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***Reader Opinion***Break out the
American flags
This Fordrolet (Ford Cosworth Chevrolet) gift that TG gave to certain
teams, particularly Hornish's, is a new high in hypocrisy and
dishonesty from an outfit that already has cornered the market on
bullshit. Surprise! The IRL Poster-Boy makes a late run at the title!
News Flash! Ex-CART-ladder-series Toyota-bound American Chosen
One Wins with British-built Ford-called-Chevrolet in Italian chassis!
Break out the American flags! Paint this as how TG fixed open-wheel
racing, and fulfilled his "vision." What a crock of cr%#. And you can
quote me on this. Respectfully, Dean Abramson, Raymond ME Dear
Dean, You must understand the IRL model of managed racing, similar to
NASCAR. Mediocrity is rewarded if you whine enough. No one
is allowed to gain an advantage through sheer skill and determination,
because the show is more important than the sport, and it's unsporting
to gain a technical advantage because you happen to work smarter or
have more talented people. And you wonder why Europeans look
down their noses at American racing and why the most technically
advanced country in the world can't even dream of producing a winning
F1 car, driver or team? Their cars are light years ahead of the
USA's, and that goes for street cars as well as race cars.
Mark C.
9/22/03
Two key issues for USGP
SPEED Channel Formula One analyst Steve Matchett, a former F1
mechanic, offers his take on the top three stories heading into this
weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
SPEED Channel's coverage of the USGP begins Friday at noon ET with
LIVE coverage of qualifying from the Brickyard. LIVE qualifying
coverage continues Saturday at 9 a.m. ET and 1:30 p.m. ET, with
exclusive race coverage beginning Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. From
Matchett:
1) The top story must be the possibility of Michael Schumacher
securing his sixth Drivers' World Championship. I think he can do this
if he wins in Indy and Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen fail to
score any points in the race. No one has won six titles; this will be
HUGE in the history of the sport (Formula One's first season was
1950). Juan Manuel Fangio has five titles, all secured in the 1950s;
for years this looked utterly unbeatable, especially after Alain Prost
called it a day (end of 1993) with four titles under his belt.
Michael's first drivers' crown was won in 1994 (with Benetton).
2) The FIA is insisting that team orders are absolutely forbidden, and
any team found guilty of using team orders to help their No. 1 driver
to a better result will be heavily punished. The problem is how does
the FIA police such a rule? How do they prove that a team has employed
team orders? There are a hundred ways to force one car to give up its
position to another without blatantly pulling over (Ferrari, Austria
2002). It will be most interesting to see if and how the teams will
try to outsmart the FIA: a late, unscheduled pit stop perhaps? * *
After the great Michelin tire argument (over tread width), it will be
interesting to see how well the new, narrower Michelin tires work at
the Indy track. They seemed pretty good at Monza, but that track is
all about straight-line speed. Indy's infield is far more demanding on
tires. No testing at the track prior to the teams arriving in the US
for the event, of course, so Michelin has had to build their latest
tires without the advantage of actually running them in test sessions
at the track and making any modifications afterward. Potentially, this
situation could give Bridgestone (Ferrari) a big advantage.
9/22/03
Ralf expects to race at USGP
BMW WilliamsF1 driver Ralf Schumacher has recovered from a testing
accident at Monza and expects to race in the U.S. Grand Prix in
Indianapolis on Sunday. "It looks good. I'm assuming I can race in
Indianapolis," Schumacher told the AP Monday. "The competition is so
tight that the form you're in that day may determine who will win,"
Schumacher said. "We want to be fresh when we show up in Indianapolis
on Wednesday or Thursday."
9/22/03
Tickets
on sale for 30th year at Long Beach
It was a different world on Sept. 28, 1975 when the first Long Beach
Grand Prix roared through downtown Long Beach. Gerald Ford was
President. A first class stamp was 10 cents. “Saturday Night Live”
made its debut on NBC. And “Jaws” was scaring millions in movie
theaters. One thing, however, has not changed: The Toyota Grand Prix
of Long Beach is still America's premier street race.
And, tickets for the gala 30th Anniversary celebration of Southern
California's Official Spring Brake, April 16-18, 2004, are now on
sale. The 2004 Grand Prix will again feature the cars and stars of the
CART Champ Car World Series, expected to be led by two-time Long Beach
winner Paul Tracy, ’96 winner and series champion Jimmy Vasser and
Bruno Junqueira. “Our 30th anniversary race weekend will be a
celebration of everything that has made this event the ‘crown jewel’
of open-wheel racing in the West and an indelible part of the sports
landscape in Southern California,” said Jim Michaelian, president and
CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “We expect to make
some exciting announcements in the near future that will ensure 2004
as the best Grand Prix weekend yet.”
Also scheduled for the action-packed weekend is the
always-entertaining Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, now in its 28th year,
as well as the Toyota Atlantic Championship showcasing young driving
talent. There will be additional races announced in the coming weeks.
As always, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will feature much more
than top-notch racing. There will once again be a variety of
family-oriented activities throughout the weekend, including the
Automobile Club of Southern California Lifestyle Expo, free to all
race ticket holders. Every year the Lifestyle Expo features the latest
high-tech products and services, racecars, games, and simulators. For
the younger crowd, extreme sports demonstrations will return, as will
the Kids' Fun Zone.
After the races on Friday and Saturday nights, racegoers can enjoy the
immensely popular Rock-N-Roar concerts, which have featured
internationally known acts like Third Eye Blind, the Gin Blossoms and
the Goo Goo Dolls in the past. For the fifth consecutive year, the
1.97-mile, 11-turn race circuit configuration on the downtown streets
of Long Beach surrounding the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment
Center is unchanged.
Nineteen grandstands line the circuit, which include reserved seats,
limited general admission seats and seating for various club ticket
packages. Ticket prices for the three-day event range from $30 for a
Friday/Saturday general admission ticket to $110 for a three-day
ticket that includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seating in upper
levels of the grandstands. Pre-paid parking packages are available and
can be purchased when ordering tickets through the Grand Prix ticket
office. Credit card orders for the 2004 event can be placed by calling
the ticket hotline toll-free at (888) 82-SPEED. A ticket brochure for
the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach can also be obtained by calling
the ticket hotline.
The ticket brochure includes a circuit map with grandstand and parking
locations as well as ticket prices and a ticket order form.
Handicapped seating, Bosch CART Garage passes, super photo tickets and
several hospitality club packages are also available. For updated
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ticket information, news or
announcements of special race week activities, visit
www.longbeachgp.com.
9/22/03
Penske hopes for CART/IRL merger This Indy Star
article says, While Roger Penske is pleased that buyers have
come forward to at least temporarily save Championship Auto Racing
Teams, a series he co-founded in 1979, the IRL team owner remains firm
in his belief that open-wheel racing needs to be housed under one
roof. "I think CART is going to be in much better shape with the
buyout. Time will tell," said Penske, who switched allegiances two
years ago. "If the business people from CART can sit down with the
business people from the IRL, maybe the opportunity is there to bring
the two sides together. I'm not going to be the one to make that
happen, but I'll be a benefactor if it does." The same article
goes on to say that 47,000 fans attended the IRL race in Fontana. Well if
that's the case, 50% of the seats would have been full. Examine
these photos and you be the judge:
Miami on CBS - 22 states live This won't produce stellar
TV ratings, but The September 26-28 Grand Prix Americas Presented by
Sportsbook.com is part of the seven-race CBS broadcast schedule for
this year's Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford, and CBS will provide both live and tape-delayed coverage to
Champ Car fans while working around its Sunday National Football
League schedule.
CBS will show the Champ Car race live, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern
Time, to 85 of its markets, including such major U.S. cities as Los
Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Kansas City,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Portland. In all,
Twenty-two states will have live coverage of Sunday's battle for the
Vanderbilt Cup that will take place on the streets of Miami, Florida,
while others will see a 90-minute taped version of the race set to
begin at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
Those planning to see Sunday's race can log on to the official website
of the Champ Car World Series,
www.champcarworldseries.com and follow the links for a complete
state-by-state, market-by-market breakdown of the CBS coverage plans.
For more information, contact CART Communications at 317-715-4100.
9/22/03
NASCAR
unveils Nextel Cup logo NASCAR today unveiled the
official logo for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series that will begin
in 2004.
Sporting a bold yellow-and-black look, the distinctive logo
will be the brand identifier for the nation’s most popular
form of motorsports and the nation’s second-most popular sport
overall.
“We think this design will be appealing to our drivers, team
members, tracks and, of course, our fans,” NASCAR President
Mike Helton said.
The new logo will be utilized beginning in January, when
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams come to Daytona International Speedway
for NASCAR Preseason Thunder, the annual test sessions leading
up to the season-opening Daytona 500.
“We’ve worked with NASCAR to create a logo and identity that
exudes the strength of the athletes and the power of the
sport,” said Nextel Senior Vice President of Marketing Mark
Schweitzer. “Since announcing the 10-year partnership between
NASCAR and Nextel, one of the most-asked questions we’ve
received has been about the logo. It’s bright, bold and
forward moving – just like the sport it represents.”
Nextel Communications and NASCAR signed a 10-year
title-sponsor agreement in June. Nextel, a Fortune 300 company
based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully
integrated wireless communications services and has built the
largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country
covering thousands of communities across the United States.
Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 293 of the
top 300 U.S. markets. Through recent market launches, Nextel
and Nextel Partners service is available today in areas of the
U.S. where approximately 242 million people live or work.
NASCAR Press Release
9/22/03
Dover gets 3.9 overnight The Winston Cup race from Dover
on NBC checked in with a 3.9 overnight rating (8 share),
according to Nielsen Media Research. The Discover Card
Countdown to Green pre-race show had overnights of 2.5/6
(figures reported in Sports Business Daily). Last year's race
was on TNT, so there are no corresponding year-to-year
overnight numbers. However, the closest corresponding
overnight number was last year's slightly rain-delayed New
Hampshire race on NBC, held one week earlier, which had a 3.1
overnight. The Kansas race, held one week later than Dover on
NBC in 2002, had a 3.9 overnight. So, NASCAR should be very
happy with a 3.9 overnight this year.
MotorsportsTV.com
9/22/03
IRL overnight TV rating tanks
at 0.7
The Indy Racing League contest from California on ABC garnered
overnights of a 0.7 rating and 2 share, according to Nielsen
Media Research, as reported in Sports Business Daily. It was
the lowest-rated sporting event of the weekend, with the 1.3
turned in by the Women's World Cup as the next event in line.
MotorsportsTV.com. [Editor's Note: Like we said, all
the hype in the world about close racing, and all the star
drivers and manufacturers won't get people tuned in to Indy
Car racing. The split has turned off the Indy Car fans
and we doubt they are coming back. We could be looking
at a 0.5 or 0.6 final rating, which for network TV is not good
and may send sponsors scurrying for the door. If they
were holding steady or rising, there would be some hope, but
the plunge in ratings is not good. Would a CART and the
IRL merger solve the problem? Somewhat, but all
indications are that's not going to happen because one side
doesn't want it.]
9/22/03
Jenson Button & David Richards
teleconference On Friday F1 driver Jenson
Button and BAR team boss David Richards participated in a pre-USGP
media teleconference. Here is the transcript
9/22/03
***Reader Opinion***Pull the
plug
A reader writes, Dear AR1, I watched with amazement at the IRL
debacle from California Speedway. One year after the worst
attendance for any major sporting event in recent history, the
IRL once again had a meager showing. Not only was the race a
total bore, but looking at the stands it proves the point that
even with Toyota, Honda, Penske, Andretti, Ganassi, Al Unser
Jr. etc, etc, "NOBODY CARES". Toyota and Marlboro gave
away free tickets and heavily marketed the race, and this was the
result. In a metropolis of over 10 million people, less than
20,000 people bothered to show up. Some dirt tracks on a
Saturday night pull that many. Eight years on Tony
George and you have the sponsors, you have the drivers, you
have the manufacturers and you have the INDY 500, but you do
not, and will never have the hearts & minds of the race fans.
Eight years on and your vision has failed and it's time to pull
the plug. The sponsors, the manufacturers, the venues, the
drivers and most importantly the fans beg you. PULL THE
PLUG.....Charles Napier, Las Vegas, NV Dear
Charles, Although their TV ratings have tanked below
infomercial levels, their race attendance has held somewhat
steady, and in the case of Fontana, actually went up
significantly. Whether this was from fans buying tickets
on their own, or from massive ticket giveaways we don't know,
but based on the TV ratings tanking, it would appear the
latter because the freebies are not hardcore fans and don't
bother to tune into the TV broadcasts week in and week out.
Sometimes we wonder if they realize the irreparable damage the
split has done to the sport. Mark C.
9/22/03
***Reader Opinion***Stunned at Hornish's powerUPDATE Another reader
writes, Concerning the 'Hornish Power' item.... during the
race broadcast, I heard Paul Page and Scott Goodyear talking
about an 'engine setting' that required 'manufacturer
approval' before they were allowed to use it, as well as some
of the cars having an 'overtake button' on the steering wheel
[What a push-to-pass button? Something CART needs
desperately, but one that "really" works]... and they made the
point that the two are separate systems. Might be interesting
to look into this... if you were going to give someone 'the
call,' having the means to execute it built right into the
engine software would be the way, and might explain Hornish's
ability to pass at will. Fred Peters Dear Fred,
While there are always conspiracy theories out there, it's
possible Hornish has some new advances in their Cosworth Chevy
that the other Chevy's don't have yet. Whatever it is,
they are significant. Mark C.
9/21/03 - A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I watched half of the IRL
race today, and was just simply stunned (Stunned!) at Hornish's
ability to pass cars at will. It was as if he had some sort of turbo
boost or special rocket fuel in his car. Why has nobody else on the
grid noticed this? Bill Thomas, Plainfield, IL Dear Bill,
It does appear at times that Mr. Hornish has something extra under the
bonnet, but our hats off to Ford Cosworth for producing an engine for
Chevy that appears to be the measure of Toyota and Honda. What
seems strange though is the fact that no other Chevy teams are even
close. Panther Racing fields a good car, and Hornish is an
excellent oval track driver. On a track where the telemetry
showed most drivers were running 100% throttle all the way around and
where HP is just about everything, the Panther/Hornish/Cosworth
Chevy combination is almost unbeatable. Mark C.
9/22/03
Ford Dealers to play key role in Miami race Ford
has been a major component of this season's Champ Car World
Series, providing marketing muscle as well as Ford-Cosworth
power to the turbocharged engines of the Bridgestone Presents
The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford.
The Ford dealers have gotten in step with the program as well
in many markets and Miami will be no exception as the Miami 9
Ford Dealers have banded together to provide sponsorship as
the official vehicle for the upcoming Grand Prix Americas
Presented by Sportsbook.com September 26-28.
The Ford Dealers will provide fans with a chance to meet a
number of the drivers of the Champ Car World Series in Miami
by conducting the Miami 9 Ford Dealers Champ Car Night at
Coconut Grove. The street party, which will take place
Thursday, September 25 at the Commodore Plaza in Coconut Grove
located between Main Highway & Grand Avenue, will include live
music, Champ Car & ALMS driver autographs, interviews and Q&A
sessions, show cars, featuring the Ford GT, chances to win a
pace car ride as well as tickets and other merchandise.
"This sponsorship shows the deep commitment that Ford has in
South Florida. Ford and Miami 9 Ford Dealers are proud of the
success that we have had through our other South Florida
programs, such as Salute to Education and the Ford
Championship at Doral," said Ford Division Orlando Regional
Sales Office Regional Manager Jack Bennett. "We are excited to
partner with Champ Car for what is sure to be another
successful event."
The Miami 9 Ford Dealers will also be conducting show-car
appearances along with Champ Car driver appearances at various
dealerships in and around the South Florida area in the week
leading to the race. They will also be giving out vouchers for
free Friday tickets to attend the Grand Prix Americas
Presented by Sportsbook.com, where first-round qualifying will
take place for the Champ Cars. Ford will also sponsor Monday's
Fast Lap pace-car day featuring two of the stars of CSI: Miami
and two of the drivers of the Champ Car World Series.
"The Miami 9 Ford Dealers are proud to be part of the Grand
Prix Americas as the Official Vehicle sponsor," said Miami 9
Ford Dealer Group Chairman Chris Gonzalez. "This is a great
opportunity for South Floridians to experience the excitement
of Ford, the power behind Champ Car and complete product
line-up, including The Next F-150, the Mustang COBRA and the
SVT Focus."
9/22/03
Dodge
Motorsports Director finishes 2nd John
Fernandez, Director of Dodge Motorsports (pictured on left in
photo), raced to a second place finish in the Showroom Stock
SSC class race at the SCCA National Championship Valvoline
Runoffs at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio,
on Friday.
Fernandez held the class's fastest qualifying time (1:48.153)
through the first two days of time-trials, but was bumped to
second on the third and final day of qualifying for the
Valvoline Runoffs on Wednesday.
Residue of Hurricane Isabel kept race conditions damp and
windy for Friday's 20-lap event, but Fernandez battled to a
runner-up finish while running in the top-three throughout the
course of the race. He dropped from second to third by lap
four of the race but was able to re-claim second place on his
11th lap around the 11-turn road course. Fernandez also posted
the fastest lap of the day (1:50.053) en-route to his
second-place run.
"My car was a little better in the wet," Fernandez said. "Tom
Long was able to get around me and as we battled Mike Kramer
got away. The track was drying and it was very tricky
driving."
Mike Kramer, of Franklin, Tenn., led from flag-to-flag to earn
his first ever Runoffs Championship.
9/22/03
Miami
streets offer challenges for ALMS driver The
temporary street racing circuit that will host Miami's Grand
Prix Americas presented by Sportsbook.com creates unique
challenges to drivers and race teams in the American Le Mans
Series.
The 1.3-mile circuit will bring the Downtown area of Miami
alive with the sounds of racing cars the weekend of Sept.
26-28, with the sports cars of the American Le Mans Series to
hold a two-hour, 45-minute timed event at 4 p.m. on Saturday,
Sept. 27.
The track, which includes portions of Biscayne Boulevard,
Bayfront Park and other Miami city streets, has 13 turns. Most
of the turns are to the left, while a few are to the right.
The turn 10-11 combination is a tight, low-speed "hairpin" at
the north end of the circuit that connects the north and
southbound lanes of Biscayne Boulevard, normally separated by
a median. The pit area is set up further south, between the
two lanes of Biscayne.
Last year's event, which brought street circuit racing back to
Miami after an absence of six years, was run on a course
slightly different than the course that will be used for this
year's event. Due to construction in the Miami downtown, a
section that was at the south end of the circuit last year has
been eliminated, but, to compensate, event organizers added
more race track at the north end.
It is a tight, narrow and challenging circuit, the smallest
that the American Le Mans Series races on in 2003 and one of
only two "street" circuits on the schedule. The other is at
Trois-Rivičres, Quebec, in Canada.
"The
spectators will definitely see an interesting race because the
track is so narrow and short," said Frank Biela, a three-time
winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the overall winner of
last year's inaugural Miami race. The German driver pilots the
Infineon Team Joest Audi R8 Prototype with co-driver Marco
Werner. "Between the concrete walls, the smallest mistake
inevitably leads to retirement (from the event), which is
something we cannot afford."
Ron Fellows, who will co-drive a Chevrolet Corvette C5-R in
the GTS class with Johnny O'Connell, will also be seeking to
repeat his Miami win from last year. "Street circuits are a
little different," said the popular Canadian driver. "It tends
to be a little more rubbing and bumping just because there's
not a whole lot of room on a street circuit and you've got to
be a little careful. There's absolutely no room for error.
You're talking about a track surrounded by concrete walls.
"A lot of getting the car to work is mechanical grip," he
said. "The downforce the car makes on a street circuit is
pretty minimal. A lot of it is a balance between the springs
in the car, sway bars, and we've got some choices in tires
with Goodyear and they've done a pretty good job for us,
certainly with street circuits. We look at how things went at
Trois-Rivičres (where the Corvette team swept the top two
spots in GTS) and we're pretty confident."
"This year, the track is different, which makes it new for
everyone again," said Brad Kettler, Technical Director for ADT
Champion Racing, which fields an Audi R8 for drivers JJ Lehto
and Johnny Herbert. "I think tire choice will be extremely
critical. Teams that can quickly find the optimum race setup
should prevail although on such a tight circuit, luck will
play an important role."
In addition to the race, American Le Mans Series competitors
enjoyed their visit to Miami last year, with most choosing to
spend some extra time in one of America's most cosmopolitan
and exciting cities.
"We're all looking forward to Miami," said Biela. "The
atmosphere is awesome and racing on street circuits is
something special."
"Being in Downtown Miami is obviously a great spot," said
Fellows. "Hot weather, and a really challenging street
circuit. We have very fond memories."
The sports cars of the American Le Mans Series and the Champ
Cars of CART will share the billing in a unique "dual
headline" event being called "The Blast by the Bay." Many
fan-oriented activities will take place around the event
weekend, including a Fan Fest at Bayside Marketplace on the
evening of Sept. 24 and a street festival in the Coconut Grove
section of Miami on the evening of Sept. 25. Music star Elton
John will perform a concert on Saturday night after the ALMS
race at nearby American Airlines Arena. ALMS drivers will hold
an autograph session at the racing circuit at 11 a.m. on race
day.
Events for the MotoRock Trans-Am Tour and CART Toyota
Atlantics will also be part of the weekend in Miami.
The ALMS race will be televised live by the SPEED Channel and
broadcast online by the American Le Mans Series Radio Web at
www.americanlemans.com.
Event ticket information is available online at
www.miamirace.com or by
calling 1-888-248-7223.
9/22/03
Did you know? Did you know that one reason CART
lost so much money on last year's Brands Hatch race was the
need to install new fencing, barriers, paving runoff areas,
temporary grandstands, etc. To make matters worse, the
paved runoff areas had to go back to gravel for the World
Superbike weekend. This will be a continual expense as
long as both CART and the bikes run at Brands. Too bad though
because the sunk barrier and fencing costs are lost if CART
never returns as rumors suggest. Attendance was good, but not
good enough to cover all the expense.
9/22/03
Cody Unser to pilot victory lap
truck Struck
suddenly with Transverse Myelitis and bound to a wheelchair,
Cody Unser has been the epitome of fortitude after being
diagnosed with the condition at the age of 12.
The daughter of former CART champion Al Unser Jr. and sister
to current Barber Dodge Pro Series racer Albert Unser, Cody
has used her circumstances to help raise awareness among
researchers that are pursuing a cure for the condition -
including the formation of the Cody Unser First Step
Foundation.
The 16-year-old, who lives in Albuquerque with her mother
Shelley, has accomplished many things since the onset of the
condition including becoming a certified SCUBA diver, and will
add one more thing to her growing list as she will drive one
of the Ford trucks on the ceremonial victory lap at the
conclusion of the September 28 Grand Prix Americas Presented
by Sportsbook.com.
"Born an Unser, apparently we're bred with the 'need for
speed' gene. I traveled with my brother to many of his races
this season, and this is where I became convinced I could
drive on a track too - especially after seeing Alex Zanardi
drive a Champ Car in Germany this year," Cody said. "The fact
that this is taking place in Miami, where I've learned from a
great team at The Miami Project on overcoming mobility
challenges, involving friends like Emerson Fittipaldi
(Honorary Co-Chair of the Grand Prix Americas Foundation),
friends that I have grown up with in a racing family, well, it
makes this very special. I can't thank CART, Ford Motor
Company, and its Mobility Motoring Division, enough for this
opportunity."
Unser will pilot a truck fitted with her own hand controls and
will carry the three top finishers in the Champ Car World
Series event on a victory lap at the end of the 135-lap race.
She will ride with former racer and series Chief Steward Wally
Dallenbach, who will take time during the week to help Unser
become familiar with the truck as well as the 1.15-mile Miami
street circuit.
"It's a great opportunity from a perspective that anyone can
overcome their obstacles and get out on the track," said Ford
Mobility Segment Specialist Anna Zevalkink. "Cody is a great
ambassador and we are pleased to be able to work with her and
help display her remarkable spirit."
For more information, contact CART Communications at (317)
715-4100. For more information on the Cody Unser First Step
Foundation go to the foundation website,
codysfirststep.org, or call
(505) 890-0086. CART
9/22/03 Industry News
CART isn't only American sport
losing money CART isn't the only American
sports property bleeding red ink. The National Hockey
League is in the midst of a financial crisis after declaring
record losses of close to $300million for last season.
According to figures distributed to owners this summer, the
record losses posted by the NHL teams was an increase of 35
percent from the $218m in operating losses incurred by the
league last year. The losses are blamed on soaring player
salaries and the lack of a salary cap, without which the NHL
spent 76 percent of $1.93billion in revenue on players
salaries and benefits. Commented Bill Daly, the NHL's chief
legal officer: "This is a level at which no business can
survive. The league will lose teams and players will lose jobs
if we can't fix this." Sporstbusiness.com
9/22/03
Stop-smoking sponsor extends
further into F1 Stop-smoking aid, NiQuitin CQ
has extended its involvement in Formula One by sponsoring
coverage of UK commercial station talkSPORT's remaining
coverage of the season. The brand is already a major sponsor
of the BMW Williams F1 team. Janine Edwards, senior planner on
GSK at Mediacom, said: "The talkSPORT sponsorship has enabled
us to reach a whole new segment of consumers and given us an
additional starting block to cement the relationship between
Formula 1 and NiQuitin CQ."
***Reader Opinion***The state of American racing A reader writes, Dear
AutoRacing1.com, I'm writing to express my concern about the state of
American racing in general...not just American Open Wheel Racing. We
all know how popular and successful NASCAR is...unfortunately, they
have set a precedent where the show is more important than the racing.
A precedent where technology is evil in all its forms, and where
mediocrity is rewarded if you whine enough.
It's this model that has me worried about the state of racing in this
country. We have seen this take hold in the IRL...where the cars are
so underpowered and so over downforced that they have no choice but to
give a show. But is it racing? We've seen Chevy whine long and hard
enough that they were rewarded with a new engine...and for their
mediocrity...they are rewarded with Sam Hornish being right in the
middle of the title chase with only one race remaining.
Now that attitude is pervading road racing with the Grand-Am Daytona
Prototype. The cars are so technically restricted and regressive that to
call them a "prototype" is an affront to the likes of the GT40 or the
great Porsche 956/962. A series for constructors and privateers who
can't compete in ALMS. It only reinforces the idea that Americans
can't compete on the track with the Europeans and further makes us the
laughing stock of the motorsports world.
Is there hope for us as a motorsports nation? CART's future is
uncertain at best. The news from ALMS is shaky (Prodrive is rumored to
be out...and Alex Job is considering Grand-Am), especially with the
new LeMans Endurance Series...there's no incentive for teams to
compete in ALMS. Are we doomed to be the backwoods of the motorsports
world?
I hope not. Until then....let's hope CART finds it feet, and ALMS can
revamp sportscar racing what it truly is...not a glorified Pro-Am Club
Event. Joe Angers III, Ayer, MA
Dear Joe, The points you make are exactly why America hasn't been able
to produce any World Driving Champions since Mario Andretti in 1978,
and America is a large country with a lot of people and race car
drivers. It's unfortunate that American motorsports is dominated by
the show comes first mentality. CART has the opportunity
to be North America's F1, but it's in a pretty weakened state right
now and in cost-cutting mode, hence not able to capitalize on the
opportunity. CART's 'dumbed down' competition in the USA is
forcing it to reduce costs to compete, and it's all just a vicious and
unfortunate circle. In the early 90s CART was a strong vibrant,
technically challenging series, that had Bernie Ecclestone very
worried, so worried he would criticize it almost weekly. Now
that the threat from CART is gone, and F1 the lone "king" in the
world, Bernie must be happy, because his criticism has stopped.
Mark C.
9/21/03
***Reader Opinion***Fan thanks Toyota for free ticket A reader writes, Dear
AutoRacing1.com, It was 10:00 a.m. in Fontana, California, two hours
before race time this morning. I was getting off the 10
Interstate freeway. I got off on Cherry Avenue and it took me 10
minutes to get to my parking spot at California Speedway.
As I walk to the garage area I see more people than I saw last year,
but as I recall getting in and out of this place the first year it
took me 3 hours to get to the freeway after the "CART" race.
After all the "GIVEAWAYS" from the "BRIGHT" marketing minds at Target,
Marlboro, Pioneer, Panasonic, Honda, Toyota. etc, etc. I'm reading
18,000 people show up for what in Mr. Tony George's mind is supposed to
be the "NEXT" biggest thing in racing. I was at Cal Speedway for the
"NASCAR" race and I tell you this: there were more people in the
infield for "NASCAR" back in April 2003 than there was today in the
entire place! May GOD and the NASCAR fans that go to the Brickyard 400
give Mr. Tony George the money that he needs to get his "IRL" fiasco
going! I saw David Coulthard during the pre-race ceremonies and
had a chance to get a picture taken with him as well as getting his
autograph. After this I went back home when the race was 10 laps old,
I had seen enough! I'd like to thank "TOYOTA" for giving
me a free ticket to a race where I had the chance to meet Mr.
Coulthard! Is this a Great Country or what! Marta
Campos, Los Angeles, California.
9/21/03
30% of IRL ticket holders don't show up for race Slightly
over 40,000 tickets were sold for today's Toyota Indy 400 at
California Speedway according to the word in the media center.
The crowd in attendance today was conservatively estimated at 28,000,
meaning about 30% of those holding tickets didn't bother to even show
up for the race! Still it was far better than the 10,000 who
showed up for the first IRL race in Fontana, a significant improvement
on a hot day in Fontana.
9/21/03
Nemechek crash damages Dover
wall
Joe Nemechek's savage crash early in the MBNA America 400
damaged a portion of the outside wall in Turn 1 at Dover
International Speedway. Joe Nemechek escapes from his burning
car Sunday at Dover. Nemechek's No. 25 exploded a tire as it
sailed into Turn 1, the fastest portion of the track. Nemechek
had no control of his car as it slammed the wall, shearing the
right-side sheet metal off the car as it slid against the
outside wall. Nemechek crawled out and was OK, but the wall
wasn't. The wall is made of boiler-plate steel, and the impact
cracked a portion of the steel. After inspecting the damage,
workers began welding the crack back together. Cars circulated
around the track under yellow as crews worked on the outside
wall. NASCAR did not display the red flag, and it took 27 laps
to fix the damage. Several cars came back down pit road to top
off their fuel tanks. Before Nemechek's battered car came to
rest, it briefly caught fire. But Nemechek was fine.
NASCAR.com
9/21/03 Super Fund World Series by Nissan
Leinders and Montagny each win at Austrian A1 Ring
Two race of round six of the 2003 World Series by Nissan was run today in
Zandvoort, Holland. In the first race of the day Bas Leinders
was celebrating his first and long waited for victory in the
2003 season. Racing Engineering’s dominance in race one was
underlined by Stephane Sarrazin’s second place.
After this very successful day Bas Leinders stated, “We have
worked very hard and today I had an almost perfect car. I
think it is hardly possible to have a better car. I was third
in the drivers championship last season and I am going for
second this year. Concerning the rumors occurring in Spain
that I would not finish the season I would like to say that I
will not quit this championship and am also thinking about
participating in the World Series in 2004.”
Stephane Sarrazin, a bit disappointed, said, “For the second
race we tried something very different from race one. It was
not a good choice and I lost a lot. But when you are starting
sixth you have to take a risk. In general the weekend didn’t
go so well for me. We lost in performance and I never had a
very good feeling with the car. In race one at least I had a
good result.”
Championship leader Franck Montagny could only manage one
victory today (race 2) after jumping the start in the first
race. Montagny leads the championship by a huge 107 points
with three race meetings left.
9/21/03
Three pole limit at Dega
Beginning with next weekend's race at Talladega, Ala., NASCAR
will limit the use of poles in the pit area. The following
poles will be permitted: an overhead camera, the sign board, a
brush, a pole used to clean the windshield, and one used to
service the driver. NASCAR announced the change in Sunday's
pre-race driver meeting at Dover International Speedway. Poles
with hooks, which have been used by team members to help
collect and keep track of tires after they are changed, will
not be allowed.
ThatsRacin.com
9/21/03
Status of lease on land for Daytona
Speedway questioned
In four years, the public could own the Daytona International
Speedway. And if that doesn't happen, there's a chance the
International Speedway Corp. will be paying considerably more to use
the place. It all hinges on Nov. 8, 2007, when the Speedway's
original 50-year lease expires. On that date, 443 acres of
publicly owned land and everything on it -- grandstands, offices,
garages and public exhibition space -- will revert to public control
unless the Speedway agrees to a new lease, according to a recently
discovered memo by Thomas T. Cobb, the attorney who negotiated the
deal to build the track a half century ago. Cobb, longtime
attorney for the five-member commission that regulates use of the
property, wrote the memo in May 1994 to help the commission begin new
lease negotiations. Under a new lease, the Speedway could wind up
paying far more than the $10,000 a year rent it currently pays under
what Cobb called a "sweetheart" deal negotiated in 1957.
More...
9/21/03
Satellite
image of Monza On Sunday, 14th September 2003,
European Space Imaging collected a high-resolution IKONOS satellite
image of the Formula 1 racing course in Monza, Italy. The image was
taken from 680 km altitude at 12.24 noon local time, shortly before
the start of the Italian Grand Prix race (Click
here to download the image). (Click
here to explore the image).
The image shows the Motodromo di Monza which is located just north of
the city of Monza. The 5.77 km long race course is clearly visible,
including the stands crowded with spectators and the helicopter
parking for the VIPs. With its sub-meter resolution, IKONOS can
identify objects which are about 1m in size.
By providing you this image, European Space Imaging is demonstrating
one of the main benefits to imagery users in Europe, namely local
satellite control as well as quick data distribution. The company
included the collection of the Formula 1 racetrack in Monza in last
Sunday’s collection schedule just minutes before the satellite passed
Northern Italy. In Europe the capabilities of direct high-resolution
satellite tasking, data reception and immediate processing are unique
to European Space Imaging and the IKONOS satellite.
9/21/03 German DTM
Albers & Schneider 1-2 for Mercedes at
Zandvoort Sunday
1. Christijan Albers (Mercedes) 36 laps in
59:40.840 min.
2. Bernd Schneider (Mercedes) + 5.337 s.
3. Mattias Ekström (Abt-Audi TT-R) + 14.478 s.
4. Manuel Reuter (Opel) + 14.975 s.
5. Jean Alesi (Mercedes) + 15.368 s.
6. Marcel Fässler (Mercedes) + 24.230 s.
7. Jeroen Bleekemolen (Opel) + 27.899 s.
8. Karl Wendlinger (Abt-Audi TT-R) + 32.329 s.
9. Laurent Aiello (Abt-Audi TT-R) + 9.878 s.
9/21/03
Blocking and team orders not our thing
says Frank Williams Following last Sunday's Italian
GP, many people have asked why WilliamsF1 didn't bring team tactics
into play and have Marc Gene hold up Michael Schumacher late in the
race when he and Montoya came up to lap him.
In 1997 Ferrari told race leader Eddie
Irvine Irvine to allow teammate Schumacher through while holding up
the opposition.
So why didn't the WilliamsF1 team follow Ferrari's example?
"No. No. Not our thing," says team owner Frank Williams in an
interview with Richard Rae in the Sunday Times of London. When
it's pointed out that Ferrari has used exactly the same ploy, with
great effect, he adds: "You'll have to ask them."
"Put it this way," says Williams. "Let's say Ralf is running second
and Juan is third, then providing Ralf doesn't put his brakes on in
front of the pit straight and wave him through, it's obvious that
somewhere down the road Juan may come through ahead.
"Would that offend the public? Not at all," he continues. "Remember,
you're talking to a team that has suffered in the past for not
ordering its drivers not to race. The public wants to see a straight
fight between Michael, Juan and Kimi. They don't want Ralf getting in
the way.
"If Ralf stopped Juan winning the title, everyone would murder us," he
admits. "It's a question of degree."
With Juan Pablo possibly on the verge of taking a historic, and highly
popular, win, how does Williams react to the rumors - thus far
unchallenged by any of the parties involved - linking the Colombian
with a McLaren drive in 2005 if not sooner?
"Talk is easy," he replies, "we're a long way from anything definite,
and some people might be surprised when it's all sorted out. We are in
discussion with Ralf about an extension to his contract, but that's an
automatic thing. I said at the start of the year that they're a strong
pair, and I stick by that.
"Juan has matured," he replies, "he's now a driver who can win
championships. He understood early on this year that the gung-ho
approach wouldn't work, it was all about the long haul, and the
benefits are clear. It showed at Monza. The old Montoya might have
gone off trying to chase down Michael; the new Montoya took eight
points and stayed in the title race. I believe he can beat Michael."
9/21/03
Ryan Newman Sunday morning MBNA pole
interview
Ryan Newman won MBNA's Mid-Race Leader Award en route to his second
victory of 2003 earlier this year at Dover. MBNA awarded him a total
of $30,000 for the feat. Today, any race-winner who also earns the
MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award will net a total of $70,000.
"First of all, with the whole weather issue I think some people are
happy and some people are upset. Some people want to qualify, and some
people don't. We would like to have qualified, especially after
getting the pole here in June. But, we can't beat Mother Nature when
it comes to getting the pole. We just came in on Friday night, and
came here ready for practice on Saturday morning, which is something
I've never done. I don't know if any of the guys have ever done that,
or if this situation has ever happened before, but we just kind of
took it for what it was and went with it. The car was pretty good in
both practices, and that's pretty much it.
"This is the same car we had here in the spring. It's also the same
car that we won with at Michigan and Chicago, so it's definitely a
good car. We've got it repainted with a special paint scheme from Sony
on top of our ALLTEL Dodge. It's a different paint scheme, and this is
the one race we're doing with Sony. Transcript
9/21/03
Montoya to showcase Champ Car in
ColombiaUPDATE AR1 has learned that
Bruno Junqueira will also participate and look for a go-kart race with
all the drivers as part of the celebration. 9/21/03 -
This itv-f1.com article
says that Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and Rubens Barrichello are to
head to South America at the end of the season. The two F1 stars will
be joined by Dario Franchitti to showcase open-wheel racing in
Colombia. Montoya’s appearance could of course turn into an impromptu
victory party if he fends off Michael Schumacher for this year’s world
championship. The plan is for a demonstration of CART Champ Car in the
city of Carthegena. The Colombian would be the first South American to
win a world title since the late Ayrton Senna in 1991 and the first
non-Brazil champion since Fangio in 1957. Either way the Williams
driver’s campaign has been a welcome boost for F1 on the continent. He
passed a more personal milestone yesterday as he celebrated his 28th
birthday.
9/21/03
Statement from Shawn Parker
"Everyone talks about how the NASCAR community is like a family. I can
tell you firsthand that is exactly what this is - family. The last
couple weeks have been the most difficult of my life as well as for my
family and for Tara's family. The support from the racing community
and fans has been overwhelming and comforting. So many people have
called, sent cards, emails, flowers - it has just been so humbling. I
know a lot of people cared about Tara, and are feeling our loss. On behalf
of our families, I want to thank everyone for sharing in our loss and
showing their love and support through this very difficult time."
Shawn Parker is the crew chief for Dale Jarrett. Tara Howell Parker,
29, and her two sisters were killed September 10th when the limousine
they were in burst into flames in Greensboro, N.C., after being hit
from behind by a pickup truck.
9/21/03
The Monarch of Formula One
This Indystar
article offers an interesting insight into Bernie Ecclestone's
empire and some little known facts about him, such as his qualifying
for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix.
More....
9/21/03
Reliability is the key
This Pitpass.com article
says that reliability has been the key for the top F1 teams being in
contention for the Championship this year. The fact is that from 28
starts WilliamsF1 have finished 25 times with Ferrari and McLaren on
23 and 21 respectively. When you consider that after qualifying the
teams are not allowed to work on the cars - unlike previous seasons -
this is remarkable reliability. More . . .
9/21/03
Musgrave wins 3rd straight
Ted Musgrave, his truck rejuvenated by a major suspension change at
mid-race, ran down Bud Pole starter Brendan Gaughan with nine laps
remaining to win Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series American
Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway.
Musgrave, who also won the race in 2001 and 2002, became the third
driver in series history to win three consecutive times at the same
track. The driver of the Mopar Performance Dodge, winless since June
21 at Memphis Motorsports Park, recorded his third victory of the
season and 13th of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career.
The winning average speed, 145.926 mph, was a California Speedway race
record, bettering the 144.260 posted in 2000 by Kurt Busch. The speed
also was second fastest in series history.
Photos by Bob Heathcote/AR1
9/20/03
Wallace to start Busch team
Winston Cup driver Rusty Wallace formally announced plans Saturday to
begin fielding his own Busch Series next season, which will run Billy
Parker in 17 races in the #66 Dodge sponsored by Duraflame. Wallace is
constructing a new race shop in Mooresville, N.C., for this team. He
formally owned a series team for three years beginning in 1989 with
his younger brother Kenny Wallace as the driver. Parker, 26, currently
competes in the NASCAR Late Model series at Hickory (NC) Motor
Speedway and has made three Busch starts in his career. "This chance
to drive a race car for Rusty Wallace is an unbelievable opportunity,
and I'm already looking forward to next season," said Parker, brother
of Busch series driver Hank Parker Jr. "This year, I raced against
Rusty's son, Stephen, at Hickory and we became pretty friendly. One
day, Stephen asked me if I wanted to have lunch with his father. Next
thing I know, I'm driving a Busch car for Rusty Wallace."
ThatsRacin.com
9/20/03 MotoGP
MotoGP - Rossi wins in Rio
Valentino Rossi dominated today's Rio Grand Prix in Brazil
Taylor leads every lap to clinch title
Mark Taylor led all 50 laps en route to a victory in the California
100. With his victory today, Mark Taylor has clinched the Menards
Infiniti Pro Series Championship. Taylor won his seventh Menards
Infiniti Pro Series race of the season and the seventh of his career.
Both are records for the Menards Infiniti Pro Series. “We were hoping
today would be the day we would have a result to clinch the
championship. We weren’t really thinking about that, we just wanted to
win the race. It was just a great car. Panther Racing has given me a
great car every time I’ve gone out on the track all year. I was just
able to take advantage of it.” Ed Carpenter finished
second.
1. (1) Mark Taylor, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
2. (2) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
3. (4) Thiago Medeiros, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
4. (6) G.J. Mennen, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
5. (10) Billy Roe, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
6. (3) Aaron Fike, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
7. (15) Matt Beardsley, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
8. (9) Jeff Simmons, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
9. (7) Cory Witherill, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
10. (11) Arie Luyendyk Jr., Dallara-Infiniti, 50
11. (8) Brad Pollard, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
12. (13) Taylor Fletcher, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
13. (5) Marty Roth, Dallara-Infiniti, 50
14. (14) Paul Dana, Dallara-Infiniti, 49
15. (12) Gary Peterson, Dallara-Infiniti, 9, accident
Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 145.536 mph.
Time of race: 00:41:13.6217.
Margin of victory: 2.5148
Cautions: 1 for 9 laps.
Lead changes: 0
Lap leaders: Taylor 1-50.
9/20/03 Fran-AM
Ranger wins at Mt. Tremblant
Under beautiful weather conditions at Circuit Mont Tremblant, AIM
Autosport's 27 Andrew Ranger (CAN) won his fifth race of the 2003 FRAN
AM 2000 North American Pro Championship Series. Ranger was able to
pass polesitter 50 Juan Martin Ponte (ARG) in the hairpin at the end
of the first lap and led the rest of the 16 lap race.
The only caution of the race took place in the second lap when 59 Matt
Green (USA), 28 Tim Barber (USA) and 9 Tim Hauraney (CAN) all
encountered trouble in Turn 3 resulting in a full-course yellow
lasting three laps.
Eurointernational's Ponte was closing the gap on Ranger towards the
end of the race and finished second only 6/10ths of a second behind.
Sean McIntosh (CAN), driving for this weekend's special guest Speed
Secrets and Quantum Autosports, finished third. Robert Bell (GRB) and
Mark Wilkins (CAN) round out the top five.
The fastest lap of the race was driven by Ponte with a 1:33.679 over
the 2.65 mile track. Twenty of the 24 cars in the race finished on the
lead lap.
Ranger's victory extends his points lead over Charles Hall (GRB) to 57
points (293 to 236). Team Firstair's Robert Bell (GRB) is third with
223 points.
The 2003 FRAN AM 2000 North American Pro Series moves to Mexico City
for Round 11 in support of CART at the Gran Premio Mexico City on
October 12, 2003.
RACE RESULTS Pos No. Name Country Laps Best Tm Best Spd Total Tm Diff
1 27 Andrew Ranger Canada 16 1:33.872 101.628 30:03.093
2 50 Juan Martin Ponte Argentina 16 1:33.679 101.837 30:03.716 0.623
3 24 Sean McIntosh Canada 16 1:34.575 100.872 30:10.190 7.097
4 7 Robert Bell England 16 1:34.630 100.814 30:10.473 7.380
5 34 Mark Wilkins Canada 16 1:34.586 100.861 30:10.963 7.870
6 11 Charles Hall England 16 1:34.666 100.775 30:11.686 8.593
7 1 Dan McMullen Canada 16 1:34.896 100.531 30:14.687 11.594
8 12 Aurelio Lopez Mexico 16 1:34.809 100.623 30:16.475 13.382
9 2 Kuno Wittmer Canada 16 1:35.816 99.566 30:29.285 26.192
10 4 Marc-Antoine Camirand Canada 16 1:35.892 99.487 30:30.754 27.661
11 88 Daniel Badia USA 16 1:36.044 99.329 30:31.207 28.114
12 22 Nick Bussell USA 16 1:35.546 99.847 30:31.674 28.581
13 8 Dominic Cicero USA 16 1:35.806 99.576 30:32.220 29.127
14 29 Ricardo Imery Venezuela 16 1:35.826 99.555 30:32.599 29.506
15 75 Justin Pruskowski USA 16 1:36.242 99.125 30:34.552 31.459
16 32 Valerie Limoges Canada 16 1:36.080 99.292 30:36.595 33.502
17 3 Antoine Bessette Canada 16 1:36.458 98.903 30:37.233 34.140
18 73 Joe Pruskowski USA 16 1:36.941 98.410 30:44.163 41.070
19 6 Lucas Strackerjan Canada 16 1:37.409 97.938 30:52.338 49.245
20 38 John Knudsen USA 16 1:37.220 98.128 30:53.415 50.322
21 77 Andre Prioste Brazil 2 1:39.239 96.132 3:23.548 --14 Laps--
22 59 Matt Green USA 1 -.--- - 1:45.646 --15 Laps--
23 28 Tim Barber USA 1 -.--- - 1:45.870 0.224
24 9 Tim Hauraney Canada 1 -.--- - 1:51.482 5.836
9/20/03
More comments on racing back to line
NASCAR announced new rules this morning regarding the practice of
racing back to the yellow caution flag and entering pit road. Ford
driver Mark Martin commented about the changes immediately following
the meeting. More....
9/20/03 Super Fund World Series by Nissan
Leinders
on pole at Austrian A1 Ring
Saturday’s qualifying sessions of the sixth round of the 2003 World
Series by Nissan had a bit of everything. Racing Engineering’s drivers
Bas Leinders (pictured right) and Stéphane Sarrazin were shining in
the first qualifying finishing in first and third position, Frenchman
Bruce Jouanny came along and took the pole in the later qualifying
half-hour.
Championship leader Franck Montagny had to be satisfied with second
place on the grid in both sessions, which took place on another
sublime day in this never-ending late summer in Europe. However, he's
won four of the last six races without starting from pole in any of
them.
Carlin driver Narain Karthikeyan from India took third place for the
second race after his morning session was written off by a fuel pump
failure that will see him start last in tomorrow's first race. Another Frenchman, Stéphane Sarrazin, will
start third in the first encounter.
Montagny
could possibly seal the title Sunday. After his first pole
position in the 2003 season Bas Leinders said, “I am very happy to be
on the top again. We all worked very hard to achieve this pole
position. Now we have to put it into win. In the second qualifying we
had a problem with the setup that even resulted in me going off. I
came to the pits and my crew repaired the damage so I finished fifth.
Still I am also very happy with the fifth position coming from nowhere
in the second session.
Stéphane Sarrazin (pictured left) announced, “Compared to yesterday’s
performance I am not very happy. Yesterday the car was very fast but
today I just couldn’t get any grip. In the first qualifying I had the
problem with the clutch and maybe lost pole position. In the second
qualifying I just couldn’t make enough laps and at no point I had
sufficient grip.”
9/20/03
Taylor to test Panther IRL car
25-year-old British driver Mark Taylor will test for reigning Indy
Racing League Champions Panther Racing, at Texas Motor Speedway
Wednesday October 1st. Taylor is presently racing for
Panther having dominated the 2003 Infiniti Pro Series. John
Barnes, Panther Racing, chief executive officer, commented: "Mark has
had an outstanding season in IPS and his accomplishments really shine
when you consider he had never driven an oval race prior to coming to
the IPS series. We have enjoyed working with him this past 10
months. Mark is very talented and I know the guys are anxious to give
him some seat-time in the IndyCar." "It's great to have the
opportunity to drive the car," added Taylor, "I am hoping to get as
much experience in the car as possible, this is the reason why I came
into the IPS in the first place and I'm sure the extra power will be
something to experience." Gil de Ferran continued: "Mark has
been doing an amazing job. He won his very first oval race, and let me
tell you, that's very, very difficult! And not only is he showing
great 'speed', but he has showed very good 'race craft' and great
'maturity' behind the wheel."
9/20/03
France Brothers on Fortune
400 listUPDATE John Menard, ranked 47 at
$3.5 billion with home improvement stores. Roger Penske was not listed.
9/19/03 - Brothers James C. France and William C. France, Jr., who run
NASCAR, are tied at 195 in Forbes 400 list of wealthy
Americans. Each is worth $1.2 billion. They are the only ones
who made the list where “auto racing” was listed as the
source. The cutoff this year for the list is $600 million. In
2002 they were listed at 209 and were worth $1 billion each.
Forbes
9/20/03
Purnell
rates Webber on par with Schumacher
Tony Purnell, Ford's CEO of the Premiere Performance Division, thinks
Jaguar driver Mark Webber is in the same league as five-time champion
Michael Schumacher. "I thought he was a pretty good racing driver at
the beginning of the year and I guess a lot of punters would have said
'that's an interesting choice, I wonder how he'll get on'," Purnell
told the Jaguar website.
"At the start of the season I myself thought 'he's not quite top
flight yet but I like the way he approaches his job, let's see how he
goes in testing'. Now I think, 'blimey this bloke is good!'"
"I'm very surprised that people aren't talking about him in even more
complimentary terms than they already are because I see him in the
Michael Schumacher league," Purnell said. "I've spent some time with
Michael and have some good friends at Ferrari. Michael is a brilliant
driver and seems to deliver on demand and I see exactly the same in
what Mark does."
9/20/03
Villeneuve completes massive week of
testing for BAR
BAR Honda driver Jacques Villeneuve completed his final test day at
Jerez on Friday, expressing pleasure in the outcome.
"Unfortunately we have had a very difficult test this week,” he said
afterwards. “Conditions weren't great at the track and we had a lot of
mechanical problems and a lot of downtime on my first day which
restricted our progress. In addition to tire work, we also worked with
the new Honda engine on the first day, which was promising, but we did
not get much running in. Today we mainly concentrated on tire testing
and chose our tires for Indy. We were a lot more reliable today and
tried to do as many laps as we could, which enabled us to test the new
aero bits as well."
“Overall the test at Jerez went well and we got lots of feedback and
data that we can use in development for the final two races. It was a
shame that Jenson’s time in the car was cut short but we were glad to
hear that he didn’t have any major injuries,” added Shuhei Nakamoto,
Engineering Director, Honda Racing Development. “I’m sure he’ll be
back fighting fit at Indianapolis. Jacques had a solid race in Italy
and we’re all determined to carry the momentum forward and rack up
some more points in the US.”
His 1m19.191s lap was just a whisker slower than fast man at Jerez the
previous day, Michael Schumacher, at 1m19.168s.
Team test driver Anthony Davidson undertook driving duties for two
days at Idiada on 16 and 17 September. He completed 545km of testing
over the two days, concentrating on gathering data from the car to
analyze handling characteristics. Despite higher than expected winds
making running tricky, the team concluded the test with no technical
problems.
BAR's third driver, Takuma Sato, took the wheel of a BAR Honda 005 on
the first day of the Jerez test, 17 September. The main objective of
his test was to evaluate the Bridgestone tires to be used in
Indianapolis. He completed 133 laps, scoring a fastest time of
1:20.417.
Jenson Button was due to test for two days on 17 and 18 September. He
completed 22 laps on the first day, in the process recording a fastest
time of 1:20.115. However an engine problem ended his day prematurely.
There were further problems for Jenson on the second day of his test
when he had an accident on his 13th lap. The 23-year-old put a wheel
on the grass and his car went off the track at 270kph, at the exit of
the high-speed turn four. There are no tires at this section of the
track and his car hit the barrier, damaging the suspension and the
left-hand side of the car. The safety structures in place did the job
very well as Jenson was unhurt in the accident, however he did bang
his right knee quite hard.
Following Jenson's accident, his teammate Jacques Villeneuve was left
to complete the second and third days of the test alone.
BAR Honda
9/19/03
Taylor takes IPS pole
Rookie Mark Taylor won his fourth career pole, tying him with
A.J. Foyt for most career poles. Taylor’s other poles came at Phoenix,
Nashville and Kentucky. He won at Phoenix and Nashville but did not
start at Kentucky due to an illness.
1. (4) Mark Taylor, Dallara-Infiniti, 188.472
2. (14) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Infiniti, 188.459
3. (91) Aaron Fike, Dallara-Infiniti, 188.013
4. (36) Thiago Medeiros, Dallara-Infiniti, 186.700
5. (3) Marty Roth, Dallara-Infiniti, 185.646
6. (25) G.J. Mennen, Dallara-Infiniti, 184.835
7. (92) Cory Witherill, Dallara-Infiniti, 184.794
8. (99) Brad Pollard, Dallara-Infiniti, 184.337
9. (20) Jeff Simmons, Dallara-Infiniti, 184.250
10. (24) Billy Roe, Dallara-Infiniti, 183.932
11. (5) Arie Luyendyk Jr., Dallara-Infiniti, 183.842
12. (27) Gary Peterson, Dallara-Infiniti, 183.139
13. (9) Taylor Fletcher, Dallara-Infiniti, 182.799
14. (33) Paul Dana, Dallara-Infiniti, 182.667
15. (12) Matt Beardsley, Dallara-Infiniti, 179.722
9/19/03
Racing isn't the only thing happening
in Miami
Concerts by Elton John and Kid Rock are on the bill. There's a
street festival, beauty pageant, black-tie charity ball and no
shortage of interactive activities for fans. Oh, and there are three
days of racing on the streets of downtown Miami, too. This
year's Grand Prix of the Americas has a distinctly different feel than
last year's inaugural version of the event, when a hastily assembled
organizing group had only about a month to plan Miami's first downtown
racing event since 1995, and spent much of that time fending off
legal challenges. Now, the event has been tailored to mirror
some of the other more-established and successful stops on the
Championship Auto Racing Teams circuit, intertwining a festival
atmosphere that woos casual fans with auto racing's most ardent
followers. Last year's schedule for the Miami race weekend focused
almost singularly on racing. "We have our core fans, but we want
to focus also on the Elton John fans that might not have come to the
race, and maybe we can get a little bit of crossover from there," said
Grand Prix Americas president Chuck Martinez. "We want to make it an
event. We want our races surrounded by other things going on in town
that will add cache and excitement to the overall event." The
weeklong festival begins Sunday.
More at TCPalm.com....
9/19/03
De Ferran to wrap up career at TMS
Fans will have their final chance to see 2003
Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran at the Oct. 12 Chevy 500
at Texas Motor Speedway. The Marlboro Team Penske driver
announced in August he is retiring at the end of the season.
De Ferran, currently just 18 points behind teammate Helio
Castroneves who leads the 2003 point standings, is hopeful he
can end his career with a win at Texas and an Indy Racing
League IndyCar Series championship. "I'm certainly looking
forward to October 12th," said de Ferran. "I've always liked
competing in Texas as it is very challenging and always
provides for exciting racing." This year's IRL Championship
points race is extremely tight with five drivers in
contention, which should make the race a great show for the
fans. "For me, winning the 2003 IndyCar Series Championship
would be ideal, as it would add a real exclamation point to
the end of my career. Furthermore, a win at Texas Motor
Speedway would make my retirement even sweeter as that's about
as well as I could hope for to complete my tenure behind the
wheel." De Ferran captured his first Indianapolis 500 win on
May 25 of this year and won consecutive CART championships
with Marlboro Team Penske in 2000 and 2001. He has scored four
IndyCar Series wins and recorded seven wins in CART, four of
those with Penske. "The decision to retire was a very
difficult and emotional one for me, because racing is all I've
known since I was a teenager. When I started my career I had a
whole mountain to climb, with an entire set of challenges. Now
I'm looking forward to climbing a new mountain with whatever I
pursue after racing. I've accomplished more than I ever could
have dreamed of after winning two CART Championships and this
year's Indianapolis 500, so it's nice to know that I'm leaving
at the top of my game." Tickets for the Chevy 500 race week
events are available by calling (817) 215-8500, online at
www.texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations.
9/19/03
Andretti speeds past generation
gap
This South Bend, Indiana Tribune
article talks about Mario Andretti's recent visit to a
small town high school and the impact he had on the students
and the town. It just underscores why Mario is a
superstar.
9/19/03
More on CSI: Miami filming
The popular CBS crime drama CSI: Miami will use the
backdrop of the upcoming Grand Prix Americas Presented by
Sportsbook.com as a premise for a November episode of the
highly-rated show, an episode that will feature the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford.
The shooting will take place prior to and throughout the
September 26-28 race weekend in the streets of Miami as the
750hp Champ Cars take care of their business, but before the
shooting starts, CSI: Miami co-stars Rory Cochrane and Adam
Rodriguez will get an opportunity to taste some of the speed
by participating in a media outing with the high-speed pace
cars of the Champ Car Fast Lap program.
The actors will be part of the Monday, September 22nd pace-car
outing at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, as a
specially-designed course will be set up in the park for the
Ford pace cars to run. Cochrane (Tim Speedle on the show) and
Rodriguez (Eric Delko) will be on hand from 1 – 4 p.m. and
will take laps in the specially-prepared Ford SVT Mustangs.
The actors will be joined by Champ Car drivers, and Florida
residents, Bruno Junqueira of Newman/Haas Racing and Ryan
Hunter-Reay of American Spirit Team Johansson. The media are
invited to the event, which will take place at Crandon Park at
4000 Crandon Boulevard in Key Biscayne. For further
information, contact Merrill Cain at 317-715-4100. CART
9/19/03
Valiante to run final Toyota
Atlantic race
After two years as the red hot ‘phenom’ in auto
racing’s equivalent of AAA-baseball, the education of racing
driver Michael Valiante is nearly complete. Final exams take
the form of the 55-lap CART Toyota Atlantic race on Sunday,
September 28th, but Valiante is such an apt pupil that he
already knows what team he’s going to pitch for when he
graduates – Walker Racing. After a year of watching Valiante’s
talent develop, both on- and off-track, CART team owner and
noted talent spotter Derrick Walker has signed him to drive
for the team in 2004, calling the 23 year-old Canadian “… one
of the best young talents I’ve seen.”
But before that happens, there’s a pair of big shoes waiting
for him to fill in Miami. Although this will be Valiante’s
first time at the Bayfront street circuit, back in 1995 -- the
last time that Atlantics, or any open-wheel car for that
matter, raced through the streets of Miami – the race was won,
from the pole, by Lynx Racing graduate Patrick Carpentier… who
will be returning to Miami as a veteran CART driver with the
Player’s/Forsythe team. Carpentier has one win and three
podium finishes in 2003, and is 5th in the Champ Car
championship battle.
Valiante’s statistics are equally impressive; over
two-and-a-half seasons and 28 races, he has won five times,
finished in the top-3 eleven times, scored ten top-5 finishes
and completed every lap of every race he started. In 2003 so
far, he has won twice and finished in the top-5 seven times.
He is currently third in the championship, with the
opportunity to move up to second at Miami, the Atlantic series
season finale.
“I’m looking forward to Miami because, from a driver’s point
of view, the feel of a popular street race with its huge
crowds and all the energy in the air, it’s a great environment
to go racing in,” says the 23 year-old from Vancouver, Canada.
“The fact that the Atlantic championship has already been
decided, and that I already have a Champ Car ride lined up for
next year, takes a lot of pressure off, gives us a lot of
freedom in our tactics and strategy and makes this weekend all
about one thing only – ending the season on the highest
possible note with a victory.”
Valiante drives for Lynx Racing, one of the most unique and
successful organizations in auto racing today. Created and
owned by two women, Peggy Haas and Jackie Doty, the mission of
Lynx Racing is to seek out young drivers with the desire and
potential to become champions at the highest level of the
sport and provide them with funding, equipment and training
that focuses on their mental and spiritual development as well
as their on-track skills – a process the team calls ‘Destiny
by Design.’ The ‘scholarship’ provided by the team is worth
$2.5 million over two years. Graduates of the Lynx Racing
program include such open-wheel racing stars as Patrick
Carpentier (Player’s/Forsythe), Buddy Rice and Alex Barron
(both with Red Bull Cheever Racing) and Memo Gidley.
The Toyota Atlantic series, now in its 30th year, is the
triple-A baseball of open-wheel auto racing, a place where the
stars of tomorrow hone their skills at 160 mph in front of the
Champ Car team owners who are their potential future
employers. Atlantic cars are ‘spec’ race cars, placing a
premium on driver skill and team preparation. The 1260-pound,
single seat race cars are powered by 1.6-liter, 250 horsepower
Toyota engines.
On-track Atlantic action in Miami begins with a 9:05 am to
9:35 am practice session on Friday morning. Preliminary
qualifying to set one of the two front-row starting spots for
the race takes place that afternoon at 4:15 pm. Final
qualifying to set the grid for the race is at 12:30 pm on
Saturday afternoon, and the 55-lap / 62.7-mile CART Toyota
Atlantic race is scheduled to take the green flag on Sunday at
10:30 in the morning. The race will be televised same-day
tape-delay on SPEED TV at 12:30 pm, with re-broadcasts on
Monday, September 29th at 3:00 pm and Friday, October 3rd at
5:00 pm. All times are Eastern. Lynx Racing
9/19/03
Andretti to run 4th RCR entry
at Talladega
John Andretti will drive the No. 90 America Online/Special
Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) Chevrolet Monte Carlo for
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the NASCAR Winston Cup
Series’ EA Sports 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on
Sept. 28.
The fourth RCR Winston Cup entry will be a research and
development car in preparation for the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup
season. Bobby Leslie will be the crew chief and the
over-the-wall crew will be RCR’s No. 21 PayDay NASCAR Busch
Series team. Legendary NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey agreed
to allow RCR the use of his famed No. 90 for the race to tie
into the recent introduction of the AOL 9.0® Optimized
service, the most compelling upgrade in AOL history.
“John’s current driving situation with DEI was not in place
when he committed to drive the fourth car for us at Talladega
so I’m glad we were able to work this deal out,” said Richard
Childress, president and CEO of RCR. “We’re running the fourth
car to get a head-start on the 2004 season so I appreciate
John helping us out with the work we’ll need to have done
before testing at Daytona in January. Being able to tie AOL
and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation together on the
car is very important to me personally because of my respect
and admiration for everyone in the military, and especially
those in Special Operations. We’re just doing what we can to
help raise awareness for the group and the work they do to
provide college scholarship grants and counseling for the
children of Special Operations personnel who are killed in
action or training exercises.
“I also want to thank Junie Donlavey for letting us use his
No. 90. That number has a great history in NASCAR because of
Junie, so I hope we can get a good finish for him.”
Andretti was named as the driver of the Dale Earnhardt
Incorporated (DEI) No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in late August
after already committing to drive the RCR entry at Talladega.
He has two NASCAR Winston Cup victories, 13 top-five and 37
top-10 finishes since becoming a full time Winston Cup driver
in 1994 and finished 18th in last year’s EA Sports 500.
“I think it’s obviously a great thing, from any driver’s
perspective, to be able to drive for great teams like RCR and
DEI,” said Andretti. “I think when you look at the situation
I’m in, I can’t be any happier or feel any better about the
people I’m going to get to drive for. In some ways, they (RCR
and DEI) are probably the two closest-tied teams, based on
their history and with Dale Earnhardt being the connection.
It’s a great honor and privilege for me. Probably the first
time I got to spend a few minutes with Richard Childress, he
came up to me in the garage area many years ago and, to make a
long story short, he and Dale Earnhardt helped me out so that
I got to make the Talladega race and I’ve never forgotten it.
And here he goes again to do something like this for me. It
makes me feel really good so I just want to go out and do a
great job for him. I think we’re going to have a car
competitive enough and everything’s going to work out and
we’re gong to be a contender.”
9/19/03
Dover may install lights
Denis McGlynn expects to flip a switch that will illuminate
Dover International Speedway and usher in a new era of night
racing at the track, possibly within two years. McGlynn, the
president and CEO of Dover's speedway, said it is only logical
that the track follow the trend started by Bristol, and then
embraced by Charlotte, Richmond and Daytona. Darlington
Raceway is installing lights and will run the Southern 500 at
night for the first time Nov. 14 next year. California
Speedway will run a night race next Labor Day weekend. "I
expect lights will happen at Dover," McGlynn said. "We don't
have a time line on it right now. But NASCAR has let us know
there is a general inclination by the television networks to
go with later starts and evening races. "It will not happen
this year or next year. But I would expect to see it at some
point in the future." Dover is studying how much it would cost
to light the track. It cost $2.5 million to light Gateway
International Raceway in St. Louis, which is owned by Dover
Motorsports. McGlynn said it likely would cost more to install
a lighting system at Dover because the grandstands almost
encircle the one-mile oval. Plus, parking lots around the
track would have to have lights. He estimated it would take
six months to install them. If NASCAR had lights at tracks
that host races in the fall, it would not have to go
head-to-head against the NFL for television viewers. Jim
Hunter, vice president of NASCAR, said the sport would like to
keep many of its traditional Sunday afternoon races. "I don't
think that there's going to be a wholesale change to night
racing," Hunter said. "I think there's going to be some select
events that we'll do that with. I think what you might see is
more day/night events. Television has not indicated that they
want a lot of night races. They just want to move them to a
little later in the day, which normally leads to better
ratings. Dover would be great at night."
Delaware News Journal
9/19/03
A
lap around Indy with Jacques Villeneuve
You start with a very long straight line where you reach
340kph, with heavy braking and you are next to a wall, so it’s
different to other tracks, also it’s bumpy and difficult. You
don’t see the corner ahead as visually all you see is the oval
going on ahead of you and the inside curb is on the asphalt,
the straight line is very wide and there is no grass, that
makes it difficult when you are overtaking as there are no
reference points. There is nothing special about turns 1 and
2, it’s just a right, left section. Turn 1 is slower than you
think every time and you carry the brakes very long into the
corner and then for turn 2 it is just a question of
accelerating through. It isn’t really a problem.
Three is not a corner, four is very difficult, visually you
don’t have any reference points, you are turning and you have
to hit the brakes at the same time, making sure you don’t go
too wide and run off the track, but at the same time you have
to look where the corner is and hit the brakes. It’s also a
corner where you can lose a lot of time very easily and you
always think you can go quicker.
Turn 5 isn’t a corner any more; with the traction control it’s
easy but balance here is important. You don’t want to come out
of the corner too wide as you then have to hit the brakes in
turn 6 which makes braking more difficult. Turn six is a
strange, very long corner and you hit the apex twice; you are
on the brakes when you turn in, it gets wider and then you’re
back onto the apex because you can’t exit the corner wide, you
have to exit completely tight because of turn 7 right after.
Here it’s always very slippery, not as much downforce, quite
slow but not much acceleration out of 6 and you just tap on
the brakes into the corner. Not a very long straight line out
of it but it’s so easy to make a mistake and if that happens
you will see overtaking happening at the end of the straight.
Turn 8 is just a corner where its important to carry a lot of
speed and survive at the exit because there’s not a lot of
acceleration; you have to try not to go too wide because you
then get a crazily tight, too tight, section of hairpins and
if you are wide it makes that turn 9 hairpin very difficult to
negotiate. Turns 9 and 10 are not a fun section. It’s just
annoying and extremely slow. It serves no purpose and nobody
knows why they are there, it’s just no fun at all. Then you
accelerate. Turn 11 is difficult and extremely important.
You are still moving from the right to the left side of the
track so you are not going straight yet, and you have to pay
attention. There is no reference point of where the track is,
there’s a curb in the middle of the asphalt so you don’t see
where the corner is. It’s very easy to make a mistake there,
yet it is very important as it’s the corner that gives you the
speed on the whole straight line of the start/finish, and a
mistake here probably means you’ll get overtaken by the end of
it.
Then all the way to the start/finish, even though it turns.
It’s only a corner in the wet; in the dry it’s not a corner.
We go 60kph slower than an Indy car goes. It’s not a corner,
it just looks visually impressive because of the banking.
9/19/03 MotoGP
Suzuka axed from 2004 calendar
The FIM has announced that Suzuka has been removed from the
2004 calendar. The circuit was the scene of the
death of Daijiro Kato in this year's event, and serious
injuries to Marco Melandri and Alex Barros in the preceding
practice sessions. As a result, Suzuka was faced with
making considerable safety alterations to avoid a possible
riders' strike. The FIM state that these circuit modifications
will not be complete before 2005, and that therefore the 2004
Japanese Grand Prix will be held at Motegi.
"The Suzuka Circuit has established a long-term program of
works including various modifications aiming at improving the
circuit, principally the safety in view of the Grand Prix
counting towards the Road Racing World Championship Grand
Prix.
"This program of modifications to improve safety has been
discussed at length with the Grand Prix Safety Commission.
These modifications, however, cannot be carried out before the
Grand Prix originally scheduled in April next. For this
reason, an agreement has been reached according to which the
2004 Japanese Grand Prix, originally scheduled on 4 April
next, will not take place on the circuit of Suzuka.
"The FIM created the Grand Prix Safety Commission last May.
The role of this Grand Prix Safety Commission is to work on
improving the safety around the Road Racing World Championship
Grand Prix circuits, following the evolution of Grand Prix
racing in recent years, and particularly due to a recent
technical evolution which includes an increase in performances
of the new MotoGP motorcycles.
"In this aspect, the FIM requested the MSMA (Motorcycle Sport
Manufacturers' Association) to review the technical
regulations taking into account the general performances and
behavior of the racing motorcycles and its consequences on
safety.
"Regarding the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, the circuit of Suzuka
and the FIM will keep on the discussions in an effort to
organize this Grand Prix again as the season opener on the
circuit of Suzuka.
"Moreover, in agreement with the FIM and Dorna, the Grand Prix
scheduled on the circuit of Twin Ring Motegi on 19 September
2004 will bear the title of Japanese Grand Prix (instead of
Pacific Grand Prix)."
Revised provisional 2004 calendar
April 18 South Africa Welkom
May 2 Spain Jerez de la Frontera
May 16 France Le Mans
May 30 Italy Mugello
June 13 Catalunya Catalunya
June 26 * Netherlands Assen
July 11 Great Britain Donington Park
July 18 Germany Sachsenring
July 31 * Rio Jacarepaguá
August 22 Czech Rep. Brno
September 5 Portugal Estoril
September 19 Japan Motegi
October 2 * Qatar Qatar
October 10 Malaysia Sepang
October 17 Australia Phillip Island
October 31 Valencia Valencia
9/19/03
Burton as a spotter
Just over two weeks ago Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 99
CITGO Ford, renewed his contract with Roush Racing as a driver
not knowing that he would be called upon for spotters duty at
New Hampshire. This past Saturday in Loudon, N.H., Burton made
his debut as a spotter for fellow teammate Carl Edwards and
the No. 99 Superchips team. "It kind of came up at the last
minute," said Burton. "I was a little nervous at first because
I had never spotted before but in the end I had a lot of fun."
Burton was so hesitant at first that he took Richard Bostick
with him up to the spotters stand for Saturday's race. Bostick
is Burton's motor coach driver but he also spots for Burton on
Fridays and Saturdays and has spotted for an array of drivers
over the years. "Yeah, I took Richard up there just as a
backup but I ended up doing ok." Burton continued, "It gave me
a new appreciation for spotters and what is required of them.
From a driver's perspective there is a lot going on on the
track and you rely on your spotter to filter some of that out
and give you the relevant information. Of course being a
spotter you're not only watching the race for wrecks, etc.,
you're a cheerleader, you're communicating information to the
crew chief, there's a lot to take in and process." Burton's
career opportunity came about when crew chief Kevin "Cowboy"
Starland saw an opportunity to increase the learning curve of
both Edwards and his spotter, both rookies in the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series. "The decision to have Jeff spot was
two-fold," said Starland. "First, Jeff has had a lot of
success at Loudon so it was good for Carl to listen to him; I
think he learned a lot during the race. Second, just like Carl
is a rookie driver, his spotter is a rookie as well. I thought
this would be a good time for him to listen to a few veteran
spotters to help make him better. I think they both learned a
lot." Edwards applauded Burton on his debut, "It was really
neat to have Jeff up there spotting for me during the race. I
think he was just as excited as I was every time I passed
someone. He was as much of a cheerleader as he was a spotter.
He did a great job and having him up there was a huge help.
Having his experience as a driver gives him an advantage
spotting that most people don't have." Burton could be heard
coaching Edwards through some sticky situations with a calm
voice and encouraging words such as, "You're ok bud, keep it
coming. Good job!" Burton's not ready to quit his day job as a
NASCAR Winston Cup driver yet, but he hasn't ruled out helping
a fellow teammate out down the road. "I had a lot of fun
spotting for Carl last weekend," said Burton. "I know I
learned a lot and I hope he did too. It was really fun helping
him to a second place finish. If the opportunity arose down
the road, I would definitely help him out."
9/19/03
Hmiel suspended for drug use
Busch Series driver Shane Hmiel was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR
and consequently released by Innovative Motorsports Inc. on Thursday
due to apparent substance abuse. Hmiel is the son of Steve
Hmiel, longtime Winston Cup team manager and Crew Chief.
Hmiel will be suspended until he meets terms and conditions set by
NASCAR for future reinstatement. After violating NASCAR's substance
abuse policy, the 23-year-old is required to attend counseling and
undergo periodic random testing.
"NASCAR has a zero tolerance for any type of behavior in violation of
our substance abuse policy," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "While
our primary responsibility is the safety of our drivers and our fans,
we also have a moral responsibility to protect the integrity of our
sport."
"The policy provides for testing under reasonable suspicion, an
approach that is well suited to NASCAR because of the close and
continuing contact between our officials and our competitors," Helton
said.
"First and foremost, our entire organization wants to apologize to our
sponsors, NASCAR, each of the NASCAR competitors and our fans due to
the recent developments surrounding this situation," team owner George
deBidart said.
"We certainly do not condone this type of behavior, and we fully
support NASCAR in its decision. In an effort to prevent these
circumstances from embarrassing our team and me in he future, we will
immediately institute a drug-testing policy within our organization
for all employees."
9/19/03
Frentzen responds to Montoya
Sauber driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen has hit back at accusations from
title contender Juan Pablo Montoya that he held his BMW Williams up
during the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday as a means to help fellow
countryman Michael Schumacher get an upper hand on the Colombian in
the fight for this seasons drivers’ crown.
“I did not receive any instructions from the pit, but I had my rear
view mirrors splattered with oil,” Frentzen explained to Blick.
“For three laps I thought that the driver behind me was Webber in the
Jaguar, with who I was involved in a battle for the last WC points. I
had a radio message telling me that it was Montoya behind me so I made
room as quickly as possible.”
Even BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen, as upset as he was at
the fact that Montoya couldn’t get by, doesn’t believe that the Sauber
man did anything questionable.
“The scene was upsetting, because the championship is at stake. But
Frentzen did not infringe the rules,” he said.
9/19/03
Bernie on how to improve single-car,
single-lap quals
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is complaining that the
new qualifying format is ‘dreadful’ and ‘cheating’ Formula One fans
who turn up at various venues around the world to see their heroes in
action.
“The new qualifying is simply dreadful,” Ecclestone said in Blick.
“The suspense and excitement of the old qualifying is gone with the
wind. Formula 1 is an exclusive event, the prices are fair, but we
provide poor entertainment. We are cheating the spectators with a bad
show. Here they sit all day long on the Tribune in 40° C heat and all
they get to see is one lonely car. Nobody knows what the lap time is
worth. In the old days, qualifying was still loaded with action.”
So what does he plan to do about the situation?
“We need a different package with more action on Saturday, more
supporting events as well as a final session shortly before Sunday’s
Grand Prix” [Editor's Note: this is exactly what CART could do should
it adopt single-car, single-lap qualifying - a procedure that makes
the races better, but provides less entertainment on Saturday.
An easy problem to solve, and given the benefit, a must-do change].
Open Wheel continues bid for CART
As previously announced on September 10, 2003, Championship Auto
Racing Teams, Inc. (NYSE: MPH) and Open Wheel Racing Series LLC have
entered into a definitive agreement providing for Open Wheel Racing
Series to acquire Championship for cash equivalent to $0.56 per share,
based on the number of shares of Championship common stock currently
outstanding.
Under the agreement, Open Wheel Racing Series had the right to
terminate the agreement on or prior to September 18, 2003 in its
discretion. Open Wheel Racing Series has decided not to exercise this
termination right. The parties will therefore continue to pursue the
completion of the transaction in accordance with the remaining terms
of the definitive agreement. The transaction is still subject to
various closing conditions set forth in the definitive agreement, some
of which were described in a press release dated September 10, 2003.
Championship has previously filed a copy of the definitive agreement
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Under the agreement, Championship’s Board retains the ability to
pursue and accept a superior acquisition proposal. However, Open Wheel
Racing Series is entitled to receive a termination fee of $350,000 if
Championship accepts a superior proposal or if Open Wheel Racing
Series terminates the agreement because Championship’s Board withdraws
or adversely modifies its recommendation of the transaction to
Championship’s stockholders or takes action under its shareholder
rights agreement to permit another person or entity to acquire 15% or
more of Championship’s stock.
Championship is being advised by Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in
connection with the transaction.
Open Wheel Racing Series is a newly formed holding company owned
indirectly by a group of investors including Gerald R. Forsythe, Kevin
Kalkhoven and Paul Gentilozzi. Mr. Forsythe or entities owned or
controlled by him currently have beneficial ownership of 3,377,400
shares of Championship common stock, approximately 22.9% of the
outstanding shares of Championship. These shares will be contributed
to Open Wheel Racing Series rather than acquired for cash. Open Wheel
Racing Series has previously stated that, if the transaction is
completed, it intends to continue to operate the business of
Championship, including continuing to sanction the motorsports series
currently known as “Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series
Powered by Ford.” CART
9/18/03
Andretti comments on CART & IRL
A fan wrote into Wind Tunnel tonight (we paraphrase)
calling Michael Andretti, Team Penske, Ganassi Racing and
other CART teams who went to the IRL turncoats. If not
for them the IRL would have only had 13 cars this year and
that their move to the IRL decimated CART. Why did he do
it the fan asked? Andretti made a number of comments
(paraphrased) 1) CART was the greatest open wheel racing
series ever, and with the same teams and drivers the IRL can
get us back there, and we have the Indy 500, just be patient, 2) I just want to make
open wheel racing what it was in the mid 90s and I believe in
what Tony George is doing. 3) When asked about road
courses - We need to be on road courses, the temporary
circuits, the Long Beach's, in Mexico and Canada (in other
words the IRL should copy CART...too funny. In order for
the IRL to get into those markets CART either dies or the IRL
outbids CART and steals the races away, which would be a bit
naive because CART will now have more money behind it than in a
long time, and we don't see Open Wheel Racing Series LLC
giving up any of their races that draw big crowds), 4) He might
put John Andretti in a car for next year's Indy 500 if the
sponsorship is there, 5) He expects to run 3 cars again next
year and thinks Bryan Herta did a great job for the team
coming in and subbing for Franchitti. 6) All the IRL
teams think they need to be racing on road courses - (How
ironic given the IRL'ers always criticized them. Notice
Mr. IRL, AJ Foyt, has been silent lately? The IRL has
muffled him. He must be fuming as he watches the IRL morph
into CART with each passing day) 7) In one sentence he
said the IRL will become the great series CART once was, and
in another he stated we have to find a way to get these two
series (CART and IRL) back together again. (This of course is
a different statement from the ones he made not too long ago
that CART wasn't going to survive. It appears those in
the IRL are beginning to realize CART is here to stay unless
Jon Vannini decides to strike and possibly kill the CART buyout deal, and the IRL's TV ratings are in
a downward spiral indicating that series is in more trouble
than initially realized).
9/18/03
Marco Andretti and Skip Barber
Marco Andretti is leading in points with one race to go
in the Skip Barber Dodge Regional Championship and is showing
some real talent in equal cars. His father Michael
stated on Wind Tunnel that he plans on having Marco go through
all steps of the Barber program. Next year will be the
National championship and then in 2005 he will be in the Dodge
Pro Series. After that it will either be the Infiniti
Pro Series, Toyota Atlantic Series or whatever else is out
there at that level. His father feels Marco has the
talent to become a professional race driver.
9/18/03
Andretti expects to get Franchitti back
Michael Andretti stated on Thursday night's SPEED
Channel Wind Tunnel that he expects to have Dario Franchitti
back on his IRL team in 2004. He should know if the
surgery was successful around November 1st. There were
rumors that Franchitti might return to CART.
9/18/03
Mansell
mania still magic a decade later
This Valvoline
article reminisces about Nigel Mansell coming to CART in 1993
and winning the PPG Indy Car World Series Championship 10 years ago
tomorrow at Nazareth. Photo courtesy of Ford.
9/18/03
No ovals for CART?
A reader writes, Dear AR1, With regard to Mark Cipolloni's
latest article,
Are you saying CART shouldn't race on ovals? - Sorry if I've misread
something you've written (I've just read your top 10 challenges - I
think they're great.). They don't have many left, that's for
certain - but I do like the ovals (can't help it - I've grown up in Indpls, gone to the 500 since 1965) - and I've always appreciated
CART's advertising itself as a showcase for versatility, with road,
street, ovals. Just curious what you think. Thanks, Elaine
Cleveland, Indianapolis, IN Dear Elaine, It's the high-speed
ovals that are the real problem if CART is to reduce the weight of the
far-too-heavy Champ Cars. The speed at which the cars impact the
wall on those tracks requires the car structure to be strong enough
such that the structure itself doesn't collapse under impact leaving
the driver unprotected. This article I wrote
about crumple zone physics two years ago when Dale Earnhardt was
killed explains the concept. If CART sticks to road courses and
smaller ovals, where the speeds are lower, and stays off
the
high-banked superspeedways, they can safely remove some material from
the cars and still have the driver protected. Champ Cars were
designed for oval track racing and years ago a minimum weight was
established high enough to avoid engineers designing "flimsy"
lightweight cars that would not adequately protect a driver when
impacting a concrete wall at high speeds. Colin Chapman of Lotus
was notorious for designing race cars that were as light as possible,
which resulted in many structural failures of his cars over the years.
In the mid-60's when he brought Lotus to Indy, his cars were lighter
and faster than the American designed bucket of bolts, and he blew the
competition into the nearby cabbage patches. Only trouble was, he almost killed
Mario
Andretti when the rear hub assembly of the 4-wheel drive Lotus 64
broke (later blamed on improper heat treatment) during practice at
Indy in 1969 sending Mario hard against the wall. Chapman
immediately withdrew all his cars and went home with his tail between
his legs that year. Andretti went on to win the 500 in his
backup Brawner-Hawk - yup, one of those American bucket of bolts came
through for the win. Mark C.
9/18/03
Sato expects to get BAR Honda ride
Takuma Sato is patiently awaiting his racing fate on F1's
sidelines but still fully expects to slide into the sister BAR cockpit
next season. The Japanese driver is reportedly favored by engine
partners Honda to replace Jacques Villeneuve in '04 but denied that a
formal decision has yet been made. "Sadly, [Honda] are the ones who
are against me for next year," a bemused Villeneuve told reporters
after finishing sixth at Monza. Earlier this year, Sato - who debuted
in a Jordan-Honda last season - said: "I have a three year deal with
BAR, of which only one year is as third driver. "So put it this way -
I expect to race for the team in '04." While testing at
the Jerez circuit in his current development role for BAR this week,
Sato denied speculation that Honda has already made up its mind. "The
situation hasn't changed," he told an Autosport reporter. "The
negotiations are ongoing and at the moment I'm just waiting. All
I can do is concentrate on my testing program. I just hope it will be
decided soon."
9/18/03
Road America tentatively on 2004 CART
schedule
There will be a race weekend at Road America in early August in
2004. Whether Championship Auto Racing Teams is a part of that weekend
has yet to be determined. The Board of Directors for the cash-strapped
organization announced last week it had agreed to sell the series to a
group headed by CART team owner Gerald Forsythe. However, CART
shareholders must still approve the deal, so finalization is a ways
off. “We’re in a wait and see mode,” said Road America director of
communications Cheryl Barnes. CART and Road America have one more year
remaining on their two-year contract. Barnes said Road America is
continuing to work with the CART management group and is talking to
them on a regular basis, including representatives for Open Wheel
Racing Series, the group attempting to purchase CART. As it stands
now, CART is tentatively scheduled to race at Road America the weekend
of Aug. 5-8. Series already confirmed to race that weekend are
Trans-Am, Toyota Atlantics, Formula Ford 2000 and Barber Dodge.
Sheboygan Press [Editor's Note: AR1 fully expects CART to
race at Road America in 2004. Whether it should be combined with
the ALMS weekend is subject to debate (currently it is not scheduled
that way) but this is where MotoRock can really help the Road America
race. What rock groups or musicians will people from Milwaukee
and Chicago drive miles to Elkhart Lake to go and see? Answer
that and couple it with a big week-long LeMans 24-hour-type carnival
and you might have the ticket to a big spectator turnout. The
old ways aren't working at RA folks, time to think outside the box.
Come on out, the weather's fine!]
9/18/03
CSI: Miami to film Champ Car-themed
episode
The glitz and glamour surrounding the upcoming Grand Prix
Americas Presented by Sportsbook.com will have an intriguing subplot
as the teams and drivers of the CART Champ Car World Series battle for
supremacy on the streets of Miami from September 26-28. CBS’ hit crime
drama CSI: Miami will film an upcoming episode of its highly-rated
series in and around the 750hp Champ Cars, shooting a show that is
scheduled to air in mid-November. The series, which stars David
Caruso, Emily Procter, Rory Cochrane, Adam Rodriguez and Khandi
Alexander, will be filming during the entire race week and will create
an episode that centers around a murder that takes place at the race
track. The CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) detectives will work with
current Champ Car teams and personnel to solve the crime, and will
feature footage of the teams and drivers of the Bridgestone Presents
The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford both on and off the track.
Several of the Champ Car teams will have featured roles in the
episode, with those specific teams to be named next week. CSI: Miami
drew an average viewership of 16.57 million in 2002, was rated 13th
among all prime-time television programs and was the highest-rated new
drama of the 2002 television season. For more information, contact
Champ Car Communications at (317) 715-4100, and for more information
on CSI: Miami, contact Beth Haiken of CBS at (323) 575-2103.
9/18/03
De Ferran to use Panoz G-Force
Gil de Ferran will use a Panoz G Force for the Toyota
Indy 400, Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing Inc., said
Sept. 17. His teammate, Helio Castroneves, will use a Dallara
chassis, as he has in all races this season. After competing
in the first two races of the season with the Dallara chassis,
de Ferran won the 87th Indianapolis 500 on May 25 using a
Panoz G Force chassis and finished eighth in June at Texas
using the chassis. He switched back to the Dallara for the
last nine races. “Obviously, Gil had success with the (Panoz)
G Force at Indianapolis, and we think it might give him a bit
of an edge at the bigger tracks,” Cindric said. “We had a good
test with it last week in Fontana, so we decided to give it a
shot.” The team first used a Panoz G Force during the third
race of the season in April at Twin Ring Motegi when Alex
Barron finished 17th after an accident. Barron substituted for
de Ferran after de Ferran suffered a back injury in March in
an accident with Michael Andretti at Phoenix.
9/18/03
Wood returns to Canada
Severely injured Infiniti Pro Series driver Tom Wood
returned home Sept. 17 to Calgary, Alberta, Canada after stays
at Methodist Hospital and the Rehabilitation Hospital of
Indiana, both located in Indianapolis, said Dr. Kevin Scheid,
an orthopedic surgeon from OrthoIndy. Wood underwent
multiple surgeries and rehabilitation in Indianapolis after
suffering fractures to his middle back, right knee, right foot
and both ankles in an accident on Lap 52 of the Kentucky 100
Infiniti Pro Series event on Aug. 16 at Kentucky Speedway
9/18/03
Hearn to drive for Hemelgarn
Hemelgarn Racing officials announced Sept. 18 that
Richie Hearn will drive the No. 91 Metabolife/Delta
Faucet/Life Fitness Dallara/Chevrolet/ Firestone for the
Toyota Indy 400 Sept. 21 at California Speedway. Hearn
replaces Buddy Lazier, who won the 1996 Indianapolis 500, the
2000 IndyCar Series Championship and eight races with the
team. Lazier had been with Hemelgarn since the first IndyCar
Series race in 1996 and had missed only two of the 85 races in
series history.
9/18/03
Aikman/Staubach team announce
driver
Hall of Fame Racing, the new NASCAR team owned by former
Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, has
signed its first driver - - Dallas resident Alex Whitman.
Whitman, 29, is the son of Paul Whitman, who is part of the
ownership group for the team. Alex will compete in the Busch
Series in 2004 if adequate funding is secured.
“We have a couple of things lined up, and we’re cautiously
optimistic about it,’’ said Starke Taylor, the team’s
marketing director. “But as far as having a Busch primary
sponsor, we’re not there yet. Time is a big factor now, and
we’re pushing very hard to get it done.”
Alex Whitman, 29, had an impressive showing in his ARCA Re/Max
series debut last weekend in Salem, Ind., finishing sixth in a
Chevrolet for Venturini Motorsports.
“What Alex did was extraordinary,’’ said Bill Saunders,
managing partner for Hall of Fame Racing. “He qualified
seventh and ran as high as second during the race.
“We’ve been high on Alex for a long time. He’s aggressive and
he’s smart, but we wanted to test him. He couldn’t have done
better. He’s not ready to step in a Busch car tomorrow, but
there’s a lot of people in this business who feel he has a
bright future.’’
9/18/03
The
Juan Montoya connection This weekend’s Stars Eastern
Division event in Jacksonville will have an added feature, an
all-star race pitting top Stars drivers and regional champions
in identical Easykart vehicles. Stars points contenders Bobby
Wilson and Graham Rahal from the ICC shifter class and Robbie
Pecorari, Michael Giessen, and Josh Hunt from the direct drive
ICA class will compete along with five top drivers from the
Easykart Florida championship: Frederico Montoya, brother of
Juan Pablo, Ryan Fowler, Michelle Garraido, Albert Naon, Jr.,
and Carlos Duenas will attempt to school the nationally-known
hot-shoes on the equal platform of the Easykarts.
The Montoya connection goes beyond young Frederico, as father
Pablo Montoya is president of Easykart America. The Easykart
is a spec chassis/engine package that is represented in three
different classes based on competitor age and performance. The
aim is to provide karting competition to a greater number of
people based on the concepts of stable, low cost/high
performance racing packages. "Easykart is very excited to have
the opportunity to showcase the Easykart product at this
highly visible event," said Pablo.
Son Juan Pablo Montoya raced the Easykart earlier this year at
the same Jacksonville track hosting the Stars event and was
impressed enough with the program to offer an invitation for
regional champions to join him as a guest of the
BMW-WilliamsF1 team at Indianapolis next weekend.
The
ten drivers competing in the Easykart Dash for Cash Saturday
will run a 20 lap race on identical Easykart 125s. The 125
model is capable of performance approaching the karts the
Stars racers use in normal competition and is available at a
very reasonable MSRP of $3,795, fully assembled and ready to
drive.
Starting positions will be determined at random, with the ten
drivers competing for a winner’s award of $250. For more
information on Easykart, please see
www.easykart.com.
9/18/03
Concern over single-car,
single-lap qualifying
I thought I'd note that David Hobbs during Monza
qualifying agrees with me that for the on-track spectator,
nothing is more boring that one car every once in a while on a
hot lap. I know you strongly believe in it but at least I've
found one analyst who agrees with a simple fan like me. Here's
to hoping it matters next year...John Costello
Dear John, There are many ways to take care of the boredom for
the fans at the track with single-car qualifying. 1) add more
practice time on Saturday, 2) Change to the proposed F1 format
- Friday practice, Saturday practice and first round
qualifying, Sunday morning final round qualifying followed by
the race on Sunday afternoon. Teams have backup cars if
something goes wrong on Sunday morning. This adds excitement
to race day, the most important day. Single-car, single-lap qualifying has helped mix up the F1 starting grids just
enough to make it exciting. Mark C.
9/18/03
IRL team orders
This Star Telegram
article talks about the possibility of team orders as
the IRL season championship draws to a close. "I don't
know. I hope [the championship] doesn't come down to that,"
said Dixon, the 22-year-old New Zealander who has scored a
series-leading three victories and five poles in his first IRL
season. "I think Tomas is well-deserving and needs a win here.
If he can get his win, that's good for him. But it depends.
We'll know more when we come [back] to Texas what the
standings are.
"In general, when you're trying to help out a teammate or win
a championship, you always try to do some ..."
Dixon's voice trailed off there. But we can assume he said
something about dealing for a little in-house help.
In other words, team orders. It always has been a murky
business.
9/18/03
Win a ride in a 2-seater F1 car
Have you ever dreamt of riding in a Formula One car?
It's very simple you just need to give us your name and email
and we will pick a winner from a random draw. So what are you
waiting for? Click here and
go to the Bridgestone Tire website to enter.
9/18/03
New Hampshire TV rating
Sunday's Sylvania 300 from Loudon, New Hampshire on TNT drew
3,214,000 TV households, according to Nielsen Media Research.
It was the #6 ranked program on basic cable for the week,
finishing behind the Bears-Vikings NFL contest, NFL Prime
Time, a Lifetime Movie, a Spongebob episode, and WWE. The
national rating (not cable rating) was 3.0. Last year's race
was on NBC and drew 3,965,000 households, but there is no
accurate year-to-year comparison because that was on an
over-the-air network. However, last year's Dover race was on
TNT, and it pulled in 3,497,000 households, meaning that a
comparable weekend from last year drew slightly higher
ratings.
MotorsportsTV.com
9/18/03
Button injured in shunt
Jenson Button suffered a heavy crash at Jerez today and
is said to have suffered bad bruises to his knees. The
British driver lost control of the rear of his car in the
high-speed left-handed fourth turn of the track, and clouted
the wall between turns 4 and 5 with a heavy left side impact.
This is the same corner where Alex Wurz had a major shunt
earlier this year testing the McLaren MP4-18. "I put a wheel
on the grass, which caused the car immediately to snap out of
control," said Button.
9/18/03
Joest team quotes before MiamiFrank Biela: "We’re all looking forward to Miami. The
atmosphere is awesome and racing on street circuits is something very
special. Fortunately, the part of the course that was so slippery last
year and which had little to do with driving, is no longer there. I
hope that the new part of the course is at the same level of what the
rest of the course was like last year. The spectators will definitely
see an interesting race, because the track is so narrow and short.
Miami wasn’t especially exhausting last year, but it’s important to
permanently remain concentrated. Between the concrete walls the
smallest mistake inevitably leads to retirement, which is something we
cannot afford. We have the championship in the back of our minds, but
we also want to win the last two races. That’s why it will be
important for us to find the right compromise between speed and the
least possible amount of risk.” Marco Werner: "In
Trois-Rivieres I proved myself as a driver on a street
circuit. I’m looking forward to Miami and am really excited
about the race. Apparently, last year there had been some sections with very little
grip. In Miami it’s again my turn to do the qualifying and hope to be
able to capture the pole position for Infineon Team Joest like in Trois-Rivieres and Road America. On a street circuit it’s important to
start from the front, because it’s even more difficult to pass someone
than on a normal course. Even though we have a comfortable lead in the
championship, I’m not thinking about simply bringing home points. I
have too much fun winning to be able to do that!” Ralf
Jüttner (Technical Director): "Along with the Champ Cars, the
event in Miami will be a major highlight. We have a lot of good
memories of Miami and want to win like we did last year. The track has
likely become faster after having been rebuilt. Because of the new
layout, no one can use the old data as a frame of reference. However,
until now we’ve everywhere been able to set-up a good car for our
drivers. I truly believe in our engineering skills. Frank won last
year in Miami, and Marco showed in Trois-Rivieres that he can do well
in a ‘street’ race. This makes me feel very confident. However,
because of the expected heat and high humidity, it’s going to be a
tough weekend for the whole team.”
IRL sets date for Motegi race
The second IndyCar Series event at the 1.5-mile Twin
Ring Motegi oval in Japan will be held Saturday, April 17,
2004, Indy Racing League officials announced Sept. 17. The
Indy Japan 300, the final race before the 88th Indianapolis
500-Mile Race, will start at 12:30 p.m. (Japan time) April 17
and be broadcast live in the United States on ESPN2 at 11:30
p.m. (EDT) Friday, April 16. “We look forward to our return to
Twin Ring Motegi, where we were so warmly received at our
inaugural event,” said Ken Ungar, senior vice president of
business affairs for the IRL. “Japan offers the IndyCar Series
the opportunity to showcase our exciting product in front of
an enthusiastic audience, while strengthening our ties with
companies who are involved with the league and its drivers and
teams.”
9/17/03
Infiniti Pro Series a waste of time
This Autoweek
article talks about the Infiniti Pro Series, pretty much
calling it a waste of time. Other than injure drivers, it
doesn't accomplish much. It's 100% throttle racing at slower
speeds than the IRL. Thomas Knapp was Greg Ray’s engineer when
they won the IRL championship in 1999, and he now works in the Pro
Series with Genoa Racing. Knapp said the series isn’t doing its job of
preparing drivers for Indy car rides, and he rattles off an assortment
of technical reasons to make his point. Specifically, he said the cars
have “stupid levels” of downforce.
“You could turn the wings upside down and they’d still be planted, and
it rewards mediocrity when you do that,” he said. “A lot of the talent
is masked, and good drivers are frustrated.”
Fellow engineer Tim Neff agrees, and he has driven one of the
450-horsepower cars. “Most of the guys that try these are flat [on the
accelerator] in four or five laps,” he said. “It’s not close enough to
the edge for them to learn anything.” [Editor's Note: Ditto for the
IRL cars - another 100% throttle series].
9/17/03
Karting news Canadians
Kevin Glover and Lorenzo Mandarino swept both races in their
respective ICA and ICC classes at the Stars of Tomorrow event
in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada last weekend.
Glover, from Burnaby, British Columbia, clinched the Western
Division of the Stars series with his fifth and sixth
consecutive wins in the ICA direct drive class. He also scored
a podium finish in the ICC class, performing double duty like
several of the Stars competitors.
Glover found his way to each checkered flag in different
manners. On Saturday, Tyler Dueck set fast time in qualifying
while Glover placed tenth. Kevin then worked his way through
the field for the pre-final win. Apparently liking the action,
Glover dropped back to eleventh at the start of the 24 lap
final event.
In a race that sported no fewer than six lead drivers,
including Dueck, Jordy Vorrath, Ecuadorian Sebastian Andrade,
Buttonwillow race winner Chris Giumarra and TNR teammate
Landon Yee, Glover sliced his way back into the lead to win by
over two seconds over Yee and Giumarra.
Sunday brought rain and qualifying on wet tires and Glover
placed his Genesis Racing CRG kart on pole. Fellow Canadian
Vorrath handily won the pre-final, but it was all Glover in
the main over championship rivals Andrew Alfonso and Joel
Miller.
Mandarino was no less impressive in the ICC. The 16 year old,
who also hails from British Columbia, seems to have
controversy follow him. Saturday's race was no exception as an
aggressive and unexpected move on race leader David Jurca
brought protests from Jurca's Italkart outfit. Opinions in the
paddock varied on the legality of the move, yet officials
upheld the results as Mandarino took the win with Jurca and
Glover completing the podium.
Sunday's wet-weather qualifying saw ICC West points leader
Jason Bowles position himself to close out the Divisional
championship over teammate Alan Sciuto with the fast time.
From that point on, it was Mandarino, who is also leading the
Formula Russell points standings, taking a comfortable win
over Vorrath and Jurca.
Bowles finished sixth and won the Divisional championship.
A slim margin of 63/1000's of a second was all that
Californian Jacob Neal needed to edge Miles Maroney for the
Grand Products Cadet class championship. Billy Scyphers, III
of Nevada took the class championship with second and third
place finishes while Ryan Phinny and Matt Davis scored the
wins.
Patrick Barrett and Steven Cantrell each had a victory in
Junior Superbox and Brandon Janson and Nicholas Tonkin did the
same in the Junior ICA exhibition class contests.
John Kwong was the class of the field in Rotax Max, taking
easy wins both days.
The Stars show runs in Jacksonville, Florida this weekend for
the Eastern Division finale. Drivers will be aiming for the
Divisional championships and maximum points leading into the
season ending national spectacular at California Speedway in
November.
9/17/03
Why NASCAR is successful and
others not Jeff Burton's opinion - "There are times
in every business and every sport that you go through changes
and you go through transition and this is certainly one of
those times. The good thing is that people seem to like it.
Bill's attitude has kind of rubbed off on me. I've quit
complaining about things that are driver specific and team
specific, and I'm much more concerned about what's the overall
good for the sport because that's what makes our deal work.
Bill has beaten that into my head and he's right. He's got the
right attitude and that's what has made this sport work. I
don't think that will change. I don't think the understanding
and the commitment to making this sport accessible and
exciting is ever gonna change because that is bred into 'em,
that is beat into 'em, and if you don't have that same
philosophy you won't be part of NASCAR. As long as that
philosophy is alive and kicking, then this sport is just
fine."
9/17/03
Jeff Burton's opinion of Brian
France "I have the utmost respect for Bill. He has a
genuine passion for this and he mainly has a genuine
understanding of what we do. And when I say a genuine
understanding of what we do, I'm talking about a genuine
understanding of what makes the sport successful. He may not
know what a race car driver deals with on a day-to-day basis,
nor should that be his concern. His concern should be, 'How do
we continue to nourish this sport and make this sport better
and more exciting?' I think Bill has a grasp of that and has
had a grasp on that for a long time. Competitors can disagree
with his opinion, and many times we do, but his mindset is,
'make the racing good, take care of the fans and the fans will
come.' The opinion of the competitors comes second and that's
frustrating at times, but it's 100 percent the right attitude.
That's what separates us from the NFL, the NBA and Major
League Baseball. So I respect him a tremendous amount for
growing the sport the way he's grown it. At the same time,
I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Brian,
and I think Brian is a very intelligent person that has been
raised in the shadows of understanding what this sport is all
about, and I think Brian will do a very nice job. You don't
see Brian around a whole lot, but that doesn't mean he doesn't
know what's going on. The other thing is there are a lot of
really good people in NASCAR. Bill has been getting a lot of
help from a lot of people around him and Brian will get a lot
of help from a lot of people around him as well. Bill has
continued to give more and more control to people and that
will make the transition easier for Brian. There are people
already in place that have been helping Bill through the
thing. Bill hasn't been the one-man show that maybe he was 10
years ago and I think that will make for an easier transition
for Brian to step in and try to do the deal and do it right."
9/17/03
Schumacher fastest at Jerez
Michael Schumacher continued to set the pace in testing
at Jerez today (Wednesday). F1 testing Jerez day 2 (unofficial)
Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tyres Time Laps
1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari B 1m18.470s 107
2 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas B 1m19.235s 100
3 Jenson Button BAR-Honda B 1m20.112s 63
4 Ricardo Zonta Toyota M 1m20.309s 93
5 Takuma Sato BAR-Honda B 1m20.425s 114
9/17/03 Industry News
RJR laying off 40% of workforce
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc. plans to slash 2,600 jobs,
or 40% of its work force, as part of a restructuring effort
aimed at cutting $1 billion in costs by the end of 2005. The
No. 2 tobacco company, battered by price wars with discount
brands and traditional rivals, Wednesday said it will take a
restructuring charge of about $205 million after taxes in the
third quarter, primarily as a result of the work-force
reduction. The job eliminations will occur over the next year,
with the majority taking place in the fourth quarter of 2003
and first quarter of 2004. In a prepared statement, Chairman
and Chief Executive Andrew J. Schindler said Reynolds plans to
"focus investment behind premium brands with the highest
growth potential," specifically its Camel and Salem brand
cigarettes. The company plans to make more limited investments
in its two other key brands, Winston and Doral, to optimize
their profitability.
Dow Jones Business News
9/17/03
Olive Garden withdraws from
racing Olive Garden Italian restaurants today issued
the following statement concerning its Team Olive Garden
sponsorship in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). “Olive
Garden has enjoyed many exciting years as a sponsor in the
American Le Mans Series (ALMS). As our three-year program with
the “Team From Tuscany” comes to a close at the end of this
season, we wish to thank Gabriele Rafanelli, his drivers and
the entire team for representing the Olive Garden brand so
well and providing great competition and many memorable
moments. In parting from the world of motorsports sponsorship,
Olive Garden moves on to new initiatives but we applaud the
ALMS for its growth and great popularity. We’re sure that they
will continue to succeed in pleasing the fans of sports car
racing.”
9/17/03
González
to drive for Herdez team Herdez Competition today announced that they will
become the first team in Champ Car history to field two
Mexican drivers when rookie Roberto Gonzalez will be entered
in the 17th round of the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford in Mexico City, Mexico. For this
event only, to be held October 10-12, 2003 at Autodromo
Hermanos Rodriguez, Gonzalez will take the reins of the number
4 entry usually driven by veteran Roberto Moreno.
More.....
9/17/03
Roof hatch bulletin to be
released A technical bulletin authorizing
installation of safety-escape "roof hatches" is expected to be
issued to all competitors today. The new trap doors in the
roofs of cars will be recommended but not mandated. Teams
probably won't have time to install the systems by this
weekend, but majority adoption is expected by the Sept. 28 EA
Sports 500 at Talladega.
Orlando Sentinel
9/17/03 Sprint Cars
Sprint car driver guilty on sex
charges Johnny
Herrera, 37, a sprint car racer who was named World of Outlaws
rookie of the year in 1996, pleaded guilty to two sex-related
charges in Putnam County Common Pleas Court yesterday.
According to Prosecutor Kurt Sahloff, Herrera pleaded guilty
to sexual imposition, a third degree misdemeanor, and
importuning, a fifth-degree felony. When sentenced, Herrera
faces one year in prison. According to police, Herrera of
Morrisville, N.C., was in town to race at the Eldora Speedway
in June, 2002, when he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old
girl. The incident occurred at the home of Herrera’s friend,
with whom he was staying while in town. As part of the plea
agreement, the prosecutor asked for a 180-day sentence for the
felony and a 60-day sentence for the misdemeanor. Also, it was
recommended that Herrera not be required to register as a sex
offender. Herrera remains free on the bond he posted in April
after he was arrested. Judge Randall Bassinger ordered a
presentence report. No sentence date was set.
Toledo Blade
9/17/03
American Spirit Team to increase ALMS
involvement American Spirit Racing president and owner Jon
Lewis has today announced plans to enter two cars in the 2004 American
Le Mans Series LMP675 category.
"After carefully reviewing the 2004 structuring of the LMP classes, I
feel that the LMP675 class will provide us with a tremendous
opportunity for a championship victory," stated Lewis.
"We learned an enormous amount this year in LMP900 and we feel that we
are now ready to be a formidable contender in the 2004 championship.
The ALMS is without a doubt the strongest and most stable road racing
property in North America and I am dedicated to being part of its
bright future."
Exactly which drivers and cars American Spirit Racing will be
campaigning will be announced at a later date. "I have been talking
with several very talented drivers who are expressing a strong
interest in our LMP675 program for 2004," Lewis continued. "The number
one priority is that this program has to be focused on winning the
Championship. This was a successful test year, but my sole commitment
in 2004 is a championship win. Our drivers and cars will reflect that
focus and it will be a premier program that comes out of the box at
Sebring with a bang!"
"There are many talented young drivers out there," added Lewis. "And I
will continue talking with as many drivers who contact me. It would be
incorrect for me to make a rash decision, so I will give it a little
while before I decide who will make up our championship lineup. I've
already made the decision on the choice of car and engine, but will
wait until we announce our drivers to unveil the entire package. I
think everyone will be impressed with the new graphics theme and no it
won't be white!"
When asked whether current American Spirit Racing drivers Michael
Lewis and Tomy Drissi will be involved, Lewis replied: "Michael and
Tomy have done a very impressive job this year and have proven that
they can wield a prototype around the track with the best of them. I
would love to see them return next season, however both Michael and
Tomy's plans for 2004 remain uncertain at this time. They both have a
long-standing relationship with, and sponsor associations in, Trans-Am
and I think they are waiting to see how things pan out there before
making any decisions for 2004."
The Riley & Scott MKIIIC currently being campaigned by American Spirit
Racing has been sold to individuals who plan to run it in the 2004
ALMS. "I have recently sold the #12 car and the new owners will take
possession of the car after Petit," said Lewis. "I am glad that it is
going to a team that plans to run in the ALMS next year. I think you
will see a good field of competitors in 2004. I will let them make
their own announcements on their program when it is best for them."
American Spirit Racing has not ruled out competing in LMP900 class as
well. "For the past several months, we have been vigorously working on
a strong program with a new car and new sponsor for LMP900 in 2004,"
Jon further states, "But that is an entirely separate program with
lot's of exciting ingredients and will operate out of a completely
different location. I can talk more about that after Petit."
Drivers who possess the true desire, dedication and talent to win the
LMP675 championship in 2004 and are committed to the entire season,
are urged to contact Jon Lewis at 239-540-4277 or via email at
amspiritracing@aol.com.
9/17/03
Tuesday F1 test times
Barcelona:
1. Alex Wurz McLaren-Mercedes 1m 17.220s 29 laps M
2. David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1m 17.389s 48 laps M
3. Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes 1m 17.518s 56 laps M
4. Cristiano da Matta Toyota 1m 17.877s 44 laps M
5. Franck Montagny Renault 1m 20.190s 55 laps M
Jerez:
1. Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1m 19.265s 100 laps B
2. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas 1m 20.211s 62 laps B
3. Ricardo Zonta Toyota 1m 21.110s 75 laps M Monza:
Two days after Ferrari scooped a 1-3 result in the Italian Grand Prix
with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, test driver Felipe
Massa got his chance to shine at the historic Autodromo by beginning
the next stage of the Scuderia's test program there.
Working on an aerodynamics evaluation ahead of the next round of the
world championship, at Indianapolis on 28 September, the Brazilian
completed 79 laps under warm and sunny skies, clocking a best time of
1min 22.993secs
Massa completed a total of 79 laps, setting a best time of 1min
22.993secs - which would have been good enough for 14th on the grand
prix grid at the weekend - and only then beaten to 13th by
one-thousandth of a second..
Ferrari will continue to run Massa at Monza tomorrow [Wednesday],
while Michael Schumacher leads the team at Jerez in Spain.
Jerez:
Team Sauber Petronas started its three-day
test at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez today [Tuesday].
Nick Heidfeld conducted the first test day and covered 62 laps in
chassis 05 to set a best time of 1 minute 20.211 seconds.
He will continue tomorrow before Heinz-Harald Frentzen will take over
on Thursday.
Rémi Decorzent, race engineer, commented: "Our test this week will
centre principally on mechanical components for the forthcoming 2004
C23, as well as some further aerodynamic development for Indianapolis
and Suzuka.
"Today we have worked on the downforce level of Suzuka and the test
went without problems. We also evaluated new suspension components
which will be used this and next year.
"Tomorrow we will work with Bridgestone on the tire compounds for
Suzuka and run a downforce level test with regard to the US Grand Prix
next week."
9/17/03 ETCC
Zanardi returns to racing
Alex Zanardi will make a return to serious competition next month,
when he will compete in the final race of the European Touring Car
Championship season at Monza on October 19. Almost exactly two years
ago Zanardi was almost killed in a huge accident at the EuroSpeedway
Lausitz oval in Germany, when he crashed his Champ Car and was hit by
Alex Tagliani resulting in the loss of both of Zanardi's legs.
"I escaped death by a whisker," said Zanardi. "I set myself the goal
of leading a normal life again at some time in the future. Today I can
walk, swim, go skiing and on 19 October I will complete my vision by
competing seriously in a race. If I manage to keep the pace at Monza,
I shall have reaffirmed my faith in myself: if there's a will, there's
a way." The engineers from Ravaglia Motorsport have converted a
conventional 320i so that Zanardi can accelerate using the steering
wheel and operate the clutch via the gear shift. “When Alex came to us
and said he wanted to drive a BMW, we immediately put all systems on
go to provide full technical support," revealed team boss Ravaglia,
who has been committed to getting his countryman out at Monza since
the plan was first mooted. "We have already seen some exciting
performances from the telemetry data. His performance is particularly
impressive when you reflect on the obvious difficulties and the lack
of training. That motivates the team to prepare the car in the best
possible way.” BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen is also
enthusiastic about the project. “It's an honor for us that Alex is
able to make his dream come true in a BMW," he admitted, "We are
extremely happy to provide him with the support of all our expertise
and engineering skills. His project reflects the BMW Motorsport
philosophy of always searching for new frontiers. Whatever the result
of the race, Alex has already won though as far as I'm concerned.”
9/17/03
NASCAR may cancel events due to hurricaneUPDATE Due to the
expected drenching and high winds that will accompany
Hurricane Isabel as it makes its way north through the
mid-Atlantic states, NASCAR and Dover International Speedway
have decided to cancel all race activities at Dover
International Speedway for this Thursday and Friday. The MBNA
America 150 Busch North Series has also been cancelled.
However, the good news is that the MBNA America 400 Winston
Cup Series race on Sunday, September 21, and the Stacker 200
Presented by YJ Stinger 200 Busch Series race on Saturday,
September 20 will run as scheduled. NASCAR and Dover
International Speedway officials decided that the forecast for
Thursday and early Friday was severe enough to likely not
allow any action on the track. But the weather forecast for
late Friday and all through the weekend couldn't be better -
sunny and approximately 75 degrees. The changes mean that
Busch Series racers will have a practice session on Saturday
morning from 8-9 a.m., followed by a Winston Cup practice
session from 11:15 a.m. 12:30 p.m. The Stacker 200 Presented
by YJ Stinger Busch Series race will take place as scheduled
at 1 p.m. A Winston Cup Happy Hour will follow a half-hour
after the end of the Busch Series race. The Sunday schedule
will stay exactly as it is, with the start of the MBNA America
400 Winston Cup race set for 1 p.m. The 43 car fields for both
races will be set by owner championship points as per the rule
book for each series. That means that the front row for the
MBNA America 400 will have points leader Matt Kenseth on the
pole, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. next to him. Patrons who
purchased tickets for Friday's MBNA America 150 Busch North
Series race will be able to get refunds for their tickets. The
track will issue credit back to patrons who purchased Friday
tickets via credit card and will issue checks to those fans
who purchased tickets via cash or check. The refund checks are
expected to all be sent by the end of October. A better option
for race fans might be to apply credit from those tickets
toward the purchase of tickets for the 2004 Dover
International Speedway race season. The Dover International
Speedway will be closed entirely to the public on Thursday and
Friday (September 18 & 19). Busch Series and Winston Cup
Series haulers and competitors are expected to arrive over the
course of the day on Friday. 9/14/03 - NASCAR officials will be keeping a close eye this week on the progress
of Hurricane Isabel, still located hundreds of miles off the East
Coast of the United States as of Sunday evening. The National Weather
Service on Sunday predicted the hurricane, which currently has winds
upwards of 155 mph, would strike the U.S. coast within four to five
days. Isabel's current forecast has it making landfall between North
Carolina and New Jersey -- right in the area of next weekend's Winston
Cup race in Dover, Del. "Obviously, something like this affects teams
as well as fans. We will work with everyone to keep up to date on the
latest developments," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of
corporate communications. Team haulers often leave several days before
scheduled track activity. Winston Cup and Busch series cars take to
the Dover track on Friday morning.
ThatsRacin.com
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Tickets
on sale for 30th year at Long Beach
It was a different world on Sept. 28, 1975 when the first Long Beach
Grand Prix roared through downtown Long Beach. Gerald Ford was
President. A first class stamp was 10 cents. “Saturday Night Live”
made its debut on NBC. And “Jaws” was scaring millions in movie
theaters. One thing, however, has not changed: The Toyota Grand Prix
of Long Beach is still America's premier street race. 
NASCAR
unveils Nextel Cup logo NASCAR today unveiled the
official logo for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series that will begin
in 2004.
Leinders
on pole at Austrian A1 Ring
Saturday’s qualifying sessions of the sixth round of the 2003 World
Series by Nissan had a bit of everything. Racing Engineering’s drivers
Bas Leinders (pictured right) and Stéphane Sarrazin were shining in
the first qualifying finishing in first and third position, Frenchman
Bruce Jouanny came along and took the pole in the later qualifying
half-hour.
Montagny
could possibly seal the title Sunday. After his first pole
position in the 2003 season Bas Leinders said, “I am very happy to be
on the top again. We all worked very hard to achieve this pole
position. Now we have to put it into win. In the second qualifying we
had a problem with the setup that even resulted in me going off. I
came to the pits and my crew repaired the damage so I finished fifth.
Still I am also very happy with the fifth position coming from nowhere
in the second session.
The
Juan Montoya connection This weekend’s Stars Eastern
Division event in Jacksonville will have an added feature, an
all-star race pitting top Stars drivers and regional champions
in identical Easykart vehicles. Stars points contenders Bobby
Wilson and Graham Rahal from the ICC shifter class and Robbie
Pecorari, Michael Giessen, and Josh Hunt from the direct drive
ICA class will compete along with five top drivers from the
Easykart Florida championship: Frederico Montoya, brother of
Juan Pablo, Ryan Fowler, Michelle Garraido, Albert Naon, Jr.,
and Carlos Duenas will attempt to school the nationally-known
hot-shoes on the equal platform of the Easykarts. 
González
to drive for Herdez team
Much
More...click on 2002 archives button below
