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McLaren fastest in France
Paul Ricard testing day 1 (unofficial) Pos Driver Chassis-engine Tires Time Laps
1 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes M 1m32.460s 113
2 Antonio Pizzonia Williams-BMW M 1m32.556s 87
3 Ricardo Zonta Toyota M 1m32.875s 99
4 Marc Gene Williams-BMW M 1m32.956s 84
5 Olivier Panis Toyota M 1m33.165s 73
6 Alexander Wurz McLaren-Mercedes M 1m33.746s 70
7 Anthony Davidson BAR-Honda M 1m34.189s 12
8 Timo Glock Jordan B 1m34.335s 88
5/11/04
Penske working with NASCAR
to remove fumes from cockpit
A new take on removing carbon monoxide from the driver's cockpit. That's what
engineer Paul Rochotte and a group from Penske Racing and NASA - yes, the
rocket science people - have been toiling on for more than a year now.
The device weighs less than 3 pounds and looks like a large Thermos bottle.
The black carbon-fiber housing contains two filters. The first that uses
carbon to take out nasty things like sulfur dioxide from race car emissions.
Carbon monoxide goes right through that, however, so the second filter
contains a catalyst with a platinum base that was developed by NASA. That
catalyst converts carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, into carbon dioxide,
which is the natural by-product of breathing.
Brendan Gaughan gave the unit an on-track tryout May 5 at Richmond
International Raceway during his team's test there. Gaughan and teammate Ryan
Newman plan to use the unit in Saturday night's Chevy 400 at the .75-mile
Richmond track.
Carbon monoxide poisoning became a major issue last year when driver Rick Mast
announced that its effects had forced him to end his driving career.
Other competitors have complained about having severe headaches and other
symptoms after races. Some drivers still take oxygen immediately after races
to help clean the dangerous gas out of their system.
NASCAR has worked to develop a filtering system that would improve the quality
of air being breathed by competitors. What the folks at Penske Racing have
been doing is working on their own system in hopes of making something even
better.
More from Charlotte Observer
5/11/04
NASCAR's deep pockets at
work in Washington DC
NASCAR is lining the pockets of the best lobbyists money can buy in Washington
DC. At stake is their profit margins. This AP
article says, Stuffed in a U.S. Senate package of proposed corporate
tax breaks is an order to the Internal Revenue Service: Don't start treating
NASCAR like it's something other than a carnival ride.
For three decades, the owners of NASCAR tracks have built new grandstands and
added restrooms or concessions using a seven-year depreciation schedule, an
arrangement also enjoyed by amusement park owners.
But given the actual life of such grandstands, the IRS has begun challenging
whether racetracks and amusement parks should be treated the same. Recently,
the agency has been telling track owners they should use depreciation periods
of 15 years or more, which would reduce their tax deductions by half on an
annual basis. They still could recoup their investment, but it would take
twice as long.
NASCAR leaders say they aren't seeking anything special; they just want the
tax treatment they've enjoyed in the past put into law.
"We've had this. It's worked, and why mess it up?" said Humpy Wheeler,
president of Speedway Motorsports, which operates six tracks. "Everybody's
trying to get an economic advantage today, whether it's taxation or whatever
it is. There just simply won't be as much construction if we don't have the
favorable depreciation."
While track owners are the primary beneficiaries, politicians are conscious of
the latest political target demographic: "NASCAR dads." They're white,
working-class men who like President Bush but could be persuaded to vote
Democratic, particularly in state and local races.
"Politicians react to what's in the news, and NASCAR dads have dominated a lot
of the political coverage, rightly or wrongly," said Larry Sabato, a
University of Virginia political scientist.
More....
5/11/04
Manning on ESPN2 all month
Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s driver Darren Manning will have his own two
minute video segment on ESPN2’s Sportscenter at 6:30 pm EDT every weekday
during the month of May leading up to the Indianapolis 500. The daily feature
called “The Main MANning” debuts May 10th as Darren Manning begins his
preparations for the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the famed
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s kind of a daily diary of my adventures this
month as I get ready for my first experience racing in the Indianapolis 500,”
says Manning, driver of the No.10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car. “It’s a long
month and a lot goes on behind the scenes from my preparations with the team,
to interactions with fans, and a look at what life at the track is like and
what I do on my down time. I’m never sure what’s going to happen next and this
feature will give the fans a chance to get to know me and the Target Team in a
more personal way and live out the month with me on a day by day basis. It
should be good fun.”
5/11/04
Tweaking the Nextel Cup
Challenge at Lowe's
NASCAR’s all star race may have done away with the elimination-style format,
but they aren’t done tweaking the race quite yet. According to sources, NASCAR
and series sponsor Nextel plans to add a new twist to the 20th running of the
NASCAR Nextel All Star Challenge to be held May 22 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Following the conclusion of the Nextel Open – the preliminary race where the
winner moves onto the Nextel All Star Challenge – fans can call in or get
on-line and choose which of the remaining drivers from the Nextel Open field
will get the final spot in the all star race. Fan participation has played a
role in the all star race in the past few years, with fans voting to decide
the number of spots for a field inversion during the segments of the race. No
official announcement has been made regarding any changes to the format, and
Lowe’s Motor Speedway President H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler was notably coy when
asked about the rumor on Tuesday. “We’re always looking for a way to get more
interactive with the fans, that’s the big thing – we want the fans to have
input,” Wheeler said. “We’ve always had fan input here. The fans have decided
in the past whether to invert or not, so this is just another way to get the
fan’s input.” Pete McCole
5/11/04
Miller official beer at
Lowe's
Miller Brewing Company announced today they have reached an agreement to
become the Official Beer of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. As part of the new
agreement, Miller will host the "Miller Lite Party Deck" where 100 lucky
consumers over the age of 21 will enjoy the race from the backstretch of the
track. Miller Beer will also play a part in the festivities for the upcoming
NASCAR Nextel All Star Challenge with the Miller Lite Rock N’ Racing concert
featuring the band Live on May 22. Rusty Wallace’s #2 Miller Lite Dodge will
feature a special red, white and blue “Vote Miller For President of Beers”
during both the All Star Challenge and the Coca Cola 600. Pete McCole
5/11/04
Indy may not fill 33-car
field
This AP
article says, There are plenty of cars at the track and several
drivers looking for jobs. Still, the Indianapolis 500 might not have a full
field for the first time since 1947. Just three days before qualifying begins,
only 28 driver-car combinations are listed on the entry sheet. A full field
for the race May 30 would be 33. "I don't know where we're at now," said John
Barnes, one of six co-owners with Panther Racing. "I've heard there's 27 to
30, but if you have another engine lease available it would be stupid to keep
it in your garage." The last time the race started with a short field was 57
years ago, when there were 30 cars.
5/11/04
American Idol at Dover
Clay Aiken will sing the national anthem at the inaugural running in Dover of
the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes on June 6, 2004.
Aiken also will take the time while in Dover to perform a benefit concert in
the Dover Downs Rollins Center on Saturday night, June 5. The Bubel/Aiken
Foundation and the Autism Society of Delaware are the beneficiaries of this
very special evening with Aiken. MBNA recently announced the name and theme of
the upcoming NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.
The "The MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes" will be held on June 6, 2004 -- the
60th anniversary of D-Day. Pre-race activities will honor those Americans
whose heroism in the liberation of Europe earned them the title, "The Greatest
Generation."
5/11/04
Martinsville ticket
bargain
Tickets for Martinsville Speedway’s popular Family Section will now be sold in
advance for the October 24th running of the SUBWAY 500. For many years,
Martinsville Speedway has reserved a section of reduced-price seats in the
third-turn area for families, but tickets went on sale the morning of the
event. And adults purchasing tickets had to have their children present at the
time of purchase. “Last spring was the first time we sold the Family Section
in advance and it was a big hit,” said Martinsville Speedway president Clay
Campbell. It’s much more convenient for fans to make these purchases over the
phone. All the old rules still exist for that section. The only change is fans
can now buy in advance.” Tickets for the Family Section are $40 for adults and
$5 for children 12 and under.
5/11/04
Haberfeld happy with
Homestead test Brazilian driver Mario Haberfeld (Walker Racing)
completed this Tuesday two days of testing at Homestead, Florida. This was the
first time he was behind the wheel of a Champ Car since the Grand Prix of Long
Beach on April 18th. “This was my second test with Walker Racing since joining
the team, so it was a great opportunity to get more acquainted with the
engineers, with whom I am really enjoying working with,” said Haberfeld.
Walker Racing was the only team testing at Homestead this week, allowing the
team to work on a variety of set-ups. “My mechanics are working very hard to
make sure we can find the right set-up and get maximum speed out of my
Reynard,” said Haberfeld. “Also, the tires we used in this test are the same
we will be using in Monterrey in a couple of weeks, so I feel prepared heading
to Mexico.” Haberfeld, who finished ninth at Long Beach, also felt the car is
much better after Homestead. “Since I signed with Walker Racing only one week
before the season-opener in Long Beach, we were unable to have much
preparation for the season,” commented the Brazilian, “but after this test I
am confident of a good showing for Walker and myself in Monterrey”, concluded
Haberfeld.
5/11/04
Some dubious drivers to
make Indy 500 field
With less than 33 cars a distinct possibility at Indy this year, some drivers
with questionable talent will make the race. Most notably - there's
Marty Roth who has already spun twice and hasn't gone fast enough to have spun
in the first place. A back marker in the IPS series, we're shocked that
qualified him for an Indy Car license. AJ Foyt IV (how many times
did he crash last year?) and Larry Foyt (NASCAR back marker who usually isn't
fast enough to qualify) are both out to lunch and in way over their heads,
both riding on AJ Foyt Jr.'s coattails. Even with the powerful Toyota engine
they are back markers and tarnishing the good Toyota name. Then there's
Sarah Fisher whose record, or lack thereof, speaks for itself. She
sometimes qualifies well but when the green flag drops, she falls back through
the field faster than lead through water. Is there any doubt she got a
ride because she's a woman and the IRL's sweetheart? Al Unser Jr.
is way past his prime and should have retired a year or two ago. Greg
Ray, who Jack Arute once called the Tiger Woods of auto racing, and a former
IRL champion, buckled under the pressure of Michael Andretti at Indy in 2001
like a deck of cards (crashed trying to hold off Andretti for the lead).
That was the year the CART drivers came to Indy and out of seven of them,
finished first through sixth. Rookie Juan Montoya was there as the lone
CART representative the year before and waxed the IRL's best like a man in a
boy's game. The Indy 500 used to be the 33 fastest. Now you qualify if
you can find your way to the Speedway without getting lost. Tony George
must be proud of what he has done to his grandfather's once great race.
5/11/04
Speeds climb to 221.8 at
Indy
The speeds keep climbing. IRL IndyCar Series rookie Kosuke Matsuura turned the
fastest lap of the month in the afternoon May 11 at 221.857 mph (40.5666
seconds) on the third day of practice for the 88th Indianapolis 500. Adrian
Fernandez, quick all week, was second at 221.705 mph, and Tony Kanaan was
third at 220.855 mph. Helio Castroneves recorded a fast lap of 220.300 mph
(40.8533 seconds) on May 10 -- the second day of practice on the 2.5-mile
Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval -- in his No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone. Castroneves posted the fast lap with two minutes
left in the session. "It was a great day," said Matsuura, driver of the No. 55
Panasonic/ARTA Panoz G Force/Honda Firestone. "It is not qualifying; it is a
test day, but it was a good day. Our car was very good, and the Honda engine,
as well, and the team did a very good job. Adrian (Fernandez) and I, both our
cars were very quick and very strong, which is good. We will see for this
Saturday. It depends on the weather and how conditions change, but it is the
same for everyone. We need some luck for the qualifying, but I am very
confident." Matsuura's team co-owner, Adrian Fernandez, was second at
221.705 mph, in his No. 5 Quaker State/Telmex/Tecate Panoz G Force/Honda
Firestone and Tony Kanaan was third at 220.855 mph, as Honda took four of the
top-five spots on the speed chart. Felipe Giaffone (No. 24
Team Purex/Dreyer & Reinbold Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone) was involved in the
only incident of the day, when he made light contact with the right rear of
the car with the wall in the short chute between Turns 3 and 4, then made hard
secondary contact with the SAFER Barrier with the right front of the car in
Turn 4. Giaffone was uninjured in the incident. Top 15 times at 6:00
PM CST Pos Driver Diff Time Speed Lap C/E/T Status
1 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 40.5666 221.857 53 G/H/F Pit
2 Adrian Fernandez (5) 0.0278 40.5944 221.705 33 G/H/F Pit
3 Tony Kanaan (11) 0.1841 40.7507 220.855 20 D/H/F Pit
4 Helio Castroneves (3) 0.3542 40.9208 219.937 78 D/T/F Pit
5 Bryan Herta (7) 0.3595 40.9261 219.909 55 D/H/F Pit
6 Sam Hornish Jr. (6) 0.3778 40.9444 219.810 53 D/T/F Pit
7 Buddy Rice (15) 0.3835 40.9501 219.780 26 G/H/F Pit
8 Dan Wheldon (26) 0.4141 40.9807 219.616 59 D/H/F Pit
9 Tomas Scheckter (4T) 0.4970 41.0636 219.172 46 D/C/F Pit
10 Scott Dixon (1T) 0.5205 41.0871 219.047 17 G/T/F Pit
11 Bruno Junqueira (36) 0.5295 41.0961 218.999 19 G/H/F Pit
12 Roger Yasukawa (16) 0.5481 41.1147 218.900 5 G/H/F Pit
13 Darren Manning (10) 0.6053 41.1719 218.596 69 G/T/F Pit
14 Dario Franchitti (27) 0.6081 41.1747 218.581 52 D/H/F Pit
15 Ed Carpenter (52T) 0.6231 41.1897 218.501 39 D/C/F Pit
5/11/04
Midday report from
Indy
Top 10 times at 12:00 noon CST Pos Driver Diff Time Speed Lap C/E/T Status
1 Adrian Fernandez (5) 40.7728 220.735 11 G/H/F Pit
2 Buddy Rice (15) 0.2225 40.9953 219.537 7 G/H/F
3 Helio Castroneves (3) 0.2227 40.9955 219.536 20 D/T/F Pit
4 Sam Hornish Jr. (6) 0.3028 41.0756 219.108 15 D/T/F Pit
5 Dan Wheldon (26) 0.3033 41.0761 219.106 6 D/H/F Pit
6 Tomas Scheckter (4T) 0.3251 41.0979 218.989 17 D/C/F Pit
7 Roger Yasukawa (16) 0.3419 41.1147 218.900 5 G/H/F Pit
8 Ed Carpenter (52T) 0.4608 41.2336 218.269 29 D/C/F
9 Bryan Herta (7) 0.4723 41.2451 218.208 5 D/H/F Pit
10 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 0.5553 41.3281 217.770 16 G/H/F
5/11/04
Ferrari & Shanghai
news Shanghai Circuit is proud to announce that the opening
race of the China Circuit Championship will take place at the
newly-built circuit on 6th June 2004. To coincide with this opening
event, Ferrari known throughout China for its famous prancing horse
brand - will be running a number of exciting events at the Shanghai
Circuit and throughout Shanghai.
The China Circuit Championship (CCC), jointly supported by Shanghai
Circuit and CCTV, marks the start of a new era for Chinese motor
racing. The endorsement of FIA Formula One World Champions Ferrari is
an excellent added bonus for the Championship organizers, sponsors and
the spectators. This will be the highest level of motor racing in
mainland China. The CCC is a race dedicated to Chinese spectators and
the aim is to provide a sporting event that is participated in and
enjoyed by the Chinese people who love sport as well as cars.
The involvement of Italy's legendary Scuderia Ferrari racing team and
sports car manufacturer with the Circuit's authorities will coincide
with the first ever race to take place on the Circuit. The presence of
the F1 team, whose name is synonymous with the sport, is recognition
of the importance of establishing motor racing in Shanghai and in
China. This is seen as a springboard for a number of commercial,
sporting and cultural developments. Forthcoming Ferrari & Maserati Events at the Shanghai Circuit
4th May:
- Free Practice for China Circuit Championship.
- Grand Opening of Shanghai Ferrari and Maserati Show Room.
5th May:
- Qualifying for China Circuit Championship.
- China Circuit Championship Grand Opening with Ferrari at the
Shanghai Circuit.
6th May:
- Race Day for China Circuit Championship.
- Ferrari Track Event on the Shanghai Circuit.
5/11/04 Industry News
Condom backing for Formula
WomanUPDATE The Mates Formula Woman
series has delayed its start, and amended plans for the inaugural
season. Series chiefs say the delay is necessary to provide ‘the girls
with more testing time prior to their first race experience’. The
championship will now begin at Oulton Park on June 12, with a revised
seven-round series, culminating with the final at Brands Hatch.
5/6/04 - From the too funny
department - Mates, a European condom manufacturer is sponsoring the new Mazda
RX8 series run exclusively for women in the UK called Formula Woman. The
series kicks off at Mallory Park in May. We can see it now - big
air filled condoms sticking up vertically a hundred feet into the air at the
races advertising "Safe Sex." We can't imagine what the trophies will
look like. This puts a whole new meaning on the phrase "have a
safe ride." Oh my! That's not the first time a condom company
has been a sponsor in racing. When Keke Rosberg was running in Formula
Atlantic in '78, he had Excita as his sponsor. If you didn't see his car
race, you really missed something. It was bright pink!
5/11/04
Lowe's testing
update
Mark Martin showed the "young guns" he will be a contender during the
May 22 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 30 Coca-Cola 600
as open testing began Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Martin, the
2002 Coca-Cola 600 winner, ran numerous laps at just over 180 mph.
According to the unofficial stopwatches, the 45-year-old Martin led
the search for speed with a best lap of 181.733 mph around the
1.5-mile superspeedway. Dave Blaney, driving Bill Davis' unsponsored
#23 Dodge, was second fastest, just a tick of the watch behind Martin
at 181.147 mph, while Casey Mears was third on the speed chart at
179.087 in the #41 Target Dodge. With 11 teams on hand, the NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series testing session started at 4pm and ended under the
lights at 10pm. The caution flag was never unfurled as both the NEXTEL
Cup and Busch Series testing sessions were run without incident.
Testing continues Tuesday and Wednesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway and
fans can watch the action from the main grandstand free of charge.
Tickets for all May events at Lowe's Motor Speedway are still
available and can be obtained online at
www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket
office at 1-800-455-FANS.
Unofficial NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing speeds:
#6-Mark Martin, 181.733mph
#23-Dave Blaney, 181.147
#41-Casey Mears, 179.087
#88-Dale Jarrett, 177.445
#1-John Andretti, 177.282
#43-Jeff Green, 177.270
#96-Johnny Benson, 177.264
#84-Kyle Busch, 177.218
#30-Johnny Sauter, 176.678
#44-Mark Green, 175.063
#33-Kerry Earnhardt, 174.848. LMS PR
5/11/04
Jones urges Webber to
leave Jaguar Ex-Australian F1 champion Alan Jones has advised his
countryman, Mark Webber, to walk away from the Jaguar racing team as soon as
he has a better offer, “It's typical Ford and typical Jaguar," he
told the AAP. "It's almost like when the team was Stewart - they would make
good progress but it was two steps forward and three steps backwards. They're
just too inconsistent. I'd like to see him in a Williams or a Renault,"
he confessed. "Unless Jaguar has something up its sleeve, he should be out of
there at 100 mph if he is given the chance. It's like Jenson Button at BAR,
all of a sudden the BAR has come good and everyone's saying what a great
driver Jenson Button is."
5/11/04
F1 still dwarfs NASCAR
2nd UPDATE A reader responds, Dear
AutoRacing1.com, Comparing German TV figures of the Spanish Grand Prix? More
people were watching the Auto Club 500 than watched the latest Ferrari test
drive Sunday in Barcelona. The replay, that is. For all your excitement about
the grandstands being full at Barcelona, it only totaled 108,000 people.
Indianapolis will have 300,000. Daytona had 200,000.Indianapolis, for a US
Grand Prix race no one cares about, will have 150,000 in June, if not more. We
care the least about Ferrari parade racing in America; yet we are respectful
enough of Ferrari-won racing to produce its largest crowd. The real answer to
Ferrari Intramural racing was indeed in the garage area at Barcelona. Jeff
Gordon could breathe life into this dying series. He would bring millions of
American TV viewers, including this one. I sincerely hope it happens. Like
Jeff Gordon, I love open-wheel racing. Ferrari is killing it. Does that make
them a serial killer? Brian Golden, Lancaster, California
Dear Brian, What you fail to mention is the fact that grandstand ticket prices
for a F1 race in Europe are two to three times more expensive than a NASCAR
ticket and 3 to 4 times more than for the Indy 500. Couple that with the
fact that the annual income of a Spaniard is below an American and their
population is perhaps 1/10th that of the USA, and you see that in reality the
attendance in Spain was high. Can't agree more on Jeff Gordon. He
certainly would bring a lot of attention to F1 from Americans. However, he
signed a lifetime contract with Hendrick Motorsports and would have a hard
time getting out of that. He also would struggle in F1 despite all the
hype. He's past his prime now and has never driven a rear-engine open wheel
car in competition. Sure the PR stunt at Indy last year got a lot of
media attention, but when push comes to shove we suspect Mr. Gordon would get
his clock cleaned. 10 years ago it may have been different, but now it's
simply too late and all this talk is just another PR stunt to get NASCAR fans
interested in F1. Mark C. 5/11/04 - Formula One has
never been more popular in Spain. 108,000 trackside spectators joined a
record 5.6 million people in television-land to cheer-on the efforts of local
Spaniard Fernando Alonso on Sunday. 5/10/04 -
NASCAR may be king in the USA, but in the rest of the world it's not on
anyone's radar screen. Compare that to F1 which pulled in 9.48 million
viewers yesterday for the Spanish GP in
Germany alone. That equates to 51.8% of households (i.e. 51.8
share) watching in Germany, a far smaller country than the USA. And you
thought NASCAR was a religion in the USA?
NASCAR pit party
The Science Museum of Virginia will hold a "NASCAR Pit Party" from 2-10 p.m.
Wednesday, May 12th. Admission includes access to a Nextel Cup car simulator,
screenings of "NASCAR: The IMAX Experience," barbecue dinner, a pinewood derby
track and a chance to meet Busch Series drivers Jason Keller, Kenny Wallace
and Tony Raines in a question-and-answer session at 8:45. The movie will be
screened on the theater's Ethyl IMAX Dome at 2, 3:30, 5 and 6:30 p.m.
Admission to the pit party is $20. For more information, call 864-1544 or
visit www.smv.org.
Richmond Times Dispatch
5/10/04
Petty team testing engines
Petty Enterprises broke two engines at California, and they weren't the first
engines to blow this year. The #45 and #44 Petty Enterprises cars will test
this week at Charlotte. The #44, a developmental car driven by Christian
Fittipaldi last year, will be used strictly for engine work and will be driven
by Mark Green, who normally works as the spotter for Kyle Petty and the #45.
FoxSports/Sporting News
5/10/04
Bernie Ecclestone: I'm too
busy for Champ Car now Formula
One supremo Bernie Ecclestone read our recent article by Mark Cipolloni,
Why Bernie Ecclestone could,
and should buy Champ Car now. Today he faxed a statement to our
headquarters in New Jersey that read, "At the moment I do not have time to
even consider becoming involved in Champ Car." He is busy of course with
the restructuring of F1 and reaching an agreement on a new Concorde Agreement
and reducing costs in F1. While this puts to rest any notion that Bernie
will become involved with Champ Car in the immediate future, he does leave the
door cracked open by saying, "At the moment...." Given that, it is now
up to OWRS to make a go of it on their own for the time being, however, as we
understand it, they are both being very careful to keep the communication
lines open so as not to step on each other's toes for the time being.
5/10/04
BMW wants to retain V10's
With regard to the recent suggestions that F1 reduce its engine costs by 50%,
BMW's Mario Theissen says: "The goals listed in the FIA proposal are aimed at
significantly reducing the costs while improving the show. Quite obviously,
BMW is supporting these goals.
"But in spite of all these discussions you must never forget that Formula One
is the pinnacle of motor racing and should keep this position, with regard to
sport, business and technology in equal measure. For BMW, this position
represents the main reason for its Formula One involvement," he continues.
"We are supporting many of the technology recommendations of the FIA proposal
and we will bring in further proposals at the forthcoming meetings of the task
force," adds the German. "The key factor to reduce engine costs - particularly
for the independent teams who have to pay for their engines - is the number of
engines that are required over the course of a season.
"Therefore, we are prepared to extend the mileage of an engine to three race
weekends. Should this measure be combined with a limited testing program, a
50-percent reduction of the engine production costs will be viable.
"The technological concept of the engine, however, is far less important when
it comes to reducing the costs. Bearing in mind the stability of the
regulations and to avoid a further increase of costs, we are pleading for the
perpetuation of the current 3-litre V10 concept.
"The increased mileage and technical limitations would reduce the horsepower
output of the engines by some 100 bhp, thus increasing the lap times and
reducing the top-speeds without losing the fascination of the 10-cylinder
engine." [Editor's Note: We agree with Theissen, a V8 format as
proposed by Max Mosley is too mundane and too easily associated with Saloon
cars. The pinnacle of racing, open wheel cars, should be something special and
a V10 helps portray that image. It also has other benefits - smaller and
lighter pistons and connecting rods equals less reciprocating mass.
Hence you can turn more RPM for a given engine longevity.
Champ Car would be wise to also adopt a V10 format lasting 3 to 4 race
weekends (as proposed by Theissen) but probably use a slightly larger
displacement, say 3.5 L in order to get a decent amount of HP at the lower RPM
that a Champ Car engine would most certainly have. One would hope that
Champ Car's version turns about 14,000 RPM (vs. something like 17 or 18K for
the F1 version) so it emits a lower pitched variation of the F1 scream and not
that of a low RPM farm tractor.
Champ Car must reinvent its image into being state-of-the-art like it was in
its heyday, but use, as we have suggested, single suppliers wherever possible
to keep the high-tech pieces affordable so as to control costs. What is
key is for Champ Car is to distance itself as far as possible from anything
that looks or sounds like a butt ugly IRL car. Dumbed down race cars
only work for Saloon cars and Demolition Derby's. If Champ Car is to
sell itself as a world class championship series, it has to walk the walk, and
talk the talk.]
5/10/04
Castroneves fastest on
B'Day
Helio Castroneves celebrated his 29th birthday in style. The Marlboro Team
Penske driver lapped the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in 40.8533
seconds, 220.300 mph, in his No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone to lead the second day of practice for the 88th
running of the Indianapolis 500.
"A lot of people went out late in the session, so we just waited, waited,
waited until we got a clean track," said Castroneves, a two-time Indianapolis
500 champion. "We don't want to keep trying to just put a fast time out there.
We just want to make sure the car handles well. That's why we didn't do many
laps."
Reigning IRL IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon was second fastest at 40.9894
seconds, 219.569 mph, in his Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G
Force/Toyota/Firestone as Toyota swept three of the top four spots on the time
sheets.
Tony Kanaan was third at 40.9923 mph, 219.553 mph, in his Team 7-Eleven
Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Tomas Scheckter was the fastest Chevrolet for the
second day in a row at 41.1160 seconds, 218.893 mph.
The session was interrupted by rain for 3 hours and 35 minutes and there were
two incidents for spins. Marty Roth's No. 25 Roth Racing
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone entry was not damaged when he spun off of Turn 2
during the final hour of practice, but Robby Gordon's No. 70 Meijer/Coca-Cola
Robby Gordon Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone suffered moderate damage when he made
contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 following a spin in the short chute
between Turns 1 and 2. FASTEST SPEEDS OF DAY
Pos. Car Name C/E/T Speed
1 3 Helio Castroneves D/T/F 220.300 mph
2 1 Scott Dixon G/T/F 219.569 mph
3 11 Tony Kanaan D/H/F 219.553 mph
4 6 Sam Hornish Jr. D/T/F 219.357 mph
5 5 Adrian Fernandez D/H/F 219.118 mph
5/10/04
Gordon OK after Indy wreck
Robby Gordon was uninjured in a single-car accident with approximately 10
minutes remaining in Monday's Indianapolis 500 practice session. Gordon lost
control of the Meijer/Coca-Cola Dallara-Chevrolet in turn one and hit the
wall. Gordon was checked and immediately released from the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway infield medical center. The car received left-side suspension,
underwing, rear wing and bodywork damage and Gordon plans to drive his team's
backup Meijer Chevy in Tuesday practice.
"I went down into turn one and the car compressed in the corner and the rear
got a little bit sideways," Gordon recalled. "I tried to save it and it hooked
back the other way and spun around.
"It is what it is. When you can walk away from one here, it doesn't matter how
fast you were going. We were going to run four straight hot laps on new tires
and our warm-up lap was over 218 mph. I think we were going to be pretty good.
We'll be fine." Gordon finished the session, delayed by rain, 10th
fastest at 218.446 mph. Helio Castroneves was quick on the day at 220.300 mph.
5/10/04
Gigante ads with
Jourdain start in Mexico Gigante has begun a national ad campaign for the upcoming
Monterrey race with Michel Jourdain. The TV ad has Michel Jourdain
doing some shopping in a Gigante store wearing his driving suit. He
stops to see some cereal boxes and 4 Gigante employees run to his
shopping cart and change the 4 little wheels. The radio ads have a
woman talking about racing through the store PA system. Why
don't you see ads like that in the USA for Champ Car? Because
the series lacks sponsors who sell consumer products and a winning sales
pitch from Champ Car to convince them to feature their drivers in
their ads. Jose Arrambide
5/10/04
Rain delay hits
Indy
Rain has hit the Indy Speedway today and practice has been halted.
The trucks are trying to dry the track with the hope of getting cars
back on the track. So far Scott Dixon was fastest at 219.373
MPH.
5/10/04
Trans-Am added to
Toronto ticket The Motorock Trans-Am Series race will be the featured event
on Saturday, July 10 at the Molson Indy Toronto. The event is
scheduled to start at 3 p.m. EDT, following the Bridgestone Presents
The Champ Car World Series by Ford qualifying. The Trans-Am Series
will help kick off a weekend featuring the Champ Car World Series
race on Sunday, July 11, as well as the Toyota Atlantic Series.
“Scheduling the Trans-Am race on Saturday, following Champ Car World
Series qualifying, gives fans a substantial value for their racing
dollar,” said Motorock Trans-Am Series Executive Director John
Clagett. “The Trans-Am Series, which makes its return to Toronto
after a nine-year hiatus, is an ideal headliner for Saturday’s
events, making for a truly action-packed weekend of racing.”
The race will air live, commercial free, on HDNet. HDNet is the
first national television network broadcasting all of its
programming in 1080i HD, the highest-quality format of
high-definition television (HDTV). HDNet is available on Adelphia
Communications, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network,
Insight Communications, Mediacom Communications, Time Warner Cable
and several NCTC cable affiliate companies.
5/10/04
Peter Young to
host TV shows
North American Formula Renault Championship television production
partner Image Productions has named Peter Young as the host for the
2004 season, which will feature thirteen half-hour magazine-style
shows focused on each race weekend. Young has extensive experience
on both sides of the camera, having covered major events both as a
producer and as a broadcaster for a wide range of sports.
Young, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has spent the past two years as
President of Hockey Operations for the World Hockey Association and
WHA2 in Orlando, Florida. For 18 years he was an
internationally-known broadcaster and producer for the Canadian
Television Network (CTV) covering events across the globe, from
Canada and the United States to Russia, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland,
Sweden, Austria and the United Kingdom.
Young has a broad motor sports background, from covering ice racing
in Northern Ontario and the dirt tracks of the Midwest to
broadcasting Formula 1 and Formula 3000 in England and Curacao, as
well as Indy Car races, the Daytona 500, and numerous network
documentaries on racing. Young has also produced and hosted shows in
Canada for Wide World Of Sports on the Formula 2000, Formula
Atlantic and CASCAR Series.
"I'm excited to be working in a developmental series environment,
and particularly this category, as I think North American Formula
Renault has the right ingredients to become a major part of the open
wheel picture in North America,” said Young. “The magazine style
show is going to be a great format for us to develop excitement for
our viewers and give them understanding of the series and develop
stories about the exciting talents racing in it."
5/10/04
IRL tidbits
Team Penske is going to stick to one chassis this year. Gil de Ferran
won in a G Force last year while Castroneves ran a Dallara. Penske
said Sunday that the team's G Force will stay in the garage unless
he leases it to another team. . . . Sign of the times: Hemelgarn
Racing has had the same garages in Gasoline Alley for at least two
decades. But the team doesn't intend to participate this month and
its garages have been taken by Andretti Green Racing. Ron Hemelgarn
formed his Indy-car team in 1984. . . . The No. 41 A.J. Foyt-owned
car entered for son Larry did not make its track debut but will draw
attention when it does. It is coyote orange, the signature color of
the four-time 500 winner. . . . Access Motorsports and driver Greg
Ray were among those who didn't participate Sunday. (we hear they
are pissed because they are paying for engines but the ex-CART teams
are not)
Indy Star
5/10/04
Bob Jenkins
two-timing in IRL and Champ Car
Bob Jenkins was a noticeable new member of the Speedway's public
address team. Jenkins, who was the host of the IRL's television
shows last year, is also working this year as the voice of Champ
Car's TV broadcasts on Spike. Track spokesman Fred Nation said there
isn't a conflict of interest working simultaneously for the rival
open-wheel divisions. "He notified us (of his Champ Car opportunity)
and we were OK with it," Nation said. "He has to make a living."
Indy Star
5/10/04
No shortage of
engines for 500
This Indy Star
article underscores just how bad things are at the Brickyard
nowadays. As the IRL has morphed into CART, gone are the small
teams who simply can't compete against the mighty Penske team.
There certainly is no shortage of engines for the 500, but there
simply are not enough teams and sponsors willing to spend so much
money for just one race. It's clear now that Tony George is
going to have to open his wallet once again if he wants 33 cars to
start the 500. We count about 28 car/driver combinations right
now. He needs five more to fill the field. There is no
shortage of team owners willing to relieve him of his money.
There was never a short field in the CART days. We ask
once again, what has Tony George accomplished by starting the IRL?
Answer - by causing a split in the sport, he has just about killed
Indy car racing. In doing so has put a lot of drivers in the
hospital, crippled some for life, and destroyed a lot of cars with
his concept of what open wheel racing should be. As a result, America has
now become a NASCAR-only country.
Steering through turbulent
times A few quotes from
this Milwaukee Journal
article on Champ Cars - Ultimately history will show whether the true
believers' optimism was founded. But for now, at least, a tight-knit,
energized group of racers and businessmen takes pride in the fact that the
series has outlived the expectations of its detractors.
"A lot of people were doubting, and a lot of people played tricks along
the way," said Paul Tracy, the defending series champion and Long
Beach winner, during a break in testing at the Milwaukee Mile.
"It's not over, though," said Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART champion who drives
for and co-owns Kalkhoven's team.
"We need to produce good product. We need to make the series stronger,
get more strong cars back, get more fuller fields. Eighteen cars is great, but
we need to get to 20 and 22 and 24 again."
What the tough times seemed to do is shake the series free of anyone with
doubts. Talk to the competitors, the owners, the workers and they truly
believe they work in a series that has a solid future.
"We don't have a lot of sponsorship this year like we would have liked,
because everything was decided so late, but I think for the coming years it's
going to get better," said Carpentier, who like Tracy drives for Forsythe.
"We've got a lot of people coming to the races. We've just got to get the
ratings up on TV, and then we'll be set."
5/9/04
Dixon & Castroneves top
charts at Indy
Reigning IRL IndyCar® Series champion Scott Dixon topped the speed chart on
the opening day of practice for the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500 on
May 9 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Dixon lapped the famed 2.5-mile oval at 219.760 mph, 40.9537 seconds in his
No. 1 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone.
"Today we were just getting both cars up to speed," Dixon said. "We didn't
really do much with the T car. We trimmed it out a little, put a new set of
tires on it, and I think that's where we got the time. It was pretty windy,
but I think we were quite surprised at how much grip the car had, considering
the last time we were here."
Helio Castroneves, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, was second fastest at
219.7529 mph, 40.9552 seconds in his No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske
Dallara/Toyota/Firestone. Adrian Fernandez was third with a lap of 218.342
mph, 41.2197 seconds in the No. 5 Quaker State Telmex Tecate Panoz G
Force/Honda/ Firestone.
"We pretty much started the way we left off at the Open Test," Castroneves
said. "The car seemed to be handling with no problems. The wind was a bit
stronger than at the Open Test. We just need to wait and see once it gets
closer to qualifying. Everyone knows that it's like two races: one is for
qualifying, and the next one is the race. We just have to be patient and wait
for the right time."
There were 33 cars on the track today, the most on a scheduled opening day
since 1999, when 38 cars turned laps. A total of 43 cars are now at the
Speedway, and 41 have passed technical inspection. There were 25 drivers on
the track. Drivers completed 931 laps.
FASTEST SPEEDS OF DAY
Pos. Car Name C/E/T Speed
1 1 Scott Dixon G/T/F 219.760 mph
2 3 Helio Castroneves D/T/F 219.752 mph
3 5 Adrian Fernandez D/H/F 218.342 mph
4 4 Tomas Scheckter D/C/F 218.308 mph
5 26 Dan Wheldon D/H/F 218.007 mph
5/9/04
New safety camera for IRL,
NASCAR maybe
The view out back of the IRL's Chevrolet four-door trucks is obscured by an
80-gallon water tank and a locker crammed with rescue tools. That view will
improve during this year's Indy 500-Mile Race, thanks to technology developed
by Delphi's Kokomo-based electronics division. Three of the IRL's safety
trucks now sport Delphi camera systems that show the view out back on a liquid
crystal display monitor, bolted to the dashboard console. It's technology
Delphi someday might convert to the consumer market, particularly in trucks
and recreational vehicles for which backing up is a hazard because of poor
visibility. On the safety trucks, a camera is perched mid-vehicle in a clear
dome atop the water tank. One benefit is that the safety truck driver can see
whether he has dumped enough oil-dry material onto the track after a crash.
More importantly, safety truck drivers can watch for hazards behind them and
can move the truck and crew if they see a car careening toward them. The
display also lets the truck driver make sure that the two firefighters who
ride in jump seats in the truck bed are seated properly before pulling away.
Each truck also has a forward-facing camera. This portends an even bigger
safety benefit: letting crews more effectively respond to a crash and better
conveying the type and severity of a driver's injuries to awaiting medical
teams. The trucks can transmit the camera images in real time to the track's
medical center. The IRL/Delphi video system may have implications for NASCAR.
Herb Branham, communications manager for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, noted
that NASCAR and the IRL have worked together previously to improve safety --
such as in developing flexible track walls that minimize driver injury in a
crash. "This is the first time that we've really heard about this type of
thing. . . . They (IRL) have a lot of good ideas. Rest assured, we'll give it
a look."
Indianapolis Star
5/9/04 LMES
Audi sweeps to Monza win
With a clear triple victory Audi made a dream start into the opening round of
the newly founded Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES). At the season opener in the
royal parc of Monza Jamie Davies and Johnny Herbert beat their Audi Sport UK
Team Veloqx team mates Pierre Kaffer and Allan McNish. The margin after more
than five hours of racing was only 0.663 seconds. Seiji Ara, Rinaldo Capello
and Tom Kristensen, starting for the Audi Sport Japan Team Goh, finished third
and so completed an Audi triumph in the 38 car strong field.
The drivers of the Audi R8 sports cars, who are entered by different importer
teams this year, settled on their first three positions in the first hour of
the 1000 kilometre race. Fighting against the competitors who had shown a
strong performance during qualifying and the advantages of the Audi FSI engine
paid off: Due to the lower fuel consumption the R8 sports cars were able to
stay out on the track longer and saved worthful time in the pits.
The internal fight of the Audi drivers delivered tension and excitement during
the race which was also broadcasted live in Great Britain and France. During
the first hours of racing it was Jamie Davies and Allan McNish who fought for
the lead for several laps. In the second half former Formula 1-driver Johnny
Herbert and Pierre Kaffer enjoyed a thrilling but fair duel. Rain, which set
the track under water only 30 minutes before the finish mixed the field once
more and so brought additional tension to the Monza race. Results
1 Davies/Herbert (Audi R8) 173 laps
2 Kaffer/McNish (Audi R8) + 0.663s
3 Ara/Capello/Kristensen (Audi R8) 1 lap behind
4 Ayari/Collard (C60-Judd) 4 laps behind
5 Barbosa/Barff/Short (Dallara-Judd) 5 laps behind
6 Brabham/Johansson/Wallace (Zytek) 8 laps behind
7 Erdos/Newton/Ramos (MG Lola) 12 laps behind
8 Lupberger/Stirling (Nasamax) 15 laps behind
9 Bouchut/Lamy/Zacchia (Ferrari) 19 laps behind
10 Biaggi/Bosch/Sullivan (Ferrari) 22 laps behind
Intruder runs onto track
Similar to last season, an intruder carrying a banner ran onto the Barcelona
circuit today while the F1 cars were on their warm-up lap. Race
Marshall's ran him down and eventually tackled him to the ground and dragged him
off before the cars formed on the starting grid.
5/9/04
Engine manufacturers meet
to discuss next engine
The F1 engine manufacturers Ferrari, BMW, Renault, Honda, Mercedes, Toyota
and Ford, met at the Spanish Grand Prix to discuss a way to cut costs in the
next 18 months and to reduce HP to around 700 by reducing engine size to
around 2.4 Liters. Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug said after the
meeting, "I cannot tell you whether it will be 10 or eight cylinder but I
think we are on a very, very good development," he said. "I have been at
various engine meetings in the last 10 years and I think we are better
equipped right now for changes than we have been before. I just hope we can
manage to finalize it in time so that the new engines are already running in
2006. This would be the perfect plan. If we can cut the costs by 50 percent by
2006 it would be a great job."
5/9/04
F3000
Liuzzi wins in
Spain Vitantonio Liuzzi has won his second F3000 race of
the season, after taking the lead at Barcelona's first corner. The
Italian, racing for Arden, made a better start than polesitter
Enrico Toccacelo, then stayed in front until the checkered flag.
Liuzzi's teammate Robert Doornbos had less luck. Slow away from the
grid he continued on to lose places during the race, and after
making two pit stops, he retired three laps from the end. Enrico
Toccacelo finished second, with Raffaele Giammaria third after the
AEZ driver emerged as the survivor of a massive four-way battle over
the last fifteen laps. Jeffrey van Hooydonk had held the final
podium position after the end of the scheduled pit stops, but Alan
Van Der Merwe in the SuperNova behind him was clearly faster, and
unable to get passed.
5/9/04
Big crowd in Spain
The attendance for today's Spanish GP in Barcelona was announced as
108,300. All of the grandstands were full.
5/9/04
Bernie Ecclestone meets
the press While at Barcelona to conclude negotiations over the
circuit's Spanish Grand Prix extension to 2011, Formula 1 supremo Bernie
Ecclestone gave 20 minutes to the sport's press. Ecclestone shared his
thoughts on several of F1's hottest topics of the moment and what he said
makes essential reading.
Transcript
Berg named to post
RaceTeam Promotions announced the appointment of former Formula One racer
Allen Berg as Manager, Driver and Team Relations for the North American
Formula Renault Championships. Berg’s primary responsibilities will involve
working as a liaison between series organizer RaceTeam Promotions and the
drivers and teams of North American Formula Renault as the series continues to
grow. Berg will begin work during the next round of the North American Formula
Renault 2000 Championship on the weekend of May 20-22 at Mont Tremblant in
Canada.
Berg is uniquely qualified for the role, as he has been an active participant
in the sport for over thirty years, with his experience ranging from racing
his way into Formula One from the karting ranks to running his own race team,
and nearly everything in between.
“Allen brings a wealth of experience to this position, and I think that his
knowledge will be a tremendous asset to the teams and drivers in North
American Formula Renault,” said RaceTeam Promotions president John Kolody.
“We are continuing to assemble everything needed to develop the Formula
Renault program here in North America, and work towards its continued growth
from its start just under three months ago” continued Kolody. “Allen’s
experiences-from team owner to driver coach to successful driver, will help us
as an organization provide support for our drivers and teams as they establish
themselves and move up.”
As part of the growth plan for the series, Berg will also work to promote the
series and attract new teams and drivers to the Formula Renault ranks. Berg is
looking forward to being an active participant in the series and believes the
hard-fought lessons he has learned will help North American Formula Renault
drivers as they race for their future.
5/8/04
Indy 500 FAQ's
Frequently asked questions about the Indianapolis 500. The 88th Indianapolis
500 takes place Sunday, May 30, with Indianapolis Star Opening Day on Sunday,
May 9. More.....
5/8/04 LMES
Audi on pole at Monza
Audi have given a clear indication they have the car to beat in the season
opener of the newly founded Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES): Johnny Herbert,
driving for Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx, qualified the Audi R8 on pole position
for tomorrow's race at Monza. He set the fastest time in the second of the two
45 minute sessions of qualifying on Saturday. Allan McNish qualified the
second Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx Audi R8 in third place on the grid,
completing the excellent result for the British importer. Audi Sport Japan
Team Goh is starting the race from fourth position. Tom Kristensen set the
best time in the number 5 R8 sports car during the last ten minutes of the
session. The race will start on Sunday at 13:20hrs local time and will be
finished after 1000 kilometres or six hours of racing.
TV Azteca starts
ad campaign As of today TV Azteca in Mexico is advertising
their coverage of the Monterrey Grand Prix. The TV ad shows the Fundidora Park
on a normal
day, no stands, no huge crowds, kids playing. Then they show the
park on day race. An off-screen voice says "isn`t it true that Fundidora
Park is not the same without the race, we know you have been waiting
for over a year, so TV Azteca is showing you the race live, May
23rd, only on TV Azteca." Although you can also watch it on
Fox Sports Espanol, if you have cable, it's good to see ads of the
coverage 2 weeks before of the race. Jose Arrambide
Bernie looking for
new British GP promoter Bernie Ecclestone has
confirmed that there is no British Grand Prix contract after the
2004 race and says that he is not going to promote the event
himself. "I am not used to losing money," he said. Ecclestone said
that he felt "sure" that a promoter would come forward and if they
did a good job could "make it work and make a profit" but he added
that it is looking more and more that races need government support
to survive and pointed out that governments do support the Olympic
Games and World Cup competitions. Asked whether he felt the British
government would support the British GP, Ecclestone said that it was
"pretty slim".
Grandprix.com
5/8/04
Bernie wants
qualifying changed by midseason Bernie Ecclestone says that
he wants to see a new qualifying structure for Formula 1 within a
few weeks. He said that if agreement can be made the qualifying
could be changed in the midseason and said that he would prefer to
see a system where qualifying would take place for one hour on
Saturday, divided into two 30 minute sessions during which cars must
run a minimum of six laps per session. If a car did not complete six
laps it would be sent to the back of the grid. The grid would then
be established by putting the best times from the two sessions
together.
Grandprix.com
5/8/04
GPWC meeting in
Barcelona There is to be a meeting of the GPWC in
Barcelona tomorrow to discuss the next moves in the negotiations
over the future of the Formula 1 revenues. The talks over the
regulations which will come into force in 2008 have revealed that
the most important issue in order to get change accelerated is a new
commercial deal between the teams and Formula One Management (FOM),
the holder of the commercial rights of F1. Bernie Ecclestone, the
man in charge of FOM wants to maintain his revenues from the sport
but the teams are arguing that they should be getting more of the
money and although Ecclestone appears to be willing to give some
ground, it is still not enough for most of the team principals.
Grandprix.com The GPWC is now considered by most people in
the Formula 1 paddock to be a moribund organization and the plan
appears to be each of the Formula 1 teams to negotiate their own
commercial deal with Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management.
There have been rumours for some weeks that Ferrari has already
concluded a long-term deal with FOM and that the other teams will
now follow. Ecclestone has let slip that he is going to be spending
an extra $670m on the teams between now and the end of the current
Concorde Agreement in December 2007 but it seems that Bernie is keen
to convince all concerned to agree to cancel the Concorde Agreement
early so that cost-cutting changes can be brought in earlier than
planned.. The additional money will be an incentive for the teams to
agree terms. The GPWC representatives are not saying what the
purpose of the Barcelona meeting is but speculation in the paddock
is that it will be a question of how to unwind the organisation.
Grandprix.com
5/8/04
Spanish GP
extended until 2011, Bernie sends warning Bernie
Ecclestone announced today that a new F1 deal for Barcelona – to
host F1 grands prix until 2011. On announcing the deal,
Ecclestone said: “This contract is a normal standard contract that
we have throughout Europe and it has a condition concerning tobacco
legislation. Although the (Spanish) government is very happy to
support this new contract, we have to bear in mind that the contract
is subject to the legislation about what is going to happen on
tobacco. We hope that we can get that all sorted out so
that we don't have to keep disappearing out of Europe. That is the
last thing we want to do, especially leaving Barcelona.”
That said, we believe that there are many grands prix in Europe and
that it's unavoidable that Europe will lose some of its races to
some of the new tracks. Not only because of the new facilities that
have been built, but also because of some of the new regulations on
tobacco that makes Europe a less competitive place than other
countries."
P. No Driver Team - Engine Tires Times
Ave/Gaps Laps
1. 10 SATO BAR Honda M 1'14"836 222.583 Km/h 13
2. 1 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'15"025 + 0'00"189 11
3. 3 MONTOYA Williams BMW M 1'15"232 + 0'00"396 13
4. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1'15"457 + 0'00"621 15
5. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B 1'15"540 + 0'00"704 12
6. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M 1'15"627 + 0'00"791 11
7. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1'15"768 + 0'00"932 13
8. 8 ALONSO Renault M 1'15"874 + 0'01"038 12
9. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 1'15"895 + 0'01"059 24
10. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 1'15"895 + 0'01"059 18
11. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'15"983 + 0'01"147 7
12. 4 R.SCHUMACHER Williams BMW M 1'16"308 + 0'01"472 17
13. 15 KLIEN Jaguar Cosworth M 1'16"648 + 0'01"812 24
14. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 1'16"746 + 0'01"910 12
15. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 1'17"145 + 0'02"309 12
16. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 1'17"282 + 0'02"446 6
17. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 1'17"665 + 0'02"829 14
18. 17 PANIS Toyota M 1'18"392 + 0'03"556 5
19. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 1'20"449 + 0'05"613 10
20. 20 BRUNI Minardi Cosworth B 1'21"005 + 0'06"169 6
5/8/04
Button leads Free Practice
#3 in Spain
P.
No Driver Team - Engine Tires Times Ave/Gaps Laps
1. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M 1'15"984 219.220 Km/h 10
2. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1'16"015 + 0'00"031 8
3. 3 MONTOYA Williams BMW M 1'16"048 + 0'00"064 4
4. 4 R.SCHUMACHER Williams BMW M 1'16"233 + 0'00"249 7
5. 1 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'16"519 + 0'00"535 8
6. 10 SATO BAR Honda M 1'16"685 + 0'00"701 11
7. 17 PANIS Toyota M 1'16"721 + 0'00"737 6
8. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B 1'16"795 + 0'00"811 8
9. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1'17"106 + 0'01"122 8
10. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 1'17"252 + 0'01"268 8
11. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 1'17"277 + 0'01"293 6
12. 8 ALONSO Renault M 1'17"294 + 0'01"310 4
13. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'17"428 + 0'01"444 8
14. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 1'17"860 + 0'01"876 7
15. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 1'18"643 + 0'02"659 13
16. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 1'19"146 + 0'03"162 10
17. 15 KLIEN Jaguar Cosworth M 1'19"851 + 0'03"867 18
18. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 1'19"949 + 0'03"965 12
5/8/04
Jourdain Jr. in shopping
tour
Michel Jourdain will be on a supermarket tour in Monterrey. Gigante had full
page ads in Monterrey newspapers announcing that Michel will be signing
autographs in 3 different Gigante Stores, 2 on Monday the 10th, and 1 on
Tuesday the 11th. Jose Arrambide/AutoRacing1.com
Dyson sets lap record at
Mosport Dyson Racing today completed a two-day test at Mosport
International Raceway that saw James Weaver set a faster lap time with the #16
Thetford / Norcold Lola than he did in winning the pole for last year’s
American Le Mans Series race at the legendary Canadian road circuit.
“Combined with the results from last month’s test at Mid-Ohio, the results
this week at Mosport confirm the technical progress that our team has made
over the winter,” said team owner Rob Dyson. “We won’t be racing at Mosport
until August, but when we get there our goal is to win the pole again and
improve by one position on our second-place overall finish last year.”
The program did hit one bump in the road – literally. The running schedule was
interrupted briefly on Wednesday when the #20 Thetford / Norcold Lola crashed
before entering Turn 8. Driver Andy Wallace was not injured in the accident,
and while the damage to the car was relatively minor, on-site repairs were
impossible and the test continued with just the #16 Lola.
The accident was caused by a combination of a maintenance problem with the
track and a strong headwind. While driving through gusty conditions, Wallace’s
Lola pitched over a severe frost heave left by an unusually harsh Canadian
winter, and turned over. The car landed on its rollover bar, skidded briefly
along the track, and then flipped back onto its wheels. Wallace stepped
unaided from the car.
“It was a bit of an exciting ride,” Wallace said. “We checked the track first
thing in the morning but you don’t notice everything in a rental car. Besides,
all of us were eager to get on with our work. Afterwards, walking around the
accident site, we noticed a large frost heave, which the data downloaded from
the car confirms as having been the primary cause of the accident. I was sore
when I woke up this morning, but other than that I’m fine.” Wallace continued
to participate in the test, driving the #16 car.
The test was briefly delayed in order to give an outside contractor time to
repair the frost heave. Later in the day, with the track fixed and despite
cool temperatures, Weaver posted lap times approaching his 2003 ALMS pole
time. “It’s a pity that we didn’t have both cars available,” Weaver noted. “We
could have gotten through the items on our list faster with two cars, and it’s
useful to be able to compare data from both cars. But we still had a
productive and successful test.”
5/7/04
New Cleveland GP website
Bringing the annual Roar by the Shore Cleveland summertime celebration to the
rest of the world through the Internet, Grand Prix of Cleveland officials
today proudly unveiled the design for the 2004 Official Web Site of this
year's event at
www.grandprixofcleveland.com. Designed and managed by web partner
Cinemagic Inc., the grandprixofcleveland.com offers visitors a complete
overview of this summer's U.S. Bank Presents the Champ Car Grand Prix of
Cleveland, July 1-3 at Burke Lakefront Airport. "This new web site design is
very user-friendly and we're certainly proud to unveil
www.grandprixofcleveland.com to those around the world that will be
following our 23rd annual event this summer," said Grand Prix of Cleveland
General Manager Rena Shanaman. "Whether you want to purchase tickets or just
follow the news as the event draws closer, you can do it all and do it easily
at the new Internet home of the Grand Prix."
5/7/04
Indy 500 TV times
ABC Sports, ESPN and ESPN2 will provide extensive live coverage of the 88th
Indianapolis 500 as ABC celebrates its 40th anniversary of coverage of the
most prestigious race in the world. ABC first broadcast the "500" in
1965 as part of its "Wide World of Sports" series and has covered the event
live since 1986. It's the second-longest broadcast partnership in sports.
Television coverage of the Indianapolis 500 will include on-track action and a
view of the many behind-the-scenes efforts from the famed Gasoline Alley
garage area, as teams and drivers work to find the speed to first qualify and
then challenge for a coveted Indy victory. Live, nightly updates on track
activity days will air on "SportsCenter at Indy," a new show from 6:30-7 p.m.
(EDT) on ESPN2 with popular motorsports commentator John Kernan serving as
host. The "SportsCenter at Indy" shows start Monday, May 10.
ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will team up to provide five hours of MBNA Pole Qualifying
coverage Saturday, May 15 and six hours of coverage on Bump Day, Sunday, May
23. ESPN2 will deliver four hours of coverage on the second day of
qualifications Sunday, May 16. Dr. Jerry Punch will serve as host for
ESPN and ESPN2's coverage of qualifications, and 2003 Indianapolis 500 race
winner Gil de Ferran, who retired from competition after the 2003 IRL
IndyCar(R) Series season, will work alongside Punch as analyst.
ESPN2 will broadcast the second annual Futaba Freedom 100 Menards Infiniti Pro
SeriesTM race live from 2-3 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday, May 22. Punch will provide
play-by-play while de Ferran's former Marlboro Team Penske teammate, Helio
Castroneves, will assist Punch as color commentator. ESPN2 will also
carry 2 1/2 hours of live coverage from Miller Lite Carb Day on Thursday, May
22, which includes the all-important two-hour final practice for the "500"
starting field and the Checkers/Rally's Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge.
ABC's live broadcast of the 88th Indianapolis 500 will begin with pre-race
coverage at 11 a.m. (EDT) May 30, followed by flag-to-flag coverage of the
race at noon. The broadcast television talent for the 88th Indianapolis 500
includes: Terry Gannon, race broadcast host; Paul Page, play-by-play
announcer; Scott Goodyear, analyst; Jack Arute, color commentator; Jamie
Little, Gary Gerould, Todd Harris, Punch and Vince Welch, pit reporters.
5/7/04
IRL to smell pretty
Engineered for excitement, R.P.M. is an exhilarating, competitively on trend
scent cologne. The concept was inspired by the growing popularity of the #1
spectator sport - race car driving. Our year-long partnership with the Indy
Racing League will enhance recognition for both R.P.M. and the exciting
IndyCar® Series events. The R.P.M. Eau de Toilette Spray (too funny)
is $14.50 -- a great price and just in time for Father's Day. Be sure to stock
up so you can offer it to your Customers as the perfect gift. The more you
order the more chances you have to win two tickets to the IndyCar® Series race
in California on October 3. The lucky winner will get an exclusive, behind the
scenes tour of the race track garage and pit, and a chance to meet famous
IndyCar® drivers. Avon Cosmetics
5/7/04
F1 cars to go on a diet
Grand Prix cars are now designed to come in weighing 100 kilograms (220
pounds) UNDER the minimum weight of 600 kilos (1,320 Lbs with driver, compared
to over 1,700 Lbs with driver for Champ Cars). Then, to prep the car to the
specific needs of the next track, heavyweight tungsten plates are fastened to
various areas of the car to precisely tailor it to that track. Proposed new
regulations would lower the minimum weight to eliminate this practice.
The lighter F1 cars will then be at 1,100 Lbs with driver compared to 1,700
Lbs for a Champ Car and IRL. That is a 600 Lb difference. And you
wonder why Champ Cars look so slow on street and road courses? Imagine
how slow an underpowered IRL car will be? Road courses will make
the IRL look like a 4th rate training series behind Toyota Atlantic cars,
which will be faster. They should stick to their ovals or risk severe
image damage.
5/7/04
Herdez team completes
Milwaukee test Herdez Competition has completed another
successful test, this time at the historic Milwaukee Mile. It was the first
oval test of the season for the Herdez duo. Demonstrating the fact that Champ
Car drivers are the most diversified, perfecting all track disciplines, both
Dominguez and Hunter-Reay were up to speed immediately at The Mile, despite
not having driven on an oval in nearly a year.
Team Manager Vince Kremer was pleased with the results of the test and the
team’s continued progress. “We went to this test with two trains of thought
and worked toward one direction. We validated our developments with both
drivers as they both left the test happy with their cars and confident for the
race. Our times showed good progress being second quick on the first day and
first and third quick on day two.”
Hunter-Reay completed nearly 200 miles on Wednesday, setting the second
fastest time of the day when he lapped the 1.032-mile oval in 20.93 seconds.
“I haven’t had a lot of time on the ovals in a Champ Car and this was my first
experience on an oval with the Lola. My car was great. I am confident we will
run up front when we return here in June,” said Hunter-Reay.
Thursday saw Dominguez top the charts with a best lap time of 21.22 seconds,
his day was cut short when the rain set in; he completed 115 laps. Dominguez
commented on his test, “the set-up my crew put on the car last night is good.
It’s been a while since we have been on an oval, but my team never gets rusty.
I have a good car for the race and I am looking forward to it.” Hunter-Reay
completed a race segment simulation, completing 45 laps and setting the third
best time of the day at 21.80 seconds.
5/7/04
California final
ratings up 15% Fox's broadcast of last Sunday's Auto Club
500 at California Speedway earned a 6.1 rating and a 14 share in
final Nielsen Media Research figures, a 15.1 percent increase over
last year's 5.3. Fox says that through nine races this season it is
averaging a 5.9 rating, up 2 percent from last year's 5.8. Friday's
Sports
Business Daily also will report that final figures for the May 1
Stater Brothers 300 Busch Series race on Fox earned a 1.9/5, down
5.0 percent from a 2.0/5 in 2003 and down 20.8 percent from a 2.4/6
in 2002.
NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter The Auto Club 500, the NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series race held last Sunday at California Speedway, was
the second most-watched sporting event of the weekend. The Auto Club
500 also finished as the highest-rated NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
event in the speedway's history. An average of 9,817,000 viewers
tuned in the Auto Club 500, a 19% increase over the viewers that
tuned in to the 2003 event. An average of 6,577,000 households tuned
in to the Auto Club 500, a 17% increase over the households that
tuned in to the 2003 event. The Auto Club 500, won by four-time
series champion Jeff Gordon, ranked second only to the 130th running
of the Kentucky Derby. It out-rated the Los Angeles Lakers-San
Antonio Spurs NBA playoff game, which it aired directly against. The
Auto Club 500 also aired directly against the PGA, AFL, NHL
Playoffs, MLB and LPGA. Several key markets have shown year-to-date
household viewing increases in 2004. They are Orlando (39%), Miami
(31%), Dallas (28%), Los Angeles (19%), New York (10%), Atlanta
(15%) and Seattle (19%). The largest growing demographic viewer
groups for the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series are females ages18-24
(a 27% increase over 2003), females ages 18 to 34 (20%) and males
ages 18-24 (11%). Figures compiled by Nielsen Media Research.
NASCAR PR
5/7/04
Dangerous Curves
seen by 550K households, Tracy next Most racing fans
know of the exploits of 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car
World Series Powered by Ford champion Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), whether they be his on-track
clashes, his irreverent off-track demeanor or his 27 Champ Car
victories. Champ Car fans will get an up-close look at the defending
series champion and current points leader on this weekend’s
installment of Spike TV’s Dangerous Curves show. The show, which
follows the behind-the-scenes action and lifestyles of those
involved in the Champ Car World Series, airs Sunday afternoon at
1:30 Eastern Time, with a replay that night at 12 a.m. Host Bronte
Tagliani will join Tracy at his Las Vegas home where the Canadian
driver shows his vast guitar collection, his stash of driving
helmets from many of his racing counterparts and his custom street
cars. Tracy also gives a separate interview where he talks about his
desire to become the first back-to-back Champ Car title winner since
Alex Zanardi in 1997-98. Bronte and her husband Alex Tagliani (#8
Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) will go to a Las
Vegas kart track where Alex explains why karting is an integral part
of a racer’s training regimen. The Tagliani family, each of whom has
their own personal karts, will then hit the track for some hot laps.
Dangerous Curves made the trip to the Milwaukee Mile this week to
cover the open test session at the venerable oval track and will
have on-track action and interviews from the first two days of the
session. In addition, the action of the Champ Car World Series will
be set to music with a new music video. This will be the fourth
installment of the Spike TV Champ Car-themed show. Last week’s
episode drew a respectable 0.5 rating on a Sunday afternoon, drawing
411,000 households while the late-night re-air drew another 165,000
households. The show airs Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time for the
next two weeks as the series leads into the second race of the 2004
season, the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix. The race will also
be shown live on Spike TV as well as on HDNet. [Editor's
Note: 550,000 households equates to around 700,000
viewers. A respectable number for a Sunday afternoon show.
Hopefully for Champ Car's sake, they start getting those kind of
numbers for their races on Spike. Since the broadcasts are
already delayed until 4:00 PM in most markets, they would be wise to
delay them to Sunday evenings. Ratings would then go to 2.0+
instantly. Why? Because that is prime time. Except
for diehard NASCAR fans, few people stay home on Sunday afternoons
to watch TV. Busy, busy, busy is the norm today.]
5/7/04
Ford sees
improvements in Nextel Cup cars
By the numbers, Ford's fortunes through the first 10 races of the
2004 Nextel Cup season aren't much different from the start of its
frustrating 2003 season. That's a bad place to look, said Greg
Specht, Ford Racing of North America's operations manager. In this
case, Specht said the numbers are fibbing a bit. He said they are
not indicative of the way the Tauruses are performing. “Overall,”
Specht said, “I'm pleased and I'm optimistic.” A year ago at this
time, three Ford drivers were in the top 10 in points — leader Matt
Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Elliott Sadler. Between them, they had three
victories and four DNFs — races they failed to finish. This year,
there are again three Ford drivers in the top 10 — the same three
drivers. They have a total of four victories and just two DNFs.
Improvement in the Fords is most evident, they say, on bigger tracks
such as Daytona International Speedway in Florida and Talladega
Superspeedway in Alabama. Those are the tracks where the aerodynamic
shortcomings of the past appear to have been reduced. The 2004 Fords
have subtly changed their noses and tails. The most noticeable
change is on the grille opening, which has gone from oval to a more
rectangular shape. It's a subtle change, but an apparently effective
one. Ford picked up a victory at a superspeedway when Elliott Sadler
won at Talladega. And there have been Fords on the poles at both
superspeedways— Greg Biffle at Daytona and Ricky Rudd at Talladega.
In addition, Sadler started alongside Biffle on the front row at
Daytona. There is major optimism in the Ford camp when it comes to
engine power. Though there have been some mechanical problems, the
collaboration of Robert Yates Racing and Roush Racing in building
engines has been a success, Specht said. Engines built in the new
Yates-Roush engine shop have won four of the first 10 races. More
good news is in the pipeline — though that pipeline appears to be
longer than had been hoped. NASCAR granted Ford teams use of a new
piston head late last year. It was hoped that the head would be
attached to the engines a couple of weeks ago, but it is still in
the testing stage. Specht says the philosophy has been to not rush
the new piston heads into use.
Kansas City Star
5/7/04
Jeff Gordon visits
F1 in Barcelona NASCAR star Jeff Gordon is in Barcelona
this weekend as a guest of the Williams F1 team.
Photos by Clive Mason & Mark
Thompson/Getty Images
5/7/04
Industry News
Despite ruling,
Goodwin still in jail A state appellate court has refused
to order the immediate release of former racing promoter Michael
Goodwin, even though the same court ruled last month that there is
not enough evidence to try him in Orange County on murder charges.
Goodwin has been in Orange County Jail for more than two years,
under suspicion of killing racing legend Mickey Thompson and his
wife, Trudy, outside their Los Angeles County home in 1988. On
Monday, the 4th District Court of Appeal, without comment, denied
Goodwin's request for immediate release. FOR THE RECORD: Thompson
slaying case —An article in some editions of Thursday's California
section about Michael Goodwin, accused of killing racing legend
Mickey Thompson and his wife in Los Angeles County, included a quote
from his attorney saying that a state appellate court had found
Goodwin innocent. As the story stated, the court ruled that Orange
County prosecutors could not prove they had jurisdiction to try
Goodwin for murder. The Los Angeles County district attorney's
office has refused to prosecute Goodwin, citing insufficient
evidence. But the Orange County district attorney's office did file
charges, alleging the murders were plotted in Orange County.
On April 23, the appellate court ordered the dismissal of charges
against Goodwin, ruling that Orange County prosecutors could not
prove they have jurisdiction. The judges' opinion said: "The
prosecuting county is not connected with the murders at all. That is
the problem." After the ruling, Goodwin's attorney, Jeffrey S.
Benice, asked the judges to order Goodwin's immediate release. On
Monday, the court refused. The ruling won't become final for 60
days, meaning Goodwin will remain locked up at least into June.
Benice said Goodwin might have to remain in jail even longer,
because Orange County prosecutors were expected to appeal to the
state Supreme Court. "Goodwin is very disappointed. He has to sit in
the can for another 30 to 60 days, even though the [appellate] court
said he is innocent. He has been locked up for 2 1/2 years. It's an
Orwellian and sad experience," Benice said. Benice said he would
file another motion in June seeking Goodwin's immediate release.
LA Times
5/7/04
Industry News
Watkins Glen to
get a facelift Continuing with a fan-focused initiative
that began last year, Watkins Glen International will begin several
new upgrades to the historic road course, highlighted by new
frontstretch grandstands. Immediately following the final race of
the 2004 season, Glen officials will begin tearing down the existing
frontstretch grandstands and putting in its place new aluminum
grandstand seats that include seatbacks. Ticketholders for the 2004
SIRIUS at The Glen in the frontstretch grandstands will be given
first right of refusal on the new seats for the 2005 event, as is
customary with each renewal year.
"New grandstands are yet another step in our ongoing plan to
renovate and upgrade our facility," said track President Craig Rust.
"The commitment of several million dollars to Watkins Glen
reinforces International Speedway Corporation's commitment to road
racing and The Glen."
In addition to new grandstands, the existing NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series garage will be renovated, answering the calls by teams to
double the width of the doors, making entry and exit much easier. A
new roof will be added, as well as a new exterior to match the
newly-installed gray Sunoco office at the front corner of the
garage.
The multi-million dollar enhancements and upgrades also includes
Phase Three of the ongoing municipal water and sewer project, which
calls for remaining infield areas, including the campgrounds, to be
hooked up to the new system. A new restroom has also been added in
the Gate One area that will include shower capabilities on the
SIRIUS at The Glen NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend.
The Glen
5/7/04
Michelin statement
on proposed single-tire idea The FIA has recently made
public a project for the future which includes the introduction of a
single tire manufacturer in Formula One. Michelin has yet to be
consulted officially on this subject. “I am surprised by this course
of action,” said Michelin Group Chairman and CEO, Edouard Michelin,
“as, when we entered Formula One in 2001, it was following strong
lobbying by certain teams that wanted to benefit from the positive
effects of our technology on the performance of their cars. What’s
more, their requests were supported by the Formula One organizers to
heighten the sporting interest.” Michelin has decided to consult
with all its partners before making its position known on the very
important subject of an eventual single tire monopoly. Michelin is
of course very much in favor of the objective to reduce costs in F1,
costs which have increased greatly in recent years. Faced with this
objective, Michelin believes the single tire manufacturer option is
not a satisfactory solution. On the other hand, Michelin would like
to propose a number of solutions to reduce costs while maintaining
the spirit of competition, that is to say the possibility of
comparing one’s performance against that of one’s competitors,
within the framework of clear and stable rules. [Editor's
Note: Bridgestone and Michelin can collaborate and develop
a single tire together, badged as either Bridgestone or Michelin,
depending on which team they are for. In this way their
engineers can still work on developing better tires over time, but
you would not have the runaway speed escalation you now have with
head-to-head competition. It can be better managed with new
tires being released only with FIA approval - i.e. managed speed
escalation.]
5/7/04
Button tops Free
Practice 2 in Barcelona P. No Driver Team - Engine Tires Times Ave/Gaps Laps
1. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M 1'15"935 219.361 Km/h 19
2. 35 DAVIDSON BAR Honda M 1'16"188 + 0'00"253 34
3. 38 ZONTA Toyota M 1'16"360 + 0'00"425 37
4. 4 R.SCHUMACHER Williams BMW M 1'16"433 + 0'00"498 25
5. 8 ALONSO Renault M 1'16"534 + 0'00"599 20
6. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B 1'16"698 + 0'00"763 28
7. 1 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'16"729 + 0'00"794 25
8. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1'16"734 + 0'00"799 20
9. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'16"798 + 0'00"863 17
10. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 1'16"833 + 0'00"898 24
11. 17 PANIS Toyota M 1'16"925 + 0'00"990 23
12. 3 MONTOYA Williams BMW M 1'17"067 + 0'01"132 27
13. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1'17"069 + 0'01"134 16
14. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 1'17"178 + 0'01"243 31
15. 39 GLOCK Jordan Ford B 1'17"608 + 0'01"673 31
16. 37 WIRDHEIM Jaguar Cosworth M 1'17"676 + 0'01"741 21
17. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 1'17"906 + 0'01"971 22
18. 10 SATO BAR Honda M 1'17"970 + 0'02"035 4
19. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 1'18"001 + 0'02"066 24
20. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 1'18"117 + 0'02"182 23
21. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 1'18"726 + 0'02"791 21
22. 20 BRUNI Minardi Cosworth B 1'19"149 + 0'03"214 17
23. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 1'20"313 + 0'04"378 15
24. 40 LEINDERS Minardi Cosworth B 1'22"189 + 0'06"254 31
5/7/04
Drissi
intense and determined When Motorock Trans-Am series driver Tomy
Drissi heads to the track, his intensity meter is pegged and is sole focus is
on winning. Drissi’s passion and vigor work well behind the wheel of his No. 5
Jaguar XKR and compliment the Rocketsports Racing championship team. Drissi
entered the Trans-Am competition in 1999 and won “Rookie of the Year” honors.
He followed his debut award with “Most Improved Driver” and “Crew of the Year”
for the Drissi Motorsports team, which he formed in 2000. More....
5/7/04
Schumacher tops Free
Practice 1 in Barcelona P. No Driver Team - Engine Tires Times Ave/Gaps Laps
1. 1 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'15"658 220.164 Km/h 8
2. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B 1'16"033 + 0'00"375 8
3. 35 DAVIDSON BAR Honda M 1'16"616 + 0'00"958 26
4. 38 ZONTA Toyota M 1'16"639 + 0'00"981 26
5. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M 1'17"060 + 0'01"402 6
6. 4 R.SCHUMACHER Williams BMW M 1'17"165 + 0'01"507 12
7. 8 ALONSO Renault M 1'17"429 + 0'01"771 11
8. 10 SATO BAR Honda M 1'17"481 + 0'01"823 6
9. 17 PANIS Toyota M 1'17"489 + 0'01"831 6
10. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'17"563 + 0'01"905 5
11. 3 MONTOYA Williams BMW M 1'17"635 + 0'01"977 10
12. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 1'17"763 + 0'02"105 11
13. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1'17"973 + 0'02"315 7
14. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1'18"341 + 0'02"683 16
15. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 1'18"362 + 0'02"704 12
16. 37 WIRDHEIM Jaguar Cosworth M 1'18"603 + 0'02"945 20
17. 15 KLIEN Jaguar Cosworth M 1'18"615 + 0'02"957 14
18. 39 GLOCK Jordan Ford B 1'18"655 + 0'02"997 23
19. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 1'18"760 + 0'03"102 11
20. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 1'18"886 + 0'03"228 12
21. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 1'19"198 + 0'03"540 16
22. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 1'19"925 + 0'04"267 14
23. 20 BRUNI Minardi Cosworth B 1'20"858 + 0'05"200 16
24. 40 LEINDERS Minardi Cosworth B 1'21"053 + 0'05"395 21
25. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 1'21"535 + 0'05"877 17
Gordon picks up Char-Broil
backing Char-Broil®, the world’s leader in gas, charcoal and
electric grills, has joined race driver Robby Gordon as a sponsor of his
Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Busch Series teams. Char-Broil’s portable grill
brand Thermos Grill2Go has prominent identification on the No. 70 Meijer/Coca-Cola
Dallara-Chevrolet that Gordon will race in the May 30th Indy 500. In addition,
Thermos Grill2Go has placement on the No. 55 Fruit of the Loom Chevy that
Gordon drives in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Char-Broil’s Grilling Team Tour will be trackside at the Indianapolis 500 over
Memorial Day weekend, the NASCAR GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International
Speedway on August 22nd and the NASCAR UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor
Speedway on October 16th in Charlotte. The tour consists of a 40-foot mobile
marketing trailer that will travel to races, events and retail locations along
the east coast and throughout the midwest for 27 weeks this summer.
"I've learned during my career that racing success comes from associating
yourself with the right people and forming partnerships with the right
companies," said driver-team owner Gordon. "We've been fortunate enough to do
that with Char-Broil and Grill2Go. Their support allows us to do what we love
to do. Our team has gotten off to a very good start in the NASCAR Busch Series
this year, and I'm confident we'll be competitive at Indianapolis, as well."
5/6/04
Dominguez paces 2nd day at
Milwaukee Those hardy fans
of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford that
braved the chilling temperatures at last year’s night race at the Milwaukee
Mile know all about how quickly the weather can turn for the worse in the
Wisconsin city.
Some of the teams and drivers of the Champ Car World Series got a first-hand
reminder of what Mother Nature can do Thursday afternoon as they dodged
raindrops in a day that tested patience as much as it did race cars. Five
teams disdained the weather forecast and took to the Milwaukee Mile oval in
preparation for the June 3-5 Time Warner Cable Road Runner 250. Heavy cloud
cover greeted the teams in the morning, but the clouds held off long enough
for teams to get some work in before opening up in the noon hour.
The rains caused a three-hour delay while trucks worked to dry the track, but
like it did in last year’s qualifying session at the Mile, the raindrops came
back just as the trucks were making headway and put a premature end to the
day’s efforts.
Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) put up the fastest
lap of the day among the eight drivers that took to the track, making a trip
around the 1.032-mile oval in 21.22 seconds. Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonalds
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) also broke into the 21-second range before the
day was cut short.
Bourdais nearly had his day ended much earlier when he had hard contact with
the Turn Two wall, but upon finding out that Bourdais was unhurt, the
Newman/Haas Racing team went to work on the backup car and had the Frenchman
back on the track in short order.
Both RuSPORT cars, the two PKV Racing machines and the Rocketsports car of
Nelson Philippe (#17 Lease Plan Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) also turned
laps on the breezy day, the second of three test days available to Champ Car
teams at the Milwaukee Mile this week.
“I’ve driven here in a Barber Dodge Pro Series car, but there is absolutely no
comparison between those and Champ Cars,” said Philippe on the venerable oval,
“I think that driving a Pro Series out here now would feel like I was pitting
in a Champ Car.”
Weather permitting, teams will test on the Milwaukee Mile again Friday as they
prepare for the June 3-5 Time Warner Cable Road Runner 250. The event will
feature the Champ Car season’s only night race on Saturday, which can be seen
on Spike TV and HDNet as well as on the official website of the series,
www.champcarworldseries.com. The unofficial top times of the day are
listed below.
1) Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 21.22 seconds
2) Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 21.60
3) Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 21.80
4) Jimmy Vasser (#12 NII Holdings Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 22.03
5) Nelson Philippe (#17 LeasePlan Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 22.32
6) Roberto Gonzalez (#21 NII Holdings Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 22.51
7) A.J. Allmendinger (#10 RuSPORT Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 22.61
8) Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) – 22.67
5/6/04
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix to mimic
Champ Cars street circuit market
In an
interview with Pitpass, Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, or
simply 'Mak' said, "We know the circuits that we're going to use and there'll
be a lot of street races," he replies. "We don't want to do ovals. We're
currently looking at between ten and fourteen different events." Well,
we hear they may have already beaten Champ Car to sign a deal with Durban,
South Africa. What's next?
5/6/04
Briatore: Monaco meeting
best in 14 years Q: What are your feelings about the rule changes?
You were pushing for major, major cuts. You wanted 50 percent cost cutting.
How do you feel about the meeting on Tuesday?
BRIATORE: It depends on the budget you have. You are cutting 50 percent, if
someone is already cutting 50 percent it is not possible to cut another 50
percent. I believe we need to do something and the meeting was very good and,
really, it is one of the first few meetings good in Formula One in the last 14
years. I believe that together we need to do something because we need to take
care of our public, our customers, the people watching television. We need to
give them a better race. I don’t think that people care if, in Fernando’s car,
there is a 2.4 liter engine, a three liter, 1.9, people don’t really have an
interest in that. What they are interested in is if Fernando and Michael are
fighting together. They want to watch a race. And our product is so expensive
and we never take into consideration our customer. I mean, it is a very
engineering exercise, our business, and we forget there are millions and
millions of people watching us, we forget the marketing issue, we forget the
commercial issue. Ten years I have been talking about that and everyone thinks
that I don’t have the motorsport in my stomach or this shit. Now everybody has
motorsport in the stomach and everyone has run out of money and it is very
good! Full Interview - Alonso & Briatore
5/6/04 Industry News
One Lap of America comes
to Road America One Lap of
America competitors from all over the U.S., in a wide variety of
competition-prepared vehicles, will be on track at Road America. Gates open at
7 a.m. and entrance is free. Andrew The Bachelor and Adam Firestone, along
with George Bruggenthies, Road America president and son Alec, are among the
competitors. Car and Driver magazine columnist Tony Swan and new bride Mary
Seelhorst are competing, plus uplinking photos and daily stories to Car and
Driver's website,
www.caranddriver.com Competitors will be driving to Elkhart Lake from
Hallett, Okla., a 900-mile cross-country trek for the next-to-last day of the
endurance event. The first runs will start around 9 a.m. and the second runs
will start around 12:30 p.m. Following the second runs, teams will head off
for the seventh and final day of the competition in the endurance event to be
held at Tire Rack's headquarters in South Bend, Ind.
5/6/04
John Andretti wants to do
double John Andretti said during his segment when ask what his plans
are to run the Indy 500 and possible the Coca-Cola 600 in May: "I hate not
being out there every weekend, and hopefully the plan is to get back on track
as soon as possible. The Coca-Cola 600 is such a great race as is the Indy
500. We were the first one to do them both, and I would love to do them again.
Who knows what's going to happen? But we're working toward both of them
actually at this point, and we'll see. Obviously the Coca-Cola 600 is toward
the end (of the month), and right up to the end, we're looking at all of the
options, but then we have the Indy 500 and there are so many activities that
go on. Even though the track opens, it doesn't mean there's not an
opportunity. There are three days of qualifying, and, of course, the last day
of qualifying being after the Nextel All-Star Challenge."
FoxSports
5/6/04
Larry Foyt wants to do
double too Larry Foyt will be heading to Indianapolis on Sunday, May
9th to spend the month of May preparing the car for his first attempt to run
in the Indy 500. Foyt Racing is still in search of a sponsor for the event,
and would also be interested in running the "Memorial Day Double" when a
sponsor is found. There will be three Foyt's at Indy for the first time ever,
AJ (as owner), Anthony (14 Conseco) and Larry. “It’s incredible,” Larry said.
“I have always said that Indy was the reason I wanted to drive race cars.
Every time I go there I am reminded of that--the place just gives me chills.
By far it will be the biggest thing I’ve done in my life. I am thrilled beyond
words.” Any one interested in sponsoring Foyt Racing in the Indy 500 or the
Memorial Day Double should contact Foyt Racing in Mooresville, NC
5/6/04
Montoya calls for
permanent Race Stewards "You need more consistency. We have been
pushing to have the same stewards every weekend,” Juan Montoya said in
Barcelona on Thursday. ‘I think everybody believes that would be a good thing.
It's about how the things are handled. You are meant to do one move on the
straight and after the first chicane he went all the way to the left and all
the way to the right, so how do you handle that? That's two moves. We need to
know what we are and are not allowed to do.”
"I don't mind closing the door and things like that but I do mind when you
actually hit someone off the circuit. You look at his hands, the way they
went, you can't do anything. People complain there is no overtaking, it is
boring, but you try to do some overtaking and when you are taken off the
circuit nothing happens. How do you allow overtaking when you make moves like
that?”
"What are you allowed to do and what are you not allowed to do. I think it
needs to be clearer. But we have to have some sort of rules. If it is out of
hand like this with rules, then without rules it would be outrageous."
5/6/04
Borg Warner trophy
expanded The Borg-Warner Trophy, which carries the sterling silver
bas-relief likeness of each Indianapolis 500 winner, has been enlarged to
accommodate additional winners through 2034. The expansion "ensures a place
for Indianapolis 500 winners to be honored for the next generation,"
Indianapolis Motor Speedway senior vice president Joie Chitwood said Thursday.
The trophy now stands 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches and weighs 150 pounds, an increase
of 4 inches and 15 pounds. The difference is in an enlarged base, which is
12-3/4 inches high.
5/6/04
NASCAR looks to diminish
Champ Car on Spike TV The oval track cartel continues to attack
the Champ Car product from every angle. Now they are muscling in on
Spike TV. Prediction: NASCAR will soon overwhelm Spike TV with their
brand of racing, so much so that Champ Car will be hardly visible. Press
Release: Spike TV hits the ignition Sunday, May 9 (10:00-10:30pm) with
the greatest thrills and spills from the history of NASCAR with Stock Car
Nation. This original, half-hour series, will delve into the network's rich
collection of NASCAR highlights and will feature thrilling moments from the
sport's most memorable races. Stock Car Nation will run the gamut of NASCAR
history with different themed episodes including a countdown of racing's royal
families, a look at the "Bad Boys of Racing," a compilation of Stock Car's
most fantastic finishes, and a decade of bumper to bumper battles between Dale
Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. "This isn't your dad's highlight show - it's a
wild, action-packed trip through the hottest moments in NASCAR history," said
Kevin Kay, Executive Vice-President, Programming & Production, Spike TV. "This
must-see series for the NASCAR fan serves as a major component of our "Motor
Mayhem" month. The series also includes exclusive interviews with NASCAR's top
drivers as they take a look back at many of the sport's most historic and
unforgettable moments. Those interviewed include Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt
Jr., Matt Kenseth, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson, Bobby
Labonte, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Elliott Sadler, Greg Biffle, Buddy Baker,
Donnie Allison, and Ned Jarrett. Legendary artist, Sam Bass, who was NASCAR's
first officially licensed artist and who creates the car paint schemes for
many of the sport's top drivers, will have his original art displayed on the
series. "I'm thrilled to be a part of Spike TV's new program," said Bass.
"Having grown up watching the sport and always wanting to be involved through
my artwork, this platform for showcasing my artwork and integrating it with
the sport's history is a tremendous opportunity." Spike TV PR
5/6/04
Local government
campaigning for IRL race at The Glen Letters were received today
from Barbara Halpin, interim President, Schuyler County chamber of commerce.
The letter stated "the chamber has joined a regional effort to secure an Indy
League race here at Watkins Glen International in 2005. The potential benefits
to Schuyler and the region are many, including direct spending, increase in
sales tax and additional exposure. You can help us secure a race by joining in
a letter writing campaign. We have included a sample letter for your use.
Please feel free to create your own. Please send a copy of your letter back to
the Chamber so we can track our progress. ..." The sample letter, addressed to
Mr. Ken Ungar, Senior VP of Business Affairs, IRL, is as follows: "Dear Mr.
Ungar: I'm a big fan of auto racing and a big fan of Watkins Glen
International. "The Glen" hosts a broad range of racing events. The facility
is great, the staff is professional, and it all comes together as one of the
best locations for road racing. Fans come from all over the Northeast and
Canada. There is one thing that is missing...open wheel racing. Won't you
please consider Watkins Glen International for an Indy Racing League event?
The teams are prepared for road courses; IRL should come to the location where
it all started. After all, they've been racing in Watkins Glen since the late
1940's. As a race fan, the combination of Indy Racing League and Watkins
Glen would be very powerful. Sell lots of tickets, open up a new market, and
be the newest part of America's road racing history. Best regards, Your Name"
[Editor's Note: She forgot to mention CART deemed the track too unsafe
for their fast open wheel cars. Even though the IRL cars will be much
slower than a Champ Car, the IRL will still have to accept unsafe conditions
for their drivers, or demand the track make improvements. Will the IRL
draw a big crowd at The Glen? Absolutely not. Why they are road
racing is beyond us. Their fan base is primarily oval track folks who
despised everything about what CART was. Now they have foreign drivers,
leased engines, high cost and road races. They would be wise to stick
with their original business plan - riding piggyback on NASCAR on the ovals.]
5/6/04
McFarland crashes in TMS
test Mark McFarland was involved in a fourth-turn incident
during the final hours of Wednesday's Dodge NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series test
at Texas Motor Speedway. McFarland, driver of the Harris Trucking Dodge, was
transported by ground to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth following the
accident as a precautionary measure. McFarland made hard contact with the
fourth-turn wall with his truck coming to rest on the apron. McFarland was out
of the truck and walking around with safety personnel following the incident.
Seven Dodge teams participated in the first of a two-day test at Texas. The
drivers testing included Ted Musgrave, Andy Houston, Bobby Hamilton, Chase
Montgomery, Chad Chaffin, Steve Park and McFarland.
5/6/04
IRL's day in DC
2001 Indianapolis 500 MBNA Pole winner Scott Sharp gave members of Congress
and the media rides in an IndyCar(R) Series two-seater race car through the
streets of Washington D.C., on Wednesday, May 5 in a ceremony honoring the
88th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Also participating in the ceremony, hosted by U.S. Representative Julia Carson
of Indiana and the Indiana Society of Washington, D.C., were Indianapolis
Motor Speedway President and CEO Tony George, three-time Indianapolis 500
winner Johnny Rutherford, two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., 1998 Indy 500
winner Eddie Cheever Jr. and recently retired Indy 500 veteran Robbie Buhl.
"We had a great day in Washington D.C. where we helped Delphi celebrate
Indiana Day," George said. "They hosted a reception here in Washington for
Congressional delegates and members of the media who came out, and we had a
great afternoon. We were introduced by Congresswoman Julia Carson, who later
took a two-seater ride with Scott Sharp, which was a highlight of the day.
"It was a great opportunity for the Indy Racing League and Indianapolis Motor
Speedway to be represented here in the nation's capital to kick off the month
of May."
Congressional delegates that took rides included U.S. Representatives Carson,
who received the inaugural ride, and Chris Chocola, both from Indiana. U.S.
Representative Mike Pence of Indiana will take a two-seater ride at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It was great," Sharp said. "There's so much excitement around May for
Indiana, obviously. We're about to kickoff a three-week stretch. There's such
support that comes from Julia Carson, so to have the two-seater down here and
to be able to drive around the Capitol grounds as well as give her a ride, it
was pretty special."
Sharp and Unser will compete in the 88th Indianapolis 500. Cheever owns
Indianapolis 500 participant Red Bull Cheever Racing, while Buhl is co-owner
of Indy participant Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Rutherford is a driving coach
for the Indy Racing League(R) and drives the Pace Car at league events.
The 88th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 30. Indianapolis Star
Opening Day is Sunday, May 9, with Pole Day Saturday, May 15.
5/6/04
Bourdais totals
car at MilwaukeeUPDATE McDonald's® driver Sebastien
Bourdais was involved in a testing accident at approx. 9:15 a.m. CST today but
did not sustain any injuries. It was the second of a two-day test that began
yesterday at the 1.032-mile Milwaukee Mile oval at the Wisconsin State
Fairgrounds. Bourdais lost control of his race car between Turns 1 & 2 and
made heavy contact with the concrete wall at the exit of Turn 2. The extent of
the damage will not be known until the car returns to the race shop in
Lincolnshire, Ill. He resumed testing in his backup race car until rain ended
the day in mid-afternoon. "I was probably going 150 mph when the back end of
the car swapped ends between the first and second turns," said Bourdais.
"There was no warning. It was a hard hit but fortunately I was okay. We were
able to continue testing in the back up car until the rain came." Both
Bourdais and PacifiCare driver Bruno Junqueira tested yesterday while Bourdais
continued today. Neither the amount of miles completed nor the best lap time
was available at release time. Newman/Haas Racing
5/6/04 - Newman/Haas driver Sebastien Bourdais had a big accident today at
Milwaukee. He is OK, but his car is totaled. The high
cost of oval track racing continues. Yesterday Hunter-Reay was
on a flyer when Roberto Gonzalez, driving substantially slower,
unexpectedly pulled down into Ryan's line taking all the air off the
front of the #4 car at the exact time all of the weight of the #4
car was transferred to the front of Ryan's car because Ryan had
totally backed out of the throttle attempting to avoid Gonzalez.
Ryan did an amazing job of not only avoiding Gonzalez but then
keeping it off the wall riding out a pretty spectacular tank slapper
with plumes of smoke. We imagine Ryan went to have a talk with
Jimmy Vasser about schooling Gonzalez about not coming down on cars
that are passing at warp speed. The EXACT same thing just
happened to Bourdais in the exact same place (exit of T2) but this
time it was Nelson Philippe that was the offender.
5/6/04
Photos from Petty
Charity ride
5/6/04
Gordon victim of
drunken NASCAR Bubbas The celebration after Jeff
Gordon won the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway last weekend was
much more subdued than his victory lap around Talladega (Ala.)
Superspeedway. But then again, that's like Barry Bonds saying
he isn't fazed by baseball's steroid scandal.
California Speedway fans didn't throw quite as many beer bottles and
soda cans at Gordon's No. 24 Chevy as their Talladega counterparts.
But more things came flying out of the stands than Gordon would like
to see. This is a hard one to figure out. On a day when Tony
Stewart was swiping cars, pushing drivers out of his way, being more
annoying than an old lady doing 55 in the fast lane, Gordon is the
one being targeted as the bad guy by fans. OK, maybe there
were a couple of idiot fans who thought it would be funny to act
like the idiot fans in Alabama and throw stuff at Gordon's car.
To his credit, Gordon has a pretty good sense of humor about it. He
even joked about how he isn't going to copy Indy Racing League
driver Helio Castroneves' act of climbing fences after winning
races. "I think I would be in trouble then," Gordon said.
"It's funny, I was driving along and I was heading to the
start-finish line after the race was over to go do a burnout and all
of a sudden ... bam! I thought I must have run over something. And
then I saw a bottle fly in front of me."
So far, the damage has been minimal, just a couple of dents and
chips on the fenders and hood. But the more brazen fans get, the
more likely someone will throw a beer bottle on the track during a
race when cars are turning laps at 190 mph. "I agree things
should not be thrown on the track," Gordon said. "Certainly not
during a race." Apparently, objects have been hurled at
Gordon's car during a race in the past. "I can remember at
Charlotte several years ago, a full can of some beverage thrown over
on the back straightaway, and I drilled it -- I mean right through
the windshield," Gordon said. "It has happened. We're seeing a lot
more now."
Daily News
5/6/04
BAR confirms Honda
to stay "We will be with Honda for some years to come,"
BAR team boss Dave Richards told the Formula 1 media in Spain, but
he was not willing to give more details about the plans for the
relationship. The current deal between the team and the Japanese
engine manufacturer runs out at the end of the current season but
negotiations have been going on for some time and it seems that the
logical conclusion has been reached to continue building the current
relationship with the aim of taking BAR to the top and returning
Honda to a dominant place in F1. The company was unbeatable in F1 in
the late 1980s and early 1990s but has struggled to beat Ferrari in
the last few years.
Grandprix.com
5/6/04
North Carolina
test facility planned An effort is gearing up to
build a state-funded motorsports test-track complex near Charlotte,
with organizers saying the $50 million facility would help attract
more Nextel Cup teams to the area. The Charlotte Regional
Partnership is spearheading the idea, seeking up to 150 acres within
30 miles of Lowe's Motor Speedway for a facility that would include
super speedway, mid-length oval and road-course tracks. "It could be
configured to represent 75% of the types of tracks on the NASCAR
circuit," says Michael Almond, chief executive of the regional
partnership, a 16-county, public-private economic development
agency. The complex, tentatively dubbed the N.C. Motorsports Testing
and Research Complex, would include garages, administrative space
and about $5 million in testing equipment but no grandstands. No
site has been selected. The proposal faces two key challenges:
Organizers are seeking state funds to pay for construction, and they
want the land to be donated. "We are assuming that the land would be
contributed as a way of having skin in the game," Almond says. Such
property may already be available. Sources familiar with the
test-track proposal say officials in Cabarrus, Iredell and Stanly
counties have expressed interest in the project, suggesting sites
that would be available at little or no cost. Also, Humpy Wheeler,
president of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has offered 100 acres at the
Lowe's Motor Speedway for the complex. Presumably, that Cabarrus
site would have to be supplemented by 50 acres. Some have suggested
using North Carolina Speedway at Rockingham for the testing complex,
especially if that track loses its last NASCAR-sanctioned race.
Charlotte Business Journal
5/6/04
Mixed report for
SMI Speedway
Motorsports Inc. today reported lower first-quarter revenues and
earnings because this year's Texas Motor Speedway NASCAR races fell
in the second quarter but said its figures were up for comparable
events. The Charlotte-based track operator reported first-quarter
revenues of $122.2 million, down 16 percent or $23.9 million; net
income of $24.7 million, down 29 percent or $10.1 million; and
diluted earnings per share of 57 cents, down 30 percent or 25 cents.
But when comparing similar race schedules in 2003 and 2004, which
exclude the Texas NASCAR events, using other than generally accepted
accounting principles, the company said results reflect increases in
revenues of $17.2 million or 16 percent, net income of $5.6 million
or 29 percent and diluted earnings per share of 12 cents or 27
percent, over last year. The company said it had record attendance
for its spring Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and for its
Busch Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, along with sellouts
for Cup.
NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter
5/6/04
Drivers circle
wagons over Mile
This Milwaukee Journal
article talks about Champ Car's last remaining oval on their
schedule - the Milwaukee Mile. Essentially this may be the
last year the Champ Cars visit the historic Mile. If
attendance remains lackluster this year with 2 for 1 ticket deals,
it could be the final time we see Champ Car on ovals in the USA.
NASCAR rules the ovals in the USA. Everything else pales in
comparison, including the IRL. If a form of racing is not
profitable, like any unprofitable business, it needs to be
eliminated to stop the hemorrhaging of money.
5/6/04
The IRL is not
real racing and AJ Foyt is obsolete
In this Racingpress.com
article, the boys from Brazil take a few good pot shots at
the IRL and their beloved AJ Foyt. We summarize:
Helio’s deepest desire, of course, is Formula One. But you get a
sense of resignation, and a slight fade of that everlasting smile,
that signals the understanding that perhaps his window to compete in
an F1 setting is closing. “Hope is the last to die. But I know each
passing day doesn’t make me any closer to it. [Last year’s Toyota F1
test] was the biggest disappointment of my life, to do so well and
not have another shot.”
While Moreno is seeking a ride at the world’s most famous
superspeedway, a couple of other drivers think differently. “It’s
not that I don’t like ovals, but sixteen of them every year?” says
Gualter Salles, owner of the Golden Cross team comprised of drivers
Thiago Camilo and André Bragantini. Salles hasn’t given up on a
Champ Car ride for 2004. He was in talks with Dale Coyne and Pat
Patrick, but things didn’t materialize the way he’d hoped.
Echoing Salles’ discontent with left-turning-only is 2001 Toyota
Atlantic champion Hoover Orsi. Driver of the #12 Terra car, Orsi is
having his first full racing season since his Atlantic title. “When
I won the championship, there were 25 cars in CART,” Orsi states.
“On my turn to move up, it fell down to 18. I wanted to be in CART
real bad, but was forced into a sabbatical.” Orsi shares
Salles’ disdain for IRL racing. “No braking, no downshifting,
no proper turning? That’s not really driving, is it?” he
asks.
On the other side of the fence is Airton Dare, who had a promising
IRL career a couple of years ago. “I want to race ovals. It’s what I
do best. But only in 2005, since I have a good contract here,” Dare
says. Airton Dare hasn’t forgotten the good times he had in
the IRL, which included one win. Tony George’s league is where he’s
set his sights – as long as the last name “Foyt” isn’t in the cards.
“It’s a shame to say, but the old man’s just obsolete,”
says Dare, who spent a portion of his IndyCar career driving for A.J.
Foyt Racing. “He wants to make the setups himself, using the same
standards from his driving days. But technology has come a long way
in the past 30 years. Perhaps [A.J. Foyt IV] could learn and improve
if he were in a different team, without his grandfather complicating
everything around him.”
5/6/04
NASCAR hands out Talladega
fines Nextel Cup crew chiefs Ted Brown, Mike Ford and Terry
Wooten were fined Wednesday by NASCAR for rules violations at Talladega
Superspeedway. NASCAR said Brown, crew chief for Morgan Shepherd, was assessed
$2,000 for allowing crew member Scott Cianci to go over the wall without a
helmet during the race April 25. NASCAR said the crew chief assumes the
responsibility for the actions of team members. Ford, Dale Jarrett's crew
chief, and Wooten, crew chief for Kenny Wallace, were fined $1,000 apiece for
using unapproved underpans. Both violations were discovered during the
pre-qualifying inspection on April 23. AP Story
5/6/04
Indy 500 radio coverage
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and its affiliates will provide
extensive coverage from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the month
of May leading up to and including the 88th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on
Sunday, May 30.
More than 400 affiliate IMS Radio Network radio stations located throughout
the United States and Canada - plus the LeSea Broadcasting network, which
provides worldwide shortwave radio coverage, and the American Forces Radio
Network, which broadcasts to United States military installations and ships
around the world - will broadcast live Race Day coverage of the Indianapolis
500 at 11 a.m. (EDT) May 30 with a pre-race show, followed by the Indianapolis
500 broadcast at noon. More.....
5/6/04
Rocketsports tests at
Milwaukee
Rocketsports drivers Alex Tagliani and Nelson Philippe took to the 1.032 mile
oval in the heart of Milwaukee for the first of a two-day test session
involving the majority of Champ Car World Series drivers. Pole sitter of the
2003 Milwaukee Mile, Alex Tagliani was second quickest of the day posting a
lap time of 20.9 seconds without the use of the “push-to-pass” boost.
Tagliani, who finished fifth here last season, was pleased with the test
results and performance of the No. 8 Johnson Controls Lola. “This was the
first test on an oval for the 2004 Rocketsports team and we were among the
quickest. Things look great with the team and the set-up of the car was
effective,” said Tagliani. “I had to fight some over-steer, but now is the
time to work on that and any other foreseeable problems with time to prepare
the car, rather than in the race weekend. “The cool conditions were perfect
for testing since the Milwaukee race is a night race. We had some good speed
and I’m confident the car will qualify well here when the time comes,” said
Tagliani with a look ahead to the June 5th race. Adding to the string of
‘firsts’ in his career, Rookie sensation Nelson Philippe in the No. 17
LeasePlan Lola, today ran a Champ Car on an oval for the first time. While
Philippe is familiar with the Milwaukee Mile from his Barber Dodge days, his
experience in a 750 horsepower Champ Car was positive, and left the French
teenager eager to compete with the full field on the historic ring. “We had an
excellent session today and I was very impressed with the Lola on the oval. I
built up my speed with each lap and expect this will improve tomorrow,” said
Philippe, who posted a lap time of 22.0 seconds. “Rocketsports has done well
here in the past with Alex on the pole last year, and this is a benefit to us
all. “The No.17 Lola was fast and I was patient to develop the handling and
even passing before pushing it, but that will come! I’m looking forward to the
challenge of all 18 cars on the track and feel well prepared for it,”
concluded Philippe. Catch Tagliani and Philippe in the Time Warner Cable Road
Runner 250 at the Milwaukee Mile in Round Three of the Bridgestone Presents
The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford, which is set for the evening of
Saturday June 5, 2004. Rocketsports
Engine manufacturers to
meet in Spain Formula One's seven engine manufacturers will
meet during this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in a bid to agree regulations
designed to cut costs in half. The engine suppliers - Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes-
Benz, Renault, Honda, Ford and Toyota - have agreed in principle to cut their
costs by fifty percent, with current totaled expenditure at one thousand
million Euros a year. They have been given four weeks to finalize
proposals for a potential change in 2006 to submit to the FIA World Council,
which is scheduled to meet in Paris on June 30th, and will kick-start
discussions at the Circuit de Catalunya.
"The engine manufacturers - the seven companies concerned with engines - are
going to sit down together to reduce the costs of the engines by fifty
percent," said FIA President Max Mosley, who met with team bosses in Monaco on
Tuesday. "The engine companies all stayed behind after the meeting to arrange
an agenda so that they all meet in Barcelona and really get on with this with
speed.
"Originally they said they wanted to come with proposals for a fifty percent
reduction in costs and they wanted two months. We said 'can't do that because
these proposals are going to go to the World Council on June 30' and also
there is an agreement between the engine manufacturers that they can do a new
engine for 2006 provided they know what they are doing before July 1.
"They need that 18 months to do it. After that we said to them 'well, please
do make these proposals but we want them within 30 days, not within 60 days'."
Mosley wants engines to last for multiple events, and is keen for horsepower
to be reduced as he attempts to halt increasing speeds in the series. The
proposals made are intended for 2008, but Mosley believes that if the seven
manufacturers can agree that new regulations will be brought in for the 2006
season.
The engine bosses will also discuss whether to accept Mosley's push for
2.4-litre V8 power units or ensure a 3-litre V10 can be used for up to six
races.
F1-Live
5/5/04
Milwaukee test times
(Wednesday)
On a cold and windy day with about 30 people watching testing today at the
Milwaukee Mile, below are the official times right from Cosworth.
Carpentier: 20.86
Hunter-Reay: 20.93
Tagliani: 20.98
Junqueira: 21.00
Bourdais: 21.14
Tracy: 21.22
Wilson: 21.39
Vasser: 21.44
Jourdain: 22.04 (50 Miles Only)
Philippe: 22.09
Dominguez: 22.27 (50 Miles Only)
Sperafico: 22.27
Gonzalez: 22.82
Allmendinger: No Time
Hunter-Reay had a great tank slapper coming out of turn 2, slid a bit and kept
it pointed on the straight, kept it off the wall no damage or yellow. We
noticed that the infield needs some work in the next month! Forecast for
rain tomorrow in Milwaukee is 40% by Noon increasing to 60% by 3PM. The
test concludes on Friday. More....
5/5/04
What it means to win the
Indy 500
Quotes from all living past winners of the Indianapolis 500 about what it
means to win the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" (listed alphabetically by
driver, followed by years of victory in parentheses): The 88th Indianapolis
500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 30. Indianapolis Star Opening Day is Sunday,
May 9.
MARIO ANDRETTI
(1969): "Winning the Indy 500 changed my life. It created tremendous
opportunities that I wouldn't have had at that stage of my career. It's the
only single auto race in the world that is as valuable as winning a
championship." More.....
5/5/04
NASCAR OK with
Tony Stewart's actions After the incidents this past
race at the California Speedway Cup race between Tony Stewart and
Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace, few have asked what would happen to
Stewart, saw this........But NASCAR on Monday said, no harm, no
foul. Well, at least no foul. "We addressed Tony Stewart's driving
before [Friday's] practice started at California and there was
nothing that happened on the race track [Sunday] that we would term
anything other than a racing incident," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice
president of communications. I don't know if Rusty's had a chance to
review film or video of the race, but it was just a racing accident.
[Stewart] got loose. That happens. It just happened to be Tony
Stewart." Stewart, who underwent anger-management counseling at the
direction of his Home Depot sponsor two years ago, has been
remarkably proficient at finding controversy on the track recently.
He also banged doors with eventual winner Jeff Gordon, and drove
behind Ricky Rudd and briefly lifted Rudd's Ford off the pavement
with the nose of his Chevrolet. "Tony has a way of picking up the
bull's-eye," Hunter said. "When stuff happens with Tony, he becomes
an obvious target. He's a hard charger, there's no doubt about that.
But so is Rusty and a lot of other drivers, and that's one of the
things that makes our sport so great." Hunter also said NASCAR was
not going to reprimand Wallace for his on-air comments.
Los Angeles Times
5/5/04
Fans treated for
heat exhaustion at California Speedway Nearly 1,000 people were treated by
on-site medical facilities, almost all for heat-related issues. The
speedway has eight permanent first-aid buildings and the infield
care center. There were 92,000 fans in the grandstands, and about
20,000 in the infield. The reported temperature at the speedway
Sunday was 98.6 degrees with a track temperature of 139.7. Speedway
spokesman Dennis Bickmeier said the speedway used 18 misting
machines, six behind the terrace suites in the garage area, and 12
spread behind the grandstands and midway. The public address system
advised fans to hydrate themselves. Bottled water sold for $3, but
the track has more than 25 drinking fountains. Concessionaires were
still doing inventory on Monday, but Bickmeier said more than 70,000
bottles of soda and lemonade were consumed, and at least 80,000
bottles of water.
Los Angeles Times
5/5/04
Solution to F1
tire dilemma Now that the FIA has decided to switch
to a single tire supplier to reduce cost and the speed escalation
brought on by a tire war, much talk centers around what will the
company that loses the bid do? In fact, both Michelin and
Bridgestone might lose the bid to, say, a Pirelli. Again this
is where we would apply the AutoRacing1.com engine badging concept
to the tires. Either the two companies can develop a single
tire together and half the cars would run with the spec tire badged
as a Bridgestone and the other half Michelin, or one company can
make the tires and any number of companies can badge them for a
tolling fee. It can work with engines as well as tires.
Of course the traditionalists will say we're nuts, but the badging
concept allows multiple companies to be involved in the sport at a
much less R&D investment, but a corresponding increase in marketing
and advertising. From a commercial aspect the sport gets more
money and the companies can still advertise they won a race if the
winner's tire has their badge on it. Michael Schumacher can
still have the Bridgestone brand on his Ferrari and Alonso the
Michelin brand on his Renault. Do you really think the average
consumer would know the difference, or care for that matter?
It's time to put egos aside. May common sense (accept badging
or a lot of potential companies who want to be involved will be on
the outside looking in) and fiscal responsibility prevail.
There is no reason why Champ Car could not use a similar system.
There's no question they can use additional manufacturer/supplier
involvement. Mark C.
5/5/04
Auto giant to
combine series or kill one According to a report in this
week's Autosport Magazine, ether the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup or
the Dallara Nissan World Series will be axed for next season as part
of rationalization of the two companies' motorsport activities.
Nissan parent Renault is working on a plan that will result in a
maximum of three categories under its new premier series, GP2, in
place of the current five. Its bosses want a more defined route to
the Formula 1 feeder series in Europe. Renault Sport
Technologies competitions director Jean-Paul Mari said: "It is
stupid for the group to have both FRenault V6 and Dallara Nissan. We
have to rationalize. We want three clear steps: one
class with around 400bhp, one with 200bhp and another with 125bhp."
Mari claimed that stopping either FRenault V6 or the Dallara Nissan
was just one option. A new formula combining elements of the two is
another possibility, as is rebranding the World Series as the V6
Eurocup. The World Series Lights, which supports Dallara
Nissan, is certain to be scrapped. It is attracting grids in the
region of 10 cars while the Formula Renault 2000 category is booming
on four continents. Combining Renault's Formula Monza
category, also known as FRenault 1600 in Belgium, and Nissan's
Formula Junior series only involves rebadging identical cars.
[Editor's Note: There needs to be a similar restructuring of
the open wheel ladder series in the USA too]
5/5/04
Spanish GP to
extend F1 deal While Bernie Ecclestone is in town, Spanish
GP bosses are hoping to confirm a new deal to keep their race at
Barcelona until 2011 this weekend.
5/5/04
Byrne to stop in
2007 Ferrari chief designer Rory Byrne will not renew his
contract when it runs out in early 2007. The 60-year-old, who
will still be in charge of the design of the next three Ferrari
Formula 1cars, may still retain an involvement in the team. He could
take a consultancy role. Speaking exclusively to
Autosport, he said: "My contract finishes in February 2007. It's a
while still. We'll see at that point in time, but I certainly won't
be carrying on in my present capacity. That's certain. I'm not even
worried about it, and I'm fully committed at the moment."
Byrne explained that one of his principal jobs over the next three
years will be to put a structure in place to ensure he is adequately
replaced. "We're already working in that direction," he said.
"I'm confident that when I leave, Ferrari is actually going to be a
stronger team. We're bringing on some very good people."
5/5/04
Brawn: Test ban
will not save money In the latest issue of Autosport
Magazine, Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn believes that the
decision to restrict the amount of testing that the larger teams can
do will not save money because they will only spend cash on more
expensive solutions based in their factories. The plan
by the smaller Formula 1 teams and FIA president Max Mosley to
dramatically cut back on testing in a bid to slash costs is
misplaced, claims one of the sport's leading technical figures.
Speaking about the major testing ban, Brawn said: ªYou have got to
be careful you don't just distort the whole thing and do the same
work some other way. "We test because we have the funds
to do it and it is the most efficient way for us to develop the car.
If you stop us going to the circuit then we will test at the factory
and any way we can dream of. So, I don't know if reducing testing is
a solution. I know it is a grim statement but everyone
has a choice in the amount of testing they do, it is not a
compulsory activity. In the same way Williams has two wind tunnels,
we have one because we choose to spend our money on testing and the
balance between wind tunnels and testing."
5/5/04
XBox to sponsor
Brad Pollard in IndyCars
Brad Pollard is in his first full season competing in the IRL Menards
Infiniti Pro Series™. He plans to add to his workload by running in
the final three IRL IndyCar Series® races of the season. Pollard,
38, said during the IRL teleconference May 4 that he plans to
compete in both IndyCar Series and Menards Infiniti Pro Series races
at Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 11-12), California Speedway (Oct.
2-3) and Texas Motor Speedway (Oct. 16-17). Xbox, sponsor of his
Menards Infiniti Pro Series car, will be the primary sponsor of his
IndyCar Series effort. Pollard said he is exploring whether to use
sponsor money to “purchase and build a team from scratch or whether
we’re going to just align with another team and do a turn-key
operation.” “We’re working on a plan for ’05, aligning back with
Xbox for the full season in an IRL IndyCar Series car,” said
Pollard, the Southwest Formula Mazda Series Rookie of the Year in
2002. “There are still a few partnerships that we’re working on that
we can’t announce yet, but there are some very exciting things
coming. “My goal is to get something up and running by June 1
because we really need to be purchasing cars and getting tests set
up in order to get me prepared for September because I need as much
seat times as I can get.”
IRL
5/5/04
Hemelgarn pulls
Indy 500 entry
Hemelgarn Racing has cancelled plans to run a car in this year's Indy
500, because it cannot find a sponsor for the diminished event.
The team is now concentrating on running a car in the Infiniti Pro
Series for Paul Dana and exploring options for a Champ Car program
later in the season. "If you can't do Indy, it's really
difficult to fill in just for the other IRL races," Hemelgarn Racing
manager Lee Kunzman told Indystar.com. "We're in the racing
business, so if I want to keep my crew, I've got to find a place for
them to race. What I'm looking for is survival." Hemelgarn's
withdrawal, added to that of PDM Racing, makes it less likely that a
full 33-car field will line up for the 500 on May 30. Hence
why you will see teams like Team Penske pull out their backup cars
and qualify them on Bump Day.
5/5/04
Verstappen
has seat fitting at Jordan Jos Verstappen today had a seat
fitting at the Jordan factory in preparation for a test with the
Silverstone-based team. Our rumors page had previous stories
on the possibility of Jos replacing Heidfeld or Pantano in the not
too distant future.
5/5/04
More on NASCAR's car of
the future NASCAR may be
stepping up plans for its "car of the future." "The first iteration of the car
is going together right now," said John Darby, NASCAR's competition director.
"Once it's completed it will take quite some time to smash it and crash it
(testing for crash-worthiness) to see what works and what doesn't. So we're a
ways out with it. There is another debate, too, about where to introduce the
car. At Daytona and Talladega, for example, aerodynamics is so critical that
if we're a little off it shows up a whole bunch. So let's maybe roll it out at
Martinsville, so if the aero isn't exactly right, we'll at least be able to
get through the weekend." There is talk, however, that the project may be
doomed. Darby dismisses such talk: "It's far from dead. Typically what happens
is the ideas keep getting better as we go through the process. You get
something engineered and apply it to the car, and then 30 days down the road
somebody comes up with a better idea. So there's a lot of leapfrogging. The
teams have helped a lot; their engineers have given us a ton of input. It is
an intricate process. "It could probably be run in late '05 somewhere. But '06
is probably a better date."
Winston Salem Journal
5/5/04
Interview with Brad
Pollard and Felipe Giaffone
Welcome to the Indy Racing League's weekly teleconference. Today's
teleconference features driver Brad Pollard from the Menards Infiniti Pro
Series, and driver Felipe Giaffone from the IndyCar Series. Brad Pollard joins
us on the call first, and Felipe will join us soon. We'll start the call with
Brad. Brad was the Southwest Formula Mazda Series Rookie-of-the-Year in 2002.
He joined the Menards Infiniti Pro Series for the final two races of the 2003
season, and is back for his first full season here in 2004. Thanks for joining
us today, Brad.
Full Transcript
5/5/04
Dixon expects typical race
at TMS
Defending Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon looks for a
"typical" race at Texas Motor Speedway for the Bombardier 500k on Saturday
night, June 12. The result should be more wheel-to-wheel action that has made
"The Original Nighttime IndyCar Race" famous. Dixon and current IRL IndyCar
Series point runner-up Tony Kanaan finished the second day of incident-free
testing for Firestone tires Tuesday at Texas Motor Speedway in preparation for
the Bombardier 500k. The test session was the first at the speedway utilizing
IRL's new 3.0-liter engine package and new aerodynamic rules aimed at slowing
the IndyCar Series machines. Even with the new rules, Dixon still anticipates
close and exciting action in the Bombardier 500k. "Texas is Texas," said the
champion. "You are still going to have the big packs (of cars), your top teams
are going to be up front. "The IRL is heading in the right direction. Speeds
are definitely down. The biggest difference with the three-liter engine is we
have to take off some downforce that makes the car harder to drive. But at
Texas it doesn't matter as much because of the banking."
5/5/04
Walker Racing staying
alive
This SPEED TV
article talks about the fact that business is so good now at Walker
Racing that they have run out of parking spots around their building for all
of their employees. They have a Champ Car team, an IRL team for Patrick
Racing, multiple Formula BMW cars and are doing work for a GT-40 program.
Schumacher shoots for 5th
straight It's hard to imagine that six-time Formula One World
Champion Michael Schumacher can add to his already spectacular record book.
But this weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, the Ferrari
driver will seek to tie Nigel Mansell's five-win season opening victory streak
in the Spanish Grand Prix. The incredible German superstar has opened the 2004
campaign as he did in 1994 with four consecutive F-1 triumphs and he has made
it look easy. Only Jenson Button's impressive drive in the recent San Marino
Grand Prix has given Schumacher any challenge this year. In 1994 while driving
for Benetton, Schumacher opened the season with four wins (the last one coming
at the horrific San Marino race that claimed the life of Grand Prix legend
Ayrton Senna). Senna also had four opening victories in 1991. In fact, Michael
won six of the first seven races in 1994. With this current start, Schumacher
is well on his way to equaling or bettering his 2002 win total of eleven.
Schumacher, who is attempting to win his seventh world title, will be after
his record 75 F-1 win this weekend in his 199th official start. He was
disqualified twice in 1994 (British, Belgium) and suspended for two races that
year so those races do not count. He also missed six races in 1999 due to
injury. Could he go undefeated this year? Michael doesn't believe that. "I
don't want to have anything to do with such speculation, not only because
it's too early, but also because I believe it's totally unrealistic," he said
on his website. "We're talking about Formula One. All the teams work extremely
hard and improve constantly. In the next race (Spain) things could be very
different."
Button has been the surprise of the 2004 season after one pole, a second place
and a third place in the BAR Honda. That is the same team that Jacques
Villeneuve couldn't get to the podium. Rumors are wild about Button going to
one of the top financed teams (i.e. Williams, McLaren and even Ferrari) in
2005.
Home country hero Fernando Alonso just missed winning on his home turf last
year in the Spanish Grand Prix. He placed second to Michael last year. Now he
is ready for a victory at home. "The attention adds motivation, not pressure,"
Alonso said recently. "When I am driving, it gives me something extra:
somehow, you concentrate more, you focus more."
CURRENT FORMULA ONE POINT STANDINGS - (with 4 of 17 races completed) 1.
Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 40; 2. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 24; 3.
Jenson Button (BAR), 23; 4. Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams), 18; 5. Fernando
Alonso (Renault) 16; 6. Jarno Trulli (Renault), 15. 47 DAYS TO INDY - UNITED
STATES GRAND PRIX
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Drissi
intense and determined When Motorock Trans-Am series driver Tomy
Drissi heads to the track, his intensity meter is pegged and is sole focus is
on winning. Drissi’s passion and vigor work well behind the wheel of his No. 5
Jaguar XKR and compliment the Rocketsports Racing championship team. Drissi
entered the Trans-Am competition in 1999 and won “Rookie of the Year” honors.
He followed his debut award with “Most Improved Driver” and “Crew of the Year”
for the Drissi Motorsports team, which he formed in 2000.
Much
More...click on 2004 archives button below
