IRL teams make run at Tracy, but Tracy gives them the snub
The 39-year-old Scarborough native was mulling the Ganassi deal after being told that Forsythe was going to reorganize his race team with the lead building block being a much-smaller paycheck for Tracy.
A source close to the Tracy camp told Sun Media yesterday that Ganassi had made a substantial offer to lure Tracy to the IRL, if he could not come to terms with Forsythe.
01/07/08 Paul Tracy has put to rest rumors about his future in Champ Car, telling motorsport journalist Gordon Kirby that "everything is fine" with him and team owner Gerald Forsythe.
Following reports that Tracy was in danger of leaving the open-wheel series after being asked by Forsythe to renegotiate his contract, the Toronto racer met with team officials last week.
"The result of the meeting is that Kenny Siwieck is now in charge of my car and everything is squared away with me and Jerry," Tracy tells gordonkirby.com. "I went into the meeting believing that Jerry was going to renegotiate my contract to a very low amount or I would leave. And the conversation never even went that way. It was never brought up."
Siwieck was with championship outfit Newman/Haas/Lanigan until joining the newly formed Forsythe-Pettit operation last month.
Tracy says he was asked by Forsythe for his input into what has been going on with the team the last few years and as a result of that conversation, longtime general manager Neil Micklewright will no longer have any direct involvement in running Tracy's car.
"I told him there was obviously a conflict between me and Neil," Tracy tells Kirby. "I said I would prefer to have Kenny running my car and let him put together a team of engineers and crew guys who he believes have what it takes.
"I've also got a lot of confidence in Tom Brown and I have trust in their ability to put together a strong team for me.
"Everything is squared away and we're going racing and trying to win a championship."
Micklewright will continue with the team, overseeing a second car and possibly a third entry in 2008.
Siwieck added the team is almost fully staffed to campaign two cars and he is "hoping to run three cars".
Siwieck was chief strategist for departed Sebastien Bourdais' four straight championships at Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing.
01/06/08 This rumor is downgraded to 'false' as we hear Tracy will remain in Champ Car and his deal is pretty much set as the issues with Forsythe have been resolved.
01/03/08 On Panther Racing's website the following question was posed to team owner John Barnes.
Q. Any interest in having Paul Tracy in the Panther stable? What are your thoughts on the rumors of him coming over to IRL?
A. Absolutely we’d be interested in Paul Tracy. But he is under contract with another team. I think his move to the IndyCar Series – with Panther or another team – would be a major score for open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500. The biggest question would be: How quickly could the Indy Racing League organize an event in Canada?
Absolutely, if Champ Car loses Tracy to the IRL it just might be game, set and match in this silly open wheel war in the USA.