Thanks for visiting our Hot News page
Please visit our
Rumors page for all the scuttlebutt. If you have some
news, or can supply more information about one listed here,
e-mail us with as much supporting information as possible
and we may post it. User agreement & disclaimer. Newer rumors supercede older ones of the same topic. Go to our
forums to discuss any hot news.
Audi UK teams lead night practice at
Sebring The two Audi R8 Prototypes of Audi Sport UK
Team Veloqx set the pace Thursday night as American Le Mans Series
teams had an hour of night practice for Saturday's 52nd annual Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring. The #28 Audi driven by Allan McNish, Frank
Biela and Pierre Kaffer set the fastest time of the session with a lap
of 1:50.053 on the 3.7-mile track. McNish was at the wheel for the
fast lap as all drivers had to run at least three laps in order to be
eligible to drive in the night portion of the 12-hour endurance race.
The #88 Audi UK entry of Guy Smith, Johnny Herbert and Jamie Davies
was second at 1:51.265, followed by the ADT Champion Racing Audi of JJ
Lehto, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner at 1:51.404. Lehto qualified
the car on the pole earlier in the day. The two cars from the factory
Chevrolet Corvette team were 1-2 in the GTS class, with the #4
Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen and Olivier Beretta first in
class at 1:58.188. The class polesitting car of Ron Fellows, Johnny
O'Connell and Max Papis was second at 1:58.669, followed by the ACEMCO
Saleen S7R of Terry Borcheller, Johnny Mowlem and David Brabham at
2:00.406. Leading the LMP2 class for smaller Prototypes was the Rand
Racing Lola B2K/40-Nissan of Marino Franchitti, Derek Hill and Andy
Lally at 2:00.406. The Intersport Lola-Judd of Clint Field, William
Binnie and Rick Sutherland was second at 2:05.165 with the American
Spirit Racing Lola-Nissan of John Macaluso, Ian James and Mike
Borkowski third at 2:05.885. Setting the pace in the GT class was the
Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Sascha Maassen, Timo Bernhard
and Jorg Bergmeister at 2:05.307, followed by the BAM! Porsche of Mike
Rockenfeller, Peter Baron and Leo Hindery at 2:05.530. Rounding out
the top three was the other Job entry of Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr and
Marc Lieb at 2:06.339. ALMS teams will have one hour of practice on Friday
morning and will then have the rest of the day off to prepare for
Saturday's 12-hour race.
3/18/04
Hunter-Reay
burning up the track in FontanaUPDATE By the end of the day Ryan
Hunter-Reay and Mario Dominguez were dead even at 57.0 but Dominguez (but not
Hunter-Reay) went out one last time in that magical part of the day when the
air cools and the track remains warm and grippy. Test times - all
unofficial:
Day/Time
Hunter-Reay
Domínguez
Junqueira
Tue AM
X
58.1
58.5
Tue PM
X
57.9
57.9
Wed AM
57.5
X
X
Wed PM
57.1
X
X
Thur AM
57.0
57.3
57.3
Thur PM
57.0
57.0
57.3
Junqueira lost a wheel at
around 5 PM in a very fast sweeper, did a phenomenal job of keeping it off the
wall, but tore up some curbing. After the track was cleaned up the track
extended its time by a half hour to allow Dominguez to get in some laps
during which he set his fast time on the very last lap. 3/18/04 - We told you this kid was quick if he got the right equipment.
At half day today in Fontana, Ryan Hunter-Reay was at 57.0, Mario
Dominguez at a 57.3 and Bruno Junqueira at 57.8 sec. - all on new
tires and without the button. Stay tuned for an end-of-day
report later.
3/18/04
Everclear
to headline Tecate Rock-and-Roar Concert at LB
Popular rock band Everclear will bring its vibrant musical style to
Long Beach when it headlines the Saturday evening Tecate Rock-N-Roar concert
at the 30th Anniversary Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, April 16-18.
The Tecate Rock-N-Roar concert, a Grand Prix tradition that began in 2001 and
has featured acts such as Third Eye Blind, Gin Blossoms and the Goo Goo Dolls
in past years, will begin at approximately 5:15 p.m. Saturday on the stage in
front of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center facing Ocean Blvd.
Everclear, led by Art Alexakis (lead vocals/guitar), was formed in 1992 in
Portland, Ore. The band exploded onto the alternative music scene with its
second album, Sparkle in Fade, in 1995, with hits singles like “Santa Monica”
and “Heroin Girl.” That effort was followed up in 1997 with So Much for the
Afterglow, another multi-platinum smash that had four hit singles: “Everything
to Everyone,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” “Father of Mine,” and “One Hit
Wonder.” Three years later, the group released sister albums Songs From an
American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile and Songs From an American
Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude. The albums feature hit singles
such as “Wonderful,” “A.M. Radio,” and “When it all Goes Wrong Again.” "We
haven't played in a while so I’m excited,” said Alexakis. “Growing up in L.A.,
I always wanted to go to the Grand Prix. This will be two great things in
one." Everclear hasn’t toured since last fall, and their appearance at the
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is their only tour date currently scheduled in
Southern California. The Tecate Rock-N-Roar concert is free to all Grand Prix
Saturday ticket holders. Tickets can be ordered via credit card by using the
toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 82-SPEED. Tickets can also be purchased
on-line at www.longbeachgp.com, at
the ticket office at 430 East First Street in Long Beach, between Elm and
Linden Streets in downtown Long Beach or at Ticketmaster locations throughout
Southern California, including all Robinsons-May, Tower Records and Wherehouse
stores.
3/18/04
Audi on pole at Sebring For
the fifth consecutive time, an Audi R8 sports car will start
the 12 Hour race at Sebring (Florida) from the front of the
grid. In Thursday's qualifying, the Finn JJ Lehto captured
the pole position in the American endurance classic for
Audi's customer Team ADT Champion Racing.
Ex-Formula 1 driver Allan McNish qualified in second
position on his sports car comeback, allowing two Audis to
start the race from the front row on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
local time. With the R8 of the new Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx,
the Scotsman was just 0.111s behind Lehto. Johnny Herbert,
driving the second "British" Audi R8, was demoted to fourth
position on the grid by the fastest MG Lola shortly before
the end of qualifying.
Quotes after qualifying at Sebring
JJ Lehto (Team ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 #38): "I´m happy
I got the pole, not only for myself but also for Team ADT
Champion Racing. I've been really happy with the car so far.
We didn't do any testing until we came here, but with all
the preparation the team did, we obviously didn't need to."
Allan McNish (Audi Sport UK Team
Veloqx Audi R8 #28): "It's great to be back at the wheel of
an Audi R8. I was on pole until seven minutes to the
chequered flag. In the end it wasn't quite good enough. Our
car was set-up more with the race in mind than out-and-out
qualifying which bodes well for a successful race."
Johnny Herbert (Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx Audi R8 #88):
"We've been fast since we arrived. In qualifying, I set my
fastest time early in the session but got bumped down to
fourth with three minutes to run. But that's not an issue in
a race lasting 12 hours and I'm certain we'll be strong."
The starting grid (top 10) at Sebring
1 Lehto/Pirro/Werner (Audi R8) 1m 48.710s
2 Biela/Kaffer/McNish (Audi R8) 1m 48.821s
3 Weaver/Wallace/Leitzinger (MG Lola) 1m 49.887s
4 Davies/Herbert/Smith (Audi R8) 1m 49.944s
5 Field/Dayton/Connor (Lola-Judd) 1m 51.288s
6 Short/Barff/Barbosa (Dallara-Judd) 1m 52.407s
7 Dyson/Lammers/de Radigues (MG Lola) 1m 53.336s
8 Durand/Block/Forgeois (R&S-Elan) 1m 56.425s
9 Lewis/Drissi/Rice (R&S-Lincoln) 1m 56.817s
10 Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen (Chevrolet) 1m 56.858s
3/18/04
Champ Car
statement on Rahal departure
The following is a statement regarding the departure of Bobby
Rahal and Team Rahal from the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford. The statement should be attributed to
Champ Car President Dick Eidswick. “We were surprised to hear of
Bobby’s decision to leave the Champ Car World Series at this time.
His association and involvement with Champ Car have been
considerable. Bobby grew up as a driver in our series and eventually
served as the Chief Executive Officer, in addition to his role as a
team owner. “He has, however, reaffirmed his commitment to campaign
his two-car Toyota Atlantic effort as well as an entry in our new
Formula BMW series so we can expect him to join us on Champ Car
weekends. “Champ Car has worked diligently during the transition
period in preparation for the 2004 season, in essence accomplishing
six months of work in six weeks. We understand the complexity of the
purchase caused some delays in planning for the teams. But the
recent release of our 2004 race schedule and television package has
allowed numerous teams, drivers, and sponsors to move forward with
final negotiations. We fully anticipate a series of positive team
and driver announcements within the next several days. “We believe
we have and are acting in the best interests of everyone who has
been a part of Champ Car history. We remain committed to bringing a
full field to the season opener in Long Beach and we’re confident
our teams and fans will be rewarded with a competitive and exciting
racing season.”
3/18/04
Gigante and
Jourdain dump Team Rahal, will remain in Champ Car
Gigante has ended their sponsorship of Team Rahal because of
their move to the IRL. Gigante will remain in the Champ Car
World Series. Look for Michel Jourdain and Gigante to land
with another Champ Car team in the very near future. One of
the new breed of Champ Car superstars and a rapidly-rising hero in
his native Mexico, Michel Jourdain Jr. announced Thursday that he
would remain with the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World
Series Powered by Ford despite the departure of Team Rahal, with
whom he competed for the last two seasons. “I will always be
grateful for the opportunities and successes I had with Team Rahal,”
Jourdain said. “I am sad to see them leave but I am excited about
the future of the Champ Car World Series. It is extremely important
to me to be able to continue to race in my homeland of Mexico in
front of the passionate Mexican race fans.” Jourdain had a
breakthrough year in 2003, claiming the first two victories of his
Champ Car career. He set a series single-race record by leading 234
laps to win in Milwaukee and then climbed from fourth place on the
starting grid to score a victory in Montreal. He is the youngest
driver ever to start a Champ Car race and has seven career podium
finishes including one in Monterrey, Mexico last season. “We are
very happy to learn that Michel Jourdain intends to remain with the
Champ Car World Series,” said Champ Car President Dick Eidswick.
“Michel is poised to become one of the top drivers in all of
open-wheel racing and has become one of the fan favorites not only
in his native Mexico, but at every stop on the Champ Car schedule.”
3/18/04
Rahal makes it
official
Team Rahal co-owners Bobby Rahal and Dave Letterman announced
today that their open-wheel racing operation will expand its
involvement in the 2004 IRL IndyCar® Series beginning with the Japan
Indy 300 on April 15-17 at Motegi, Japan. Subsequently Team
Rahal announced it was ceasing operation of its Champ Car World
Series program. Team Rahal and primary sponsor Gigante have mutually
agreed to conclude this chapter of their partnership. "The
ever evolving and difficult nature of the racing business and the
state of our sport today requires that we must evaluate our programs
and determine what is in the best interest of our team and our
sponsors," said Bobby Rahal. "The decision has been made that it is
best for our team to concentrate on having two cars for the entire
IRL season and adding the third entry for Motegi and Indy. We have
stated before that running a multiple car effort in a single series
not only provides competitive advantages, but certain economic
benefits. It was simply becoming too much of a drain on our team in
terms of resources and time to run championship caliber programs in
IndyCar, Champ Car and Atlantics." "I fully support our team's
expansion in the IRL IndyCar Series," said Letterman. "Bobby and I
believe the additional entry will increase our team's competitive
level. " Team Rahal will field two Honda G-Force Indy Cars for
the remaining 14 races of the 16-race 2004 IRL season. The driver
and primary sponsorship for the team's newest entry is being
finalized and will be announced shortly. The team currently fields
the No. 15 Pioneer/Argent Mortgage Honda G-Force for Buddy Rice who
is filling in for the injured Kenny Brack. The team will campaign a
third car in the Japan Indy 300 (April 17) and the Indianapolis 500
(May 30) with Roger Yasukawa. Team Rahal
3/18/04
Rahal to announce
Champ Car departure
According to this SPEED TV article, Bobby Rahal, a three-time
CART champion and former CEO of the series he helped grow into
international respect, is throwing in with the Indy Racing League. SPEEDTV.com has learned that Rahal will make the official
announcement late Thursday afternoon from Sebring, Fla. where he's
being honored for his road racing accomplishments at the annual
12-hour sports car race. Rahal's defection comes on the heels
of Adrian Fernandez' departure last week and leaves Champ Car in a
mad scramble for cars a month away from its season opener in Long
Beach. There were 12 confirmed cars at last week's Champ Car
media day, counting Fernandez and Rahal, and the contract with the
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach calls for 16 cars. While
it's expected Rahal will now field a two-car IRL team, it's not
known whether Michel Jourdain will be part of it. Jourdain,
sponsored by Gigante, was set to run the 2004 Champ Car season for
Team Rahal and made it clear he didn't want to go to the IRL when
Rahal told SPEEDTV.com last week he wasn't ruling out the IRL.
With Fernandez gone, the 28-year-old native of Mexico City would be
the big draw in Champ Car's races at Monterrey and Mexico City. Even
though he scored his initial CART win at Milwaukee in 2003 for Team
Rahal, Jourdain prefers the mix of street, road courses and ovals
opposed to an all-oval circuit. It's possible that if Gigante opts
to stay with Jourdain, and not Rahal, another owner in Champ Car
would gladly run him. "I don't know what's going to happen,
everything is so crazy here right now," said Jourdain on Thursday
morning from Mexico City. "I think I may know what my future is
later today." Rahal, who received a pep talk to stay in Champ Car
from Paul Newman earlier this week, went to Mexico City to visit
Gigante officials -- as did Paul Gentilozzi, one of the principals
of Open Wheel Racing Series, owners of Champ Car. Buddy Rice is
currently driving Rahal's G-Force/Honda in the IRL until the injured
Kenny Brack returns. But, if Jourdain stays in Champ Car, Rice would
likely get to run all 16 races and Rahal will have to find another
driver to run Motegi and Indianapolis with Rice while Brack
continues to recover.
3/18/04
Hunter-Reay fastest so far at FontanaUPDATE
We hear by the end of the day Hunter-Reay was down to 57.1
sec. 3/17/04 - We
hear Ryan Hunter-Reay and Mario Dominguez have been the fastest in
Fontana so far...both did a 57.6....we hear Hunter-Reay's time was set
on old tires and without using the push-to-pass button whereas
Junqueira's best time yesterday was a 58.1 or 58.2...obviously a
different day but we will see where everyone stacks up
tomorrow...should be interesting. Would be nice to see the
American youngster run up front with competitive equipment...would be
very good for the series.
3/18/04
Drivers test push-to-pass
button Cosworth Racing and Champ Car
developed a new push-to-pass function for the cars competing
in the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series
Powered by Ford in 2004, and the mechanism received
favorable reviews following its first on-track test earlier
this week. The push-to-pass function increases the boost in
the engine to provide an extra 50 horsepower at the press of
a button, helping a driver to make a pass in an otherwise
tight situation. The drivers will have 60 seconds of the
increased boost at their disposal during each race. The
Herdez Competition and Newman/Haas Racing teams were the
first to try the push-to-pass button at the track, using the
system in their Champ Car tests on the infield road course
at California Speedway in Fontana. Miami winner Mario
Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and
2003 series runner-up Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) were the first drivers to
take their shots with the new device and reported that it
made a noticeable difference in performance. “The new
push-to-pass button will be a great tool, you definitely
feel the difference,” Dominguez said. “Passing is still
going to be a challenge, particularly on some tracks, but
this is going to be good. I am excited about it.” Junqueira
was also impressed with the push-to-pass apparatus, which
completed a pair of demanding race simulations on the
Cosworth dyno before making it to the race track. “It was
very good,” Junqueira said of the new device. “The button
will give you what you need to pass a car if you are close
to it. It won't make it easy but it will help for sure. I
think it will make the racing more exciting this season.”
Engineers from Cosworth and Champ Car were equally pleased
with the results of the test, but were mindful that it was
only the first test of the season. “Everything worked as
planned and I think the best endorsement came in the fact
that the drivers could notice a change in performance with
the use of the button,” said Cosworth Track Support Manager
Ken Deagle. “The increase in power works as we’d hoped but
we will continue testing to ensure that it works as
advertised every time we use it.” Newman/Haas will continue
testing with the new mechanism Thursday at the road course
in Fontana.
3/18/04 Industry News
Dover personnel change Dover
Motorsports, Inc. has announced that Gary Camp has joined
the Company as Director of Public Relations for Dover
International Speedway. Camp replaces John Dunlap, who
recently left Dover International Speedway to serve as Sr.
Manager of Public Relations for the NEXTEL Cup Series in
Charlotte, N.C. Prior to joining the Dover International
Speedway team, Camp spent several years as an account
executive and public relations representative with Shipley
Associates, Inc. of Wilmington, Del., the Speedway's agency
of record for more than 30 years. While at Shipley, Camp
worked on the Speedway account, but also handled the
day-to-day public relations functions for Dover Downs Gaming
& Entertainment, along with several other clients. "We are
pleased to have Gary Camp as part of the Dover Motorsports,
Inc. family," said Denis McGlynn, President and CEO of Dover
Motorsports, Inc. "Because of his role at Shipley
Associates, he will be able to quickly assimilate to his new
position at Dover International Speedway." "I'm thrilled to
have this opportunity," said Camp. "My working relationship
with Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment and Dover
Motorsports will make for a smooth transition, and I look
forward to proactively promoting the two race weekends at
Dover International Speedway."
3/18/04
Sebring: Thursday AM practice The
Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx entry led the way Thursday morning
at Sebring International Raceway as American Le Mans Series
racing teams had their last pre-qualifying practice for
Saturday 's 52nd annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Official qualifying for the race will be held at 1:50 p.m.
Thursday. The #28 Audi R8 driven by Allan McNish, Pierre
Kaffer and Frank Biela led the way in the one-hour morning
session with a lap of 1:49.419 on the 3.7-mile track, while
second was the ADT Champion Racing Audi of JJ Lehto, Marco
Werner and Emanuele Pirro at 1:50.013. The second Audi UK
entry of Jamie Davies, Johnny Herbert and Guy Smith
completed an Audi sweep of the top three overall (and LMP1
class) spots with a lap of 1:51.311. Leading the GTS class
was the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R of Oliver Gavin, Jan
Magnussen and Olivier Beretta with a lap of 1:57.545,
followed by the other factory Corvette of Ron Fellows,
Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis at 1:57.980. The ACEMCO
Saleen S7R of Terry Borcheller, Johnny Mowlem and David
Brabham was third at 1:59.030.
3/18/04
Ralf promises to run Juan off
the track An angry Ralf Schumacher has promised to
drive teammate Juan Pablo Montoya 'off the track' if he
repeats his Melbourne overtaking maneuver. The two Williams
teammates clashed wheels when the Colombian forced his way
past Ralf on lap two of last week's Australian GP.
Schumacher had to run wide to avoid a race-ending collision,
but says that next time he'll be running Montoya off the
track. "It was a pretty strong move and next time I will
have him off the track," Ralf told reporters at the Thursday
press conference in Malaysia. "The move was based upon me
making space for him, which I did that early in the race, on
the basis of scoring as many points as possible and getting
the most out of the weekend. But I didn't think it was the
right thing to do. If someone brakes into a corner with the
intention of either crashing into somebody or assuming that
he will give space then that is the wrong move," he added.
"I overtook five cars today and Ralf was the only one I
hit," Montoya said. "He changed direction when he saw me
coming through. It was not clever - it could have taken both
of us off."
3/18/04
Death threats against Jordan
Eddie Jordan has revealed that he has been the target of
death threats after he snubbed Jos Verstappen from his F1
team lineup. The Jordan team boss received hundreds of
threatening e-mails, some wishing death on Jordan, his wife
Marie and their children. Others said they hoped Jordan
drivers Nck Heidfeld and Giorgio Pantano crash during
Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix. Messages started arriving
soon after Jordan ditched Dutch star Verstappen in favor of
untried Pantano. "I have been absolutely stunned by
the menace and vitriol these messages have contained,"
Jordan said. "At first I shrugged them off but they
became stronger and stronger and I feel it's time to speak
out and make these comments public. It's become really
unpleasant to think there are people in this world who could
even think of sending these dreadful messages just because I
didn't sign a driver. I really wanted Jos because he
has great experience and knows how to bring a car home,"
Jordan explained. "But his manager asked for sky-high
commission and, after lengthy talks, enough was enough and I
went for Pantano."
3/18/04
Centrix reviewing Denver purchase2nd
UPDATE
This Denver Post
article says, The Grand Prix of Denver was sold Wednesday, but
not to the company that had announced its intentions to buy it. The
Champ Car World Series, the sanctioning body for the annual street
race, bought the event from Dover Motorsports in a deal that allows
former prospective buyer Centrix Financial to concentrate on serving
as title sponsor. "It's a phenomenal deal for the community
because it saves an asset that a lot of people enjoy," said John Frew,
who served as general manager the first two years of the race.
Champ Car partner Paul Gentilozzi bristled at suggestions the race or
series might fold. "The people saying that we're not going to be
around are the ones trying to put us out of business," Gentilozzi
said. "We've put our money where our mouths are, and this is an
example."
Champ Car and Centrix teamed with Frew, a Denver lawyer, to create
Colorado Motorsports, a Denver-based company that will handle
management for the race. "There are a lot of moving parts and an
enormous amount of detail involved," Frew said. "What we finally
agreed to do, rather than having Centrix be the lead, we said to
(Champ Car): 'You figure it out. You go to Dover and get all this
done. You take the ultimate financial risk, and you show up in Denver
to run the race. We'll do everything else.' So we're all putting
something into this."
Centrix previously offered to buy the race from Delaware-based Dover
and had extended its due diligence through Wednesday. Champ Car was
purchased by Open Wheel Racing Series, a group comprised of Gentilozzi
and two other Champ Car team owners, after previous owner CART
declared bankruptcy late last year. Centrix spokesman Brandon
Borrman said it became important to ask Champ Car to financially back
up its intentions to race in Denver. "This was the deal that
made the most sense with all the talent involved, (and) this
arrangement allows this race to go forward," Borrman said.
Gentilozzi said Champ Car, part owner in races in Portland, Ore., and
Cleveland, would not have bought the race without Centrix's
sponsorship commitment. Because Dover wanted out, a new owner was
needed to keep the race alive. "That's why we did it," Gentilozzi
said. "It just all worked out in the end. We have more control over
our destiny, and that's important."
Frew, who sought new owners after learning Dover was not interested in
staging a third race, said Gentilozzi and company still have "a lot to
prove."
"This structure says, 'You bring the circus to town, and we'll put up
the tent,"' Frew said. "We'll sell the tickets and do everything, but
they have to continue to move forward. "I've spent a lot of time
with these guys in the last five days, and there is no question in my
mind that their hearts are in the right place, and they're well
capitalized to do all of what they said they're going to do."
Gentilozzi said he is pleased to work with people interested in
keeping the Denver event running. "(Dover executives) changed
their business model and wanted to go another direction," Gentilozzi
said. "That created confrontation, and in confrontation, nobody wins."
Said Frew: "Working with Dover, I had to answer to one group of people
in the East Coast and another on the West Coast, (none) of whom lived
here. We no longer have an absentee owner. (Centrix CEO) Bob Sutton
lives here. I live here. We are stepping up to take over the
management of this race. "In the past two years, very little
about what this race represented had to do with Denver and Colorado.
It was a generic application controlled from thousands of miles away.
What you're going to see now is what the sports fan in Colorado
expects and deserves." 3/17/04 -
According to a report on Yahoo, after its investigation, Centrix won't
buy the Denver race and OWRS will serve as the race promoter, run by a
new management company that will be formed to run the operation.
Centrix will still sponsor the event. Also see Denver Post article. 3/15/04 -
Centrix Financial in Denver, CO, has arranged to extend the
due-diligence period with regard to its pending acquisition of the
rights and assets associated with the GP of Denver round of the Champ
Car World Series. Centrix, the event's title sponsor, has agreed a
five-day extension with Dover Motorsports, which owns the rights
through its Grand Prix of Long Beach subsidiary, and will now announce
its final decision on or before Wednesday (March 17).
Autosport
3/18/04
Forsythe would be wise to
field car for Carpentier
A reader writes, Dear Autoracing1, I have been reading a number of
Patrick Carpentier's recent interviews and am interested in some of the logic
surrounding the business of reestablishing the Champ Car series. Perhaps it
would be wiser for Gerald Forsythe to field a third car for Carpentier, thus
preventing Pat from extensively publicizing his doubts about the future of the
series? Forsythe, who presumably has a vested interest in the public image of
Champ Car and who holds the contract on Carpentier, might be able to afford
the cost, call it an investment in the future. As a side benefit, it would
help the car count, a major issue cited by the departing Fernandez
organization. Undoubtedly, it may all be part and parcel of the grand plan to
restore the Champ Car series by businessmen who obviously have an excellent
past success record. Paul Walter, Columbus, Ohio Dear Paul, While
we are not privy to all the reasons why the owners of OWRS each hired one
driver who brought money to the team, thereby depriving another needy team of
that driver's money, we're willing to bet there is a good explanation in each
case, the negative PR it has generated for the series has been most damaging.
In one case we did hear that the driver's sponsor wanted to be with a top team
or they were gone. In a situation like that, what would you do?
Mark C.
3/18/04
Morgan Freeman to drive
Indy 500 pace car
Academy Award-nominated actor Morgan Freeman will drive the 2004
Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Pace Car to lead the field to the start of the
88th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on Sunday, May 30 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. Freeman will pace the starting field of the "Greatest
Spectacle in Racing" to a green-flag start at 11 a.m. (EST). The race will be
broadcast live by ABC Sports and the IMS Radio Network.
"We're thrilled that Morgan Freeman is driving the Pace Car for the 88th
Indianapolis 500," said Tony George, president and CEO of the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. "He is an ideal person for the role since the theme of the
event is 'Lights, Camera, Traction!' This theme highlights the connection
between the excitement and stars of the Indy 500 and the glamour and stars of
motion pictures, and Morgan is one of the most popular and respected modern
film stars. "And the fact that he'll be behind the wheel of a Corvette, an
American automotive icon from Chevrolet, is even more exciting." Freeman
has received numerous awards for his performances in films, television and the
theater, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for "The Shawshank
Redemption" in 1995 and "Driving Miss Daisy" in 1990, and a Best Supporting
Actor nomination for "Street Smart" in 1988.
"Right next to acting, my childhood dream was to drive on a Speedway track,"
Freeman said. "I'm thrilled to just be an observer but especially thrilled to
be a part of the racing logs as the Pace Car driver for the Indianapolis 500
this year." The 2004 Corvette that will serve as the Indianapolis 500
Pace Car is virtually identical to the convertibles available today through
local Chevrolet dealerships. A white-and-blue, two-tone paint treatment
incorporates Americana-themed graphics, tying into Chevrolet's new "An
American Revolution" marketing theme. The theme captures Chevrolet's pride and
passion for innovation, and for success not only in motorsports, but also as
it launches 10 new car and truck products in 20 months.
3/18/04
Industry News
Police probe Long Beach
foundation
According to a report in the Long Beach Press Telegram, police have
begun a probe into the possible misuse of funds by the nonprofit Grand Prix
Foundation of Long Beach. The foundation has also cancelled its 2004 Toyota
Grand Prix Charity Ball and the Toyota Grand Prix Charity Golf Tournament, two
fund-raisers traditionally hosted in the week prior to the race.
Foundation President Rick DuRee told the newspaper that the foundation asked
for the police investigation to "make sure some things were looked at by the
appropriate authorities." He did not elaborate. A police spokesman told
the newspaper that misappropriation of funds is "one aspect" of the
investigation, but he, too, declined to elaborate. The state attorney
general's office has confirmed that a complaint against the foundation has
been received, the newspaper reported.
The loss of the two charity events is expected to cost the foundation between
$125,000 and $150,000 in net revenue, the newspaper reported.
The foundation is in the midst of an ongoing reorganization, having replaced
all its executive officers and two board members last July. DuRee told
the newspaper that he expected the charity events would return next year.
One other obstacle this year is preventing the events. "It was discovered that
certain permits the foundation is required to have in order to solicit funds
had expired," DuRee said in a statement. "It now appears that the review of
the permit re-application process will extend beyond mid-April when the
Charity Days were to have taken place."
3/18/04
Toyota wants Long Beach to
become IRL raceUPDATE A reader writes, Dear
AutoRacing1.com, All of a sudden, Toyota has the capacity for 3 or 4 more cars
at Indy? I thought they were at capacity right now and couldn't provide more
engines for Indy. Funny, less than two weeks ago, Honda and Toyota were
gnashing their teeth about not having enough engines for the IRL, now with the
possibility of new teams from CART, all these engines are popping up. Notice
how quiet Chevrolet has been about it as well? I smell a rat. Joe Angers,
Boston, MA3/18/04 - Toyota sponsors the Long Beach Grand
Prix and said they would like to bring that race to the IRL. "It only makes
sense to have the series that you participate in sanction that race," Toyota's
Jim Aust stated according to National Speed Sport News. OWRS co-owner Kevin
Kalkhoven believes that Tony George and Honda and Toyota are attempting to
entice teams to abandon Champ Cars for IndyCars, with the goal of preventing
Champ Car from assembling a competitive field for Long Beach and the rest of
the season. "I think that's true," Kevin Kalkhoven said. "They are doing
everything they can to try to stop it from happening. That is their goal. But
we're going to get out of the gate at Long Beach." "Adrian examined with
great detail what was to be seen with the present situation at Long Beach and
he made a business decision," said Toyota's Lee White. "It's very difficult
for us to even comment on. They (OWRS) went to court and won and celebrated
greatly, but now it's their horse and they have to ride it. We've talked to
Carl Haas about joining the IRL. We have capacity to add more teams than we
have at the moment. We're prepared to support 13 or 14 cars for the Indy 500."
Jim Aust is the president of Toyota Research and Development and believes OWRS
could be in serious trouble. "It's quite a surprise for Adrian to make his
announcement two days after saying he would run in OWRS," Aust said. "They are
running short on cars. If you look at the overall picture, you can certainly
understand why he has made that decision. Bobby Rahal is a strong businessman
and he has to make the decision that is right for his team, also. If he
leaves, the car count will be extremely short for OWRS."
3/18/04
WKA and Champ Car Stars announce
agreement Snap-On
Stars of Karting and the Word Karting Association (WKA) announce
additional methods for qualification to race at the Stars Season
Finale. In an effort to make the Snap-On Stars of Karting Finale as
competitive as possible, and open to more drivers for participation,
the Stars organization and the WKA have announced that racers who
compete in WKA's famed Manufacturer's Cup Series are now eligible to
compete at the Stars Finale later in the year. Along with the
Manufacturer's Cup series, many of WKA's premier Divisional programs
also meet the eligibility requirements. Full detail of the
regulation can be found under Competition Regulations Appendix 1, at
www.starsofkarting.com
"We are thrilled to again be working with the strong programs that WKA
offers," said Kevin Williams of Stars. "Their level of competition,
and series' locations throughout the country present a well-rounded
program, allowing drivers to have a chance to participate in the
Snap-on Stars of Karting Finale."
Only the following WKA events are approved Stars qualifying events. A
complete list of races, rules and contacts for each can be found thru
the WKA Link on
www.starsofkarting.com , or at
www.worldkarting.com . Only
the core Stars classes, (ICC, ICA, JICA, 80cc Jr. Shifter, and Cadet),
offered at the following WKA events are applicable to this regulation. Manufacturer's Cup East Manufacturer's Cup West
(participate in 3 of 4 Races) (participate in 4 of 5 Races) Empire State Sprint Series Florida Champ. Sprint Series
(participate in 3 of 4 Races) (participate in 4 of 5 Races) Great Lakes Sprint Series Rocky Mountain West Divisional Sprint
Series
(participate in 4 of 6 Races) (participate in 5 Races) Maryland Divisional Sprint Series Midwest Sprint Series
(participate in 4 of 6 Races) (participate in 4 of 5 Races) Northwest Sprint Series
(participate in 4 of 6 Races)
LB Toyota Pro Celebrity field setToday’s hottest stars from film, television,
music and sports will attempt to outpace and out-maneuver each other to the
checkered flag in the
28th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.
Part of the Toyota Grand Prix
of Long Beach race weekend, this world-renowned, 10-lap charity race will be
held on the 1.97-mile downtown Long Beach street circuit on Saturday,
April 17, in Long Beach, Calif.
The expected field of
seventeen includes the following eclectic group of entertainment
personalities, internationally known celebrities, and figures from sports and
media:
• Sean Astin – ‘Samwise Gamgee’ in the Oscar-winning film “The Lord of the
Rings: The Return of the King”
• Lil’ Kim – Rap/Hip Hop Recording Artist
• Frankie Muniz – “Agent Cody Banks” films; FOX’s “Malcolm in the Middle”
• Andrew Firestone – ABC’s “The Bachelor”
• Laila Ali – Female Super Middleweight Boxing Champion
• Carlos Bernard – ‘Tony Almeida’ on FOX’s “24”
• Andrea Parker – ‘Lydia Weston’ on ABC’s “Less Than Perfect”
• Chris McDonald – ‘Ted Shackleton’ on the new FOX series “Cracking Up”
• Melissa Joan Hart – ABC’s “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”
• Liza Snyder – ‘Christine Hughes’ on CBS’ “Yes, Dear”
• Tony Potts – “Access Hollywood” Correspondent
Returning this year is the 2003 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race champion, Peter
Reckell (‘Bo Brady’ on NBC’s daytime soap “Days of Our Lives”). As the 2003
winner, Reckell will now compete with four other drivers in the “Pro”
category.
In addition to Reckell, the professional drivers competing for the checkered
flag are:
• Dara Torres – Olympic Gold Medal-winning swimmer; 2002 Toyota Pro/Celebrity
Race Winner
• Max Papis – Professional Open Wheel and Lexus-powered Sports Car Driver
• Mike Follmer – 2002 International Jet Sports Boat Association Offshore
Endurance Champion
“The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is renowned for attracting celebrity and
professional drivers because it offers the high-speed challenge of real
racing,” said Les Unger, Toyota’s national motorsports manager. “With stars
from film, television, music and sports, this year’s race is sure to provide
thrills for fans.”
Also racing in this year’s event are Cliff
Cummings, owner of Toyota of San Bernardino; and Jill Pasant, who earned a
spot by making the high bid of $60,000 for the 2004 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
seat at last year’s Toyota Grand Prix Charity Ball auction.
As part
of the event, Toyota will help raise more than $100,000 for “Racing for Kids,”
a non-profit program benefiting Southern California children’s hospitals in
Long Beach and Orange County. Toyota will donate $5,000 in the name of each
participant, and another $5,000 to the race winner’s charity of choice.
Finally,
a $15,000 donation is made in conjunction with the seventh annual “PEOPLE Pole
Award.” Sponsored by PEOPLE magazine, the award honors the pole-position
winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session on Friday, April
16. In the past 13 years, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race has generated more
than $1 million for charity.
3/17/04
Bridgestone the official tire of Long Beach For the third
consecutive season, the Bridgestone brand is the Official Tire of the famed
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, one of the country’s premier auto racing
events. Bridgestone first appeared as the Official Tire at Long Beach in 2002,
the same year that the brand debuted as the Official Tire and sole supplier
for Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. The
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, an annual stop on the Champ Car World Series
circuit, features world-class competition in open-wheel racing. This year,
every Champ Car competitor will again be equipped with Bridgestone Potenza
racing radials.
In addition to the main event, the Bridgestone brand will also serve as the
Official Tire for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race for the eighth straight year.
Participants in that race will compete in specially prepared Toyota Celicas
equipped with the popular Bridgestone Potenza RE750. “This is certainly a very
busy week for us, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Al Speyer,
Executive Director, Bridgestone Motorsport. “We’re proud to be so closely
associated with the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is certainly one of the
country’s premier sporting events. It’s the perfect place for us to showcase
our Bridgestone brand to a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience. We
look forward to it every year.” The Bridgestone brand first appeared in auto
racing more than four decades ago and has appeared in many of the world’s top
forms of motorsports. In 2004, in addition to Champ Car, the Bridgestone
family of companies serves as supplier to many teams in various types of
competition, including MotoGP, AMA Supercross/Motocross and the FIA Formula
One World Series, where Bridgestone-equipped drivers have won the last six
consecutive world championships.
3/17/04
Wishing Fernández adiosDear
Autoracing1.com, We all understand and heard that in Long Beach Fernandez
Racing was expecting the "Commitment to the Fans" and "a set TV Schedule" and
many other things from OWRS yeah right!!! Fernandez Racing is well known to be
after the money from its sponsors just like the rest of the teams that have
left to the IRL. They have prepared to make the move since last year,
maintaining IRL sponsorship, moving to a new building, etc,. I was in Long
Beach last week and I did not see Adrian at all at the Sports Arena, his car
was there but Adrian never showed up. I met with Paul Tracy, Bruno Junqueira,
Rodolfo Lavin, Roberto Gonzales, Nelson Philippe, Alex Tagliani, Michel
Jourdain, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mario Dominguez, AJ Allmendinger, Sebastien Bourdais,
Jimmy Vasser. They were all very confident about the series and future years.
We did not see Adrian at the sports Arena simply because he knew he was
leaving. Fernandez talks about all these excuses that for someone not familiar
with the racing industry may sound drastic, no TV deal, other drivers
sponsorship, money promised etc, unfortunately racing is like that and that
has been like it for a while. About two years ago I wrote about Adrian
Fernandez and how he became a better businessman rather than a better driver
in the series, this the proof, after all Fernandez Racing to CART/OWRS was one
team with one car and a below average driver that won only one race in two
years of its existence in the series. Yes Adrian was a key element for the
Mexican races in Mexico City and Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, but let's keep
in mind that Mexican fans love the sport and we still have great drivers in
the series including Michel and Mario. We must go on with the show, new
drivers and venues. CART Fans let's keep supporting our series and wish Adrian
and Fernandez Racing the best on their future endeavors...or the return to
CART next season we shall see...adios amigo. Ivan Arias-Los Angeles CA
3/17/04
Herdez team tests out west Preparing for the 2004 Champ Car World
Series, Mario Dominguez completed the first of three scheduled test days on
the infield road course at California Speedway Tuesday. 2004 will mark
Dominguez’s third season in Champ Car and Herdez Competition team manager
Vince Kremer is pleased with the team’s improvements, “we made steady progress
today, there were no hiccups and we walked through the test plan which
included suspension geometry and various options to tighten up what we want to
run this year. Mario ran a time in the mid 57-second range and we made
positive strides forward. At the end of the day we completed a series of pit
stops, practicing for the season and finalizing our over-the-wall crew. The
team is excited and pumped up for the season; it is good to be back on the
road.”
Dominguez completed 132 miles (88 laps) in warm, windy conditions on the 1.488
– mile road course, “Michael (Cannon – race engineer) was keen to try a
variety of set-ups today. Some worked and some didn’t but that is how we learn
and I am pleased with the progress we made. We tried some things that Michael
is experienced with but that are new to me and at the end of the day I think
we put in a very respectable time. We are learning a lot from each other, the
engineer-driver relationship is very important and I think we are starting off
on the right foot.”
3/17/04
Junqueira completes test, likes push-to-pass buttonPacifiCare driver Bruno
Junqueira, 27, got behind the wheel of a Champ Car yesterday for the first
time since the 2003 season finale in Australia for the first of a two-day test
in preparation for the 2004 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series
Powered by Ford season. After running 80 laps around the 1.5-mile road course
at The California Speedway, Junqueira was pleased with Newman/Haas Racing's (NHR)
first test day of the season.
"It was good to get back on track after such a long off-season," said
Junqueira, who finished second in the overall 2003 Champ Car point standings
for the second consecutive season. "I'm quite happy with the amount that we
learned on the first day. I also was able to use Ford-Cosworth's new "Push to
Pass" button for the first time and it was very good. I think it will make the
racing more exciting this season. The button will give you what you need to
pass a car if you are close to it. It won't make it easy but it will help for
sure. The team is working on the car today and I'm looking forward to getting
back behind the wheel tomorrow."
NHR's General Manager Brian Lisles was also pleased with the progress.
"Everyone is happy to get back on track," said Lisles. "We were able to run
120 trouble-free miles yesterday and evaluate the new rule changes that the
Champ Car series passed over the winter."
3/17/04
Bob Osborne Named Crew Chief Of 99
Roush Racing Team
Roush Racing announced that Bob Osborne has been named the crew chief
of the No. 99 Roush Racing team, effective immediately. “I think Bob
will make a great addition to the No. 99 team,” said Jeff Burton,
driver of the No. 99 Roush Racing Ford Taurus. “He's an engineer by
trade but he's a racer at heart. And, he shows a tremendous amount of
enthusiasm and excitement about the opportunity presented to him. He's
been with Roush Racing for several years and has exhibited all the
skills necessary to be a leader and I believe he can help the No. 99
team get back to the top."
Osborne had been serving as director of engineering for the Roush
Racing NEXTEL Cup teams. Osborne is a graduate of Penn State
University and a native of Chester, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Osborne joined Roush Racing in 1999 as
the head engineer on the No. 6 team then quickly moved his way up the
ranks within the company. "I'm excited about this opportunity," said
Osborne. "Jeff Burton is one of the best drivers in the business, the
No. 99 team is made up of some of the best people in the business and
I'm looking forward to working with all of them."
3/17/04
ESS claims excellent sponsor response
to Formula One According to this Indiantelevsion
article Sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has
that this seasons Formula One is a big hit with the sponsors. The
broadcaster issued a release stating that Honda had extended its
existing relationship as the sponsor of the live coverage. This
represents the sixth season partnership between the two parties.
Toyota is the presenting sponsor of Race Day along with associate
sponsors Panasonic, Exxon Mobil and Philips. ESS' show Chequered Flag
is jointly co-presented by Mobil and Mercedes and associate sponsor
UPS.
ESS ad sales and multimedia senior VP Greg Hayes added, "For the 2004
season we have taken significant steps to enhance the live coverage of
the race through strengthening our auxiliary shows Race Day and
Chequered Flag. Our aim is to not only add greater enjoyment and
insight knowledge for the audience, but also provide our advertising
partners with the opportunity to become more closely associated with
Formula One".
The 2004 Formula One season is broadcast live on Star Sports
throughout Asia and claims to be reaching over 56 million households.
It is estimated that each championship round of the Formula One is
watched by a global audience of 350 million people, making it the
second most popular television sport behind soccer.
3/17/04
Foyt seeking sponsor
Despite the lack of a primary sponsor, #14-Larry Foyt plans to return
to the Cup tour at TMS next month. The team owned by his father,
open-wheel legend A.J. Foyt of Houston, has not entered the #14 Dodge
in the past two events. And Foyt does not plan to enter this weekend's
event at Darlington Raceway. "We got to talking and I said if we're
going to try and race a couple of races, I'd really like to run
Texas," said Foyt, a graduate of TCU. "We had a bad run at Rockingham
[32nd on Feb. 22]. I said if we can't test on these new tires and get
caught up, I don't want to go run around last all day. Let's test
somewhere and try to do it right."(Fort
Worth Star Telegram)
3/17/04
Carpentier unsure about racing future According to TSN.ca Carpentier tells the Toronto Sun he is still reeling from
the decision last week to replace him on the team with Rodolfo Lavin, who
brings considerable sponsorship from Corona beer. Carpentier has a guaranteed
contract with Forsythe but the team plans to field only two cars in 2004 for
Lavin and defending series champion Paul Tracy. Forsythe is attempting to
place Carpentier with another Champ Car team, but most of the top competitive
rides are already spoken for, leaving him with few options.
Eric Bachelart and Kevin Kalkhoven, one of the series co-owners, spoke to
Carpentier about possibly driving for them this season. Kalkhoven's PKV Racing
team has since agreed to field cars for Jimmy Vasser, who holds a minority
stake in the team, and Roberto Gonzalez, who is bringing Mexican sponsorship
with him.
Bachelart's Mi-Jack Conquest Racing team is still searching for a driver as is
Dale Coyne Racing and Walker Racing. Bobby Rahal may be interested in
expanding to a two-car team but his future in the series is currently
undecided.
Carpentier's agent Alan Labrosse says his deal with Forsythe allows him to
reject any move to an uncompetitive team. Both admit it may be too late to
find a competitive ride for this season. Carpentier says the events of the
last few weeks have left him with doubts about the future of the Champ Car
series. "I don't even know if there is going to be a CART series," he tells
the Sun. "When Adrian (Fernandez) left to go to the Indy Racing League it was
a big blow."
3/17/04
The FIA changes the qualifying format According
to this GrandPrix.com
article FIA has issued a statement indicating that the
Malaysian GP qualifying format will be the same as in Melbourne - but
will be different! The difference comes in the scheduling of the
second part of the session, which will be at 14.00. The first part of
the session will start at 13.00 and will be over by around 13.45,
giving the teams the chance to get a few extra minutes to prepare for
the final dashes. The change has been made in order to "facilitate
television scheduling" and the change has been made at the request of
the Commercial Rights Holder. It is not clear whether or not the FIA
has the right to change the qualifying at will or whether the move is
going to upset the Formula 1 teams, who were most upset a year ago
when the FIA chose to alter the interpretation of the regulations.
This led to a legal challenge from Williams and McLaren which was
later put on hold. The FIA was careful to say that " if the competing
teams agree unanimously to this revised schedule, it will be put to
the Formula One Commission by a fax vote. If the Commission is in
favour and the World Motor Sport Council confirms the decision at its
meeting on March 24, the new schedule could be introduced from the
Bahrain Grand Prix."
3/17/04
Michelin admits to tire concerns According
to this Slam Motorsports
article hopes of a swift end to Ferrari's Formula One
domination look remote after tire supplier Michelin admitted Tuesday
it faces a difficult time this week in Malaysia. Ferrari scored a
crushing 1-2 finish at the opening race of the season in Australia,
but many hoped the expected high temperatures in Malaysia this weekend
would level the playing field. Ferrari's Bridgestone tires are thought
to work best in cooler conditions, with Michelin tipped as the top
hot-weather performer. But Pascal Vasselon, Michelin's Formula One
manager, sounded a note of caution to those expecting an immediate
change in fortunes for the likes of Williams and McLaren.
3/17/04
Fernandez to Make IRL
Series Debut at Phoenix
Adrian Fernandez will take his first laps aboard the #5 Quaker State/Telmex/Tecate
Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone this weekend as he prepares to compete in his
first IRL IndyCar Series event – the Indy 200 Copper World Classic at Phoenix
International Raceway (PIR).
Following a recent decision to enter IRL competition, Fernandez Racing has had
just 11 days to prepare for Sunday’s event, the second of 16 races on the 2004
IndyCar Series schedule. Fernandez, who resides in nearby Paradise Valley, has
made three starts on the one-mile desert oval. In 1992, Fernandez won at
Phoenix in his Indy Lights debut. He also contested two CART events at PIR in
1994 and 1995. His best finish was 10th in 1994.
The Fernandez Racing team is led by veteran team manager Gustavo Del Campo,
with Mike Sales as Chief Mechanic. Noted engineer John Ward, who served as
chief engineer for Fernandez in the late ‘90s at Patrick Racing, returns to
Fernandez Racing, teaming with race engineer Chris Finch and data acquisition
engineer Matt Huth. Jeff McComb will be the spotter for Fernandez.
Note: The #5 Quaker State/Telmex/Tecate Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone will be
run with an interim paint scheme this weekend due to the quick turnaround
time. The 2004 paint scheme will be unveiled at the Indy Japan 300 in April.
Adrian Fernandez, #5 Quaker State/Telmex/Tecate Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone:
“The past week has been a hectic one, and I’m sure the weekend will be as
well. The team has done an amazing job to get everything put together in such
a short amount of time to allow us to participate at Phoenix. Obviously, for
me, this will be a learning weekend with no testing beforehand. We have the
benefit of the experience of the Super Aguri Fernandez Racing team, which we
will rely on quite heavily this weekend. Down the road, having a two-car team
will definitely be an asset and Kosuke [Matsuura] and I will be able to help
each other.”
3/17/04
Ferrari will use Shell Fuel for Sepang Ferrari
and Shell will use Shell V-Power F1ULG58 fuel at Sepang. This is the
same fuel as used in Melbourne with such success. With the high
probability of rain at some point in the weekend, teams will look to
use the slower running to optimize fuel efficiency. With slower
running and therefore lower revs, Ferrari will look to Shell V-Power
F1ULG58 to provide them with the most effective fuel blend possible.
3/17/04
Dale Earnhardt Jr. To Drive Corvette In
ALMS Event At Infineon Raceway Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,
winner of the 2004 Daytona 500 and one of the biggest stars in NASCAR
racing, will bring his skills to a different form of the sport when he
drives a Corvette in the July 18 American Le Mans Series event at
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
A two-time winner already in the young NASCAR Nextel Cup season in the
Budweiser Chevrolet, including the most recent event at Atlanta,
Earnhardt will make a rare foray outside of stock car racing when he
joins the General Motors Chevrolet Corvette racing team in the
Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma. He will co-drive with veteran road
racer Boris Said in a third Chevrolet Corvette C5-R fielded by
Corvette Racing, the car carrying Earnhardt's famous #8.
The three-car team for the event will reunite Earnhardt with the
Corvette team, a bond that began at the 2001 running of the 24 Hours
of Daytona where Earnhardt, Jr., and his father, the late Dale
Earnhardt, finished fourth overall in their first-ever sports car
race.
"I am really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the
Corvette C5-R because it is such a great race car," said Earnhardt,
Jr. "I'm happy that Chevy has given me the chance to cross over and
take part in its sports car program, which has been a huge success.
Boris Said has a lot of experience at Infineon Raceway, and I'm
getting better there, so it should be a fun weekend."
"It will be great to have Dale Jr. back into the Chevrolet Corvette
C5-R and Boris will be an excellent partner for him," said Gary
Claudio, GM Racing Marketing Manager. "The relationship we have with
Dale Jr. highlights the depth and breadth of Chevrolet's racing
program. This commitment to compete across the entire spectrum of
major league motorsports is why Chevy is the most successful
manufacturer in racing."
"We greatly appreciate this demonstration of the commitment that GM
and Corvette Racing have to the American Le Mans Series and we thank
Dale Jr. for his enthusiasm," said Scott Atherton, President and CEO
of the American Le Mans Series. "Having one of the most popular
drivers in the world as part of our event at Infineon Raceway is a
spectacular opportunity and we look forward to it. Dale Jr., like his
father, is known to have always had an attraction to state-of-the-art,
world-class sports car racing - in particular Le Mans. We look forward
to his debut with the American Le Mans Series and are confident this
is only the start of his participation in the ALMS."
The Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma will get the green flag at 11:30
a.m. (PDT) on Sunday, July 18, and will be televised live in North
America by CBS Sports and in Europe on MotorsTV. The American Le Mans
Series Radio Web will have live coverage online at
www.americanlemans.com.
3/17/04
Sebring first practice Defending
American Le Mans Series champion Marco Werner got his new
relationship with ADT Champion Racing off to a good start
Wednesday morning by setting the fastest time in the first
official practice session for Saturday's 52nd annual Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring. Werner, who will share the Audi R8
with Emanuele Pirro and JJ Lehto in Saturday's race, turned
the 3.7-mile track in a time of 1:50.722 to lead the LMP1
class and the field overall, barely edging the 1:50.798 time
posted by the #28 Audi UK Team Veloqx entry. Allan McNish,
Frank Biela and Pierre Kaffer are sharing the Audi UK car.
Third-fastest in the session was the Dyson Racing Lola
EX257-AER/MG of James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy
Wallace at 1:51.684. Fastest in the LMP2 class was the
Intersport Lola B2K/40-Judd of Clint Field, Bill Binnie and
Rick Sutherland, with Field at the wheel when the car was
clocked at 2:00.943. Second-fastest in the class for
smaller, less-powerful Prototypes was the Team Bucknum
Racing Pilbeam MP91 of Chris McMurry, Jeff Bucknum and Bryan
Willman at 2:02.184, followed by the Rand Racing Lola/Nissan
of Mike Fitzgerald, James Gue and Bill Rand at 2:06.115. The
two factory Chevrolet Corvette C5-Rs of Corvette Racing were
first and second in the GTS class, with Oliver Gavin setting
the fastest time of the session at 1:58.524 in the car he
will share with Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen. The
Corvette of Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis was
second at 1:58.826, followed by the Barron Connor Racing
Ferrari 575 GTC of Mike Hezemans, Ange Barde and Jean-Denis
Deletraz at 2:02.471. The Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3
RSR of Romain Dumas led the GT class with a fast time of
2:05.895. Dumas will co-drive with Marc Lieb and Lucas Luhr,
with Luhr seeking to win the GT class at Sebring for a
record fourth straight year. Second in class was the Risi
Ferrari 360 Modena of Ralf Kelleners, Anthony Lazzaro and
Matteo Bobbi at 2:06.537, followed by the Cort Wagner,
Patrick Long and Kelly Collins Porsche of The Racer's Group
at 2:06.779. ALMS cars will have another hour of practice
today at 2:40 p.m. (Eastern)
3/17/04 Industry News
GM triples profit at its Chinese
ventures According to this Detroit Free
Press article
General Motors Corp. said its profit from joint ventures in China more
than tripled to $437 million last year as the company's market share
in that nation increased. Profit from the Chinese ventures, led by
Shanghai General Motors, increased from $142 million in 2002, the
automaker said in an annual report filed with U.S. regulators last
week. The Detroit-based company also said its loss from affiliates in
South Korea widened to $74 million from $45 million in 2002. Market
share in China rose to 8.5 percent last year from 7.8 percent the
previous year and has more than doubled from 4.1 percent in 2001, GM
said. GM counts on investments in China, which became the company's
fourth-biggest vehicle market last year, and South Korea to help boost
earnings to $10 a share by 2006. Profit from its Asia-Pacific vehicle
operations last year rose threefold to $577 million while automotive
income in North America, its biggest region, fell 73 percent to $811
million. The U.S. company owns 50 percent of Shanghai General Motors.
GM's major venture in South Korea is a 44.6-percent stake in GM Daewoo
Auto & Technology Corp. GM also said profit from ventures in Japan,
where it owns stakes in Suzuki Motor Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries
Ltd., rose 47 percent to $196 million. Earnings from a power train
joint venture with Italy's Fiat SpA increased 19 percent to $95
million, GM said. The automaker's shares rose 55 cents to $45.52 in
New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock has declined 15
percent this year.
3/17/04
Danny Sullivan to Compete in ALMS According
to this USA Today
article, Sullivan is expected to get ride in a Ferrari for the
12 hours of Sebring. Most of the time, Danny Sullivan spends his time
traveling around Europe and the USA searching for the next great
American race car driver in hopes of developing a U.S. star in Formula
One. This weekend, however, Sullivan will trade in his scouting
reports for a racing helmet. Sullivan, who turned 54 this month, will
drive in the American Le Mans Series Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
3/17/04
NASCAR fan stabbed at
Atlanta A
man is accused of stabbing a fellow NASCAR fan Sunday at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway. Henry County Magistrate Robert
Godwin set a $15,000 bond for Guy Landrum, 42, after hearing
police testimony that Landrum stabbed a man after stumbling
through his campsite. Deputy Mike Haralson told Godwin that
Landrum was drunk Saturday night when he knocked over a
trash can, kicked around trash and had an argument with
another man at a campsite. Landrum came back Sunday,
Haralson said, and renewed the argument, then pulled out a
knife and stabbed the man on the left side of his torso. The
man was treated and released at a local hospital. Landrum is
scheduled to appear again before the court April 7. Henry
County Sheriff's Maj. Keith McBrayer said this was the most
serious of about 15 arrests at Sunday's Golden Corral 500,
which drew more than 100,000 fans.
3/17/04
Gigante and Jourdain remain in Champ
Car
According to this Toronto Sun
article, Champ Car has won a major battle as both the Gigante
team and Newman/Haas will remain in Champ Cars as AutoRacing1.com
reported days ago, contrary to other articles being written.
Whether Team Rahal goes to the IRL without Gigante, remains to be
seen. Gigante can easily sponsor Jourdain in another team, which
we also rumored could happen days ago. However, we think they
will stay in both series.
Mexican supermarket colossus Gigante will tell Bobby Rahal that it
wants to stay in the Open Wheel Racing Series, two independent sources
have told The Toronto Sun. Both sources -- one inside the Indy Racing
League and a second inside OWRS -- said Gigante, which puts up the
more than $10 million US it costs Rahal to run Mexican driver Michel
Jourdain Jr., is determined to remain in the series that races twice
in its back yard.
After the defection of Mexican icon Adrian Fernandez to the IRL a week
ago it was generally felt OWRS would not be able to withstand losing
another top Mexican driver.
Jourdain, enormously popular in Mexico, is reported to have met Monday
with Gigante brass in Mexico City where he was told the company has no
interest in bolting to the IRL.
CART, the predecessor of OWRS, has a long history of racing in both
Mexico City and Monterrey and in fact is the title sponsor of the
Grand Prix of Mexico.
"Talk in the IRL is that Gigante sat Jourdain down to tell him the
company wants to race where it sells its groceries," a source said.
It is expected to deliver a similar message to Rahal later this week.
The IRL is an all-oval series that does not hold races either in
Mexico or Canada.
Rahal has been a big CART/OWRS booster most of his career, but last
season he fielded a team with Kenny Brack in the IRL at the behest of
his sponsors, Pioneer Electronics and Miller Lite beer.
"Gigante is definitely not interested in following Rahal to the IRL,"
a second source said. "Indications are that if push comes to shove
Gigante would take its money and driver to another OWRS team rather
than move to the IRL."
NEGOTIATIONS
Rahal couldn't be reached yesterday to comment on negotiations with
Gigante, but a team spokesman said nothing has changed since a
statement late last week that talks with the sponsor were continuing.
Meanwhile a story yesterday in the Detroit Free Press that OWRS
powerhouse Newman/Haas Racing was mulling a move to the IRL has been
denied by team officials.
"We are spending a lot of money to send both Newman/Haas teams (Bruno
Junqueira and Sebastien Bourdais) to test on the road course at
Fontana (Calif.) this week in preparation for the season opener at
Long Beach," team spokesman Kathi Lauterbach said yesterday.
"We are committed to racing in the OWRS this season."
Newman/Haas announced earlier this year that it was interested in
entering the Indianapolis 500 -- the IRL flagship race -- but that it
would be a one-race-only deal. .
3/17/04
Bridgestone confident in Malaysia Tire
manufacturer Bridgestone are confident that they can equal their
astonishing result at Melbourne two weeks ago by dominating this
weekend's Malaysian GP, revealing that an intense winter program to
improve their tires in extreme temperatures has proven to be
successful.
"We have tested long and hard for races like Malaysia and the time has
come to see if we have done our homework," said Technical manager
Hisao Suganuma. "A significant part of our winter development program
was dedicated to making sure we are competitive in the heat.
"We know we have made important improvements and I'm looking forward
to showing off our progress just as we did in Melbourne," he warned.
"We finalized the tire specification during testing in Spain and,
although weather conditions did hamper us a little, we got some
excellent data which suggests our teams should be competitive in
Malaysia."
Meanwhile, Michelin's thrashing in Australia has clearly put them on
the back foot and have, surprisingly, taken a cautious approach ahead
of Sepang - a race they dominated last year.
"Preparing suitable tires for Sepang presents one or two obvious
difficulties," said Michelin's F1 program manager Pascal Vasselon.
"This is usually the hottest race of the year and track temperatures
can reach 55 degrees. This isn't a problem in itself but it is not
practical to test in Malaysia and we have to develop tires for these
conditions while running at European circuits during the winter.
"This makes it difficult, as conditions are very different."
Renault Technical Director Bob Bell was also far from inspiring in his
race preview: "A question mark remains over tire performance, but we
will have a clearer picture once we have run in the hotter
conditions."
3/17/04
NASCAR teams test at Texas
Three Nextel Cup and two Busch Series teams tested a total of eight
different vehicles on the 1.5-mile Texas superspeedway, with latest
race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr running in two Budweiser Chevrolets,
Bill Elliott in a Dodge Dealers Dodge and Larry Foyt in the family-run
Dodge. Busch Series drivers testing two cars apiece were Martin Truex
Jr (Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and rookie JJ Yeley (Vigoro Chevrolet).
Earnhardt continued on a roll following his triumph in the Golden
Corral 500 at Atlanta on Sunday with a solid day in the Bud machines.
“We were just as fast off the trailer as we were at the end of the
day,” observed Earnhardt, winner of both a Nextel Cup and Busch race
at Texas in recent seasons, “We're happy with our car.
"Most of the day we were working on carburetors and intakes, trying to
see what was the best for the car. We changed some set-up things and
learned a little bit, but, overall, the car was real comfortable.
"The track is in great shape too - there is a little more grip with
this year's tire, which I like,” he continued, “Last year, I thought
the tire that was brought here was a little hard for the track, but
this is really good, very comfortable.”
Elliott, meanwhile, prepared for the 4 April Samsung/RadioShack 500 in
Ray Evernham's creation, while Foyt sought extra speed at his home
state speedway.
“We are just throwing a bunch of things at the car to see what happens
today,” the veteran commented ahead of an occasional outing in his
part-time schedule, “We are going to look at the data in the morning,
see what works best on the car and try to improve.”
“We are working on a lot of things,” Foyt echoed, “I haven't been in a
car for a couple of weeks and it is the first time on a
mile-and-a-half this year on this new Goodyear tyre. We went out
earlier and tried to get a feeling for that. The car feels pretty
decent and I think we're okay.
“I didn't notice a difference in tyres from last year here at Texas as
I did at Daytona and Rockingham. The car feels pretty stable here,
where I noticed more of a difference at Daytona.”
3/17/04
Long Beach ticket office opens
Tickets for the 30th Anniversary Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,
which takes place April 16-18, are now available for purchase in
downtown Long Beach. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach’s
downtown ticket office, located at 430 East First Street in Long
Beach, between Elm and Linden Streets, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Race posters and merchandise – including
shirts, hats and jackets – are also available for purchase downtown.
The centerpiece of this year’s Grand Prix will be the cars and stars
of the Champ Car World Series, led by two-time Long Beach winner Paul
Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Michel Jourdain and Bruno Junqueira. The
action-packed weekend also includes the Imperial Capital Bank Historic
Grand Prix, featuring vintage Formula 5000, Formula One and early
Champ Cars. All of these cars actually ran in Long Beach between 1975
and ’90. The popular Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race returns for a
28th year as does Champ Car’s highly competitive development racing
series in the Argent Mortgage Challenge for the Toyota Atlantic
Championship, which always showcases the future stars of road racing.
North America’s longest-running race series, the Motorock Trans-Am
Series is back to feature racing’s top “muscle cars” and their
“slam-bang” racing style.
3/17/04
Sewell to oversee Trans Am tech As
part of his joining the Bridgestone Presents Champ Car World Series
Powered by Ford, Support Series Director of Technology Steven Sewell
will oversee the Motorock Trans-Am Series’ Technical Committee in
2004. All Trans-Am technical operations have been brought under the
Champ Car banner. Sewell will be joined on the Committee by returning
Trans-Am technical staffers Dennis Kazmerowski and Jim Burke.
Sewell reports to Champ Car Director of Technology Lee Dykstra.
Kazmerowski will build upon the role he filled last season,
supervising all aspects of technical inspection with additional
administrative responsibility and authority. Burke will become the
primary liaison between Trans-Am teams and the Committee, as well as
further assisting in documentation and research.
The Committee’s first initiative will be to evaluate the rules
governing the various manufacturers, marques, engines, chassis and
bodies in Trans-Am Series competition. The Committee will continue the
successful technical program started prior to the 2003 season,
building upon the wind-tunnel testing undertaken by the Series last
year with the assistance of Champ Car’s vast technical resources.
“I’m privileged to have a key role in the future technical direction
of Trans-Am,” said Sewell. “We plan to stay the course taken last year
toward competitive balance among the marques, while using new
technology to continue to ensure that a level playing field remains in
place.”
Sewell brings more than two decades of motorsports experience to
Trans-Am, during which he worked in roles ranging from mechanic to
crew chief to series administration. Sewell comes to Champ Car after
18 years at Skip Barber Racing, during which he held several senior
managerial posts. Sewell began his career in racing in 1978.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of Trans-Am and the Champ Car
organizations,” said Sewell. “Trans-Am is a series that is steeped in
history and heritage, and it plays a significant role in North
American motorsports.”
“Steve will be a welcome addition to the Trans-Am team,” said Motorock
Trans-Am Series Executive Director John Clagett. “He has substantial
experience working in a series environment, and possesses both the
technical expertise and communication skills required to be an
effective technical director. He will be a tremendous asset to the
Trans-Am Series.
“Merging Trans-Am technical operations with the Champ Car Technology
Department is a key factor in Trans-Am continuing to provide a
competitive environment for all manufacturers and marques,” added
Clagett. “The addition of Champ Car’s sophisticated equipment and
experienced team members will prove invaluable and will have a
profound effect on Trans-Am Series rules.”
3/17/04
FIA tweaks F1 qualifying format Qualifying
at the Malaysian Grand Prix will follow the same format as in
Melbourne. In order to facilitate television scheduling, the
Commercial Rights Holder has requested that:
(i) the qualifying procedure should begin at 13.00 local time instead
of 14.00; and
(ii) qualifying proper (ie for the grid) should begin at 14.00 local
time rather than immediately after the end of the timed laps which
determine the order in which cars qualify for the grid.
The schedule would then be:
(1) Qualifying procedure begins 13.00
(2) Qualifying for the grid 14.00
If the competing teams agree unanimously to this revised schedule, it
will be put to the Formula One Commission by a fax vote. If the
Commission is in favor and the World Motor Sport Council confirms the
decision at its meeting on 24 March, the new schedule could be
introduced from the Bahrain Grand Prix. In all other respects, the
qualifying procedures would remain as published.
3/17/04
2 for 1 ticket sale at MISUPDATE The 2 for 1 tickets
for the IRL race that are being offered are for Jackson and Lenawee
County residents only. Not only are they 2 for 1, but they only cost
$40.00. So for 40.00 two people can sit anyway in the center section
from the top (best rows) to the bottom, only in the center section....
no other section is available in the grandstands at any price!!!.
Friday is free for everyone. Can't wait to see the crowds this
generates. Yeah right! Loretta Joyce3/16/04
- To help offset low ticket sales despite NASCAR Nextel Cup
races always being sold out, Michigan International Speedway
has sent out flyers to ALL area residents offering 2 IRL
tickets for the price of 1 for the August IRL race.
3/17/04
Gulf
Air lays out F1 packages Since announcing its
sponsorship last year, Gulf Air has put its extensive marketing
resources behind the promotional campaign in order to attract the
maximum number of spectators and at the same time to ensure that the
all race fans visiting the Kingdom will have a memorable experience.
A major part of this support comes in the form of a range of
all-inclusive packages which will allow Grand Prix fans from outside
Bahrain to visit the Kingdom to take in the sensational Formula One
experience.
Packages include return economy class flights, visa fees (if
applicable), a meet and greet service on arrival, return coach
transfers from Bahrain International Airport to the Grand Prix
Circuit, and Grand Prix tickets.
Gulf Air President and Chief Executive, James Hogan said: 'Gulf Air is
delighted to be part of this milestone event in the history of Bahrain
and the region. Over the last year we have put our weight behind a
number of initiatives designed to boost awareness of and interest in
all the things its owner states have to offer, in particular tourism
attractions. The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix provides an attraction of
the highest order and at the same time, unprecedented opportunities to
put Bahrain on the world map.'
'For Gulf Air, and for other businesses involved in the travel and
tourism industry, such as hotels and car hire companies, it provides
an opportunity like no other, to showcase the traditional Arabian
hospitality and warmth for which the island is famous to the people
who will be visiting Bahrain for the Grand Prix,' he said.
'An event of this scope and size is good for Bahrain. In addition to
creating thousands of employment opportunities, it is driving rapid
infrastructural development that will also benefit the region in the
longer term. By aligning ourselves with an event, which will generate
economic opportunity and growth in the Kingdom of Bahrain, we have an
opportunity to make a significant contribution to the well being of
the community and the region,' Mr Hogan said in conclusion.
3/17/04
Indy Racing League gets game update
[Editor's Note: This is the sort of thing that the IRL has all
over Champ Car. It is this sort of product for consumers that
builds new fans, and makes for great gifts during the Christmas
Holiday. We have heard rumors of a new Champ Car game for years, but
they have been unable to bring one to market. In fact, we have seen
almost zero marketing being done for Champ Car at any level.
Meanwhile, the IRL will have its 2nd game in as many years and is
marketing the heck out of its series.] Codemasters, a global
interactive entertainment software publisher and premier developer of
racing video games, today announced the return of the fastest race on
earth with "IndyCar (R) Series 2005." Shipping this summer for the
next generation console systems, "IndyCar Series 2005" is officially
licensed by the Indy Racing League (R) and gets a boost with a host of
all-new features, including head-to-head online play, improved
graphics and more.
"Now racing fans everywhere can compete online against their friends
and real drivers from their own living rooms," said Steven Lux, senior
vice president of U.S. marketing for Codemasters. "Imagine meeting up
online with Dan Wheldon or Sam Hornish Jr. and racing against them at
the Indianapolis 500(R). We've made that all possible in 'IndyCar
Series 2005.'"
It is the only game to feature the full IndyCar Series season
including the Indianapolis 500, allowing drivers to compete from Pole
Day to Bump Day to race day as one of the 33 drivers in The Greatest
Spectacle in Racing (R). Racing action is realistic, accessible and
authentic down to the very last detail, including TV-style
presentation with race introductions by ABC Sports broadcasters.
A completely authentic and realistic IRL (R) racing experience,
"IndyCar Series 2005" features:
Head-to-head online play with up to 12
players simultaneously
15
IndyCar Series tracks, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (R), Texas
Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Pikes Peak International Raceway and
the newly featured Twin Ring Motegi Speedway in Japan
All-new steering wheel support
Realistically functioning rear-view mirrors so drivers can watch their back
Official drivers, tracks, rules and sponsors of the IndyCar Series
Ability to re-create a full season competing as a favorite driver, including
Sam Hornish Jr., Gil de Ferran, Al Unser Jr., Scott Dixon, Helio
Castroneves, Sarah Fisher and more
Up to
33 cars on the track simultaneously
Updated Masterclass training mode narrated by 2003 IndyCar Series Bombardier
and Autosport Rookie of the Year Dan Wheldon
"IndyCar Series 2005" features an advanced
and updated genetic "AI" system that renders each race as a unique
experience. The "AI" drivers actually race and make dynamic strategic
decisions, defend their position, draft to pass other drivers and even
make mistakes.
In defense of Adrian Fernández
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com,
I'm sure that this is a minority opinion among the people who
subscribe to your website, but I don't see how people feel that Adrian
is such an evil person for doing what he did. As I'm sure many of your
readers agree, TG is a SOB, his "vision" was nothing more than a power
grab for control of open wheel racing, and I will never forgive nor
forget what he did. In fact, I won't even consider going to the F1
race in Indy because of him.
That being said, anyone who saw Adrian on Wind Tunnel could see that
his decision was a painful one. He did what any other businessperson
would have done in his situation; he secured not only his future, but
the jobs of everyone in his team. He did what anyone has to do to
support his family (his team being an extension of his family in this
sense.) Does that suck? Obviously. Do I wish TG would have lost the
war? Of course. Do I want to see one series that can seriously compete
with NA$CAR? Most definitely. But what we have to realize is that as
fans, we have very high levels of emotion about this, but for the most
part, this is not our business nor our livelihood. Adrian was in a
position where his main sponsor left and he didn't see any concrete
assurances from OWRS management that the series would be viable.
Hopefully, OWRS can pull something out of the hat, because I too would
like to know the answers to some of the same questions that Adrian
posed. Namely, where are the cars, who are the drivers, what
manufacturer involvement are you pursuing for the coming years, etc. I
want to be optimistic, but unfortunately, the time came where Adrian
could not afford my optimism. Robert Reeves
3/16/04
Kansas Speedway to install 'Safer'
Barrier
According to Motor Sports Forum Kansas Speedway® officials announced
today that SAFER barriers will be installed at the track in the coming
months. Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barriers are scheduled to be
in place around the 1.5-mile trioval in time for the track’s Banquet
400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race Oct. 10.
3/16/04 Industry News
Judge OKs Firestone settlement
According to this Detroit Free
Press
article a Texas state judge on Monday approved a $149-million
settlement of 30 class actions filed on behalf of tire owners against
Bridgestone-Firestone North American Tire. The settlement, approved by
State District Judge Donald Floyd, comes more than three years after
the 2000 recall of 14.4 million Firestone tires amid safety concerns.
More than 100 objectors had contested the settlement.
3/16/04
Indy Racing League Brings Licensing
In-House
The Indy Racing League marketing department has brought the licensing
of the League, IRL IndyCar® Series, IRL Menards Infiniti Pro SeriesTM
and their respective teams in-house with a dedicated licensing
division. The results of this new focus are already being felt with
the addition of three new licensees for the 2004 season: Pacific
Trading Cards, Victory Wheels and American Grand Prix.
Pacific Trading Cards, Inc., is one of the leading manufacturers of
sports and non-sports trading cards in the world. Plans are for the
initial product to be in-market for the Indianapolis 500 in May. The
sets will feature both event-used and autograph elements.
Victory Wheels, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, will be manufacturing
an exclusive IRL Logo line of "after market" wheels and hubcaps. The
custom wheels and hubcaps, which will be available in sizes ranging
from 13-26 inches, are of top quality with state-of-the-art graphic
imaging and will be available shortly in mass distribution.
Grand Prix, Inc., a media solutions company based in Malibu, Calif.,
will introduce event discs, which gives fans access to entertainment
content that provides exciting insight into the Indy Racing League.
With Internet connectivity and links to sponsor sites, IRL fans will
be able to get updates on all their favorite drivers and races.
3/16/04
Roush Racing mourns loss of Charlie Roush
F.C. “Charlie” Roush, father of NASCAR team owner Jack
Roush, passed away early Tuesday morning in Manchester, Ohio
following a lengthy illness. Roush was known to many in the
NASCAR garage as a regular and loyal supporter of the Roush
Racing teams. He is survived by his wife, Georgetta; and
sons, Jack and Frank. Private family services will be held
Friday in Manchester, Ohio. The family requests that in lieu
of flowers, donations be made to the “Charlie Roush Memorial
Fund” to benefit the education of disadvantaged youth. All
donations can be sent to the “Charlie Roush Memorial Fund”
in care of Roush Racing, 4600 Roush Place, Concord, N.C.,
28027.
3/16/04
Fernández quotes on Wind Tunnel
Below are select quotes from Monday's Wind Tunnel with Dave
Despain on SPEED Channel. Adrian Fernandez, who recently
announced his last-minute decision to move from the
OWRS-owned Champ Car series to the Indy Racing League,
explains his decision.
Fernandez on what prompted his decision to move his
team to the IRL: "We realized in Long Beach. As you
know, there were a lot of months of uncertainty about
whether we were going to have a series or not because CART,
the one that we used to know, went bankrupt. ... From that
process up to Long Beach, our spring training, where we get
all the drivers, all the owners, all the media, all the
promoters, everybody -- we were there to get a lot of
answers -- a business plan, drivers, etc., etc. We came to a
big surprise that a lot of things were a lot worse than we
thought. At some point, you've got to make a decision and
you can't go by just 'trust me,' you've got to go by facts.
And when you have 12 drivers that are confirmed and that the
champion driver, Paul Tracy, doesn't have any sponsorship,
even though they have three races in Canada, it just doesn't
make sense. When you hear that the owners of the series are
taking drivers with money from other owners, it just doesn't
make any sense. When you hear all these things and you see
that there is really nothing out there -- there is not an
international or Mexican TV contract yet, there is no
contract that we have yet from the engines, from the tires,
from the series. We have nothing. So, how long can you by
trust -- trusting in situations that you cannot control? We
have too much invested here. At the end of the day, if wait
until the end, it will be the end of Fernandez Racing. It
will be the end of Adrian Fernandez. It would be the end of
everything. It was a tough situation, and I am very sad
about what is happening, but there was no choice."
Fernandez on what is the worst case scenario for Champ
Car: "The series we all know and the series we all
participated in is well gone. That doesn't exist -- 70
percent of the people that were part of Champ Car are gone.
Teams like Penske, like Ganassi, like Mo Nunn, like
Green/Andretti are gone. Patrick Racing, which I raced with
for three years, they are gone. Walker Racing doesn't have
plans in either series right now. Stefan Johansson lost his
team. So, then you go to Long Beach and there are 12 drivers
confirmed, and with all of these other things I am telling
you, what do you expect? It is just too clear. If you don't
see facts, if you don't see a business plan, if you don't
see confirmation and you hear problems here and problems
there, then you don't feel that security. For how long do
you want to wait there and see when the thing is going to
explode? We have an investment here. ... Things that were
supposed to be happening were not happening. The confidence
level that they should have been giving to the owners was
not there. Do you think they have ever been to me or that
they have approached Fernandez Racing in the last month to
say, 'Adrian, how are you doing? Can we help you with your
second car? Can we help you with Tecate?' They knew Tecate
was gone. They never called us. In all the time we were in
Long Beach, they never approached me -- they never talked to
me about our plans, about what we had. There is a new
president, a new CEO, I don't even know him. I have never
met him and he's been there for a month or something like
that. ... So, what type of level of confidence do you go
into a series where you have millions of dollars invested
and long-time sponsor commitments, to a series that is no
longer the CART that we all knew? For how long do you wait?"
Fernandez on whether money from Honda or IRL leader
Tony George influenced his decision: "If that was
true, don't you think I would have done this a long time
ago. I've been in contact with Tony George and Honda for a
long time. Honda's interest in getting me to go to the IRL
is not new. They wanted me to go before and the support from
Honda has been there a long time. ... Any issue with money
that could have happened was well known before December. If
I was going to do something like that, I should have done it
a long time ago and not put my team in a hurry to prepare a
race car to be ready in 11 days to be ready for Phoenix. All
that is untrue. The situation - the real reason that
Fernandez Racing changed - is because we didn't see the
facts of things that were supposed to be. We didn't have the
confidence in the new group to be able to take us all
through the year. And the risks are huge."
3/16/04
Veteran NASCAR Drivers in favor of new
rulesNASCAR officials ended the practice of racing back to the
caution flag last season, and now during cautions they are closing pit
road for an additional lap in order to sort out the field. More...
3/16/04
Newman to run at Indianapolis
According to this Mercury News
article actor Paul Newman isn't pulling the plug on Champ Car
just yet. But his team might end up competing in this year's
Indianapolis 500, showpiece of the rival Indy Racing League.
3/16/04
Carpentier to be replaced at Forsythe
According to this Slam! Sports
article Patrick Carpentier may be the first casualty of the
Open Wheel Racing Series death spiral as the talented Canadian ponders
his racing future at his Las Vegas home. Carpentier, in an exclusive
interview with The Toronto Sun yesterday, said he's still reeling from
being told he's out at Forsythe Racing where he teamed last year with
Toronto's Paul Tracy. Carpentier was packing to go to a team
promotional event in California a week ago when a phone call from
Tracy alerted him to a rumor that he was about to be replaced at
Forsythe by Mexican driver Rodolfo Lavin.
3/16/04
Gentilozzi speaks to Mexican
media
Paul Gentilozzi was interviewed yesterday by El Norte`s Sandra
Becerril, in Mexico City. This
article doesn't mention Kevin Kalkhoven being in
Mexico City just Gentilozzi (as we have reported all along).
It says that Gentilozzi met with Gigante, Herdez, and the
sponsors of both Mexican races. First thing Gentilozzi said
in the interview is that there will be 18 or more cars in
Long Beach, in fact this is exactly what he said "Can you
hear me okay? We will have 18 cars, not 10, not 14, but 18,
maybe more. The interview says he talked with a lot of
executives from Gigante and with Enrique Hernandez Pons
owner of Herdez and Herdez Competition. When asked about
Michel staying in Champ Cars he said, "saying Michel is
staying is something that corresponds to Gigante I can tell
you that we have some business together and business is
good, it`s an honor to have this guy in Champ Cars."
3/16/04
A letter from Adrian FernándezUPDATE A reader
responds, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I read the letter from
Adrian and do not agree with him when he says that he did it
because of his sponsors, fans, Mexico, etc. How could he
replace an all oval series that doesn't go to Mexico at all
to give his best for his sponsors, fans, Mexico? Adrian, you
turn your back on us, you are taking the "MONEY" and are
blaming OWRS to cover yourself! Adrian, T.V. Azteca was in
Long Beach and you were interviewed by them. Also my dear
Adrian, in life if there is something you need to know you
ask! 70% of people that used to be in Champ Car are not
there now, but you missed all the fans at the Fan Fest last
Tuesday evening. That turnout was better than or equal to
what the IRL gets on race day! I have seen you racing since
Phoenix when you were in Indy Lights and were sponsored by
Amway of Mexico and Aeromexico. However, your timing on all
this and trying to save face has taken my "LOVE" and
"RESPECT" for you to a very low point and convinced me that
you have joined the IRL propaganda machine! May God and La
Virgin de Guadalupe keep you safe while racing in IRL and
hope that you are able to sleep at nights. If not, ask Mr.
Tony George and the rest of the ""TRAITORS" how they do it.
It was GREAT FUN to see you racing, however, your decision
has left me with no choice but not to follow your career
anymore as I have with Penske, Ganassi. Andretti, etc. I
hope you enjoy the empty grandstands at the IRL and make
good use of the money given to you by the "OVAL CARTEL"!
Betrayed in California, Marta Campos. 3/15/04 -
The following is a letter from Adrian Fernandez that addresses his
reasons for leaving Champ Car and joining the Indy Racing League. This
letter can be found on his website, fernandezracing.com: More.....
3/16/04
Redneckjunk.com changes website address/name2nd
Update Don Arnold, owner of Arnold Motorsports, says he's
appreciative of NASCAR's decision to not allow the website address
RedneckJunk.com on his #50 Dodge driven by Derrick Cope. NASCAR didn't
say anything about the sponsorship at the race in Las Vegas two weeks
ago but told Arnold, at this past weekend's Atlanta race, they can no
longer have RedneckJunk.com as a sponsor. "We didn't think it would be
controversial but we defer to them. We would like to have a sponsor
but we understand the decision and I don't have a problem with it,"
Arnold said. He understands how the term 'redneck' might suggest a
racial attitude or undertone, however, he said NASCAR did not offer a
reason for their decision. With or without an outside sponsor, Arnold
says the #50 will make a qualifying attempt at Darlington this
weekend. Tom Connelly, CEO of RedneckJunk.com, says he has changed the
website's domain name. The web address RJunk.com should be active and
working within a day or two. "When we chose the name (RedneckJunk) we
understood there was some potential controversy associated with it but
we liked the name, it was very catchy, we didn't think NASCAR would
disallow it," Connelly said. On the bright side, Connelly said the
shorter name will allow them to almost double the size of the graphic
on the car's hood. Of course, that's assuming NASCAR will okay the
compromise.(nascar.alanjones.us) 1st Update
According to this
articleNASCAR officials on Saturday told Arnold Motorsports
that it would have to remove the logos of its primary sponsor,
Redneckjunk.com, from Derrike Cope's #50 Dodge. NASCAR said through
spokesperson Herb Branham: "We just didn't feel like that projected
the proper image of our sport." Redneckjunk.com sells used sporting
goods and auto parts. NASCAR has become increasingly image-conscious
as it attempts to broaden its demographic reach beyond the Southeast,
shame it has come to this, teams are hurting for a sponsor and
Redneckjunk.com is basically a classified ad site, check them out, at
least they tried to support the sport.
3/16/04
Fire at Maranello According to reports
coming out of Italy, part of the Ferrari factory was damaged
by fire in the early hours of this morning. The fire
affected part of the the road car division and not the race
car factory which is situated in another part of Maranello.
3/16/04
HD Net to telecast all USA and
Canadian Champ Car races live
Champ Cars are among the most technologically-advanced race
cars in North America, and will now be seen in 2004 in an
equally-advanced television broadcast format courtesy of
HDNet.
Champ Car today announced that HDNet, the first full-time
high-definition cable and satellite network in the U.S.,
will be the exclusive home of live HDTV telecasts of the
2004 Champ Car World Series. Beginning with the Toyota Grand
Prix of Long Beach on April 18, fans can catch the
turbocharged racing action of the Champ Car World Series on
HDNet in cutting-edge 1080i HDTV.
“We are very pleased that HDNet has licensed the rights to
air Champ Car World Series racing action,” said Champ Car
President Dick Eidswick. “Our fans have always been among
the first to adopt new technology, so high-definition
programming is a great fit for our series and our fans.”
In addition to the high-speed racing action of the Champ Car
World Series, the HDNet telecasts, which will be produced by
the award-winning Betelgeuse Productions, will also feature
live final-round qualifying events and live coverage of the
Motorock TransAm Tour at Champ Car venues.
HDNet became the first network to broadcast an auto race in
high-definition format last year when it aired the Mario
Andretti Grand Prix at Road America Presented by Briggs &
Stratton. The network used 16 high-definition cameras and
two HD mobile units to capture all the action of the race
won by Bruno Junqueira.
“HDNet is thrilled to add Champ Car racing to our network,”
said Mark Cuban, co-founder and president of HDNet. “Thanks
to the incredible picture and sound quality, our audience
will feel the excitement in every turn and experience every
pit stop like they were there. Once again, HDNet is leading
the television industry in applying HDTV to yet another
deserving sport.”
The schedule below lists the live 2004 Champ Car World
Series telecasts on HDNet (all times are Eastern and are
subject to change). A complete schedule is available at
www.hd.net or at www.cart.com. Date Event Time (ET)
Sunday, April 18 Grand Prix of Long Beach 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 5 Milwaukee 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 20 Portland 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 3 Cleveland 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 11 Molson Indy Toronto 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 25 Molson Indy Vancouver 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 8 Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin 2:00
p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 15 Grand Prix of Denver 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 29 Montreal 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 12 Grand Prix of Monterey 4:00 p.m.
3/16/04
A
lap around Sepang McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa,
has been busy pounding the tarmac at the Valencia circuit in Spain
this past week as the Woking squad look to correcting problems faced
in the season opening Australian Grand prix a week ago.
Next on the agenda is the Malaysian Grand Prix and while the Spaniard
hasn’t had a lot of experience here he gives his opinion on the Sepang
circuit.
More....
3/16/04
45-year old files Indy 500 entry Marty
Roth, an owner/driver in the Indy Racing League's Pro Series, has
entered a car for the 88th Indianapolis 500. Roth, of Toronto, will
try to become the first driver to compete in the two May races in the
same year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- the Freedom 100 for
the Pro Series and the Indy 500 for the Indy cars. Roth, whose team is
Roth Racing, has not finished in the top three of any of his Pro
Series races, so let's hope he doesn't hurt himself.
3/16/04
Adrian Fernández comment
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com,
After listening to Adrian Fernandez explain on Wind Tunnel why he made
the move to the Indy Retirement League, I've finally figured out the
truth about the Champ Car World Series. It is so simple. He said Champ
Car is not what it once was because 70% of the people involved in it
are not there anymore. Yet, if I remember correctly, two years ago
Champ Car set their highest attendance record and last year was second
highest. All this occurred without the "big name" teams and drivers.
This made it all clear to me. All of those "70%" who are not there
anymore just don't get it at all. All of them "think" that Champ Car
is or was about them! They STILL don't understand Champ Car is, and
always will be, about the series and the fans. It is not about them at
all. Regardless of how much Tony George wants the IRL to become Champ
Car with all the old drivers, the damage has been done to the fan
base. We know what it is all about, and it is about something that
can't be bought, like the teams and drivers. Derek Hughes,
Florida Dear Doug, You are partially correct. NASCAR
is successful because the drivers have become household names and are
heroes to their many fans. As in every successful sport, it
comes down to heroes that make a sport a success, be it a Michael
Jordan in basketball, a Babe Ruth in baseball, a Joe Montana in
Football, or a Mario Andretti in auto racing. The sport lost its
way when it no longer understood that it's all about the fans, yes,
but it's the fans who worship the heroes that matters most.
Champ Car has the great events, now it must figure out how to market
its drivers. Then and only then, will the TV ratings grow, which
in turn grows sponsorship, which in turn grows more advertising, which
in turn grows new fans. As we see in NASCAR, it feeds upon
itself. They understand the model, hence they are successful.
Mark C.
Memorial Service for Louis Unser
A memorial service for Louis Unser will be
held Tuesday, March 30th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at Joe's Garage, 36
Auto Center Drive, Tustin, CA 92782
3/15/04
Gentilozzi responds to reader
[Editor's Note: This letter is a response from Paul
Gentilozzi to a letter to the editor sent by a race fan who challenges
the motives of the team owners and leaders of open wheel racing.
It reveals how Paul came to be involved with Champ Car and what his
goals are. It is reprinted here with Paul's approval.]
Dear David,
Your letter to the editor was sent to me today and I wanted a chance
to respond.
About 18 months ago I was prepared to start an IRL team. I have been
racing for more than 30 years and felt it was time to take the next
step full time.
In the process I went to two IRL races and then Paul Newman invited me
to join him at Montreal for the CART race. On the way there he sparred
about the benefits of both and why I was making my choice.
The two days I spent in Montreal changed my mind. The energy of the
people involved on and off the track was a multiple of what I had seen
in the IRL. The "event" was about the fans and their love of racing. I
knew that I had spent my life in the sport with that same motivation
and wanted to support that emotion.
I went to CART to be a team owner. I went without any idea of getting
involved in the ownership. It was only in May of last year that I
learned the company had financial issues. I met Kevin and Jerry after
they had started the process of analyzing the purchase. They asked me
to join them and I agreed to think about it.
If you have ever watched me race you would know that I have never
quit. I may have been two laps down but always wanted to make another
pass or another fast lap. With CART in trouble I just did not want to
quit.
In my racing career I have spent a lot of miles driving the truck
after I built the engine and prepped the car. It was a lot more years
looking in than looking out. I realize today how fortunate I have been
to be able to participate at the levels I have, I don't forget what it
is like to dream.
You only think you know about our motives. If you knew the three of us
you would find that we are only concerned about saving what so many
dream about watching and participating in. If that is the wrong motive
then we are bad guys.
What we want is to be left alone to do our thing, to follow our dream.
The others are not yet willing to let us succeed for their own
reasons. We only want to do what so many fans around the world want,
to preserve the Champ Car tradition.
Sincerely, Paul Gentilozzi
----------------------------------------------
Original Letter to Editor
For the last 3 years or so, I've been a
dedicated CART fan. I watched almost every race on ESPN and then Speed
Channel. I did road trips to 4 different races and 2 fan "town
meetings". I followed the news, features, and rumors on the Internet
almost daily. And I bought a lot of merchandise from SpeedGear and
proudly wore my CART t-shirts.
But now I've had it... No more.
The amount of politics, ego trips, backstabbing, etc is appalling.
This is a SPORT. It's supposed to be ENTERTAINING. Instead, starting
in 1996, it became a really bad soap opera. And the events of the last
few months have left me thoroughly disgusted.
Yes, Tony George is at the heart of the problem... But many of the
team owners are just as bad. Together, they've reduced an awesome
sport to obscurity.
Open-wheel racing is nothing more than a "gentleman's club" with a
bunch of rich owners who just want to play in their own sandbox...
They don't care about the fans... They don't care about the sport...
They just care about themselves.
You can argue that the politics in open-wheel racing is just like in
baseball, but with one crucial difference... Baseball is much more
accessible to the average fan (starting with Little League, etc) and
is a much deeper part of our sports tradition in general.
Tony George and the team owners don't "own" the sport... They are
caretakers. They are responsible first and foremost to the tradition,
the fans, and the sport itself... But this is obviously not the case.
And the fans? Where are they? Look at the new generation of car
fanatics... They drive sport compacts like Hondas and Toyotas, but
shun "established" racing. They turn instead to drifting and rallying
and modifying their own cars. I believe even NASCAR demographics are
skewing older.
So to heck with all of them. Perhaps someday, many years from now,
everything will settle down and the drama of open-wheel racing will be
back ON THE TRACK. But until then, I've got better things to do with
my spare time, money, and energy... It's just not worth it anymore. David Chao
3/15/04
Hyper Sport withdraws from Sebring In
keeping with the junk sports cars Panoz produces (our words) the Hyper
Sport Racing Team announced today it will withdraw the Panoz Esperante
GT-LM from the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Brad Nyberg, Principal
of Hyper Sport said, " The new version of the GT-LM that has just been
constructed at Elan Motorsports Technologies (EMT) looks like it will
have what it takes to be up front in the GT class this year. However,
we have to agree with the people at Panoz Auto Development and EMT,
the racing car needs more testing before the worlds most grueling
endurance challenge." EMT will continue further development of the car
through testing phases over the coming months. David Bowes, CEO of
Elan Motorsports Technologies said, "For a number of reasons, we have
decided to slow the car's final testing and development. Instead of
its first outing being a 12-hour race, we have opted to continue
testing at a reasonable pace and with very specific goals in mind. As
recently as yesterday we ran the car and all indications are very
promising to everyone involved. Our hard work over the winter is
paying off."
3/15/04
NASCAR looking at the #25
Nextel Cup series director John Darby said
officials at NASCAR's research and development center will look into
an incident involving Brian Vickers' car during a practice session at
Atlanta on Saturday. The driveshaft on Vickers' car broke, apparently
punching a hole in the bottom of the car and sending a small chunk of
metal through the catch fence and into an unoccupied area of the
grandstands. A broken driveshaft is relatively rare in NASCAR, and it
certainly got Vickers' attention. "When it comes apart, it's pretty
big," Vickers said. "But luckily I wasn't hurt, nobody else was hurt.
I could have sworn it sounded like a bomb went off. I thought we were
under attack."
USA
Today
3/15/04
Adrian Fernandez guest on Wind Tunnel
tonight Former Champ Car
driver Adrian Fernandez will be Dave's guest on Wind Tunnel tonight.
Fernandez made news last week by announcing he was leaving Champ Car
to drive in the Indy Racing League for the remainder of the season.
With Fernandez's departure, rumors persist that others are to follow.
Will Open Wheel Racing Series have the 18 cars they require to run
their 2004 schedule? Adrian will share his thoughts on the situation as he
prepares to run this week's IRL race in Phoenix.
3/15/04
Toyota does not anticipate offering
Valentino a ride As
reported on our rumors page, the Toyota
Formula One team has told Crash.net that they have 'no plans' to give
MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi an F1 test. The latest Rossi/F1
rumors were fuelled by the Italian superstar's appearance at the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 7, where Rossi took a
tour of the F1 grid, visited several teams and met high-profile
members of the F1 community, including Bernie Ecclestone and Michael
Schumacher. It was while at the GP that rumors of a Toyota test
emerged, the theory being that existing links between Toyota and
Rossi's current employer Yamaha would overcome potential sticking
points such as branding and contractual issues that usually prevent
such 'crossovers'. However, Toyota has stated that while Rossi did
visit their race team, he had no contact with company executives and
the subject of an F1 test hasn't been discussed.
"Valentino visited some Formula 1 garages last weekend in Melbourne -
Ferrari, Williams and Toyota if I am not mistaken," a Toyota spokesman
told Crash.net. "Due to the existing links between Toyota and Yamaha,
some journalists reported that Valentino is planning to test our F1
car," he continued. "The reality is that Valentino did not meet any
Toyota executives and this matter has never been discussed between
Toyota and Yamaha."
Rossi - a renowned four-wheel fan who began his career in go-karts and
more recently indulged in several rallying adventures - was a Honda
rider from 2000-2003, where he won all three of his premier-class
championships to date. It was while riding for Honda Racing
Corporation that an F1 test was first rumored, with BAR Honda the
obvious choice. Team principal David Richards was openly supportive of
the idea, but it never came to fruition. Then, late last season - and
while Rossi was in negotiations over his MotoGP future - Ferrari
president Luca di Montezemolo stated that he'd like to put Valentino,
a 'hero of Italy', into a Ferrari Formula One car.
It was widely believed that the offer was linked with a move to Ducati
– due to mutual sponsorship of the two teams by Marlboro – and with
Rossi instead signing for the Gauloises backed Yamaha team the chances
of a Ferrari outing are at best remote. Nevertheless, Toyota haven't
ruled out giving Rossi a drive, but with the topic not even discussed
- and the new MotoGP season starting on April 18 - it's likely to be
later rather than sooner that the 25-year-old makes any F1 debut.
"From the PR point of view I agree that (Toyota giving Rossi an F1
test) could be a great opportunity, but so far there is no plan to
organize it," confirmed the team spokesman. Cristiano da Matta was the
top Toyota finisher at the Australian Grand Prix, in 12th, one place
ahead of team-mate Olivier Panis.
3/15/04
Bernie makes move to secure F1
exclusive rights According to Crash.net Bernie Ecclestone's
Formula One Management has renewed its pursuit of exclusive rights to
the use of the Formula One and F1 trademarks - and underlined its
desire to acquire them by shutting down its own magazine.
The FOM-owned Formula One Magazine was axed at the end of January,
leaving the rival F1 Racing as the only glossy monthly publication in
mass supply. However, grandprix.com points out the addition of a
notice - which states that 'Formula One, Formula 1 and F1 are
trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One Group company,
and are used under licence' - to the cover of the latest edition,
suggesting that publisher Haymarket has had to acquire a license under
which to use the F1 mark in its title.
The move comes in the wake of a failed previous attempt to secure
exclusive use of the names, which was turned down by the World
Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO] in 2000 because the FOM
could not provide sufficient 'proof of considerable use' that would
allow the marks to 'acquire sufficient distinctiveness to justify
[their] registration'. The WIPO also ruled that the FOM had not shown
that its reputation was 'so widely established as to give [it] the
right to claim that any commercial use of [the marks]...' could be
'taken to imply a connection with them'.
The apparent deal between the FOM and Haymarket is likely to
strengthen the former's case as F1 Racing has a number of
international and foreign language editions, and could provide proof
of 'considerable use'.
Should the WIPO now rule in the FOM's case, it would be able to pursue
any individual or company using the names Formula One or F1 in
relation to motorsport - and possibly other businesses - to force them
to acquire a license for their use, effectively increasing the income
for the FOM.
3/15/04
Kenny Brack Returns To Race Track,
Bobby Rahal Inducted into Hall of Fame Team Rahal's Kenny Brack, the
former IRL IndyCar® Series champion and 1999 Indy 500 winner, makes
his initial return to a race track this weekend at Phoenix
International Raceway when he attends the Copper World Indy 200 on
March 19-21. Brack, seriously injured last October at Texas Motor
Speedway, has been in a tough rehabilitation program since the
beginning of January after the birth of his first child, daughter
Karma, on New Years Eve. Working at five hours per day, five days a
week clip, Brack has returned to within eight pounds of his Oct. 12
race day weight and has been walking on his own since Feb. 1. Brack
will hold a media conference on Friday, March 19, at 1 p.m. in the PIR
media center to explain his recovery rate and his future racing plans.
Brack will serve as a consultant for substitute driver Buddy Rice and
his Team Rahal crew during the PIR weekend that gets underway on
Friday with practice. The Copper World Indy 200 will take place at 2
p.m. (MST) Sunday, March 21, and will be seen live on ABC-TV.
Rahal Honored: Team Rahal co-owner Bobby Rahal, the three-time series
champion and 1986 Indy 500 winner, will miss the PIR event this
weekend due to an important matter - he will be inducted into the 12
Hours of Sebring Hall of Fame. Rahal will be honored with many other
inductees on Friday in a luncheon at the Chateau Elan Hotel near the
Sebring Raceway. Rahal also will be inducted into the International
Motorsports Hall of Fame on April 22 in Talladega, Ala., and into the
American Racing Hall of Fame in Novi, Mich., on July 29.
3/15/04
Dale Earnhardt Jr. to appear on SPEED
Channel's Trackside
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won his 11th
career NASCAR Cup race Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, will appear
on SPEED Channel's Trackside live Friday night at 7 p.m. ET at
Darlington Raceway. Hosted by Steve Byrnes with regular panelists
Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds, Trackside travels
to every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup in 2004. The show, done in front of a live
audience, is shot on SPEED's new 53-foot, traveling stage truck.
3/15/04
Sponsor for the #50 squashed?
According to this
articleNASCAR officials on Saturday told Arnold Motorsports
that it would have to remove the logos of its primary sponsor,
Redneckjunk.com, from Derrike Cope's #50 Dodge. NASCAR said through
spokesperson Herb Branham: "We just didn't feel like that projected
the proper image of our sport." Redneckjunk.com sells used sporting
goods and auto parts. NASCAR has become increasingly image-conscious
as it attempts to broaden its demographic reach beyond the Southeast,
shame it has come to this, teams are hurting for a sponsor and
Redneckjunk.com is basically a classified ad site, check them out, at
least they tried to support the sport.
3/15/04
More Pit Road Rule Changes Coming?
According to this
article NASCAR officials are asking for drivers' advice in
devising a caution-period rule to deal with crews making extensive
repairs on a car, such as occurred at Daytona when a driver, rushing
back to the track to catch up with the rear of the pack after lengthy
repairs, hit and killed a track worker. NASCAR has added a new twist
to pit-road rules - when the caution comes out, pit road will be
closed an extra lap to allow the field to close up. That is to keep
the rear of the field from speeding up to hit pit road with the
leaders, a potentially dangerous situation.
3/15/04
OWRS meets with Mexicans
According to this ESPN.com article,
Kevin Kalkhoven, one of the three new owners who purchased the assets
of the Champ Car World Series in February, believes that Honda and IRL
president Tony George have contacted most current Champ Car teams in
an effort to persuade them to switch allegiance -- and in the process,
kill off the IRL's bitter rival. "I think that's true,"
Kalkhoven said Sunday, prior to a damage-control flight to Mexico City.
"They are doing everything they can to try to stop (our series) from
happening. That is their goal. But we're going to get out of the gate
at Long Beach."
Kalkhoven was on his way to meet with Rahal's driver, Michel
Jourdain Jr., as well as representatives of Jourdain's primary sponsor
Gigante stores and promoters of the two Mexican Champ Car races.
Kalkhoven believes that even with their collective support, Bobby
Rahal won't be dissuaded from abandoning the series that he starred in
from 1982 to 1998 and served as CEO of in 2000, just when it needs him
most.
After competing exclusively in CART from 1992 to 2002, Team Rahal
entered a car in the 2002 Indianapolis 500 and began competing in the
IRL full time in 2003 as one of Honda's original teams. Aside from
running Jourdain's Gigante-sponsored Champ Car this year, Rahal is
slated to campaign cars in the Champ Car-affiliated Toyota Atlantic
Championship for Danica Patrick and Chris Festa. Rahal is also
expected to field a car for his son Graham in the inaugural Formula
BMW USA championship, which will be sanctioned by Champ Car. Those
plans are likely to be unaffected.
"If we can keep Rahal, we're home and dry," Kalkhoven said. "If not,
that will make it a little more exciting. Michel doesn't want to
go to the IRL. He very much wants to remain in our series, and none of
the other teams are going to go to the IRL despite the attempts to
drag them over there. At this moment we're still OK on car count.
[Editor's Note: Paul Gentilozzi flew down to
Mexico Sunday and will be meeting with Gigante, and we believe Rahal
today. A decision should happen soon.]
3/15/04
Mexicans are calling Fernández a
traitor
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I know that the rumor mill is
working overtime right now, and I don't claim to have the insider
contacts that many of you do. But I do want to say this; I have family
in Mexico, and a lot of my family members are upset that the IRL and
the media that shills for the IRL and treat the Mexican fans as
unknowledgeable and assume that with Adrian leaving, the fans, and
other Mexican based teams, will follow. Let me say that nothing could
be further from the truth. Bobby Rahal's statement that Adrian is an
"opinion leader" perhaps gives Adrian way too much credit. I
know what the media says, and I read the rumors, but I wanted to know
how the people in Mexico really felt. After speaking with my family,
let me say that the Mexican fans AND the Mexican media are crucifying
Adrian. Mexicans know and love CART/Champ Car, they know all the
drivers and are very passionate about the series. When news of
Adrian's defection broke, it was definitely big news. But Adrian is
being portrayed as a traitor and the fans and media are VERY upset
with his defection. I think you'll find that there is a lot of support
for Champ Car, and its lineup of Mexican drivers. J. Gonzalez, San
Dimas, CA.
Vasser to race Ford Focus Midget
1996 CART Champion Jimmy Vasser will join Champ Car stars Michel
Jourdain Jr. and Patrick Carpentier in a Focus Midget race on
Saturday, March 27, at Irwindale Speedway.
Adrian Fernandez was also scheduled to race a Focus Midget, but was
unable to make the event as a result of his switch from the Champ Car
series to the Indy Racing League.
The race is a preliminary event that's part of the Mopar Twin 25's,
which offers a unique racing format in a full night of frantic,
wheel-to-wheel USAC Midget racing action, with two 25-lap feature
races. ARP is offering a bonus prize of $50,000 to a driver who wins
both of the night's feature races. The exciting challenge is that the
winner of the first feature race starts dead last in the second 25-lap
feature, and has to pass the entire field to claim the $50,000!
The 2nd Annual Mopar Twin 25's Irwindale is presented by Mission
Foods. Associate Sponsors are Racer magazine, MSD Ignition, Calico
Coatings, Gigante, Probe Industries, Vital Express, Corteco, Guerrero
and Turbines Inc.
Eibach Springs Presents the Festival of Speed opens at noon. Race
gates open at 4 p.m. The Drifting Exhibition begins at 5 p.m., with
the first race at 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $20 for General Admission.
Reserved tickets are $25. Contact PRE at 800/515-8445, or go to
www.twin25s.com. Eibach Presents the Festival of Speed is at no
charge.
3/14/04
Rahal's plans to be known this week
Bobby Rahal has stated that he will know this coming week whether his
sponsor Gigante will want to follow Adrian Fernández into the IRL. As
reported on our rumors page, AutoRacing1.com has learned that huge
amounts of money is being offered to Champ Car teams to switch to the
IRL before the Long Beach race and force OWRS into a breach of
contract for a shortage of cars. The oval track cartel failed to kill
Champ Car in court, so now they are back to their underhanded tactics.
Tom Anderson of Fernández Racing blamed OWRS's failure to reveal a
decent international TV package at the Season Premiere as the reason
his sponsors wanted to jump ship. However, TV Azeteca was in
Long Beach for the event and was telling people they would again have
the rights to broadcast Champ Car races in Mexico. How could the
Rahal and Fernández teams not know this too? The reason they
switched (or will switch) is because of money, free money, from the
cartel. When in doubt, follow the money......
3/14/04
Miller: Tony George has ruined the Indy
500 We have been
saying for quite some time that Tony George is singlehandedly
destroying the sport of Indy Car Racing. It seems we are not the
only ones who feel that way these days. This SPEED TV article
slams Tony George and reviews his horrific legacy. Will the rest of
the media continue to treat George with kid gloves, or will this be
the start of a campaign to remove George from power? As we have
written, if you look at how much money the IRL has lost since its
inception in 1996, how many drivers have been injured, and how many
cars have been destroyed, any President of a company that was
performing that badly for 8 straight years would have been fired five
years ago. We never win any fans in the IRL by stating how we
see it, and we're sure we won't this time either. However, we
saw this tragedy coming 8 years ago, when nobody else would listen.
Look where the sport is now compared to where it was in1995.
3/13/04
Hamilton prevents first Toyota win by
inches Mike Skinner, who came within inches of giving
Toyota its first victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS),
led a trio of Toyota Tundras to top-five finishes in the EasyCare
Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Skinner, who led a race high 68 laps in his Bang! Racing Toyota, was
in the lead when a late caution flag set up a two lap dash to the
checkered flag. Skinner, the 1995 NCTS champion, was still leading
coming out of the fourth turn on the final lap, when eventual winner
Bobby Hamilton pulled alongside Skinner. The pair bumped, sending
Skinner sliding through the grass (photo right) and to a second place
finish, while Hamilton drove to 'Victory Lane.' "I hated to see that
last caution flag," Skinner said after the race. "Bobby had a great
truck, but I think we were a little better on the long runs. He made a
veteran move at the end, got up alongside me, and pulled the air off
enough
to spin my tires." Pole sitter and series rookie David Reutimann
brought his Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Toyota home third. He was
followed across the finish line by Travis Kvapil in another
Bang!Racing Tundra. "I had the best seat in the house for the finish,"
said Reutimann, who led eight laps. "I looked over at Mike at the
finish and he was going backwards. I think he just beat me by a
tailgate." Toyota has now finished second in each of its first races
in the NCTS. "Finishing second here sure didn't feel as good as
finishing second at Daytona," said Jim Aust, vice president of
motorsports at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Once you finish
second, you're looking to move one step up. But we're certainly ahead
of where we thought we would be at this point in the season."
Following the first two races of the 2004 season, Travis Kvapil leads
the championship standings with 340 points. Rookie David Reutimann is
fourth in the standings with 313 points, as well as the leader in
among all series rookies.
3/13/04
Lammers joins Dyson team for Sebring Dutchman
Jan Lammers will join 2003-class winners Chris Dyson and Belgian Didier de
Radigues in the #20 Thetford / Norcold Dyson Racing Lola for the Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 20. And this year they’ll be looking for an
overall win.
“Jan represents the final part of our plan for Sebring,” said Dyson, who
serves as the team’s Sporting Director as well as one of its drivers. “Like
Dyson Racing, Jan’s won twice at the Daytona 24-hour race, and like us, he’s
still looking for his first overall win at Sebring. His vast racing
experience is a positive addition to our effort.”
Indeed, the 47-year-old Dutchman is the reigning FIA Sportscar Champion, and
a winner at the Le Mans 24-hour race for Jaguar in 1988 with current Dyson
driver Andy Wallace. Lammers’ resume includes impressive results in both
sportscar and formula car racing. His Daytona 24-hour victories came in 1988
and 1990, also with Jaguar. His latter Daytona victory also came sharing the
wheel with Wallace.
“It’s a pleasure for me to join America’s best sportscar racing team for
America’s oldest and most prestigious sportscar race,” said Lammers, who in
addition to his European Sportscar driving title, also was named Europe’s
top team captain as the owner of the Racing for Holland team. “Like my new
teammates, I still have a score to settle at Sebring. I’ve won two of the
top three sportscar races in the world, and I want to add the third. This is
always a tough race; from the standpoint of physical demands on the car.
Twelve hours here is more demanding than 24 hours at Le Mans or Daytona. But
I think I’m with a team that has the resources to handle those demands.
Dyson Racing has a great organization; I’ve wanted to run with them for
years. I think we have an excellent chance for a good result.”
Dyson Racing’s #16 Thetford / Norcold Lola will be driven at Sebring by
James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace.
3/13/04
Barrichello: We were faster than
expected Rubens Barrichello’s 2004 season has got off
to a very busy start. There was little time to celebrate Scuderia
Ferrari Marlboro’s positive start to the season, as shortly after
crossing the finish line in Melbourne in second place behind his
team-mate, the Brazilian was on a flight back to Europe for a couple
of days testing duties at the Valencia circuit in southern Spain.
'It’s a very long flight,' sighed the Brazilian. 'But that is all part
of my job. I was really keen for the season to start. We had done so
much testing that I really wanted to get back to racing. It was a nice
feeling seeing the red lights go out on the grid in Melbourne,
especially as I was watching them from the front row. It confirmed
that the car was working the way we had expected. I felt proud that,
at the end of the day, Ferrari still seems to be on top of its game.
The F2004 is more complete as a car than last year’s and it shows
great scope for improvement.'
Although Barrichello is not prepared to make predictions about the
outcome of the championship after just one of eighteen races, the
Brazilian was intrigued to face new opponents in Melbourne. 'There had
been a lot of speculation before the start of the season that teams
like Renault and BAR-Honda had made a step forward and that seemed to
be the case in Australia,' said the Brazilian. 'In fact the only
speculation that proved not to be true concerned Ferrari: we were
faster than people had expected. In all the pre-season gossip, the F1
commentators appeared to be overwhelmed by the nose on the
BMW-Williams, thinking that a car had to look different to be quick.
At the launch of the F2004, observers seemed disappointed that it did
not look so different to the 2003 car and therefore reached the wrong
conclusion about our performance.'
While Barrichello had no problems with the new one engine per weekend
rule, simply observing that you had to keep the thought in the back of
your mind during the course of practice, he was less impressed with
the new qualifying format. 'When we had the first qualifying on
Friday, you had to push hard all the time,' he recalled. 'For example,
at Silverstone last year, I had a spin in the first qualifying, but
was able to recover to take pole the next day and then win the race.
But with the new one-day format, the first half of the session is much
less exciting. I think there was no point to the first half, with no
one taking any risks, so it is not so entertaining for the public.
Personally, I would like to see the format changed, possibly back to
last year’s rules and I don’t think I am alone in that.'
So what lessons does the Ferrari man draw from the opening race of the
season? 'I predicted that Renault would be quick this year and they
are. It is nice to see other teams like BAR-Honda challenging as it
provides some variety. But I am more excited about the fact that our
car seems to be going well.'
3/13/04
Berger doesn't see Williams team
beating Ferrari for awhile Gerhard Berger has predicted
that the Williams cars of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher will
not be able to beat Ferrari until the middle of the season. "I don't
think Williams will be able to close the gap on Ferrari in the first
half of the season because it was really big," said Berger, former
motorsport boss of Williams' partners BMW. "The team was really happy
before the season with the balance and performance of the car, so I
don't see they have any major problems with it. They just need to do
development work. And development work usually takes a bit of time. So
I don't see a big change in the next races apart from maybe the
influence of heat and the tires. And then we will see - maybe from
mid-season on we are going to see a strong competition," Berger told
BBC radio.
3/13/04
To continue, Imola must upgrade Bernie
Ecclestone has told the organisers of the San Marino GP that if they
even hope to enter into talks with him regarding the race's future,
Imola needs to have a facelift. According to Franco Lucchesi, the
president of the Italian Automobile Association (ACI), Ecclestone has
said he will re-open talks but only if the ACI is able to get the
funds needed to upgrade the circuit. Lucchesi has therefore written to
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi asking for his help. "We will
reopen the talks with Ecclestone only if the government finds the
resources for the 25 million euros ($30.74 million) of works sought by
the FIA and FOA," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I have written to
Prime Minister Berlusconi asking for the government to find the
funding to improve Imola, a facility that remains within the public
sector."
3/12/04
Toyota already flexing their muscle in
NASCAR The season is
young but already Toyota is flexing their muscle and riding roughshod
over the NASCAR truck series. They will do the same thing in
Nextel Cup. Rookie David Reutimann put his Toyota on the pole
Friday for Saturday's EasyCare 200 Craftsman Truck race at the fast,
1.54mi oval. Reutimann, driving for Darrell Waltrip's
Toyota-backed team, ran his round in 30.894sec (179.452mph) in the
Truck inaugural here, capping a triumphant day for Toyota, which
claimed four of the first five positions and six of the top nine.
Only Daytona winner Carl Edwards, qualifying third in a Ford, broke the
Toyota grip at the top of the grid. All attention was on the
Toyotas Friday, however, with most expecting the TRD effort to produce
similar results in NASCAR as it has in CART and IRL.
3/12/04
New Century Mortgage expands ALMS role New
Century Mortgage Corporation has expanded its sponsorship within the
American Le Mans Series and will sponsor an exciting new competition to
present the New Century Mortgage “FastQual” Award to the fastest qualifier
in all four classes of competition at all races for the ALMS in 2004. The
award will also be presented to the driver who sets the fastest lap of the
race in each class. In addition, New Century Mortgage has been designated an
Official Sponsor of the American Le Mans Series as the Exclusive Mortgage
Corporation. New Century’s new official relationship with the ALMS expands
its presence in the series, which also includes primary sponsorship of The
Racer’s Group Porsche driven by Patrick Long and Cort Wagner. “We are
delighted that New Century Mortgage has chosen to expand its presence in the
American Le Mans Series with this active and meaningful sponsorship
investment,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the ALMS. “We expect
the competition for the New Century FastQual Award to be intense throughout
the season as the world’s best professional sports car racing drivers and
teams battle it out on the track.” “We are very excited to be associated
with the American Le Mans Series,” said Patrick Flanagan, President of New
Century Mortgage. “We believe it is the premier sports car series in the
United States. Giving out the ‘FastQual” pole award will be an honor and
will provide additional excitement for our guests at the races.”
3/12/04
Legendary cars on display at Sebring Race
fans attending the 52nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will be able
to see some of the most historically significant cars ever to compete at the
famed road racing circuit. The Gallery of Legends display, located in the
paddock, will contain a diverse group of racecars seldom seen on public
display. Gates open on Wednesday, March 17, and remain open 24 hours a day
through Saturday. America’s premier sports car race kicks-off the 2004
American Le Mans Series, featuring the world’s best sports car racing teams.
The winning car from the first race ever held at Sebring will be displayed
this year. The little Crosley Hot Shot which soldiered to victory at the Sam
Collier Memorial Grand Prix on Dec. 31, 1950, returns to Sebring 54 years
after making history. Ralph Deshon, who co-drove the car with Fritz Koster,
will be in attendance at Sebring this year. The OSCA MT-4 that carried
Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd to a stunning upset victory in 1954 will be on
display. As an added treat for race fans, Moss will take the OSCA on a
parade lap prior to the start of the 12-hour classic on Saturday. An
original Shelby Daytona Coupe will be on display, in honor of 2004 Sebring
Grand Marshal Carroll Shelby. The legendary driver and car builder will be
inducted into the Sebring Sports Car Racing Hall of Fame along with Mario
Andretti, Sir Stirling Moss, Bob and Al Holbert, Bobby Rahal, race official
Ford Heacock Sr and the legendary manufacturer Ferrari. Two Porsches made
famous by Bob and Al Holbert will be included in the Gallery of Legends.
Race fans will be able to see the Holbert Porsche 962 (chassis #103), which
won nine International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) races during the
1980s. In addition, a Porsche RS61 driven at Sebring by Bob Holbert will be
included. A Jaguar XJR-7 racecar, designed and raced by Bob Tullius’Group
44, Inc., will round out this exciting attraction at America’s most
prestigious road racing event. The Gallery of Legends display will be open
daily throughout the Sebring event. Sebring International Raceway offers a
wide variety of viewing, camping and parking options. For more information,
visit sebringraceway.com or call 800-626-7223.
3/12/04
F1
driver Wilson and Duno team for Sebring Recent
Grand Prix of Miami overall winner Milka Duno will be joined by Formula One
driver Justin Wilson and sports car specialist Phil Andrews for the CITGO
Racing / Taurus Sports 2004 Sebring effort. The 52nd running of the famed 12
Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida will
occur March 17-20, 2004. More....
3/12/04
Herdez set to announce 2nd driver
[Editor's Note: We expect the 2nd driver to be Ryan
Hunter-Reay. Herdez, meanwhile, plans to stage a shootout
between Formula One refugees Justin Wilson and Ralph Firman as well as
Alex Sperafico for its open seat if the team is unable to come to
terms with Hunter-Reay.] Herdez Competition expanded its effort in the
Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford to a
two-car operation in 2003 and was rewarded with a stellar season in
which the team finished sixth in the driver standings. Second-year
driver Mario Dominguez became a weekly contender in the Champ Car
battles and the team claimed its first ever race sweep when Dominguez
and Roberto Moreno finished 1-2 in Miami. Buoyed by that
success, the Herdez team announced Friday that it has chosen its
second driver and will renew its attack on the Champ Car World Series
title with a two-car effort in 2004. The team, which has won Champ Car
races in each of the last two seasons, confirmed Friday that it will
make its official driver and sponsor announcement early next week.
“We were satisfied with our results last season, however we have been
expanding
our program over the winter and we expect to do very well with the
program we have built for 2004,” said Herdez Competition Managing
Director, Keith Wiggins. We remain committed to Champ Car and are very
eager to get the season started at Long Beach. The Herdez
squad had its best-ever Champ Car season in 2003, scoring five podium
finishes with Dominguez and Moreno. The team also gave Roberto
Gonzalez a one-off chance in Mexico City as a teammate to Dominguez
where the rookie scored his first-ever top-10 finish.
3/12/04
Corvette to pace Indy 500 again The
88th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 2004, will
bring together two powerful symbols that stir the
imaginations of enthusiasts around the world . . . Chevrolet
and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . . . as a 2004 Corvette
Convertible will serve as the Official Pace Car of this
year's Indianapolis 500. Corvette will perform Indy 500 pace
car duties for a record sixth time. This also marks the
third consecutive year and 15th time overall that a
Chevrolet product has served as the official pace vehicle -
the most appearances by any brand. "We're proud that this
year's Memorial Day classic will showcase America's favorite
sports car at the greatest spectacle in racing," said Brent
Dewar, Chevrolet general manager. "As the 2004 model year is
the last of Corvette's current design, pacing the Indy 500
acknowledges the significance the vehicle has played in
American culture."
3/12/04
Davidson crashes The
BAR Honda team had planned to dedicate today to a Michelin
wet tire test on an artificially-flooded circuit but, on the
Briton's second run of the morning, the car aquaplaned off
the circuit, damaging the chassis.
"We've had a really good week apart from today," test driver
Anthony Davidson sighed, "The car has been very reliable and
we have got through an enormous amount of tyre testing. We
learnt a lot and had a particularly good day yesterday, when
we worked on the Imola tyre choice.
"On Wednesday, we made the most out of the dry conditions,
went out on new tyres and ended up fastest for the day -
that was really good and we actually set some good times in
the wet that day as well.
"Because of that, I was really looking forward to the wet
test today, but unfortunately I aquaplaned and went wide off
the circuit. I didn't spin, but I ran over a kerb which
damaged the chassis. I was only on the out-lap and it was
just a disappointing end to a really good test."
In the wake of the incident, in which Davidson was unhurt,
the team decided that the test should be brought to an early
conclusion in order to repair the damage, as the rest of its
planned program had been completed satisfactorily.
"Apart from the final day, we've had a very productive
test," confirmed chief test engineer Mark Ellis, "We've
achieved all of our objectives and the car has been
incredibly reliable. We've worked very hard with Michelin on
tire choices for future grands prix and have also done
further reliability work with the latest engine package,
achieving well in excess of a race weekend's mileage on a
single engine.
"This morning's incident was unfortunate, as we were looking
forward to another positive wet test with Michelin, but we
are now looking forward to the next test at Paul Ricard in a
fortnight."
3/12/04
Car count not an issue even
with Fernández loss Kevin
Kalkhoven, one of the three new owners of Champ Car, said
while Fernandez's departure was unfortunate, he still
believes the series can meet the required minimum. We had 18
cars in the bag and without Adrian now we have 17,"
Kalkhoven said. "I still honestly anticipate we will have 18
cars in Long Beach." Champ Car officials said earlier this
week that the series will be making more team announcements
in the weeks leading up the LBGP. Long Beach
Press Telegram
3/12/04
Fernandez to use G-Force Veteran
Mexican driving ace Adrian Fernandez has joined the Indy
Racing League’s IndyCar Series effective today and will
campaign a Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone entry in the 15
IndyCar Series events remaining on the 2004 calendar.
Fernandez, 40, is the co-owner of the #55 Panasonic/ARTA
Panoz G Force/Honda entry driven by Japanese rookie Kosuke
Matsuura. “The news that Adrian Fernandez is joining the
Indy Racing League is big,” noted David Bowes, CEO of Elan
Motorsports Technologies, maker of the Panoz G Force chassis
designed and built in the United States. “I expect we have
not yet seen all the fall-out that may result from this
decision,” he noted. “Adrian will be tremendously beneficial
to the IRL paddock in many different ways, and I join with
everyone else in extending a huge IRL welcome to him.”
3/12/04 Formula GP2
Formula GP2 to run some
independent races The new GP2 single-seater
championship is set to join the FIA GT and European Touring
Car Championships for selected weekends in 2005, according
to
Autosport this week. Renault-backed GP2 replaces the
Grand Prix-supporting International Formula 3000
championship this season but Formula 1's growing trend for
holding rounds outside of Europe means that GP2, which wants
to hold 12-14 rounds, is being forced to look away from the
F1 bill. Satellite television channel Eurosport, which
is a major shareholder in the Super Racing Weekend package
which hosts FIAT GTs and the ETCC, has admitted it is in
talks with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone about adding as many
as five GP2 races to its '05 calendar. Eurosport
boss Angelo Codignoni revealed the plan at the SRW launch
last week. He said: “GP2 won't always be able to race with
F1 because there may not even be 10 grands prix in Europe in
the future and it would be too expensive to do the flyaway
races. If extra races are needed, it makes sense for it to
come on the SRW package.” GP2 manager Bruno Michel
said: “We will be racing with F1 at most of the European
grands prix, but there is no number set in stone. We could,
for example, end up having eight races with grands prix and
four elsewhere.”
3/12/04
To survive, Imola seeks
government help The president of Italy’s
Automobile Association (ACI) Franco Lucchesi has asked the
Italian government for support to save the San Marino GP.
Earlier this year F1’s Bernie Ecclestone said that Imola
would host its final F1 race this season as the series
gradually moves out of Europe. Imola’s mayor Massimo
Marchignoli later claimed the issue had not been finally
resolved and was hopeful that talks would continue.
But now Lucchesi has said that talks with the F1 supremo
will not resume unless changes are made to the circuit.
This, he said, could only happen if the Italian government
fund a revamp. He told Gazzetta dello Sport: "We will
re-open talks with Ecclestone only if the government finds
the resources for the €25M development works demanded by the
FIA and the FOA. "I've written to Prime Minister [Silvio]
Berlusconi asking the government to find the funds to
upgrade Imola, as the structure is part of the public
system." ITV-F1
3/12/04
Several pre-race events canceled in
Malaysia According to reports in the Malaysian press,
several programs, which would have run in conjunction with next
weekend’s Grand Prix, have been cancelled to ensure that things run
smoothly for the General election, scheduled for the same weekend.
Due to the fact that roads would need to be closed and police officers
needed to patrol certain activities ahead of the F1 weekend, Kuala
Lumpur Mayor Datuk Mohmad Shaid Mohd Taufek has declared that some
events will need to be sacrificed… “We have decided to cut down
the numbers of these activities for fear that they will affect the
general election,” he told the Sin Chew Daily.
AutoRacing1 is an independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by CART Inc., NASCAR, FIA, FedEx,
Nextel, or any other series sponsor. This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without permission. User agreement & disclaimer
Gulf
Air lays out F1 packages Since announcing its
sponsorship last year, Gulf Air has put its extensive marketing
resources behind the promotional campaign in order to attract the
maximum number of spectators and at the same time to ensure that the
all race fans visiting the Kingdom will have a memorable experience.
F1
driver Wilson and Duno team for Sebring Recent
Grand Prix of Miami overall winner Milka Duno will be joined by Formula One
driver Justin Wilson and sports car specialist Phil Andrews for the CITGO
Racing / Taurus Sports 2004 Sebring effort. The 52nd running of the famed 12
Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida will
occur March 17-20, 2004.
Much
More...click on 2004 archives button below
