 5,084,000 households. The NASCAR race beat all
the competition, which was led by a Tiger Woods PGA broadcast
that drew a 3.2 and an 8 share. Even in a bad economy,
NASCAR just keeps getting more popular.
6/26/03
Final CART Portland TV Rating
CART's Portland race on CBS last Sunday came in with a
final TV rating of 0.9 and a 2 share.
6/26/03
CART Mid-Ohio test open to fans
The Champ Car Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio will run August 7-10,
but fans of the 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course can see
the open-wheel rockets take to the Lexington, Ohio track on
Monday, June 30, to test for the upcoming race. Many of the
Bridgestone Presents the CART Champ Car World Series powered
by Ford competitors have committed to the test day, including
defending race champion Patrick Carpentier of
Player's/Forsythe Racing, Bruno Junqueira and Sebastien
Bourdais of Newman/Haas Racing, Hilliard, Ohio's Team Rahal
driver Michel Jourdain, Jr., and Fernandez Racing's Adrian
Fernandez, who won last week's CART Champ Car World Series
event in Portland, Oregon. "Mid-Ohio is excited to make this
event open to the public," said Michelle Trueman Gajoch,
President of TrueSports, Inc. "This is an excellent
opportunity for our loyal Champ Car fans to get energized
about the upcoming race, and Mid-Ohio is pleased to donate the
proceeds to a very worthy cause." Fans can enter the facility
beginning at 8:00 a.m. at Gate 3 by making a $5.00 donation to
The Hole In The Wall Camps, Inc., the Official Charity of CART
Champ Car. Mid-Ohio All-Access Season Pass holders receive
free admission to the day's events by presenting their season
pass at the gate.
6/26/03
Is CART susceptible to an
unfriendly takeover? A reader writes, Dear AR1, Now
that CART is up for sale, is it possible for someone like Tony
George to come in and buy CART and then kill it off?
Dave Pillar, New York Dear Dave, The Revlon case set a
precedence that the board of any company is obligated to get
the best price for the shareholders, and to really look at
nothing else. That is why Larry Ellison from Oracle is
so confident he will ultimately get PeopleSoft. He will
then move their products into Oracle and kill off PeopleSoft.
He has made that quite clear. It's possible that someone like
Tony George could be the highest bidder for CART and the CART
board would then be obligated to recommend to the shareholders
to vote to approve his bid. However, there is nothing that
prevents the shareholders from voting to take, the 2nd
highest, or 3rd highest bid, if they deem it in their best
interest in the long run. Fortunately for CART, between
Gerald Forsythe and Jon Vannini (and Vannini's friends who I
hear would follow his lead) they control around 50% of CART's
shares. If they vote against an unfriendly takeover from
someone like Tony George, they can prevent it from happening.
If I were Chris Pook and company, I'd make sure I didn't piss
off Forsythe or Vannini, because either one could undermine
what he may have planned. Mark C.
6/26/03
Mandarino
travels from Italy to Windsor Lorenzo
Mandarino, one of Canada’s brightest young racing stars, will
trek across the Canadian countryside from his home in
Vancouver, British Columbia to contest the Dodge Freedom Grand
Prix of Windsor this weekend. Lorenzo just returned from
Parma, Italy after an intense session with the GP Racing team,
manufacturers of the GP kart chassis. “I am looking
forward to racing at an event with such potential for major
exposure," said Lorenzo. "After just returning from Italy I am
focused on executing some of the techniques and chassis work
we accomplished with the GP racing team. Truenorth Motorsports
is the importer of GP chassis in Canada and one of my biggest
supporters. Both GP and Truenorth are making it possible for
me to run in Windsor." Mandarino is now an official
driver on the GP Racing team and will return to Italy in
August for more racing and will also contest the ICC World
Championship later this year. “We were very happy with
Lorenzo’s performance here in Italy,” said Gianpiero Cavaciuti
son of GP Racing owner Beppe Cavaciuti. “He should be very
competitive in the Windsor race.” Lorenzo will run the
remainder of the Stars races with the GP kart and TM power
with backing from GP and Truenorth. The Dodge Grand Prix
of Windsor starts with practice for the ICC, ICA, 125 Moto,
Rotax, 80 Junior and local 4-cycle classes on Friday, June
27th and races through the weekend.
6/26/03
Many events planned for Molson
Indy Toronto event The Molson Indy is so much
more than just a race. Following is a
listing (PDF format) of all of the exciting events
geared to getting the city of Toronto revved up for the Molson
Indy. And you wonder why the Canadian events are so
successful. Clearly these folks know how to promote a
race. Mark C.
6/26/03
Shell develops secret gear oil
for Ferrari Technical partners Shell and Ferrari
have brought a new gear oil to the European Grand Prix. 'Our
new gear oil, Shell Spirax Racing Gearbox Oil, is a major step
forward,' said Mike Copson of Shell Global Solutions.' We have
been working with Ferrari since the beginning of the season on
Shell Spirax and we have made exciting developments as regards
to friction loss, cooling and wear protection in the gearbox.'
'Put simply, Shell Spirax is an oil that allows the horsepower
from the engine to be transmitted through the gearbox more
efficiently.' continues Copson. 'I cannot divulge the exact
performance gain, but I can say that we are delighted with the
results from testing. The main reason for our optimism is that
we have managed to make this major development without
sacrificing the wear protection the oil offers the gears.' 'As
with engine oil, the trick is to find the right balance
between friction optimization and wear protection' says Copson.
'Shell Spirax is a massive step forward in all of these areas
and as our fuel and oil development program continues back in
the UK, we are looking forward to the next step forward with
Ferrari very soon. Of course, developments we have made such
as with Shell Spirax have been shared with our colleagues who
can now use them as a base from which to develop new Shell
road products.'
6/26/03
Earnhardt concert details finalized The talent
lineup is confirmed as the excitement builds for the World
Center of Racing's first music festival - the Dale Earnhardt
Tribute Concert - on Saturday, June 28th. Hosted by Teresa
Earnhardt, the festival kicks off at 3:00 p.m. with two-time
Grammy winner Delbert McClinton. The lineup is as follows:
Delbert McClinton - 3:00 PM
Alabama - 4:00 PM
Kyle Petty Charity Ride - 4:40
Kenny Chesney - 5:00
The Goo Goo Dolls - 6:10
Sheryl Crow - 7:35
Brooks & Dunn - 9:00
Hootie & The Blowfish - 10:25
Fireworks - 11:05
Also featured during the daylong festival honoring seven-time
NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt and benefiting the
Dale Earnhardt Foundation will be singer/songwriter Gary
Chapman who will serve as master of ceremonies of the live
event. Special appearances will also be made by Dale Earnhardt
Jr. and DEI Winston Cup drivers Michael Waltrip and Jeff
Green. This all-day festival of music and memories - the first
to benefit the Dale Earnhardt Foundation -begins at noon when
fans will be treated to interactive exhibits from concert
sponsors and special guest appearances Teresa Earnhardt
established the Foundation to carry on Dale's name and good
works through the charitable causes he championed during his
lifetime. Race and music fans who attend this Saturday's Dale
Earnhardt Tribute Concert at the Daytona International
Speedway will receive a free ticket to the Grand American
Rolex Sports Car Series Paul Revere 250 and Kraft/Nabisco
Qualifying Night for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and Busch
Series on Thursday, July 3.
6/26/03 Industry News
Fiat to lay off 12,000 Fiat has confirmed that it is to cut about 12,000
jobs worldwide and launch a $2 billion rights issue as part of
a $5 billion comeback plan announced on Thursday.
The job cuts - the bulk of which will occur outside Italy -
and the share issue were unveiled in Turin by the troubled
Italian engineering group and its founding family on Thursday
morning. Under the measures, about 9,500 jobs will be lost
outside of Italy, with 2,800 jobs being cut domestically as 12
out of 138 plants are closed around the world. Ferrari
is not expected to be affected.
6/26/03
NASCAR fans - the US Government wants you
The Newark New Jersey Star-Ledger says the U.S. Army is spending $30
million of its $2 billion annual recruiting budget this year on NASCAR
sponsorships. Its desire is to persuade some of the 75 million NASCAR
fans to sign up. Its goal is 250,000 enlistments this year.
6/26/03
Drivers anticipate lights at Cleveland Next
weekend, CART Champ Car will run the 22nd annual Grand Prix of
Cleveland at Burke Lakefront Airport. The 2003 Grand Prix of Cleveland
will feature a major difference: for the first time the race will be
run at night. This will be the first time in series history that a
road course will be run under the lights, and it will become the
largest temporary lighting project in history. Earlier this year, CART
Champ Car tested the night racing waters on an oval at The Milwaukee
Mile with great success. Few drivers around the Champ Car paddock have
experienced night racing on a road course, but those who have are
confident that Champ Car's efforts to light the course will provide a
safe and challenging circuit. Rookie driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and
veteran Max Papis shared past night racing experiences and their
thoughts on this year's race. More....
6/26/03
As 3rd season winds down, FOX sees more
success
Last Sunday, the third NASCAR on FOX season came to an end at Infineon
Raceway. The twisty road course through the wine country of Napa
Valley provides perhaps the perfect contrast to the ovals and
tri-ovals that typify tracks in the southeast, and in a way
demonstrates just how national NASCAR has become. More....
NASCAR
TV Guide specials
As NASCAR approaches the second half of its 2003 Winston Cup season,
TV Guide hits newsstands with its July 5 special Winston Cup
mid-season issue (on sale June 30th), featuring two different
collector’s covers. The sport’s two leading pairs—Dale Earnhardt Jr.
and Michael Waltrip; and Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch—will each command
a cover. In addition, newsstand issues of the magazine will include
two special TV Guide bonuses. The first is a pair of cut-out trading
cards, depicting Jeff Gordon’s #24 DuPont Chevrolet and Dale Earnhardt
Jr.’s #8 Budweiser Chevrolet on one side, with racing statistics and
exclusive quotes from each driver on the reverse. The second bonus
feature is a two-sided pullout poster
with
a photograph of Earnhardt Jr. on one side and Gordon on the other.
Both sides of the poster also include the schedule for the remainder
of the Winston Cup 2003 season. In addition to giving complete
up-to-date stats on the first half of the Winston Cup season. This
special mid-season TV Guide NASCAR report also examines whether anyone
has a shot at beating Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Michael Waltrip at
Daytona’s July 5 prime-time race. Edelstein, author of NASCAR
Generations, looks at this winning team’s strongest competition and
analyzes the five top contenders: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Ward
Burton, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace. As for Waltrip, he remains
confident. “Lots of drivers have [Daytona] figured out,” he says.
“None of them concern me.”
6/25/03
IRL weekly notebook
When the IRL IndyCar Series visits Richmond International Raceway for
the SunTrust Indy Challenge on June 28, comparisons between open-wheel
racing and NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing are inevitable.
After all, RIR has played host to stock-car races since 1953. And
Virginia is a traditional hotbed of stock-car racing. More.....
6/25/03
Female midget racer to get a shot at
Pro Series cars
Midget racing veteran Sarah McCune will test an IRL Infiniti Pro
Series car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports on June 27 at Kentucky
Speedway. The test will mark the first time a female short-track
standout has driven one of the 450-horsepower Infiniti Pro Series
machines. Road racer Mishael Abbott tested a Sam Schmidt Motorsports
Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone in November 2002 at Kentucky Speedway. “I’m
really excited about the opportunity to test an Infiniti Pro Series
car,” said McCune, 25. “Sam Schmidt Motorsports is a great team. Right
now we’re looking for sponsorship, and hopefully I’ll have the
opportunity to run the rest of the Pro Series season.” McCune, from
Perrysburg, Ohio, began racing quarter-midgets at age 11. In 1996, she
became the first woman to win an ARCA Midget feature event. In 1997,
she became the first woman to win a North American Auto Racing Series
(NAMARS) feature en route to second place in the series point
standings.
6/25/03
Feedback
on differentiating CART - IV A reader writes, Dear AR1, With regard to Mr. Cipolloni's latest article
I really don't like the name "American Grand Prix" It implies a "not
quite Grand Prix," or an "almost Grand Prix" I like "Champ Car" they
are racing for a seasons championship. The Winston Cup is what they
race for. IRL teams pay their penance at there other events for a shot at
the Indianapolis 500. but I do agree, lose the acronym CART. George
Cappello, Rockville Centre, New York Dear George, CART is
not branded and Champ Car is not branded. Never was, never will
be. The American public is oblivious to both. Say either
one and you will be met with blank stares. CART's further use of
either name is analogous to pumping cash down a rat hole.
ChampCar, ChimpCar, ChumpCar - it's all the same, oblivious to the
American public and completely unrecognizable. At least CART
is recognized a little as a result of it being around since 1979.
ChampCar wasn't used until Tony George took back the IndyCar name,
which CART used for years. IndyCar is a branded name, and Tony
hammered one big nail into CART's coffin with that move.
Ironically, because of the tons of negative press the series has
received in ALL newspapers and racing magazines over the last two
years predicting it's demise, the term CART is much better known than
ChampCar. F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, LeMans and Grand Prix are branded
auto racing names or words that most people recognize. If CART
were to call the series the American Grand Prix Series, and its cars
Grand Prix cars, a light bulb will immediately go off in the head of
the average person on the street recognizing what you mean, thereby
helping to grow the fan base. As I wrote, CART must completely
reinvent itself to light a fire under the American public. If
CART wants to retain some connection to its past, then call it the
"CART American Grand Prix Series" for another five years and then
slowly phase out the CART portion of the name. CART is still the
sanctioning body for the series, analogous to the FIA for F1.
It's officially the "FIA Formula One World Championship Series"
but few people use the FIA portion. FIA is there, but in the
background.....as it should be for CART in my humble opinion.
Mark C.
6/25/03
IRL Hot Laps
Sam Hornish Jr. was honored June 23 in Dallas at the annual
Dallas All Sports Association awards. Two-time IndyCar Series
champion Hornish received the Texas Motor Speedway Award
recognizing him as the most valuable player in motorsports for
the 2002 season. Past winners of the award include fellow
IndyCar Series champion Greg Ray and NASCAR Winston Cup driver
Bobby Labonte … Richmond International Raceway recently signed
a unique promotional partnership with Richmond International
Airport. RIR events and the drivers that compete in them will
be promoted at the airport through signage, displays and video
highlights. Backlit signs featuring IRL IndyCar Series drivers
and video footage from last year’s SunTrust Indy Challenge now
are on display at the airport, and an IndyCar Series race car
is on display in the airport’s first-floor lobby. “Welcome
Race Fans” banners also are on display … Injured IndyCar
Series driver Airton Dare returned home to his native Brazil
last week to continue therapy for the severe injuries he
received when slamming the hard concrete wall at Texas Motor
Speedway.
6/25/03
Feedback on differentiating CART
- III A reader writes, Dear AR1, With regard to Mr. Cipolloni's latest article I agree
whole-heartedly about CART differentiating itself in the market-place,
in fact, I think they should go even further. First, get rid of
all of the ovals - those are the domain of NASCAR and IRL - get rid of
the ovals and get rid of the confusion. Second, if F1 leaves a good
market, CART shouldn't hesitate in filling it. If F1 doesn't want Imola, then CART
should be in there in a second and forget about Fontana,
Milwaukee or Mid-Ohio (does a true world-class racing series
need two races in Wisconsin or Ohio?) -- or any other place
you can't get 50,000 fans in attendance. With F1 deserting
tracks in Europe, CART has the opportunity of a lifetime to
become the first true American league to be successful in
Europe. NFL has NFL Europe and basketball is talking about
going to Europe in their next expansion. With F1 leaving, CART
should be racing in Germany, England and Spa in a northern
European stretch in August, with a Southern European stretch
of Italy, France and Spain in late April-early May. The U.S.
sponsor market is pretty well tapped out with NASCAR taking
most, and then IRL and CART fighting for scraps, so get a
product that will find worldwide sponsors. Six races in
Europe, six races in the U.S., two in Mexico, three in Canada,
S. Korea, China and Australia. The perfect 20-race schedule
that sells product in the biggest economies in the world. Keep
Long Beach, Cleveland, Road America, St. Pete, Denver and one
in Texas...then go world-wide. You'd be in every American
time-zone and three of the four largest states in the country.
It's time to let minor markets like Milwaukee and Portland go
(ever wonder why the NFL, NHL, and MLB aren't there?).
Richard Gozinya, Portsmouth, Ohio Another reader writes,
Dear AR1, Fully agree with your article but I too believe CART needs
to continue with the ovals and add a few. What was CART's most popular
event in 2002 by unanimous vote from the fans? Fontana. What have been
CART's two best races (of course, open to argument) thus far in 2003?
Lausitz and Milwaukee. All ovals. Carpentier, Tracy, and Vasser all
said yesterday in CART's website that they felt more ovals should be
put into place. If the drivers are even calling for it, how much more
obvious can it be. Craig Pollock made an interesting remark that CART
is a "confusing series" here in the States and by that I assume he
means running on ovals normally consumed by NASCAR. Sure CART can be
called confusing but only because the common fellow just doesn't know
what the heck CART is about and this will continue as long as CART
allows it to be so. Until the day that people in the U.S. know that
Fontana is the series finale and one of the best races of the entire
year for any series, and until CART develops and identifies its own
"Daytona" or "Indy" (Grand Prix of NYC, eh?) then CART will remain in
oblivion. CART is (on paper) the only racing series in the world to
have all "the angles", such as the diversity of venues and tracks,
national and international races, national and international drivers.
If CART doesn't spend the money or time to promote this, then they're
spinning their wheels. Like you said, put the drivers out there for
people to see. Terry Labonte hasn't won a race in who knows how long,
yet anytime you go to the grocery store to pick up your cereal, guess
whose car is posted on the front of Frosted
Flakes? CART has got to go all out and for the jugular, soon!!
Thanks, Dave Holyoak, Clinton, NJ Dear Dave, CART
has to decide what it wants to be. It cannot be everything
to everyone. It must focus on one area and excel at it.
As the reader above you points out, we must get rid of the
confusion between CART and the IRL. If that means CART
giving up on the ovals (in the USA only), so be it. The
attendance just isn't there to justify ovals for CART in the
USA. Mark C.
6/25/03
Feedback on differentiating CART
- II UPDATE
A reader responds, I have to agree with the reader who says we
need to keep CART separated as not just a second-tier F1.
Being the "Junior League" to the big boys would REALLY be the
death-knell of the series! It might actually have that status,
de facto, right now, but at least it's not acknowledged. If
CART ever becomes F1 Junior in name, then Joe Shmoe from
Kokomo (i.e. the average TV watcher with no series-loyalty)
will choose the PREMIER series every time, and pass on the
wannabes. Look at Minor League versus Major League baseball,
Arena Football versus the NFL, the ABA versus the NBA, etc.
The junior leagues NEVER get any real TV coverage! If you want
to attract the kind of sponsors you need for a big-budget
(i.e. classy) operation, you've got to be the class of the
field. That's why Coyne has never been a front-runner, and
Newman Haas consistently has been... you spend the money to
get the money. BE THE BEST! David Laufer, San Fernando, CA
Dear David, If I implied that CART would be marketed as a secondary
feeder series, that was not meant to be so. It would be marketed
as a top-level series, but under the covers it would be lower cost
through standardization. As I wrote, to the senses (hearing and
seeing) it must appear unique on
another level to American fans. I would hope that
whoever takes CART private, would recognize they can't sell a
tier 2 series at tier 1 prices. 6/25/03 - A reader writes,
Dear AR1, Another upside to the proposals defended by your
latest article
("CART must differentiate itself - clearly"), referring
specifically to the association with F1 that CART must seek,
would be a tremendous improvement in CART's Latin American TV
Package. Ditch the "North" from the "North American F1"
moniker, return to the Rio "roval" and perhaps add a race at
Buenos Aires' Oscar Galvez circuit that hosted F1 in the '90s,
and CART/American F1 would most certainly have similar
importance to F1's for South American TV Networks. In the
specific case of Brazil and Argentina, I'm willing to bet it
would receive the same prestigious treatment F1 receives from
the two countries' top networks (Globo in Brazil and Telefe in
Argentina - both show all 16 races live with excellent rates).
Currently, CART has a weak package with many tape-delayed
races in RedeTV! in Brazil (the country's #5 network) and is
absent from Argentina, since ESPN Int'l is showing only the
IRL now. As AR1 has stated previously, a F1 - American F1
combo would provide full weekly action, NASCAR-style. In Latin
America's specific case, it's hard not to see F1's large
audiences migrating almost instantly to an American F1 that
embraced drivers such as Ricardo Zonta, Luciano Burti or
Esteban Tuero - all fast guys that miss that little "extra
something" that would've kept them in F1, but that does not
mean they're not capable of putting on a great show. The
continent's largest networks would go for it, especially if it
had Bernie's seal of approval. With open-wheel racing's top
categories comprised of an average of only 20 grid spaces
each, there will be room for everyone: A F1 for Schumachers
and Montoyas, an American F1 for Salos and Pizzonias, and the
IRL for bullring-breds such as Sarah Fisher or past-prime big
names like Al Jr. Bernie Ecclestone has said he'd like to have
"10 F1 races" in North America if he could. American F1 can
give him just that, with larger South American audiences as a
plus. Cássio S. Côrtes, Brazil
6/25/03
To spite EU, FIA drops tobacco
ban
The FIA announced on Wednesday that they had dropped the
self-imposed ban on tobacco sponsorship in all motor sports,
including F1. Motorsport's governing body had intended to
impose the ban on 1 October 2006 in accordance with the
European Union's ban. However, in light of the EU's decision
to move their ban forward to July 2005, the FIA has now
cancelled their plans to stop tobacco sponsorship and
advertising. "On legal advice the FIA has withdrawn the ban on
tobacco sponsorship in motor sport voted in October, 2000 (for
implementation in 2006) and substituted the following as a
recommendation: That motor sport promoters and competitors
(including circuit owners, event organizers, teams, and
drivers) should cease all forms of tobacco sponsorship from
October 1, 2006," an FIA statement said.
6/25/03
Could not agree more
with differentiating CART A reader writes, Dear
AR1, I read with great interest your article
by Mark Cipolloni dated June 24. While I don't agree with
everything you write on your web site, (but it is your web
site) I think this article was very well thought out and
written. Having recently moved to Charlotte, NC, (reluctantly)
after 21 years of Open Wheel racing, I can say without
question that the NASCAR steamroller is not going to stop
anytime soon, and both CART and IRL need to change something.
Your article presents a lot of good ideas. Again good job. All
the best, Timothy Bumps, Concord, NC Another writes,
Dear AR1, I agree with everything you proposed in that
article. That is just too perfect. I especially like the idea
about increasing the profits by increasing volume and
offsetting the added costs of creating light material for
keeping the rear of the cars "light." But, mainly, I'm glad to
see you've finally decided to come around to the V-10 idea, in
the name of distinction and sexiness. There are many
advantages of the turbo, but if we wanna be "F1" like, the
engine is crucial. And dammit! Give'em more revs!!! 14,000RPM
MIN!!! Let's hear 'em screeeeeeeeam! D. Hughes, Florida.
Yet another writes, Excellent article! I basically agree with
everything you say but I have one thing to add and you may
disagree with this: I think The American Grand Prix Series
(great name!) should still run on a few ovals (say four or
five). The reason? CART made a name for its series in its
heyday by running on the different types of tracks including
ovals. I've been to quite a few CART oval races over the years
and they are exciting to watch. Also, I think if CART
(sorry, the AGPS!) is going to closely align itself with
Bernie (F1) then the fact that they (hopefully) continue to
run some ovals will make the AGPS distinct and different from
F1, which is EXACTLY what I think they would want, just like
it used to be until 'the split'. I know oval racing for open
wheel right now is not popular, but if you put a good product
on the track (like CART used to!) the fans will come back.
Naming CART 'American F1' or something similar is also a
mistake. Keep ANYTHING with 'F1' in the name OUT! Let the AGPS
stand on its own merit without having to 'mooch' off of F1 and
giving the impression it's a feeder series! I'm sure you'll
remember 12-15 years ago when Bernie and F1 were a little bit
nervous about the popularity of CART. There was a reason for
that. Let's hope Pook and Co. remember that. I believe these
issues above (as well as your own) are vital. Do this, and I
believe CART/AGPS can absolutely beat TG at his own game.
Ken Holland, Los Angeles
6/25/03
What
about Norisring?UPDATE A reader from
Germany writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I am writing you in
order to reply to the statement of Guenter Reinhold from 6/24
regarding a CART race at Norisring. I visited both the German
500 at EuroSpeedway Lausitz and the DTM race at Norisring.
First of all I agree with Guenter that the Norisring is a
fantastic street course - and for sure one of the highlights
in the DTM calendar – but this does not allow one to draw the
conclusion that Norisring is the better track for a champ car
race. The champ cars will be in Europe for all time just the #
2 after formula 1. F1 has four fantastic German pilots and two
German manufacturers. What is the USP of the champ cars? Oval
racing is the answer. High speed oval racing is completely new
in Europe. The German 500 events in 2001 and the return in
2003 have proved that oval racing is thrilling and offers
entertainment to the fans in a new dimension that formula 1
can not offer. Therefore both events at EuroSpeedway were so
successful with an unbelievable atmosphere on and beside the
track. A champ car race at the Norisring is just another
“formula something” in Germany. The Norisring is not far away
from Nurburgring and Hockenheimring. And both tracks have
difficulties to sell the F1 tickets. To talk about potential
200,000 spectators is – sorry - a bad joke and I wonder where
so many spectators would sit at Norisring. It takes only 90
minutes by car from Berlin to EuroSpeedway (and Berlin has
approx. three times more inhabitants than Munich). It is 30
minutes away from Dresden and about 2 hours to Leipzig. This
is a brilliant trading area with more than 20 Million
inhabitants and an enormous potential regarding the new EU
members Poland and Czech Republic in the next years. Two champ
car races will be too much for Germany. It makes more sense to
talk about the German driver in 2004 and about more races in
Europe. But the German 500 must be the single and unique home
for the champ cars in Germany. This fantastic and ultra modern
facility with its unique 2 miles superspeedway is made for
high speed oval racing! K. Fliege, Germany Dear Mr.
Fliege, Thanks for writing. I believe Mr. Reinhold was
suggesting the Norisring as a replacement for the rumored
Hanover, Germany race, not EuroSpeedway. With that said,
I have to agree that Germany can't support two CART races
right now. Mark C.6/24/03
- A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I am a journalist /
photographer from Germany. I came back from the DTM race at
Norisring in Germany over the weekend where 128,000 fans attended the
German DTM race. It is a great track, draws a large
number of spectators every year, and is fun for everybody. That
track would be a good place for a CART race, much better than the
already dead Hannover idea, and should bring a 200,000 attendance for
the weekend. The track is short, just 1.429 miles long (but
longer than Miami), it's
extremely
wide, and a hairpin at the end of the long straight for overtaking...
The track is situated close to downtown Nuremberg (about a mile), but
offers much room for parking, paddock, uses three freeway exits,
whatever you want. It is not far from Munich, lots of race fans,
who won't drive to Lausitzring anyway, because the distance between
Munich and Lausitzring is about 450 miles, between Munich and
Nuremburg 70 miles... There is not much racing in the southern part of
Germany, and the fans are hungry. Fans drive to Austria's
F1-race, and they would go to Nuremburg too, for sure. I love
Lausitzring, but there could be a second race in Germany.
Guenter Reinhold, Germany Dear Guenter, The Norisring is short and
fast, with wide straights leading to narrow, tight
hairpins. Action always abounds. It meets Chris Pook's
requirement for being in a urban environment and its simplistic design
(for a street course) could actually lead to more passing. The
major action is at turn 1, as the track narrows from 10 abreast along
the main straight into two-by-two for the
hairpin.
As can be seen in the image to the right, one has to wonder if the
track could even be extended to include the sweeping turn and
straightaway to the SE of the current turn 1. That would make
the track very Long Beach like and lengthen it to over 2.5 miles. Even
without doing that, it appears to be an action-packed circuit.
Situated in the southeastern portion of the city, staying near the
Norisring shouldn't be too difficult. There are plenty of hotels
within easy distance, and the Dutzendteich railway station is next to
the circuit. Most Germans travel from outside the city to get to the
track, from anywhere in Germany. Mark C.
6/25/03
More NASCAR readers like road courses
A reader writes, Dear AR1, With regard to Doug Belliveau's article
about NASCAR on road courses, while I don't watch a lot of
NASCAR races, I absolutely love NASCAR on the road courses. I
personally would like to see more road courses in the
schedule. It is just a whole other deal from watching oval
races. When you see a pass for position on a road course, you
are seeing some real driving, not just some driver getting a
run off a corner. It is HARD to do. The BEST race I have ever
seen (on TV) was a couple of years ago, some lower level
NASCAR series, maybe "NASCAR North" or something like that at
Watkins Glen. There was television exposure, maybe a $30K
purse, a very big deal for the teams. Those guys held NOTHING
back. I wish the Winston Cup stars could have seen it. Thanks
for letting me express my opinion - Mike Collins
6/25/03
IRL car tested at Mid-Ohio
Proving IRL cars can turn left and right, this Mansfield News Journal
article says, Don Stiles has proven something to the auto
racing world. IRL cars can turn right. "Only this one," the Medina man
said Saturday afternoon during the Sprint Vintage Grand Prix at
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Stiles is driving a Riley & Scott Indy Car
raced four times by Sarah Fisher during the 2000 season. But as
open-wheel fans know, IRL is solely an oval track venture. To get one
of their cars to work on the 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road course
took some work. "The left side upright needed to be made so we could
set up the camber to turn left and right. A lot of things (with the
setup) had to change," Stiles said. Making it harder was the fact he
was first to try it. "There is no data on IRL cars (on road courses),"
he said. "It's kind of fun because nobody can say we're doing it
wrong." Folks haven't been shy with advice. "People are helpful in
this group. They'll say why don't you try this. They don't try to
screw you," he said of fellow vintage open-wheel racers.
Not what the Brits hoped for
According to this F1Racing.de
article, a record weekend crowd of well over 300,000 is
expected at the Nurburgring for this weekend's European GP.
Certainly not what the Brits were hoping for with respect to which
European tracks get to keep a F1 race in years to come.
6/24/03
CART and F1 lost chance at Jeff Gordon
Last week, Craig Pollock told The Toronto Sun that he had offered Jeff
Gordon a drive alongside Jacques Villeneuve when he started the BAR
team back in 1999, but Gordon says "There were discussions about it,"
Gordon told the Sun newspaper. "I was flattered that they wanted to
talk to me about F1. But it never got to the stage of, ‘OK, you're
going to come over here and you are going to test our car and be our
driver.'" Gordon said that the F1 deal was dependent on him driving
for Team Green in the Champ Car World Series for two seasons. At the
time, British American Tobacco sponsored both BAR and Team Green. "It
was like them saying to me, 'We would like to put you in a CART car
with a team like Barry Green's and have you run two years of CART and
then come and test for us in F1 and then maybe you could come and
drive for us,' said Gordon. “I had already won two Winston Cup
championships at that time. I told the BAR people I was pretty much
set here. I was on my way, I was with the best team with the best
sponsors. I had everything I could ask for here. It would have been a
major step backward for me to do it that way with no guarantees of
where it would get me."
6/24/03
Championship rundown
Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford) was a contender coming into
this year. Everyone knew that, after last season’s series-leading five
victories. But who would have thought he would lead the NASCAR Top 10
this season for 13 consecutive weeks, dating back to Atlanta in March?
There was a brief period of uncertainty – going into the Coca-Cola 600
Kenseth’s lead had been cut to 20 points by his old friend and
one-time NASCAR Busch Series rival Earnhardt (No. 8 Budweiser
Chevrolet), who was bidding to lead the points for the first time in
his career. Kenseth finished second in the 600 while Earnhardt came in
41st. The result: Kenseth left Charlotte with a 160-point spread.
Coming into the Pepsi 400, Kenseth has a 174-point lead over four-time
champion Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) and is looking more and more
like a champion himself. … Stewart (No. 20 The Home Depot Chevrolet)
lurks just outside the NASCAR Top 10, a recent rebound having placed
him in 11th coming back to Daytona. That’s the good news. The bad news
is he’s 547 points behind Kenseth, a monumental deficit.
6/24/03
Rookie rundown, what a crowd
Rookie rundown – what a crowd: McMurray (No. 42 Havoline Dodge) leads
the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings – for now. Last year,
McMurray was part of a pack of drivers that helped create an
outstanding NASCAR Busch Series season. This season several of those
drivers have moved on to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, creating a
deep and talented rookie class. Coming into Daytona, McMurray leads
the rookie points (173) with last year’s NASCAR Busch Series champion
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Grainger Ford) only eight points (165) behind.
McMurray’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Casey Mears (No. 41 Target
Dodge) is third (146). Jack Sprague (No. 0 NetZero Hi Speed Pontiac),
a three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, is fourth (141),
Tony Raines (No. 74 BACE Motorsports Chevrolet) fifth (135), and Larry
Foyt (No. 14 Harrah’s Dodge) sixth (77). All of those drivers were in
the NASCAR Busch Series last season. Adding to the mix is Japanese
driver Hideo Fukuyama (No. 66 Kikkoman Ford), who rounds out the
rookie class.
6/24/03
French court slaps Montoya's hand
Former CART champion Juan Pablo Montoya has lost his driving
license in France for four months after being caught speeding
by police driving his BMW at speeds of 126 mph on the A8
Autoroute on the French Riviera between the towns of Le Muy
and Frejus. In addition to the ban - which only applies in
France - the Monaco GP winner was fined $1,300. Montoya didn't
attend the court hearing. His lawyer read out an apology.
6/24/03 Industry News
New wind tunnel
A new wind tunnel is being developed in Europe as a joint
venture between Fondmetal and Dallara Automobili. It
will be open in early 2004 and available to any team needing a
ground-effect tunnel (i.e. moving running plane).
6/24/03
Renault principals talk about European GP
Read what Renault management, engineers, engine men and drivers have
to say about the Nurburgring track, site of this weekend's European GP.
Story
6/24/03
Petty replaces Fittipaldi for
Daytona
One of NASCAR’s hottest young drivers will drive the #43 Berry
Burst Cheerios Dodge in the July 5 400-mile Winston Cup race
at the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Shane
Hmiel, the 23-year-old hard-charger whose Innovative
Motorsports team has been a major player in the NASCAR Busch
Series, will drive the Daytona race for Petty Enterprises.
Christian Fittipaldi, who has been driving the #43, will move
to the #44 Bugles Dodge for this race. “We are very excited to
have a young talent like Shane Hmiel drive the #43 for us at
Daytona,” said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. “George
deBidart and Innovative Motorsports were very gracious in
allowing us to ‘borrow’ Shane for this event. They have a
tremendous program there, so I know Shane will be used to what
he sees on the Winston Cup side of the fence.” Hmiel will be
driving a special paint scheme carrying the Berry Burst
Cheerios colors. Normally, the #43 carries the Cheerios and
Betty Crocker paint scheme. “Daytona and Petty are some pretty
special names, and I know Cheerios is especially excited since
this is one of their Berry Burst races,” Hmiel said. “I’m
really excited at this opportunity, and I am so glad George
deBidart and Kyle Petty could work this out.” Hmiel is
currently 11th in the NASCAR Busch Series points, notching two
top-five finishes and five top-10s in his 16 starts this
season.
6/24/03
CBS to televise Road Atlanta
CBS Sports will televise the Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta from
4-6 p.m. (Eastern) on Sunday, marking the first-ever live
network telecast of an event from Road Atlanta. CBS Sports
televised its first ALMS race in 2002. The American Le Mans
Series Radio Web will have live coverage available online each
time the ALMS cars are on the track at Road Atlanta, including
practice, qualifying and the race. The Radio Web is free of
charge and can be accessed at
www.americanlemans.com.
6/24/03
Danica Patrick gets new
teammate for debut Danica Patrick will have a new
co-driver for her debut in the American Le Mans Series in this
weekend’s Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta. The 21-year-old
rising American racing star was slated to co-drive with
Anthony Davidson of England for the Prodrive Ferrari team at
Road Atlanta. However, due to his commitments as a Formula One
testing driver, Davidson could not compete in all of the eight
remaining races on the ALMS schedule and has therefore backed
out of driving for Prodrive in America. Taking his place
in the #80 Ferrari 550 Maranello will be Jerome Policand of
France, a longtime veteran of European road racing. Policand
drove a Prodrive-prepared Ferrari for the Luke Alphand
Aventures team in the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Policand has one career start in ALMS competition, finishing
sixth overall while driving a Prototype in the series event
held at Germany’s Nurburgring circuit in 2000.
6/24/03
Fireproof Balaclava
Ryan Newman pulled aside veteran driver Bill Elliott at
Infineon Raceway last weekend to ask him about the fireproof
hoods (it's called a Balaclava, Ryan), which are common in
other series but are used by only a handful of NASCAR drivers,
Elliott and Kyle Petty included. Newman, who sustained slight
burns in an accident June 8 at Michigan International
Speedway, says his unwillingness to try wearing a hood was
"just more laziness than anything." Winston Cup series
director John Darby says NASCAR is not requiring drivers to
wear the hoods and notes that many helmets have fireproof
lining that serves the same function. "I think every driver is
aware of the fact that they have the option to pick their own
protective clothing," he says.
USA Today
6/24/03 AMA SuperBike
New
Road Atlanta turn draws criticism
This eTracks
article says, A new chicane at Road Atlanta's Turn Three has
been heavily criticized by riders in the AMA Superbike series after a
series of crashes. The chicane was, ironically, inserted to increase
run-off for the motorcycle riders, moving them further away from a
concrete wall. However, two series crashes showed that the corner
changes had had the unexpected consequence of bringing a wall at the
entry to the Esses into play. First Steve Rapp’s Suzuki hit the
inside, and unpadded, wall at the base of the esses during Superbike
qualifying, and then Woody Deatherage crashed into the same, still
unpadded, wall during the second Superbike race. Rapp saw the impact
coming and bailed out early, avoiding personal contact with the wall.
But Deatherage followed his bike into the wall and broke his back.
6/24/03
Brack's band to return in Richmond
Kenny Brack’s new rock band – Pioneer presents Kenny Brack and the
Subwoofers – will perform on Thursday (June 26) prior to the Richmond
event when they open the show for current Top 40 artists, Three Doors
Down, at Brown’s Island at 6:30 p.m. The seven-person group plays a
variety of rock songs from the Rolling Stones to ZZ Top and from Chuck
Berry to Janis Joplin.
Auto manufacturers double profits in
China
China's 14 biggest carmakers, including China FAW Group and Shanghai
Automotive Industry Corp, said combined profit more than doubled in
the first five months of the year as demand for new passenger cars
increased. Total profit increased to 14.8 billion yuan (HK$13.87
billion), the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration
Commission said on its website. Mainland carmakers and their overseas
partners such as General Motors, Ford Motor and Volkswagen are selling
more vehicles in the world's fastest-growing market as rising incomes
make private cars affordable to more individuals and businesses. One
person in 120 owns a vehicle in China, so the potential for new
first-time buys is huge. "Demand will be sustainable because of the
introduction of new models and discounts offered by manufacturers,"
said Gu Qun, an analyst at industry consultant Automotive Resources
Asia. General Motors forecast its vehicle sales in China, including
imports, might rise to three million units by 2012, trade magazine
Automotive News reported this month, citing Asia-Pacific president
Fritz Henderson. The world's biggest carmaker sold 260,000 vehicles in
China last year. First Auto, the country's No 2 carmaker, makes Audi,
Jetta and Bora cars in partnership with Volkswagen in northeastern
China's Jilin province. Dongfeng Motor partners PSA Peugeot Citroen in
Wuhan city, making Fukang-brand cars, and has another venture with
Nissan Motor. Shanghai Automotive has separate ventures with General
Motors and Volkswagen in Shanghai, making Buick and Santana sedans.
Bloomberg in China
6/24/03
Schumacher will quit when a teammate can beat him
Michael Schumacher said in an interview Monday he would never settle
for second best. "If, one day, a teammate surpasses me, it would be
preferable to stop rather than to risk everything, even my life," the
sports daily L'Equipe quoted Schumacher as saying. "When my teammate
is better than me, then it will surely be time to say goodbye." "I've
been working out, training physically ever since my karting days," the
German said. "I soon realized that the stronger you are physically,
the mentally stronger you are to, perhaps, take advantage of your
rivals." "You have control of the car on the track," he said.
"Adrenalin only comes when you lose control of a situation. I remember
my first parachute jump. "I was standing by the airplane door and
telling myself: 'No, decidedly, this is not the right thing to do.'
Then, all of a sudden, I was outside." Schumacher said he believes in
fate and knows accidents can happen despite the safety precautions in
F1. "My wife and I are of the same opinion. The day this happens, it
will be destiny, be it in a racing car or elsewhere."
6/24/03
Nextel stock up 23% on NASCAR
announcement
Nextel Communications stock shot up 23 percent (closing at $17.78 per
share on Friday) after the company, based in Reston, VA, agreed to
replace R.J. Reynolds as a primary sponsor of the NASCAR Winston Cup
series.
6/24/03
Save Mart renews with Infineon
Save Mart and Infineon Raceway announced a five-year agreement for the
Modesto-based grocery store chain to continue being a title sponsor of
the NASCAR Winston Cup race, a track official said. Save Mart has been
the primary sponsor of the NASCAR's only stop in Northern California
since 1992. The deal assures NASCAR will keep the two-mile road course
on its schedule through 2008.
6/23/03
CART teams to test at Road America
Road America will open the race track to race fans who have purchased
tickets to the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America Presented by
Briggs & Stratton, July 31-Aug. 3, when several CART teams test at the
track on Thursday, June 26. Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. The event
also is open to Season Ticket holders. Event tickets will be for sale
at the Administrative Offices, adjacent to Gate 6 and may be ordered
online at www.roadamerica.com
Guests will be able to watch the cars testing from the grandstand at
Turn 14. The teams slated to test at Road America have not been
finalized. "We're very pleased to have CART's Champ Cars here at Road
America," said George Bruggenthies, president and general manager.
"There are many new drivers and we're glad they're taking a day after
the Portland race to literally get up to speed. We know it will be
beneficial for those who haven't been here before." The Mario Andretti
Grand Prix at Road America will be held the four-day weekend of July
31- Aug. 3. The Road America ticket price has been reduced to $55 for
Sunday only and $115 for the four- day event. Event tickets include
paddock access, free parking and children 12 and under are free. Other
series racing CART weekend include the Miata Cup Series, Formula Ford
2000 and SPEED GT. In addition to the CART race, Road America will
host the Brian Redman International Challenge Presented by Jaguar July
17-20 and the Road America 500 featuring the American Le Mans Series
Aug. 21-24. The race track brochure is available online and tickets
for all major races also are available online,
www.roadamerica.com
6/23/03 Announcement
Email outage Our email server
was down all day Monday, so if you sent us realy important email,
please resend. Thanks.
6/23/03 Industry News
Changes to SPEED TV programming
Yesterday's Sports Business Daily cites a Sports Business Journal
article that breaks the news of some big programming changes during
weeknights at SPEED Channel, starting August 4. Here's a summary:
Less racing and more magazine shows during
prime time.
Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain will now be
live from 9:00 - 10:00 each night.
The "Two Wheel Tuesday" and "Dirty
Thursday" programming of motorcycle and dirt track racing is
"eliminated."
A NASCAR programming block will air each
weeknight from 6:00 to 8:00.
There will be more NASCAR programming
during the day on Fridays.
There will be no more extended replays of
the Winston Cup race on Wednesday nights. Instead, only a highlights
package with "the most exciting portions" will be shown.
The motorcycle shows are being re-worked
and will air in the 10:00 p.m. slot on Tuesday.
"Two Wheel Tuesday" will continue in some
form, but the entire day won't be dedicated to motorcycles.
There will be racing every night from
10:00 to midnight.
No original programming is being removed.
MotorsportsTV.com
6/23/03
NASCAR TV rating up again
The NASCAR road race on FOX from Infineon Raceway finished as the
highest-rated sports program for the weekend, checking in with
overnights of a 4.8 rating and 10 share, according to Nielsen Media
Research. This is up almost 7 percent over last year's 4.5 overnight
rating. MotorsportsTV.com
6/23/03
Robby Gordon answers critics
In this post-race interview,
Robby Gordon comes right back at Jeff Gordon and some other drivers
who complained about him racing back to the flag Sunday in Sonoma.
6/23/03
Nurburgring awaits Schumacher
After a full three day test programme at Silverstone and a weekend
relaxing, Michael is keen to tackle the first race of the year in
Germany. The European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring has special
significance for Michael, given that the "Ring" is not far from his
home town of Kerpen.
"In fact, I can only repeat what I usually say, that of course coming
to the Nurburgring is something special for me. It is not so far from
my home and usually a lot of my fans turn out to support me. That in
itself is already a help and it is a great feeling when you arrive to
find this tremendous atmosphere. It's good to have this support and
also I have many good memories of this place."
How good is it to come to the Nurburgring as championship leader?
"Obviously, it is great but even more important is knowing that, with
the F2003-GA, I have a car which is simply amazing, with a very good
performance level. In general, it is a fantastic feeling coming to the
Nurburgring, but it is even better knowing that I can expect to be
fighting for the win. Indeed, our car's main advantage is that it goes
well on all the circuits and we are always in the hunt for the win.
And, in the past few races at the Nurburgring, Ferrari has usually
gone very well."
However, the season so far has shown that it is extremely difficult to
make predictions this year. "It seems that the pecking order varies
from circuit to circuit, with the result depending each time on the
track layout," affirmed Michael. "I think that trend will continue in
the second half of the season. We will continue to win races, but so
will McLaren-Mercedes and BMW-Williams."
"As I've said before, I think it will be a tough fight for the title,
which is likely to go down to the wire. The competition is close and
there will be more changes in the order. However, I think it's natural
that we have taken the lead in both classifications. My results up to
the mid-point of the season are pretty good, especially if we ignore
the first three races...Ok, we can't do that, but it's good all the
same. At the moment, we are in a strong position with the prospect of
doing better."
Any thoughts on the possibility of passing the 1000 points mark in the
F1 world championship this weekend, at the same time as recording his
50th win with Ferrari? "It sounds good, but I prefer to talk about
things only when they have become reality..." Ferrari
6/23/03 German DTM
Mercedes 1-2-3 sweep
In front of a backdrop of 128,000 spectators at the Norisring,
Germany street circuit, the Mercedes team of Christijan
Albers, Marcel Fässler, and Bernd Schneider, led a 1-2-3
Mercedes sweep. The DTM’s only street race developed, as
expected, into a battle against the heat with cockpit
temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius.
1 Christijan Albers (Mercedes) 72 laps in 1h 00m 50.599s
2 Marcel Fässler (Mercedes) + 5.753s
3 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes) + 12.081s
4 Peter Dumbreck (Opel) + 19.332s
5 Jean Alesi (Mercedes) + 30.169s
6 Laurent Aiello (Abt-Audi TT-R) + 31.704s
7 Christian Abt (Abt-Audi TT-R) + 34.116s
8 Joachim Winkelhock (Opel) + 51.050s
Positions after 5 of 10 races: 1 Albers, 36 points; 2
Schneider, 35; 3 Fässler, 29; 4 Dumbreck, 23; 5 Aiello, 22; 6
Ekström, 17.
Next race: Donington (GB), 27 July
6/23/03
Bodine injury update
On PRN's Garage Pass/XM Satellite Radio, injured driver Brett
Bodine said his car's black box data recorder registered a hit
measuring 60-gs when he crashed into the wall between turns
one and two during Saturday's practice at Michigan knocking
him out. Bodine is being evaluated by several doctors after
suffering a concussion, a broken clavicle and a shoulder
injury. His dentist is examining damage done to eight of
Brett's teeth. Another concrete wall victim.
6/23/03
Wallace building 7/8-mile IRL
track
This Indy Star
article says, Veteran driver Rusty Wallace is involved
in the construction of a 0.875-mile racetrack in Newton, Iowa,
that he says would make an ideal Indy Racing League venue.
Wallace has signed on to design the Des Moines-area track,
which he says will be patterned after his favorite Winston Cup
layout -- 0.75-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, site
of the next IRL race. "Richmond is one of the most exciting
tracks we race on, so why try to reinvent the wheel?" he said.
Groundbreaking is scheduled Sept. 1, with completion 14 months
later. The same company that constructed speedways in Kansas
City, Kan., and Fontana, Calif., has been commissioned to
build it. Wallace said it will open with 25,000 seats and
cater to ASA, ARCA and U.S. Auto Club events. Seating could be
expanded to entice NASCAR's Busch and Craftsman Truck series
-- and the IRL. "It would be a good track for the IRL and
we're courting them," Wallace said.
6/23/03
50,000 for Portland Neither
CART nor Global Events releases official attendance figures, but the
crowd was estimated at 50,000 by the Portland Oregonian, down slightly
from a year ago. "I think the days of getting 60,000 or 70,000 people
to a race are over for a while," said Bill Hildick, who headed the
Rose Festival's race committee for 15 years. The stands
did fill up more as the race went on, indicating people were late
getting into the track, perhaps waiting out the weather.
However, we think the 50,000 number is high, and would have estimated
35,000, 40,000 tops.
6/23/03
A
lap around Nurburgring
Enjoy the ride with McLaren’s third driver, Austrian Alexander
Wurz, as he takes us around the Nurburgring – the home of
Sunday’s European Grand Prix. Powering along the start-finish
straight at the Nürburgring you reach 180mph / 289kph in sixth
gear, before braking hard for the entrance to the Mercedes
Arena, which is a tight right hand hairpin that will probably
see you drop into 1st gear. This is immediately followed by a
long 180-degree left hander and a 90-degree right hander,
which sees you rejoin the old track. Powering up through the
gears along the short straight that leads to the fast left of
Valvoline Curve, you brake from speeds of 165mph / 265kph in
fifth gear to 110mph / 177kph in third gear to negotiate the
sweeping bend. A short burst on the throttle takes you to the
second gear Ford Curve, this bumpy right hander is taken at
65mph / 104kph. On the exit you accelerate downhill up to
185mph / 297kph in sixth gear as you approach the Dunlop Kehre
hairpin, which is taken at 60mph / 96kph in second. It is
crucial to take a good line through the hairpin so that you
can push hard and early on the throttle on the exit. Up the
hill towards the RTL corner you reach speeds of 175mph /
281kph, lifting
slightly for the left-right flick of the chicane, before
braking hard for the RTL corner, dropping down to 85mph /
136kph in third for the 90-degree left-hander. A similar
right- hander, which is one of the most crucial corners on the
circuit, follows and takes you onto the back straight. Taken
flat-out, the fast, sweeping straight, with a slight right
kink, sees you reach 190mph / 300kph in seventh gear as you
approach the Veedol-S chicane, the main overtaking opportunity
at the circuit. This is another tough braking point as you
drop from the highest speed at the Nürburgring to 60mph /
96kph in second to negotiate the chicane where you have to
drive aggressively over the curbs in order to carry the speed
through the corner. Accelerating out, a short burst on the
throttle sees you reach 140mph / 225kph in fourth before
dabbing the brakes for the final corner, Coca Cola Curve.
Taken at 75mph / 120kph and using the whole curb as you exit,
the right-hander flicks you back onto the start- finish
straight to begin another lap. McLaren
6/23/03
Bridgestone was ready with
rain tire
Bridgestone's dry-condition tires continued to deliver a fine
performance even when the track was damp in Portland. Some speculated
there might be a tire performance drop near the end of full stints in
the race, but that was not the case. No fewer than seven drivers ran
their fastest race laps within five laps of the finish when all the
tires had more than 20 laps on them. That speaks for itself. They even
ran the rain tires in the morning's warm-up and all the
teams were confident the wet-weather Potenzas would have worked fine
in the race if needed.
Bernie hires press officer
Bernie Ecclestone has always dealt with the press himself, but will
now have a press officer for Formula One Management. The man is Norman
Howell, who was for a period the Grand Prix correspondent of The Times
and The Sunday Times before becoming Head of Communications at McLaren
in 1993, a job he held for three years. In recent years he has been
out of F1, working as a freelance reporter. Grandprix.com
6/23/03
F1 eyes India
Bernie Ecclestone hopes to move Formula One deeper into Asia this
decade. The F1 supremo, whilst globalizing the calendar with new races
in Bahrain and China, admits that India would be another 'great' venue
for his sport. 'I have looked into Asia now for a decade,' he
said, 'as I believe that it is growing so fast.' The 72-year-old
added that the highly-populated country has immense interests for the
'car manufacturers and sponsors.' Sources, including a
government official, say a team connected to Formula One had assessed
facilities in the southern cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad.
And Nazir Hoosein, vice president of the governing FIA, admitted that
F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke had visited the aforementioned sites
in India. 'But just because he's gone there, doesn't mean it's
going to happen,' Hoosein insisted.
6/22/03
Pruett wins T/A race at Sears Point
The pendulum officially came full circle Sunday at Infineon Raceway as
Scott Pruett dominated the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires
Cup race, Round 5 of this year’s championship. The driver of the No. 7
Jaguar R Performance XKR earned his third victory this season,
and unofficially retook the points lead from teammate Johnny Miller.
Full story &
results
6/22/03
Hard words on sponsorship
If you don’t think life, in the soon to be Nextel garage, is changing
rapidly heed the words of DEI vice president Ty Norris. Norris is
searching for a primary sponsor and a driver to fit into the #1
Chevrolet. The search, despite the popularity of the sport, has not
been a cakewalk. “You can sell a proven winner. You can sell
potential. But, you can’t sell proven mediocrity and this garage is
full of proven mediocrity,” said Norris. Proven mediocrity hasn’t
helped companies such as Sprint, Citgo, Pennzoil, Hooters and others
on the circuit decide against drastically reducing their involvement
or from leaving the sport altogether. In addition, proven mediocrity
has sent the likes of John Andretti and Mike Skinner to the sidelines
before the halfway mark of the 2003 season. Andretti and Skinner are
now sitting where Jeff Green and Steve Park were sitting just a month
ago, with a single exception. No one stepped forward to put Andretti
and Skinner back behind the wheel. Other necks may soon be on the
block as car owners look to sell “potential” in the quest to garner
the millions necessary to compete at NASCAR’s top level. It appears
that the time is ripe for major re-lettering above the driver door on
several cars. Larry McClure, owner of the #4 Kodak Pontiac, is one who
had decided against a path proven mediocrity. The Abingdon, Va.-based
team is looking to bank their future on a path of “potential” through
the second half of the 2003 season. Teams are looking for drivers
willing to “get up on the wheel” with an open mind, not a driver just
looking to collect a fat paycheck. That’s a good sign for young talent
looking for a chance to prove they can get the job done and a bad sign
for aging veterans who are hoping for a couple more years of a steady
paycheck. Stan Creekmore, AR1 NASCAR Editor
6/22/03
No more can tossing
Beginning with the July 13 race at Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR will
prohibit teams from throwing or tossing gas cans or gas catch cans
over the pit wall during a pit stop. The change was announced in
Sunday's prerace drivers' meeting. If a violation happens under
caution, the driver will have to restart at the end of the longest
line. If it occurs under green-flag conditions, the driver must return
to pit road to serve a 15-second penalty. The change is being made to
reduce the likelihood of gas spills during pit stops.
ThatsRacin.com
6/22/03
Bernie tops F1's richest
Formula 1's Bernie Ecclestone is worth a staggering $4.3 billion
according to a report issued by The News of The World today.
This makes Bernie Ecclestone the third richest person in Britain,
behind The Duke of Westminster and Hans Rausing. Second in the F1 rich
list is TAG McLaren entrepreneur, Mansour Ojjeh, who, alongside Ron
Dennis, has set up the TAG Corporation including TAG Heuer watches. He
is worth $1.3 billion – nearly $3 billion less than Ecclestone.
Michael Schumacher is sixth with $415 million, behind Red Bull’s
Dietrich Mateschitz, Allsport’s Patrick McNally and Ferrari President,
Luca di Montezemolo. Eddie Irvine is seventh on the list, with a
fortune of $282 million. Piero Ferrari, Ron Dennis and Sir Frank
Williams complete the top ten.
6/22/03
Pook addresses some CART changes
This Oregon Statesman Journal article
says, Chris Pook spoke about the series’ future to developing American
drivers. “It’s our responsibility to create the environment so these
guys can come up and come through,” Pook said. “One thing about the
Europeans is that when they get in the race car and they go fast right
away, whereas our poor kids, it takes them a day in the race car to
get up to speed. “It’s our fault as a sanctioning body for not
providing the right environment for them to learn their trade. They’re
perfectly capable of driving.” Pook said that the Toyota Atlantic
Series drivers are going to be given more powerful engines and harder
to drive cars in the next few years to make the transition to Champ
Cars an easier proposition for drivers who advance through the CART
ladder system. The majority of the drivers in the Champ Car field this
year are nearly invisible to the average racing fan — such as Tiago
Monteiro or Darren Manning — whereas the backmarkers in the NASCAR
Winston Cup field are widely recognized by all racing fans. Pook takes
responsibility for that. “I think that if you go and ask people who
follow us pretty intensely, they know who Darren Manning is,” he said.
“It’s our job as we grow it, to make sure they know who Darren Manning
is. It’s always been that way in Championship Auto Racing.” There was
speculation that Portland’s CART race weekend would be replaced by one
in Seattle — presumably a street race — starting with next season, but
Pook put that to rest....with an announcement today that CART would be
back in Portland for three more years.
6/22/03
Road America reaches out for fans help
This Sheboygan Press
article talks about the predicament Road America is in with
regard to this year's CART race. They got a late start promoting
the race because of the lawsuits, and ticket sales are, therefore,
lagging. The track is hoping that fans will come out and view
the race in person since it is not being televised. Sure, it
will be on HD Net, the high-definition channel that 99% of the
population does not get, but that will only bring 1,000 or so USA
viewers. It's going to take some effort to make this race
successful again. Too bad the track doesn't think to bring a big
carnival onto the property like the 24-Hours of LeMans, and make it a
big week-long attraction for families in the region. The problem
with remote tracks like Road America is entertainment at night.
A big carnival, that becomes an annual attraction, would not only keep
race fans entertained, it would bring non-race fans from the entire
central Wisconsin region to the track, many of whom would hear the
race cars and get hooked. The track also has no garages and
suites to entertain corporate guests, which bring tracks that have
those amenities, a lot of money. Mark C.
6/22/03
Portland contract extension transcript
Here is a link to the full transcript
announcing Portland's 3-year contract extension with CART. Some
interesting quotes from those involved.
JIM FRANCESCONI: We’re very pleased with
the agreement that will allow the City of Portland to continue to
upgrade the physical structure and the fan amenities for this track.
We are also encouraged by CART’s business plan and how it’s expected
to become an even stronger international series in the future.
CHRIS POOK: Well first of all, Commissioner, thank you very much
indeed for your help in getting this agreement done. We have been
firmly on record that the Pacific Northwest is a very important part
of our strategic marketing plan for Championship Auto Racing Teams,
our partners Bridgestone and Ford and Portland delivers the Pacific
Northwest for us. It’s geographical location makes it important. It is
close to Seattle, which is important for us. Our partner race up in
Vancouver is another part of this whole equation, and Portland is a
perfect example of our urban business plan and what we’re looking for.
It’s a very picturesque track, it’s a road course it’s a traditional
road course in every sense of the word and more importantly it’s
located right in the heart of the city. It’s ten minutes from the
center of the city and part of our whole philosophy at CART is that we
must take our product to the marketplace versus some of the old
thoughts which was more like the marketplace coming to the product.
MIKE NEALY: It’s too early to say at this point in time. We remain to
be very optimistic about that, we truly do think GI Joe's will be back
JIM FRANCESCONI: First of all, the specifics on the performance
measures we’re going to negotiate, but it does include things like
international TV coverage, the quality of the cars, the number of
cars, attendance, those types of factors. But we’re going to sit down
and work those things through.
Q: How about building bridges to allow the transporters to get out?
JIM FRANCESCONI: It certainly is on the list. We have an extensive
list with a lot of issues, we know that that bridge needs to be built,
but this is a tough economy but we as a city need to devise a variety
of strategies working with CART and others to build that bridge. We’re
very aware of it.
CHRIS POOK: Let me say something here. The bridge is important but
there are some other things that right now that are more important
than the bridge. We can live without the bridge, we’ve lived without
it for 20 years and we just have to discipline ourselves a little bit
better with how we come in and out of the place. There are other
things that we need to do together on the facility and if the economy
improves I’m sure the bridge will get built but us certainly as a
sanctioning body to say that we want a bridge right now, that’s not
the right thing for us to do. We’ve got other priorities that we want
to work with the Parks Department right now.
Q: Are there any plans to build garages?
JIM FRANCESCONI: That is one of things that is on the list but in the
grand scale there are things that come before that.
Q: The IRL is talking about trying to run road courses, have they made
a run at you at all?
MIKE NEALY: Never.
6/22/03
Maia perfect in Portland
Leonardo Maia of Oakland, California, delivered a flawless
performance in the Barber Dodge Pro Series race at Portland
International Raceway on Sunday, leading from flag to flag to
take his third win of the season. The win caps off an
outstanding weekend for the second year Barber Dodge driver,
as he extended his lead in the championship over Memo Rojas by
scoring twenty three points with twenty for the win, two for
qualifying, and one for carding the fastest race lap, which
also set a new track record. The twenty-three point result is
the first ever for any driver since the Pro Series began
rewarding a point for fastest lap in 2002. Round two race
winner David Martinez of Monterrey, Mexico finished second to
Maia by just 1.8 seconds after starting the race in fifth
position as Barber Champ Car Scholarship driver Colin Fleming
of North Hills, California, finished in third. "This was
a great weekend for me. At the start, I didn't even want to
look back, I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I
could," said Maia. "Towards the middle of the race, I had a
pretty good gap to David, but then he started catching me a
bit, so I bumped it up again in the late stages of the race.
This is my second time to race here in Portland, and it's a
great track. It's really a big rhythm track, and even though I
was running alone, it's got so much variety in the track that
it kept me busy the whole race."
FN PS/ST PS/CR
#/DRIVER/HOMETOWN/PTS/PURSE/LP/STATUS/LAP/
1/1/6/Leonardo Maia/Oakland,
Calif./23/$13,000/32/Running/01:14.122
2/5/47/David Martinez L./Monterrey,Mexico/16/$8,750/32/Running/01:14.187
3/4/28/Colin Fleming/North Hills,
Calif./14/$6,500/32/Running/01:14.469
4/3/19/Dan Di Leo Markham,
Ontario,Canada/12/$4,500/32/Running/01:14.195
5/11/33/German Quiroga/Mexico City,Mexico/11/$2,500/32/Running/01:14.499
6/10/24/Burt Frisselle/Kihei,
Hawaii/10/$1,500/32/Running/01:14.536
7/9/26/Nelson Philippe/Valence,
France/9/$1,250/32/Running/01:14.831
8/12/31/Al Unser/Corrales, New Mexico/8/$1,250
/32/Running/01:14.577
9/6/49/Luis Pelayo/Mexico City,
Mexico/7/$1,250/32/Running/01:14.819
10/15/18/Robbie Montinola/Laguna Beach,Calif./6/$1,250/32/Running/
01:14.936
11/14/17/Ben Freudenberg/North Bend,Oregon/5/$1,000/32/Running/01:14.907
12/13/39/Ryan Millen/Newport Beach,
Calif./4/$1,000/32/Running/01:14.641
13/8/96/Chris Green/Beaconsfield,
Quebec/3/$1,000/31/Running/01:14.822
14/2/15/Memo Rojas/Mexico City, Mexico/2
$1,000/31/Running/01:14.624
15/7/67/Scott Poirier/Deerfield Beach,
Florida/1/$1,000/29/Contact/
01:14.806
16/16/11/Chris Baker/Houston, Texas/$750/1/Handling/01:55.003
FASTEST RACE LAP Leonardo Maia
01:14.122 (95.632 mph) Lap 16 NEW RECORD
6/22/03 World Series by Nissan 2003
Montagny & Sarrazin win at
Monza Frank Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin were the
dominating men this weekend at the Monza Park. Race 1: The
first race of the fourth round of the World Series by Nissan
2003 saw a very spectacular starting accident involving
Kovalainen and Burgueño. One of the drivers whose car got
damaged in this incident was Racing Engineering’s Bas Leinders.
Bas had been hit from behind by another car and had to retire
in the pits as the damage on his car had been too much to
continue the race. Stephane, starting from pole position
didn’t have a good start and lost one position. Narain
Karthikeyan had a problem in the chicane and in order to avoid
an accident Stephane lifted and both of them were overtaken,
which put Stephane in third position. On lap three Stephane
was already back in second position and engaged in an amazing
battle with Montagny for the victory. In the end he came up
1.892 seconds short, but Stephane grabbed the fastest lap in
the race. Race 2: In the second race Stephane again started
from pole position and drove to victory. Stephane extended the
gap between him and his challengers with each lap. A brilliant
tire change by the Racing Engineering mechanics underlined the
outstanding position of Stephane’s car on this hot day at the
Monza Park. Stephane, after a very successful day stated “I am
very happy. This has been my best weekend in this championship
so far and we will continue improving – me, the car, the team.
I had a bad start in the first race and lost two places, but I
finished second. I pushed hard in the first race and closed
the gap to Montagny but there were not enough laps left to
overtake him. In the second race I pushed hard each lap. It
was a good race.” Alfonso de Orleans, president of Racing
Engineering said “Stephane was amazing this weekend and the
boys did a great job to give him a car that allowed him to
pull off this victory. I have a feeling that it is the first
of many to come.”
6/22/03
CART & Portland extend 3 years
Portland commissioner Jim Francesconi, CART Champ Car
President and CEO Christopher R. Pook and the Portland Parks
Department– in conjunction with the Portland/CART Business
Coalition– announced today that they have agreed in principle
to a business agreement to continue the 20-year tradition that
has made the annual CART Champ Car World Series race at
Portland International Raceway a key part of the annual Rose
Festival calendar. The announcement was made jointly Sunday by
Francesconi and Pook, who were joined by Mike Nealy, President
of the Global Events Group, just prior to the running of the
20th annual G.I. Joe’s 200 at PIR. The agreement gives CART
Champ Car a three-year contract to race at the 1.969-mile road
course. “CART Champ Car has been the signature open-wheel
racing event in our city for 20 years and we look forward to
maintaining that relationship,” said Francesconi. “We are
pleased that CART has agreed to include specific performance
measurements in the final contract that will guarantee that
the citizens of Portland and the Northwest will continue to
enjoy world-class racing at Portland International Raceway.”
The deal allows CART Champ Car to participate in the further
development of the race circuit, and gives the series a firm
foothold in the Pacific Northwest with the Portland and
Vancouver events making CART Champ Car the premier open-wheel
racing series to compete in the coveted Northwest region of
the nation. “This is a big part of our long-term strategy for
the series and I need to thank the members of the
Portland/CART Business Coalition for their support in making
this happen,” Pook said. “Getting the business community
involved in the event is a key part of continuing the event’s
legacy established by the Rose Festival, and their help will
make this event one of the key annual attractions in the
region.” “We are grateful for the efforts and decisive
leadership of Commissioner Francesconi in reaching this
important agreement,” said Nealy, whose company has organized
the race since its inception and this year serves as CART
Champ Car’s operating partner. “This will create a win-win-win
situation for the City of Portland, its residents, its
business community and all the companies involved in CART
Champ Car.” The Portland/CART Business Coalition – which
includes The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, The Oregon Sports
Authority, Portland Business Alliance, The Portland Oregon
Visitors Association and Portland Rose Festival Association –
has committed to playing a larger role in marketing the event
and activating the business community around the event.
6/22/03
Ryan Hunter-Reay making noises
What is going on with this kid this weekend...he has been very fast
all weekend...P2 and P7 in Qualifying, P5 in warm up...if he has a
good race, this could very well be a pivotal weekend for the young
American...while some in the Paddock have questioned whether he was
ready to step up to Champ Car after only 1 year in Atlantics, he is
showing this weekend that he clearly has the speed to mix it up with
the veterans...and he is doing this with a team that has one of the
smallest budgets in the paddock and running the clearly inferior
Reynard chassis...
6/22/03
60-year old man to race Infiniti Pro
Series
The latest edition of NSSN reports that 60-year old white haired Tom
D'Eath has revealed a dramatic career change. He is quitting
boat racing and will start a new career as a rookie in the Infiniti
Pro Series later this year. Normally we would say this is
preposterous, but in 100% throttle racing, it's conceivable a driver
can drive until they're 70 years old, or until they suffer a career
ending injury against a concrete wall. As long as you get the
car handling correctly, it's full throttle, turn the wheel slightly,
and don't hit anything, driving. Fast reflexes, an important
quality in the really great drivers and in any great athlete, are not
required. As 63-year old Mario Andretti showed when he hopped
back into an IRL race car at Indy recently, once he got the car
working, he was quickly up to speed in one day and running laps that
would have easily put him in the field for this year's Indy 500. His
accident had nothing to do with his reflexes, and everything to do
with one Kenny Brack slamming the wall in front of him (caused by a
blown engine), and scattering debris all over the race track. Mark
C.
6/22/03
BAR to use interim car in 2004
The BAR team are opting to use an interim car for the beginning of the
2004 season, following in the footsteps of Ferrari and McLaren.
Speaking on his team’s official website during the pre-British Grand
Prix test at Silverstone, Technical Director Geoffrey Williams said,
"We are going to be testing what I describe as a hybrid car at the end
of this year that will have this year’s chassis with next year’s
engine, gearbox and rear suspension. In order to give us time to make
the big step forward that we want for the 2004 race-car – and also to
start the year off very reliably – we want to run this hybrid car in
the opening long-haul grands prix of 2004." Willis also revealed that
work on the new car had already begun and that by July, 70% of their
efforts would be channeled to the development of this. This will
increase to 100% by September. "As ever we are still trying to do
everything, but we are already well underway with the gearbox design
and doing wind tunnel tests plus work on the hybrid car’s aero
package." "From now until the end of July, we will be focusing around
70% of our efforts on this year’s car and 30% on next year’s; then it
will change over to 30/70 the other way. By September we will be
concentrating 100% on next year’s car."
6/22/03
Jordan claims Ferrari tried to
blackmail him Eddie Jordan has accused the Ferrari team of
blackmailing him to drop his lawsuit against their sponsor, Vodafone.
In the lawsuit Jordan claims the telecommunications failed to adhere
to a verbal contract, although no formal paperwork was signed.
Vodafone refutes these claims, stating that a deal was never finalized
with the team. However, according to The Sunday Times, Ferrari’s Jean
Todt warned they would veto the ‘Fighting Fund’ – an agreement in
place to pay Jordan and Minardi $8 million each due to higher engine
costs – if Jordan continued with the court case. In a letter to
Jordan, Todt wrote: “Initially, we were ready to find a solution under
which we would have waived in your favor some of our rights . . . We
wrote Bernie Ecclestone on February 26, 2003 that we agreed with the
proposed new solution, provided you would withdraw your claim against
Vodafone.” In response to this, Eddie Jordan said Ferrari’s actions
were “bullyboy tactics” which “smacked of intimidation and blackmail”.
“Sauber, Minardi and ours are the only teams not controlled by the
major manufacturers. These teams feed off us. But they don’t give a
toss about whether we survive.” Bernie Ecclestone, has also
suggested Ferrari did indeed make contact with Jordan.
6/22/03
Schumacher won't live in Germany
Five-time world Formula One champion Michael Schumacher ruled out
moving back to his native Germany, Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag
reported. He said he wanted his children Mick and Gina Maria to live
normal lives, and Schumacher is so popular in Germany, that simply is
not possible. "My children are learning very early how to deal with
the fact that they have a famous father," the Ferrari driver said.
"The choice of where I live is not only a question of tax, but also
quality of life. There's nowhere better for us in Europe than
Switzerland." Schumacher said he would be happier if his son Mick did
something else than become a Formula One driver. "But if he was really
passionate to drive, he would have my complete support just as I had
from my parents," he said.
6/22/03
Mears, Fittipaldi struggle
This Indy Star
article talks about the difficulties rookies Casey Mears and
Christian Fittipaldi are having adopting to driving a road course in a
heavy, clumsy Winston Cup car, after spending so much time in an open
wheel car until now.
6/21/03
Dalziel wins again
For the second time in three races, Sierra Sierra Enterprises driver
Ryan Dalziel (#28 Pro-Works/Discovery Lake/Daily Record) led
flag-to-flag en route to victory in Saturday's Argent Mortgage
Portland 100K at
Portland International Raceway (SPEED Channel, June 23, 1:00 p.m. ET).
After retaining the pole position in the morning's final qualifying
session, Dalziel was never challenged throughout the 35 laps, and
cruised to a 14.420-second victory over Joey Hand (#27 DSTP
Motorsports/BG Products). In the process, the Scot became the second
driver in as many weeks to sweep all 23 available championship points,
joining last week's Grand Prix of Monterey winner A.J. Allmendinger
(#4 RuSPORT), and also managed to close the gap to Allmendinger in the
point standings, as he now trails the American by just six points
(79-73) heading into the halfway point of the season. It was Dalziel's
third straight top-two finish, as he took his first Toyota Atlantic
win three weeks ago at The Milwaukee Mile, and finished second last
weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In addition, Dalziel has now
managed to finish in the top four in six of the last seven races,
dating to a third place run in the second-to-last race of 2002 at
Montreal. Allmendinger qualified second on the grid, but with off and
on rain showers throughout the afternoon leading up to the race, the
team originally elected to start the race on grooved rain tires. That
decision ultimately proved to cost him any chance at the victory, as
most of the other drivers in the field started on Yokohama ADVAN
Racing Slicks, and Allmendinger was forced to start at the rear of the
grid after pitting for slicks at the conclusion of the parade lap.
With a second place result, Hand claimed his best finish of the
season, eclipsing a previous best of seventh at Long Beach.
Justus claimed fifth place, and remains the only driver in the series
to have finished inside the top five in every event this season.
Finishing sixth was Danica Patrick (#24 Argent Mortgage Company),
giving the rookie three top-six results in five career Toyota Atlantic
starts. Figge rebounded from the opening lap spin to come home
seventh, and he and Justus are the only two drivers to have finished
in the top seven positions in each of the series' first five races of
2003.
6/21/03
Pruett secures Trans-Am pole at Sears
The provisional qualifying positions for Sunday's 51-lap, 101.49-mile
Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup Round 5, at Infineon
Raceway, with starting position, driver, car, and fast lap with speed.
1. Scott Pruett, Jaguar XKR, 1:13.777, 97.103.
2. Michael Lewis, Jaguar XKR, 1:14.849, 95.713.
3. Boris Said, Ford Mustang, 1:14.920, 95.622.
4. Tomy Drissi, Jaguar XKR, 1:15.028, 95.484.
5. Memo Gidley, Jaguar XKR, 1:15.248, 95.205.
6. Johnny Miller, Jaguar XKR, 1:15.406, 95.006.
7. Stuart Hayner, Chevrolet Corvette, 1:15.437, 94.967.
8. Greg Pickett, Jaguar XKR, 1:15.715, 94.618.
9. Randy Ruhlman, Chevrolet Corvette, 1:16.018, 94.241.
10. Kane Scott, Chevrolet Corvette, 1:16.037, 94.217.
11. Bobby Sak (R), Chevrolet Corvette, 1:16.240, 93.966.
12. John Baucom, Jaguar XKR, 1:16.247, 93.958.
13. Joey Scarallo (R), Chevrolet Corvette, 1:16.256, 93.947.
14. Mike Davis, Ford Mustang, 1:17.504, 92.434.
15. Rick Lee, Qvale Mangusta, 1:17.767, 92.121.
16. Simon Gregg, Chevrolet Corvette, 1:19.019, 90.662.
17. Marvin Jones, Qvale Mangusta, 1:19.186, 90.471.
18. George Nolte, Ford Mustang, 1:22.365, 86.979.
6/21/03
New Taurus TuesdayUPDATE NASCAR looked at the 2004
Taurus this week during a visit to the Wood Brothers Racing shop. The
visit went well according to those in attendance, but NASCAR indicated
a few items need further addressing. The NASCAR visit did not
constitute a formal submission, but rather the opportunity for the
sanctioning body to become familiar with the car prior to NASCAR
personnel’s thorough review prior to its competition approval. Dan
Davis, director Ford Racing Technology, said that there are a few ways
to get a car through the approval process, but that the best one is to
keep NASCAR up to speed on the goals for the new car. Those issues can
be born from minor communication problems and easily resolved with a
quick look-see as the new car is developed. Davis said, “We want to
show NASCAR the car up front, in case there are issues.” Ford
Racing [Editor's Note: pretty meaningless really, all Cup
cars run to the same set of body templates anyway.]
6/16/03 - NASCAR
officials will get their first look Tuesday at a prototype of the new
Taurus that Ford plans to race in the Winston Cup next season. The car
was built by Wood Brothers Racing, and the preview will be at the
team's shop in Stuart, VA. Greg Specht, manager of Ford Racing, said
if all goes as planned the next step will be to run the car on a
racetrack, then take it to the wind tunnel before further development.
NASCAR said approval of the car for competition could come as early as
August. That would give the Ford teams plenty of time to begin
building new cars for next season. The Taurus currently being raced
was introduced in 2002. Pontiac and Chevrolet introduced new cars this
year, while Dodge has the same model it introduced in 2001. The
Tauruses and Intrepids being raced this year both have aerodynamic
modifications for 2003.
Thatsracin.com/AP
6/21/03
Maia gets pole at Portland
An outstanding effort in final qualifying for Leonardo Maia of
Oakland, California, enabled the points leader to hold on to
his provisional pole as he scored the fastest time in a wet
session with a 1.22.576 second lap on the 1.69-mile Portland
International Raceway for Sunday's Barber Dodge Pro Series
race. The lap time was the only one that mattered in the
session, as wet conditions kept the speeds slower than they
were in first qualifying on Friday, making the first round of
qualifying the most vital to setting the grid for Sunday's
race. Maia will start alongside of Memo Rojas, with round four
winner Dan Di Leo starting in third. Colin Fleming of North
Hills, California, will start fourth, with round two race
winner David Martinez of Monterrey, Mexico, starting in fifth.
Telmex sponsored Luis Pelayo of Mexico City, Mexico, scored
sixth on the grid, as Barber Champ Car Scholarship driver
Scott Poirier of Deerfield Beach, Florida took seventh. Chris
Green of Beaconsfield, Quebec, will start in the fourth row in
the eighth position with Nelson Philippe of Valence, France,
in ninth, along side of Barber Champ Car Scholarship driver
Burt Frisselle.
6/21/03
Tracy - those w/glass jaws
should shut mouths
When Paul Tracy heard other drivers complaining about his
rough driving in Portland, he had this response, "Those who
live in glass houses should not throw stones and those
who have glass jaws should shut their mouths."
Several drivers, including Alex Tagliani who was punted off by
Tracy on Friday, had called for the Stewards to reign in
Tracy's aggressive driving and sit him down for awhile.
Tracy went on to address each of the allegations, but said he
didn't realize he had balked Ryan Hunter-Reay. Bruno
Junqueira was balked by Tracy and said "tomorrow I'm going to
do the same thing to him to show him what he did to me."
It looks like Tracy has half the field mad at him.
6/21/03
Jourdain fastest again Michel
Jourdain set the pace in Saturday morning's practice, the provisional
pole sitter continuing his speed from yesterday's qualifying session.
A shower in the final minutes ended the session early, and the clouds
are heavy as we head toward final qualifying. Qualifying is next, at
4:45pm ET.
6/21/03
Minor
changes in store for St. Pete St Pete race officials are
considering minor tweaks to the 1.8-mile course in the areas of Turn
10, where many cars spun in the inaugural race, the S-turn sequence
that follows shortly after and the exit from pit road. The
planned demolition of the Bayfront Center Arena should not have
negative consequences for the race, which circles the arena and uses
the facilities. In other news, former general manager Tom
Begley, who hired an attorney when he was removed from the post, still
is with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Foundation, and negotiations
are continuing over his future involvement, Dover Motorsports
spokesman John Dunlap said
6/21/03
New St. Pete GM actively seeks sponsor
Tim Ramsberger, the new general manager of the Grand Prix of St.
Petersburg, who started his job Monday, is in active pursuit of a
title sponsor for the event, which debuted in February on the city's
waterfront. He said he started his pursuit even before his job
officially began. "It is a priority," said Ramsberger, 41, at a media
event Thursday. "Sponsorship is the key for success. ... I think I am
now here to push that effort." Ramsberger, a local attorney with
experience in sports marketing that includes the 1996 Olympic soccer
events in Orlando, hopes to put the name of an area business on the
Grand Prix. He and Dover Motorsports, the company that hired him and
promotes the race, have contacted many area businesses, including the
St. Petersburg Times, which was among the race sponsors in February.
The price for naming rights for a CART race varies by location but
might fall between $500,000 and $1-million.
6/21/03
NASCAR fans will go to IRL race if free
This Sporting News
article says, Stock car racing is flourishing at Michigan
International Speedway. Open-wheel racing is another story. Sunday's
Sirius 400 at the Brooklyn, Mich., track drew more than 150,000
people, the 25th consecutive time the track's grandstand seats have
sold out for a NASCAR Winston Cup race. That dates to June 1991. The
fans came from Michigan, the rest of the Midwest and Canada. Many of
them will return for the NASCAR race in August, even knowing it could
again take them more than an hour to get into and then out of the
track due to the traffic. But most of those fans won't return for the
Indy Racing League event in July, and MIS president Brett Shelton is
determined to change that. "Our focus is to make all three race
weekends successful," Shelton said. "Our challenge is to get fans to
show up for both Winston Cup and IRL races. "I don't think we'll
expect the IRL race to pack the house any time soon, but we want to
build upon our base and increase our attendance each year. I'm not
unhappy with the turnout for our first IRL race, but if it's the same
in five years, I'll be disappointed." A crowd estimated at 30,000 was
scattered through the 136,000 seats at MIS for its first IRL race last
summer........Race fan Carl Tyner of Brampton, Ontario, has been
coming to MIS for Winston Cup events for more than 10 years and said
he would only "maybe" come to the IRL race if it was free. "I don't
really have an interest in the open-wheel cars," Tyner said. "I know
all the (NASCAR) drivers. I've seen a few (IRL) races, but I couldn't
tell you the names of too many drivers." [Thanks to the split, IndyCar
Racing is done; stick a fork in it].
6/21/03 Industry News
Molson looks for USA expansion
This Canadian Press
article says, Molson Inc., which posted record earnings last
month, will seek to expand its international market in the next year,
chief executive Dan O'Neill said yesterday. Acquisitions could be part
of that strategy. "We'd love to expand into the United States, for
sure, if we could find something in the United States that would give
us value," he said after the company's annual meeting. "We said
earlier that ... if there was an opportunity in Mexico we'd like to do
that. That's a huge, profitable market." O'Neill, who said the brewer
remains focused on Canada, said a study on the company's operations
will be presented to the board in September, and early results
indicate Molson should strive to export more of its products. "We're
terrible in exports," he said. "We just haven't addressed that at
all." He suggested the brewer has not exploited partnerships with
foreign brewers whose products Molson sells in Canada. "We haven't
gone to them and said, `Hey, we sell your beer in Canada — how about
you sell our beer' in whatever country that happens to be." He said
the cost would be minor and the upside would be additional volume from
Canadian plants. Meanwhile, Molson is working to appeal to youth. When
asked if the company is abandoning older drinkers, O'Neill said
younger people are bigger beer consumers. "Two million Canadians
represent over 60 per cent of the total beer drinking and they're not
50-year-old people," he said. ``They're legal drinking age to 24."
Molson earned $312 million in its financial year ended March 31
despite slippage in its market share in Canada. O'Neill was upbeat at
the shareholders meeting, saying the Montreal-based brewer wants to
build on its successful foray into Brazil, where it bought Cervejarias
Kaiser SA, the South American country's second-largest brewer, last
year. It also would like to increase its share of the U.S. market. "We
should do something there," he said, noting the United States is the
largest and most profitable beer market in the world.
6/21/03
Portland
holds fond memories for Papis "Mad Max" Papis is in his
element this week at Portland International Raceway for the CART G.I.
Joe's 200. He makes his return to CART Champ Car racing after a
one-year absence. But Papis drove like it was just yesterday,
especially when the rains came out during the morning practice
session. "It feels good to be back in CART," said the 33-year old
Italian. "It would have been easier had I just jumped out of a Champ
Car into this ride, but I will be confident, yet at the same time
patient. I feel pretty comfortable with the car already. We're setting
some realistic goals. The team knows what they are doing, so we should
be pretty prepared. I think we're going to be able to have a good
performance this weekend, and continue to grow from there." Papis, who
is a three-time CART winner, is the only former Portland victor in the
field this weekend. He collected a classic victory, leading the entire
race from the pole in the rain in 2001 while driving for Team Rahal.
Last year was an emotional year for Papis, who returned to defend his
victory, only to have the plug pulled on the Sigma team due to
financial difficulties. "Portland seems to play a major role in my
CART career," added Papis. "The past two years were both very
memorable, but for different reasons. Now, 2003 is the return of 'Mad
Max'." Papis put the No. 27 PK Racing Lola-Ford Cosworth tenth on the
provisional grid today. The effort satisfied PK Racing team manager
Russell Cameron. "We felt we needed to find out where we were at with
the car, so we needed a veteran with Lola experience," Cameron said.
"We've run 11th before, but the encouraging thing is that the gap to
the leader is more respectable," Cameron continued. "We've been 1.2 to
1.5 seconds off the pace, and Max was within eight-tenths today. That
came in his first day back after not driving one of these cars for a
year. It's great for the team, because they needed to regain the
feeling of coming to the track with a chance to win." "It was
definitely a very demanding day, especially psychologically," declared
Papis. "It was a lot to absorb in a short amount of time. Overall, we
are pretty pleased with what we did - not that it's okay to be P10 or
P11, but we improved every time and peaked when necessary. Our last
session was our fastest. Tomorrow we will find the remaining
half-second we need to be on the front row. I'm pleased to be back!"
6/21/03
Air China enters into agreement
with Walker RacingUPDATE
We have added a photo of the Air China logo on Manning's car. 6/20/03 - Walker Racing and Air China,
through its marketing agency Pro-Motion, have entered into a
marketing and business development agreement for the remainder
of the 2003 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World season to
promote the Air China brand throughout the international
market of Champ Car racing. Darren Manning’s #15 Walker Racing
Champ Car will sport the Air China logo on its sidepods
beginning at this weekend’s G.I. Joe’s 200 at Portland
International Raceway, Round 8 of the Champ Car World Series
schedule. “This is a great opportunity to partner with one of
the most recognized brands both inside and outside of China,”
said team owner Derrick Walker. “Our relationship will allow
Walker Racing to partner with other companies that want to do
business with Air China, and open the door to those who want
to do business in the world’s fastest growing market.” Air
China, China’s flag carrier, has retained Pro-Motion to
provide consulting services for their international marketing
efforts. Through increased international exposure of their
brand with Walker Racing, Air China and Pro-Motion seek to
elevate the airline’s brand visibility among tourists visiting
the world’s second most popular tourist destination. China
currently enjoys more than seven million international
visitors each year to its cultural landmarks and ancient
historical sites. Air China flies over 26 million passengers
each year on one of the world’s newest fleets of Boeing and
Airbus aircraft. Felicity Song, who has ten years experience
in airline industry marketing, runs Pro-Motion’s Beijing
office. “This is an excellent opportunity to increase the
international exposure of Air China through motorsports,” Song
said. “Derrick Walker and the team at Walker Racing have a
long history of putting a quality product on the track, and
providing their business partners with unequaled business
value and hospitality. Pro-Motion and Air China look forward
to a long relationship with Walker Racing.”
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Will Legault be the next CART
boss? UPDATE Who is
Normand Legault? The multilingual Normand Legault is Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of GPF1 Inc. He was until recently,
President and General Manager of Grand Prix F1 du Canada Inc., an
event in which he became involved in 1978. Initially in charge of
sponsorship, Mr. Legault became General Manager in 1981, a position he
held until 1983. Between 1984 and 1989, he launched various
businesses in the field of communications and events, before returning
to Grand Prix du Canada in 1989 as a consultant. The following year,
he once again became General Manager of the company, which he acquired
a few years later. Attracting over 326,000 spectators, the 2002
edition of the Canadian Grand Prix was the largest sporting event in
Canada’s history. The ‘Promoter’s trophy for the best organized Grand
Prix’ was awarded to the Canadian Grand Prix for the year 2001.
Normand Legault is also a member of the International Formula One
Commission (Editor's Note: don't take this item lightly).
An active participant in the Montreal community, Mr. Legault was
President of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal for 2000-2001
and he is now Chairman. He is governor of the Université de Sherbrooke
faculty of administration, governor of the Regroupement des jeunes
gens d’affaires du Québec and President of the Club des Carabins of
University of Montréal. Mr. Legault is Chairman of the Place des
Arts, he is on the board of directors of the Société générale de
financement du Québec (SGF) and of Expert-Medic Inc. In addition to
being a member of the office of the FMMJ (Fondation du maire de
Montréal pour la jeunesse) fundraising campaign, he is also a member
of the UNICEF Ambassadors’ Committee. Mr. Legault was elected by La
Presse, Personality of the Year 2001. 6/26/03 - This morning's Journal de Montreal
reports that when contacted in his Montreal office, Normand
Legault (Canadian GP and CART Molson Indy Montreal boss) did
not deny the rumor, which came out this past weekend,
regarding him being the next CART President. According to
Gerry Forsythe, Legault was offered Chris Pook's position as
head of CART. After dancing around the question two or
three times, probably out of respect for his friend, Chris
Pook, Legault finally admitted that he was looking at the
offer, the opportunity to run CART, but stated that he
wouldn't comment right now and said that Pook was running CART
the best possible way for now. In fact, he stated, "replacing
Pook shouldn't be a surprise since he (Pook) personally stated
before that he wouldn't be around after 2004 or so."
There is a large photo and other CART and F1 news that
accompany the report. Mark C.
Minor
changes in store for St. Pete St Pete race officials are
considering minor tweaks to the 1.8-mile course in the areas of Turn
10, where many cars spun in the inaugural race, the S-turn sequence
that follows shortly after and the exit from pit road. The
planned demolition of the Bayfront Center Arena should not have
negative consequences for the race, which circles the arena and uses
the facilities. In other news, former general manager Tom
Begley, who hired an attorney when he was removed from the post, still
is with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Foundation, and negotiations
are continuing over his future involvement, Dover Motorsports
spokesman John Dunlap said
Much
More...click on 2002 archives button below
