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Twenty-four racers
are preparing for first-round action in the 2002 Skip Barber
Formula Dodge National Championship presented by RACER this
weekend at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Universally regarded
as one of the most competitive and cost-effective
championships in existence, the National Championship was
designed for the aspiring professional racer. Talent and a
proven track record are the credentials one must present for
this invitation-only series. The 13-round series, deemed the
Official Amateur National Championship of CART in early 2001,
runs in conjunction with many Skip Barber Race Series weekends
and in support of select marquee events. Determined to build
on the phenomenal success of its two previous seasons, the
2002 National Championship series features three new venues, a
new track layout at California Speedway, the Superspeedway at
Nashville, Tennessee and the Circuit de Mont Tremblant in
Quebec, Canada.
"Our goal is to train drivers in all aspects of racing, from
racecar set-up to marketing and sponsorship issues," said
Divina Galica, Managing Director of the Skip Barber Race
Series. "This year's schedule features tracks which provide a
cross-section of every type of racing a driver will encounter
during his or her career." Galica added, "We're looking
forward to another exciting year of racing that will launch
another crop of racers up the Barber-CART ladder."
The premise of the series is to contribute to the health and
prosperity of American open-wheel racing with driver
development at its core. Grouping talented young racers
fosters competition and ultimately raises each driver's game.
The young pilots use identically prepared Formula Dodge R/T
2000 racecars, run with wings, slicks and a sequential Gemini
five-speed gearbox.
Among the eight returning drivers are standout racers Robbie
Montinola, Burt Frisselle and Grant Maiman, all true products
of the Skip Barber system. The trio are all Three Day Racing
School graduates and spent time in the Skip Barber Race Series
before being tapped to compete at the higher level. The
Barber-CART Karting Scholarship winners, Colin Fleming, Craig
Baltzer, Charlie Kimball and Ward Imrie, represent the four
most deserving karters selected in the Barber-CART Karting
Scholarship Runoff. Each winner earned a fully-funded season
to contest the Formula Dodge National Championship, a
cumulative value package worth over $160,000. Also new to the
mix is Scott Poirier, winner of the National Championship
Runoff, and Scott Speed, who earned an automatic entry by
claiming the CART Stars of Tomorrow Award in a three race
mini-series.
A number of Formula Dodge standouts have left the series and
gone on to bigger and better things. 2001 National Champion
Julio Campos and Scholarship winner Leonardo Maia are prepared
to start their first professional season at Sebring in the
2002 Barber Dodge Pro Series as are A.J. Allmendinger and Dan
DiLeo, last year's second and third place finishers. 2000
National Championship racers Jon Morley and Davy Cook achieved
podium results in their inaugural Pro Series season. Midwest
Regional Champion Chris Baker is another who came up through
the National Championship, currently ready to step up for his
first Pro Series campaign. And 2000 National Champion
runner-up Bryan Sellers recently challenged for the New
Zealand Formula Ford Championship.
"Raising the level of competition was the goal we set in order
to better prepare aspiring drivers for the next step," said
Skip Barber when the series was formed. "There is no question
that racing with a high caliber of competition improves driver
development."
The 2002 National Champion will receive a scholarship to the
2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series. Drivers who finish in positions
2-10 in points will compete in a three day runoff for a
variety of selected scholarships to the 2003 Barber Dodge Pro
Series.
2002 Skip Barber Formula Dodge National Championship presented
by RACER entry list
Craig Baltzer, Bettendorf, Iowa
Justin Blower, San Clemente, California
Colin Fleming, North Hills, California
Burt Frisselle; Kihei, Hawaii
Ward Imrie; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Shinji Kashima; Taikou-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
Brian Kellogg; Denver, Colorado
Charlie Kimball; Camarillo, California
Jason Klein; Long Grove, Illinois
Kyle Lawrence; Fort Gratiot; Michigan
Grant Maiman; New London, Wisconsin
Atticus Missner; Evanston, Illinois
Robbie Montinola; Laguna Beach, California
Luis Pelayo; Naucalpan, Mexico
Cristiano Piquet; Miami, Florida
Walter Baptista Cordeiro Netto; Amazonas Brazil
Scott Poirier; Deerfield Beach, Florida
Jason Richardson; Oakland, California
Scott Speed; Matneca, California
Hector Yanez Vazquez; Mexico
Al Unser; Corrales, New Mexico
Steve Welk; Franklin, Wisconsin
Jared Wilcox; Mahtomedi, Minnesota
Abraham Zimroth; New York, New York
Skip Barber
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Martin Basso
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