Vasser hints that end is near

"I think street racing is the future of Champ Car," said driver Jimmy Vasser. Vasser is a Las Vegas resident but owns three Napa Valley car dealerships he runs with his father. Vasser won the Champ Car World Series in 1996 and is sixth in the point standings this season driving the No. 12 car.

At 18, Vasser graduated from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and his love for road courses hasn't let up. Vasser has driven an assortment of race cars, from IRL to NASCAR's Busch series. His favorite remains the Champ Car.

"I get more satisfaction from a Champ Car," Vasser said. "It's the purest of cars. I think Champ Car is on the upswing. It's such a bitchin' machine. This car is the most satisfying to drive for me."

The Champ Car World Series is similar to the IRL, but the tracks they race on are very different. The IRL races primarily on ovals with just two road courses, where the Champ Car Series races road and street courses with just a couple of ovals. Vasser feels a lot of talent is being wasted in the IRL.

"I think the drivers over there are under-utilized," Vasser said. "All those drivers are products of Champ. It's easier for a road racer to adapt to an oval than a strictly-oval racer to go the other way."

As much as Vasser enjoys the sport of racing, this season may be his last. "It's not 100 percent my decision, whatever's best for the team," Vasser said. "A lot of it's going to determine how I finish the last seven races. There are a whole lot of unknowns to determine if this is my last year or not. I'm having a hard time. I haven't been thinking about it much. I still enjoy racing a Champ Car. Right now my focus is finishing my career here and getting this race team in the front on a consistent basis." More at NapaNews.com