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Is there any hope for CART? A
reader writes, Dear AR1, After reading Cipolloni's latest article, do
you see any scenario by which CART can survive and have a long-term
future? Things look rather bleak from where I sit.
Mordichai Rosen, LA, Calif. Dear Mordichai, As I wrote, Jon
Vannini, et al are the key to CART's future. If he goes on the
offensive and files his lawsuit, or if they reject any and all bids by
Open Wheel Racing Series LLC, there is no scenario by which I see CART
surviving.
However, I am of the opinion that Jon Vannini, the Eatons and Thomsons
know they hold the key to CART's, and in many respects, the big-time
road racing's future in the USA. They and Open Wheel
Racing Series LLC know what they need to do, and I think you will understand
what I am trying to tell you soon. I have made my feelings known to
both sides. I wasn't kidding when I said their wealth (as
our research shows) makes Ecclestone look like a pauper. If they
decide to engage, tighten your seat belts. As they say, "it ain't over till the Fat
Lady sings," and I for one, even in this 11th hour, don't hear any
singing.......and don't expect to. Mark C.
8/20/03
Last ditch effort to save Canadian GP
According to this Globe and Mail
article, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon will lead a
delegation to Hungary in an attempt to save Canada's Formula One Grand
Prix, he said Wednesday. He and a team of Quebec officials will lobby
Formula One czar Bernie Ecclestone to reverse his decision to drop the
annual Montreal event from its 2004 calendar. Cauchon said he will
arrive at Friday's meeting armed with plenty of arguments. "I actually
can't wait to have the meeting with Mr. Ecclestone," he said.
Ecclestone decided to drop the race from the 2004 calendar because of
a federal ban on tobacco advertising which takes effect Oct. 1. One of
Cauchon's arguments is that other countries have similar laws but
they're spared the punishment being inflicted on Canada. "I want to
see what he (Ecclestone) is going to say about the exemptions that
exist for France, for example, for the U.K. and even for the States,"
Cauchon said.
8/20/03
Michigan TV rating down 7% The
GFS Marketplace 400 from Michigan International Speedway garnered a
4.9 rating on TNT on Sunday, down 7 percent from last year's 5.3
rating. MotorsportTV.com
8/20/03
Wood undergoes surgeryUPDATE
Race driver Tom Wood was in fair condition Wednesday after surgery on
his broken back. The IRL Infiniti Pro Series driver was injured in a
crash during the Kentucky 100 at Sparta, Ky., on Saturday. He had
surgery Sunday on fractures of his right leg, right knee, right ankle
and right foot and another operation on his back Tuesday night. Wood,
46, of Calgary, Alberta, was airlifted from the race track to the
University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington and then to
Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. AP8/18/03 -
[Editor's Note: this is the same track that put Jason Priestley in the
hospital last year, also driving an IPS car. Unfortunately, the
carnage continues and our heart goes out to the poor drivers who
suffer all these severe injuries. As statistics have shown, CART
and its ladder system, as a result of its road courses, are far safer
for all drivers, and it's unfortunate that all the money is flowing in
the IRL right now and the drivers are forced to go where the money is
to make a living -- but at a severe price.] IRL Infiniti Pro
Series driver Tom Wood remains in serious but stable condition at
Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, according to Dr. Kevin Scheid, an
orthopedic surgeon from OrthoIndy. Wood, from Calgary, Alberta,
underwent surgery Aug. 17 for fractures to his right leg, right knee,
right ankle and right foot. Scheid and a team of surgeons from
OrthoIndy performed the procedure. Wood is scheduled to have surgery
to repair fractures to his back on Aug. 19 and will have follow-up
procedures to his ankles and feet later in the week. Wood was involved
in an accident on Lap 52 of the Kentucky 100 Infiniti Pro Series event
on Aug. 16 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky. Further updates on
Wood’s condition will be provided when available.
8/20/03
CART stock watch
In NYSE trading today MPH closed DOWN $0.15 p/shr or 15.5% on
the low of the session at $1.05 p/shr, a new 52 Week Low, on
Volume of 90,400 shares.
Low/High of Session: $1.05/$1.19
NYSE DOWN 31.39 or 0.33% on Volume of 1.46 shares.
NASDAQ DOWN 0.57 or 0.03%
S&P 500 DOWN 2.05 or 0.20%
courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe – Chicago www.andersongroupe.com
8/20/03
Feedback on Cipolloni article A
reader writes regarding Mark Cipolloni's latest article, Dear
Mark, Very good job on the article. I just wanted to let you
know you are not alone on what the future might bring. I work
in the series and my coworkers are also feeling the pain.
Unsure – Unknown – From the best down to the worst! The sad
thing about all of this is that you have people who went to
the best schools that money can buy and had all the degrees in
finance and logistics that are running the series and now
look what they did! Of course they blame the person before
them -- that is a big scapegoat. For myself I see areas that
can be really good for the series and even bring in more fans
and of course money, and if you even think about bringing
things up you get shot down, or wonder why I should think of
doing that because the upper half did not think of it. The sad
thing though is that they forget we are here for the fans.
Let’s start treating the fans like they should be treated.
They pay the $$$ for the show why not make them feel special.
Good example - the safety team. That is probably the only area
that makes CART money. What do they do for the fans or the
kids? Nothing because CART won’t give them anything to hand
out. They do give the fans a tour of the trucks and a photo
shoot that is nice, but a small 25 cent safety truck would
really make a kid happy. Last year they handed out trading
cards for Firestone which they had to ask them for. Very sad!
Just ask the Safety Team. I’m not trying to rip on CART, but
wow I feel I could do a better job and probably do the job for
half the pay. I think the Board needs to put a person in the
CEO position that has street skills and can talk to everybody
and have an open door policy. I know, a day late, a dollar
short. Sorry to get on my soapbox but I think I feel just as
bad as everyone these days. We go to the track, see a good fan
base, and have a great race, and then see the shit in the
papers, e-mails, newspapers from people who do not even attend
the race and just kick us in the dirt. And now this
predicament! Name withheld upon request
8/20/03
Is he insane? I
would like to see a commentary article written on the theory
that "rubbin' is racin". On "Wind Tunnel" on Speed Channel
last night they played the car to pits radio communication
where Kurt Busch tells his pits that he was attempting to
flatten the front tire of Jimmy Spencer. This was at full
speed! On a Super Speedway!! That could've resulted in his
death, not just a black eye. I cannot believe that NASCAR
thinks that probation is the appropriate response to that type
of action. I understand that NASCAR has a long history of "rubbin"
and their accidents being marked up to one of those "racin'
deals", but that is not acceptable in this day and age. Very
few NASCAR drivers admit to "rattling someone's cage" on
purpose, but If NASCAR were to impose a penalty for every time
that they did they would happen less frequently. It is just too
dangerous these days. NASCAR should officiate more in regards
to on track incidents like F1, CART, and the IRL do and
attempt to protect their most profitable marketing tools, the
drivers. If not, go the other way, give bonus points for
spinning people out 50 yards from the finish line. I bet the
fans would love that! Bradley Norris Jr. Epperson, New
York, NY Dear Bradley, The penalties handed down by
NASCAR to Kurt Busch were before NASCAR was made aware of
Busch’s conversation with his pit crew where he discussed
intentionally trying to flatten Spencer’s fender/tire. When
informed of Busch's remarks Tuesday night, Jim Hunter,
NASCAR's vice president for corporate communications, issued
the following statement: "We will let the process run its
course. … I am sure the commission will be very thorough and I
am sure they will have all the pertinent information." This is
most likely the reason why Kurt Busch mysteriously withdrew
his appeal of the penalties brought against him. Had NASCAR
had the chance to review this new information they may have
taken the opportunity to hand out a stiffer penalty. If Busch
wrecked Spencer at speed as he intended, he certainly would
have been given a harsher penalty. Either way, both drivers
should have been suspended from all NASCAR activities for a
month and penalized $100,000 or more. This isn’t a rivalry,
its just plain stupidity. Frank R Ryan/AR1 NASCAR
Coorespondent
8/20/03
Spencer loses appeal, Busch
drops appeal
This morning at Bristol NASCAR heard the appeal of Jimmy
Spencer regarding the penalties imposed for his actions last
week at Michigan. The following is the NASCAR Press Release.
On Aug. 20, 2003, the National Stock Car Racing Commission
heard and considered the appeal of Jimmy Spencer. The appeal
pertained to a penalty issued by NASCAR following an incident
in the garage at the conclusion of the NASCAR Winston Cup
Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 17,
2003.
The penalty assessed by NASCAR was:
- A $25,000 fine;
- Suspension from NASCAR until Aug. 26, 2003;
- Probation until Dec. 31, 2003.
In deciding the appeal, the Commission considered a number of
factors.
Jimmy Spencer made a compelling argument, expressing remorse
and acknowledging that his actions were wrong.
The Commission notes that NASCAR had previously forewarned Mr.
Spencer and put him on notice regarding his behavior with
respect to the other driver involved in the incident.
Furthermore the Commission notes that, irrespective of alleged
provocation or the exact magnitude of the physical contact, an
inappropriate line had been crossed in this case.
It is therefore the unanimous decision of the National Stock
Car Racing Commission to uphold the penalty assessed by
NASCAR.
The Appellant has the right, under Section 15 of the NASCAR
Rule Book, to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car
Racing Commissioner. In related news, Roush Racing has
announced that Kurt Busch will not file an appeal concerning
the penalty levied by NASCAR for his actions last week at
Michigan. Busch made his announcement to the press, " I have
decided not to appeal NASCAR's penalty. My decision is being
made even though no one to our knowledge has ever been
penalized for being struck while seated in a race car. I am
accepting this penalty regardless of whether or not it is fair
or appropriate. My motivation in accepting it is simply to
demonstrate to NASCAR and to the fans my continuing commitment
to race hard, my continuing commitment to race clean and my
continuing commitment to obey all the rules. This penalty has
not and will not affect that commitment. And, my commitment
will not be affected by the outcome of Jimmy Spencer's
appeal." Busch was placed on probation for the remainder of
the year.
8/20/03
CART settles with Heitzler Championship
Auto Racing Teams, Inc. ("CART") and Joseph F. Heitzler
("Heitzler") announced today that they have amicably resolved
all of their legal disputes. Heitzler is the former President,
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors
of CART and is currently the President and Chief Executive
Officer of Grand, the promoter of two CART-sanctioned races in
Mexico. According to CART's President and Chief Executive
Officer Christopher Pook, CART looks forward to working with
Heitzler and Grand in the future.
8/20/03
Schumacher appeal accepted
The FIA has denied Ralf Schumacher's appeal and say he was to
blame for a German Grand Prix crash. However, they have
reduced his punishment to a $50,000 fine and will not lose ten
places on the starting grid for this weekend's Hungarian Grand
Prix but he appealed against the decision. The German lost the
appeal but the sport's governing body imposed a fine instead.
8/20/03
Renault keeps driver lineup
Renault has confirmed that it will keep its current driver
lineup of Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli for next season.
Patrick Faure, the team's chairman, said, "The atmosphere in
the team is excellent, the relationship between our drivers
outstanding, and the technical team works well with them," he
said. "A stable environment is one of the pre-conditions for
success, and this is why we believe maintaining our driver
lineup is a key factor as our program builds to full
competitiveness." Managing director Flavio Briatore said,
"Next year will be Jarno's eighth season in Formula 1, and
everybody knows he is an extremely fast, competitive racing
driver. Fernando has more than justified the faith we showed
in him last year, and is maturing with the team as he acquires
experience at the highest level. Our objectives for 2003 have
been achieved, and in some cases exceeded. For next season, we
are looking to take a further step forward, and believe these
are the drivers who will enable us to do that."
8/20/03
NASCAR ticked at Wally
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that "at least one
official blew a gasket over Wally Dallenbach's report for
NBC/TNT before the Watkins Glen race 10 days ago on the
different philosophies of on-track medical care." "That was
about as biased a piece as I have ever seen," NASCAR vice
president Jim Hunter told AJC motorsports writer, Rick Minter.
"They sat down with Mike Helton and did a long interview, and
they edited out everything that he said about the way we do
things and talked about how great the traveling medical team
with CART is," Hunter said. "Well, it happens to be Wally
Dallenbach's father who was instrumental in starting that
medical team with CART. I can understand Wally thinking his
father's deal is better than somebody else's, but that was
poor journalism." As for Hunter's charge that too many of
Helton's remarks were cut, Dallenbach said, "That's 100
percent b.s." He said Helton made his point on-air and
declined an invitation to expound on his defense. "If the CART
people told their story better, it's not my fault."
Atlanta Journal Constitution
8/20/03
Montreal Track Talk The
13-turn permanent road course provides plenty of challenges for
engineers to create a well-balanced setup. Fernandez Racing Race
Engineer Chris Finch notes: “The style of the Montreal circuit
requires a car that can brake deep, turn sharp and aggressive, ride
the curbs well and put the power down with minimal wheel spin.
The track is fast with four straights that will have speeds in excess
of 170 mph. The straights are coupled together with chicanes that will
average minimum speeds from 50 to 80 mph. Geographically, the track is
relatively flat but is FIA-homologated and the curbs are FIA-style
meaning, in general, the largest curbs we normally see.” Drivers
will shift 42 times per lap throughout the course of the 75-lap race,
pulling a maximum G-force load of 2.9. The maximum lap interval for
pit stops is set at 20 laps, requiring a minimum of three stops.
Fernández Racing
Thank you AutoRacing1.com A
reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I read with interest Mark
Cipolloni's latest article on CART's predicament, For CART, time is of the
essence. Thanks for putting it all in perspective.
Although Mr. Cipolloni didn't go so far as to say it, it's clear to me
that CART's future lies in the hands of one Jon Vannini. As a
fan of CART, I pray he can pull together a team to take over CART,
because as Mark points out, the bidders who have come forward,
although they mean well, are too conflicted. Henry Perkins,
Long Island, NY.
8/19/03
Hungary ticket sales decline
This Grandprix.com article
says, After a drop in tourism, the organizers of this weekend's
Hungarian Grand Prix will hope at best to match last year's attendance
of 160,000 fans. "A month ago, we were 35 percent behind last year's
ticket sales but we've since made up much of that," Peter Gerstl, head
of the ticketing agent Ostermann Formula One, told Reuters. "We still
hope we can match last year's figure." The Formula One race is the
single largest tourist event in a country that relies heavily on the
revenues from the venue. Hotels in and around Budapest still have
rooms available as two years ago there were no vacancy within a 60
mile radius of the Hungaroring. Gerstl says the decline in tourism
since the September 2001 attacks on the United States was partly to
blame for the drop in ticket sales. He also hinted that the results of
the qualifying could attract more last minute fans to attend. "A few
years ago, if (Michael) Schumacher won pole position, we could count
on getting another 20,000 German fans coming up for the race," Gerstl
said.
8/19/03
Vasser loses Engineer In
yesterday's CART press
conference Jimmy Vasser stated that it looks like his Engineer,
Ed Nathman, had left the team, but that he was trying to coax him
back.
8/19/03
Walker steps down from CART
Board Championship Auto Racing Teams,
Inc. (NYSE: MPH - News) announced today that team owner
Derrick Walker has relinquished his position as a member of
the Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. Board of Directors,
effective immediately. In making his decision, Mr. Walker
cited that he was sensitive to the potential for an appearance
of a conflict of interest in connection with decisions
regarding the future of the company, and that he felt his
resignation was in the best interests of the company and its
shareholders. Chris Pook, CART's President and CEO, offered
his thanks to Mr. Walker for the contributions he made as a
Board member. "Mr. Walker has provided the CART Board of
Directors with useful insight and expertise during his tenure
and will be missed," Pook said. "We appreciate the time and
effort he has devoted to CART, his wise counsel and his
support of the series."
8/19/03
Spirit Airlines joins Grand
Prix Americas Spirit Airlines has come
aboard as a partner with the Grand Prix Americas presented by
Sportsbook.com, announced Chuck M. Martinez, president and
general manager, Grand Prix Americas. Spirit Airlines will be
the exclusive airline of the Grand Prix Americas. “We are
thrilled to have Spirit Airlines join our growing list of
sponsors for this year’s event,” said Martinez. “We hope to
form a strong relationship with Spirit Airlines that can grow
into a long-term alliance.” Spirit Airlines will also be part
of the Grand Prix Americas’ new honorary Pit Crew Member
contest where a lucky fan will win a chance to be part of the
pit crew for the American Le Mans Series with ADT Champion
Racing and another for the Champ Car World Series with Walker
Racing. "We are excited to partner with a great event such as
the Grand Prix Americas,” said Lynne Koreman, director of
marketing and communications at Spirit Airlines. “We feel this
will be a great platform to promote our Spirit Plus category.”
With a fleet of modern aircraft for scheduled and charter
service, Spirit brings low fares and friendly service to
Atlantic City, N.J., Chicago/O’Hare, Denver, Detroit, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, Myrtle Beach, S.C., New York/LaGuardia,
San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Florida cities of Fort
Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and seasonal service to
West Palm Beach. Spirit’s website is
www.spiritair.com.
Grand Prix Americas presented by Sportsbook.com is a week-long
festival featuring various social events such as the FanFest
at Bayside, Grand Prix Americas Street Festival in Coconut
Grove and the Grand Prix Americas Foundation Charity Ball and
culminates with two of North America’s premier racing series.
On September 26-28, 2003 Bridgestone presents the Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford will join the American Le Mans
Series (ALMS) promoting a “dual-headline” that makes the Grand
Prix Americas one of the foremost motorsports weekends of the
year. This Blast by the Bay will be held in Downtown Miami at
Bayfront Park in agreement with the City of Miami, the
Bayfront Park Management Trust and the Miami Sports and
Exhibition Authority. For information call 305.533.1033.
8/19/03
CART stock watchUPDATE In NYSE trading
today MPH closed DOWN $0.10 p/shr or 7.69% to $1.20 p/shr, a
new 52 Week Low, on Volume of 184,500 shares.
Low/High of Session: $1.11/$1.26
NYSE UP 16.45 or 0.17% on Volume of 1.58B shares.
NASDAQ UP 21.50 or 1.24%
S&P 500 UP 2.59 or 0.26% 8/19/03 - In NYSE trading at Noon EDST MPH is DOWN $0.12 p/shr or 9.23%
to $1.18 p/shr, a new 52 Week Low, on Volume of 117,300
shares. Two (2) trades over 10k shares. courtesy of
C3I.AndersonGroupe – Chicago www.andersongroupe.com
8/19/03
Too many open wheel whiners
A reader writes, Dear Autoracing1.com, It's no wonder the
downward trend in open wheel exists today. Everybody is a
whiner. If it's not the CART drivers/owners whining because
somebody is blocking, it's the IRL drivers/owners crying about
an engine change mid-season. If it had all worked out, and
both series would have had 3.5 L, normally aspirated engines
this season, Toyota and Honda would still be getting their
butts kicked by the Fordvrolet engine. I'm happy to see
someone like Sam Hornish do good, but it was better when he
wasn't lapping the field and it was his good driving skills
and the team's superior setup skills, compared to the rest of
the GM teams, that placed him in contention at a few races
earlier in the season. Suddenly, Toyota has competition! Watch
out NASCAR!!!!! If they aren't winning they're whining. I'm not
saying that NASCAR doesn't have its share of whiners (Tony
Stewart recently comes to mind), but the whining that goes on
in the open wheel ranks is ridiculous. No wonder the fan base
has dwindled.... Paul Richards, Des Moines, Iowa Dear
Paul, Open Wheel racing was alive and well in the USA until
1995. Then Tony George created the IRL, split the sport
in half, and has pretty much killed it. It has nothing
to do with whiners, because in America's managed racing
environment you must whine to get rules changed to help you
catch up because the restrictive rules don't allow you to make
changes to do it yourself. It happens constantly in
NASCAR. Mark C.
8/19/03
Hunter-Reay and Jimmy Spencer
on Wind Tunnel tonight
Coming off the most successful weekend of his Champ Car
career, rookie Ryan Hunter-Reay will be a guest in studio, on
tonight’s edition of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, live on
SPEED channel at 9:00 pm ET. Just 13 races into his Champ Car
career, Hunter-Reay became the first American Rookie to podium
in Champ Car since 1990. Hunter-Reay started the Champ Car
Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio from the front row alongside series
points leader Paul Tracy. Hunter-Reay’s qualifying and race
results were the best to date for the first year American
Spirit Team Johansson. The 22-year old Florida resident is
CART’s Ladder System success story. A six time National and
three-time Grand National WKA karting champion, he is the
first karting scholarship driver to make it to Champ Cars.
Ryan is a proven American talent, from becoming the first 2.0
liter National Champion to Rookie of the Year in the CART
Barber Dodge Pro Series, to a three-time race winner and the
“Fastest Driver” honors in his first year in the CART Toyota
Atlantic Championship. Jimmy Spencer is scheduled to tell Dave Despain his side of the story [the altercation with Busch, the
punch, the fine and suspension - see next few stories here],
on Speed Channel's Wind Tunnel show tonight [August 19th] at
9:00pm/et. Viewers will have the chance to call in tonight and
ask Spencer their questions about last weekends events
surrounding the Michigan NASCAR Winston Cup race.
8/19/03
CART needs a balance
This SPEED TV
article talks about the need for CART to have a
balance between natural terrain road courses and street
circuits, something we could not agree with more. For
Michelle Trueman Gajoch, while freely admitting the obvious—that she
has a vested interest in Champ Cars continuing to run on road
courses—believes an all-street circuit schedule is seriously,
perhaps fatally, flawed. “I told (David Clare) what my
perspective was, ‘You either need to be a sport or you need to
be an entertainment vehicle. I’m in the motor-sports business.
If in fact you define yourself as an entertainment vehicle
going forward, I can surely understand that we probably aren’t
going to fit that equation.’ “And he quickly said, ‘Don’t you
think there needs to be a balance?’ “And I do believe there
needs to be a balance because, I think what’s been lost in all
this speculation is the fact that the fans come for the sport.
And the fans are enthusiasts of the sport. And it’s been
proven time and time again at permanent facilities, road
courses and ovals, that you can bring in all these bells and
whistles and put on carnivals and put on concerts, and at the
end of the day, the racing fans are not here to see it.
They’re here to watch cars go around the racetrack and be
involved in that. “In my opinion, (at) festival/entertainment
based-events…the racing becomes totally secondary. “I would
argue that the race fans and the sport of it have to be the
foundation that drives the other. And I think that the
entertainment side of it certainly brings new people to it,
but they’re not the loyal people who are going to travel from
racetrack to racetrack and who the sponsors, more importantly,
want to be influenced by their products.” Nor, she notes, do
they go home from a festival event and watch the next race on
television. “They’re casual consumers, that’s the way I look
at it,” she says. “And as a product distributor—which is how I
look at what we do with CART and our relationship with any
other sanctioning body, for that matter—we need a product we
can distribute.”
8/19/03
FIA hears Schumacher appeal
This AP
article says, Looking over videos and graphs, the
appeals board of motorsport's governing body studied Tuesday
whether Ralf Schumacher caused a crash at the German Grand
Prix and should be punished. At stake is whether Schumacher,
currently fourth in the tight Formula One championship, will
be penalized by being made to start 10 places back in the next
race in Hungary. That would be a setback for his championship
campaign. Schumacher, his boss Frank Williams, and rivals
Rubens Barrichello of Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen of McLaren
attended the hearing of the FIA's International Court of
Appeal in Paris. Schumacher, Barrichello and Raikkonen
collided heading into the first corner of the Aug. 3 German
Grand Prix. Their cars were too damaged to continue. At
Tuesday's hearing, Schumacher, the other drivers and appeal
board members watched videos and studied graphs in an attempt
to determine whether the German driver was to blame - as race
stewards alleged. A representative for Schumacher, Andrew
Hunter, argued that the BMW-Williams driver did not know that
Raikkonen was speeding up on his left-hand side to overtake
him and Barrichello. Asked by Hunter whether he could see
Raikkonen, Schumacher replied, "No. It was a normal racing
accident that could happen anytime and I don't feel culpable
of causing it," Schumacher told German television after the
hearing. The appeals board will issue its ruling Wednesday.
8/19/03
Unfair advantage? Not everybody
is thrilled with Chevy’s new Ford IRL engine
This Autoweek article says, Members of Scott Dixon’s Ganassi
Racing crew couldn’t let the moment pass Sunday at Kentucky
Speedway: As they pushed their second-place car past a crowd
of happy Sam Hornish Jr. fans, they pointed out that the race
winner is powered by a Ford, not a Chevrolet. The Indy Racing
League is something of an uneasy paddock at the moment. Some
of the participants on the Toyota and Honda side are miffed
that IRL officials permitted General Motors to slide a new
Cosworth engine into competition in mid-season. That Hornish,
who announced he is leaving the Panther team at the end of the
season, has led 307 of a possible 400 laps in two races with
the Gen IV engine is salt in the wounds. Hornish only lost the
Michigan race July 27 by about four feet. He got that distance
(and more) back Sunday in dominating the Belterra Casino Indy
300, lapping everyone but Dixon and leading 181 of 200 laps.
Yes, the margin of victory was a mere 1.17 seconds, but
Hornish was on cruise all day. No one challenged him for the
lead and Dixon trailed by as much as 16 seconds, the
equivalent of about a mile, until a late caution flag came.
The win put Hornish in the championship hunt, and with three
of the final four races of the season on tracks where Hornish,
Panther Racing and the new Chevy should excel. Let the ire
flow. Count Dixon, teammate Tomas Scheckter and their car
owner Chip Ganassi among those who have seen enough of this
Chevy. Others feel that way, too, but refuse to talk publicly
for fear of rocking the IRL’s otherwise fairly stable boat.
Kentucky was Chevy’s full-scale rollout, with Hornish grabbing
the pole and four Chevy drivers qualifying in the top-10.
“There’s no way his car was superior in handling,” Dixon said
of Hornish. “If you’re Toyota and Honda, you’d be pretty
pissed. Someone at Chevy obviously dropped the ball, and I
don’t see why [the other manufacturers] should be
disadvantaged.” Bryan Herta said he was stunned when his
Andretti Green Racing crew told him Hornish was about to lap
him on the 76th circuit. But Herta, the race winner at the
similarly shaped Kansas track last month, was baffled when
Hornish blew past him like John Force. “That was a little
disheartening,” Herta said. “I think that’s a little scary for
the rest of the season.” Robert Clarke, the general manager of
Honda Performance Development, continues to think the IRL
didn’t do itself a favor by allowing the new Ford to run, no
matter how much Chevy needed it. Of course, IRL officials say
it did what had to be done to keep GM and its defeated teams
in the series. Besides, like NASCAR, the IRL insists it has
the right to do what has to be done to keep the racing
competitive—each of the three engine manufacturers had a
podium finish Sunday. “The rules allow you to make changes to
your existing engine, which suggests some flexibility [from
the league office],” Clarke said. “But I don’t think a new
engine is at all in the spirit of the rules. I don’t think
it’s what the [IRL] had in mind.”
8/19/03
CART rejects lowball offer
This Indy Star
article says, The board of Championship Auto Racing
Teams, Inc. on Monday rejected a tender offer for the
financially troubled series but said it will continue to
negotiate with a group headed by team owner Gerald Forsythe.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
Forsythe's group -- which includes fellow team owners Kevin
Kalkhoven and Paul Gentilozzi and is called Open Wheel Racing
Series -- offered 50 cents a share, or $7.4 million. The CART
board exercised its right to reject the offer without
submitting it to shareholders. The announcement of the lowball
bid had an immediate effect on Wall Street. CART stock closed
Monday at $1.30 a share on the New York Stock Exchange, down
53 cents -- or nearly 30 percent -- from its close Friday. In
a news release announcing the rejected offer, CART said that
while it "declined to sign the letter of intent, it is engaged
in negotiations regarding a possible transaction." The CART
board can present a counteroffer to Forsythe's group or wait
for them to sweeten the pot. Meanwhile, the search will
continue for other potential buyers. Before any sale can be
completed, pending lawsuits must be settled, including those
filed by former CEO Joe Heitzler and major shareholder Jon
Vannini. Other lawsuits could be forthcoming if shareholders
come to believe the company was mismanaged or its pessimistic
financial reports the past few months were an overt attempt to
drive down the stock price.
8/19/03
As Montreal race nears, clouds
loom
This Canadian Press
article says, Despite the cloud hanging over Canadian
motor racing, driver Patrick Carpentier of Joliette, Que., was
optimistic Monday that he will be back on the CART series
next year. Carpentier and teammate Paul Tracy of Toronto will
race in the blue-and-white colors of the Player's team in
Canada for the last time at the Montreal Molson Indy on the
weekend, with the future of both the team and the CART series
in doubt. Player's must end its sponsorship of CART's leading
team when federal legislation banning tobacco advertising
takes effect on Oct. 1. And with CART awash in red ink, there
is no guarantee the series will survive, although a bid led by
Player's team co-owner Gerry Forsythe was made Monday to buy
the publicly traded circuit and run it as a privately-owned
championship. ``I think the series will be back next year, but
after that, I don't know,'' said Carpentier. ``There may be
fewer races, but I think we'll be back in the major spots like
Long Beach, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Mexico where they
fill up the grandstands.'' Carpentier and Tracy arrived for a
news conference in a city still in shock at losing its annual
Formula One race for 2004, which organizers said was due to
the anti-tobacco legislation. Carpentier and Tracy each are
under contract to Forsythe, rather than Player's, for 2004 but
still don't know where or if they will be racing. ``We know
we'll get paid, but we don't know if we'll have a ride,'' said
Carpentier. ``We'll see what happens. ``Gerry made an offer
and I think he'll pull it off, so most likely, we'll be back
here next year.'' Player's president and COO Bob Bexon said
his company is trying to line up a new sponsor for the team.
``We have some strong leads, but in motor sports, that doesn't
mean much until the deal is signed,'' said Bexon. ``That
should be clearer once the status of the series gets a little
clearer.'' Tracy refuses to be drawn into speculation
about the future of CART, saying he is concentrating only on
winning his first driver's championship. But he acknowledged
his interest in moving to NASCAR next year if CART fails.
``You have to keep your options open,'' said Tracy, who is
reportedly being courted by NASCAR team owner Richard
Childress. ``We don't know what's going to happen next year
with CART. ``There's interest from that (NASCAR) side and you
can't wait forever. When the music stops, you have to make
sure you have a chair to sit on. My first choice is CART, but
you have to have options.'' When CART racing first came to
Montreal, debate over which was better raged between fans of
the slick, glamorous Formula One and fan-friendly CART. Now
there's fear that neither will be there next year. Tracy and
Carpentier were both saddened by the loss of the Canadian
Grand Prix, as well as the support races that went with it.
``I'm pretty disappointed,'' said Carpentier. ``Especially for
the kids that are trying to move up. ``Montreal is one of the
most important dates on the schedule in terms of visibility
for getting sponsors and getting a chance to show what they
can do. It's going to make auto racing in Canada a bit more
difficult.''
8/19/03
Bernie withdraws bid for CART
Many people denied Bernie Ecclestone was ever interested in CART
despite the continued rumors. Bernie
Ecclestone will not buy into the United States' ailing CART series,
according to reports in the British press.
The Guardian newspaper
reported on Monday, in an article written by the highly
regarded Alan Henry, that Bernie, 72-year-old head
of Formula One Management, has withdrawn a bid to buy a stake in the
series.
While we don't know for sure, if this report is correct, it leads AR1 to
speculate that Chris Pook has been paid back by Bernie for
kicking F1 out of Long Beach years ago. It sounds like
Bernie strung Pook along for months making him think he was
going to buy into CART and give the series the credibility it
needs, possibly having him burn through all the company's
money, and then backing out of the deal at
the last minute, knowing that such a move would likely be the final
nail in CART's coffin by leaving the ailing company's pockets nearly
dry. If this is what happened, and we stress the word "if", then how
could Pook be so naive as to not get a letter of intent in writing?
Or is this another report meant to drive the price of stock down to
pennies so the company can be taken private for almost nothing?
We suspect we'll never know the truth unless shareholder Jon Vannini
follows through with his threatened lawsuit and puts them all on the
witness stand where they must testify under oath. We also suspect that
CART fans, most of who are also F1 fans, upon hearing Bernie yanked
the rug out from under CART, will completely reject his F1 series and
not buy tickets to the USGP, thus eventually dooming that race to
failure. Mark
C.
ALMS race gets 0.9 overnight
Sunday's ALMS race on NBC from Mosport garnered a 0.9 overnight rating
and 2 share, according to Nielsen Media Research, as reported by
Sports Business Daily.
8/18/03
Wood undergoes surgery
[Editor's Note: this is the same track that put Jason Priestley in the
hospital last year, also driving an IPS car. Unfortunately, the
carnage continues and our heart goes out to the poor drivers who
suffer all these severe injuries. As statistics have shown, CART
and its ladder system, as a result of its road courses, are far safer
for all drivers, and it's unfortunate that all the money is flowing in
the IRL right now and the drivers are forced to go where the money is
to make a living -- but at a severe price.] IRL Infiniti Pro
Series driver Tom Wood remains in serious but stable condition at
Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, according to Dr. Kevin Scheid, an
orthopedic surgeon from OrthoIndy. Wood, from Calgary, Alberta,
underwent surgery Aug. 17 for fractures to his right leg, right knee,
right ankle and right foot. Scheid and a team of surgeons from
OrthoIndy performed the procedure. Wood is scheduled to have surgery
to repair fractures to his back on Aug. 19 and will have follow-up
procedures to his ankles and feet later in the week. Wood was involved
in an accident on Lap 52 of the Kentucky 100 Infiniti Pro Series event
on Aug. 16 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky. Further updates on
Wood’s condition will be provided when available.
8/18/03
Spencer responds The
following is a statement from Jimmy Spencer in response to his
suspension by NASCAR, which was announced today by news release: "I
will always protect myself and my race team. We are going to appeal
the penalty, and we are going to do so in accordance to the NASCAR
rulebook."
8/18/03
Busch medical update
Upon completion of his medical examination this afternoon,
Kurt Busch issued the following regarding the extent of the
injury he received from Jimmy Spencer. "I have swelling on the
left side of my face that is not expected to heal for three
months. My breathing has been affected, and although it will
not affect my ability to race, it will make breathing with
a helmet on more uncomfortable. I have been told that there is
some tissue damage, and that there is a 15% chance that I will
require reconstructive surgery to repair the damage. That
assessment will not be made until the swelling dissipates."
8/18/03
Low-bid causes CART stock to
tankUPDATE
In NYSE trading today MPH was crushed, closing DOWN $0.53 p/shr
or 28.96% to $1.30 p/shr, a new 52 Week Low, on Volume of
450,100 shares.
Low/High of Session: $1.22/$1.73
NYSE UP 90.76 or 0.97% on Volume of 1.4B shares.
NASDAQ UP 37.48 or 2.2%
S&P 500 UP 9.07 or 0.92%
courtesy of C3I.AndersonGroupe – Chicago www.andersongroupe.com8/18/03 - The low-bid put in today for $0.50 per share to
buy CART has caused CART's stock to tank, down 30% as of 12:30
PM EST. Mark
C.
8/18/03
Hornish, Panther Racing split
Two-time IRL IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr. and
Panther Racing, the team he won the championships with in 2001
and 2002, will part ways at the conclusion of the 2003 season.
Hornish joined the team in 2001 and has since earned nine
victories. His nine career wins is an IndyCar Series record.
The latest victory came in dominating fashion Aug. 17 at
Kentucky Speedway when Hornish led 181 of the 200 laps en
route to a victory in the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Racing
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone. “To leave Panther Racing at the
end of this year is the hardest decision that I have ever
made,” Hornish said. “Panther Racing is a great team with
great people and tremendous partners. I am extremely proud of
the success that we have been able to achieve together and
truly appreciate the chance that I was given to demonstrate my
talents on the track. I would like to leave Panther with a
third consecutive IRL championship and that is where my focus
will be from now until season's end.” Panther Racing officials
said Hornish will make his future driving intentions known by
the end of August. “We have had a magical ride since Sam
joined Panther Racing in 2001, and we hope to secure a third
championship this season,” said team co-owner John Barnes. “It
was clear yesterday, when we won Kentucky, that this
combination is the toughest in open-wheel racing today. But
things change and sometimes people need to step out of a
comfort zone and stretch a bit. We wish Sam the best in
whatever he decides to pursue.” Hornish and Panther Racing are
fifth in the IndyCar Series point standings with 308 points.
He is 77 points behind leader Tony Kanaan, who has 385.
Officials from Panther Racing, which has a record 12 wins in
the IndyCar Series, will begin compiling a short list of
drivers to fill the vacancy left by Hornish. “There are a lot
of talented drivers who have expressed an interest in driving
for Panther Racing,” Barnes said. “We will begin our search
immediately to determine what direction Panther Racing will
take for 2004.”
8/18/03
Spencer suspended, Busch fined
for altercation Drivers Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch
were issued penalties for their roles in a post-race
altercation that occurred in the garage area of Sunday’s
NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Michigan International
Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today. Spencer is
suspended from any NASCAR-sanctioned competition until Aug.
26. He also received a $25,000 fine and was placed on
probation until Dec. 31. The suspension will cause him to miss
this weekend’s NASCAR national series triple-header at Bristol
Motor Speedway. Spencer was in violation of Sections 12-4-A
(Actions detrimental to stock car racing: Involved in an
altercation with another competitor in the garage area after
the completion of the event) and 12-4-F (Fighting) of the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book. Busch has been placed on
probation until Dec. 31 for his actions. He was in violation
of Section 12-4-A (Actions detrimental to stock car racing:
Involved in an altercation with another competitor in the
garage area after the completion of the event) of the NASCAR
Winston Cup Series rule book. “This was a very unfortunate
situation,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said. “Emotions are a
part of every sport, NASCAR Winston Cup racing included.
However, there is a fine line. In this instance, that fine
line was crossed."
8/18/03
Belgian GP goes back to
traditional date Serge Kubla, a Belgian politician says
that the Belgian GP race will be back on the calendar with an
August 29 date. Kubla is the Finance Minister for the Walloon
region. Kubla added that the new contract runs until 2010.
8/18/03
Supermodel Niki Taylor named
Grand Marshal in Miami The Grand Prix Americas
presented by Sportsbook.com has named Niki Taylor as the Grand
Marshal for the 2003 event, announced Chuck M. Martinez,
president and general manager, Grand Prix Americas. As Grand
Marshal, Niki Taylor will be involved in race week activities
and various events during the Grand Prix Americas September
26-28. “We are thrilled to have one of the world’s top
supermodels as the Grand Marshal of this year’s event,” said
Martinez. “Niki Taylor replicates the beauty and passion of
South Florida and the Grand Prix Americas.” Niki became a
successful model while still in her mid-teens and has now
managed to appear in nearly 300 magazine covers from all over
the globe. She has been the face of fashion and beauty for 10
years in America as well as an international and national
spokesperson.
8/18/03
Gentilozzi team bids $0.50 per
share for CARTUPDATE
It should be noted that Gentilozzi, Kalkhoven, et al have
bought into the Forsythe shares, and their combined 22.9% of
the shares can't be used to vote for or against their bid.
With that said, from where we sit Jon Vannini and company are
completely in control of CART's future because they control a
large majority of the remaining 77.1% of the shares. We hear
through the grapevine that this group will not accept the
$0.50 per share bid price, deeming it ridiculous. All of
this delays settling CART's future, which severely jeopardizes
CART's ability to survive. Teams and sponsors have to know
soon whether CART will be around next year, and a bid this low
simply undermines the process (by delaying the ultimate
outcome) because the shareholders simply won't accept it.
Mark C.8/18/03 - As revealed in this Schedule 13D
SEC filing Paul Gentilozzi, Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald
Forsythe, Carl Russo and Motorock LLC have formed Open Wheel
Racing LLC and have bid a ridiculously low price of
$0.50 per share for CART. We do not expect this bid to
be accepted, and we are willing to bet they are lowballing the
bid in an effort to buy it for $1.00 per share. If you
look at "all" the current assets of CART, the company can be
liquidated today for around $2.00 per share and the
shareholders will be better served. Perhaps Vannini and
company will step in, outbid the
Gentilozzi/Kalkhoven/Forsythe/Carl Russo/Motorock team and run
CART as non-conflicted owners who will do what's right for the
entire series. The bidders are proposing a new management team
and Board of Directors. Here is the first bidders letter
to CART. Let the bidding wars begin. CART
acknowledges receipt of bid in this press release. Mark
C.
8/18/03
RuSport personnel scope out
possible IRL effort
AR1 has confirmed with a RuSport spokesperson that CART Toyota
Atlantic team owner Carl Russo, George Tamayo, Jeremy Dale,
Steve Wulff and Gerald Tyler were all at the IRL race in
Kentucky to learn more about IRL operations. All along they
have said that their goal is to compete in the senior most
open wheel series in North America. This weekend was part of
the discovery process. It's interesting that Carl Russo is
also part of the group that has bid $0.50 per share to buy the
CART series. This is part of the concern AR1 has, if
team owners buy CART they would be conflicted, and if they
also run a team in the IRL, they would be further conflicted.
This is why we feel it would be best if Jon Vannini and
company, who have far deeper pockets, make a successful bid to
buy CART and run it as a complete neutral party. They
would also be free to run it as a dictatorship, as every
successful racing series is. (See Rumors page for a better
understanding just how wealthy is Vannini and company.)
Mark C.
8/18/03
Vote for Most Popular Driver
For the fifth consecutive season, fans of the Bridgestone
Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford can show
their allegiances to their favorite driver by voting for the
MCI Most Popular Driver Award - and by doing so are
automatically entered into a sweepstakes where one lucky fan
will win a trip to present the award to the winning driver at
the 2003 CART Champ Car Awards Banquet. The voting takes place
through October 11 and recognizes the fan's choice as the most
popular driver in the series, with the winner earning a trophy
as well as a check for $25,000 that is donated to their
favorite charity. Current series points leader Paul Tracy was
the recipient of last year's award, and donated his prize to
the Lance Armstrong Foundation. In addition to helping fans
reward their favorite driver, the contest also gives one fan a
chance to attend the season-ending 500-mile race at California
Speedway as well as the series awards banquet in Palm Springs,
California where the winning fan will join the driver on stage
to present the MCI Most Popular Driver Award. Once the award
winner is determined, every fan that voted for that driver
will be entered into a random drawing with one Grand Prize
Winner selected. MCI, which serves as the Official Internet
Service Provider, Official Local, Long Distance and Prepaid
Telephone Service and Official Prepaid Calling Card Company of
the Champ Car World Series, is in its fifth year of sponsoring
the Most Popular Driver Award. It has been won previously by
Juan Montoya (1999, 2000) and Michael Andretti (2001) along
with Tracy. Fans can submit their votes for their favorite
CART Champ Car driver beginning August 14, submitting their
votes either via the series' official website
www.champcarworldseries.com, by turning in an official
entry ballot at participating Champ Car World Series race
circuits or by printing the entrant's name, address, phone
number with area code, date of birth and the name of the
driver on a 3x5 card and submitting it to: Most Popular Champ
Car Driver Sweepstakes, Attn: Entries, PO Box 501426,
Indianapolis, IN 46250. Entries are limited to one per person,
complete rules are available on the series website.
8/18/03 Industry News
A
new Riverside to be built
UPDATE We have added a proposed track layout, which
resembles the old Riverside. 8/16/03 - Riverside Motorsports Park, LLC (RMP)
announces that it has secured 1200 acres adjacent to Castle Airport in
California's Merced County, assembled an experienced management,
engineering and construction team, and is well underway in the permit
and entitlement process leading to the development of a world-class
motorsports and family recreation center. With plans to feature
eight different racetracks in one landscaped, fully equipped,
park-like setting, Riverside Motorsports Park intends to present a
complete package of motorsports events to West Coast race fans and to
support club-based and professional motorsports sanctioning
organizations across the United States. With picnic grounds, family
and themed restaurants and other amenities, such as RV facilities, it
also promises to be a recreation destination for the more than 9
million Northern California residents who live within a 100-mile
radius of the park's Merced County location. The president of the City
of Atwater's Chamber of Commerce, Roy Torres, added, "We anticipate
that Riverside Motorsports Park will bring tremendous value and
recognition to our community. We're very excited about this project,
and we've told Riverside Motorsports Park that they can count on the
support of Atwater's business community. We've been looking for the
right focal point to help Atwater grow, and with the automobile and
motorcycle races, a summer concert series and the other family
entertainment and recreational activities that Riverside Motorsports
Park will provide, we see nothing but generous benefits for Atwater's
local businesses, our residents, our youth and the business community
throughout the entire region." "There isn't a motorsports
facility like this anywhere in the country," commented RMP Founder and
CEO John Condren. "We've invested two and a half years of market
research, design, engineering, and planning in this project, and we're
gratified by the reception we're receiving from Merced County; from
local city and district officials, residents and business owners; and,
especially, from the local, national and international motorsports
communities. With a diverse and growing motorsports base in
California, and with the rich racing heritage of the Central Valley,
the Merced County location for Riverside Motorsports Park is most
appropriate." The number one spectator sport in the world,
motorsports has become the fastest growing sport in the United States
-- second to NFL football in total spectator attendance, but exceeding
the NFL in per-event attendance. RMP's plans call for its eight tracks
to support virtually every type of world-class professional and
amateur motorsports, including:
3.0-mile road course for sports cars,
endurance and open-wheel racing
1/4-mile (5,000-foot total length) drag
strip
Integrated 1/3- and 1/2-mile, banked paved
oval tracks for stock cars and sprint cars
3/8-mile dirt oval track for motorcycle,
stock car, sprint and midget racing
3/4-mile karting courses (sprint and
shifter karts)
Motocross and BMX courses
And, Northern California's first
world-class oval speedway (length: 7/8-mile) for major stock car and
open-wheel racing series
The positive results of a preliminary
environmental impact assessment, completed in 2002, led to RMP's
purchase of the 1200-acre site directly adjacent to Merced County's
Castle airport (the decommissioned Castle Air Force Base). RMP is
currently undergoing a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
to study and develop mitigation plans for environmental sensitivities,
including traffic and noise. The company has retained a complement of
the best traffic engineering, traffic management, acoustic energy
(noise) and environmental consultants in the State, and it has
developed an impressive management team of motorsports and business
professionals. RMP's development schedule calls for the completion of
the EIR and entitlement process so that groundbreaking can begin
during the first half of 2004. For California, a new racing
facility has been a necessity for a long time, as older facilities
have closed in the face of residential or commercial encroachment.
Since 1970, California has realized the development of only one
world-class racing facility (California Speedway in Fontana, Calif.,
which opened in 1997), and many motorsports organizations are
competing for a limited number of available event dates.
8/18/03
Spencer-Busch fight not good
for NASCAR "When it comes to the rivalry between
Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer, it's almost like the Hatfields
and McCoys. They've been threatening one another a lot since
last year. I'm not totally surprised that Spencer allegedly
attacked Busch. When I heard that there had been a fight at
the track, Spencer and Busch were the first two people to come
to mind. NASCAR and the authorities in Michigan are
going to have to step in and see whether or not it was assault
and decide what they're going to do. This is not good for the
sport." --
Jeff Hammond/Fox Sports
8/18/03
NASCAR considers new rules for
Dega NASCAR is considering new rules for the tour's
October Talladega race: raising the rear spoiler with stiffer
rear springs (425 pounds, instead of 350) and opening up the
engine restrictor plate holes by one-32nd of an inch. That
should give drivers another 15 horsepower for more throttle
response, without adding any speed.
Winston Salem Journal
8/18/03
NASCAR says no to new Chevy
engine, no trucks for DEI General Motors' Winston
Cup teams have been stunned by NASCAR's reversal on GM's new
R-99 engine project, approved in June but just shot down by
Daytona. The decision, according to sources, was made by Bill
France Jr. Race teams say they don't understand the reasoning,
and GM officials say several Cup teams planning to expand with
a Truck team are killing those projects. Dale Earnhardt Inc.,
for example, has scrapped all its Truck plans. NASCAR has
offered no explanation for the change. GM men, calling the
NASCAR decision 'a double standard,' say the only reason they
can think of is that NASCAR is trying to entice teams to
consider running for Toyota. Already, GM executives are taking
a hard look at the various Winston Cup teams they have that
might decide eventually to jump to Toyota.
Winston Salem Journal
8/18/03
No Toyota for Cal Wells Car
owner Cal Wells is making it clear to GM executives he has no
plans to field a Toyota Truck, and he says he's willing to put
it into his new contract. Wells spent several years as one of
Toyota's top men in CART.
Winston Salem Journal
Complaining begins with Hornish win
This RPM.ESPN.com article
talks about the complaining in the IRL paddock after Sam Hornish was
once again the dominate car with his new Ford Cosworth (is it a
Chevy?) engine. In managed racing, which the IRL certainly is, it's
now up to the sanctioning body to tinker with the rules, sometimes on
a weekly basis, so everyone is happy....NASCAR style. "The IRL
was worried about keeping General Motors," said White. "Maybe they
should worry about keeping Toyota in the series." Barnhart needs
to remember that Honda and Toyota dumped CART because they got tired
of an ever-changing rulebook and its shoddy enforcement. " Sam's
always had a good car but how fair is the game for allowing a new
engine halfway through the season? Somebody sits there for six months,
sees everybody's weakness and builds a new engine? I don't want to
complain but Honda and Toyota should. " — Tony Kanaan
8/17/03
Spencer punches out Kurt Busch,
could face charges UPDATE
Jimmy Spencer could face assault charges after a confrontation
with competitor #97-Kurt Busch following Sunday's GFS
Marketplace 400. As the drivers came onto pit lane at Michigan
International Speedway following the checkered flag, Spencer
drove into the rear of Busch's car and spun it around.
Witnesses said Spencer then got out of his car, raced up to
Busch's car and punched Busch several times in the face.
Sheriff's deputies pulled Spencer away and took him to the
NASCAR hauler. The witnesses said Busch, who finished 18th,
was holding a bloody towel to his face when he entered the
track medical facility. Jeff Patterson, spokesman for the
Lenawee County Sheriff's Dept., confirmed to The Associated
Press that his department was investigating an assault charge
against Spencer, who finished 26th. Both drivers left the
track without comment. "NASCAR spoke with both drivers about
the incident that occurred today. If we should take any
actions, we'll announce it at an appropriate time," NASCAR
spokesman Mike Zizzo said. "They spoke with NASCAR inside (the
hauler) and (NASCAR officials) are going over the incident
right now." Jeff Miles, the transport driver for Spencer,
said, "I know he tried to put Jimmy in the fence on the
straightaway." #31-Robby Gordon, another Winston Cup driver,
offered to pay Spencer's fine and said Busch "had it coming
for a while."
ThatsRacin.com/AP8/17/03 - AND The feud between
Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch flared up again in the garage
area at Michigan International Speedway after Sunday's GFS
Marketplace 400, with Spencer allegedly punching Busch while
Busch sat in his race car. Busch's car ran out of fuel, crew
chief Jimmy Fennig said, as he tried to drive it back to his
hauler after the race. It stopped, interestingly, in front of
Spencer's transporter. Spencer then rammed Busch's rear
bumper, causing the bumper to buckle. Spencer got out of his
car and approached Busch, reaching through the window and
allegedly punching Busch. By the time Busch crawled out,
crewmen from Spencer's team had surrounded the #97. Busch
waved and yelled at Spencer, and then walked to the NASCAR
hauler. He did not appear to be bloodied. There were no other
punches thrown. Almost immediately, however, Fennig went to
NASCAR officials. "I want Spencer here right now," Fennig said
angrily. "We're going to have a fight here." Roush told Speed
TV that Spencer broke Busch's nose. Busch went to the track's
infield care center after he left NASCAR's office trailer and
a Roush Racing spokesperson said Busch would get his nose
looked at when he got home.
NASCAR.com
8/17/03 Industry News
New TV race schedule website launches
A new online service, TVRacer.com, has been created recently that
provides racing enthusiasts with a source to receive current
television listings for major racing series. These listings include
schedules for car, drag and motorcycle racing. TVRacer.com is updated
every 24-hours, making it one of the most accurate television guides
for racing in the United States. “It’s the weekend and the search for
racing on television can be a difficult one,” said Stephens. “The TV
guides are not always up to date, sometimes they show the race on
another network than scheduled or sometimes the race is left out of
the guide altogether.” Each racing series schedule is located, then
verified against each network listing for each race for every series
cataloged. Currently all the schedules are for U.S. based programming,
but a second TVRacer.com webpage is already planned for the Canadian
race fan covering all the Canadian networks. “It is very important to
us to provide each race fan with a better and faster way to locate
their choice of motorsports on television,” said Stephens. “We are
already getting fantastic feedback from the public and we will
continually expand this medium of information based on this and future
user feedback.” TVRacer.com has also added some visual pleasure,
working with a number of motorsports photographers to showcase a
different racing photo each week. Racing enthusiasts can go online to
www.TVRacer.com to obtain more
information or search for specific racing television listings.
8/17/03
Fiery wrecks mar Michigan race
The fortunes of six drivers changed dramatically in three separate
incidents near the midway point of Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400 at
Michigan International Speedway. First, Todd Bodine and Kenny Wallace
were eliminated in a hard crash off Turn 2. Five laps after the race
went green again, Ricky Craven bounced off the wall in about the same
spot, and as the field sped past, Casey Mears clipped Craven's car and
shot toward against the outside wall. As the leaders headed to pit
road, Rusty Wallace decided to dart back on to the track. But he
slammed into the left-front of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car, causing both
to do lazy spins through the tri-oval grass.
NASCAR.com
8/17/03
Why aren't Honda and Toyota crying?
A reader writes, Dear AR1, Can anyone tell me why Honda and Toyota
aren't pitching a fit about what Chevy was allowed to do in mid-season
(replace their underpowered engine with a Ford Cosworth)? As we all
know they threw a fit in CART, and only about the pop-off valve!
Kelly O'Connor, Altoona, Iowa While no one will ever know for
certain, we suspect it's one of two things, 1) They had already made
up their minds to leave CART and used the pop-off incident to make a
big stink, or 2) if they want entry into heaven (Winston Cup) they
have been told to play the game of managed racing and bite their
tongue, lick their wounds and wait for the IRL to tweak the rules to
level the field.
8/17/03
Hornish vs. VasserUPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1,
That's funny, ABC Bob Jenkins called it "the fastest auto race on a
closed circuit," not the second fastest...He also said there was a
huge crowd on hand and I saw about 1/2 the seats empty in a place that
seats 66,000.....propaganda and lies! Ramon Breton
8/17/03 - Sam
Hornish averaged 197.897 mph to win today's 300-mile race in Kentucky.
That speed almost beat Jimmy Vasser's race winning average of 197.995
mph at Fontana last year, the fastest 500-mile race in history.
Granted, Hornish did it in only 300 miles, and the chance for another
caution was high had the race been a full 200-miles longer, and Vasser
was running a Handford Device to slow the Champ Cars down, but an
interesting comparison nonetheless. We suspect it won't be long before
an IRL race runs caution free and the average breaks the 200 mph
barrier. Mark C.
8/17/03
Interesting Fisher comment
A reader writes, Dear AR1, Interesting to note Sarah Fisher's quote
after qualifying at Kentucky, about Chevy being able to give them all
the horsepower they want... of course, she can't say they had to go to
Ford, cap-in-hand, to get it!!! But once again, under-budgeted
Cosworth beats the financial giants of Honda and TRD! David
Laufer Dear David, As you rightly point out, Cosworth has
always held its own with Honda and Toyota on a budget that was 1/2 to
1/3 (from Ford) that of the other two giants. Cosworth has
always been strong at 100% throttle tracks in CART, so it's no
surprise to see them right there in the IRL where most of the racing
is at 100% throttle. They know how to make top-end HP on a low
budget. Mark C.
8/17/03
2nd IRL driver in same day suffers
severe injuriesUPDATE Tom Wood has been
transferred from University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington,
Ky. to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Wood, from Calgary,
Alberta, underwent surgery Saturday evening to stabilize
injuries suffered in an accident at the Kentucky 100. He has
fractures to his middle back, right knee, right foot and both
ankles. Further updates on Wood's condition will be provided
when available. 8/16/03 - Rookie Jeff Simmons won the Kentucky 100 Infiniti Pro Series race. The
race was slowed once due to caution when 46 year old Tom Wood, driver
of the No. 9 Trailblazer Drilling/Savanna Energy
Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone, and Brandon Erwin, driver of the No. 99
Raymond James & Associates/SSM Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone, made
contact on Lap 52 while battling for second [Editor's note, Erwin took
out race leader Mark Taylor last weekend too]. Wood made heavy impact
with the outside retaining wall in Turn 3. Wood, from Calgary,
Alberta, was transferred by air to University of Kentucky Hospital in
Lexington, Ky. According to Dr. Henry Bock, director of medical
services for the Indy Racing League, Wood is in stable condition and
has fractures to his middle back, right knee, right foot and both
ankles. He has full feeling in his extremities and will undergo
surgery this evening for stabilization. Further updates on Wood’s
condition will be provided when available.. See this article for a summary
of injuries since the IRL was created. This table gives you the
detailed statistics.
8/17/03 Industry News
ChevronTexaco recovers Havoline
rights San Ramon oil and gas giant
ChevronTexaco Corp. recovered rights to market Havoline and
Texaco Xpress Lube brands worldwide in an effort to expand its
product portfolio. Havoline, which is celebrating its 99th
anniversary this year, was able to control the rights to
Havoline and Texaco Lubricants after a licensing agreement
with Equilon Enterprises LLC and Motiva Enterprises LLC
expired Aug. 13. Since its merger with Texaco in 2001,
ChevronTexaco has owned the Havoline brand, but has had to
share certain rights of use in the U.S. In addition to
marketing programs for mass merchandisers and auto parts
stores, ChevronTexaco plans to push Havoline and Texaco
Lubricants in a sponsorship with Chip Ganassi Racing with
Felix Sabates in NASCAR racing; sponsoring the U.S. Olympic
Baseball and Soccer teams; and using Mario Andretti as the
Havoline spokesman. ChevronTexaco markets brands including
Chevron, Texaco and Caltex, Havoline, Delo, Ursa, Revtex
Texaco Xpress Lube.
8/17/03
Bumpy track surface has IRL drivers
worried Already two drivers have been injured this
weekend, and some of the IRL drivers are worried that the bumpy
Kentucky Motor Speedway (KMS) track surface may lead to more crashes
in today's race. Even after grinding some of the bumps down, the
track is still bumpy. You may recall that in the past several
years the racing surface at KY Motor Speedway has come under scrutiny,
because the surface has needed repeated attention for open wheel cars
to race safely there. During an interview with Tomas Scheckter
this past Friday evening, he implied that the surface was rough at KMS,
and was generally concerned about close racing. One little
bobble by one of the cars running close together, and wheels touch,
sending the cars hard into the outside retaining wall, and usually the
driver to the hospital to be repaired.
8/17/03
IRL teams told to be ready for 18 races
in 2004 if CART drops some It looks lie the IRL is
ready to pick up any road race CART drops in 2004. Strategically
for CART, they would be wise to only drop oval races, and perhaps
Brands Hatch. Tony George recently said the IRL would not be
road racing until 2005. How fast they changed their tune.
According to this Indy Star article, The Indy Racing League announced
a 16-race schedule for the 2004 season Saturday at Kentucky Speedway.
But league officials acknowledged that up to two races could be added
and another removed. In jeopardy is the season-opening race in
Homestead, Fla., on Feb. 29. The track is being reconfigured with
varying degrees of banking -- 18 degrees on the bottom of the track,
19 in the middle and 20 on top -- and that has the attention of Brian
Barnhart, the IRL's senior vice president of racing operations.
Barnhart is concerned the downforce created by Indy cars will be
broken as drivers move across the varying banking. "You don't want to
break that seal," Barnhart said. "The hard part now is the unknown. Am
I concerned? Yes. But we won't know until we get down there and run on
it." A compatibility test is expected in late October. The IRL's 2004
schedule includes weekends in the spring and fall in which new races
could be added. League officials have their eye on a couple of venues
that currently host Championship Auto Racing Teams events, but they
will not "poach" the races, according to Ken Ungar, senior vice
president of business affairs. But should financially strapped CART
trim its schedule or cease operations, the IRL could add races to its
2004 schedule as late as January, Barnhart said. Those races figure to
be road- or street-course events in locations such as Long Beach,
Calif., Mexico City or Montreal. "We've told our teams to be ready for
up to 18 races," Barnhart said. Eighteen events is the maximum for
next season, he said.
8/17/03
Poor turnout for Canadian GP rally
A rally organized to help save the Canadian Grand Prix had a very
disappointing turnout on Saturday with less than two hundred people
turning out to protest the Montreal event’s exclusion from the 2004
Formula One calendar. Stick a fork in that race, it's dead for 2004.
"I don't think Montrealers have given up whether they are here or
not," Normand Legault, chief executive of the Montreal Grand Prix
said. Related
article.
8/16/03
Weaver wins pole for Toronto GP at Mosport UPDATE We have added images from
Friday and Saturday below. 8/16/03 -
James Weaver led a Dyson Racing sweep of the front row starting
positions in Saturday’s qualifying for Sunday’s American Le Mans
Series Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport at Mosport International Raceway.
Weaver won the overall pole for the race with a lap of 1:07.906 in the
Dyson Racing Lola-MG that he will co-drive with Butch Leitzinger in
Sunday’s sports car race on the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit. The
second Dyson car, qualified by Andy Wallace, was second-fastest
overall and in the LMP 675 class. Wallace will co-drive with Chris
Dyson. "We've been working hard all year,” said Weaver, who teamed
with Leitzinger to win when the ALMS raced at Sonoma, Calif., in July.
“I'm not really surprised, but I'm tickled pink. I thought I might get
into the (1:09) 75's, but the track started getting slippery and I
thought it was best not to push car into trouble. The car is getting
faster and faster every lap. The team is fine-tuning the tire
pressures and the engine is running perfectly. I think the car will be
even faster (Sunday)." For the second time this year in the ALMS, cars
from the Prototype 675 class outqualified cars from the Prototype 900
class, which includes larger and more-powerful cars. JJ Lehto won the
LMP 900 pole and qualified third overall in the ADT Champion Racing
Audi R8 that he will co-drive with Johnny Herbert, while Frank Biela
qualified second in the Infineon Team Joest Audi R8 shared with Marco
Werner. “We're just not fast enough,” said Lehto, who was disappointed
to not win the overall pole. “We'll see (Sunday). Maybe with new
tires, but we're just not fast here. It's a great track, one of the
most challenging around. We'll see, but it's just a lack of power,
really. The new smaller engine restrictions this year really hurt us,
we're down 10 percent. (Sunday) is a new day, we'll try. Anything can
happen."
8/16/03
Bodily injuries continue in the IRLUPDATE Rather than replace Meira
with another driver, Team Menard opted to write the weekend off, load
up and head back to Indy. 8/16/03 - Vitor Meira slammed the outside retaining wall between turns 1 & 2
today driving with the new Gen IV Chevy Cosworth behind him. Not
only did he pretty much wipe out an expensive car, he became the
latest sacrificial lamb. He broke his wrist
and is out for the weekend. See this article for a summary
of injuries since the IRL was created. This table gives you the
detailed statistics.
8/16/03
Bill France to give deposition
NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. is expected to give a deposition
Tuesday in the lawsuit over a second Winston Cup date for Texas Motor
Speedway. Plano, TX resident Francis Ferko and Highland Village
resident Rusty Vaughn are shareholders of Speedway Motorsports Inc.,
the parent company of TMS. Ferko and Vaughn are suing NASCAR over
failing to deliver on an alleged promise to provide a second annual
Winston Cup race at TMS. The suit also alleges federal anti-trust
violations in NASCAR's relationship with International Speedway Corp.,
which owns 12 facilities where Winston Cup events are held. The France
family owns NASCAR and has a controlling interest in ISC. France will
be deposed in Daytona Beach, Fla., where NASCAR is headquartered, by
attorneys for Ferko and Vaughn.
Dallas Morning News
8/16/03
NASCAR adds a chase vehicle
NASCAR added a "chase vehicle" to its repertoire of emergency vehicles
last season, designed to add an extra layer of communication and
safety in case of accidents during Winston Cup races. NASCAR president
Mike Helton said the chase vehicle is not specifically an extra
emergency vehicle to serve in a medical capacity, but it is to help
give some familiarity to drivers involved in accidents. "We have a
vehicle on the racetrack that we put into play last year that will
respond to a scene," Helton said Friday at Michigan International
Speedway. "It is a NASCAR official, a person that the drivers will be
familiar with, a face that the drivers will be familiar with." Last
weekend at Watkins Glen International, drivers Ryan Newman and Jeff
Gordon criticized emergency workers for their slow response to getting
to wrecked cars. NASCAR employs local emergency personnel to staff
tracks, and Helton said the sanctioning body wouldn't swerve from that
policy. Helton said there is only one chase vehicle at the racetrack,
but road courses like Watkins Glen makes it difficult for one vehicle
to cover the entire circuit. Helton said adding extra chase cars for
road courses probably won't happen. But Helton said NASCAR would be
open to change. The NASCAR official who mans the chase vehicle drives
to the scene of the accident as soon as possible, but stays away from
the immediate area to let the safety crew work. If the driver chooses
not to ride in the ambulance, the chase vehicle takes the driver to
the infield care center.
8/16/03
Investor acquires more than 5%
of CARTUPDATE We have
moved the updates to this to the rumors page where it belongs.
The plot really thickens....
8/15/03 - Weatons Holdings,
Ltd. of Canada has acquired 920,900 shares, or 6.2%, of CART
stock as revealed in this Schedule 13G
SEC filing.
8/16/03
Frisselle wins 2nd half of doubleheader
Brian Frisselle of Kihei, Hawaii, took his first Formula Dodge
National Championship presented by RACER Magazine win at Lime Rock
Park today as he made a bold move in the early stages of the race to
take the lead, and then held off the pressure from Salvador Duran and
Rafael Matos to take the win. Duran finished in second place ahead of
Matos as the two championship contenders each collected their second
podium visits for the weekend. Barber Champ Car Scholarship racer Joe
D'Agostino raced to fourth place after starting in seventh, with John
Angelone taking his best ever finish in Formula Dodge National
Championship competition in fifth place. Ricky Schmidt finished in
sixth ahead of Zilvinas Oskutis, who fought his way up the order after
starting in eleventh position. Abraham Zimroth finished in eighth
ahead of Ben Freudenberg and Dominique Claessens. The battling behind
the lead three was intense, as shown by the fact that positions six
through eleven crossed the line just over two seconds from one
another.
8/16/03
Simmons wins IPS race
In a real snoozer, Jeff Simmons won his second consecutive Infiniti
Pro Series event. He won the Aug. 9 event at Gateway. Simmons has two
career Infiniti Pro Series victories. Simmons led all 67 laps of the
Kentucky 100, marking the fourth time in series history that a driver
has led every lap. Ryan Hampton led all 80 laps at Gateway in 2002 and
Mark Taylor led all 100 laps at Phoenix and all 77 laps at Nashville
in 2003. Results Saturday of the Kentucky 100 IRL Infiniti Pro
Series event at Kentucky Speedway, with order of finish, starting
position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and
reason out (if any):
1. (1) Jeff Simmons, Dallara-Infiniti, 67
2. (7) Cory Witherill, Dallara-Infiniti, 67
3. (4) Thiago Medeiros, Dallara-Infiniti, 67,
4. (9) Arie Luyendyk Jr., Dallara-Infiniti, 67
5. (8) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Infiniti, 67
6. (5) Aaron Fike, Dallara-Infiniti, 67
7. (11) Gary Peterson, Dallara-Infiniti, 67
8. (10) Paul Dana, Dallara-Infiniti, 67
9. (2) Brandon Erwin, Dallara-Infiniti, 58, Accident
10. (3) Tom Wood, Dallara-Infiniti, 51, Accident
11. (12) G.J. Mennen, Dallara-Infiniti, 37, Handling
12. (6) Billy Roe, Dallara-Infiniti, 9, Electrical
13. (DNS) Mark Taylor, Dallara-Infiniti, 0, Did Not Start
Kentucky 100 pole sitter and IRL Infiniti
Pro Series points leader Mark Taylor did not compete in the Kentucky
100. According to team officials, Taylor was suffering from
dehydration as a result of possible food poisoning. Taylor received
fluids in the infield medical center. Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 142.432 mph.
Time of race: 00:41:46.2837.
Margin of victory: 0.1119.
Cautions: 1 for 10 laps.
Lead changes: none.
Lap leaders: Simmons 1-67.
Point Standings: Taylor 364, Simmons 308, Medeiros 265, Carpenter 263,
Witherill 251, Fike 240, Wood 235, Luyendyk 228, Erwin 213, Dana 201,
Urlin 166, Peterson 158, Beardsley 144, Mennen 72, Roth 69, Johncox
62, Fonferko 52, Ave 35, Roe 34, Cioci 22, Quintanilla 20, Steele 19,
Harrington 18, Smith 17, Mack 14, Dollansky 13.
8/16/03
Jaskol wins Barber Dodge National race
Barber-Champ Car Scholarship racer Matt Jaskol of Las Vegas, Nevada,
won the first of two Formula Dodge National Championship presented by
RACER Magazine races at Lime Rock Park today after emerging in the
lead on the second lap and holding off the field to power to a
two-second win over Mexican Salvador Duran. Raphael Matos crossed the
line with just a .005 second gap ahead of Brian Frisselle to take the
final spot on the podium. The top three finishers are also the top
three in the championship points battle which continues to tighten,
with only three races remaining in the season. Ben Freudenberg
finished in fifth position, with polesitter Dominique Claessens
holding on to cross the finish line in sixth. David Jurca took
seventh, with Zilvinas Oskutis scoring eighth. Abraham Zimroth
finished in ninth position ahead of Gerardo Bonilla, who took tenth.
Jaskol took the lead on the second lap, and never looked back,
building up a comfortable two second lead, an eternity in Formula
Dodge National Championship competition, as he lead every lap but the
first. The race behind Jaskol was far from boring, though, as Matos
got the bit between his teeth and began to make passes from his sixth
starting position. Dominique Claessens, was hoping to convert his pole
position into a win, but was dealing with a poor-handling car right
from the start of the race.
8/16/03
IRL announces 16-race 2004 schedule,
add Milwaukee, drop Gateway Indy Racing League
officials announced a 16-race schedule for the 2004 season,
highlighted by the 88th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and a new event at
The Milwaukee Mile. The 2004 season marks the ninth year of
competition for the IRL IndyCar Series. The 16-race schedule,
featuring all ovals, equals the 2003 season for the largest number of
events on an IRL IndyCar Series season schedule. All 16 events will be
broadcast live on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, including six consecutive ABC
telecasts from July 25 to Sept. 12. All races also will be broadcast
by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. For the third
consecutive year, Homestead-Miami Speedway will play host to the
season opener, the Toyota Indy 300, with ESPN televising the event
scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 29. The season will end with an
ABC-televised race, the Chevy 500 on Sunday, Oct. 17 at Texas Motor
Speedway. TMS has played host to the IRL season finale since 1999.
“Entering our ninth season in 2004, the IRL IndyCar Series schedule
continues to evolve, as it offers one of the most competitive
motorsports environments in the world,” said Ken Ungar, senior vice
president of business affairs for the Indy Racing League. “We
appreciate the input of our teams and thank the tracks for their
efforts to grow the IndyCar Series.” The 88th Indianapolis 500 is
scheduled for Sunday, May 30 and will be broadcast for the 40th
consecutive year by ABC. The relationship is the second-longest
running partnership by a sporting event and a network. Though
most of the events remain near their traditional dates, there have
been a few date changes. The Milwaukee Mile will play host to its
first IndyCar Series race on July 25, while the Pikes Peak event has
been moved from June to Aug. 22. The IndyCar Series’ lone date outside
of the United States, the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi, will be
announced in the near future. For the first time in series history,
there will be two consecutive night races, with the Bombardier 500 at
Texas Motor Speedway and the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond
International Raceway taking place back-to-back on June 12 and June
26, respectively. The other night race, the Firestone Indy 200 at
Nashville Superspeedway, is scheduled for July 17. 2004 Schedule:
Date Event Television Network
Feb. 29 Homestead-Miami Speedway Toyota Indy 300 ESPN
March 21 Phoenix International Raceway TBA ABC
TBA Twin Ring Motegi Indy Japan 300 ESPN2
May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 88th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race ABC
June 12* Texas Motor Speedway Bombardier 500 ESPN
June 26* Richmond International Raceway SunTrust Indy Challenge ESPN2
July 4 Kansas Speedway TBA ABC
July 17* Nashville Superspeedway Firestone Indy 200 ESPN
July 25 The Milwaukee Mile TBA ABC
Aug. 1 Michigan International Speedway Firestone Indy 400 ABC
Aug. 15 Kentucky Speedway Belterra Casino Indy 300 ABC
Aug. 22 Pikes Peak International Raceway Honda Indy 225 ABC
Aug. 29 Nazareth Speedway Firestone Indy 225 ABC
Sept. 12 Chicagoland Speedway Delphi Indy 300 ABC
Oct. 3 California Speedway Toyota Indy 400 ESPN
Oct. 17 Texas Motor Speedway Chevy 500 ABC
* -- night race
8/16/03
Tracks thirst for coveted Winston Cup
date This Atlanta Journal-Constitution
article talks about all the tracks that run IRL, Busch and
Truck races, but it's really a Winston Cup race they covet.
8/16/03
Miller extends NASCAR sponsorship
Miller Brewing Company announced today that it will extend the 100th
anniversary celebration of its High Life brand by sponsoring a car in
six additional NASCAR Grand National races. The company returned to
its roots in racing to commemorate the brand’s anniversary when the
High Life Dodge debuted in the June Grand National series race at the
Milwaukee Mile. This new agreement makes High Life the primary sponsor
of Jesel Racing and driver Chad Blount in six additional races
beginning with this weekend’s Cabela’s 250 at Michigan International
Speedway. “Both High Life and stock car racing are authentic, classic
and uniquely American,” said Carl Cahill, High Life senior associate
brand manager. “The June race in Milwaukee was the perfect way to
launch the celebration of High Life’s 100th anniversary. We realized,
however, that this occasion was too important to commemorate in one
weekend. Therefore, we decided to extend High Life’s 100th anniversary
celebration to include six more races during the 2003 season.” High
Life’s rich history in racing plays a prominent role in this
partnership, as Blount’s car will feature a design honoring the
brand’s 100th anniversary and a paint scheme that resembles Bobby
Allison’s 1983 championship-winning stock car. This year marks the
20th anniversary of Allison driving a High Life car to the first --
and only -- NASCAR Winston Cup title of his 25-year racing career.
Along with this Saturday’s race at Michigan International Speedway,
High Life will sponsor the Jesel Racing team and Blount in Grand
National events at Richmond International Raceway; Kansas Speedway;
Lowe’s (Charlotte) Motor Speedway; Atlanta Motor Speedway and
Homestead-Miami Speedway. At all these events, the No. 26 car will
continue to recognize High Life’s 100th anniversary and feature a
vintage paint scheme resembling Allison’s 1983 car. “High Life
represents the timeless, traditional values of hard work, pride and
resourcefulness – the same traits found in a championship-winning race
team,” said Cahill. “Returning to our roots through involvement in a
sport that mirrors High Life’s rich tradition is an ideal way to
commemorate High Life’s 100th anniversary, and we are excited to
extend the celebration.”.
8/15/03 World of Outlaws
World of Outlaws Series sold
Boundless Motor Sports Racing, Inc. (Boundless, OTCBB: BMSR) and World
of Outlaws, Inc., announced today that Boundless has entered into an
agreement to purchase World Of Outlaws, Inc. Through the agreement
Boundless will acquire all the stock of World Of Outlaws, Inc. This
acquisition follows an announcement earlier today by Boundless that it
has also entered into an agreement to purchase the stock of DIRT
Motorsports, Inc. The two acquisitions, part of the company’s business
strategy, will make Boundless the largest dirt track racing
sanctioning body in the country covering Sprint, Modified, Super
Modified and Sportsman Classes. World of Outlaws has held the position
as the premier name in Sprint Car Racing for the past 25 years. This
year alone, World Of Outlaws will hold 101 sanctioned races at 51 dirt
tracks in the United States and has plans in the works for four races
in Australia this winter. “The combination of bringing both World Of
Outlaws and DIRT Motor Sports Racing together under one company will
create tremendous value to both the individual brands as well as
racing in general,” said Paul A.Kruger, Chairman of Boundless
Motorsports Racing, Inc. “By building on the strengths of these
leading names, Boundless will be able to expand even more on the
current success of dirt track racing.” The recent acquisition of DIRT,
which includes its own in-house television production company, brings
national broadcast coverage on Speed Vision, Time Warner Cable, the
Empire TV Network, as well as Cyber broadcast coverage to both racing
bodies. Both series will also receive full racing season coverage on
Rush Hour on Dirt and This Week on DIRT, both productions of DIRT
television. “During my 25 years with the World Of Outlaws we’ve built
a great series with the help of our dedicated fans and outstanding
drivers,” said Ted Johnson, founder of World Of Outlaws. “Now, as part
of Boundless, we’ll have the support to take the World Of Outlaws to a
whole new level of exposure.”
8/15/03
Papis joins Brumos team for
Mont-Treblant
Veteran Champ Car and sports car racer Max Papis is the latest
addition to the Brumos Racing team for the 6 Heures du Circuit
Mont-Tremblant, a Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series event
September 19-21 in Quebec, Canada. Papis, a three-time winner
in CART Champ Car competition and the overall winner of the
2002 Rolex 24 At Daytona, will join two-time 2003 Rolex Series
winners Hurley Haywood and J.C. France in the No. 59 Porsche
FABCAR in the premier Daytona Prototypes class for the
six-hour race. "After winning The Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2002
and finishing fifth for JML Team Panoz at the 2003 Le Mans 24
Hours, I am looking forward to this new challenge," said
Papis. "I am especially looking forward to sharing the car
with one of the greatest legends of sports car racing, Hurley
Haywood. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to race at
Mont-Tremblant. I'm told it is a great circuit, and an
old-time friend, Lawrence Stroll, who sponsored Team Lotus in
Formula One while I was the test driver for my good friends
Alex Zanardi and Johnny Herbert, owns it. With the upcoming
CART race in Montreal, I will be visiting the Montreal area
twice in a short period to time. "I have to thank Brumos for
this opportunity, and my CART team, PKR, for allowing me to
take part in this event," Papis added.
Papis becomes the second renowned driver to join the two-car
Brumos effort for Mont-Tremblant. Recently, Porsche factory
driver and Le Mans 24 Hour class winner Sascha Maassen was
announced to join David Donohue and Mike Borkowski in the No.
58 Red Bull Porsche in the premier Daytona Prototypes class
for the six-hour event on the scenic 2.65-mile circuit.
"Having two drivers of the quality of Max and Sascha to help
on the Brumos team for the Six Hours indicates the strength of
the series," said Brumos Racing President Bob Snodgrass. "Max
and I have been friends since the first time he came to
Daytona for the Rolex 24 in 1996. He was very respectful of
Hurley and his position in international competition. Max is
an excellent driver, and I've always wanted to have him on our
team. Now, this is like a dream come true to finally put Max
together to co-drive with Hurley."
8/15/03
Weaver fastest at Mosport
James Weaver drove the Dyson Racing Lola EX257-MG to the
fastest time of the day Friday as American Le Mans Series
teams began testing for Sunday’s Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport
at Mosport International Raceway. There was a surprise in the
GT class as the Risi Competizione Ferrari set the fastest time
of the day, beating the series-leading and undefeated Alex Job
Racing Porsches. Anthony Lazzaro and Ralf Kelleners drove the
Risi car, a Ferrari 360 Modena that has shown steady
improvement in the past several races and finished second in
the most recent event. Weaver was a part of history earlier
this year when he and co-driver Butch Leitzinger won the ALMS
event held at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., the first
win in the series for a car from the LMP 675 class for smaller
Prototypes. The victory was also the first in the series for
Dyson Racing. “The car is running fabulously,” said Weaver,
from England, whose best lap time was 1:09.471, an unofficial
record for the P675 class. “It ran well when we tested here in
May and it’s still going. This circuit really suits us well,”
he said of the 2.459-mile, 10-turn Mosport circuit. The
Infineon Team Joest Audi R8 of Frank Biela and Marco Werner
was second-fastest overall in Friday’s unofficial testing, as
well as the fastest in the LMP 900 class for larger, more
powerful Prototypes, with a lap of 1:09.830. The Joest team
took the overall win in the most recent ALMS event at
Trois-Rivières, Quebec, two weeks ago. The ADT Champion Racing
Audi R8 of JJ Lehto and Johnny Herbert was third-fastest
overall and second in LMP 900 on Friday at 1:10.174, followed
by the Panoz LMP01 of JML Team Panoz and drivers Olivier
Beretta and David Saelens at 1:10.806, third in P900. The
other Dyson entry of Andy Wallace and Chris Dyson was second
in P675 and fifth overall at 1:11.345. The American Le Mans
Series Radio Web will have live coverage online at
www.americanlemans.com.
8/15/03
Qualifying delayed at MIS
Bud pole qualifying at Michigan International Speedway has
been delayed today due to rain showers. Stay tuned for
further updates...
8/15/03
Richards in no hurry to
announce 2004 drivers David Richards admitted to be
talking with many drivers, including McLaren test driver
Alexander Wurz, for 2004. "Alex worked for me at Benetton and
I have a great respect for him," mentioned Richards to the
Daily Telegraph. "I think he is a very intelligent, mature
driver and would be a great complement to the team. That said,
we are not rushing into any decisions at this moment. It will
happen over the next couple of months." However, it does seems
more and more likely that Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button
are going to stay at BAR for 2004.
8/15/03 F3000
Townsend Bell and Björn
Wirdheim to get F1 test
The Lucky Strike BAR Honda team have today further
demonstrated their commitment to evaluating and nurturing new
F1 talent, with the announcement that opportunities are to be
made available to test up-and-coming drivers during the autumn
testing season. BAR’s close relationship with Arden
International means that the first two drivers to benefit from
this opportunity will be current Formula 3000 teammates,
Townsend Bell and Björn Wirdheim. Bell, a 28-year-old American
and 2001 CART Indy Lights Champion, and 23-year-old Swede,
Wirdheim, the newly crowned 2003 F3000 Champion, will both
drive the BAR Honda 005 F1 car during tests in September.
8/15/03
Despite power outage, all
events on for MIS All track activities for August
15, 16 and 17 will go on as scheduled at Michigan
International Speedway. Michigan International Speedway has
electricity and track facilities are running smoothly. AAA
Pole Day track activity starts this morning with NASCAR Busch
Series practice from 8:45 –10:50 A.M. The NASCAR Winston Cup
Series cars will be on track for their practice from 11:00 –
12:55 P.M. followed by NASCAR Busch Series Qualifying at 1:05
P.M. for Saturday’s Cabela’s 250. NASCAR Winston Cup
qualifying will follow the Busch Series at 3:05 P.M.
CART fan does not like what he is
hearingUPDATE Another
reader responds, I don't think there is any need to invest the money
for permanent Jumbotrons at places like Mid-Ohio or Road America.
Instead the new CART owners should invest in a portable system to take
EVERYWHERE they race. I seem to remember a portable system set up at
Mid-Ohio several years ago. (I can't remember the series. It might
have been the old IMSA days. I'm not really sure it was even Mid-Ohio,
maybe the old Columbus street race, Road America or even Sebring.) It
was crude but effective. The new systems today are awesome. Beyond
that and maybe widening the track at Mid-Ohio I can't think of
anything else I'd change about the place. Yes I am biased as I've been
going there every year since 1967. Gary Shell Another
responds, This fan should realize this is business; in troubled times
the first priority is survive to fight another day. The people running
this show are very sophisticated business/investor types whose hobby
is motor sports. They appear to be structuring the new entity as a
venture capital start-up. If they succeed everyone might be very
pleasantly surprised, and for many seasons thereafter.
Richard Bowden8/15/03 - A reader writes, Dear AR1, Well, I definitely don't
like the other part of that story. 14 race schedule, cutting most if
not all of the oval races, focusing on these stupid street circuits,
possible loss of Mid-Ohio, Road America, and Fontana, and dropping
the whole European leg (Brands Hatch, Lausitz). If all of this ends up
coming true then that's it I'm out! I won't watch or follow CART
anymore. The loss of Mid-Ohio after the fans turned out would be a
slap in the face to those fans. Losing Road America would just be
plain stupid. So much for all the hard work Mario did. This would be a
colossal mistake and would only help to fragment the diehard fans that
KEEP sticking with CART through all this B.S. I also think canceling
Brands Hatch and Germany would be a huge mistake. We're never going to
build a fan base -- anywhere, because we can't get any damn stability
to it. They lost what, 8 million on the European leg. Gerry or Paul
could sneeze 8 million dollars. What's 8 million to these
BILLIONAIRES, to invest in what WAS the greatest series in the world?
You guys said it right when you suggested some of these billionaire
team owners should invest some money in RA and Mid-Ohio to bring it
up to acceptable standards. I had no idea that RA doesn't have Jumbotron's! That's ridiculous, especially on a circuit that big.
These team owners need to invest in CART and most important its
roots. That's DIVERSITY! And that means ovals. I can't state more
clearly that CART needs it's ovals. Look, the IRL doesn't pull in huge
crowds except for a few. Texas, Kansas (only because their part of the
NASCAR package and the ever failing Indy 500. We may never be able to
"pack them in" on the ovals. But that doesn't mean we should give up
on an important aspect of what Champ Cars were built on. I could go on
forever about the importance of ovals but I won't. Everybody
knows how important they are.......if they know CART. Which I really
don't think Pook does. I hope most of this doesn't come true, but if it
does, then I'll just give up on CART and focus on F1 and the ALMS.
This new Big Rig truck racing should be a hoot also. But I will NOT
watch the IRL even if it does go road racing. That's the one thing
Roger, Tony, and Michael don't get. I won't switch to your series.
I just won't watch either. James Shaw, a disgruntled and IGNORED
CART fan.
8/14/03
Non-Traditional TV markets show
increases UPDATE The
Sirius At The Glen on NBC finished with final numbers of a solid 5.6
rating and 15 share, according to Nielsen Media Research. This is a 5
percent increase over last year's race, and the numbers represent
5,926,000 households. Sunday's race was the second highest rated
sports broadcast for the week, finishing behind the NFL Hall of Fame
Game, which garnered a 7.4 rating and 13 share in prime time on ABC.
The NASCAR pre-race show finished in 3rd place with a 2.7 rating and 7
share. 8/11/03 - Overnight television ratings for the
Sirius at The Glen showed some interesting trends. In several cities
considered “non-traditional” racing markets, where the sport has not
historically been followed as closely as other in geographic areas,
increases in the average number of households tuned in to the NBC
broadcast suggest that NASCAR Winston Cup racing seems to be
attracting new fans in cities across the nation. In Boston, an average
of 83,000 households tuned in, a 48% increase over 2002. Likewise, 41%
more households tuned in to watch the race in Baltimore and 38% more
households watched in New Orleans. An average of 185,000 Los Angeles
households watched the race, an 11% increase compared to the same
broadcast a year earlier. Overall, among the 55 Local Metered Markets
monitored for the Nielsen overnight ratings, the average number of
households tuned in for the Sirius at The Glen was up 3%. (Figures
compiled by Nielsen Media Research)
8/14/03
Bernie confirms Montreal axed
Bernie Ecclestone has finally confirmed that the Canadian Grand Prix
has been axed from the Formula 1 schedule for 2004 because of new
Canadian anti-tobacco legislation. "I can confirm that a letter was
written to the Canadian race promoter following a meeting I had with
him when I informed him the Canadian round of the FIA Formula 1
Championship would not be included in the 2004 calendar," read the
statement. The reason for this is that the Canadian government has
brought into effect a total prohibition on tobacco-related
sponsorship. There is a provision in our contract with the race
promoter that should this become effective, we have the right not to
include their event in the calendar for the relevant year. Our problem
is quite simple. The F1 teams with tobacco-related sponsorship lose
part of their revenue when a certain percentage of the events ban
tobacco sponsorship. This was the reason the Belgian Grand Prix was
not included in the 2003 calendar. "One thing is for sure – everyone
is sorry to lose the Canadian race as we all love Montreal and the
warm support the city has always given Formula 1."
8/14/03
IRL TV ratings continue to tankUPDATE The final rating
for the Gateway IRL race on ABC was a 0.7, down from last
year's 0.75, and that was on cable mind you. The Winston cup
race was up 5%, so it's not the economy. 8/11/03 - Last year the IRL Gateway race pulled a final 0.75 rating on cable
(ESPN). This year the overnight rating on network TV (ABC) was a
0.8. The final rating, as always, is expected to be lower.
Historically CART and IRL network TV ratings are significantly above
their cable TV ratings. With the possibility that the final
Gateway rating on ABC may come in lower than last year's cable TV
rating, the IRL front office, and all the big name sponsors, drivers
and teams, must be scratching their head on where they went wrong.
We can answer that. By creating the IRL, and splitting the sport
of Indy Car racing in two (instead of funding 8 Americans in CART each
year for
25% of what he spent on the IRL, at a time when CART was at its peak
in 1995 and getting NASCAR-like TV ratings. Imagine how big Indy
Car racing would be now.) Tony George has succeeded in severely
damaging open wheel racing, allowing NASCAR to become essentially a
monopoly in the USA. Stick a fork in Indy Car racing. It's done.
Mark C.
IRL TV Ratings Trend
2002:
Homestead (ABC) 1.5
Phoenix (ABC) 1.2
California (ESPN) 0.5
Nazareth (ABC) 1.3
Indy (ABC) 4.8
Texas (ESPN) 0.6
Pike's Peak (ABC) 1.0
Richmond (ESPN) 0.6
Kansas (ABC) 1.3
Nashville (ESPN2) 0.5
Michigan (ABC) 1.2
Kentucky (ABC) 0.9
Gateway (ESPN) 0.8
Chicagoland (ABC) 1.1
Texas (ABC) 0.9
Gateway (ESPN) 0.75 2003:
Homestead (ABC) 1.8 (Up 20%)
Phoenix (ABC) 0.9 (Down 25%)
Japan (ABC) 0.9 (First Time Event, but down from a 1.0 for CART on ABC
in 2001)
Indy (ABC) 4.6 (Down 4.1%)
Texas (ESPN) 0.4 (Down 33%)
Pike's Peak (ABC) 0.7 (Down 30%)
Richmond (ESPN) 0.48 (Down 20%)
Kansas (ABC) 1.2 (Down 7.7%)
Nashville (ESPN2) 0.3 (Down 40%)
Michigan (ABC) 1.0 (Down 16.7%)
Gateway (ABC) 0.70 (Down 6.7%)
TBD = Final rating to be determined
8/14/03 Announcement
Technical difficulties
The major power outage in the NE and other server technical
difficulties has caused our server to go up and down all day
today. We are working to restore service as most of our
staff was stranded in Manhattan due to the power outage. It
was and still is total gridlock and pandemonium.
8/14/03
Martinsville to host Virginia
motorsports initiative Governor Mark R. Warner
announced this morning the launch of the Virginia Motorsports
Initiative at Martinsville Speedway. The statewide initiative,
comprised of public and private sector partners, will promote
and support motorsports activities in Virginia as a means for
economic development. "Virginia has a strong cluster of racing
venues and motorsports businesses," said Warner. "Our new
initiative will build on these existing assets to promote the
growth of the motorsports industry and racing venues. "Our aim
is to attract and grow in Virginia a dynamic motorsports
industry that sees the Commonwealth as the preferred location
for engine builders, component makers, race car teams, and
other businesses in the fast growing motorsports world." The
Virginia Motorsports Initiative has three main components:
recruit companies to Virginia involved in the motorsports
business that will provide well-paid, year-round employment;
support Virginia's 37 different racing venues, from the
Winston Cup circuit to local dirt tracks and drag strips;
nurture research and development and workforce training in
Virginia's motorsports industry. "It's no secret how hard our
area has been hit in the last few years," said Martinsville
Speedway president Clay Campbell, referring to the more than
10,000 jobs lost in Martinsville and Henry County over the
past decade. "Any step like this, any step that can bring in
new jobs to our community is a good step. Martinsville
Speedway will certainly do anything in its power to help make
the Virginia Motorsports Initiative a success, in our area and
across the Commonwealth." As a private sector partner, the
newly formed Virginia Motorsports coalition represents
Virginia's varied racing venues and will promote motorsports
in the Commonwealth. "Motorsports are some of the most popular
spectator sports in the country and their fan base continues
to grow," said Joe Mattioli III, president of South Boston
Speedway and also president of the Virginia Motorsports
coalition. "Virginia has a great tradition in the field of
motorsports, and I look forward to working with the members of
the Virginia Motorsports Coalition to promote all types of
motorsports in the Commonwealth. We appreciate the support of
Governor Warner in getting the coalition off the starting
line." The Virginia Motorsports Initiative represents a new
approach to economic development in the Commonwealth. By
identifying an industry cluster in which Virginia is already
strong, the commonwealth can build on the existing industry
infrastructure and expand the opportunities for growth into
support industries.
8/14/03
Fittipaldi to run truck race
Petty Enterprises has announced that Christian Fittipaldi will
compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Bristol
(Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Fittipaldi will
drive the #9 Bugles/Wells Fargo Financial Ford for Ballew
Motorsports. He is in his first season on the NASCAR Winston
Cup Series and will be seeking to gain experience on the
high-banked short track that will transfer to his #43
Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge for the Winston Cup Event. Petty
Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty suggested the idea to help
Fittipaldi gain race experience on the track before the
Winston Cup race three nights later. "Bristol is a tough place
to race," said Petty. "Christian is in his first season with
us and this will be his first time going to Bristol. The #43
team tested last week at Bristol and had a great test. But
testing and racing at Bristol are two different things."
8/14/03
CART implements single-car
qualifying [Editor's Note: Hopefully a precursor to
all races in 2004, but unfortunately CART missed the most
important element, that being single-lap qualifying to mix the
grid up] Responding to the challenges of providing
competitive full-field qualifying sessions on the tight street
courses in Denver and Miami, the CART Champ Car World Series
announced Thursday that it has implemented single-car
qualifying for both events. The drivers and teams of the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford will run both first-round and final qualifying for the
August 31 Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver and the
September 28 Grand Prix Americas in single-car fashion,
eliminating concerns over traffic and enhancing safety for
competitors and fans. "These changes will not only provide a
better and safer racing environment for our teams," said CART
Director of Technology Lee Dykstra. "It will also give our
fans a truer look at the performances of our teams and drivers
during qualifying sessions." The unique format, which will be
in effect only for the aforementioned races, will debut in
Denver with first-round qualifying on Friday, August 29.
Saturday's final round of qualifying in the single-car format,
which is believed to be the first of its kind for major
open-wheel racing in the United States, will be televised live
on SPEED Channel beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
First-round qualifying order will be run in reverse order of
Friday practice times for both events, while the order for
final qualifying will run in reverse of the first-round
results. Each competitor will run one untimed out lap,
followed by three qualifying laps. The best single lap of the
three will count as the driver's official time. A driver that
returns to the pits before taking the green flag will have a
chance to run again after all other competitors have
qualified, but a driver that runs at least one green flag lap
will not be allowed to make another qualifying effort. The
timing line will be located near the entrance to the pits in
both Denver and Miami, meaning that each driver will run one
untimed in-lap segment after his third qualifying circuit. In
an effort to ensure that every driver gets the opportunity to
run unimpeded, CART Champ Car Stewards will take away a
driver's fastest lap if, on their in-lap segment, they are
found to have blocked the following competitor's out lap.
8/14/03
New Ferrari team to debut
A new Canadian-owned and sponsored racing team will make its
American Le Mans Series debut in this weekend’s Toronto Grand
Prix of Mosport at Mosport International Raceway. Ferri
Competizione and Ferrari Maserati of Ontario will campaign a
Ferrari 360 Modena in the GT class in the annual American Le
Mans Series event at the historic Mosport circuit. “This entry
marks a historic beginning for Ferri Competizione and Ferrari
Maserati of Ontario and we are very excited to participate in
a prestigious race with the finest brand in the world,
Ferrari,” said Remo Ferri, Team Owner and President of Ferrari
Maserati of Ontario. “Our participation is even more special
because we are aiming for the top with a Ferrari and a strong
driver lineup.” Veteran drivers Mauro Baldi and Andrea
Bertolini will pilot the #32 entry in the Toronto Grand Prix
of Mosport. Both have a extensive racing experience at world
class racing events, with Baldi a former overall winner of the
prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring. The team includes technicians
from Ferrari Maserati of Ontario along with engineers and
technicians who have come over from Michelotto and Ferrari
S.P.A. in Italy. “This race presents us with a unique
opportunity to raise our profile among Ontarians who
appreciate the artistry and tradition of fine handmade
automobiles,” said Ferri. “Ferrari Maserati is a living legend
in world class racing and our participation in Ontario is the
beginning of a new era.”
8/14/03
Williams has made significant
improvements to FW25 Since the beginning
of the season, the Williams FW25 has gained 4-seconds per lap.
From two seconds per lap too slow in early season testing, it
lapped around the Hockenheim circuit last weekend from time to
time two seconds per lap faster than the rest of the field.
But where did those added four seconds come from? There are
three reasons. 1) the wider Michelin front tires with a
special construction work perfectly with the FW25, and the
Michelins are really good in the heat, and it was hot in
Germany last weekend. 2) the team now understand the
car, which was a rather radical departure, a lot better. Now
the engineers find the perfect setup very quickly on Fridays,
whereas in the first few races they rarely had a good setup
by Sunday. A lot is in weight distribution, damper settings
and tire pressures. 3) the aerodynamics have greatly improved,
once Williams, with the help of BMW, sorted out their problems
with the wind tunnel as it was producing wrong or imprecise
data. Since then the improvement in aerodynamic efficiency was
almost 15 percent. “Aerodynamically,“ says Montoya, “we are as
good as Ferrari now“. For Hockenheim Williams also
modified the front wing and the winglets in front of the rear
tires. Because the Michelin tires are better than
the Bridgestones in the heat, and because Budapest, Hungary is
expected to be hot next weekend, the Williams team may have
another dominating weekend. Not only is the Michelin
tire better in hot conditions, it also gives a clear
advantage in slow corners, and Budapest has plenty of those.
Ferrari lost up to 0.7 seconds in the second sector at Hockenheim, which includes one long straight and two hairpins.
As there is a testing ban at the moment, Bridgestone cannot
react before Monza meaning that Budapest might be another
tough race for all teams on the Japanese rubber.
8/14/03
$20 million ad budget
Advertising Age magazine estimates NASCAR’s annual advertising budget
at $20 million - that's just NASCAR and does not include all the
sponsor's ads. NASCAR recently changed advertising agencies, awarding
its account to the Martin Agency in Richmond, Va. and leaving Y&R
Chicago.
ThinkFirst ALMS race at Road America
Road America has teamed up with the Neville Public Museum and St.
Vincent Hospital in Green Bay for the ThinkFirst Bicycle Grand Prix on
Wednesday, Aug. 20, with area youth participating. The ThinkFirst
Grand Prix will teach children basic bicycling skills and encourage
them to think first and prepare for activities with the proper safety
gear. An American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race car driver will
participate in the rodeo, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at
the museum. The Green Bay Police department will assist in the
ThinkFirst Grand Prix. The ALMS series will be at Road America Aug.
21-24. ThinkFirst is the official charity for the American Le Mans
Series, one of the top professional racing series in the U.S. The
ThinkFirst Grand Prix will reinforce the importance of safety gear in
bicycling, focusing on helmet use to prevent brain injury. The event
will allow the youth a chance to practice their skills on a bicycle
rodeo course. St. Vincent ThinkFirst is in its seventh year in the
Greater Green Bay area. Last year the St. Vincent program reached over
6,000 students in the classroom with its “use your mind to protect
your body” injury prevention message. In addition, ThinkFirst is
involved in many community events.
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