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DETROIT--CART
FedEx Championship Series team owner Bobby Rahal has invited
some of the top drivers in the CART Driver Development Ladder
System to join him for the annual Motorsports Hall of Fame
induction ceremonies in Novi, Michigan. Rahal, the new
President of the Road Racing Drivers Club, has invited Joey
Hand, Buddy Rice, Alex Gurney and Danica Patrick for the June
12th dinner which will honor the late Dale Earnhardt, Gordon
Johncock and Eddie Hill.
Rice is the 2000 CART Toyota Atlantic Champion and now serves
as a consultant for DSTP Racing. Hand and Gurney are both
contenders for the 2002 Toyota Atlantic Championship with DSTP
Racing and Dorricott Racing, respectively. Patrick--who placed
second in the famous 2000 Formula Ford Festival in Brands
Hatch, England--is currently putting together an effort to
campaign the Atlantic Championship starting with the 2003
season.
The Road Racing Drivers Club is a 50-year-old organization
whose membership includes motorsports legends Mark Donohue,
Jackie Stewart and Dan Gurney as well as many other past and
present road racing drivers of note. As the club's new
President, Rahal plans on bringing in the new generation of
young drivers as members to the RRDC and he sees this event as
an initial step.
"As President of the Road Racing Drivers Club, I am honored to
have this very talented group of young racing drivers attend
the Motorsports Hall of Fame dinner," commented Rahal, a
three-time CART Champion. "There is no question in my mind
that they represent a strong future for North American road
racing and I believe it will be a special moment when the past
meets the future on June 12th."
Team Rahal, based in Hilliard, Ohio, competes with drivers
Jimmy Vasser and Michel Jourdain Jr. in the CART FedEx
Championship Series with sponsorship from Shell and Gigante,
respectively. Team Rahal and Vasser are also attempting to
qualify for the May 26th running of the Indianapolis 500 in
their Miller Brewing racecar.
LADDER ALUMNI
After three rounds of the CART FedEx Championship Series, CART
Driver Development Ladder System alumni are making their
presence known. Ladder graduates have scored two victories,
two poles and currently occupy five of the top 10 positions in
points. In all, 13 of the 20 full-time Champ Car drivers are
graduates of series that comprise the CART Driver Development
Ladder System.
Adrian Fernandez, a 1992 Indy Lights graudate, captured the
pole at the season opening event at Monterrey, Mexico, while
1998 Indy Lights Champion Christiano da Matta pulled out an
exciting victory. In Long Beach, it was time for Toyota
Atlantic graduates to shine as 1991 graduate Jimmy Vasser led
the field to the green flag and 1983 Atlantic Champion Michael
Andretti came home first during the race.
In the quest for the FedEx Championship and the Vanderbilt
Cup, da Matta is third in points, while 1999 Atlantic grad
Alex Tagliani ranks fourth. Andretti, 1996 Atlantic Champion
Patrick Carpentier and Vasser make up the second half of the
top 10. Dayton Indy Lights champions Oriol Servia (1999),
Scott Dixon (2000) and Townsend Bell (2001) along with 1993
Barber Saab (now Barber Dodge) Pro Series Champion Kenny
Brack, are all within striking distance and looking to
overcome early season difficulties. Indy Lights champions Paul
Tracy (1990) and Tony Kanaan (1997), as well as 2001 Lights
graduate Mario Dominguez also look to turn their seasons
around.
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. Jon Fogarty holds the point
championship lead after two events.
The Barber Dodge Pro Series will return to action May 24-27 in
the Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. A.J.
Allmendinger is the points leader after Round 1 at Sebring in
March.
Rounds 5 and 6 of the Formula Dodge National Championship will
be contested this weekend at the Putnam Park Motorsports
Complex, about 25 miles west of Indianapolis. Burt Frisselle
maintains an 18-point lead in the championship after the first
four races.
CART
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Ricardo González
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