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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
DRIVERS TO GET INSIDE LOOK AT PWR CHAMPIONSHIP RACING; BARBER
DODGE PRO SERIES DRIVERS STAY ACTIVE DURING LONG LAYOFF;
ATLANTIC TEAM OWNER BOB DORRICOTT PASSES AWAY
DETROIT (May 1, 2002) - By
invitation of top CART FedEx Championship Series competitors
PWR Championship Racing, the entire Formula Dodge National
Championship field will tour the Champ Car team's shop complex
on the Northwest side of Indianapolis Thursday, May 9. The
tour coordinates with Rounds 5 & 6 of the FDNC at Putnam Park
Motorsports Complex, about 25 miles west of Indianapolis.
PWR Team Manager Paul "Ziggy" Harcus will lead the tour around
the team's 33,000 square foot purpose-built, state-of-the-art
facility. Harcus will then field questions from the drivers
during a Q&A session. Harcus is a good candidate to speak
about coming up the CART Ladder since he used to run PWR's
Dayton Indy Lights efforts in the late '90s. He also served as
Crew Chief for Al Unser Jr.'s 1990 CART FedEx Championship
Series winning season.
PWR Championship Racing (formerly PacWest Racing) is owned by
Bruce McCaw and is running its 10th season in the CART FedEx
Championship Series. In that time, PWR has scored five
victories with three different drivers. Dominic Dobson, Scott
Sharp, Danny Sullivan, Mauricio Gugelmin and Mark Blundell
have all driven for PWR. Currently, Ladder System graduates
and former Dayton Indy Lights Champions Scott Dixon and Oriol
Servia drive for the team. Dixon won PWR's most recent race at
Nazareth in 2001, becoming the youngest driver in the history
of the FedEx Championship to gain a victory at age 20 years, 9
months and 14 days.
In addition to their PWR tour on Thursday, the FDNC drivers
will be guests of Racing for Kids on Friday, May 10th at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Racing for Kids, which organizes
driver visits to Children's Hospitals, is the official charity
of the Skip Barber, LLC and the Barber Dodge Pro Series. The
drivers will attend "Happy Hour" and watch CART FedEx
Championship Series drivers Michael Andretti, Kenny Brack,
Bruno Junqueira, Dario Franchitti, Paul Tracy, Tony Kanaan,
Max Papis and Jimmy Vasser during the final practice period
before Pole Day on Saturday. Just like some of their Champ Car
counterparts, it will be the first trip to the Brickyard for
many of the FDNC drivers.
OFF-TRACK ACTIVITY
In most lines of work, a two-month break would be most
welcome. For race car drivers though, long layoffs can hurt
their search for the competitive edge. Drivers in the Barber
Dodge Pro Series face this situation with the Sebring (March
17th) and Lime Rock (May 27th) race dates being over two
months apart. Before they arrive in Lime Rock for the Memorial
Day Classic, however, drivers will have participated in a bevy
of racing and non-racing activities.
For Sebring race winner AJ Allmendinger, the time-off
certainly has been productive. In addition to working out four
times a week, he launched his personal website, tested at
Sebring and ran two Stars of Tomorrow races for Paul Tracy
Karting. Already looking ahead to 2003, Allmendinger also
attended the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and had
discussions with several key Atlantic team owners.
"If nothing else, I can say I was the points leader for two
months," joked the 20-year old BDPS rookie from Hollister,
California. "Seriously, I am really confident heading into
Lime Rock and ready to get back into the seat and try to win
two in a row and set the tone for the summer months."
2002 Barber CART Scholarship driver Leo Maia has been
similarly busy during this down time in the schedule. Maia has
done the usual testing, karting and working out activities
like most drivers, but he also found time to learn two new
activities - mountain biking and yoga.
"I've had a lot of fun with the mountain biking." commented
the 21-year old from Oakland, Calif. now living in Miami. "It
really helps build your endurance but it can be a little
dangerous. The yoga is good for the mental side of driving a
race car. I am confident these extra preparations will help me
in Lime Rock and throughout the grueling summer schedule."
Mexican driver Memo Rojas - who finished a disappointing 14th
in Sebring due to engine problems - joined Allmendinger and
Maia in Pro Series testing in addition to his activities for
sponsor Telmex in Mexico. Work aside, Rojas was also busy
finishing up final exams for his college degree.
"It certainly has been a long break since Sebring," commented
the 22-year old Rojas. "I tried to keep sharp by testing the
Pro Series car and running some shifter karts. However,
nothing beats the real action of a race, so I am ready to get
back at it in Lime Rock."
BOB DORRICOTT PASSES AWAY
The entire CART community mourns the passing of Bob Dorricott,
owner of the Toyota Atlantic team Dorricott Racing. Dorricott
died of cancer on Friday, April 26, at his family home in Los
Altos Hills, California. He was 65.
Dorricott and his team were longtime supporters of the CART
Driver Development Ladder System, having raced in the former
Dayton Indy Lights Championship for the last 12 seasons, with
full-time efforts since 1994. A long list of distinguished
drivers have called Dorricott Racing home, including Robbie
Buhl, Jeff Ward, Shigeaki Hattori, Luiz Garcia Jr., Philipp
Peter, Oriol Servia, Casey Mears, Damien Faulkner and Townsend
Bell. Servia and Bell won the 1999 and 2001 Dayton Indy Lights
Championship, respectively.
In 2002, Dorricott Racing moved to the CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship with a three-car effort for Jon Fogarty, Alex
Gurney and Luis Diaz. Fogarty won the season opener at
Monterrey, Mexico, and is the current points leader after two
rounds. Diaz and Gurney are currently fourth and fifth in the
season points championship.
"Bob was not only an outstanding team owner, he also
represented the strength of the Indy Lights in the final
years," said Adam Saal, the current VP of Communications for
CART and former Public Relations Director for the Dayton Indy
Lights Championship from 1991-94 and 1997-2001. Saal attended
funeral services on behalf of CART. "Dorricott Racing stood as
the standard bearer in the late 90's through 2001, winning the
Lights Championship in 1999 and 2001. The best thing for
everyone on the team is to continue their winning ways and
bring home the Toyota Atlantic Championship in memory of Bob."
Bob Dorricott is survived by his wife Phyllis, daughter Pam,
sons Bob Jr. and Jeff and six grandchildren. Services were
held on Wednesday, May 1, in Los Altos, California.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the
El Camino Hospital Foundation, 2500 Grant Road, WIL 210,
Mountain View, California, 94040-4378; or to the Mid-Peninsula
Hospice, 201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 135, Mountain View,
California, 94040.
CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLES
Toyota Atlantic Championship
(Through Round 2 of 12)
1. Jon Fogarty 35 points
2. Michael Valiante 32 points
3. Rocky Moran Jr. 21 points
4. Luis Diaz 19 points
5. Alex Gurney 17 points
Barber Dodge Pro Series
(Through Round 1 of 10)
1. A.J. Allmendinger 22 points
2. Davy Cook 16 points
3. Julio Campos 14 points
4. Nilton Rossoni 13 points
5. Christian Szymczak 11 points
Formula Dodge National Championship
(Through Round 4 of 13)
1. Burt Frisselle 64 points
2. Scott Speed 46 points
3. Al Unser 45 points
4. Scott Poirier 43 points
5. Grant Maiman 40 points
UP NEXT
The CART Toyota Atlantic Championship prepares for its next
action May 31-June 2 during the Miller Lite 250 at the
historic Milwaukee Mile. American Jon Fogarty won Round 1 in
Monterrey, Mexico, while Canadian Michael Valiante of Lynx
Racing won Round 2 in Long Beach.
The Barber Dodge Pro Series will return to action May 24-27 in
the Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
American A.J. Allmendinger won the season opener in Sebring,
capturing his first BDPS victory in only his fourth start.
Rounds 5 and 6 of the Formula Dodge National Championship will
be contested May 10-12 at the Putnam Park Motorsports Complex,
about 25 miles west of Indianapolis. Americans Grant Maiman,
Burt Frisselle and Scott Speed won Rounds 1-3, respectively,
while Canadian Ward Imrie captured Round 4.
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (NYSE: MPH) owns,
operates and markets the CART FedEx Championship Series.
Former series champions Michael Andretti and Jimmy Vasser are
among the stars who will battle for the 2002 FedEx
Championship Series title on ovals, temporary street circuits
and permanent road courses. CART also owns and operates its
top development series, the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship.
CART also sanctions the Barber Dodge Pro Series as part of a
marketing partnership with Skip Barber, LLC. For more
information about the CART Ladder System, log onto
www.cart.com and click on the links to the Toyota Atlantic
Championship, Barber Dodge Pro Series, Formula Dodge National
Championship and Stars of Tomorrow.
CART
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Ricardo González
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