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Carpentier looks forward to St. Pete
By all accounts, it has been a good season for Patrick Carpentier. The
ever-smiling and engaging Canadian has made his way to the Top 3
post-race podium four times in 2003 (one of those, in Monterey, was in
victory). But, while teammate Paul Tracy just wrapped-up the Champ Car
Series title this past weekend in Australia, Carpentier can only think
about what might have been and, on a happier note, what might well be.
When he returns to Florida for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg,
February 20-22, 2004, Carpentier will be a man on a mission.
"I really love that race course in St. Pete," says Carpentier. "It's
not too small and not too big and gives you good opportunities to
pass. Still, I put myself in the wall when I raced there this past
February and still ended up finishing eighth. I think that if I hadn't
done that then Paul (Tracy, who won the race) and I might have put on
a good show."
Carpentier, who has climbed as high as fourth in the CART point chase,
is now 5th, just 13 points behind rookie Sebastian Bourdais. The highlights of Carpentier's season have been the win in
the Grand Prix of Monterey, a runner-up finish at the Grand Prix of
Mid-Ohio and two third-place runs (Montreal and Milwaukee). He
finished fifth in the Lexmark Indy 300 in Australia (which was won by
Floridian Ryan Hunter-Reay). But all that isn't good enough for
Carpentier, who feels his team should have been better.
"We've had too many ups and downs this year," Carpentier adds. "We
started the year with lots of internal problems with the team. Paul's
team has helped us a lot, but this season has been more of a learning
curve than I thought it would be."
All of which means that Carpentier, an avowed lover of all water
sports, is particularly eager to start the new season racing by the
shores of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg. "It's kind of like a
racing vacation when you come to St. Pete," Carpentier concludes. "As
successful as the first race was, I'm sure the next one will be even
more so. And anything near the water is good for me."
Tickets are now on sale for the 2nd annual Grand Prix of St.
Petersburg and can be purchased by calling toll free (888) 34-SPEED or
by going to the event's official website at
www.gpstpete.com. Race fans
wishing to pay by check rather than credit card can also request a
ticket brochure. Ticket prices for the three-day event range from $35
for a Sunday-only general admission ticket (no grandstand seat) to
$105 for a three-day ticket that includes Saturday and Sunday reserved
seating in upper levels of the grandstands. Handicapped seating,
hospitality club packages and CART Paddock Passes are also available.
10/31/03
American Spirit Team Johansson
downsizes AutoRacing1.com
has learned that the American Spirit Team Johansson Champ Car team
laid off over 25% of their staff today and are down to a skeleton
crew. A statement from the team - “While American Spirit is in
negotiation with potential partners for next year, the difficult
economic climate has forced us to reduce our staff to a minimum, in
efforts to maximize our resources as we continue our diligent efforts
for the 2004 Champ Car season.”
10/31/03
Mark Taylor to drive 2nd Panther entry
Panther Racing has named 2003 IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series champion
Mark Taylor as the driver of the No. 2 Menards/Johns Manville
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone for the 2004 IRL IndyCar Series.
“I am delighted to have been selected to drive for Panther Racing and
Menards/Johns Manville,” Taylor said. “This is a great opportunity for
me and I would like to thank John Menard and everyone at Panther
Racing for making this possible. When the 2003 season started, I
wasn’t sure what to expect in oval racing. As it turns out, it is
fantastic racing, a great product for the fans, and I knew quickly
that I wanted my career to lead to the IndyCar Series.
Taylor’s 2003 championship effort included a record seven wins and
nine top-five finishes over the 12 races on the Menards Infiniti Pro
Series schedule. This represents the second time in the two-year
history of the Menards Infiniti Pro Series for the champion to have
graduated up to the IndyCar Series. AJ Foyt IV made the transition
after winning the 2002 championship.
“The Menards Infiniti Pro Series is designed to be the stepping stone
series in the IRL,” said John Menard, co-owner of Panther Racing. “As
the 2003 series champion, it is a natural that Mark progress into the
IndyCar Series. It is even more fitting that Mark competes in 2004
with Menards and Johns Manville colors.”
Taylor had his initial IndyCar Series testing opportunity with Panther
Racing in the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone at
Texas Motor Speedway in early October.
“Mark ran a full day of testing for us at Texas Motor Speedway and was
turning very competitive laps almost immediately,” John Barnes,
co-owner of Panther Racing said. “He has proven throughout his career
that he knows how to find victory lane, and we are looking forward to
watching him grow into a solid IndyCar Series competitor.”
Taylor joins teammate Tomas Scheckter at Panther Racing. Scheckter was
named on Oct. 11 as the driver of the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Racing
Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone for 2004.
The 2004 IRL IndyCar Series season begins with the Toyota Indy 300
Feb. 29, 2004 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be broadcast
live on ESPN. The Menards Infiniti Pro Series season begins Feb. 29,
2004 with the Homestead-Miami 100 at HMS.
10/31/03
Sunoco signs 10-year deal Grand
American Road Racing Association and Sunoco have announced an
agreement that will make Sunoco Race Fuel the official gasoline of
Grand American Road Racing for the next 10 years. Under the agreement,
Sunoco, the world’s largest manufacturer of premium racing gasoline,
will provide racing gasoline for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car
Series and Grand-Am Cup Series. “This long term commitment by Sunoco
is coming at the perfect time,” noted Grand American President Roger
Edmondson. “With the emergence of Daytona Prototypes as the long term
vision for the sports car racing in America, having a multiyear
commitment from our fuel partner is another sign that the direction of
the Rolex Sports Car Series and its North American Road Racing
Championship is being supported by competitors and suppliers alike.”
10/31/03
2004 Grand-Am Schedule
January 3-5 Daytona International
Speedway Testing
January 29 - February 1 Daytona International Speedway 24
Hours
February 26-28 Homestead-Miami Speedway 250 Miles
April 8-10 Phoenix International Raceway 250 Miles
June 18-20 Watkins Glen International 6 Hours
June 30 - July 1 Daytona International Speedway 250 Miles
August 6-8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 250 Miles
August 12-13 Watkins Glen International 200 Miles
September 10-12 Homestead-Miami Speedway 250 Miles
October 1-3 Virginia International Raceway 400K
October 8-10 Barber Motorsports Park 250 Miles
October 29-31 California Speedway 400K
10/31/03
***Reader Opinion***ISC was
wrong, not CART I would appreciate you cutting down
on some of your harsh criticism of CART about the cancellation
of the King Taco 500. You have every right to make your
statements of the vein of "If I ran CART", however you need to
remember some aspects of the real world. First, don't be so
hard on CART about the cancellation. Your information, and
what I have read in the Southern California press (I live in
Orange County) was that CART did everything possible to hold
the race. ISC forced them to cancel by putting out statements
to the press of how insensitive CART was for wanting to hold
the race while the fires were going on. Well the Kings,
Lakers, Clippers, and Mighty Ducks have all held local
sporting events the past week without those accusations.
Second, CART was correct in being optimistic about having the
race this Sunday. They very likely could now. For the last 3
days the winds have been blowing from the ocean, blowing the
fire and the smoke away from Fontana. The last 2 days have
been virtually smoke free, and the fires are now far from
Fontana. With the change of the weather in the last 2 days
with cooler temps., ocean fog and drizzles in the mountains,
the fires locally have almost come to a stop.
With ISC claiming there were almost no dates to reschedule
between now and the end of the year, I cannot believe that they
could not reschedule someone's testing date or days for the
NASCAR driving experience operation. There are no other races
scheduled for that track. Even though you are big on the offer
of Thanksgiving weekend, that is not as good as it sounds. The
end of Nov. brings a much greater chance of rain to So Cal.
which as a charity event brings even greater chance of a PR
disaster than this.
Face it, this was ISC's chance to slap CART in the face. They
did a very good job of it because they had all the weapons. An
opportunity to "blackmail" CART into canceling the race and
then accuse them of some sort of breach of contract when they
do. It was your site a couple of days ago that said that CART
should sue ISC for them canceling the race, but you said that
they probably couldn't because of ISC being able to claim an
"act of God" from the fires.
Remember that ISC has been pulling the same act here that they
did at Michigan. 3 years ago they would run TV ads, newspaper
ads, everything from August till the race weekend. This year
there has been absolutely nothing. If you were not a racing
fan, your only clue that a race was to happen (or would have
happened) were a couple of articles in the sports page of the
paper. Mike Weyhrich Another writes, Oh
great, more negative press for CART. Here we go again... But
wait, maybe this time it's not CART's fault. Stop the presses.
Can that be?
It's disappointing that CART decided to cancel the Fontana
race, but look at the alternative. Why in the world would they
want to run the race Thanksgiving weekend? Would fans really
want to brave the endless traffic of Americans returning home
from their extended weekend trip to go see a race that has no
implications on this year's championship and isn't even a
points paying event, as suggested in a previous article?
My guess is that CART wants to spend November and December
getting ready for 2004, the new beginning. I don't think they
want to spend valuable time and manpower to run a race, when
they need to work on the future of the series. This one race
cannot save the series. I'm sure it's no coincidence that the
only weekend ISC could find to hold the race was Thanksgiving
weekend. Their inflexibility with rescheduling the race
doesn't surprise me. I just hope Mr. Forsythe remembers this
when NASCAR wants to race in Mexico City. The new owners of
CART will be in a better position to take on ISC, CRAPCAR and
possibly the IRL, if this battle is to still be fought.
CART attempted to find an agreeable situation that worked for
both them and ISC, but it couldn't be found. CART shouldn't
have to grab its ankles because ISC wasn't willing to work
with them. For CART there's a new sheriff (actually 3) in
town, and they need to focus on the future. Sincerely, Joe
Yack
10/31/03
Fans invited to Starwood Team Jensen Toyota
Atlantic fun day
UPDATE Race fans who come watch the cars run
can also get up close with the team to see their process in
testing. Also, young phenom Andrew Ranger - who won the
Formula Renault Fran-Am championship this year - will drive for a
half a day to sample the Atlantic car. If you want
more details, you can send an email to
team@jensenmotorsport.com10/31/03 - The weather is supposed
to be nice this weekend in Toronto, so the Eric Jensen Toyota
Atlantic team is going to take their two Toyota Atlantic cars
to the Shannonville, Ontario track to have some fun on Sunday
November 2nd. Those readers based in Ontario are invited to
join them at the test. They would like to limit it to about
15-20 people, and obviously there are no costs.
10/31/03
***Reader Opinion***ISC
anti-CART campaign Dear AR1, I am not surprised by the
announcement that the King Taco 500 has been cancelled. This
was a windfall opportunity for ISC to add another smear to
its anti-CART campaign, adding yet more bad press responses
and negative PR aimed at discrediting CART and its leaders.
It was obvious to me that ISC was not fully behind this event
months ago. Regular newsletters from the Speedway had arrived
throughout the year with no mention of the 500, the Champ Car
World Series or ticket opportunities (except for a very small
print reference to the website near the return address). The
newsletter that did cover the 500 did not arrive until three
weeks prior to the event (can't blame the postal service, I
live 40 miles from the track!), hardly enough time for many of
us busy people to be reminded to make travel plans, etc.
Even worse, local radio stations have been running ads
featuring the NASCAR race on Saturday, with mention of the
feature, the Champ Car 500 done in a mere whisper, where if
one was not familiar with CART, Champ Car, or racing in
general, the listener would not have a clue, and most likely
not attend on Sunday purely on disinformation alone.
I love racing and like NASCAR, and attend their events
regularly. But, after several years of witnessing the "Oval
Cartel" exercising their negative machinations, I have second
thoughts of ever returning even if it means missing one of my
beloved Fan Club meetings.
Conversely, I am consoled by the bright prospects Messrs.
Gentilozzi, et al have for the future of the series. I am
confident that once ISC has exhausted all of its efforts to
destroy what's left of what was once one of the "must attend"
events of the year in Southern California, Messrs. Gentilozzi
et al will create a new venue that will far exceed
expectations and fill the void left by ISC. George N.
Ponnay III, Fountain Valley, CA
10/31/03
CART might be sued by ISC over
Fontana cancellation [Editor's Note:
This now leaves zero doubt in our mind that CART should hold
the non-points charity race on Thanksgiving weekend as we
proposed] International Speedway Corporation, the parent
company of the California Speedway. ISC said in a press
release it wanted back most of the $2.5 million sanctioning
fee paid to CART for the cancelled King Taco 500, which had
been scheduled to run this weekend in Fontana but was called
off due to the Southern California wildfires. Even with
CART possibly facing legal action by ISC, one member of the
potential ownership group said Thursday that the sale should
still go through. "Nobody could have predicted what happened
this week (in Fontana), but we knew (CART) was losing money
steadily," said Kevin Kalkhoven, who stands to own a third of
CART if the sale goes through. "When we made our bid, we knew
(what) the inside numbers were." CART officials could not be
reached for comment. CART still has about $15.1 million left
in its coffers, enough to pay the bills before the sale is
approved by stockholders. That means the series probably won't
be declaring bankruptcy anytime soon. Analyst Dennis McAlpine
said that CART could even pay the money ISC said it is owed.
"There is no reason why they shouldn't pay it," he said. "CART
has already had enough problems with ISC. If they're smart,
they should just pay it now." A lawsuit by ISC could slow down
the sale, but it's not a deal killer, according to McAlpine.
Monterey Herald
10/31/03
AGR signs Kanaan through 2008 Andretti
Green Racing announced today it has extended Team 7-Eleven
driver Tony Kanaan's contract for an additional four years,
securing Kanaan's services through the 2008 Indy Racing League
(IRL) IndyCar Series season. Kanaan, who initially signed a
two-year contract with the team in September 2002, drove the
#11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone to a fourth-place
finish in this year's IndyCar Series championship. "I'm very
happy to announce that we've extended Tony Kanaan's contract
through the 2008 season," said Michael Andretti, who owns the
team along with partners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree. "Tony
Kanaan is the kind of guy that a lot of people would want
driving for them. Every time he is in the car, he stands on
the gas and gives it 100 percent. That is the type of guy we
want helping to lead Andretti Green Racing. Tony loves being
on this team and we're really happy to extend his contract.
He's going to be a big part of the future of this team."
10/31/03
Williams BMW re-sign Gene
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team today confirmed that Marc Gene has
re-signed as the team's official test and reserve driver for
the 2004 season. Gene has undertaken testing duties for
the team since 2001, and in three years of relentless work,
has completed nearly 42,000 km of testing on the team's
behalf. As chief operations engineer, Sam Michael
reflects: "Testing is the backbone of our racing performance
and the essential hard grind of the job. I'm confident that
the BMW WilliamsF1 Team could have no-one better as the
mainstay of our testing program. Marc is quick,
consistent, and provides the team engineers with excellent and
intelligent feedback. It gives me great confidence to know
that he will be with the team again next year. I'm also
comfortable knowing that Marc, if needed, can also race
competitively as he showed this season."
10/31/03
Renna crash probe going slow This
Indy Star
article talks about the Renna crash probe. Tony
Renna was below the normal racing line in the third turn of
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he lost control of his
car, crashed and died Oct. 22, the Indy Racing League's chief
administrator confirmed Thursday. Brian Barnhart, the
IRL's senior vice president of operations, also said the
Ganassi Racing driver was clocked at 227 mph -- likely Renna's
first hot lap of the Firestone test session -- just before he
flipped into the fence. Taking an improper line through
a racetrack's turn can cause a car to behave improperly.
Barnhart stopped short of calling the crash "driver error"
because there are still too many questions surrounding the
mostly unseen accident to figure out. The IRL does not
have electronic information downloaded from Renna's onboard
computer and the standard black box because of the extensive
damage done to the car, which broke at the driver's
compartment. Black box data is designed to be stored for up to
180 days, but many of the chips inside the unit broke,
Barnhart said. Jeff Horton, the IRL's director of
electronics, is leading the pursuit to recover the data.
Renna died of blunt force injuries to his head and chest.
10/31/03
Aerial View of Fontana fires
A
photo of the Fontana track from space showing the
surrounding fires. The track is about half way down the
photo.
10/31/03
***Reader Comment***Fontana race
cancellation symbolic
Dear AR1, After reading about the disastrous decision by CART to
cancel the Fontana race, I took a bit of solace in the whole symbolism
of it. My hope is that much like the fires of California, CART has
burned to the ground with all the idiots now ashes. Just like in
nature, the new growth will begin. In five or ten years the charred
area of California will be bursting with new life and the scars will
be a distant memory. My hope is the new CART will experience that same
rebirth. Arno Fritz, Milwaukee, WI
10/31/03
Marlboro lap leader award This
past Saturday night at the season-ending banquet at Walt Disney World
in Orlando, Ina Broeman, Category Manager, Marlboro, presented Scott
Dixon with a check for $20,000 for leading the most laps in the 2003
season (748 laps led in 14 different races).
The Marlboro Lap Leader Award program was designed to recognize the
lap leader at each of the 16 races on the 2003 IndyCar Series circuit.
In addition to the season-ending $20,000 bonus, the driver who led the
most laps at each race received a check for $7,500 and the lap leader
of the Indianapolis 500 received an additional $50,000.
Over the season $182,500 was awarded to six drivers who led the most
laps on race day. The following drivers were lap leader winners in
2003:
* Tomas Scheckter (Indianapolis, Texas, Chicago and Fontana - $72,500)
* Scott Dixon (Pikes Peak, Richmond and year-end bonus - $35,000)
* Gil de Ferran (Miami, Kansas and Texas- $22,500)
* Tony Kanaan (Phoenix, Japan and Nashville - $22,500)
* Helio Castroneves (St. Louis and Nazareth - $15,000)
* Sam Hornish Jr. (Michigan and Kentucky - $15,000)
10/31/03
De Ferran and Castroneves fly with Blue
Angels Earlier this
week, Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves had the unique opportunity
to fly with the Blue Angels. The pair of Brazilians went to
the Naval Air
Station Pensacola in Florida, where they met the Blue Angels and
watched them practice. After the practice session, the two had their
own Flight Briefs before going on individual flights.
While the two are certainly used to speed, being up in the plane was a
bit different than behind the wheel of the Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyotas. In fact, it was a little too much for Castroneves.
"It's like they say - it was a unique experience and the opportunity
of a lifetime," said Castroneves. "The G's were unbelievable. I got
sick twice and I probably would have more, but they ran out of bags.
But seriously, I had a great time - those guys are amazing pilots and
incredibly talented. It was a lot fun, but I think I'll stay on the
ground."
"It was one of the best and most unforgettable experiences I've ever
had," said de Ferran. "I had a fantastic time. When the pilot pulled
7.5 G's, I nearly blacked out. Flying with the Blue Angels was like
nothing I've ever done before, not even driving 241 miles per hour. I
mean we did all sorts of maneuvers -we did loops, inverted flying,
dive-bombing, we shot straight up in the air. If I had the opportunity
to do it again, I would - again and again and again. I absolutely
loved it."
10/31/03
Another Renault street demo
This weekend, as part of the Gran Premio di Cagliari, the Renault F1
Team will demonstrate the race-winning R23B around the streets of the
Sardinian capital.
The Renault F1 Team roadshow rolls on! First, Fernando Alonso wowed
the crowds last May on Madrid's Paseo de la Castellana. Just one week
after his dramatic second-place finish in the Spanish Grand Prix, over
100,000 fans turned out to watch the new national hero demonstrate his
race-car on one of the capital's main avenues.
Then in October, one week after the season-ending Japanese race, the
cars were in action again. Running on a specially constructed street
circuit in the shadow of Moscow's impressive university, Renault
became the first team ever to run a Formula 1 car on Russian soil: the
R23B attracted fifty thousand intrigued spectators to this unique
event.
This weekend, the team will conduct its third road demonstration run
of the year as the R23B takes to the streets of Sardinia. Enthusiasts
attending the second Gran Premio di Cagliari on Saturday and Sunday
will have a treat in store: as part of the lunchtime activities, the
Renault F1 R23B will be unleashed for a number of high-speed runs
around the tortuous street circuit, including full demonstration
pit-stops and practice starts. Renault
10/31/03
Germans sign anti-tobacco pact
This grandprix.com article says
that it was done without fanfare but on October 24 Germany, one of the
major opponents to the World Health Organization's Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control formally signed the agreement,
committing itself to the eventual banning of all tobacco advertising
and sponsorship. This was a major blow for the anti-tobacco lobby as
Germany has long been one of the opponents of international
legislation. The number of countries to have signed the Convention is
now 76. The treaty will come into force as soon as 40 of the 192
signatories have ratify the deal but that is expected to take at least
two or three years.
NASCAR still a small blip on the radar
screen vs. F1
Americans think NASCAR is hugely popular, and by all accounts it is,
until you compare it to F1. While the average NASCAR broadcast
gets about 5 million viewers in a large country called the USA,
compare that to F1 (According to a study done by Eurodata TV Worldwide
for 2003), which gets almost twice as many viewers per race in a small
country like Italy:
Germany - 9 million viewers per race
Finland - 1.2 million viewers per race
Great Britain - 3.2 million per race
France - 3.6 million per race
Italy - 9.7 million viewers per race
China - 7.9 million viewers on CCTV5
Percent viewers watching F1
Country
2000
2001
2002
2003
France
7.7%
7.7%
5.7%
6.7%
Germany
13.8%
14.3%
12.8%
12.3%
Italy
19.2%
19%
17.3%
17.4%
Finland
22.4%
18.6%
20%
22.7%
UK
7%
6.6%
5.7%
5.8%
10/30/03
CART blows chance to turn a bad
situation positive
Regarding the Fontana race cancellation due to wildfires, CART had the
opportunity to turn a very unfortunate situation positive, but instead
chose to cancel the race. Certainly California Speedway and ISC
were not willing to bend over backward to help CART, that
relationship was damaged years ago. Clearly, ISC is in bed with
the IRL these days, both being in the oval track business. After
inquiring about a possible race at Phoenix or even a weekday at
Fontana, the only alternate date the Speedway offered CART was
Thanksgiving weekend.
California Speedway continues to maintain that, contrary to the
statement released by CART yesterday, the decision to cancel the race
was CART's, not California Speedway's. "Tuesday night, we had
postponed, not canceled the race, which meant we could still hold this
race," California Speedway President Bill Miller told the Orange
County Register, adding that he had offered to let CART run the race
over Thanksgiving weekend. "I was surprised and disappointed by how
CART handled this," Miller said. CART left itself wide open with
that decision, and Miller, gladly delivered a knockout blow.
We live by the motto, when in doubt just do
what's right. In this case, what would have been right would for
CART to have taken the offer to race on Thanksgiving weekend, and make
it a 2-day
non-points affair. The entire weekend could have been turned
into a major positive PR blitz for CART. All the firefighters,
rescue workers and the victims and their families could have been
invited to the race free of charge. Collections and donations
could have been made for all the victims and the entire weekend turned
into a Southern California help-the-fire-victims weekend.
Californians would have turned out to buy race tickets, with the
revenue going to the victims. CART could have run their race in
front of a packed grandstand, on a traditional Thanksgiving weekend
when Americans are in a giving, charitable mood, and won over a lot of
new fans.
The engines and tires were already paid for, as were
salaries and most other costs. Race tickets were already
purchased by the fans who were going anyway. All the CART personnel could have
been home with their families on Thanksgiving Day, and used Friday to
travel back to Fontana. With all other racing done for the year,
CART would not have had to share the limelight with any other series,
most notably NASCAR, which monopolizes USA motorsports every other
weekend. The Speedway would have welcomed such an event to help
the local community and would have worked with CART to make it a
success. What
could have been a win-win for CART, turned out to be a lose-lose, and
what little hope there was that perhaps someday CART and ISC could do
business again when the IRL eventually ceases to exist, is now
shattered. If we were CART, we would be on the telephone to Bill
Miller tomorrow, explaining their change of heart, and moving forward
on what they should have done in the first place - race!
Mark C.
10/30/03
Planned Dubai track in Disney setting
DISNEY World in the desert? Plans for a grand entertainment
center were revealed in Dubai this month, with a scheme to turn barren
desert into a fertile, glass-domed tourist attraction.
Now newspaper advertisements have started to appear in countries,
including SA, to entice property firms, entrepreneurs and leisure
companies to invest. Dubailand could be an attractive
opportunity for South African firms. Construction company Murray &
Roberts has already won some high-profile projects, and the trade and
industry department is pledging its support to SA House, a new
initiative designed to help local companies enter the Middle East
market through an alliance with a local partner.
Plans unveiled by the crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum,
show that Dubailand will span 2-billion square feet and feature 45
major attractions. They will include theme parks, a zoo, a water
world, a film world, space centre, the world's biggest shopping mall,
luxury hotels, a rainforest and dinosaur land. On the sporting
side, it will offer Olympic-sized stadiums, a Formula One racetrack,
an equestrian center and a ski world. The vision is for Dubailand to
lure 200,000 visitors a day.
But how the development will be funded has not been disclosed in
detail. One possibility is that the government will build facilities
such as walkways, libraries, galleries and museums. It could then
either build the commercial developments such as hotels, shops and
theme parks and lease them out to tenants, or simply sell plots of
land and let property developers tackle the construction. The
Dubai Development and Investment Authority touts this as the biggest
entertainment project ever undertaken in the Middle East. Overall
investments are expected to top $5bn, but that excludes the cost of
infrastructure.
The Dubai government has committed $700m for the first phase of
developing infrastructure, with local and international investors
expected to handle the main elements of the project. The opening
date for this dream world in the desert is slated for the last quarter
of 2006.
Business Day
10/30/03
Priestley wants to return to
racingUPDATE A reader writes,
While your assumption might have something to it, you really should
keep in mind there is a large world in racing outside of open wheel.
Jason did drive for Multimatic in IMSA GT-1 using a Mustang. Because
of his ties to sportscar racing, he could pretty much wind up road
racing anywhere. His former team has ties to Panoz Motorsports, Multimatic also builds a car for the Grand-Am Daytona Prototype class,
his good buddy Scott Goodyear drove with Brumos in some Grand-Am
events, or he could go Trans-Am, Speed WC, or as you implied, Toyota
Atlantics. Having seen him road race, I think anywhere he goes will be
better because of his talent and name recognition. Chris Nelson10/30/03 - In this AP
article, severely injured IRL driver Jason Priestley
says he may want to return to racing. What it doesn't
say is that Priestley stated previously if he returns, it will
be road racing, which is much safer. One would assume
that might mean the CART ladder Series.
10/30/03
Robin Miller Wind Tunnel Comments Miller on the current danger level
in Indy Car Racing: "After Kenny's (Brack) accident, I wrote a
story that basically said that there had been 87 IRL races and 76
drivers hospitalized. When you are talking about 16 races on ovals, it
is the most dangerous form of racing. When the IRL was formed, they
dummied the Indy cars down so anyone could drive them. They put a lot
of down force in them and took a lot of horsepower out of them so they
were all jammed together because Tony George wanted to follow NASCAR's
lead and wanted to have open-wheel NASCAR. There is no question that
IRL has put on amazing displays of photo-finishes over the last eight
years. Now that they have all these good teams and good drivers in
this series and all the original guys have long since been forgotten,
you have all these guys jammed on top of each other, but not like a
CART race in that they can draft by each other, they are stuck
together. They just have dodged so many bullets in the last years it's
unbelievable -- like when they ran two abreast in eight rows at Texas
for 45 minutes and nobody crashed, thankfully. If CART ran 16 ovals,
they would have a lot more injuries than they do, that is the inherent
danger of oval track racing. What we have seen this year, especially
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is for whatever reason, these cars
are getting airborne on flat race tracks."
Miller on IRL cars flying: "The thing that is scary is
how quickly they take off after they run over a wheel (or debris).
Kenny just peeled off like one of the Blue Angels. On all these
crashes, Kenny's, Tony Renna's and Mario's (Andretti), the debris and
the pieces of the car that went through the catch fence -- now that is
the issue here. Now, we have entered an area that is fan safety."
Miller's final thoughts: "Fans don't care about how fast
the cars are going anymore. Nobody shows up to watch qualifying at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway anymore and that was the second draw in
racing several years ago so speed doesn't make any difference. People
want to see good racing and competition. You have to give drivers a
reaction time. You hear NASCAR guys complaining all the time, "We are
tired of being on top of each other at restrictor plate
races."...Well, the IRL is restrictor plate racing at 220 mph and it's
just a recipe for disaster. They can say all they want about, "Oh,
you're biased -- you don't like us -- that's crap. You don't want to
see 76 drivers get hurt you don't want to see fans get injured. You
don't want to see drivers get killed. I think CART and the IRL have to
look at slowing their cars down. CART only has a couple of ovals but
they were going way too fast at Milwaukee. Whatever happens... if you
get a car in the grandstands, it's going to be the end of open wheel
racing, because insurance is tough enough for race tracks to get."
10/30/03
CART takes another blood bath - 3rd
Qtr. Financials
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (the "Company") (OTCBB: CPNT.OB)
announced today financial results for the third quarter ended
September 30, 2003. More.....
10/30/03 Industry News
Johnny Boyd dies
Many of you will perhaps already know the details for the
service for Johnny Boyd, however, some may not. Graveside
services for Boyd will take place Nov. 4 in Clovis, California
(a Fresno suburb.) Address of funeral home handling
arrangements: 2970 E. McKinley, Fresno, CA 93703. The family
requests that remembrances be sent to the 500 Oldtimers Club,
c/o Jack Drive, Pittsboro, IN 46167-9503. A "Celebration of
Life" party for Johnny is being planned for May 2004 at the
Speedway.
10/30/03
NASCAR to expose electronics
NASCAR has had it with the finger-pointing, accusations and
fruitless investigations about the use, uh, make that alleged
use, of illegal traction control systems in its Winston Cup
Series. Starting next season, Nextel Cup teams will have to
mount all of their wart-ugly ignition parts, pieces and wires
so that anyone strolling through the garage area can inspect
the system through the front windshield. "They will be in full
display on the dashboard," Winston Cup director John Darby
said this week. "The Busch Series and Truck Series are going
to have the same rule." Any traction control system utilizes
the ignition system to send the right amount of torque and
power to the rear wheels. With a traction control system in
place, a driver would have a distinct advantage over other
competitors with a regular ignition system, especially at
NASCAR flat tracks. Prior to this season, most of the ignition
system was hidden from sight under the dashboard area. Those
in the know say all it would take to convert a plain old
ignition system into a traction control beast is a
preprogrammed computer chip. They say such a chip could be
inserted into the ignition system by the driver just before
the race and quickly removed after the checkered flag, making
traction control virtually undetectable. NASCAR doesn't
want this kind of technology infesting its circa-1950s motor
and electrical setups, but even after issuing a
you-will-never-race-with-us-again-if-caught ultimatum about
traction control, the whispers continued. When Darby talked
about NASCAR's plans to bolt these electrical parts to the
dashboard, he never uttered the words "traction control." He
said the purpose of the rule is to let everybody else know
what a team is running in their car. "Right now ignition
systems are not in full view of every competitor," Darby said.
"It goes along with our open garage, open inspection
philosophy. With the ignition systems in clear sight of
everyone, all the competitors can look at it just like they
look at the body, springs and chassis." Most everybody
thought this was going to happen before the 2003 season
because traction control was such a hot topic during most of
2002.
Daytona Beach News Journal
10/30/03
Frentzen rejects the IRL Reportedly
after hearing of all the severely injured drivers in the IRL,
Heinz-Harald Frentzen has rejected a switch to the IRL IndyCar
Series, despite holding talks with team owner Eddie Cheever,
according to this week's AUTOSPORT magazine. The German,
who is considering his future in motorsport after losing his
Formula 1 drive with Sauber, looked likely to be offered a
test with Eddie Cheever Racing. He was quoted in the German
media earlier this week as eyeing a switch to the oval-based
series. "I can easily imagine a switch to the USA," said
Frentzen. "As a passionate race driver, other kinds of driving
excite me – even on an oval." But Frentzen's manager,
Monty Field, told AUTOSPORT that his driver had decided
against ovals. "We had looked at it, and we spoke with
Eddie when we were over in the US for the grand prix. But we
have now discounted it."
10/30/03
Tony Renna EulogyUPDATE
Here is the card
(PDF format) Racer Magazine produced for Tony's memorial
service. The remembrance is written by David Phillips and the
beautiful poem on the back cover was submitted without
attribution by a friend. It sums Tony up perfectly.
10/29/03 - Here
is a touching Eulogy for Tony Renna, written and delivered by Tony's
Manager, Mark Coughlin, at his funeral. We guess it says it all.
Eulogy
10/30/03
Paul Tracy - I did it my way
This Las Vegas Sun
article says, "I went out there and won the
championship the way that I drive -- and that's racing to the
maximum every weekend," Tracy said. "You could say I did it my
way because I didn't go out there and race for points or
cruise around to collect points; I went out and gave it
everything I had every weekend and sometimes I won and
sometimes I failed."
10/30/03
Options for Fontana ticket
holders
Pursuant to CART Champ Car’s release today regarding the
cancellation of the King Taco 500, the following options are
available for account holders with tickets to Sunday’s event.
In addition, Saturday’s King Taco 200 NASCAR Winston West
Series race has also been cancelled. Below are the ticket
options:
Apply money toward a 2004
California Speedway event – the face value of the ticket will
be applied to a purchase for any 2004 event by the account
holder;
Donate the money to the American
Red Cross Southern California Fire Disaster Relief Fund – the
face value of the ticket will be donated in the account
holder’s name;
Use their tickets for this
weekend’s event at Phoenix International Raceway – PIR is
making a special offer for guests to redeem their California
Speedway tickets at the PIR Gate 3 Ticket Office for this
weekend’s NASCAR events;
Refund to account holder only –
refund will be conducted in the manner in which the tickets
were purchased, i.e. if purchased by check, then a check will
be refunded; if purchased by credit card, a credit will be
given.
The speedway’s website at
www.californiaspeedway.com currently has a form on it for
account holders to download and fill out if they want to
select option 2 or 4. The form must be returned to the
speedway by November 14th.
10/30/03
Conine honorary race chairman
for Homestead
Jeff Conine of the World Series Champions Florida Marlins has
been named Honorary Race Chairman for the Ford 400 NASCAR
Winston Cup Series season-finale race on Sunday, November 16
at the NEW Homestead-Miami Speedway. As Honorary Race
Chairman, Conine will greet each of the NASCAR Winston Cup
Series drivers as they are introduced during pre-race
ceremonies and also ride along in the official pace car of the
Ford 400. "Coming off this year's World Championship run, I'm
psyched to now help crown the next champions to come through
South Florida," said Conine. "I'm a huge NASCAR fan and having
personally driven a Winston Cup racecar at Homestead-Miami
Speedway, I realize what kind of athletes these NASCAR drivers
are." Conine will also be heard in the track's radio
advertisements encouraging fans in South Florida to attend
Ford Championship Weekend featuring the season finales for the
NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series November
13-16. "With the debut of the new track and the new banking,
this is going to be one huge challenge for the drivers and one
wild show that the fans will not want to miss," Conine said.
10/30/03
How long before more manufacturers
leave NASCAR?
Pontiac announced their withdrawal from NASCAR on Tuesday. How
much time before Chevy, Ford and Dodge quit, realizing they are
wasting their money? While NASCAR is presently at its zenith of
popularity and $$ interest, the big three continue to lose market
share to foreign manufacturers in the marketplace. The win on
Sunday, buy on Monday mentality is no longer working with NASCAR,
probably because the average NASCAR fan has less disposable income
than, say a CART or F1 fan, and it's the fans who earn more money who
buy the most cars. And increasingly, the NASCAR fans are buying
foreign cars. In the future, if market sales trends
continue how can NASCAR continue to race cars (1950's technology tube
frame cars, with carburetors.) that the public is
increasingly not interested in buying and how can the manufacturers
justify their expenditure in NASCAR? Will the big three continue
to support this series when the public is no longer buying?
Absolutely not. That is why NASCAR is anxious to get Toyota and
Honda into the series. They sell cars people are now interested
in buying. How will NASCAR fare when Dodge, Ford and Chevy are
replaced by Honda, Toyota and Subaru? Ironically, all the
manufacturers in technology advanced F1 have been gaining market share.
Food for thought as CART contemplates what its 2005 cars and engines
will be. Will they go the NASCAR and IRL dumbed down route that
consumers are not interested in buying, or the more sophisticated
route that consumers do purchase. As AR1 has written on numerous
occasions, CART will best serve its manufactures and the consumers in
trying to mimic F1's high-tech, high-revving image as much as
possible, and save money through standardization. When was the last
time a person walked into a showroom and asked to buy a car with a
carburetor and no electronic gizmos? Consumers buy the most
technically advanced car they can afford.
Steven Levinson/AR1
10/30/03
Tomas
Scheckter interviewWelcome to the Indy Racing League teleconference for this week of Tuesday, October 28. Today we’ll visit with IRL IndyCar
Series driver Tomas Scheckter. Scheckter finished seventh in the 2003
IndyCar Series point standings as a member of Target Chip Ganassi
Racing and was named as the driver of the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther
Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone for the upcoming 2004 campaign.
Earlier this month, he had his first opportunity to test with the
Panther Racing team during a private test at The Milwaukee Mile.
Transcript
10/30/03
NASCAR points chase thins
NASCAR Winston Cup drivers in 7th place in the standings or lower are
officially eliminated from the championship after last week's
Atlanta's race. Drivers in 19th place or lower are eliminated from the
top ten. Here are the details: Drivers Who Can Still Win Title
1 Matt Kenseth 4678
2 Dale Jr 4420
3 Kevin Harvick 4416
4 Jimmie Johnson 4412
5 Jeff Gordon 4382
6 Ryan Newman 4329 Eliminated From Championship Hunt
7 Tony Stewart 4151
8 Bobby Labonte 4000
9 Bill Elliott 3845
10 Terry Labonte 3839
11 Kurt Busch 3813
12 Jeff Burton 3700
13 Rusty Wallace 3693
14 Michael Waltrip 3687
15 Jamie McMurray 3642
16 Robby Gordon 3613
17 Mark Martin 3531
18 Greg Biffle 3390 Eliminated From Top 10
19 Jeremy Mayfield 3377
20 Ward Burton 3354
21 Sterling Marlin 3347
22 Ricky Rudd 3296
23 Elliott Sadler 3222
24 Ricky Craven 3158
25 Joe Nemechek 3156
26 Dale Jarrett 3148
27 Johnny Benson 3107
28 Dave Blaney 2942
29 Jimmy Spencer 2933
30 Kenny Wallace 2806
31 Steve Park 2710
The reality of the California situation A
fire captain just reported that within the last hour 150 homes on the
east side of Lake Arrowhead were consumed. They did have one Chinook
and one Erickson "crane" operating. Ten minutes ago all aircraft were
grounded. It seems a real possibility that most of Lake Arrowhead
could be history by tomorrow when the sun comes up. The TV had shown
all these "little spot" fires. But each of these big fires started
that way. They quickly grew to the size of a football field and then
merged. There is a marine layer coming in, but it brings its own
problems. No aircraft assistance, and no visibility for crews on the
ground as the smoke can't escape. Fire does continue in the Devore
area - the intersection of the I-15 and I-215. That area remains under
mandatory evacuation. But there is nothing near the track, and as I
recall in 1989 the World Series continued on in the aftermath of the
earthquake. I believe the Speedway could have said "the show must go
on." While some on-the-scene TV news people challenged the statement,
a U.S. Forest Service spokesman just stated that they expect the fire
to “take” the town of Running Springs in about an hour. She was asked
three times in different ways and held to her statement.
The ValVerde/Simi Valley fire that became the Santa Clarita last night
is now heading back to Granada Hills and the other end of Porter
Ranch. Two firemen are in critical condition and one is dead in
their attempt to save Julian – the resort town east of San Diego.
As if the fires weren’t enough, we were just shaken by a 3.7
earthquake centered in Simi Valley. Ahhhhh Southern California.
Nothing boring around here. Jeff Skinner, Northridge, CA
10/29/03
Drivers worried about flying IRL cars This
Autosport article
most likely says exactly what every IRL driver is thinking, but are
afraid to speak their mind freely. IRL IndyCar star Tomas
Scheckter, whose replacement at Ganassi Racing, Tony Renna, was killed
during his first test with the team, has voiced his concern at the
number of big accidents in the series this year – specifically ones
where cars have become airborne. Scheckter, who was also involved in
the frightening accident that hospitalized Kenny Brack, says he also
has faith in the IRL to minimize the risk of cars taking off as has
happened on five separate occasions this year. "You have seen it
[happen] maybe a little too many times," admitted Scheckter. "But I
think there's been some weird stuff happening. Also, obviously,
there's nothing you can do to keep a car down when it touches wheels
with someone else because it's just like hitting a ramp, I suppose.
The thing is going to get airborne. I have got full confidence that
the IRL are going to do something about it and make sure that this
doesn't happen as frequently as it has been happening." Scheckter, who
joins Panther Racing for 2004, also spoke about his shock at the loss
of Renna in testing at Indianapolis recently, who was hired to take
his place at Ganassi Racing. "It's even hard for me to speak about it
now," said Scheckter. "It was an extremely funny feeling. I was
driving, I had to actually pull off on the side of the road because I
had given Chip [Ganassi] a call just to speak to him to thank him
about some stuff. He said 'Tony has been in a crash'. I said 'Sorry to
hear that' but I didn't know anything. I thought maybe he just had a
little bit of a bump, or whatever. "Then I gave Scott [Dixon,
Scheckter's former teammate] a call and he told me the news. It was a
bit shocking to be honest. It still is a little bit shocking now."
10/29/03
#0 penalized
NASCAR Winston Cup Series team Haas CNC Racing was fined, and
forfeited championship driver and owner points for rules infractions
during the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend (Oct. 24-27) at Atlanta
Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today. The #0 Haas CNC
Pontiac was found to have an unapproved carburetor modification (to
the venturi) during opening-day inspection. The result was a $25,000
fine for crew chief Tony Furr, the loss of 25 NASCAR Winston Cup
Series championship driver points for Ward Burton and the loss of 25
NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship owner points for Gene Haas.
All parties were in violation of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rule
Book, Section 12-4-A: Actions detrimental to stock car racing and
Section 12-4-Q: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that parts
and/or equipment in the Event do not conform to NASCAR rules:
Unapproved carburetor modification. NASCAR PR
10/29/03
Dale Jr. on Wind Tunnel
Dale Earnhardt Jr., will make his first visit to Dave Despain's Wind
Tunnel on Thursday, Nov. 6 (from Rockingham) at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can
send e-mail questions to
windtunnel@speedtv.com or call 1-866-W-TUNNEL to be a part of the
live call-in portions of the show.
10/29/03
Brack rehab update Team
Rahal driver Kenny Brack continues to make good progress with his
rehabilitation of injuries from the Oct. 12 Texas Motor Speedway IRL
IndyCar Series crash, said therapists at the Rehabilitation Hospital
of Indiana Wednesday. Dennis Conlon, PT, serves as Brack's physical
therapist while Allyssa Wagner, OT, is Kenny's occupational therapist
in the well-renowned rehab facility on the west side of Indianapolis.
Brack, the 1998 IRL champion and 1999 Indy 500 winner, puts in several
hours of therapy each day including strengthening of his upper body
and improving the range of motion for his ankles and legs. He also
works on self-care activities in occupational therapy. Brack, driver
of the No. 15 Pioneer/Miller Lite Honda Dallara, suffered a variety of
injuries including a fractured right femur, a fractured sternum, a
fractured lumbar (L-3) vertebrae and fractures to both ankles. Brack
had surgery on Oct. 12 (femur and ankles) and Oct. 13 (vertebrae) at
Dallas' Parkland Memorial Hospital. "I'm working pretty hard in
therapy right now," said Brack, the Sweden native now living in Upper
Arlington, Ohio. "I was on my back for quite sometime so I'm getting
back to doing normal activities and working on getting my strength
back. I know it will take some time." "Kenny was in good physical
shape prior to the crash," said Conlon. "He is working hard to get
back to that kind of shape. But he knows it will take some time."
After the Oct. 12 crash, Brack spent eight days at Parkland Hospital,
two days in Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis before being
transferred to RHI last Thursday (Oct. 23).
10/29/03
Wheldon sponsors renew Andretti
Green Racing announced today it has renewed contract
agreements with both Klein Tools, Inc. and Jim Beam Brands Con
for the 2004 Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar Series season.
The two companies operated as major sponsors of Dan Wheldon's
#26 Honda-powered Dallara this past season beginning with the
87th running of the Indianapolis 500. Wheldon carried the
Klein Tools/Jim Beam colors to five top-five and eight top-10
finishes en route to winning the 2003 IndyCar Series
Rookie-of-the-Year title.
10/29/03
CART finale at Fontana now
cancelled The California wildfires that are
currently burning in Southern California have led to the
unfortunate cancellation of this weekend’s King Taco 500 at
California Speedway, the race that would have been the final
event of the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World
Series Powered by Ford. The race was cancelled Tuesday evening
by California Speedway management due to the spread of the
fires. The first cars were not scheduled to be on track for
this weekend’s King Taco 500 until Friday morning but the
Speedway determined that the situation would not improve
enough in that time to allow the event to continue.
“Our thoughts are with those families dealing with the
disaster in Southern California and we hope for a speedy end
to the situation,” said CART President and CEO Christopher R.
Pook. “Our diligence in pursuing the continuation of the race
was only to ensure that we had exhausted every option
available to us. CART Champ Car regrets that the event has
been cancelled and we offered to explore every possible
avenue, including running the event on Monday or Tuesday at
Phoenix International Raceway – which is owned by California
Speedway’s parent company International Speedway Corporation –
or running at the California Speedway track sometime next
week, allowing us to run this race in a safe manner and have a
proper end to the 2003 season.”
The cancellation will put an end to the 2003 Champ Car World
Series season at 18 races, meaning that Bruno Junqueira will
finish as the runner-up to champion Paul Tracy, who clinched
the title last weekend in Surfers Paradise, Australia.
Junqueira was the season runner-up last year to Cristiano da
Matta. Michel Jourdain Jr. enjoys the best finish of his
career as he is third in the standings followed by series
Rookie of the Year Sebastien Bourdais and Patrick Carpentier.
The champion will be crowned next Tuesday night at the CART
Champ Car Awards Celebration at the Renaissance Esmeralda
Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, California.
10/29/03
CARA Charity event cancelled Due
to the fires in California and the postponement of the CART
race on November 2 at the California Speedway, CARA has
canceled Runway Madness VI. We apologize for any inconvenience
that this may have caused our members and race fans. Patsy
Hueber, CARA Charities
10/29/03
Petty rides with Blue Angels
Seven-time Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty may think he
knows fast. Petty geared up to test his mettle with a
supersonic jet ride courtesy of the elite U.S. Navy Blue
Angels. Video footage of Petty's sound barrier-breaking
experience with the Blue Angels will appear as part of the
pre-race activities for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at the
Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, November 2. Just like
he did during his racing days, Petty again traveled at warp
speeds. This time however, he was doing it at 20,000 feet in
the air, in a two-seat Navy Blue Angel F/A-18-Hornet. Petty
seemed excited for his latest challenge, even though he traded
in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses for aviator shades
and flight helmet. "In all of my years of driving, I've never
experienced anything like a ride in an F/A-18 fighter jet,"
Petty said.
10/29/03
CART fan disgusted with NSSN An
AR1 reader writes letter to National Speed Sport News (NSSN),
Dear NSSN, I recently received a subscription renewal
for NSSN, a newspaper that I have been receiving for some
time. When I subscribed to the paper, I thought it was
supposed to cover all racing, including CART. After reading
this paper, it did not take me long to find that this
publication is against CART, and is a mouthpiece of the idiot
grandson, Tony George and the IRL. This week was no exception,
with the IRL headline, and of course, no mention of the near
death of Kenny Brack where all could see. CART had 220,000
people show up for a race, and this story gets buried under
two IRL stories that take up almost the entire page. Inside
the paper, pages 22-24 take up all three pages with the IRL,
including 10 photos. CART is covered on page 30-31 with three
photos, to include two articles about the pending sale of CART
(I guess since they weren’t negative, they didn’t make the
front page, as the rest do). Since I cannot expect fair and
balanced news from your paper, I decline to renew my
subscription, as I only use it to line my birdcage. A very
fitting use, considering the content. Patrick Brophy,
Clinton, N.J.
10/29/03
Toyota cancels F1 sponsorship on ITV
Toyota has pulled out of its sponsorship of ITV's formula one coverage
half way through a £25m deal, leaving the broadcaster with less than
six months to find a new sponsor. The Japanese car-maker has
decided to curtail the deal two years early and plough its budget into
traditional advertising instead. The decision leaves ITV's
commercial arm, Granada Enterprises, hunting for a sponsor before next
season's racing starts on March 7 2004 with the Australian grand prix.
Toyota said the company had achieved the levels of awareness it
required from the sponsorship earlier than expected but reaffirmed its
commitment to supporting formula one, albeit without ITV's help.
"We are delighted our broadcast sponsorship proved so effective. The
regular idents succeeded in firmly establishing Toyota's F1
involvement with TV audiences," said Paul Philpott, the Toyota
commercial director. "Toyota's overall commitment to formula one
will continue to grow," Mr Philpott added. Toyota's team came
eighth in the Constructors' Championships this year.
The Guardian
10/29/03
Siemens wins $13 million Bahrain
circuit contract Bahrain's Ministry of Works and Housing has
awarded Germany’s Siemens a $13 million contract to provide the
Bahrain Formula One Race Circuit project with technical infrastructure
for its upcoming automotive events. The scope of the
contract includes the design, supply, installation and commissioning
of such systems as the fiber optic network, digital video storage,
communications network, video surveillance, public address system,
race control management, signaling system, telecommunications (PABX),
security management, time-keeping, SMATV and computer systems.
Siemens was additionally awarded a contract worth more than one
million dollars for the Formula One Data Network.
10/29/03
Andretti says USA drivers the worst This
New Zealand Herald
article says, Europe, Andretti says, has the best disciplined
drivers in the world. "Like, I'm behind this car right here, and all I
have to do is put my blinker on like this, and they'll move right
over. "In the States, just like that," he gesticulates at
the Cefiro, "they just fall asleep. They are just oblivious." It
is kind of fun that the peeves about our drivers afflict Andretti as
much if not more so than the average motorist. And like
many of us, his frustrations are soundly reasoned. "Things move much
more smoothly because it prevents you from doing all the weaving and
passing on the wrong side and all of that, and you can drive fast and
be so much safer. Like I say, the States, they are the worst, the
absolute worst!" [Editor's Note: Where we work, people going
slow in the fast lane are referred to as Left Lane Dicks]
More....
10/29/03
Dan Pettit to replace Jamie Rose Former
CFO for JDS Uniphase will replace Jamie Rose as CEO of MotoRock.
"MotoRock was a prototype when we did it at Miami," Kevin Kalkhoven
told National Speed Sport News. "Jamie Rose was the creative guy for
doing that and it worked well. It worked well enough that we are now
willing to put some more money into it and we're bringing in a new
CEO, a partner of mine named Dan Pettit. He will be running it."
Gentilozzi added: "It will be a dramatically minimized role for Jamie,
if there is any role at all. Dan is a great guy. He was CFO of
Uniphase with substantial credibility. All of the relationships
relative to MotoRock will change."
10/29/03
Initially Gentilozzi to handle CART CEO
duties Speaking to
National Speed Sport News, Kevin Kalkhoven confirmed that he and his
partners are looking for a CEO to replace Chris Pook, who will take on
a consulting role. David Clare is expected to continue as CART's chief
operating officer. "It's the early days," Kalkhoven said. "Initially,
I'll sort of handle the administration and finance side of it. Paul
will handle the CEO duties and we're talking to a number of people
right now."
10/29/03
CART proxy statement still with SEC
Kalkhoven and Gentilozzi said that the proxy statement to be sent to
CART shareholders for approval of the acquisition is still with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. "We talk to the SEC virtually
every day and we're working on it, but it's the government,"
Gentilozzi said. "It's their ballgame. We'd like to have the vote
sooner than later and we're communicating to the government how urgent
the situation is."
10/29/03
Surfers officials ecstatic with CART
weekend "I am a
very happy man," said Lexmark Indy 300 chairman John Cowley. "Breaking
the 300,000 figure is a milestone we are just ecstatic about. I think
this is the biggest and best event from CART's point of view and I'd
stack it up against any other event in the world." Cowley said the
Australian extension was a vote of confidence for CART's future under
the management of the Open Wheel Racing Series group that is bidding
to acquire the company. "We knew CART was having problems and that's
why they brought Chris Pook in," he said. But with the new owners, the
race is very secure." Cowley's comments were backed up by
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. "There has been all sorts of press
out of America about the future of the (Champ Car) series, but that's
behind us now," he said. "The new owners are decent, easy men to deal
with. They have the resources to make it work."
CART Stars karting race moved
The 2003 Snap-on.com Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow presented by RACER
Magazine national karting series has transferred its “Stars Karting
Championships” scheduled for this weekend (Nov. 1-2) at California
Speedway to the Moran Raceway in Beaumont, Calif.
Due to the massive wildfires in the Southern California area, the
Champ Car event and the Winston West stock car race scheduled for
California Speedway was postponed to a date to be determined.
The “Stars Karting Championships,” that was to bring over 200 young
racers to the infield of the popular racing facility as part of the
final event on the Bridgestone presents the Champ Car World Series
powered by Ford, will now be contested on the all-new Moran Raceway, a
one-mile karting circuit 30 miles southeast of California Speedway in
Beaumont, Calif.
Champions will be crowned in the ICC (125 cc Shifter), ICA (100cc
direct drive), 80cc Junior Shifter, Junior Super Can (100cc Clutch),
Senior Class of Rotax (125cc Clutch) and the Grand Products Cadet
divisions.
Registration for the Stars event at Moran Raceway will be on Thursday
(Oct. 30) with practice sessions set for Friday (Oct. 31).
Qualifications and heat races will run on Saturday (Nov. 1) with the
main event set for Sunday (Nov. 2).
“With all of the commitments to the Stars Karting Championships, we
were happy to find a site close to California Speedway,” said Paul
Zalud, director of operations for Stars. “The Moran family have
developed an excellent new facility and we believe the Stars event
will be outstanding. We want to thank the Morans for their
hospitality. Our sympathy goes out to the families who have lost
valuable property in the devastating fires.”
10/28/03
Pontiac pulling out of NASCAR
Pontiac is pulling out of NASCAR. The manufacturer that won two of the
last three Winston Cup championships announced Tuesday it won't return
in 2004 -- leaving Chevrolet as the only General Motors brand on the
stock car circuit. Five full-time teams currently use Pontiacs, with
Ricky Craven providing the only victory in 2003. In the manufacturer
standings, Pontiac is a distant fourth, trailing leader Chevrolet by
127 points. Ford and Dodge also race in Winston Cup. "The decision to
withdraw from NASCAR was not an easy one," Lynn Myers, general manager
of Pontiac-GMC, said in a statement. "Consistent with GM efforts to
focus its racing programs, Chevrolet will carry the NASCAR banner
while Pontiac can now devote resources to developing future racing and
marketing programs."
10/28/03
***Reader Opinion***The more F1 drivers
in CART the better A reader writes, Dear AR1, There
has been a lot of talk about the recent Kalkhoven comments on CART not
going back to Europe. CART might not go back to Europe but one thing
is clear: Europe is coming to CART. With the few seats available in
the F1 grid, IRL's bad reputation of freak accidents and CART's new
bright future; CART has definitely become an option for active
European drivers (either young or veterans). Hopefully CART teams will
get more sponsors for the 2004 season; that will make new teams to
appear and also will help the current teams expand. We'll see the sign
"Seats Available" hanging on CART's paddock door. If there's another
exodus of European drivers to CART in 2004 that will always help the
series because the level of racing will be even higher. A true racer
will never be content with a testing option, he/she will always go for
the real thing. Manning, Salo, Bourdais, Haberfeld, Monteiro will be
rookies no more, and they will put their experience to work. PT will
have no walk in the park. Look for a very competitive and exciting
2004 Championship. Roberto Reyes Dear Roberto, We
expect to see more American and more non-American drivers in CART next
year as the grid will almost certainly expand. Mark C.
10/28/03
Fire causes postponement of Fontana
race
We were the first to alert our readers of the fires in California last
weekend and their threat to this weekend's CART race. Our worse fears
have been realized. California Speedway’s King Taco 500
Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford event
scheduled for Sunday, November 2nd, and the NASCAR Winston West Series
King Taco 200 scheduled for Saturday, November 1st, have been
postponed due to the state of emergency declared in San Bernardino
County and surrounding counties as a result of the wildfires burning
in the area. AR1's Steven Levinson went out to the area near Fontana
today and reports you can't breathe right, that's how bad the air is.
Authorities announced a $60,000 reward later in the day and told NBC
News that they believed all of the fires in San Bernardino County were
deliberately set, beginning with the Grand Prix Fire, which broke out
Saturday. Some of the others, including the massive Old Fire, were
probably the work of copycats, they said. County authorities released
a new composite sketch Tuesday of one man suspected of starting the
Old Fire. Investigators were seeking two men in their early or mid-20s
who were seen throwing flaming objects from a van along Highway 18.
The 15 deaths in the state are the most since the devastating Oakland
Hills fire killed 25 people and destroyed more than 3,000 homes in
October 1991. See story on our home page.
10/28/03
Paul Tracy will return to defend CART
title in 2004
This canada.com
article says that there's no doubt in Paul Tracy's mind. He'll
be back next season to defend his CART title. Last year's winner
Cristiano da Matta left CART in favor of Formula One as did 1999
winner Juan Pablo Montoya. Gil de Ferran, who won back-to-back
championships in 2000 and 2001, has since jumped to the Indy Racing
League. But Tracy says he's committed to CART and the
Player's-Forsythe team. "I've made my career in Champ Car," said
Tracy. "I'm looking forward to coming back next year and having the
number one on the car and driving for Gerry Forsythe."
More...
10/28/03
First NASCAR test on Homestead banking
You would think that a driver who won at a Speedway might not be in
favor of it being torn up and re-configured into a completely new
racetrack. Not so with NASCAR Winston Cup driver Scott Wimmer, who won
the Ford 300 NASCAR Busch Series race last November at Homestead-Miami
Speedway. Wimmer and fellow NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers Johnny
Benson and Dave Blaney were at the NEW Homestead-Miami Speedway today
in a Goodyear Tire Test, becoming the first drivers to test on the
track's new surface featuring 20-degree, variable banking. "I think
it's a big improvement," said Wimmer of the NEW Homestead-Miami
Speedway. "It's a lot different. I've already driven a couple of
different lines out there and there are a couple of different ways
around the track. The high side seems real good and so does the middle
groove. I'm excited about coming back. The more rubber we get down and
the more time we get on the track, it will have a lot of grooves and
should be really good for racing." Benson and Blaney agreed with
Wimmer's assessment of the new track. "I'm really impressed with it,
although it still doesn't have any rubber on it since we're the first
ones here," said Benson. "This place will become really fast and I'm
sure you'll see two-wide racing." "I think we all like it," said
Blaney. "I can't really compare it to any other track since it kind of
has its own personality. Right now, it's got more of a middle groove
than I thought it would. I thought we'd be running predominately on
the bottom, but we really aren't. So far, it looks great. It's a cool
track. It'll be a great show for the fans and that's what matters."
The drivers will continue the Goodyear tire test tomorrow before the
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Winston
Cup Series return for their respective series finales during Ford
Championship Weekend November 13-16 at Homestead Miami Speedway. Open
practice for all drivers begins Monday, November 10 with the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series, followed by the NASCAR Busch Series on
Tuesday, November 11 and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series on Wednesday,
November 12.
10/28/03
Friends, family bid farewell to
Renna This Indy Star
article sums up the feelings about Tony Renna on the
day his friends and family said goodbye to the former IRL
driver, tragically killed while testing last week at the Indy
Motor Speedway.
10/28/03
Menard merges with PantherUPDATE
Here is the official IRL press release - Panther Racing LLC
and Team Menard have merged to form a two-car effort for the
2004 IRL IndyCar Series season, John Barnes, Panther Racing
co-owner, and John Menard, owner of Team Menard, announced
Oct. 27. The team still will be known as Panther Racing,
and Menard has been added as a partner in the team. The driver
and sponsors of the second Panther Racing car will be
announced in the near future. On Oct. 11, Tomas
Scheckter was named as the driver of the No. 4 Pennzoil
Panther Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone for 2004, replacing
two-time IRL IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr., who will
drive for Marlboro Team Penske. The merger of Panther
and Menard brings together two of the most successful teams in
IRL IndyCar Series history. The teams have combined for four
IndyCar Series championships, 24 race wins and 28 MBNA Poles.
“John Menard and Panther Racing have been long-time IRL
supporters, and we have shared a lot of common interests over
the last few years, particularly our relationship with General
Motors and Chevrolet,” Barnes said. “As we enter the
2004 season, we believe we will provide our sponsors and
suppliers a much stronger force on the track having John
Menard as part of the Panther Racing family.”
Menard has been involved in Indy-style racing since the early
1980’s, and in September, Menard Inc., a Midwest chain of
home-improvement stores that he owns, became the co-title
sponsor of the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series, the official
development series of the IRL. “The Panther Racing
merger and our Menard stores’ new partnership with the Menards
Infiniti Pro Series will continue our tradition and
participation in the Indy Racing League’s great American sport
of open-wheel racing,” Menard said. The 2004 IRL IndyCar
Series season begins with the Toyota Indy 300 Feb. 29, 2004 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be broadcast live on
ESPN. The Menards Infiniti Pro Series season begins Feb. 29,
2004 with the Homestead-Miami 100 at HMS. 10/28/03
- Panther
Racing has announced that it will merge with Team Menard as it
expands to two cars for next season [Editor's Note: they
bought Menard's equipment, not their employees. "John
Menard and Panther Racing have been longtime IRL supporters
and we have shared a lot of common interests over the last few
years – particular our relationship with General Motors and
Chevrolet," said Panther co-owner John Barnes. "As we enter
the 2004 season, we believe we will provide our sponsors and
suppliers a much stronger force on the track having John
Menard as part of the Panther Racing family." Panther
has already signed Tomas Scheckter as one of its drivers for
next season, and is expected to announce its second shortly.
In its search for a driver the team has tested Infiniti Pro
Series champion Mark Taylor and Czech ace Tomas Enge among
others.
10/28/03
Montoya keeps options open for
2005 "I am with Williams next year," the 28-year-old
Juan Montoya told a news conference in Bogota Monday night. "I
have a contract with them until the end of 2004. For
2005 I am a completely free agent and I have to look at all
the options and decide at that time which will be the best for
me in the future, whether to stay at Williams or join another
team," he added. "Obviously, there have been talks
with other teams and that is why there has been so much
gossip."
10/28/03
GM strengthens 2004 program GM
Strengthens Chevrolet NASCAR Program in 2004 DETROIT -
Following the end of the 2003 NASCAR season, GM will
consolidate its resources in NASCAR to exclusively support the
Chevrolet Monte Carlo and further advance and solidify the
dominant position enjoyed by Chevrolet in this series. "GM
Racing will focus its 2004 NASCAR program on the Chevrolet
Monte Carlo, and will no longer race or support the Pontiac
Grand Prix race car," said Doug Duchardt, director of GM
Racing. "This transition will enable GM Racing to strengthen
its Chevy Nextel Cup program and, at the same time, work with
Pontiac on its future racing plans." "Given Pontiac's long
association with NASCAR and our many great accomplishments
over the years, the decision to withdraw from NASCAR was not
an easy one," said Lynn Myers, general manager of Pontiac-GMC.
"Consistent with GM efforts to focus its racing programs,
Chevrolet will carry the NASCAR banner while Pontiac can now
devote resources to developing future racing and marketing
programs consistent with our new performance products,
including the GTO, Grand Prix Comp G, G6 and the GXP
performance series. We are proud of our racing accomplishments
and we recognize that it is a powerful engineering, people
development and marketing tool. Pontiac is investigating new
opportunities to highlight the performance of our vehicles on
the track." Coming into the 2003 season, the Pontiac Grand
Prix won two of the past three NASCAR Winston Cup drivers'
championships: Bobby Labonte in 2000, and Tony Stewart in '02.
Chevrolet has an ongoing record of dominance in NASCAR's
modern era. Chevrolet has won 23 of the last 31 NASCAR Winston
Cup manufacturers' championships including the 2003 title with
10 different drivers capturing 17 wins in 33 races so far this
year. Through 2003 in the NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman
Truck series, Chevrolet has won 10 of 13, and five of nine
NASCAR manufacturers' titles respectively. With 2003 drivers'
titles still to be determined in both series, Chevrolet has
won 11 of 21 in Busch and seven of eight in Craftsman Truck.
10/28/03
California Speedway President
statement on fires
"We continue to monitor the fire situation in San Bernardino
County and throughout Southern California. We are in contact
with local officials on a number of items that may or may not
effect the staging of this weekend's event, including the
proximity of the fire, the air quality and transportation
issues as many freeways are closed or are experiencing delays,
as well as delays at numerous airports in the area. We have
offered the use of the speedway to the county if needed to
support the fire fighting effort or to assist as a shelter for
families displaced by the fire. Our thoughts and prayers are
with those who have been impacted by this tragedy, including
many people associated with the speedway either as full-time
staff, volunteers or ticket holders." Bill Miller
10/28/03
Fischer open to CART or IRL
race
We asked EuroSpeedway President Hans-Jörg Fischer today
what his opinion was of the rumored German drivers coming to
both CART and the IRL, and what the prospects were for an IRL
or CART race in the future at EuroSpeedway. "Frentzen would be great for
the Indy Car Series and the rumored young German Kaffer would
be great for CART," stated Fischer. "Both series should
come to Europe and serve and develop their fan-base over here.
There is no reason to stay away from Europe. I cannot believe
the rumors about Mr. Ecclestone trying to prevent these series
to come here. Why should he? Both series are no threat to F1
and will never be. It's two totally different motorsport
cultures. Anyway - when both series make it over to Europe
they should compete on the ovals in the two important markets
England and Germany. That's how they will differentiate from
all other forms of racing in Europe. That's what the European
fans want to see. Didn't we deliver the most exciting CART
race of 2003? The future will tell which series will start a
serious effort to develop the European and the German market."
10/28/03
Pook says CART and IRL should
merge
In this LA Times
article, outgoing CART President Chris Pook says that
CART and the IRL should merge -- Chris Pook, for a
few more days the head man at Championship Auto Racing Teams,
says without a doubt that CART and the Indy Racing League
should end their disagreements and unite as a single
open-wheel racing organization. But he quickly adds that it's
not going to happen very soon, and, consequently, CART must
push ahead. He then hints at the new owners bringing in
new sponsors -- "We are remarkably positioned for delivering
our product for the sponsors to the market in a diminishing
world," he said. "What sponsors?" he was asked.
"You'll see, when the new ownership is in place. There are
some important people ready to step up and make decisions that
are necessary for survival."
10/28/03
Theissen:
2003 was a big step forward According to Mario Theissen, the
development work on the FW25 has considerably contributed to the
success of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team in 2003. The success record for the
season 2003 of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is impressive -- even if the
World Championship title had not been secured in the end. Mario Theissen looks back on the most successful season of BMW since their
comeback to Formula 1: "We secured four victories, two of them were
one-two wins. In addition, we are once more the most reliable team of
the entire Formula 1 with 1,800 race laps completed. And we have been
in contention for the Constructors' Championship title until the very
last race."
More....
Tracy on Wind Tunnel
Newly crowned CART Champ Car champion Paul Tracy will be Dave
Despain's guest on Tuesday Night's Wind Tunnel show on SPEED Channel.
10/27/03
Scenes from Puerto Rican GP
All 10,000 seats were sold, and we would guess another 20,000 people
in the General Admission and VIP tents.
10/27/03 Industry News
RJR buys BAT's USA business (i.e. Brown
& Williamson)
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc. agreed on Monday to acquire
British American Tobacco PLC's U.S. cigarette business and a second
unit for about $3 billion, creating a stronger No. 2 competitor to
market leader Philip Morris.
The new entity, to be called Reynolds American Inc., will boast annual
revenues of about $10 billion and more than 30 percent of the
cigarette sales in the United States, the companies said.
The cash and stock deal unites RJR's R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., maker
of Winston (former NASCAR sponsor), Camel (former F1 sponsor), Salem
and Doral cigarettes, with BAT's Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., the
home of such brands as Kool (former CART sponsor), Pall Mall and
Carlton.
The transaction is expected to add to both companies' earnings by an
unspecified amount.
As part of the deal, RJR, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., will assume
Brown & Williamson's liabilities under the tobacco industry's master
settlement agreement reached with the U.S. government in 1998. RJR
will also indemnify Brown & Williamson against any future litigation
related to the U.S. business.
London-based BAT will, in turn, fund the appropriate cash for the
settlement payments, currently expected to average about $750 million
a year, an RJR spokesman said.
"The combination of these companies will enable us to achieve
tremendous efficiencies and will greatly enhance our ability to
compete effectively in the U.S. market," Andrew Shindler, RJR's
chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
10/27/03
New CART investor revealedGryphon Master Fund filed a
Form 13G with the SEC
October 16th reporting they now hold 5.8% of outstanding CART shares
or 854,000 shares. They are listed as a Texas Company but their
contact address is in San Francisco. Company Description:
Gryphon Investors, Inc. ("Gryphon") sponsors leveraged acquisitions of
and growth equity investments in middle-market companies in
partnership with proven management teams. We focus on making equity
investments of $15 million to $100 million in middle-market companies
with enterprise values of $50 million to $500 million. In addition,
Gryphon opportunistically pursues compelling larger and smaller
investments. Gryphon's initial fund, Gryphon Partners, L.P. raised in
1996, enabled us to lead over $100 million of equity investments in
1997 and 1998. Raised in 1999, Gryphon Partners II, L.P. (the
"Partnership") is a uniquely structured, $424 million investment fund
whose limited partners include some of the United States' most
successful investors, largest public pension funds, leading lenders,
and wealthiest individuals. Since its founding, Gryphon has led
investments in ten platform companies and arranged over fifteen add-on
acquisitions.
Gryphon was founded in 1995 by David Andrews to create a leading
investment firm whose people, strategies and culture are well-suited
for the increasingly competitive environments of business and private
equity investing. Prior to forming Gryphon, Mr. Andrews was a Managing
Director/Partner of Oak Hill Partners, Inc., the management company of
Acadia Partners, L.P. ("Acadia"), a $1.8 billion investment
partnership controlled by Robert M. Bass of Ft. Worth, Texas. The four
other principals of Gryphon are Kurt Kaull, Will Lynn, Nick Orum, and
Jeff Ott. Mr. Orum joined Mr. Andrews in co-founding Gryphon in 1995,
while Messrs. Kaull and Lynn joined the firm in 2000 and Mr. Ott in
2001. The Gryphon team also consists of fourteen additional
professionals with meaningful private equity or operating experience.
10/27/03
Will fire put CART's Fontana
race in jeopardy?4th UPDATE A reader
writes, Dear AR1, Undoubtedly there are race fans who live
closer to the Speedway than I do. So I will not speculate, but
only report what I do know. The few square miles surrounding
my home and office have the only smoke free skies in the LA
area. The helicopters reload water for the Simi Valley fire a
mile from my home. Eight engine companies were “marked” and
waiting for assignment at our local fire station. The command
helicopter is almost directly over my office. A five engine
strike team just went past our office. One employee went home
to pack his valuables – but does not appear to be in the line
of the fire – but that has changed everywhere – sometimes
quickly. The friends I would normally stay with near the
Speedway have been evacuated. Although there is a hopeful
report that cool, moist air is due in from the ocean late
Tuesday or Wednesday, these fires will not be out for at least
a week. While you can check your primary sources, I would not
be surprised if CART is having difficulties getting their
planes into the area. The I-15 and I-210 are both reported to
be open. But here is the bottom line: If the race had been
scheduled for last Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Today, or
Tomorrow, my four $110.00 tickets would have gone unused. It
just may be that the timing of the weather will permit the
race to go on – AND allow fans to psychologically be ready to
attend. I sure hope so. But I no longer expect any attendance
record. We have – and still are – going through some very
worrisome and prayerful times. From the San Fernando Valley,
Jeff Skinner, Northridge, CA.10/27/03
- The fires have gotten
worse - the worst fire in a
decade -- have killed 14 people, and one man who lost his home
in Simi Valley lamented, "There is nothing left." Sheets
of flame from at least 10 fires had burned more than 280,000 acres and
destroyed at least 600 homes by Sunday night. Fires blazed as
far north as Simi Valley in Ventura County, east to San Bernardino
County and south to San Diego County. San Diego officials said about
30 homes were burned at Scripps Ranch on Sunday night, and 150 burned
in the area earlier. Dubbed the Grand Prix fire, it has grown to
52,000 acres, destroying 60 homes, and the Old fire had grown by
Sunday night to 24,000 acres and had burned 300 homes, including 25 in
Crestline. After a request by the mayor, NFL Commissioner Paul
Tagliabue announced that the Chargers-Dolphins game scheduled for
Monday night would be moved from San Diego to Tempe, Arizona. The game
will be played at Sun Devil Stadium at 7 p.m. (9 p.m. ET). Santa Ana
winds were blowing at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, CNN
meteorologist Orelon Sidney said. She predicted no letup in weather
conditions until Tuesday. We do believe CART's race this weekend
can very well be in jeopardy. 10/24/03 - A TV panorama
shot at Noon PDT showed clear air along the I-10 near the
Speedway. Probably our last report on this topic.
10/24/03 - The fire is now to
the west of the I-15 "moving away" from the Speedway. Cherry
Avenue is/was the major evacuation street. While the Speedway
is not in any danger, if the fire were this weekend, the race
would probably not happen. Looking at the maps and the
TV coverage the track seems to be covered in a blanket of
smoke and there is emergency equipment all over the place -
from all parts of California and crews are being flown in from
other states. While tragic and very scary for families in the
area, the timing may indicate a change in luck for CART. We'll
keep you up-to-date. Related
article. 10/24/03 - California is know for its
runaway brush fires. It has been very hot and dry in
southern California of late. Just received this bulletin
- Officials have imposed a FORCED EVACUATION near the
intersection of the I-10 and I-15 freeways in Fontana and have
specifically mentioned Etiwanda Street. California
Speedway is bounded by Etiwanda Street and Cherry Avenue.
For race fans this could mean trouble for the Speedway.
At present they are making no attempt to stop the fire. The
winds are too strong. The winds are expected to last two or
three more days. This is a Major Fire. Mark C.
10/27/03
Wirdheim to test for Patrick
Racing in Arizona This year's International
Formula 3000 Champion – Bjorn Wirdheim, will sample Champ Car
power for the first time next week as part of his prize for
taking this year's title in his Arden International run Lola.
The 23 year old Swede will undertake his first test at the new
Arizona Motorsports Park in Arizona with Patrick Racing, one
of CART’s most established and respected teams. Patrick has run a Lola
B2/00 Champ Car this season for Spaniard Oriol Servia.
The test is part and parcel of a commitment made by Lola Cars
earlier this season to further continue the links between
F3000 and Champ Car. Wirdheim is set to work with one of Champ
Cars most respected engineers, Jim McGhee, who has guided the
likes of Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi to CART titles.
Wirdheim has enjoyed a superb season in International Formula
3000 this year, winning 3 races, claiming 9 podium finishes
and clinching the title with 2 races in hand. After claiming
the crown, Bjorn made his Formula One debut at the United
States Grand Prix, undertaking Friday morning testing for
Jordan. He has also tested for BAR.
“I am very much looking forward to making the most of this
opportunity and am pleased that it is with a top team like
Patrick Racing,” anticipated Wirdheim. “I met Jim McGhee at
Indianapolis before the Grand Prix and got a good impression
of the team. I expect the car to be very different to F1 but
it will be interesting to see how things compare in style and
handling. It is also nice to be continuing the Lola link in to
a different category.”
Christian Horner, team principal at Arden International was
also looking forward to the test and said: “This test is a
great opportunity for Bjorn and just reward after a totally
dominant season. This is the first time that the F3000
Champion has been rewarded with a guaranteed test and I would
like to take this opportunity to thank both Lola and Patrick
Racing for making this possible.”
10/27/03
Dominguez penalized by CART for
losing wheel Mario Dominguez crossed the line
in 7th at Surfers Sunday. However, CART rule 6.21.3A
specifies that a car that loses a wheel on track will be
penalized the loss of one lap and the team is fined $5000. The
penalty dropped Dominguez to 10th place. “That was a lot
of work today,” Dominguez said. “With everything that
happened, I would have been happy with where we crossed the
finish line in seventh but rules are rules so we take our
penalty. At least we finished and brought home a couple of
points."
10/27/03
F1 Exchange opens online
A new online trading service for Formula One merchandise has
been launched – offering some new money-making channels to
teams and traders. Exchange F1 offers teams the chance
to tap into a new revenue stream by selling off promotional
items to fans and collectors. Said a spokesman for
Exchange F1: “This offers F1 teams the opportunity to sell
unused press packs, merchandise, car parts, autographed
equipment; it offers F1 retailers the chance to sell end of
line merchandise, returns, unsold stock, special offers; it
offers F1 travel companies the chance to sell those unsold
tickets, hotel rooms, hospitality packages; it offers
collectors the chance to buy and sell programs, merchandise
from teams, autographs, books, magazines, portraits and
artwork, die-cast models and anything else that members of the
public collect that is F1 related; and if offers accredited
photographers the opportunity to sell photographs to the
public.”
10/27/03
Pakistan delegation visits
Bahrain
With India, Russia, Turkey and South Korea all hoping to host
rounds of the Formula One World Championship, it shouldn't
come as any surprise to hear that a delegation from Pakistan
visited the Bahrain International Circuit recently to see how
work is progressing. It's understood that Pakistan
Ambassador Major General (retired) Sabih Uddin Bokhari,
together with a delegation of 40 community members were given
a tour of the circuit in order that they could see its
facilities which are still under construction. The visit
included a presentation by consultant engineers Tilke and
Partners' project manager Rizwan Mumtaz.
PitPass
10/27/03
Ford working with NASCAR on
engines Ford has been working very diligently
with NASCAR to try to improve their engine program. That's
going to consist of a new cylinder head, and they've also
requested a new block. NASCAR has not approved either one yet.
FoxSports
10/27/03
Seen in Surfers
FIA safety delegate, Charlie Whiting was roaming the track at the
Australian venue. A familiar sight at F1 races, but not one you would
expect to see at a CART event, He was soon joined by another
representative of the FIA. The two men drove the circuit taking photos
at certain points, and paying particular attention to access gates.
CART races are FIA approved races and a big part of Whiting’s job is
to inspect certain venues to see if they are up to FIA standards.
No one should take his visit as a possibility that F1 might race at
Surfers. We previously reported the Dario Franchitti sightings,
who is rumored trying to line up a Champ Car ride.
10/27/03
New owners of Zhuhai have big plans
[Editor's Note: This article talks about a possible 2nd F1 race
at Zhuhai, but we can tell you that people representing CART are also
talking to the Zhuhai folks] This TheStar.com
article says, THE intensity of a Formula One race is
undeniable, especially when drivers take the bends and straights
passionately with the ultimate aim of finishing as No. 1. And for
some, just finishing the race is the quest. When it comes to the
bottom line, though, revenue at any circuit cannot depend solely on
races. With this in mind, Malaysian property developer LBS Bina Group
Bhd has activated a plan to turn its inherited Zhuhai International
racetrack in the south Guangdong province into a tourist attraction –
complete with tour guides, souvenirs, a go-kart track and a motoring
museum.
“Even if we have a race every month and rent out our garages, this is
still not enough. We cannot depend on races alone. We must create the
racing circuit as a tourist spot,” said the company's managing
director Datuk Lim Hock San.
The plan also includes providing guided tours around the circuit.
International Circuit (ZIC) Ltd president, said he hoped to start the
tourism project next year. A marketing blitz and tie-ins with tour
agencies from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore are needed to
make the idea a success, he said. The initial target is for one
million visitors yearly, and the company is confident of achieving
this.
“Guangdong's population alone is 70 million and China's people is 1.3
billion. We are not even talking about Hong Kong yet,” stressed Lim.
Designed by Kinhill, the company which also designed the tracks in
Adelaide and Melbourne in Australia, the Zhuhai International
racetrack was supposed to be China's first Formula One circuit. It
opened in 1996, but it failed to meet international standards to hold
Formula One races. Shanghai has now beaten it to that dream with the
SIC (Shanghai International Circuit) hosting the Formula One next
year. But Lim is upbeat that the ZIC will realize its Formula One
ambition soon. After all, he said calmly, China is a big country and
could easily accommodate another leg in the Formula One calendar. This
notion was also not dispelled by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone
when he signed the deal with Shanghai last year.
In
addition to the racetrack, LBS also acquired a 36-hole golf course and
a 150ha residential development project. LBS is very upbeat about the
entire project because of the booming Chinese economy. The
construction of a bridge connecting Hong Kong and Zhuhai, and Hong
Kong's relaxation of its visa ruling for tourists from mainland China,
are also a big help.
“It is definitely a project with great potential. The property market
is expected to go up between 10% and 20%. In fact, even before the
completion of the bridge, the market is already booming,” said Lim.
“When the bridge begins operations in 2007, the number of tourists
will be higher. Hong Kong people will be encouraged to tour China.”
ZIC director and executive vice-president Joe Lim, 47, who has been
with the circuit management since its beginning, is understandably
happy with the way things are now turning out for ZIC. “LBS has
revitalized the circuit and renewed interest in it. Previously, it was
too early and the automotive industry in China was not there,” he
said.
He said there was now “a lot of interest” in motor racing, which
served as an incentive for the automotive industry to perform and
prove their brand's reliability. Joe said the circuit has 40 pits and
more than 200 garages, which were fully rented out. It can accommodate
up to 80,000 spectators. Its grandstand has 12,500 seats, and it also
has a medical emergency center and parking lot.
“The track could be more challenging. It has 14 turns and top speeds
can average about 270kph. But there is a good chance of upgrading it
to an F1 circuit,” Joe said. The rejuvenated circuit will play host to
at least 10 events next year. These include the International FIA GT
Race, Formula Renault and two national events. Joe also said that an
Asian championship series was also possible as ZIC planned to work
with other circuits such as the Sepang International Circuit and those
in Japan. “The thinking now is to educate China's population who are
very curious about motorsports. It is all about building up a new
sport. It's just like soccer. Fourteen years ago, hardly anyone
played,” he said with a smile.
10/26/03
First Chinese driver to test F1 car
2003 Formula BMW Asia champion, Tung Ho-Pin, has been awarded a test
drive with the BMW WilliamsF1 team sometime over the coming months.
Guido Stalmann, BMW Motorsport General Manager of Sponsorship and
Business Relations announced the test at the official Formula BMW Asia
prize giving in Beijing, China yesterday. "We have been watching
Tung all season, and with ten wins in the series this year, we
recognize his potential," Stalmann said. This was the
inaugural season for the series and it attracted tremendous attention,
establishing itself as the most professional and comprehensive
training ground for young drivers embarking on a single seater racing
career. "The fact that Tung has been given this opportunity,
will show ambitious and talented young drivers that Formula BMW Asia
provides an important and powerful launch to their careers," added
David Sonenscher, Managing Director of series organizer Motorsport
Asia Limited.
10/26/03
Gentilozzi: Surfers teaches him how to
promote a race “As a
support series, the V-8s are very important because they have a big
fan base and they belong on our weekend (Surfers),” said Paul
Gentilozzi. “The thing I learned the most from here is how to promote a
race right. This is a race that shows how you get a city and a country
behind you. This race tells the world how good we can be.”
CART.com [Editor's Note: We see this in many places. Where
CART gets big crowds the promoter knows how to promote. Where
crowds are small the promoter has no clue. Solution?
Change promoters, or change venues.]
10/26/03
Vasser: Surfers race must be earlier in
day Jimmy Vasser
suggested that after two consecutive rain races, the Surfers
Paradise organizers could take a look at the schedule. Sunday’s race
started at 2:30 p.m. before a record crowd of 108,116. “We have had a
lot of crazy events here,” he said. “Maybe the promoters will figure
out that the rains come sometimes after 2 and our races are always at
two or three, so we're always asking for trouble. It would be probably
better to start the race a little earlier on in the day. “The V-8
Supercars have windshield wipers - maybe they can fare in the rain a
little bit better than us.” CART.com
10/26/03
A lesson from the CART/IRL split The
Jim Lehrer News Hour program about 3 or 4 weeks ago had a segment
about the current spate of lower TV sports ratings. The segment
sighted the slight drop in professional stick and ball sports TV
ratings, plus sighted several key reasons why they are having a spike.
The key reasons sighted, games spread out over cable TV, and network
TV, which network TV is the preferred outlet. They noted that fans had
numerous conflicts in either choosing the game they wanted to see, or
the game with the star player that they wanted to see, or tuning out
because they could not see either. The stick and ball sports people
also have more product than outlets, plus the ever spiraling salaries
are making their product cost prohibitive for cable. The segment went
on to sight motor sports, namely NASCAR, as showing increased sponsor
interest, due to motor sports events not being splintered like stick
and ball events; and all the star players are at the same event.
Tony George, by creating the IRL, split the sport of Indy Car racing
in half, thereby splintering the fan base and increased the number of
TV choices. The stars were not at all the same races each
weekend. Ratings for Indy Car racing never recovered, and in
fact, the IRL saw a significant drop in 2003.
10/26/03
Guy Smith and Pedro Lamy to test Champ
Cars According to Autosport magazine, LeMans winner Guy
Smith will test a Champ Car with PK Racing at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, ex-Lotus F1 driver Pedro Lamy could make it an
all-Portuguese team when he tests for Fittipaldi-Dingman later this
year. Portuguese rookie Tiago Monteiro already drives for the
team and will be back next season. Smith had an opportunity to
race in the Champ Car season finale at Fontana with an unnamed team,
and a strong chance of a full-time ride in 2004. We suspect if he
tests well with PK Racing, and assuming Jacques Villeneuve doesn't
change his mind about driving in CART, Smith might land a seat
alongside Mika Salo at PK Racing. Our sources tell us CART might
be back in Europe in 2005, after taking a one-year hiatus, we believe
at the request of Bernie Ecclestone, and the Estoril, Portugal Mayor
has already publicly stated they are prepared to financially support a
CART race in 2005 and beyond at the famous Estoril circuit. We
could see an Estoril-EuroSpeedway swing in 2005.
10/26/03
Hunter-Reay first American rookie to
win since John Paul Jr. Ryan Hunter-Reay became the first
American rookie to a win a Champ Car race since John Paul Jr. won in
Michigan in 1983, two years after Hunter-Reay was born. He started the
sunny then rainy then sunny event in the 12th position and broke the
top six by the sixth lap of the shortened 47 lap race. Hunter-Reay
drove like a veteran as he avoided nine on-track incidents and brought
his Reynard home in first position. It was a day for history as
Hunter-Reay went from the fastest Reynard in qualifying to the fastest
of the race, in fact for the first time all year, the Reynard’s
finished 1-2-3 and for the first time since 1983, Rookies finished
first and second. It looked as though it would be an American Spirit
1-2 finish when the American duo took the lead on lap 34, due to
brilliant strategy by American Spirit engineers David Brown, Chris Leiphart, Ed Nathman, Garrett Mothersead and team manager Graham
Taylor. Vasser lost his second place position when he brushed the wall
and England’s Darren Manning took over. It was still a fantastic drive
for Vasser; he earned his first podium finish of the season after
another strong Australian performance. American Spirit PR
10/26/03
Difficult celebration for Dixon This
Indy Star
article says, Race car driver Scott Dixon didn't read from a
script Saturday night in delivering his Indy Racing League
championship acceptance speech at Walt Disney World. He just spoke
from his heart. Dixon spoke mostly about former teammate Tony
Renna, who was killed Wednesday in a testing crash at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Dixon described Renna, the newest member of Ganassi
Racing, as "a superb teammate and just a superb friend." Dixon
and Renna were teammates in Indy Lights, remaining friends and
training partners. "Wednesday was sort of unbelievable, and even
now you think he's going to walk in the room," Dixon said. "I think we
should have a good night and have a drink for him." A public
memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Monday at St. John's Catholic
Church in Indianapolis. Team owner Chip Ganassi called Renna,
26, an "immensely likable" person and vowed to keep him in the team's
hearts. Ganassi remembered Renna as "the happiest person on the
planet" when he stepped into one of the Target-sponsored cars for the
first time Wednesday. Renna's death made it difficult to celebrate, he
said. "It's a bit of a conflict," he said. IRL founder and
president Tony George opened the event by telling the crowd of 750
that the league is a family that celebrates and grieves together. He
led a moment of silence for the native of nearby DeLand, Fla.
10/26/03
Record crowd of over 300,000 in Surfers Today’s
race-day attendance of 108,110 pushed the four-day CART Surfers total
to an Australia event record 306,184, a figure that is up nearly 8,300
from last season. This follows on the heals of CART's Mexico City race
which saw over 400,000 come through the gates over the three days.
10/26/03
Ford to construct two new
plants in China Should
CART be racing in China? Absolutely. Here is just
another example - This Detroit Free Press
article says, In a move underscoring the
emergence of China's auto industry, Ford Motor Co. announced
last Friday it would spend more than $1 billion to increase
its production in China from the current 20,000 units to
150,000. Ford and its Changan Automobile Group
partner said they would build a second manufacturing plant
along with a new engine plant. Details are to be announced
later.
"I can think of no better way to celebrate our centennial year
than by announcing plans for expansion," Ford Chairman and CEO
Bill Ford said. "The automotive future of China is very
bright, and we are participating fully in its growth."
In January 2003, Ford's plant in the western city of Chongqing
launched the Ford Fiesta, Ford's first domestically produced
car in China. In May, a second Ford passenger car model, the
Ford Mondeo, was introduced.
"The rapid growth of the Chinese economy can be attributed
directly to the forward-looking policies of the government and
to the increasing well-being of the Chinese consumer," Ford
said. "I came to Asia to see directly for myself the dynamic
growth that is occurring.
"China, at present the second-largest automotive market in
Asia and potentially the largest in the world within the next
generation, is the logical place to conclude what has been for
me a most successful trip." Ford was a relatively late
arrival in China, beginning auto production in 1997, and is
trying to catch up with U.S., German and Japanese rivals.
Germany's Volkswagen AG makes 880,000 vehicles a year in China
and recently announced a multibillion-dollar expansion to
double that in coming years. General Motors Corp. recently
stepped up its manufacturing capacity in China to 200,000 cars
per year, the Asian Wall Street Journal reports.
"They need to expand to catch up with other automakers," Mei
Luwu, an analyst at Penhua Fund Management in the southern
Chinese city of Shenzhen, told Bloomberg News. "But they'd
better bring in more up-to-date models, as General Motors have
done, instead of introducing old ones."
Ford's announcement comes as the Chinese government reported
its economy, the world's sixth-largest, grew 9.1 percent in
the third quarter, a faster pace than its 6.7-percent
expansion in the second quarter.
Car sales in China smashed the million-unit barrier last year
and are expected to rise to some two million sedans this year.
But analysts warn that too much expansion could cause a
serious glut that will erode margins.
"Every carmaker is expanding in China because the car
market grows at an average 50 percent every month," said
Gu Qun, who tracks carmakers at Automotive Resources Asia
Ltd., an industry consultant, in Shanghai. "It makes sense to
expand."
10/25/03
Close racing can't stop IRL TV
rating plunge This Indianapolis Business Journal article
says, Thirteen of the IRL series' 15 races held in both 2002
and 2003--including the Indianapolis 500--saw television
viewership decline this year. "TV ratings are the
linchpin on which so much hinges," said Dennis McAlpine, a
Scarsdale, N.Y.-based financial analyst covering motorsports
and entertainment. "The IRL has a problem with its TV ratings
that needs attention, because without TV viewership, live
attendance falls, future broadcast contracts become difficult,
current sponsors become uneasy, and potential sponsors more
difficult to attract."
On-track racing this season has been ultracompetitive; five
drivers were battling for the season title going into the
final race Oct. 12 at Fort Worth, Texas. "The racing has
been excellent, but the numbers are down, and I'm not sure
why," said Zak Brown, president of Just Marketing, an
Indianapolis-based motorsports marketing consultancy.
IRL officials said a drop in TV ratings is happening across
sports.
"It's not fair to look at these numbers in isolation," said
Ken Unger, IRL senior vice president of business affairs. "PGA
Golf, the [National Hockey League], Wimbledon, the NCAA
basketball tournament, NHRA and a number of other sports
properties all saw a decline in TV ratings this year." A
general sports-viewing malaise, industry sources said, can't
explain ratings that have languished largely below 1.0, a
rating given by New York-based Nielsen Media Research that
indicates roughly 1 million households have tuned in to a
program. With the exception of the Indianapolis 500, IRL
races drew ratings ranging from 1.8 to 0.4 in 2003. The
Indianapolis 500 earned a 4.6 rating, down from 4.8 in 2002.
Twelve of 16 IRL races earned ratings below 1.0, compared to
seven of 15 last year.
10/25/03
CART announces nominees for Greg Moore
Legacy Award Among CART Champ Car drivers, perhaps no
award other than the Vanderbilt Cup is more coveted than the one that
is given in honor of a racer that may have seen his own name etched on
the historic championship trophy had it not been for his untimely
death in 1999.
The Greg Moore Legacy Award was created in 2000 and is given annually
to the driver that best represents the ideals and talents of the
Canadian star, who met with tragedy in the 1999 CART season finale.
The award is presented to the driver who best typifies Moore's legacy
of outstanding talent on track, as well as displaying a dynamic
personality with fans, media, and the CART community. As Moore was a
product of the CART Ladder System - having competed in the Dayton Indy
Lights Championship from 1993-95 and winning 10 of 12 races en route
to the series title in 1995 - drivers from the top two CART
development series are also eligible for the award.
This year’s award nominees include Champ Car veteran Jimmy Vasser of
American Spirit Team Johansson, series Rookie of the Year Sebastien
Bourdais of Newman/Haas Racing and Walker Racing’s Darren Manning. The
Toyota Atlantic Championship is represented by Michael Valiante and
Barber Dodge Pro Series champion Leo Maia rounds out the quintet of
nominees.
“Greg Moore was one of the brightest stars in the CART Champ Car World
Series and would likely have gone on to great things in the sport,”
said CART President and CEO Christopher R. Pook. “I have no doubt that
Greg would have had the kind of racing career that many can only dream
of. The five drivers that have been nominated for the 2003 Greg Moore
Legacy Award have shown the same spirit and dedication throughout this
season that Greg had throughout his entire career. This is an
extremely special award, and all of the drivers who have been
nominated should feel tremendously honored.”
A seven-member panel - including Pook, CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship president Vicki O'Connor, Player's/Forsythe Racing owner
Gerald Forsythe, Imperial Tobacco President and Chief Operating
Officer Bob Bexon, CART Champ Car driver representative Adrian
Fernandez, SPEED Channel commentator Calvin Fish, and National Speed
Sport News CART beat writer John Oreovicz – will vote on the award
prior to this year’s CART Champ Car Season Awards Celebration.
Vasser, a native of Canoga Park, California, became one of just six
drivers to make 200 Champ Car starts this season and has helped make
the first-year American Spirit Team Johansson squads one of the most
promising of the season. Bourdais, of Le Mans, France, set a number of
series rookie marks this year on his way to winning the Jim Trueman
Rookie of the Year Trophy. He led the first Champ Car lap he ever ran
and has gone on to win four poles and three races this season.
Manning, a native of North Yorkshire, England, set a series standard
for rookies this season by finishing in the top 10 in eight
consecutive events.
Valiante was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, and
currently resides in Burnaby, B.C. He earned three victories in the
2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship and finished third in the
series championship. Maia, from Oakland, California, won the Barber
Dodge Pro Series championship on the strength of six victories
including three races where he scored all 23 available points on the
weekend.
Brazilian Helio Castroneves was the inaugural winner of the Greg Moore
Legacy Award in 2000, Dario Franchitti was named as the recipient in
2001 and Patrick Carpentier – a former teammate to Moore – was the
winner of last year’s award.
The award will be presented during the 2003 Champ Car Awards
Celebration at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Palm
Springs, California on November 4.
10/25/03
Andretti hopeful CART will prosper
With a Formula One World Championship, an Indy 500 title and four
Champ Car crowns to his name, there's little or nothing that American
motor sport legend Mario Andretti has not achieved on a race circuit.
But these days the 63-year-old scion of the Andretti racing dynasty is
more concerned with events off track: specifically the malaise that
has afflicted the CART series, a championship that has played such a
major role in his and his extended family's lives.
Andretti is at Surfers Paradise this weekend for one of the ailing
championship's most successful events, the Gold Coast Indy 300.
The sun was shining, the crowd healthy, and the legendary driver
yesterday even dared to hope that the series could be on the way back
up once the mooted takeover by a trio of wealthy US businessmen is
effected. But, he made clear, recovery could be achieved in a
much easier and speedier fashion if only CART and its breakaway rival,
the Indy Racing League, could end the schism that has lost the sport
sponsors, fans and credibility.
Yesterday he sought to speed up the process with a passionate plea for
the warring factions to make peace. "We can revisit the whys and
wherefores of the two series (and the way the breakaway happened). But
the way I would like to look at tomorrow is (to see) if there's any
possible way to find a compromise between the two and have an
agreement between them to merge together," he said. "Maybe it's
too much to ask because of the compromises that would have to be made,
(but) I know that there are some efforts going on. For the benefit of
the sport, it would be a win-win situation. "It would be for the
benefit of open wheel racing in North America and definitely everyone
would benefit if the two would pool their resources and race on the
best tracks with the best drivers."
Andretti has confidence that the three businessmen - Adelaide-born
Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerry Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi, who are
negotiating to buy the stockmarket-listed CART company and take it
private again - hold the key to its recovery. "The group that's
coming in are not idiots," he said. "They know how to put
together two and two . . . they are making a commitment with their
eyes wide open. I feel I have some solid reasons to be
optimistic, not just because I am a Dr Feelgood or in la la land."
The Age
10/25/03 SuperBikes
2004: Japan out Canada in
2004 World Superbike calendar
February 29 Spain Valencia
March 28 Australia Phillip Island
April18 San Marino Misano
May 16 Italy Monza
May 30 Germany Oschersleben
June 13 Europe Silverstone
July 4 Canada Mont Tremblant (tbc)
July 11 United States Laguna Seca
July 25 Great-Britain Brands Hatch
September 5 Netherlands Assen
September 26 Italy Imola
October 3 France Magny-Cours
10/25/03
Kodak talking to teams
The Kodak sponsorship question is still unanswered, but company
officials are expected to meet with potential car owners this weekend.
Larry McClure [owner of the #4 Kodak Pontiac] has reportedly agreed to
Kodak's buy-back of the final two years of his contract; however the
two sides are apparently at odds over other aspects of that deal.
Kodak is being bombarded with sponsorship bids, and the top two teams
in the running appear to be DEI and Roush Racing. Ty Norris, DEI
general manager, won't talk specifically about Kodak but says "We've
had some movement in the last 10 days."
Winston Salem Journal
10/25/03
Tony Renna obituary
Anthony James “Tony” Renna, an IRL IndyCar Series driver, died
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 of injuries suffered in a testing accident
at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN. Renna, who was a
resident of Indianapolis, was 26.
Renna was born November 23, 1976 in Apple Valley,
Calif., to Joe and Mary Renna. He began his racing career at age six
in his hometown of Orlando, Florida. The Renna family had just moved
to Florida from California, and Tony and his family started racing
quarter midgets on the local circuit. Renna soon started winning. More
than 250 quarter-midget race victories followed, along with two
national quarter midget championships. Renna’s racing career
continued, leading him into karts, micro-sprints and eventually
open-wheel cars in the Skip Barber series. More....
10/25/03
***Reader Question***Do the IRL drivers
have a gag order?
Dear AR1, I can't understand why the drivers in the IRL have not made
a big fuss about the safety of their cars going airborne. Do
they have a gag order? What I don't understand is how can these
same drivers that bitched about the CART cars in Texas being too
dangerous, yet no one has been on record saying that these IRL cars
are ticking time bombs.
Was it just a concentrated effort to give CART a black eye and these
same owners and media trying to put the nail in CART's coffin then and
now they are laying low knowing they made the wrong choice jumping
ship? Where's the drivers union or complaints? I am
interested to hear you guys call these drivers and get comments from
them, the media needs to hear from them and where they stand on these
important issues.
If these accidents don't change the minds of the Bracks, Franchittis,
Dixons etc..... than this proves that these same people care more
about the money than racing, they are putting their lives on the line
for the money offered by Honda and Toyota, instead of driving in CART
the racing they care about. Ray Jaber Dear Ray, We are
sure privately the drivers are all concerned, but publicly they have
to be careful what they say. As they say, don't bite the hand
that feeds you. Mark C.
10/25/03
Webber: Ralf to take Michael's place at
top Quoted in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport,
Schumacher brother manager Willi Weber said, "Ralf will be the next
world champion," Weber insisted, "because he has grown stronger along
with the Williams-BMW team. Ralf is still only 28, and is in a
position to get several titles," he said, "If he can win two or three
world championships with Williams - and I am convinced that he will -
then he can go where he wants."
"It is still too far away to say when Michael will retire," Weber
said, before admitting that the German's current deal with the
Scuderia was likely to be his last in F1. I knew that he would win his
sixth title this year, because I knew what Ferrari could do, and I
knew how strong Michael was, particularly in difficult situations.
Michael has several strengths, but it is his intelligence, his way of
thinking, of analyzing the situation and of using the circumstances to
his advantage that keeps him ahead of his rivals."
10/25/03
Moreno eyes move to Australia and to race V8 Supercars CART Champ Car driver Roberto Moreno is setting
his sights on moving to Australia and switching to V8 Supercars for
2004. After a long and distinguished career in Formula One and
Champ Cars, Moreno talked exclusively to The
Courier-Mail yesterday about his intention to move his family
from Florida to Australia. The Brazilian's ambition is driven by
his desire to seek a better lifestyle for his family and teenage
daughter Andressa, who has less than two years until she finishes high
school. The 43-year-old said Australians had played a
vital role in his career, punctuated by several stints in Formula One
in the 1980s and early 1990s, winning the F3000 title in 1988 and the
Australian Grand Prix in 1981, 1983 and 1984.
"I've always dedicated myself to formula racing and I've achieved a
lot so far," said Moreno, who won pole position at the Gold Coast Indy
in 2001 when he was driving for Patrick Racing. But my family
are wanting more time with me and I would love to move to Australia
and begin a career in V8 Supercars. I owe a lot to
Australia for my career and the lifestyle is such that I can do V8s
and still have plenty of time with the family which is not possible in
the US."
"I've always said Australia is the best place in the world to live,"
he said. "I'm serious about V8s and I still have the passion and
speed to race and I'm ready for a new challenge." He finishes
his one-year deal with Herdez Competition at the California Speedway
on Sunday next week. "The best time for me to move to Australia
would be when Andressa finishes high school but if an opportunity came
up in V8 Supercars next year then I would gladly take it."
10/25/03
Jaguar wants good 2nd driver
Jaguar boss David Pitchforth is not happy that Mark Webber scored 17
of the team’s 18 points in 2003 . Asked how upset he was that
the second car did not contribute more, Pitchforth told the Jaguar
Racing website: “Quite upset – the second seat is a valuable asset we
have and I want to make sure whoever fills it will be best for the
team. He has to be a good driver first, fit with the team, fit
with Mark and the engineers, understand the way we work and then other
factors come into play too. We are not in a screaming rush
but we are working very hard on it. Seventh is actually where we
set out to be. We made our plans around it – budgeting and so on – so
in as far as meeting targets we did it – that’s the businessman in me
talking. The racer in me says it would have been nice to have
been sixth and if it hadn’t been for Indy and the rain, we might have
been. We have got to take the rough with the smooth. If we
had been lucky and other teams had been unlucky we would have taken
it. BAR did a very good job at the end of the season and we struggled
in the last two races.”
10/25/03
Final Martinsville TV rating
Sunday's Subway 500 from Martinsville Speedway on NBC turned in final
numbers of a 4.0 rating and 10 share, according to Nielsen Media
Research. The race averaged 4,371,000 households and 6,394,000
viewers. This is a 9 percent decline from last year's 4.4 final
rating.
10/25/03
Unser - I couldn't put weight on my leg
Al Unser Jr, speaking for the frist time since his ATV accident left
him hospitalized, said "I fractured my pelvis in three places,"
Unser said. "If I was still a kid, I'd probably have been OK, but at
age 41, I knew when I stood up that something wasn't quite right on my
left side. I couldn't support myself with my left leg.
Fortunately, none of the fractures went through the entire bone. The
damage didn't warrant surgery, so assuming the next round of X-rays
show everything is still properly aligned, I'll begin a six- to
eight-week program of water aerobics to regain my strength. My
goal is to be back in a race car in seven weeks. The chances of that
happening, and me racing next season, are very good."
10/25/03
Moreno avoids penalty by backing onto
pitlane In qualifying Saturday Roberto Moreno had spun his
Herdez Lola at the last turn heading onto the pit straight, and after
selecting reverse to stay off the racing line, Moreno elected to back
into the pits rather than try to turn his car around on the narrow
straight. The quick thinking prevented Moreno from incurring the
loss of fast lap penalty (Section 6.10.5 of the Champ Car rulebook
states that a competitor causing a red flag during qualifying shall
lose his fastest lap during that session) he would have been slapped with had he caused the
session to be red-flagged. Moreno wound up seventh on the grid. “I
could see that Michel Jourdain was on his hot lap behind me and I
didn't want to get in his way,” Moreno stated. “I got on the power too
soon though coming out of the last corner before the straight and
spun. I didn't want to cause a red and lose my fast lap so I managed
to back my car into pit lane. That was a first for me!”
CART
10/25/03
Massive 83,913 crowd turns out for CART
qualifying The record books continue to be rewritten with
83,913 spectators enjoying the hot day three action at Surfers
Paradise taking the combined three day total to 198,074, on track to
reach 300,000 after tomorrow's action, barring bad weather. The
83,913 was up 2,865 from Saturday a season ago.
10/25/03
Jourdain's
title hopes gone Team Rahal's Gigante Champ Car driver
Michel Jourdain Jr. claimed ninth on the starting grid for Sunday's
Lexmark Indy 300 on the streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia. The
ninth place start marks the best Australian starting position of
Jourdain's eight year Champ Car career. By failing to capture either
of the qualifying points this weekend Jourdain is now eliminated from
contention for the 2003 Champ Car World Series championship. The
27-year-old native of Mexico City has been among the top-three in the
title chase all season and led the championship following rounds six
and seven. He trails points leader Paul Tracy by 43 points with 43
points remaining in the season. Even if Jourdain could capture all
the points and Tracy go scoreless over the two remaining races,
Jourdain would lose the tie-breaker and subsequently the championship
to Tracy. "Unfortunately we lost some time this morning when we had a
hose go bad on the Gigante car," said Jourdain. "We had a lot of work
to do to make up ground from yesterday, but we just didn't get the
track time we needed. We made some great strides in qualifying on the
first set of tires, but we lost some laps on the second set due to
traffic. This isn't the best track to start so far back on the grid.
All we can do tomorrow is get a good start and be patient and have
good pit stops. We have to put ourselves in position to take advantage
of other people's mistakes and hope for problems at the front of the
field."
10/25/03
Saturday
afternoon update from Surfers
Alex Tagliani and Tiago Monteiro have no time from yesterday's first
round of Qualifying; Monteiro has gone to the spare car after damaging
his primary car this morning, and Tagliani was disqualified for having
an underweight car. Oriol Servia was quickest in the practice session
that just ended. Final Qualifying is about to get underway. It's sunny
and hot, currently 90°F/32°C
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