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The Simple Green CART Safety Team that accompanies the CART
FedEx Championship Series to each event is recognized
worldwide as one of the best safety teams in all of
motorsports.
The Safety Team has long been a leader in developing and
implementing equipment and procedures that make racing events
as safe as possible for the competitors, and a few recent
developments have once again solidified the team's leadership
position.
CART Chief Orthopedic Consultant Dr. Terry Trammell was a
guest of Formula One last weekend at the famed Interlagos
circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil to introduce the HANS Device to
the drivers competing for the World Championship. By all
accounts, Trammell's trip to Brazil was a success.
While Trammell was busy in Brazil, CART Director of Medical
Affairs Dr. Steve Olvey was preparing for the University of
Michigan's symposium on "The Physics and Technology of
Motorsports" which takes place on Wednesday, April 10 in Ann
Arbor, Mich. Olvey and Paul Stanecki of Ford Motor Company
will make a presentation on the Ford "Blue Box" and the data
it provides to the CART Safety Team.
Also expected at the symposium are three-time CART FedEx
Championship Series champion Bobby Rahal, Formula One world
champion Jackie Stewart, HANS Device inventor Dr. Robert
Hubbard and General Motors motorsports safety consultant Dr.
John Melvin.
In other safety-related news, a mobile Intensive Care
Unit-known as a "LSTAT" system-will be on display at next
weekend's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The system fits
inside an ambulance, jet, or helicopter and provides the same
monitoring and therapeutic capabilities as a modern Intensive
Care Unit in a hospital.
The system was just installed in Air Force One and they are
also being used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. It is
currently being evaluated by the Simple Green CART Safety
Team.
One other item of interest is the new ImPact system that was
introduced to the CART FedEx Championship Series in February
during CART Sneak Preview at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The
system provides accurate pre- and post-evaluation of head
injuries and is used by all but one team in the National
Football League as well as several National Hockey League
teams. CART is the first motorsports organization to use the
system.
TESTING UPDATE
Just prior to the testing blackout period which began on March
29 and runs through May 4, a handful of teams put their 2002
machinery through paces at popular testing facilities in
Florida. Patrick Racing with rookie driver Townsend Bell (#20
Visteon/Patrick Racing Toyota/Reynard/Bridgestone), Team Rahal
with Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Jimmy Vasser (#8 Shell
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), and Walker Racing with
second-year competitor Tora Takagi (Pioneer/Denso Special
Toyota/Reynard/Bridgestone) visited the 1.5-mile
Homestead-Miami Speedway oval, with Takagi and Walker also
putting in some laps on the road circuit at Sebring
International Raceway. Bell logged approximately 300 miles in
two days of testing at Homestead, while the Team Rahal pair
put nearly 650 miles on their machines over two days on the
South Florida oval. While times were not made available for
Bell and Takagi, Vasser clocked an unofficial best lap of 26.4
seconds, while Jourdain recorded a 26.9-second best lap. "Team
Rahal showed they had one of the strongest oval programs in
the series last season and it is our intention to maintain
that strength this season," said Vasser. "We have focused the
majority of our winter testing on the road courses preparing
for our first couple of races, but also because of the
strength of the team's oval program." Added Bell: "The
Visteon/Patrick Racing Team had a very good test and got a lot
of work done on the Homestead oval," Bell said. "We weren't
the fastest car out there, but we weren't the slowest either.
The key for us was to work on the oval setup. This was our
first test on an oval this year. In addition, we just got some
new oval parts from Reynard, so this test gave us an
opportunity to collect a lot of valuable data. The car felt
good. It is very similar to the basic setup I ran last year in
Europe. Overall, it was a good test and we have a good idea
for the setup heading into the first oval race in Japan."
RANDOM NOTES
On April 1, Bell's official web site,
www.townsendbell.com
opened to the public. The 2001 Dayton Indy Lights champ and
2002 Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year candidate's new site
features news and biographical information, as well as photos,
and online store, and a Fan Forum, which allows fans the
opportunity to post messages and ask questions that Bell will
respond to...Team Rahal announced last week that it has
partnered with New Century Mortgage Corporation for next
week's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The #9 Gigante
Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone driven by Michel Jourdain Jr.
will carry the New Century Mortgage Corporation logo for the
race. "We are pleased to join in a partnership with New
Century Mortgage for the Grand Prix of Long Beach," said Team
Rahal co-owner Bobby Rahal. "New Century Financial has proven
to be one of the leaders in the specialty finance market and
we are honored that they have chosen to spread the word about
their services. In my conversations with the leaders of New
Century Mortgage, I have found them to be a dedicated and
driven group of individuals that have aggressive plans for the
continued growth of their company. These are the kind of
like-minded partners that we seek here at Team Rahal."... CART
President and CEO Christopher R. Pook has been named Grand
Marshal for next week's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Pook
created the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in 1978 and built
the event into one of the most successful races on the annual
CART FedEx Championship Series schedule before taking on the
role of CART President and CEO in December, 2001. "I'm deeply
honored to be the Grand Marshal of the Toyota Grand Prix of
Long Beach," Pook said. "It is with a great deal of personal
and professional pride that I return home to Long Beach in my
new capacity as President and CEO. To be able to serve as
Grand Marshal for a race that means so much to me is truly
special." Added Pook's successor as Grand Prix Association of
Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian, "There couldn't
have been a better choice. Chris' immense contribution to the
success of the TGPLB is well known, and what a better time to
recognize these efforts than to honor him on his first return
to Long Beach in his role as CART President and CEO. But I
promised him that we wouldn't take up too much of his time on
the weekend so he can tend to his numerous CART duties. I'm
sure all the fans will join me in welcoming him back to Long
Beach."
CART
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Ricardo González
News and Commentary
