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Mexico
City tickets sales off to good start
Tickets for The 2003 TELMEX GIGANTE
GRAND PRIX presented by Banamex – Visa, scheduled for Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, October 10-12, 2003 are now on sale to the public. This
event will take place at the magnificent Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. After
a very successful pre-sale for the Banamex Credit Card Members only
that sold out all the Grandstand Number 7 section, located in the area
known as “El Estadio” (the Stadium) and the whole section of the Foro
Sol (the large baseball stadium), GRAND, the promoter of the 2003
TELMEX GIGANTE GRAND PRIX presented by Banamex – Visa makes available
the tickets to all the racing fans, for the best and the biggest sport
and entertainment event that takes place in our country every year.
GRAND also informed, that taking in consideration all the enthusiasm
of the public, and looking to offer them great options to attend
this great event, the tickets will have a special 15% discount for a
limited period, starting on July 17th and ending on August 19th, so we
suggest the fans to place their ticket orders sooner rather than
later. The tickets, that will include the practices on Friday, October
10th, the qualifying and preliminary races on Saturday, October 11th,
and the race on Sunday, October 12th, will be available to the general
public at the sale centers, the Ticketmaster offices or at their
website
www.ticketmaster.com.mx, and at the Ticket offices of the Palacio
de los Deportes in Mexico City. This event will be targeted to the
people from different ages, sex, and group of fans, since there will
be a variety of
family-oriented activities throughout the weekend, seeking the
entertainment for everybody. “There will be entertainment for all the
family. Our main event are the races, but additionally the people will
be able to find in any of the three days, games for the kids,
expositions of vintage cars, beauty contests, and even extreme sports
for example,” mentioned Joseph Heitzler, CEO of GRAND, the company
promoting the event. GRAND would like to thank for all the support from
the sponsors of this race: Telmex, Gigante, Banamex, Visa, Tecate,
Herdez, Coca- Cola, Blue Shot, Chrysler and SKY among others. Ticket
prices range from $200 to $2,400 Mexican Pesos (less a 15% discount
until August 19th), according to its location and benefits.
Mexico City GP
7/18/03
Homestead construction update
One of the steel forms used to
shape the concrete wall on Turns 3 and 4 of Homestead-Miami
Speedway is relocated further along Turn 4 as the track's new concrete
wall continues to be built on Friday, July 18.
Workers operate machinery to
remove the old asphalt from the pit row exit at
Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, July 18. New asphalt will
be poured to ensure a smooth transition from pit row into the
new 20-degree, variable banking in Turns 1 and 2. The NEW
Homestead-Miami Speedway with 20-degree variable banking in
all four turns will debut during Ford Championship Weekend,
the season finales for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch, and
Winston Cup Series, November 13-16. The variable banking is
being installed to create more exciting, side-by-side racing
for the fans. PHOTO CREDIT: Denis Bancroft, Homestead-Miami Speedway
Photo
7/18/03
Toronto final ratings up 33% 3rd
UPDATE We now have more data on this.
According to Nielsen, the Toronto rating represented a 4 share
and equated to 1.614 million people actually watching the CART
race in the USA alone. 7/17/03 - The final rating was a 1.2 with 1.236
million households. That compares to last year's 0.9
final rating and 987,000 households. So the final rating
was up 33% over last year, which proves CART still has some
life left in it. The event entertained over 167,000 race fans
this past weekend at the Molson Indy Toronto, but the CBS
Sports national broadcast of the race entertained more than a
million households for the second consecutive weekend. On the
weekend that CART Champ Car and CBS Sports announced an
expansion of their broadcast schedule to carry as many as 10
races next season, CBS Sports delivered the turbocharged
action of the series to more than a million households for the
second consecutive weekend. “We are pleased to be making
progress in our television ratings and this is one of the
reasons that we are expanding our relationship with CBS
Sports,” said CART Champ Car President and CEO Christopher R.
Pook. “The public is telling us that there is a demand for our
racing series and we intend to do everything that we can to
bring it to them.” The Toronto race drew rating numbers of
over 2.0 in nine of the nation’s largest markets including New
Orleans, Las Vegas, Kansas City and Jacksonville. The ratings
for the previous week’s U.S. Bank Presents The Cleveland Grand
Prix had been highest of the year to date with a 1.1, with
Toronto’s broadcast setting a new season benchmark.
7/16/03 -
When CART has regularly scheduled races at set intervals and
people can see them on network TV its TV ratings are decent
i.e. the ratings have gotten stronger and stronger during this
run on CBS. One of NASCAR's secrets to success is the
fact it races almost every weekend. As such, their races
have come to be expected and anticipated. Going forward,
ideally CART needs a schedule where they race 18 to 20 races
consistently every 2 weeks from the last week in January thru
September. Once they get into autumn, American football
pretty much kills all other TV ratings. 7/15/03 - CART's Toronto race this past
weekend had a 1.3/3 share overnight rating on CBS. If this
holds, it will be up 44% over last year's 0.9 final rating, also on
CBS. A 1.3 rating equates to 1.5 million households.
That's at least 5 times higher than CART's ratings on SPEED Channel.
Double the cost, but 5 times the number of viewers. In other
words, even if some have to be taped delayed, all CART races should be
on CBS, not just the 50% that was announced for 2004. Mark C.
7/18/03 F3000
Wirdheim takes pole at
Silverstone American Townsend Bell will start the
Silverstone round of the FIA F3000 series from sixth place on
the grid, while Arden teammate and championship leader Bjorn
Wirdheim will be on pole position, and chasing his second win
of the year. The weather created a little confusion, for there
was a brief shower between the practice session and
qualifying. The track was damp at the start of the session
that counted so everyone dashed out on wet tires and tried to
get a good time in case it rained again. In fact conditions
improved rapidly and within a few minutes drivers were able to
switch to slicks. Then it was a question of getting a clear
run while the tires were at their best, which Wirdheim
reckoned was on their third lap. “I wasn’t completely happy
with the balance, but I managed to get the best out of the car
when I had to,” said the Swede. Bell was satisfied with his
qualifying session: “I went out on wets at the start, but they
were destroyed halfway around the laps, and rubber was
spitting off. So it wasn’t worth it anyway. I came straight in
and put slicks on. The first couple of laps it was damp in a
couple of places, and the curbing was pretty slippery. I did
a reasonable time, came in, and the balance changed on the
second set of tires. Something was different about that second
set and I wasn’t happy with it, but we still stuck in a time.
Then we ran into problems with the electronics on the car. All
of my lap times and segment updates [in the cockpit] failed
again, so that’s a bit frustrating, because you really rely on
that. I didn’t get the most out of it, but the first time here
and we’re on the first three rows.” Bell’s only previous
experience of the track was in a racing school Caterham Seven:
“It’s kind of like taking the bus tour of Indianapolis! It shows
you the way around. Tomorrow I just want to have a good race,
score some points, run all day, and get the experience.” Team
boss Christian Horner was happy with Townsend’s performance,
bearing in mind his lack of knowledge of the track: “He was a
little bit disappointed after being well up on the first run,
but it’s a very respectable effort on his first time ever
around here. He’s behind guys with two or three year's
experience, and it’s only him and Liuzzi who stand out as
rookies. A good result will give him the confidence to settle
in. Bjorn hooked together a good lap. That’s his eighth front
row start in eight races since Monza last year, and his fifth
pole. He just needs to convert it into a win. It’s the only
way I’ll possibly forgive him for Monaco!” Due to budget
problems both Derek Hill and Phil Giebler are missing. Indeed
Giebler’s Den Bla Avis team is on the sidelines, so Nick Kiesa
has moved across to take Hill’s place in the sister Super Nova
outfit. Two new faces in the field are Irishman Michael
Keohane at Astromega, and former British F3 champ Marc Hynes
at BCN. The latter has not raced for three years since a
planned PacWest Indy Lights deal fell through.
1. B Wirdheim…1m36.541s
2. G Pantano…1m36.973s
3. R Sperafico…1m37.071s
4. V Liuzzi…1m37.138s
5. P Friesacher…1m37.148s
6. T Bell…1m37.274s
7. E Toccacelo…1m37.403s
8. J Janis…1m37.403s
9. T Schmidt…1m37.758s
10. Y Schroeder…1m37.786s
11. N Kiesa…1m37.932s
12. Z Baumgartner…1m38.352s
13. M Keohane…1m38.352s
14. R Giammaria…1m38.555s
15. W Langhorne…1m38.857s
16. M Hynes…1m40.491s
7/18/03
Reggie White accuses Jesse
Jackson of wasting NASCAR's moneyUPDATE Added a photo of
Bill Lester. 7/17/03 - Reggie White, one of the
National Football League's greatest defensive players of all
time, has accused Jesse Jackson of taking "a quarter of
million dollars from NASCAR and not doing anything with it.
It's really disappointing to me that Jesse and his
organization would take a quarter of a million dollars from
NASCAR and not do anything with it to try to get black drivers
into the sport," White said in an interview on FOX News
Channel's Fox & Friends Wednesday morning. NASCAR has
reportedly given at least $250,000 to Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition as part of an effort to increase the number of
minority racers in the sport. More at
CNSNews.com
7/18/03
Breaking news from the
Silverstone Paddock
Locally-based F1 team Jordan
announced on Friday that Rick Gorne has joined the company in
a consultancy role on new business acquisition.
Gorne For Jordan Eddie Jordan and Gorne, who'll
continue to run his driver management business, resurrect a
relationship from the 80's when Jordan won the F3 and F3000
titles. Gorne was Sales Director at Reynard at the time:
'Rick and I have been friends since we were racing together in
Formula Atlantic in the 1970s,' said EJ. Is F1
Boring? Flavio Briatore reckons the Formula One race
weekend is too long, boring and predictable for the trackside
spectators. The Renault boss said: 'It would be better
if it was two days, not three,' adding that final qualifying
should be held on Sunday. 'The whole format needs
thinking about. It is too predictable. People just don't want
to pay to watch a boring event. Formula One is too rehearsed.'
McLaren Fail Again And very briefly, it's
understood that McLaren's all-new (but unraced) MP4-18 chassis
has failed the side-impact crash test for a second time.
The Woking-based outfit cannot put it in David Coulthard and
Kimi Raikkonen's racing hands until it has passed all the
mandatory tests staged by FIA.
7/18/03
Word from the Silverstone
Paddock - 1
Renault's technical director
lauded a new bodywork package on the R23B and says a little
work will charge his racers towards the podium.
'We expected to go well here,' said MIKE GASCOYNE, 'but
there's plenty to get out of the car. A good strategy and we
should fight for the podium.' RON DENNIS thinks
his McLaren boys will look a little quicker when the
Silverstone skies promise to beat down tomorrow.
'We think it'll be hotter on Saturday,' said the team CEO,
'and that'll certainly help us and our [Michelin] tires.'
Bridgestone technical manager HISAO SUGANUMA, on the other
hand, warmly welcomed the mid-session drizzle and conditions
more suited to Japan's tire supplier. 'Although
it's only Friday, I have confidence in the specifications
we've brought,' he said. 'I was very encouraged with what I
watched today.' Ferrari's ROSS BRAWN agreed,
noting however that Michael Schumacher's pole time was also
thanks to improvements on the F2003-GA chassis. 'I
think today's qualifying showed those coming through,' he
said. 'We'll wait for the weather but I feel much more
comfortable this weekend.' Unfortunately for
Minardi, lightening didn't strike twice as first qualifying
wound into its final throes at the British Grand Prix on
Friday. 'It looked like we might have a repeat of
France,' said team chief PAUL STODDART, 'when it started
raining. But it stopped - it wasn't to be today.'
7/18/03
Word from the Silverstone
Paddock - 2
Toyota designer GUSTAV
BRUNNER, while lauding progress with a new aero kit this
weekend, also hinted that both current drivers will be
retained next year. 'The drivers are performing
exceptionally well,' he said of Olivier Panis and Cristiano da
Matta, 'so as a unit we are making big progress.'
Michael Schumacher is favorite to win, but the weather will
probably decide the outcome of Sunday's British Grand Prix.
The speaker is BMW's MARIO THEISSEN who hopes it hots up for
Williams and Michelin on Saturday: 'Behind Michael both our
drivers look well placed.' DAVID RICHARDS says
improvements to the chassis and engine shone through on Friday
at Silverstone. The BAR boss said a new bodywork
kit and an uprated Honda specification has 'given us renewed
momentum that I hope will give us a competitive race.'
Jaguar boss DAVID PITCHFORTH may just send the engineers home
tonight and charge for pole position with just a few cleverly
designed livery modifications... 'Mark [Webber] was
fastest in T3 today,' he said - 'quite ironic that we're
carrying the T3 logo on our engine cover to promote the movie
Terminator 3! He smiled: 'Maybe we should consider
putting T1, T2 and T3 on the car for tomorrow...'
7/18/03
HBO special to highlight
Zanardi's return to a Champ Car
The inspirational story of Alex
Zanardi’s emotional return to the cockpit of a 750hp CART
Champ Car thrilled racing fans across the globe when he turned
laps around the two-mile EuroSpeedway Lausitz at an average
speed of 194 mph. Now for fans that want to relive the moment
as well as view much of the behind-the-scenes action of the
landmark event, HBO’s sports magazine show, Real Sports With
Bryant Gumbel will air a segment on Zanardi and his remarkable
story in the next edition of the award-winning show, which
debuts on July 22. A two-time former CART Champ Car title
winner, Zanardi turned 13 laps in a specially-prepared
hand-control race car in his first time in a Champ Car since
his horrific 2001 accident that resulted in the traumatic
amputation of his lower legs. Television’s most honored sports
magazine show visited EuroSpeedway in May to capture the
moments leading up the exhibition laps and caught Zanardi in
private moments before and after his run. Gumbel spoke not
only with Zanardi, but also fellow Champ Car drivers Jimmy
Vasser and Alex Tagliani along with CART Champ Car physicians
Dr. Terry Trammell and Dr. Steve Olvey, who helped save
Zanardi’s life in the moments after the accident. Gumbel and
the Real Sports production team also traveled back to
Zanardi’s home in Monte Carlo last month to further document
the amazing tale of the popular Italian driver. The show will
first air Tuesday night July 22 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
HBO and will re-air nearly 60 times in the next month across
all of HBO’s family of cable networks.
7/18/03
Martinsville adds seats
Workmen are putting the
finishing touches on the new South Terrace grandstand at
Martinsville Speedway, with a completion date set for July 28.
The new South Terrace overlooks the first and second turns at
Martinsville Speedway, offering a spectacular view of the
track from above the suites and press box. "We knew the view
from these seats was going to be good, but we had no idea just
how good," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell.
"The view is truly incredible. The seats not only overlook the
first and second turn action, but also are directly above the
first dozen or so pit stalls, giving fans a bird's-eye view of
the front-runners' pit action. "Even though these are high-rise
seats, you still remain right on top of the action," said
Campbell. "But that's one of the great things about
short-track racing. You're always on top of the action." For
fans' convenience, restrooms and concession facilities have
been added directly under the new stands.
7/18/03
NASCAR penalties
NASCAR officials announced
that Todd Berrier, crew chief of the No. 29 NASCAR Winston Cup
Series team, has been fined $25,000 due to a rule infraction
discovered last week at Chicagoland Speedway following the
Tropicana 400. In addition, NASCAR has penalized the team's
driver, Kevin Harvick, 25 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
championship driver points and team owner, Richard Childress,
25 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship owner points. During
the event's pre-race inspection process, the rear suspension
of the No. 29 Ford was found to have an unapproved travel
limiting device, a violation of Section 12-4-Q of the 2003
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rule Book (parts and/or equipment
used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and Section 12-4-A
(actions detrimental to stock car racing).
7/18/03
British GP: Coulthard tops first
practice
Position/Driver Team Fastest Lap
David Coulthard McLaren 1m20.039s
2 Mark Webber Jaguar 1m20.346s
3 Fernando Alonso Renault 1m20.485s
4 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1m20.604s
5 Olivier Panis Toyota 1m20.693s
6 Jarno Trulli Renault 1m20.858s
7 Jenson Button BAR 1m20.933s
8 Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar 1m20.966s
9 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1m20.992s
10 Cristiano da Matta Toyota 1m21.027s
11 Ralf Schumacher Williams 1m21.029s
12 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams 1m21.182s
13 Jacques Villeneuve BAR 1m21.246s
14 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren 1m21.407s
15 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Sauber 1m21.969s
16 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan 1m22.028s
17 Ralph Firman Jordan 1m22.135s
18 Jos Verstappen Minardi 1m23.176s
19 Nick Heidfeld Sauber 1m23.290s
20 Justin Wilson Minardi 1m24.086s
7/18/03
Will Tracy run with blank sidepods?
There has been a lot of speculation
as to what sponsor will be on the Player's cars the last three races
of this year when Canadian Tobacco laws kick in preventing "Canadian"
tobacco companies from advertising. While we do not know for
certain what the team will do, it's entirely possible Imperial
Tobacco, which owns Player's, could simply put one of their other
brands on the car, as long as it is not a Canadian brand. Or
they can put a convenience store (like 7-11 in the IRL) that sells
Player's in Canada in exchange for prime display locations of the
Player's brand at all the convenience store locations. Many
possibilities like this exist. Player's still owns 50% of he
team and the team will continue to be called Player's Forsythe Racing.
7/18/03
Jordan launches Chinese website
In addition to all the new developments this week, Jordan has lead the
way in the virtual world with the unveiling of
www.f1jordan.cn, the Chinese
version of the team website. The production of the online addition was
prompted by the fast growing Chinese Formula 1 fan base and is hosted
by Shanghai-based Riverstone Internet Technologies. The site was
launched on Thursday (17 July) at Silverstone and ties in with the
forthcoming 2004 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International
Circuit.
7/18/03
Tickets go on sale today for Puerto
Rico GP Tickets will go on sale Friday, July 18 for
the Puerto Rico Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 23-26,
at San Juan’s Isla Grande Airport. The Puerto Rico Grand Prix is the
season finales for both the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires
Cup and the SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring Car Series.
Tickets can be purchased by calling TicketPop at 787-294-0001 or by
visiting ticketpop.com. Meanwhile, preparations are underway to
construct the 1.6-mile, 10-turn temporary airport circuit. The
picturesque circuit, which uses San Juan Harbor as its backdrop,
boasts a wide racing surface and complete track visibility for fans.
The circuit will have at least 10,000 grandstand seats and 20
custom-made, air-conditioned hospitality suites. Eagle West
Construction, which has built many temporary street courses in North
America, including the Molson Indy Toronto and the Molson Indy
Vancouver Champ Car World Series tracks, has been hired to build the
circuit. According to renowned race track designer Martyn C. Thake,
Eagle West is the perfect choice. Thake, whose most recent projects
include the Monterrey, Mexico and Mexico City Champ Car World Series
circuits, and the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Champ Car and Trans-Am
Series street course, is assisting the design and logistics of the
race course. “Eagle West has been building Vancouver for
13 years,” said Thake. “They also did the Houston and the Washington,
D.C. race circuits. This year, they’re currently in the process of
building Vancouver. They’ll then move on to build Denver, then Miami
and finally Puerto Rico. “Eagle West’s experience makes them
uniquely positioned to build the Puerto Rico circuit,” added Thake.
“They are certainly the right company for the job.” The fencing
being used for the Puerto Rico Grand Prix comprises a unique modular
system that speeds construction time. “It’s a panel system just
like the ones used by Formula One and the Champ Car World Series,”
said Thake. “It’s the same system that was used at Monterrey Mexico
and Mexico City for the Champ Car events. “It’s much faster to
install and remove,” added Thake. “We’re going to build the entire
race track in about two weeks as opposed to the 30 days it normally
takes.” Also in the planning stages is the training of track
workers. SCCA Pro Racing will conduct training sessions in the areas
of flagging and communication, fire safety and vehicle extraction for
event volunteers. These training programs are held in conjunction with
the Puerto Rican FIA delegate. "We will put together a three-day
training program in August or September," said Thake. "We will bring
in five or six SCCA-approved instructors from the U.S. who will train
the local Puerto Rican workers in SCCA procedures. We're putting
together a flagging and communication school, a fire school and a
wrecker school." SCCA Pro Racing is thrilled to be part of such a
world-class event. "(Promoter) Jorge Diaz has brought together
some of the industry's top leaders to pull off a world class event,"
said Mitch Wright, SCCA Pro Racing Vice President and General Manager.
"SCCA is excited to be racing in Puerto Rico and we will do our part
to make sure the event is a success."
7/18/03
British GP: Alonso and Trulli lead
Friday free practice Fernando Alonso set the fastest
time in the Friday morning test session, ahead of teammate Jarno
Trulli. Alonso completed 44 laps, his fastest being
1m21.547s beating Trulli by 0.174s. The Italian escaped a massive spin
midway through the session, losing control of his Renault heading into
Priory. Mark Webber was third quickest for Jaguar, 0.513s off
Alonso's pace, ahead of the third Renault of the team's Friday tester,
Allan McNish. Antonio Pizzonia was fifth quickest in the second
Jaguar. Giancarlo Fisichella was sixth fastest ahead of his
rookie teammate Ralph Firman. The Briton lost time early on with some
mechanical trouble, although he was still able to complete 30 laps
during the session. Jos Verstappen won the battle of the Minardi
drivers in eighth, ahead of Justin Wilson.
Position/Driver Team Fastest Lap
1 Fernando Alonso Renault 1m21.547s
2 Jarno Trulli Renault 1m21.721s
3 Mark Webber Jaguar 1m22.060s
4 Allan McNish Renault 1m22.141s
5 Antonio Pizzonia Jaguar 1m22.834s
6 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan 1m22.864s
7 Ralph Firman Jordan 1m24.006s
8 Jos Verstappen Minardi 1m24.013s
9 Justin Wilson Minardi 1m24.605s
No big news comes out of CART
Shareholders meeting today UPDATE
More from Scott - There were 24 shareholders in attendance plus all
the board of directors. Chris Pook did mention "northern" Asia
(again think Beijing or Seoul), he would not say anything specific. He
said CART is looking at two places to race. He did talk a lot about
the Atlantics. He hinted they may want a different chassis; to cut down
on the cost. Mrs. Dorricott was there and addressed the cost. He was
real concerned about that. He wants to make sure the drivers go from
Atlantics to Champ Cars. He would like to see more American drivers in
Atlantics then get to Champ Cars. No one asked any really nasty
questions, only one about going private. One other asked about running
out of money in a year or so. He skirted the going private questions.
He said they are looking for corporate $ to keep the ship running. He
said they are on a solid foundation and the future looks very good. He
said it may not be as quick as most would like but it may take 2-3
years. He hopes to get shareholder value up in the near future.
7/17/03 - As expected there was no news on
CART going private today at their annual shareholders meeting.
That discussion is going on behind closed doors at the executive board
meeting that followed. At the shareholders meeting Chris Pook
reiterated what he had stated in the past - they are talking to
several engine manufacturers and hope to announce the new engine rules
in a month or two, though it now looks like 2006 before CART gets
engine manufacturers and that is a VERY bad thing. He mentioned, for the first time we believe,
the possibility of doing up to four races in Europe in 2004 and he
reiterated CART's desire to get back into the northern Asia market.
He didn't say where, but he said they are looking at two venues and you can bet it will be either Beijing, China
or Seoul, South Korea, but Beijing is further north, so...... He
also reiterated that the Toyota Atlantic Series will get a power boost
while bringing costs down from where they are today, in the $1/2
million per year range. Scott P., Indianapolis, In.
[Editor's Note: Our sources tell us that a bid may have been submitted
to the board today, if not formally, then informally, so that it could
be discussed. If it was a formal bid, and if the board accepts
it, CART will start the formal process of notifying the shareholders
and seeking a proxy vote. We also hear Montreal promoter Normand
Legault may be on the Bernie Ecclestone team. Recall that we
"rumored" there were three teams interested in joining together to
take CART private, each taking 1/3 of the company - the Ecclestone
Team, the Forsythe Team and the Kalkhoven Team.]
7/17/03
GPWC sets end of year deadline
The GPWC, comprised of Formula One auto manufacturers, said on
Thursday to the current rights holders of F1 to do a deal within the
next five months or risk a rival championship. Ford's Richard
Parry-Jones, director of the GPWC Holdings company set up by Formula
One's five European carmakers to plan for a new series from 2008, said
a limit had to be set on current negotiations. "It is our intention to
find a solution that benefits all parties," he said in a statement
issued before Sunday's British Grand Prix. "Therefore, GPWC is willing
to continue the discussions in 2003. If we do not come to an agreement
at the end of this year, we will focus all efforts on setting up the
new series. Experience has shown that if an agreement is not reached
within a certain time frame, it is better to focus on the
alternative."
7/17/03
Stewart wins ESPY award
Reigning NASCAR Winston Cup Series
champion Tony Stewart was named Driver of the Year during the ESPN
ESPY Awards Wednesday night at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif.
Stewart, who drives the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing,
beat out Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, IRL IndyCar champion
Sam Hornish Jr., Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran and NHRA Funny
Car champion John Force. "It's an honor to win an ESPY," said Stewart,
who was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to a scheduled
appearance at Thompson (Conn.) Speedway, where the 32-year-old Indiana
native won a 30-lap SK Modified feature as part of the Dodge Weekly
Racing Series. "The fact that the ESPYs are voted on by the fans makes
this award extra special. I was definitely in some good company with
Schumacher, Hornish, de Ferran and Force, and to come out on top is
kind of overwhelming. I can't thank the fans enough for voting for
me." The Driver of the Year ESPY was Stewart's fourth such award
following his 2002 Winston Cup championship, as Stewart was also named
Driver of the Year by the National Motorsports Press Association, the
Eastern Motorsports Press Association and The Sporting News. En route
to his first NASCAR championship, Stewart scored three victories, two
poles, 15 top-fives and 21 top-10s, while securing more than $9
million in winnings. The Winston Cup championship was Stewart's ninth
career driving title, having won an IRL IndyCar Series championship,
four USAC series championships and three karting championships - the
first of which came in 1980 at age nine.
7/17/03
Indy remains CART's ratings leader
When the CART Champ Car World Series
moved its corporate headquarters to Indianapolis last Spring, the
intention was to put the open-wheel sanctioning body in close
proximity to many of its teams, suppliers and sponsors. Predictably,
the racers have responded positively to the move but perhaps the best
response has come from the racing fans of the Indiana capital city.
After six network broadcasts of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford on CBS Sports, Indianapolis tops the list
of average Nielsen ratings among the nation’s major markets. The city
moves to the top spot after placing seventh on last year’s list.
Indianapolis racing fans have tuned in for an average rating of 2.4
for the six CBS events where individual market numbers can be
computed. Seven markets are averaging ratings of 2.0 or better
including Kansas City, St. Louis and Memphis. CART Champ Car race
markets Portland, Columbus, Miami and Denver are all in the top 25 in
ratings numbers for series events. “We have tried to incorporate
ourselves into the City of Indianapolis and strike a chord with the
racing fans since our move,” said CART Champ Car President and CEO
Christopher R. Pook. “We are very pleased that the people of
Indianapolis are leading the way in television ratings, and are
equally excited about the rising numbers across the board.” From a
standpoint of households tuning in to CART Champ Car World Series
programming, the mega-markets of New York City, Los Angeles and
Chicago lead the way with nearly 160,000 households tuning in to every
race just in those three cities alone. New York has made the highest
gain from last season in this category with an increase of 25,000
households per race.
7/17/03
BMW to spend $1 billion to beat Ferrari
BMW and WilliamsF1 announced a new deal recently that will see their
partnership continue for another five years. According to new reports
in the German press, along with this contract extension is also an
increase in BMW’s current budget. The Berliner Zeitung is reporting
that over the next five years, starting in 2005, the German engine
giant’s Formula One budget will increase from 135 million Euros to a
whopping 200 million Euros, amassing to a total of one billion Euros
over the five-year period! “The earlier we beat Ferrari for the
championship, the better,” BMW Motorsport director Gerhard Berger was
quoted as saying. “That's what we're investing for. We're hot to win
the title.” Add to that all the sponsors the Williams team has
landed and it's easy to see that their budget is well over $300
million per year. And the CART teams struggle to raise $10
million.
7/17/03
Nadeau to meet with media
United States Army driver
Jerry Nadeau will conduct a news conference Friday, July 18,
beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT in the infield media center at New
Hampshire International Speedway. Stan Creekmore
7/17/03
Michael warns brother Ralf
Michael Schumacher, speaking to reporters at a rain swept
Silverstone, suggested that the weekend could dampen his
brother's Ralfs hopes. "I'm pretty optimistic that we can
fight again for victories from now on," said Schumacher, who
leads McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen by eight points and Ralf by 11
with six races remaining. "I think they (Ralf and Williams)
are very strong. Luckily they are 11 points behind but I have
seen many seasons and I sort of feel that if you analyze a
season, you have your highs and lows," added Schumacher. "I
think they are absolutely at a high and we are probably not so
much on a high on our side. And I think we can turn it around
again. If you look at the season so far it has always been
Williams and McLaren very close to each other, especially in
the last races," he said. "In the last race, we still beat the
McLaren team who are running on other tires to us and we
didn't beat Williams. So I think success or not having success
does not come from a single factor. We have to work in every
department. We have, and I think we have done very well,"
he added. "Now we have to see if it is good enough." Whatever
happens on Sunday, Schumacher hoped that his closest rival
would be Ralf. "It's a good situation," he said. "Imagine the
two of us fighting for the championship, only a Schumacher can
win. That's great, isn't it?"
7/17/03
Williams says Bernie doesn't
care about ticket sales "Bernie would say the
television audience is more important than the gate receipts,"
Frank Williams, a member of the BRDC, was quoted by the Daily
Telegraph. "It is very difficult for Silverstone to make money
on a grand prix," Williams added. "All Silverstone has is what
they take at the gate, but Bernie only does long-term
contracts and Silverstone pays a high fee that goes to Formula
One Management [Ecclestone’s management company]." And
speaking to the Daily Mirror, Williams was at pains to support
the Silverstone race. "It is important for Formula One and
Silverstone that we put on a show on Sunday. This country
needs a British Grand Prix," he said.
7/17/03
PacifiCare signs on as sponsor
of Denver race
PacifiCare Health Systems,
Inc. (NYSE: PHS) is the latest sponsor to join the Centrix
Financial Grand Prix of Denver, set to take place August
29-31. PacifiCare joins the Grand Prix as “Official Health
Care Provider” and is part of an event that counts Centrix
Financial, Coors Brewing Company, Argent Mortgage Company,
Jefferson-Pilot Communications, the Denver Newspaper Agency,
Bridgestone/Firestone, Colorado Central Station Casino,
Freedom Harley-Davidson, Hyatt Regency Denver and St. Anthony
Hospitals among its family of sponsors. Sponsoring the Denver
event, along with exclusive agreements with Newman/Haas Racing
(NHR) and the 2003 CART Champ Car World Series, marks
PacifiCare’s entry into motor sports as part of its efforts to
position itself as a leading consumer health organization
throughout the United States. In addition to the Centrix
Financial Grand Prix of Denver, PacifiCare has sponsored two
other major CART events. They included the Grand Prix of
Milwaukee (June 1) and the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
(April 13). PacifiCare is the exclusive and “Official Health
Care Provider” for the entire 19-race CART Champ Car World
Series, offering health insurance benefits and related
services to CART and Newman/Haas Racing employees nationwide.
“PacifiCare of Colorado is very pleased to be playing a major
role in supporting the Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver
this year,” said Brian Crary, president of PacifiCare of
Colorado. “This race, now in its second season, is fast
becoming a major motor sports event in the greater Denver
area. We think it’s an excellent venue to communicate our
company’s fast-changing direction as a consumer health care
organization, offering a variety of different products and
services that meet consumers’ needs.” “We’re thrilled to
welcome PacifiCare into our family of sponsors,” said John Frew, vice president and general manager of the Centrix
Financial Grand Prix of Denver. “Their commitment to racing
and the Champ Car World Series through the Newman/Haas race
team has proved to be a benefit for both. We look forward to
making their sponsorship involvement in Denver a most
rewarding one.” The second annual Centrix Financial Grand Prix
of Denver will take place August 29-31 on a 1.65-mile,
nine-turn temporary race circuit around the Pepsi Center. The
event will feature the cars and stars of Bridgestone Presents
the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford, as well as the
Toyota Atlantic Championship Presented by Yokohama, Trans-Am
Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup and the Fran-Am 2000 North
American Pro Championship.
7/17/03
British GP Thursday Press
Conference DRIVERS: Jenson BUTTON (BAR), David
COULTHARD (McLAREN), Ralf SCHUMACHER (WILLIAMS), Justin WILSON
(MINARDI)
BAR gears up for China with
SINA sponsor As BAR prepares to celebrate its home
Grand Prix, the team is delighted to announce a long-term
partnership agreement with Chinese internet portal SINA, one
of the leading online media information service providers for
China and global Chinese communities. The partnership, which
represents a substantial sponsorship of a Formula One team by
a Chinese company, commences with effect from this weekend’s
British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The partnership has two
elements, the first of which is traditional on-car sponsorship
and the SINA logo will feature within the BAR Honda 005 car’s
distinctive livery for the first time this weekend. In
addition, SINA will also host a Chinese version of BAR’s
increasingly popular website. The language and content will be
adapted specifically to Chinese culture. SINA is the leading
online media and value-added infotainment service (“VAS”)
provider for China and for global Chinese communities. It
boasts 71 million registered users worldwide and over 10
million active paid users for a variety of fee-based services.
Commenting on the new partnership, BAR Team Principal David
Richards said : “This partnership is a very exciting step for
BAR as it is potentially the most significant agreement since
the team was founded. We are delighted to have demonstrated to
SINA that Formula One and BAR can offer the company an
unrivalled marketing platform as it seeks to expand its market
share. China will have a major impact on Formula One when it
joins the calendar in 2004. It has the potential to almost
double the existing worldwide audience of the sport and I am
pleased that the partnership between BAR and SINA is the first
to capitalise on the exciting commercial opportunities that
are emerging in this new Formula One market.” Speaking from
Beijing, SINA’s Chief Marketing Officer LC Chang added :
"Although SINA is one of the leading Internet portals in
China, it is a highly competitive marketplace and so
interesting content is key to maintaining our position. We
have entered into this partnership with the BAR Team because
their marketing approach complements ours and the content will
provide a massive boost to our F1 services. This comes at a
time at a time when Chinese people are becoming more and more
interested in F1, so we shall certainly promote our
sponsorship of BAR and we will feed regular SMS bulletins to
our customers, thus building their relationship with and
loyalty towards BAR as China prepares to host the Shanghai
Grand Prix in 2004.” Press release BAR Honda
7/17/03
CART defectors are making a big
impact on IRL This Autoweek
article says, Maybe the Indy Racing League isn’t so
difficult after all. Or maybe this season’s list of newcomers
is just plain good. [Editor's Note: It's no secret that the IRL
started out with all CART rejects, those that could not win in
CART. So it's no surprise that when the good CART teams
defected to the IRL, they reestablished their superiority over
the former CART reject teams and have now put most of them
either out of business or at the back of the grid, which is
where they were when in CART]. Whichever, new faces are making
a great first impression on the 16-race season. Former
Championship Auto Racing Teams drivers Tony Kanaan and
Scott Dixon have won almost everything this
side of the Indianapolis 500, and it is no coincidence they
are 1-2 in points as the season reached its halfway point.
Dixon won the first race of the season at Homestead, with
Kanaan winning the pole. They have routinely swapped the
headlines since, with Kanaan occupying three poles, Dixon two,
and the combination of them winning four races (three by
Dixon, including a dominating performance last month at
Richmond, where he led all 206 laps of the rain-shortened
race). It was even fitting that they crashed together in Japan
in April while battling for the lead late in the race. On the
manufacturers’ side, engines developed by IRL newcomers Toyota
and Honda have won all of the races, leaving the established
Chevrolet program to grasp (and gasp) for help from Cosworth.
7/17/03 Industry News
Fitness and Auto Racing
presentation Jim Leo from PitFit Training is
presenting today at the National Strength and Conditioning
Association national conference at the Indianapolis Convention
Center.. The session is called "Fitness and Auto Racing:
Training For Improved On-Track Performance". Sam Hornish
Jr., one of their clients, will speak. Player's Forsythe
Racing has a car on display as part of the presentation.
Mark C.
7/17/03
No guaranteed money for
Silverstone This London Evening Standard
article is an interesting read about the politics of
Motorsports in the UK with regard to government subsidies for
Silverstone.
7/17/03
Arnold Schwarzenegger gets the British
Grand Prix into action! One of the world’s biggest movie
stars comes together with one of the world’s biggest sporting events
this Sunday, July 20th, when Arnold Schwarzenegger makes an
unprecedented appearance at the British Grand Prix as a guest of
Jaguar Racing, promoting his latest blockbuster release TERMINATOR 3:
RISE OF THE MACHINES. In a unique partnership between Columbia TriStar
Films UK and Jaguar Racing, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be the guest of
honor at this event where the home team's F1 cars will race in front
of a global audience of millions carrying a specially designed
TERMINATOR 3 livery. The team’s pit-lane garage will also boast the
unique livery that has been designed as a one-off for the British
Grand Prix. To coincide with the movie’s premiere on Monday 21st July,
Mark Webber will drive the Jaguar R4 through London’s Leicester Square
and co-star Kristanna Loken will arrive in an all aluminum polished
Jaguar XJ – the only one of it’s kind in the world. Following a photo
call in the pitlane at 11.45AM with co-star Kristanna Loken and the
Jaguar Racing drivers Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia, Arnold and
Kristanna will walk the grid before the start of the 2003 British
Grand Prix. Schwarzenegger, a huge sports fan, stated, “I am very
excited to be returning to London to attend the UK premiere of
TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES. I am also delighted to attend the
British Grand Prix as a guest of Jaguar Racing which, like the film
itself promises to be pure action!”
Push-to-Pass button has fans excited
alreadyUPDATE Yet another reader chimes
in, Dear AR1, I've been strongly against the push-to-pass button
because, in my opinion, it takes away from "pure" racing and making it
more of a circus. Yet, after reading the recent comments and idea
about how this would play out in a race, I've come to the conclusion
that it is an amazing idea that could just "save" CART. I was at
Cleveland this year in one of the most exciting races of the season. I
couldn't imagine what the excitement would have been if Bourdais,
Tracy, and Junqueira all had "boosts" left. It really doesn't take
away from the driver's skill. The best drivers will still be at the
front, because their superior speed will force other drivers to
"waste" their boost allotment. Thus leaving the better driver with the ability
to conserve boosts to the end. Instead of fuel conservation runs, we
will have boost conserving runs and the end will be a mad dash to the
finish!!! Remember, if I am passing someone and hit my boost first,
even if the other driver uses a boost to defend, if they hit it after
me, I will still carry more speed down the entire straight for the
pass. Thus, boosting to defend is not really going to work unless you
anticipate and boost first! If this boost or "the button" idea was to
be advertised properly before and during the races (i.e.... the
telemetry tracking idea), it could be just the thing that puts the
focus back on ChampCar racing as the racing to watch. Jeez, just use
a page from the IRL in advertising and over-glorify its brilliance
and excitement it causes and brings to racing. Even more like the IRL,
tell the people in the advertisements that "everyone" is watching and
waiting for it. We could easily see this implemented in F1 after it
was successful in ChampCars. Just remember, we MUST keep the mandatory
pit stops for this to work properly. The drivers have to go 10/10 the
whole time and not conserve fuel and boosts until the end. Pure racing
will only continue if drivers are forced to go as fast as they can and
forced to use their boosts if necessary to defend or gain an
advantage. Fuel conservation is a thing for series that like to reward
the driver who doesn't have the outright fastest speed, like NASCAR
and the IRL. ChampCar racing is not that......real racing, real sport!
Derek Hughes, Florida Dear Derek, You should know that the
Formula Palmer Audi Series in England currently employs such a feature
in all its cars. When a button on the steering wheel is pushed, the
driver gets a six second boost of power, which can only be used eight
times in each race. My original proposal to CART was 10 pushes per
race, each for a duration of 6 seconds, for a total of 60 seconds per
race. CART is leaning toward giving the drivers a 60 second
allotment and let them use it as they see fit. I prefer giving
them a block of 10 pushes, which will force a driver to use the button
on 10 different occasions, rather than just a single 60-second burst,
which would be counter-productive to the real purpose - to create as
many passing attempts in a race as possible. Mark C.7/17/03 - A reader writes,
Dear AR1, First of all - I love your website, and I love CART, and I
love your honest opinions about the series...Regarding the "push-to-pass" button,
a while ago, I came up with the same idea (great minds think alike!),
so it's awesome (and funny) to hear that it's likely to happen. The
old "candy" button did not seem to be sufficient - it's better to have
a button that gives a meaningful increase in HP, and is limited in its
number of uses. I think it would be awesome if the television coverage
(on CBS, of course!) included the "push-to-pass" button as part of the
telemetry for each car, detailing not only when a driver pushes the
button, but how many pushes they have left. Can you imagine the
late-race drama, as Bourdais is leading on the last lap of the race in
Montreal, but he's used all his "pushes" to get him into first, and
Carpentier (the "Quebecois" hero) is right on his tail in the last few
corners, with one push left?!? Too much excitement for a Champcar
race? Let's pray not....CART forever (in whatever form, with whatever
owners!) Ramon Breton, Los Angeles, CA Dear Ramon, I too like
the idea that the information can be broadcast to the fans, however,
opposing teams can watch the same broadcast and learn what their
opponent's strategy may be. I am willing to bet the teams will
want to keep this information secret. Mark Cipolloni.
Another reader writes, On the boost button, I think you're overlooking
one thing. The push-to-pass button can be used to defend against a
pass. In effect it can eliminate passing. Richard McComb,
Dear Richard, Absolutely, the button can be used offensively or
defensively. Here's a strategy that we may see played out on
more than one occasion. Two teammates running 2nd and 3rd and
take turns making a run on the leader, each using up 50% of their
allotment of pushes. If the leader chooses to use his button
defensively on each of the two attacking teammates, he will use up
100% of his allotment of pushes while the two teammates still each
have 50% left. Mark C. Another writes, The
push-to-pass button is a great idea. If it happens, take it a step
farther and make it 100 extra HP, and shoot some flame out of the back
of the engine so the fans can see it happen - like the flame seen in
the pits in Cleveland. Keep up the great work on your web site...Alan
Saliwanchik Dear Alan, While it's possible to dial in 100
extra HP, there is an issue with engine longevity. Cosworth
still has to guarantee CART 1,200 miles between engine rebuilds and
too much additional stress on the engine might be a factor.
Besides, you don't want to make it too easy to pass. We must not
lose sight of the fact that this is a sport where the athletes ability
means something. It's a fine line one must walk between putting
on a good show for the paying customers, and keeping it a sport and
not a circus. Mark C.
7/17/03
Bodine slams into SAFER Barrier at Indy
Todd Bodine, driver of the No. 54 National Guard Taurus, had his
Indianapolis test session cut short today after hitting the turn one
wall Wednesday morning. Bodine, who had the fastest lap during the
first day of testing at 178.879 mph, praised the SAFER barrier system
after the accident. YOU WERE HAVING A GOOD WEEK UNTIL THE ACCIDENT.
"Yeah, we were. We struggled a little two days ago the first day in
race trim, but went back and regrouped and figured out what we needed
to do. We changed the car pretty dramatically and got a lot better.
Hopefully, when we come back with another car, we'll be able to come
back and have the same thing run as good as this one was." WHAT
HAPPENED? "A right-front tire blew. Just about right where you let off
getting into one I felt the right-front drop. I turned the wheel and
it was going straight, so it was obvious the right-front was down."
DID YOU JUST HIT THE OUTSIDE WALL? "Yeah, I just hit the outside and
then coasted down to the apron trying to get it off the track." THE
SAFER BARRIER DID IT'S JOB? "Hallelujah. Man, I'm telling you, that's
the first time I've experienced it - thankfully, that's the first
time. What in the hell are we waiting for? Put them in. You could save
lives without a doubt. It saves lives, injuries. That hit should have
hurt. We don't have a G-meter in the car or anything, but we can
pretty much tell what the slow-down rate was and I'm telling you it
was a hard hit and look at me. I don't even have a sore spot." WERE
YOU ABLE TO HIT THE BRAKES? "Yeah, I was on the brakes, but not a
whole lot is going to slow down at that point." COULD YOU TELL THE
DIFFERENCE OF HITTING THE SAFER BARRIER VERSUS A REGULAR WALL OR IS IT
HOW YOU FEEL AFTERWARDS THAT TELLS YOU IT WORKED? "I can now. As far
as the impact, a hit is a hit - you just feel how much it's hitting. I
think where the gain and benefit is that you don't have that impact
G-spike that hurts you. That's what makes injuries, head injuries
especially. Of course the HANS, that's a big plus. I'm a big proponent
of the HANS device over all the other ones, so all the safety stuff
worked." YOUR BROTHER, BRETT, HAD A HARD CRASH AT MICHIGAN AND
SUFFERED SOME INJURIES AND YOU'RE NOT SORE ANYWHERE. IS THIS FURTHER
PROOF THAT THESE SAFER BARRIERS NEED TO GO UP EVERYWHERE? "Yeah,
without a doubt and without even a second thought. Why we don't have
them everywhere is just absolutely baffling. I just don't understand
it. We've seen the IRL cars hit here and the guys walk away. In those
things, you can really get hurt. We've seen a lot of crashes - Kurt
Busch last year, me now, Christian (Fittipaldi) - I don't know how he
is. I guess he's all right. (NOTE: Fittipaldi was involved in a
separate one-car accident earlier in the session.) I mean, come on,
how much more proof do you need that the system works. Do something."
LOUDON AND RICHMOND ARE PLANNING ON INSTALLING THE BARRIERS FOR THEIR
FALL RACES. "At least they're trying. They might have run out of time
when they figured out they needed to do it (in time for this week's
race at Loudon), I don't know, but at least they're gonna do something
and try to help us. These cars are going so fast now that it doesn't
matter what track it is - from Martinsville to Indy - our entry speeds
are so much faster and if you blow a tire or something happens, it's
gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt -- even at Martinsville. If you blow a
tire at Martinsville, you're basically gonna hit the wall head-on
because the corner is so sharp. Loudon is the same way, so, hallelujah
for them."
7/17/03
Zanardi could make racing return
According to this Autosport article,
Disabled former Champ Car king Alex Zanardi might make his return to
racing in the final round of the European Touring Car Championship
after a positive test in Ravaglia Motorsport's BMW 320I in Italy on
Tuesday. The Italian, who lost both his legs in a crash during the
EuroSpeedway Lausitz Champ Car race in 2001, completed 27 laps of
Misano in the specially adapted car, including a 14-lap sequence
equivalent to a normal ETCC race distance. Zanardi lapped in 1m42.9s,
3.5 seconds slower than the benchmark set by reigning champion
Fabrizio Giovanardi, although Zanardi was driving an upgraded Super
Production machine rather than a full-blown 2003 car. "Times were not
my priority," said Zanardi. "We were focusing on setting the Faidel
[the company that constructed the hand controls] system up, in order
to give me total control of the car. We have planned more tests, and
only when I will feel confident I will be looking for the lap times.
My goal is to reduce the gap from Giovanardi to two tenths." Zanardi
had previously tried the car at Adria, where he will return for
another test on August 28. If this is successful, Alex could drive a
third Ravaglia BMW in the final round of the ETCC at Monza on October
19. Can Champ Cars be far behind?
7/17/03
Where to watch Road America on
HDNet in USA
UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1, I am so screwed. I went
to the HDTV web page through the link that you provided, clicked on my
state (Michigan) and looked to see where I can watch the Mario
Andretti Grand Prix at Road America and it seems that I am either
going to have to buy an HDTV set, (my wife would not be too
understanding) or camp out in an appliance store. What's up with that?
Dan Wilk Dear Dan, While we understand your dilemma, consider
this. NASCAR built their large race day attendance years ago by
blacking out (TV) all their races in the local area within 100 miles
of the track. This forced fans to either go to the race, or not
watch it at all. Many chose to go and they came away glad they
did. So while many fans won't be able to watch the HD Net
broadcast, perhaps this is the time for them to go to Road America to
watch the race in person. They won't be disappointed. Road
America is hands down the best road course in the USA. Stand
along the straight heading into turn 5. Thousands of fans do.
The sound of the screaming engines echo off the trees and it's enough
to run chills down your spine. No one walks away not being a
Champ Car fan and a Road America fan. Mark C. Another fan
writes, Dear AR1, Maybe you can shed some light on why CART is being
so ignorant with the Road America broadcast? I'm guessing it hasn't
crossed their mind yet that less than a few hundred people will be
watching the race? Would it be so tough to show the race on Speed at
the same time? You listed a posting of "Where to watch Road America on
HDNet" so I checked the link and found the only place in my area
listed to broadcast RA is Circuit City, Best Buy and Ultimate
Electronics. What am I suppose to do, stand in front of a TV on the showroom floor for 2 hours and listen to some uninformed punk try to sell
me something that is WAY out of my price range? I'm so pissed about
this that I've decided I will not watch the RA race at all and my
previous plans of going to the Denver race have now been cancelled and
diverted to a USGP trip. Last thing I want to do is give any of my
money to TG but if CART thinks they can manipulate the fans into doing
something they are not interested in then Pook and all his underlings
have their heads firmly planted in the sand. Kudos to CART for being
on the cutting edge of technology. Unfortunately it will be at the
cost of lost viewership, idiots! A very disappointed CART fan Mark
Cooper Tulsa, Okla. Dear Mark, When the race was originally
cancelled, both SPEED Channel and CBS sold that race time slot.
Hence, when CART reinstated the race thanks to Mario Andretti's
efforts, they were stuck with no time slot available. They
decided to give HD Net a try. You should know that over 1
million USA homes have high definition TVs. They made an early
investment in the technology and clamor for HDTV programming, any HDTV
signal. CART will showcase itself to an array of new viewers
that day, including the many shoppers in Circuit City or other
electronic appliance stores that keep their display HDTVs tuned to HD
Net all the time. Perhaps CART will make a lot of new fans that day as
they watch the Champ Cars do battle on the beautiful Road America
track. Too bad the push-to-pass button wasn't already
implemented in time for Road America. Its long straights,
coupled with the pass button, would make it one sensational race for
CART to showcase its series. Mark C.
7/16/03 - A lot of fans have asked
where they can watch the Road America CART race on HDNet
because they can't get it at home. This web page
gives you a listing of where you can catch an HDNet broadcast
in your local area. Mark C.
7/17/03
Chevy submits new Cosworth engine
to IRL for approval2nd UPDATE
AR1 has confirmed with GM that this engine is indeed the Cosworth.
7/16/03 - As it turns out the engine they submitted may not be
the Cosworth, but a design of their own. This of course would
surprise us, and everyone else. 7/16/03 - GM Racing, the technical arm of
GM's motorsports program, has submitted a request to the Indy
Racing League for a change in the Chevrolet racing engine that
competes in the IRL IndyCar Series. The new engine is
designated the Gen IV Chevy Indy V8. "After exploring numerous
options, GM Racing has finalized plans to introduce a new
Chevrolet engine in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series,"
said Joe Negri, GM Racing IRL program manager. "We have
formally requested IRL officials to approve the Gen IV Chevy
Indy V8 for competition in 2003. Pending IRL approval, GM
Racing will make the Gen IV Chevy Indy V8 available to
Chevrolet teams in accordance with IRL regulations."
7/16/03
California Speedway does not force
NASCAR fans to buy IRL or CART ticket
A reader writes, Dear AR1, In 2004 There are 4 options for buying
tickets at the California Speedway:
1) Single NASCAR weekend - Fri-Sun for either the spring or fall race
$105 or $155 each
2) NASCAR 6-pack - Fri-Sun for BOTH NASCAR weekends $210 or $310
each
3) Full Season ticket - BOTH NASCAR weekends, Grand Am, Superbike,
Historic and IRL $355 or $455 each
4) Buy tickets individually - AFTER priority has been given to the
above 3 (with option 3 getting first priority, then 2 then 1)
The first 2 options are season tickets, but NASCAR ONLY season
tickets. Option 3 is the FULL season ticket (their words). ALL
CalSpeedway season ticket holders, as myself, are now given the
options listed above. I always renewed my season tickets because a
good friend of mine likes NASCAR so I figured why not, but in reality
CART was my interest. I think the point here is that at many of the
existing venues: Kentucky, Texas, etc, people are forced to take the
IRL ticket if they want to keep (or at least have the best shot at)
their NASCAR tickets. Here, CalSpeedway has given the NASCAR fans the
option of priority ticketing WITHOUT having to buy the IRL ticket
along with the others. Granted, they give priority ticketing to Full
Season ticket holders, but I expect the number of Full Season ticket
purchasers to be so close to zero it will be negligible. My reason for
saying that: it is my understanding that there were less than 9,000
season ticket buyers for 2003. Assuming that the average season ticket
buyer purchases 3 seats per his season ticket, that's 27,000 seats (if
they all show up) in the 105k speedway. Not a very big number. And I'm
sure that the majority of those season ticket buyers only did so to
ensure their NASCAR seats. Now that CalSpeedway has given the NASCAR
folks the option of buying just the NASCAR weekends, AND the fact that
those tickets have gotten a lot more expensive, I can't see many
people buying the full season ticket.....meaning, the IRL (and CART),
for all intents and purposes, will need to stand on its own. They may
pick up a few stragglers, but I can't imagine that it will be a
significant amount. By the way, the renewal flyer also states
that tickets to the CART race in 2004 will go on sale in December of
this year, i.e. totally stand-alone from all other races. Jesus
Gonzalez, San Dimas, California
7/16/03
Harvick's crew chief fined
NASCAR officials announced today that Todd Berrier, crew chief
of the No. 29 NASCAR Winston Cup Series team, has been fined
$25,000 due to a rule infraction discovered last week at
Chicagoland Speedway following the Tropicana 400. In addition,
NASCAR has penalized the team's driver, Kevin Harvick, 25
NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship driver points and team
owner, Richard Childress, 25 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
championship owner points. During the event's pre-race
inspection process, the rear suspension of the No. 29 Ford was
found to have an unapproved travel limiting device, a
violation of Section 12-4-Q of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup
Series Rule Book (parts and/or equipment used that do not
conform to NASCAR rules) and Section 12-4-A (actions
detrimental to stock car racing).
7/16/03
Borcheller and Hunter-Reay have
all the luck ALMS driver Terry Borcheller and CART
Champ Car driver Ryan Hunter-Reay will be judges at the first
installment of the Miss Grand Prix Americas competition in
Miami on July 17. The event will be at 8 p.m. at Miami's
Radius Nightclub. The Miss GPA Pageant is South Florida's
ultimate sports model search, where beautiful contestants
compete to represent the Grand Prix Americas. Both the
American Le Mans Series and CART will hold races on the Miami
city streets in the Sept. 26-28 event. Miss GPA Pageant heats
will be held throughout South Florida in July, August and
September and the finals will be held on Wednesday of race
week during the Grand Prix Americas Fan Fest at Bayside
Marketplace.
7/16/03
Sprague out, Andretti in
Haas CNC Racing, which fields the No. 0 NetZero HiSpeed
Pontiac in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, announced today that
veteran John Andretti will take over driving duties for the
upcoming Winston Cup events at New Hampshire International
Speedway and Pocono (Penn.) Raceway. “We are thrilled that
there was someone available to us of John Andretti’s caliber,
with his vast amount of Winston Cup experience,” stated Joe
Custer, Haas CNC Racing General Manager. “We’re excited that
he has agreed to come on board for the next couple of races.
Following the races at New Hampshire and Pocono, we’ll
evaluate how things are going and move forward from there.”
Andretti, who hails from Indianapolis, Indiana, has been
racing full-time in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series since 1994.
He has scored four pole positions and two Winston Cup
victories during his career, the last of which came in
Martinsville in 1999 with Petty Enterprises. He and Haas CNC
Racing crew chief Tony Furr have a history together, winning
the 1997 Pepsi 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
“I feel really good about being reunited with Tony Furr,” said
John Andretti. “The Haas CNC Racing team is an excellent
organization. I look forward to being behind the wheel of the
No. 0 NetZero HiSpeed Pontiac for the next couple of races.”
7/16/03
Fittipaldi crashes at Indy
Christian Fittipaldi's car crashed today at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway during testing for next month's Brickyard 400.
Fittipaldi, who drives for Petty Enterprises, hit the outside
wall of turn 2 on the 2-1/2 mile oval, track officials said.
He was taken to the track hospital for an examination, after
which he was released and cleared to drive.
7/16/03
Vegas gets March 7th date for
2004 Nevada’s largest annual sports weekend will
return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 5-7, 2004. Again in
2004, the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 will be the third stop on
the NASCAR Nextel Cup tour. The 2004 event will mark the
seventh visit of NASCAR’s most elite series to Las Vegas’s
1.5-mile superspeedway. The Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series
event will precede the NASCAR Nextel Cup event on Saturday,
March 6. Qualifying for both races will be held Friday, March
5. The O’Reilly World of Outlaws will return for two nights of
action on the speedway’s half-mile dirt oval March 4-5. “Even
though we are just four months removed from the 2003 NASCAR
Weekend, we are anxiously anticipating the 2004 event,” said
Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. “The opening of the new
Dale Earnhardt Terrace, which will give fans an incredible
panoramic view of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, has
everyone at LVMS looking forward to next year. We also are
excited to be the first track in the west to welcome Nextel,
NASCAR’s new title sponsor, to the greatest sport in the
world. This past year, we had more than 140,000 people for the
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 and almost 90,000 fans for the Sam’s
Town 300. The 6.9 TV rating is the highest of any motorsports
event excluding the Daytona 500 this year. It’s pretty obvious
the first weekend in March has become synonymous with NASCAR
racing in Las Vegas.” Tickets for the new 22,000-seat Dale
Earnhardt Terrace are on sale now by calling the speedway at
1-800-644-4444 or online at www.lvms.com. All remaining seats
will go on sale in September. The ticket-renewal process for
previous years’ ticket holders is nearing completion.
7/16/03
Columbus Town Meeting met with
supportive crowd UPDATE
Here is the full
transcript from the meeting with exclusive AR1 photos.
7/15/03 - The popular CART Champ Car
Town Meeting series returned Tuesday night to the site of its genesis
as the stars of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series
Powered by Ford met the fans of Columbus, Ohio for the second
consecutive year. The Town Meeting series began in Columbus last year,
and played to a supportive crowd Tuesday night that poured into the
Scarlet Ballroom of the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café near the campus of
The Ohio State University. The crowd got the chance to fire questions
to a number of the principals of CART Champ Car including team owners
Derrick Walker and Bobby Rahal, CART Champ Car driver Sebastien
Bourdais, CART Vice President of Operations John Lopes and Toyota
Atlantic driver Danica Patrick as well as SPEED Channel’s Calvin Fish.
Rahal joined via a phone hookup, as he was on the West Coast taking
care of a business commitment, but supplied the fans a reason for
optimism as he gave an update on his sponsorship hunt for next year.
“There seems to be some real interest in the series from the
sponsors,” Rahal reported. “In the last year, most of what we heard
was negative but a lot of good things are happening now with
television and the racing and people are taking notice.” The Columbus
Champ Car fans showed themselves to be very knowledgeable and grilled
the panel with tough questions ranging from the timely calling of
penalties to the future of the nearby Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The
fans also paid homage to the late Jim Trueman, who built
Mid-Ohio into one of the finest permanent road courses in the
United States, with a rousing round of applause. Lopes gave
fans some key insights for next year including alerting the
gathering that CART Champ Car was looking at using standing
starts next year along with the fact that the series will
almost assuredly give drivers a push-to-pass button, which gives
drivers an extra bit of horsepower to make a pass. He also confirmed
that the series will use single-car qualifying on the Grand Prix
Americas street course in Miami. Walker gave the owner’s view on the
mandatory pit windows, telling fans that they enhance the event. “If
we didn’t have the pit windows I think we would all be making fuel
economy runs which is not very exciting for the fans,” Walker said.
“It’s not a magic bullet but it is doing what it is supposed to do for
us.” The two drivers fielded many questions and regaled the crowd with
some behind-the-scenes stories including Patrick discussing why she
likes her current situation in the Atlantic series with Team Rahal.
“I’ve never been a big fan of having a teammate because I have never
felt like I am the number one driver on the team, especially when I
was in Europe,” she said. “Now I feel like we are making gains and
getting better every weekend and are trying to catch those yellow cars
of A.J. Allmendinger and Aaron Justus.” The fans were then given a
chance to meet and greet the panelists after the 90-minute session,
taking the opportunity to ask one-on-one questions with the drivers
and officials of the series. The CART Champ Car Town Meeting series
will continue August 5 with a trip to Denver, site of the August 31
Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver. CART
7/16/03
Montagny deems IRL too dangerous
Franck Montagny is a future star in most people's book.
In last week's edition of Autosport magazine Montagny was
asked what he would do if he didn't make it into F1.
"The IRL is very important, but it is too dangerous for me.
Every time I watch it on TV, a car is flying through the air.
Sebastien Bourdais has done well in Champ Cars this year and
it has good links to Europe, but I'm not sure about it's
future."
7/16/03
Stewart talks about Gentlemen's
Agreement At yesterday's press conference, Tony
Stewart shared his thoughts on the controversial Gentlemen's
Agreement in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as it relates to
giving drivers their laps back under caution: "When I joined
the series in 1999, I had run the Busch Series for a couple of
seasons and learned from Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte and
others what the gentlemen's agreement was all about. Most
drivers learn it the hard way. New drivers would come into the
series and they wouldn't be in the best equipment right off
the bat. You kind of had to prove yourself and work your way
up to the Winston Cup series. You'd find yourself getting a
lap down, and I would be begging people to give me a lap back.
In this day and age, there are a lot of new drivers getting
very, very good cars, and I was one of them. I was fortunate
enough to get into a good car right away. But what I learned
in the Busch Series as far as give and take, it can help guys.
You may cut a tire down, something that's not your fault or
your team's fault, it's just piece of debris, but you cut a
tire down and have to pit. You have a car that deserves to be
on the lead lap and guys have been pretty good about letting
you have your lap back. If a guy's car isn't fast enough to
stay on the lead lap, he'll go down a lap again. Everybody's
been pretty good about that, but you have new guys coming into
the series who either have not learned that or just completely
disregard it. It's hard to race like that when we're all
competitive as we are. Half the group is racing one way, under
a certain etiquette, and the other half is racing on a
separate etiquette. It just kind of makes it hard to
understand what we're supposed to do and what we're not
supposed to do. We don't want NASCAR to have to get involved
in it, but there are too many guys out there right now, a
small group, that is making this a very big problem right now.
If getting Mike [Helton] involved in it is what it will take
to get everything back to normal, then I guess I'm not even
opposed to it. I don't care what we do, either give laps back
or don't give laps back, just make it the same for everybody.
We gave Matt Kenseth three laps back at Richmond last year and
he won the race. He deserved to win the race because he had
the fastest car. I'd rather race for my wins than have to take
advantage of it."
7/16/03
IRL drivers have productive
test at MIS Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio
Castroneves has always been known for his vibrant personality
throughout his racing career. That’s why it should come as no
surprise that he explained racing at MIS with an analogy as
only Helio could put it. “It’s like I always say, sometimes
you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug,” said
Castroneves. “When we come back here next week I hope that we
are the windshield.” Castroneves - along with three other
drivers – completed IRL IndyCar Series testing Tuesday at MIS
in preparation for next weekend’s Firestone Indy 400. The
Marlboro Team Penske driver completed approximately 100 laps
in a day-long test that saw changing track conditions and
cloud cover during the morning session which gave way to sunny
skies for the afternoon session. Joining Castroneves in
yesterday’s test were Target Chip Ganassi Teammates Tomas
Scheckter and Scott Dixon along with the IRL’s most recent
winner, Andretti Green Racing driver and Warren, Michigan
native Bryan Herta. Defending Firestone Indy 400 winner
Scheckter drove the morning session and Scott Dixon - already
a three-race winner on the IRL IndyCar Series circuit this
season – drove the afternoon session for Target Chip Ganassi
Racing. Scheckter and Dixon completed 156 laps combined and
ran competitive speeds compared to the other drivers according
to Team Manager Mike Hull. “The car feels good out there and
we tend to run well at these longer circuits,” said Scheckter.
Scheckter won his first IRL IndyCar Series race last year at
Michigan, and would like nothing more than to be a part of MIS
history and win the first two IRL IndyCar Series events at
MIS. “I’d love to. I just need to keep working hard and it
will work out,” said Scheckter. “I think the whole combination
this year has worked quite well with the Chip Ganassi
organization. With Scott and I working so well together, it
has produced a pretty good team.” Andretti Green Racing driver
Bryan Herta – fresh off his first IRL IndyCar Series win last
week at Kansas – completed 106 laps for the day in his Honda
car in Tuesday’s test and ran laps in the low 220s according
to crew chief Kyle Moyer. Herta was pleased with the test
overall and gained some additional valuable experience on the
two-mile oval. “We got off to a bit of a rocky start, but once
we got running, we ran a bunch of laps and learned some things,”
said Herta. “You don’t necessarily have to make the car faster
in a test, but when you leave the test with more ideas than
you started like we did today, then you know it was
productive.”
7/16/03
Homestead banking to get
pre-race testing
The new banking being installed at Homestead-Miami Speedway
will be tested for three days prior to the season-ending Nov.
14-16 weekend featuring NASCAR’s three national series. The
tentative schedule has NASCAR Craftsman Truck teams testing
Monday, Nov. 10; the NASCAR Busch Series is slated for Nov. 11
and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series is set for Nov. 12. All
three days, there will be two sessions – 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5
p.m.
7/16/03
Winston Leader Bonus reaches
$190,000
It’s been 49 races since the NASCAR Winston Cup point leader
won a race and took home the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus.
If the winner of the New England 300 also is the NASCAR
Winston Cup points leader, he’ll add another $190,000 to his
winnings. Matt Kenseth leads the series points and has the
only realistic shot at claiming the bonus this week. In the
very unlikely event that Kenseth fails to start the Tropicana
400, Jeff Gordon is the only other driver who could win the
bonus. Should someone win the bonus this weekend, it will
equal the largest payout in the history of the program. Bobby
Labonte (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet) collected
$190,000, with a win at Indianapolis in 2000. The $10,000
bonus is available following every NASCAR Winston Cup race. If
the point leader does not win the race, the bonus rolls over
to the next week.
7/16/03
Rudd sets sights on 700
Ricky Rudd (No. 21 Motorcraft Ford), the “Iron Man” of NASCAR
Winston Cup racing, is two starts away from reaching yet
another milestone in his record consecutive start streak –
700. Rudd should climb to 700 at Pocono July 27. He began the
streak on Jan. 11, 1981 at Riverside International Speedway,
and looks to start his 786th NASCAR Winston Cup race – and
699th straight – Sunday at New Hampshire. During his career,
Rudd has accumulated 23 wins, 189 top fives and 358 top 10s.
He has also collected 28 poles and won in excess of $30
million and is one of only 25 drivers to accumulate 500 or
more starts in their NASCAR Winston Cup career. Rudd, voted
one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, is fourth all-time in
NASCAR Winston Cup starts behind legendary names Richard Petty
(1,177), Dave Marcis (882) and Darrell Waltrip (809).
7/16/03
Roush wants more, not less,
races
While some Winston Cup teams are cutting back because of
lack of money, Car owner Jack Roush said he wants to add more
races to the Winston Cup tour. 'Who says we're burning drivers
out?' Roush said. 'If these were milk farmers, they'd be
milking cows twice a day. If they were hay farmers, they would
be bailing hay every day. What we do is carry a very exciting
entertainment product 36 times a year, and I think we need to
race 40 times or more. 'I'd like to race two more points
races in February, and I'd like to race for points that open
week in June, and I think we should take that May date that
we've raced the Winston and run a points race at another
market. That's at least four more opportunities.'
7/16/03
Money woes may drive some teams
to part-time
This Winston Salem Journal
article talks about the distinct possibility of some
Winston Cup teams going part-time because of lack of money.
7/16/03
Pook almost had Tracy suspended
According to this
Toronto Sun
article, CART Champ Car boss Chris Pook threatened to
suspend Paul Tracy in advance of Sunday's Molson Indy over
what now appears to have been a misunderstanding. An
investigation by The Toronto Sun into an incident at the
Cleveland Grand Prix uncovered plans 11 days ago to fine Tracy
$15,000 US for insubordination and possibly suspend him from
the Toronto race. According to witnesses and participants
interviewed by The Sun the contretemps began on the afternoon
of July 3 at a media event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in Cleveland. Tracy showed up unshaven and in shorts. Pook,
who was host of the event, was said to be furious and felt the
CART series superstar was being disrespectful, but didn't say
anything at the time. The next day at the Burke Lake Front
Airport -- site of the race -- Tracy had just completed a lap
that would give him the provisional pole for the Saturday
night race. "I was slowing down after my fast lap and (Team
Rahal driver) Michel Jourdain pulled up beside me and began to
shake his fist at me," Tracy said. Jourdain was upset because
he thought Tracy had blocked him from bettering the
Player's/Forsythe team's time. Pook, meanwhile, was in pit
lane headed toward Tracy's stall to ask for a meeting with the
Canadian when he witnessed Tracy giving Jourdain the
one-fingered salute.
More....
7/16/03
Hammond: NASCAR needs dedicated
safety crew
In this Fox Sports
article, Jeff Hammond says, Like CART and IRL, NASCAR
should have the same dedicated fire and safety personnel each
week. If NASCAR wanted to train some of its inspectors to be
members of that crew, they could roll at a moment's notice.
There's already a crew that carries the jaws of life and goes
out when they're needed. Put a safety vehicle at each end of
the track so each one could cover half the track in a matter
of seconds and get to somebody who has been in a bad wreck.
Roll them in very quickly and then local medical and rescue
units can come in after the situation has been brought under
control.
7/16/03
Jag team picks up another
sponsor for
home race Jaguar Racing is proud to be supported by Pioneer
GB Ltd at this year’s British Grand Prix. As well as Pioneer USA
sponsoring Jaguar Racing, Pioneer GB Ltd is providing the Jaguar team
with the latest In-Car and Home Entertainment technology to showcase
in their pit-lane garage and hospitality areas at Silverstone this
weekend. Stunning Pioneer plasma screens will be on display in
Jaguar’s garage, showcasing exclusive promotional footage and live
feeds from the race weekend. Pioneer has made future TV a reality,
today, with its best of breed plasma TVs; offering a range of
‘PureVision’ screens that are the ultimate in super-slim vision
technology. Available in stunning silver finish, Pioneer’s 43 and
50-inch television plasmas are an amazing 9.8cm thin and their
displays are perfectly flat, flicker free and viewable to an angle of
160 degrees horizontally or vertically. The plasmas will also be
running film from Pioneer’s top quality DVD players. In Jaguar’s
Paddock Club Hospitality, visitors to the Grand Prix will be able to
gain hands-on experience of Pioneer’s In-Car Satellite Navigation
products. Whether it is finding their way on holiday, or at home, or
needing to check the traffic status en route to sporting events such
as the Grand Prix; Pioneer offers navigation and entertainment
solutions that will meet the needs of any busy worker living life in
the fast lane, family on the move, or traveling sports enthusiast.
Jaguar’s guests will be able to experience Pioneer’s new DVD
navigation systems that boast intuitive and touch screen panels, voice
recognition and a new rerouting system.
7/16/03
Hemelgarn replaces Lazier2nd UPDATE Hold the presses.
Hemelgarn has told Gidley he won't be needed even after having a seat
fitting and Lazier is back in the car. 7/15/03 - The
Indy Star confirms this news but goes on to say Memo
Gidley, not Mueller, will get the ride. Team Manager
Lee Kunzman said he is trying to determine what is causing this year's
dismal results. Lazier's best finish is a 10th at Pikes Peak (Colo).
"We need to see if we have a driver problem or a car problem," Kunzman
said Monday. "We're stalled. We're not even improving on poor." Lazier
was told at last week's Kansas race that the team might disband due to
a lack of funding. 7/14/03 - Alex Mueller will be in the 91 car this weekend at Nashville
Superspeedway in place of Buddy Lazier. Mueller, from Germany,
passed his IRL rookie test earlier this season with PDM.
We understand this is a one race deal, and we don't know if
this means Buddy is out of the ride permanently or just this
one race.
NASCAR fines Roush Racing
NASCAR penalized one of Roush Racing's truck series teams Tuesday for
using illegal engine parts in rookie Carl Edwards' first career
victory. Crew chief Doug Richert was assessed $25,000 for using
unapproved cylinder heads in Edwards' Ford when it won last weekend at
Kentucky Speedway. Edwards was stripped of 100 driver points and Jack
Roush was docked 100 owner points. The engine was changed before the
race, and Roush Racing acknowledged that the replacement motor did
indeed have non-conforming parts but was not expected to be used in
competition.
7/15/03
Schrader tests new NASCAR escape hatch
“NASCAR just called me up and asked if I would go over to the Tech
Center there in Mooresville (N.C.) and try out the new escape hatch.
To me it’s a wonderful improvement, looks fairly easy to implement,
and it’s not complex. Personally I can’t see any drawbacks . . .you
know, makes perfect sense. “It’s going to make a big difference,
especially after an accident that ends with the driver’s side up
against the wall. Now, you can’t get out of the driver’s side in that
situation, because a lot of these walls are higher than the top of the
car. With the escape hatch you can get out just as quickly as any
other situation. It’s also easier for emergency workers to get to the
driver in that situation. “You still have to unfasten all the safety
equipment, so as far as it saving time in other situations, I’m not
sure it will. However, now it’s impossible to get out with the wall
right beside you - with the escape hatch you will be able to. I look
for the thing to be implemented soon. Personally, I think it’s great.”
7/15/03
Houston - if they build it, will they
come? This Houston The Facts.com article
says, Star State Investments Inc. might not have any races lined up,
but Tom Floyd, the company’s chairman and CEO, says he is confident
the speedway will be able to land the races it needs. Neither the Indy
Racing League nor NASCAR has made a commitment to race at the planned
Houston Superspeedway. Floyd is a former executive with Slick 50 and
Pennzoil and developed ties to people in the racing industry when
those companies sponsored racing teams. He said that while he had no
assurance of landing a race, his ties to the racing industry would be
an advantage. “I understand the reality of those things,” Floyd said.
“I also have a lot of friends in the racing industry. “Long before our
track is finished, we will have the races,” Floyd said. “I think we
are on their radar screen. At the appropriate time, we will make some
noise.” Floyd said one advantage Star State had was that he had in the
past dealt with Tony George, who owns the Indy Racing League, and the
France family, which owns NASCAR. “At least going in, in both cases, I
feel like they’re both friends,” Floyd said. “As far as the contracts,
it will be hard. At least we are starting on mutual respect from the
beginning.”.......Floyd said another way to attract racing bodies was
to build a unique track. He said that is what he is trying to do with
the Houston Superspeedway. The design of the 1.3-mile semi-oval track
has narrow turns at one end and wide turns at the other, giving it an
egg shape. He said the only other track designed like it was in Japan.
He said the narrow-to-wide turn transition would make for exciting
racing. Also, the backstretch, which is opposite the grandstands, will
be elevated 14 feet to allow people to see the racing over the garages
in the infield. Floyd said the track was being designed by Kevin
Forbes, director of engineering and construction at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.
7/15/03
Eli Lilly rated #1 in Charitable
Distribution
Newman/Haas Racing's Eli Lilly
sponsor ranks #1 in distributing pharmaceuticals to the disadvantaged
who can't afford to buy them. Paul Newman in particular is very
keen on socially responsible firms and individuals. Eli Lilly takes
the industry lead on distributing pharmaceuticals to the economically
disadvantaged, according to findings emerging from the second annual
Reputation Strength Study of the pharmaceutical industry, conducted by
Rating Research LLC (RRC), the leading reputation rating agency. Eli
Lilly also is among the top three performers of the 19 companies
studied on support of charitable causes and having a positive impact
on the community. “Eli Lilly’s strong performance on these reputation
components may be partially due to the “Lilly Answers” program which
provides several Lilly products to needy seniors with a deeper
discount than competitors have offered,” says Dory Gasorek, Principal
and RRC’s Chair, Rating Committee. “They also have garnered credit for
the activities of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation.” Nonetheless,
although charitable and social responsibility-related components
emerge as beneficial in driving corporate reputation within the
pharmaceutical industry, many leading companies receive little
recognition for these efforts, according to the RRC study results.
“Many companies in our study provide significant monetary and drug
distribution support on a global basis, but get surprisingly little
credit for it,” noted Ms. Gasorek, “Given drug pricing and other
issues facing the industry, pharmaceutical leaders might benefit by
enhanced communication of their efforts in this regard.” Pfizer, Merck
and J&J, the only companies in the study that were assigned RRC’s
highest possible AAA Reputation Strength Rating, generally perform
strongly in this arena. Surprisingly, however, J&J ranks first on
support of charitable causes and fifth on its positive impact on the
community, but falls to tenth-place on distributing pharmaceuticals to
the disadvantaged. PRN Newswire
7/15/03
Earnhardt loses Busch ride
FitzBradshaw Racing announced that Tim Fedewa will replace Busch
driver Kerry Earnhardt in the No. 12 Supercuts Chevrolet. "A change
right now is in the best interests of everybody," said team co-owner
Terry Bradshaw. "We appreciate everything Kerry has done for the team,
but we want to search to find our best possible on-track combination."
7/15/03
Toyota submits Tundra for approval
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) U.S.A.
submitted the official Tundra race truck to NASCAR officials today for
competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The manufacturer
announced its intentions to race in the Craftsman Truck Series at the
Chicago Auto Show in February; a Toyota Tundra prototype race truck
was unveiled at Daytona International Speedway during race weekend.
the Tundra’s official submission is a landmark achievement in Toyota’s
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program in preparation for its debut at
Daytona in 2004. The “Road to Daytona” for the Toyota Tundra race
truck began over a year ago when TRD had an optical scan created of a
production Tundra. TRD then utilized Swift Engineering, the
aero-development company located in San Clemente, Calif., to help
create the Tundra race truck body design. “From the
beginning, the Tundra race truck’s creation utilized the talents of a
number of knowledgeable people within TRD and several other well-known
companies,” said Jim Aust, president and CEO of TRD U.S.A. “We have a
wealth of experience and talent at TRD in creating an engine from
scratch, but in developing the Tundra chassis and body we went to
industry experts with the know-how in NASCAR-type equipment.” TRD and Swift took the Tundra body scan and digitally morphed it over
2004 body templates provided by NASCAR, which were also scanned into a
design computer. Once the Tundra body shape digitally complied with
what the common NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series templates were going to
be in 2004, the digital surface information was translated to create a
high-density urethane foam model. This model was ultimately used in
creating the first set of Tundra body parts.
Once the Tundra race truck’s basic shape was determined, the
construction of the first generation chassis and body began at the TRD
Tundra Race Truck Center in North Carolina. A crew of experienced
NASCAR fabricators and craftsmen began creating a prototype NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series Tundra. Employing feedback from the
NASCAR technical staff, the Tundra was developed and refined in the
wind tunnel with the goal of presenting a first-generation Tundra race
truck for preliminary evaluation by NASCAR in the fall of 2002.
Following additional re-styling changes and further wind tunnel
testing, the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Tundra was revealed at the
Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 12, 2003, and a second truck was unveiled
the next day in Victory Circle at Daytona International Speedway by
Bill France Jr. and members of Toyota and TRD. After Daytona,
NASCAR made changes to the 2004 truck templates. Along with the other
manufacturers competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, TRD’s
Tundra Race Truck Center reconfigured the Tundra to meet the new
template requirements. Following a comparative evaluation of all
proposed 2004 trucks, each manufacturer began to create its truck of
record for the scheduled July 15 submission to the NASCAR Technical
Center in Concord, N.C. “It’s been a great learning experience
and a very gratifying journey leading to today’s submission of the
Tundra,” Aust reflected. “But we know a lot of the hard work is yet to
come. We’re working diligently to prepare our Toyota NASCAR V8 for
submission in a few months.” The Tundra race truck submitted to
NASCAR will undergo final aerodynamic evaluation along with the other
manufacturer trucks by the sanctioning body. On-track testing for the
Tundra race truck will begin this summer and continue into the fall.
7/15/03
Barron to replace injured Giaffone
IRL IndyCar Series and CART veteran Alex Barron, who replaced injured
Mo Nunn Racing driver Arie Luyendyk at this year’s Indianapolis 500,
returns to the team this weekend to sub for the injured Felipe
Giaffone in the #21 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Toyota-powered Panoz G
Force at the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. The
32-year-old Barron, who was the fastest Bump Day qualifier at Indy and
drove the #20 Meijer/Mo Nunn Racing Toyota-powered Panoz G Force from
25th on the starting grid to a sixth-place finish to earn MCI Long
Distance Award honors, returns to the scene of his first-ever IRL
victory at Nashville in 2002 while he was with Blair Racing. Giaffone
had surgery last week to repair a fractured right femur and pelvis
that resulted from an accident that also involved driver Dan Wheldon
at the Kansas Indy 300 on July 6. Giaffone is currently recovering at
Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana here and it is uncertain when he
will be able to return to the cockpit. “Alex did a tremendous job for
us with relatively little preparation at Indy this year and we are
fortunate that a driver of his caliber is available to help us out of
a tough situation this weekend,” said team owner Morris Nunn, whose
two-car team also features Japanese open-wheel driving veteran Tora
Takagi behind the wheel of the #12 Pioneer/Mo Nunn Racing
Toyota-powered Panoz G Force. “It is a shame what happened to Felipe
(Giaffone) at Kansas Speedway two weekends ago, especially since his
injuries resulted from an accident that we believe was not his fault.
We wish him the speediest of recoveries. We’re confident he’ll come
back stronger than ever. In the meantime, we are prepared to keep
Hollywood in the championship hunt with Alex behind the wheel this
weekend.”
7/15/03
Blanch leaves Hornish to join
IRL Veteran IRL IndyCar Series crew chief Kevin
“Rocket” Blanch has joined the Indy Racing League as technical
manager for the IndyCar Series, league officials announced
July 15. Blanch will oversee the IndyCar Series technical
inspection crew, a group of 25 individuals, during events. He
also will work closely with Phil Casey, senior technical
director for the Indy Racing League, and Brian Barnhart,
senior vice president, racing operations. “Blanch’s record and
performance while with the Pennzoil Panther Racing team were
simply outstanding,” Barnhart said. “He is well respected
within the racing community, and we are excited about the
opportunities that lie ahead for us with Kevin joining the IRL
staff as technical manager.” Blanch, 39, comes to the IRL
after serving the previous six-plus seasons with Panther
Racing, which he joined shortly after the team was formed
in fall 1997. He quickly became a vital force behind the
team’s success, including successive IndyCar Series
championships with driver Sam Hornish Jr. in 2001-02. Blanch
had served as the Pennzoil Panther “Pack” crew
chief/right-front tire changer from the team’s first test
session in December 1997 at Phoenix International Raceway.
“This is a great opportunity for me and is the next logical
step in my career,” said Blanch, a native of Yorktown, Ind.
“I’ve been with the Indy Racing League since it started.
Hopefully, I can bring some of my experience to this position
and make it smoother and easier for the teams to go through
the tech line. “I love racing, and I believe in the formula of
the Indy Racing League and Tony George’s vision. I have always
said until I can retire, I want to be a part of the IRL, its
race cars and the people in the sport.” During Blanch’s tenure
at Panther Racing, the team won two series championships,
earned 11 victories and five pole-position starts and led
2,032 laps. Panther’s cars were running at the finish in 77
percent of the team’s starts and completed 90 percent of all
possible race laps during his tenure. Hornish earned his eight
career IndyCar Series victories and both of his season titles
under Blanch.
7/15/03
Giaffone moved to rehab center
IRL IndyCar Series driver Felipe Giaffone has been transferred
to Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana in Indianapolis as he
continues to recover from fractures to his right leg and
pelvis suffered in an accident during the Kansas Indy 300 on
July 6 at Kansas Speedway. “I can’t say how long I’ll be in
the rehabilitation center,” Giaffone said. “At least one week,
but maybe two or three weeks. I just want to do whatever is
best for my recovery and get back into the car.” Giaffone and
Dan Wheldon collided and crashed in Turn 2 on Lap 56 while
racing for position. Giaffone, who started fifth, was credited
with 22nd place in the No. 21 Hollywood Mo Nunn Racing Panoz G
Force/Toyota/Firestone. Following the incident, Giaffone was
admitted to Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City,
Kan., before being transferred to Methodist Hospital on July 7
for surgery. Persons wishing to send cards or letters to
Giaffone are encouraged to mail them to:
Mo Nunn Racing
2920 Fortune Circle West
Suite E
Indianapolis, IN 46241
7/15/03
Ralf supports race in Russia
Ralf Schumacher offered support on Tuesday to Moscow hosting a
Formula One grand prix. "Russia is a very interesting market
and motor racing seems to be very big, so I certainly would
enjoy racing here," Germany's Williams driver, on a
promotional trip to Moscow, told a news conference. "There
were a lot of rumors about it (Formula One coming to Moscow),
but then suddenly it got very quiet," Schumacher said. "But
certainly Moscow remains a good possibility. There are a lot
of races in Europe and there is a room for maneuver."
7/15/03
Renault to debut new chassis
This weekend’s British Grand Prix will mark the debut of the Renault
F1 car, dubbed the R23B. Team technical director Mike Gascoyne
believes the updated car should help Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli
take a step forward at Silverstone. "We will have a major bodywork
update on the car," he said. "We have decided to christen it the R23B as it groups together a
significant number of detail modifications into a single
package, which had always been planned for Silverstone.
Following a positive test in Barcelona last week, we expect it
to bring a definite gain on the stopwatch. Silverstone
should suit us very well," he said. The circuit most akin to
it is Barcelona and we ran very strongly there earlier this
season, coming close to winning the race. Silverstone is a
circuit which rewards strong aerodynamic performance, and we
have further improvements in that area for this race. I think
we can have a very competitive weekend, and take points off
our direct competitors."
7/15/03
Bernie Ecclestone says F1 will
race in India
"We will be having an F1 race in India for sure," Bernie
Ecclestone was quoted as saying in the Indian magazine 'The
Week.' "India is moving forward very fast. After we do
something in China, India is next." The southern Indian city
of Hyderabad is being touted as a possible F1 venue, although
Ecclestone stressed no official moves had yet been made to
organize the event in India. "But we have been speaking to
intermediaries," he told the magazine. "So they know we are
interested. I need to go and have a look, which I will do in
the near future." Asked if he thought F1 could compete with
cricket in India, Ecclestone retorted: "We have lived with
cricket all over the world and are way ahead. I don't think we
will have too much trouble in India. I am very satisfied with
the response. We will be having an F1 race in India, for
sure. When and where it will be I cannot say." India,
with a television audience of 400 million, appears an
attractive bet to host a F1 race. An added bonus is the rise
of promising Indian drivers like Narain Karthikeyan and Karun
Chandok. "It is important to get an Indian behind the wheel of
an F1 car," said Vicky Chandok, who heads India's motor sports
federation. Karthikeyan 25, who is placed third in the Nissan
world series -- the stepping stone to F1 -- test drove with
the Jaguar and Jordan-Honda teams in the last two years.
India is just the latest in a growing list of countries
Ecclestone has earmarked for a future F1 race including
Turkey, Russia and a return to Argentina.
7/15/03
Summer heat a real factor
As we head into the dog days of summer, race car drivers have
to deal with the increased heat in the cockpit of their race
cars. Christian Fittipaldi, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty
Crocker Dodge in the Winston Cup Series recently compared the
heat in a stock car versus an open wheel car: "It's pretty hot
in these stock cars. Actually it is really hot, and the worst
that I have ever experienced in a race car. The single-seat
cars in open wheel never really came as close to how hot it
gets in a stock car. It's not something that is ever going to
affect your ability to win or not, but you can feel it. There
are different things that help, but the air that gets pumped
in through the helmets is the best. To keep your body as cool
as possible is the goal, but there is always heat all around
you. It's like anything else you just get used to it. Once you
get used to it, it's something that you just don't think
about."
7/15/03
Coke renews with Surfers
through 2008
Coca-Cola has renewed
its sponsorship of Australia's Lexmark Indy 300 CART Champ Car
race for a further six years. It will see Coca-Cola Amatil
become the 'official soft drink and non-alcoholic ready to
drink supplier' of the event and a major sponsor until 2008.
Lexmark Indy 300 general manager James Ashworth said the
long-term partnership was more great news for the future of
the event celebrating its 13th anniversary this year:
"Coca-Cola has one of the most recognizable brand names in the
world and will continue to add tremendous corporate power to
the event.”
7/15/03
Wilson leaving Minardi says Stoddart
"I can assure you that Justin Wilson will be racing in F1 again next
year, but not here," said Stoddart. "He has impressed a lot of people.
What he has achieved this year has not gone unnoticed. I would have
liked to have kept hold of him but I understand his position. He is
good enough and deserves to be racing for a team with a bigger budget
than we have. That is just what will happen." Both Webber, now at
Jaguar, and Alonso, at Renault, have excelled in their second seasons
after leaving Minardi, and Stoddart is predicting similar success for
Wilson. He is in that bracket," said the Aussie. "He is a great lad,
works extremely hard and is brave beyond belief as he showed in
Malaysia. That was a drive of real courage. He does not worry about
things he can't control, he just does what he can with the machinery
at his disposal. I cannot speak highly enough about Justin. We will be
sorry to see him go."
7/15/03
Stewart confident Gibbs will re-sign
him
This Indy Star
article says, Amid rampant speculation that Tony Stewart might
consider testing NASCAR's open market or even returning to the Indy
Racing League, the reigning Winston Cup champion and team owner Joe
Gibbs said this weekend they are in the process of negotiating a
contract extension. Gibbs recently re-signed his other driver, 2000
Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte. Stewart's contract expires at the
end of next season, which will be his fifth with Joe Gibbs Racing. The
Columbus, Ind., star said the only holdup is finding time for him and
Gibbs to sit down and talk. "Joe's been gone and I've been gone, but I
know he re-signed Bobby already and Greg (crew chief Zipadelli) talked
to me about Joe wanting to sign me soon," Stewart said. "So I'm sure
it will happen pretty soon."
Is it America's lazy racing?
Are American drivers inferior,
or is it their "lazy" racing formulas that make them appear so.
Did you know that since F1 started in 1950, the only country that has
had more drivers run in F1 is the UK, and that by the slimmest of
margins. That's right, the Brits have had 158 F1 drivers,
and the USA has had 156 F1 drivers. Third highest is
Italy with 90 F1 drivers. From 1950 to 1960 the Indy 500
was an official F1 race, so a number of American drivers are
included on the list because of Indy, which of course slants
the numbers high. Only a few of these drivers including
Ward (1963 US GP), Ruttman (1958 French GP) and Lloyd Ruby
(1961 US GP) actually competed in a Formula 1 race.
Although the USA has had 156 drivers try F1 in one shape or
form, only two (Mario Andretti and Phil Hill) have managed to become World
Champion. That's a rather pathetic statistic. Let's hope
there is some truth to the rumors that CART will become closer to F1
and the USA can actually start to train drivers to drive and win at
the highest level of the sport. At 400 pounds heavier than a F1
car, driving a Champ Car through a corner is like driving in slow
motion compared to a F1 car in the same corner. Hence the term
"lazy" racing by Niki Lauda when describing American racing.
Number of F1 Drivers by nationality
since 1950
British 158
American 156
Italian 90
French 64
German 50
Brazilian 26
Argentinean 24
Swiss 22
Belgian 21
South African 21
Australian 16
Japanese 16
Austrian 14
Spanish 12
Canadian 11
Dutch 11
Swedish 9
New Zealander 8
Finnish 7
Irish 5
Mexican 4
Uruguayan 4
Colombian 3
Danish 3
Monegasque 3
Portuguese 3
Venezuelan 3
Zimbabwean 2
Chilean 1
Czech 1
Liechtenstein 1
Malaysian 1
Moroccan 1
Rhodesian 1
Thai 1
7/14/03
Chicagoland TV ratings
NBC's broadcast of the Tropicana 400 Winston Cup race from Chicagoland
Speedway easily outdistanced all other sports events in the overnight
ratings from Nielsen Media Research, according to the Sports Business
Daily. The race drew a 4.9 rating and an 11 share to finish well ahead
of the 3.6/10 that Fox drew for its Major League Baseball broadcast.
The race will need a bump from smaller television markets, however, if
it's going to match last year's final figures of 5.3/14 or 2001's
5.6/14. Winston Cup Scene Daily
Newsletter
7/14/03 Industry News
Forced to lower import tariffs, China
plays new games
Under China's World Trade Organization commitments, tariffs on car
imports will fall to 25 per cent by 2006 from 38.2 per cent currently.
This will make imported cars to China cheaper than they are today,
putting pressure on domestically made Chinese car models. To
make it harder to sell imports in China, China's central government
has proposed prohibiting car dealerships that sell domestically made
vehicles from also carrying imported models, in a move aimed at
protecting mainland producers. The government has sent a
document to major domestic car producers on the proposed regulations,
an industry source said, adding that it could be enacted as soon as
next month. Analysts said the proposal would prevent global
carmakers from selling imported cars - mainly top-end models not
produced in China - through the sales outlets of their mainland joint
ventures. It would also increase distribution costs for imports
and encourage foreign carmakers to make more higher-end models in
their China factories. Foreign firms intent on exporting to China
would need to make large investments to build up their own dedicated
distribution networks and after-sales service centers. Japanese
and German carmakers were the largest exporters to China, analysts
said. The proposed regulations stipulate that distribution outlets
will only be allowed to sell either locally-made or imported cars,
thereby separating sales channels into two distinct markets.
7/14/03
Walker to be guest at Columbus
Town Meeting Buckeye State race fans will get a
chance to talk to one of the most veteran team owners anywhere
in racing Tuesday night as Walker Racing owner Derrick Walker
joins the lineup in Columbus for Tuesday’s CART Champ Car Town
Meeting. Walker has owned his own team in the Bridgestone
Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford since 1991
amassing four wins and 10 poles. The Columbus Town Meeting
will feature a stellar lineup that will include Walker along
with team owner Bobby Rahal and Toyota Atlantic driver Danica
Patrick from Hilliard, Ohio-based Team Rahal. Rahal will be
joining the gathering via a phone hookup as he will be unable
to attend because of business commitments. CART Vice President
of Racing Operations John Lopes and CART Champ Car rookie
points leader Sebastien Bourdais of Newman/Haas Racing will
also join fans with SPEED Channel’s Calvin Fish serving as the
host for the evening. The meeting will take place at the
Scarlet Ballroom of the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café, located
near the Ohio State University campus at 1421 Olentangy River
Rd. The doors will open at 6 p.m. with the 90-minute forum to
begin at 7 p.m. The meeting comes in advance of the CART Grand
Prix of Mid-Ohio which runs August 8-10 at the Mid-Ohio Sports
Car Course.
Fans can still register for free tickets to the Town Meeting
by applying at the official website of the CART Champ Car
World Series,
www.champcarworldseries.com
7/14/03
Jordan to launch SMS service
The Jordan Formula One racing team is launching a SMS news
service ahead of this month's British Grand Prix. Powered by
Autosport.com, the service will bring fans breaking news from
Jordan Grand Prix and stories surrounding the sport. Any
significant events in F1, even with other teams will reach the
mobile fan base across the UK and Ireland. Mike Hall-Taylor,
Head of Jordan Brand Ltd, said:, "The launch of this new
service demonstrates our commitment to providing new,
innovative and exciting products and services for our fans and
followers. "SMS or text messages is a great platform with
which to deliver the latest news and keep our mobile fans up
to date with the latest action both on and off the track."
7/14/03
Night race a hit with Cleveland
fans Here is a
page of feedback on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website
from Cleveland fans who attended this years first CART night
race on Burke Lakefront airport.
7/14/03
The IRL a pipeline for
Brazilian driver This Tennessean
article talks about how the IRL has become a magnet
for Brazilian drivers who have pretty much overrun the series.
7/14/03
Nothing big expected at this
week's CART Shareholder meeting
According to this ESPN.com
article, CART boss Chris Pook isn't expecting any major
developments concerning the future of the struggling series at this
week's shareholder meeting. The meeting, scheduled for Thursday in
Indianapolis and to be followed by a board of directors meeting, is thought to be critical in the
rebuilding process for the Champ Car Series. An update on the
recent decision to try to privatize the company is expected,
and at least three groups -- one that includes Formula One
head Bernie Ecclestone -- are rumored to be interested in
bailing CART out. "It's just a regular annual meeting," Pook
said at the Molson Indy race. "I expect there will be a status
report by our bankers, and I expect our board of directors
will want to know about the sale and we won't be able to
disclose it. "The only thing I can say is 'We are continuing
to find alternate financing methods.' "
7/14/03
Buckwalter
surprises in karting go Local boy Brett Buckwalter
produced a shocker in a wild ICC shifter race at the Stars of
Tomorrow’s Bridgestone Grand Prix of Sonoma. Buckwalter passed
Jason Bowles with two turns to go for the win. Bowles had just assumed
the lead when Nick Halen and Lorenzo Mandarino tangled on the final
lap, eliminating them from contention. Bowles clipped the stationary
kart of Mandarino, slightly damaging his CRG/TM/MG machine, leaving
him prey to Buckwalter’s attempt. Buckwalter, who was one of the
original Stars of Tomorrow finalists back in 2000, had been away from
the national karting scene for a time and his timing couldn’t have
been better. “I think we had a chance to stand on the podium,
but not on top of the podium,” said the 20 year old from Novato,
California. “When a big race comes around on the hometown track I have
to do it. I love racing and I love coming out and racing against the
best in the country. We proved we can run right with them.” “I
saw Halen and Mandarino collide and it was just what I was hoping
for,” said Buckwalter. That put me right behind Jason’s bumper because
he went off the track a little bit getting through it. We came out of
the off-camber turn and I thought ‘I have to do it here or it’s not
going to happen’ and I just stuffed it in there.” In other
classes, Clark Sanchez-Figueras won his sixth consecutive Rotax Max
race. Justin Moon won in 80cc Junior. James Kennedy beat Steve
Cantrell in Junior Superbox and Dylan Albiani bettered Jahana Mongul
in the Grand Products Cadet class.
7/14/03
Upgraded BAR for British GP "Silverstone is a
track that BAR has plenty of experience with, despite having tested
there only once this year. The circuit has seen many changes over the
years and, although it is not as fast as it once was, it remains a
demanding circuit. Silverstone calls for relatively high levels of
downforce, despite some very fast sections such as at the beginning of
the lap through Copse and Becketts and the Hangar Straight and Bridge
towards the end of the lap. It places a premium on aerodynamic
efficiency and the car requires good crosswind sensitivity, as the
exposed nature of the circuit means winds can severely affect lap
times. In addition to this, we need good traction and mechanical grip
through the complex at the end of the lap. "We will introduce a
substantial chassis and engine upgrade for this race, featuring a
number of new elements. The car will look very different, with its new
bodywork and roll-hoop, whilst under the skin there have been further
engine and mechanical developments. We regard this as a good step
forward and we anticipate a more positive weekend than we have
experienced of late. "As always, the notoriously unpredictable British
weather will add a further dimension but we rose to that challenge
last year and a wet weekend will certainly be to our advantage."
Geoffrey Willis, BAR Technical Director
Bid launched to save Rio track. Bernie to meet with Mayor
2nd UPDATE According to reports in Autosport, the Mayor of
Rio de Janeiro, Cesar Maia, will be meeting with F1 guru Bernie
Ecclestone in regard to the possible return of Formula One to the city
in the future. If F1 does return to Rio, it will be after the
Interlagos circuit’s contract expires next season. Ironically this is
the same Mayor who kicked CART out of Rio three years ago. We
spoke to Emerson Fittipaldi about this very topic today in Toronto,
could Bernie help CART get back to Rio? He told us there was no
way Bernie could help with this Mayor. We shall see if Bernie
instead makes a deal happen for F1. This gives more credence to
those who say Bernie will never buy into CART. Why would he not help
CART get back to Rio instead? It's a lot less to do a CART race
than a F1 race. Because F1 will always come first and CART will
get the leftover scraps perhaps. 7/8/03
-
Rio has entered the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games after
it beat off the challenge from Sao Paulo to become Brazil's
official candidate - and now bids to become the first South
American city to host the event. Rio joins a powerful lineup
of serious contenders for the event which already includes New
York, Moscow, London, Paris, Madrid, Leipzig and Havana. We
hear the Olympic bid will include the use of the
revitalized race track area that is also planned to be used to
host the 2007 Pan-American games. Chris Pook and David
Clare said they want to race in urban areas. Well here
is a track that has both an oval and a road course in an urban
area. AR1 is of the opinion that Emerson Fittipaldi and CART
should work toward getting the race back at this facility
rather than on a street circuit, especially if there are plans
to upgrade the surrounding area to host the games. As can be
seen in these photos, upper left and right, the race was a sellout the
last time CART raced at the track in 2000. 4/29/03
-
According to Autosport, fears that the Rio Jacarepagua circuit
will be lost to a housing development have been alleviated
following moves by the country's motorsport federation.
The Pan-American Federation Games, which are due to take place
in Rio in 2007, will now be held at the track, and the area
around the circuit will be developed with new buildings,
making it more attractive as a motor racing venue. CART
had a sellout crowd the last time it raced there. The
plan was to race on the road course in 2001 when the race was
cancelled. We believe the road course would attract even
more fans because Brazilian fans are road racing fans, first
and foremost.
7/13/03
Nadeau to appear at New
Hampshire Team officials are saying there is a very
good chance that Jerry Nadeau will show up at New Hampshire
Int’l Speedway as a spectator this coming weekend. If Nadeau
does go to the racetrack a press conference, including
satellite feed, would be scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Stan Creekmore
7/13/03
Notes from Chicagoland -
1) Two hours after the finish of the Tropicana 400 a smell of
high octane fuel still lingered around the scorched hulk that
had once been the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet. The
crumpled rear end of the car sat in a makeshift sandbox as two
firefighters stood by just in case fire flared from the car
once again. 2) NASCAR crash inspectors had already done
their job, taking pictures and analyzing the battered hulk to
determine just why the car had burned so badly. 3)
“The car was full of gas. The team had just pitted and put 22
gallons of fuel in the car and there was probably 21 gallons
still in it when the crash occurred,” John Darby said.
4) “Gas doesn’t compress. So when the car backs into the wall
it has to go somewhere.” 5) Despite the system working
as designed NASCAR officials aren’t pleased to see fires, the
likes of which burned Labonte’s car and Newman’s car at
Michigan. However, that doesn’t mean the sanctioning body is
likely to make changes immediately. 6) “Gas tanks
are nine inches high by 17 inches deep by 37 inches wide and
they lay flat in the rear of the car. We have looked at
turning the gas tank on end placing it further away from the
rear end of the car,” Darby said. Stan Creekmore
7/13/03
Tracy defends attack on Players
Paul Tracy was asked by a Canadian journalist today
after winning in Toronto - There's been a lot of talk of the
Player's sponsorship. From your point of view, can you see a
product that kills 10 or 20 or 30 thousand Canadians a year, I
know it's bad for you, but can you see why the government
doesn't want this to seem glamorous? PAUL TRACY: Well, you know, they've been involved in
motorsports for 42 years. This is a product that is still a
legal product all around the world. You know, to be limited by
what they can do to advertise the product, I think that's
wrong. If you have a product that's a legal product, you
should be allowed to advertise that product.
This is a place that they have chosen to do that for 42 years.
They've created a lot of jobs, they've done a lot of things
for charities, done a lot of great things for this city and
all across Canada. You know, it's just a shame that they can't
stay in, because this is where they want to be. They don't
want to be in any other type of sports or entertainment. Motor
racing is what they love to do.
7/13/03
Mario, Emmo and Paul Newman
going all out for Mario Andretti GP
Road America has increased the opportunity for fans to
interact with CART's legends and series drivers, as well as
take a lap around the legendary race track on Friday and
Saturday of the race weekend, according to George
Bruggenthies, president and general manager. The Mario
Andretti Grand Prix at Road America Presented by Briggs &
Stratton featuring Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World
Series Powered by Ford will be held July 31- Aug. 3.
Fans will be able to get driver autographs on Friday, Aug. 1
and a group fan photo with Mario Andretti will be taken in the
Turn 5 area that evening, which can be downloaded from the
Road America website. Saturday, fans will have the opportunity
to speak directly with Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and
Paul Newman during the CART Fan Forum, to be held in the Road
America Center near Turn 5. New this year, fans also can buy a
ride of two laps around Road America on Friday and Saturday
evenings for $100 in the race track's Toyota pace cars.
Much More....
7/13/03
Notes from Toronto
1) Paul Tracy’s win is the first in Canada for a
Player’s-sponsored car, and the first for a Canadian driver in
his home country since Tracy won in Vancouver in 2000. 2)
Tracy’s 112 laps led propelled him to third on the all-time
CART Champ Car list for laps led. Tracy has now paced 3,176
laps in his career, moving him ahead of Mario Andretti
(3,064), Bobby Rahal (3,107) and Al Unser Jr. (3,113). He
needs to lead 91 more to pass Rick Mears for second on the
list. 3) Tracy’s 23rd victory of his career moved
him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time
victory list. He needs one more victory to tie Bobby Rahal for
fourth. His fifth career win from the pole makes him only the
eighth CART driver to win as many as five races from the pole.
4) Oriol Servia’s seventh consecutive top-six finishes equals
a record for the venerable Patrick Racing team, which has
competed in 22 of the series’ 25 seasons. The winner of the
very first CART event, Gordon Johncock strung seven straight
top-six finishes together on two different occasions while
driving for Patrick in the early 1980s. 5) Sebastien
Bourdais widened his gap in the rookie points standings over
Darren Manning with Sunday’s fourth-place run, giving him 86
points to 50 for Manning. Four rookies tallied points in
Sunday’s race including Tiago Monteiro and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
7/13/03
Labonte escapes fiery crash -
Bobby Labonte escaped serious injury after his car burst into
flames late in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Labonte was clipped by the sliding car of Johnny Benson as the
field roared through Turn 3. Labonte's car kicked sideways and
backed into the wall, apparently rupturing a fuel line. With a
full load of fuel aboard, flames encompassed the No. 18
Chevrolet as it slid along the outside wall before drifting to
the apron.
7/13/03
Petty won't change engine
builders - Kyle Petty said Friday he had no intention of
removing Mike Ege Racing Engines as the engine builder for
Petty Enterprises, despite his scathing statements last week
at Daytona. Two Petty cars, those driven by Shane Hmiel and
Christian Fittipaldi, failed to qualify for the Pepsi 400, and
Petty placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Ege, whom
Petty contracted with before the 2002 season. "No, not at
all," Petty said when asked if Ege would be let go. "Mike's
done a really, really good job for us. I just think as of
lately, they've dropped the ball a little bit, they've become
complacent in where they're at. That's easy to get."
NASCAR.com
7/13/03
Attendance up in Toronto2nd UPDATE The
Sunday attendance was announced as 73,255 to give a 3-day
attendance of 167,352. The race day attendance of 73,255 is up
from last year and the 2nd highest ever for this race.
Paul Tracy made of point of saying that he was really happy
that a lot of fans came from the States to watch the race.
Molson was a little worried a month ago. There was a big SARS thing here. The ticket sales were
down significantly. I came up and did a lot of promotion for
the race. The Molson people really pushed the race. Player's
have been pushing the race. To have the attendance be up,
because I knew the ticket sales were down up until a week ago,
and the weather wasn't very good, it's great that, you know,
people came out to watch the race and the attendance was up
and I was able to win the race for the Canadian fans.
As one wag stated, CART is alive and well. 7/12/03
- Saturday's
attendance was announced as 50,469 bringing the 2-day total to
over 94,000. Except for the Indy 500, that number tops the
weekend total of all IRL races and Toronto's race day, the big
attendance day, is not added in yet. 7/11/03 - Friday's attendance in Toronto was announced as 43,628.
And you wonder why Roger Penske and the IRL are praying CART
dies so they could get ahold of CART's three successful
Canadian races. Penske has gone
public saying that the IRL must take over the CART races if
CART were to die. For now, they are on the outside
looking in.
7/13/03
Honorary pit crew member for
Tony Raines, Bace Motorsports - Chicagoland Speedway in
support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Joliet, Illinois,
auctioned off a chance to win a working position in the pits
of Tony Raines during today's running of the Tropicana 400.
Ron Spangler, the lucky bidder will be given the opportunity
to work miscellaneous chores in the Hot Pit. Starting with
holding the pit identifier as the cars pull through the pits
for a speed check. "I love racing and my kids are just simply
elated that I will be in the pits today. I was so excited I
had to leave home early and arrived at the track at 6:00 AM
today". AutoRacing1.com has been invited to visit the pit and
watch Ron in action during the race today. Rick
Schenk
7/13/03
Rojas takes first victory in
Toronto
Memo Rojas of Mexico City, Mexico, took his first ever
Barber Dodge Pro Series victory today on the streets of
Toronto, storming into the lead at the midpoint of the race
to hold on and take the win in an action packed race that saw
several drivers fall victim to the concrete walls that line
the 1.755-mile temporary street circuit. Barber Champ Car
Scholarship racer Colin Fleming scored the second podium
finish of his rookie Barber Dodge season with his second place
result, with David Martinez finishing third for his fourth
top-three finish of the 2003 season. Antoine Bessette took
fourth after a race-long battle with Burt Frisselle, who
finished fifth to take his second top-five finish of the
season. Skip Barber Formula Dodge National Championship
graduate Ward Imrie scored sixth place in just his first
professional race start, ahead of Greg Long in seventh. Mike
Richardson scored his first top-ten finish of the season in
his return to the series with eighth place, as Leo Maia
recovered from a mid-race spin to finish ninth. Maia scored
one extra championship point with the fastest lap of the race,
setting a new track record for the second week in a row. Luis
Pelayo rounded out the top ten in his Telmex machine after
starting from the thirteenth position. The result extended
Maia's championship points lead after Di Leo fell to
thirteenth in the final standings after making contact with
the wall, as Rojas is now Maia's closest pursuer, some thirty
six points behind. The battle for second in the points is now
extremely close, as Rojas, Di Leo, and Martinez are now
separated by just four points with three races remaining in
the championship.
FIN PS /ST
PS/#/DRIVER/HOMETOWN/PTS/PURSE/LP/STATUS
1/4/15/Memo Rojas/Mexico City, Mexico/20/$13,000/28/Running
2/7/28/Colin Fleming/North Hills, Calif./16/$8,750/28/Running
3/2/47/David Martinez L./Monterrey,
Mexico/15/$6,500/28/Running
4/5/16/Antoine Bessette/St. Bruno, Quebec/12/$4,500/28/Running
5/9/24/Burt Frisselle/Kihei, Hawaii/11/$2,500/28/Running
6/12/23/Ward Imrie/Winnipeg, Manitoba/10/$1,500/28/Running
7/16/88/Greg Long/Markham, Ontario, Canada/9/$1,250/28/Running
8/15/34/Mike Richardson Kelowna, B.C.,
Canada/8/$1,250/28/Running
9/1/6/Leonardo Maia/Oakland, Calif. /$1,250/28/Running
10/13/49/Luis Pelayo/Mexico City, Mexico/6/$1,250/24/Contact
11/8/96/Chris Green/Beaconsfield, Quebec/5/$1,000/23/Contact
12/10/33/German Quiroga/Mexico City,
Mexico/4/$1,000/22/Contact
13/3/19/Dan Di Leo/Markham, Ontario,
Canada/3/$1,000/18/Contact
14/14/31/Al Unser/Corrales, New Mexico/2/$1,000/12/Contact
15/11/67/Scott Poirier/Deerfield Beach,
Florida/1/$1,000/6/Contact
16/6/26/Nelson Philippe Valence, France/$750/0/Contact
LENGTH OF RACE 28 Laps of 1.755 Mile
Circuit for 49.140 miles
TIME OF RACE 40 Minutes, 28.478 seconds
AVERAGE SPEED 72.846 mph
MARGIN OF VICTORY 0 Minutes .185 Seconds
LAP LEADERS Leonardo Maia - Lap 1
Dan DiLeo - Lap 2 through Lap 9
David Martinez - Lap 10 & 11 & 13
Memo Rojas - Lap 12 & Lap 14 through 28
FASTEST RACE LAP Leonardo Maia 01:11.509 (88.353 mph) Lap 20
NEW RECORD
FASTEST QUALIFIER Leonardo Maia 01:11.720 (88.093 mph)
TOTAL PAYOUT $47,500
7/13/03 Rally Cars
Rally drivers killed
Subaru Rally Team USA drivers Mark Lovell, 43 , and
Roger Freeman, 52, both of England, were fatally injured
Saturday during the first special stage of the Oregon Trail
SCCA ProRally event. The first car away from the starting
line, driver Lovell, and co-driver Freeman, left the
prescribed course moments into the stage and struck a tree in
their Subaru Impreza WRX. The two were pronounced dead at the
scene by emergency medical personnel. Details of the incident
were held until the families were notified. The duo who had
been rallying together for twenty years were competing in
their third event together of 2003. They entered the Oregon
Trail fresh from success winning the Pikes Peak International
Hill Climb of June 27. The 2001 Overall Drivers Champion,
Lovell is survived by his wife, Julia, and his children Oliver
and Thomas. Roger Freeman is survived by his wife, Alison, and
children Becky and John. A decision was made to finish Day One
of the rally while information regarding the accident was
gathered and after rally organizers had consulted with SCCA
national staff, national safety stewards and at the request of
Subaru Rally Team USA Manager and close personal friend of
Lovell and Freeman, David Campion. The field then ran an
abbreviated schedule of stages later in the day. The rally
will continue with the completion of the final six stages on
Sunday as scheduled.
SCCA
7/13/03
Reynske update kits being used
We noticed that many of the Reynard cars at Toronto
were using the Reynske update modifications (front wing, brake
ducts, etc.) except Jimmy Vasser's and Ryan Hunter-Reay's car.
The comparison is pretty startling. The Reynske front wing is
huge compared to the standard Allison or Forsythe front end.
The updated Reynske wing is much higher, the winglets are
completely different, and the wing protrudes out into the area
in front of the tire much more ...very similar to a Lola wing.
Reynske Front Wings
Standard Forsythe Front Wings
Photos by Mark Cipolloni
With about 300 lbs front end
downforce between the Lolas and the Reynards, the Reynske
update kits appear to be mandatory to try and reclaim some of
that downforce. We don't have any idea how much it reclaims or
the downforce improvement but at about $25k a nose you can bet
most of the teams are only running them because they are
effective. We spoke to Stefan Johansson who told us they
bought only one Reynske update kit for Vasser's car (none for
Ryan Hunter-Reay's car yet) but were not using it in Toronto
because it made the car pitch sensitive. Apparently it is more
effective at some tracks than others.
7/13/03
UK firm to brand Bahrain race
Landor Associates in the UK has been awarded the task of
branding next year's Bahrain Grand Prix. The job was won in a
competitive pitch with several Bahrain-based agencies,
including Lowe Contexture and Gulf Saatchi & Saatchi. Landor
has an office in Dubai, but it is believed to be a
London-based team that worked on the project.
Bahrain Racing has only nine months until it hosts its first
Grand Prix in April. The FIA, which runs Formula One, is
expected to make an official announcement about the date of
the race by the month-end. Landor will have its work cut out
to complete the project on schedule. Advertising and marketing
briefs will not be sent out until the branding work is
complete, leaving a tight time-frame for the creation of
marketing materials. The contract to host Formula One races in
Bahrain was signed in September 2002. Two months later, work
began on the BD56.2 million ($150m) circuit sprawling over 170
hectares outside Manama. The complex will include four racing
tracks, a three-story main grandstand, team buildings and an
eight-story VIP tower. Completion of the circuit is planned
for March 7, one month before the Grand Prix. The project is
on track, according to Bahrain Racing. Landor's London office
has been active in the region lately, having recently
completed the rebranding of Gulf Air. It is working out of one
office in the Middle East, based in Dubai, and has completed
projects for Dubai Bank, Royal Jordanian Airlines, SABIC and
BP-Middle East. At least 50,000 spectators are expected
to attend the event in Bahrain. Plans to develop the motor
sports facility were announced on July 12 last year when
Bahrain signed an agreement with race track consultancy Tilke
of Germany to develop the track. The plans for the projects
call for three circuits - Grand Prix, inner and outer - and a
drag track. In order to finance the remainder of the capital
of the project and others like it, Bahrain issued on January
21 its first international sovereign bond issue amounting to
$500 million. The circuit will also host other racing events
that will attract more spectators on a regular basis, giving a
boost to the country's tourism industry. More hotels,
restaurants, leisure facilities, roads and other supporting
industries will be required to cater for the Grand Prix. To
accommodate the predicted tourist influx, Bahrain airport is
due to undergo an expansion of over $130 million to increase
the annual capacity to 15 million passengers from six million.
7/13/03
Lots of non-racing advertising
We hear the live CBS broadcast of the Toronto race had
a lot of advertising by non-racing companies on both a
national and local level, which may be an indication that CART
is beginning to turn the corner.
7/13/03
CART and CBS extend deal
Continuing to build on what has been a successful
relationship, the CART Champ Car World Series and CBS Sports
announced Sunday that they will expand their broadcast
relationship for 2004. The nationwide broadcast network, which
is carrying seven races this season including this weekend’s
Molson Indy Toronto, announced that it would up the ante next
year by agreeing to carry as many as 10 races for the 2004
campaign. Full
Story
7/13/03
Stewart slams Mosley and
Ecclestone
"We are having these continual threats being made by Mr Mosley
and Ecclestone to remove the race and I just do not understand
why they are being so vicious about Silverstone," Stewart,
president of the BRDC, told the Press Association. "If they
have an agenda I do not know what it is. What I do know is
that it is not a fair and level playing field. "What Mr Mosley
and Ecclestone have been saying about Silverstone has gone out
of all proportion and reality. "Mr Mosley has been quoted as
saying he can't guarantee a grand prix at Silverstone beyond
2004 but yet he is still talking about going back to Spa in
Belgium and other race tracks. "Silverstone is certainly
better than Sao Paulo in Brazil, better than Spa, better than
Hungary, better than San Marino and the pits are still better
than at Hockenheim in Germany.
7/13/03
What
about Baltimore?
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I am a huge fan of both open
wheel racing and sportscars, and have followed motorsports to
such places as Indy, Sebring, and Le Mans as both a team
member and a fan. As an avid reader of AR1, I am fully tuned
into the goals for many of America's premiere road racing
series. The Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. is a major
market and thus far has been nearly devoid of high profile
professional racing activity. The now postponed Washington
D.C. Grand Prix (ALMS) was an excellent example of the
sponsorship activity, attendance and economic impact that
motorsports may have again on this area. As a Baltimore native
and current resident, the potential for a race in Baltimore
has now become obvious. Please find the attached 10-turn
possible track map for downtown Baltimore that I have driven /
scouted out for
feasibility.
This layout will touch nearly every aspect of Baltimore: the
harbor, the stadiums, nearly every hotel, almost every
downtown attraction and the all important business district. I
have enjoyed reading your site and realize that you are in
contact with the powers that be for both CART and the ALMS and
may have some insight regarding a potential Mid-Atlantic race.
Please let me know how you view a race in Baltimore and keep
up the good work. Christian Martin, Baltimore, MD
Dear Christian, While certainly Baltimore is a worthy town and
your suggested course layout looks good, we are led to believe
that NY City and Washington DC are higher on CART's list of
potential Mid-Atlantic races at this time. With that said,
that doesn't mean the politics in NY or Washington will allow
a street race to ever happen, so we'll just have to see. A
race down by the harbor in Baltimore would fit Chris Pook's
agenda for Monte Carlo type venues adjacent to the waterfront.
Mark C.
7/13/03
Sperafico
a new face in CART
Alex Sperafico, had this to say to CART.com, “Our plan was to start in F3000 with an average
team, do some good results and then move to a top team in the
second year,” he says, “and maybe challenge for the
championship in the second or third season. But the Minardi
team had problems and stopped, and that left me in the middle
of nowhere. Because of that, I did not have a good image to
sell in F3000 for ‘03.” Still something of an unknown
quantity, Sperafico found the only rides open in F3000 were
with teams with no chances of winning or requiring mega-dollar
- at least for F3000 - sponsors. Although he was also
interested in exploring his options in Champ Car, by the time
Sperafico turned his back on F3000 all the full season rides
in CART were taken. “Champ Car racing was a good option,” says
Sperafico, whose cousins Rodrigo and Ricardo followed him to
F3000 this season. “A ride cost about the same as F3000 but
you can offer so much more to sponsors than F3000; so much
more exposure. And even with a small team you have the chance
to have good results, plus you get much more track time than
in F3000 and so your learning curve is much better.” Still,
Sperafico found his Champ Car options limited until the chance
to sub for Salles materialized. The deal calls for the two
races at Toronto and Miami, along with a half dozen test days
- just the thing for a driver looking to sample the Champ Car
waters in ‘03 and still retain his rookie status for a run at
the Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year Award in ‘04.
7/13/03
Mosley says Silverstone worst
European F1 circuit
"It's too early to say. All I can say is the problem is
solvable. What I can't say is whether it will be solved. Silverstone was fairly well down the list of circuits
worldwide and probably at the bottom of the list in Europe,"
said FIA president Mosley, speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.
That is absolutely wrong for the leading motorsport country
in the world. As the people who rent the circuit are paying
enough money to allow the investment to do the work, it should
be done. The government, and to some extent Silverstone, have
solved the problem of the roads. Now they've got to sort the
circuit out and then we'll have a facility of which we can be
proud."
7/13/03
Sunny in Toronto
After two days of intermittent rain showers and dark
clouds, Sunday morning has dawned bright and sunny with
temperatures heading toward 72 degrees F. A big crowd is
expected to be on hand to see Canadian star Paul Tracy start
from pole position. Can he give Players a win in their
final Toronto race? Mark C.
7/13/03
Some concern about new CART
owners
While everyone appears happy with CART's new rumored
owners led by Bernie Ecclestone (we stress rumored at this
point), one team owner expressed a small concern that other
team owners are involved with the deal. "That's exactly
what we had before and we all know that led to favoritism and
conflicted business deals," quipped one team member.
While it may be true that team owners will be involved, it's
expected that 1) Bernie will really call all the shots, 2) the
owners will allow the new President to rule with an iron fist.
Bernie won't allow the owners to create the continual
bickering we see in F1. Mark C.
7/13/03
Feedback on What Did Roger
Penske Mean? articleUPDATE Another
reader writes, I seriously believe the only reason Roger is
spewing his IRL propaganda again, is from pressure from both
Toyota and possibly Marlboro. The IRL is floundering with
miserable TV ratings and and the realization that 30 car
fields are never going to come to fruition in the IRL (as long
as CART is around). I just have to wonder why do they
(IRL) worry so much about what we're (CART) doing? Why don't
they just go about their own business and move on? We have! If
they spent more time working on their own series and worrying
less about CART maybe they could actually build a series. I'm
glad CART doesn't even give recognition to these baseless
comments coming from the other side. Roger is realizing his
move was a wrong one, but isn't man, or businessman enough to
admit it. Move on Roger and stop worrying what CART is doing.
We have forgotten you and your NOT welcome back here. In my
opinion, of course. James Shaw Dear
James, You must remember that Roger sat on the ISC board when
he left CART for the IRL. ISC is in the oval track business,
as is the IRL. While we can't prove it, it appears to us
that the France family urged Penske to support a series that
has the same business goals as they do - oval track stadium
style racing, and that's the IRL, not CART. It's simply
business. If moving to the IRL and getting others to
follow hurts a road racing centric business like CART, and
helps a business that races at ISC oval tracks like the IRL,
what do you think an ISC board member would do? That is
right - throw all your support behind Tony George and the IRL.
Interestingly, since then, Penske has resigned from the ISC
Board and he may no longer be under the same pressure he was.
Recall the rumor that Marlboro was getting itchy feet in the
IRL and they may be gone sooner rather than later. Who
knows? But don't count Penske out of CART forever.
Roger will go where Roger and/or his sponsors want to go. So
while Roger still thinks CART will die and is making
statements along those lines to the media, deep in his heart
he has to know that if Bernie buys into CART, he's going to
lose what credibility he has left if he continues with those
statements. If Bernie indeed buys into CART, we suspect
more than one team, sponsor and driver will be clamoring to
get back into CART. The question will be whether they
are met with open arms, or the door gets slammed shut in their
face. Although we doubt a Chris Pook run CART would ever greet
Roger back with open arms, the same may not be said for a
David Clare run series we suspect. The CART and IRL battle is
just that, a battle. The real war has yet to be fought,
The War of the
Worlds, written by yours truly. Anyone who doubts the
oval track cartel isn't going international, simply has
their blinders on. Japanese drivers and manufacturers in
NASCAR? Brazilian drivers? Who would have ever thought
that a few years ago. They are priming the pump and the
road racing cartel had better watch their backs.
This is why I have always thought that Bernie would indeed buy
CART - to support a road racing centric series and prevent the
oval track cartel from gaining a further foothold in their
market. Bernie will need another strong road racing
series like CART to leverage his considerable power around the
world ( a rather big place) when and where needed to protect,
fend off, and attack the enemy. Mark C. 7/12/03
- A reader writes, Dear AR1, With regard to Mark Cipolloni's article on What did Roger
Penske mean? Excellent interview ! Some thoughts : ( I
am a financial type and an open wheel racing fan of many
years). 1) There are not many deals that Penske cannot put
together if he so desires, 2) He probably could buy out the
George Family and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and their
various financial interests with or without their approval or
cooperation, 3) Roger is a gentleman and auto racing is his hobby, 4) I
have to believe that whatever action, if any, he may take in
regard to open wheel racing, will be in the best interest of
the sport, 5) I sincerely doubt he would be party to any of
Tony George's vindictive financial maneuvers. Business is
Roger's game; auto racing is his hobby, 6) I have to believe
whoever buys CART will be in the hobby mode much like many
owners in the NFL, NBA or many other professional sports
franchises; however he will certainly move to build the value
of the franchise as in most new financial endeavors, grow or
die! Richard Bowden, Fountain Valley, CA
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