Mark
18-12-2002, 23:28
Volgens mij gaat Pook die IRL een loer draaien van jewelste................. :D :D Heeft zeker de smerige trucjes van onze treinrover Bernie E. overgenomen :D :D
The two most often-asked questions these days in Indianapolis are: is CART really going to have at least 18 cars in 2003 and where are they coming from?
Between speculation and anticipation, no less than four or five major announcements should have been made by now regarding the new teams coming to next year's Champ Car dance.
However, due to negotiations, testing and the fact that everyone's funding isn't all in place, it's been real quiet in the CART camp and the silence has been deafening around the open-wheel world.
And naturally, most of these teams want to make their announcement on their own terms and/or turf.
But here's a little glimpse of what's going on and may be revealed in the coming days and weeks.
We'll rate them as sure things, probable and works in progress.
• STEFAN JOHANSSON: The former CART and F1 regular has been working flat out for the past six months on a two-car effort. The telephone at his Indianapolis shop is being answered: "American Spirit Team Johansson" and it's believed that '96 CART champ Jimmy Vasser will be paired with 2002 Toyota Atlantic standout Ryan Hunter-Reay. Status: Sure thing.
• GERRY FORSYTHE: The co-owner of the Player's team and CART's largest stockholder is expected to announce soon that Malaysia's Alex Yoong will be wheeling a Ford-Cosworth/Lola under a Forsythe banner. Yoong spent the past two seasons in Formula One with Minardi. Status: Sure thing.
• ERIC BACHELART: A former Indy Lights regular, Bachelart's Conquest Racing team is taking a long, hard look at leaving the IRL for CART in 2003. He's a road racer at heart so it makes sense. Status: Probable.
• WAYNE TAYLOR: Veteran sports car racer already has a talented core of workers from the Cadillac program and he's definitely interested. Talking with Bryan Herta, who would be perfect to wean a new team. Status: Probable.
• MORRIS NUNN: The architect of Chip Ganassi's four-peat says he wants to keep one car in CART and has 80 percent of the necessary budget in place. Nunn was impressed with fellow Brit Darren Manning's performance last season at Rockingham. Status: Work in progress.
• HORIZON MOTORSPORTS: Former PacWest team manager Russ Cameron and Honda publicist Dan Layton have covered every continent in search of money to field a car for Memo Gidley (first choice). Status: Work in progress.
• NEWMAN-HAAS: Bruno Junqueira is already on board to take '02 champ Cristiano da Matta's place and right now there is a three-way shootout going on in Sebring, Fla. for the other coveted seat. Jon Fogarty, this year's Atlantic champ, is battling with ex-F1 shoe Ricardo Zonta and 2002 F3000 champion Sebastien Bourdais. Verdict by this weekend.
• PAUL GENTILOZZI:the longtime Trans-Am king, has already announced his Rocketsports Racing's one-car effort for 2003 and now he's waiting to name his driver. Alex Tagliani seemed to be the obvious choice a few weeks ago, but could it possibly be Max Papis?
• HERDEZ COMPETITION: This veteran CART operation has been negotiating with veteran Roberto Moreno about a second car and the status of Mario Dominguez may hinge on having a seasoned teammate like Moreno.
• DALE COYNE: Coyne already has Joel Camathias signed for next season and promises he'll have a second car as well.
• A few other familiar names, like Toyota Atlantic team owner Mike Shank, have been tossed around as potential CART campaigners in 2003 and CEO Chris Pook continues to hint about a new team from Europe.
Taking the teams/drivers already committed, including Player's/Forsythe Racing (with Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier), Fernandez Racing (Adrian Fernandez), Visteon/Patrick Racing (Oriol Servia), Team Rahal (Michel Jourdain), Newman-Haas Racing (Junqueira), Dale Coyne Racing (Camathias), Herdez Competition (TBA) and Gentilozzi's Rocketsports Racing (TBA); and adding the second drivers at Newman-Haas, Coyne and Herdez as well as the "sure things" above (Johansson and Forsythe), you've got 15 drivers.
The other three or four will shake out soon enough. Pook guaranteed it because he knows what the contracts call for and whether or not the check is in the mail.
http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=5326
The two most often-asked questions these days in Indianapolis are: is CART really going to have at least 18 cars in 2003 and where are they coming from?
Between speculation and anticipation, no less than four or five major announcements should have been made by now regarding the new teams coming to next year's Champ Car dance.
However, due to negotiations, testing and the fact that everyone's funding isn't all in place, it's been real quiet in the CART camp and the silence has been deafening around the open-wheel world.
And naturally, most of these teams want to make their announcement on their own terms and/or turf.
But here's a little glimpse of what's going on and may be revealed in the coming days and weeks.
We'll rate them as sure things, probable and works in progress.
• STEFAN JOHANSSON: The former CART and F1 regular has been working flat out for the past six months on a two-car effort. The telephone at his Indianapolis shop is being answered: "American Spirit Team Johansson" and it's believed that '96 CART champ Jimmy Vasser will be paired with 2002 Toyota Atlantic standout Ryan Hunter-Reay. Status: Sure thing.
• GERRY FORSYTHE: The co-owner of the Player's team and CART's largest stockholder is expected to announce soon that Malaysia's Alex Yoong will be wheeling a Ford-Cosworth/Lola under a Forsythe banner. Yoong spent the past two seasons in Formula One with Minardi. Status: Sure thing.
• ERIC BACHELART: A former Indy Lights regular, Bachelart's Conquest Racing team is taking a long, hard look at leaving the IRL for CART in 2003. He's a road racer at heart so it makes sense. Status: Probable.
• WAYNE TAYLOR: Veteran sports car racer already has a talented core of workers from the Cadillac program and he's definitely interested. Talking with Bryan Herta, who would be perfect to wean a new team. Status: Probable.
• MORRIS NUNN: The architect of Chip Ganassi's four-peat says he wants to keep one car in CART and has 80 percent of the necessary budget in place. Nunn was impressed with fellow Brit Darren Manning's performance last season at Rockingham. Status: Work in progress.
• HORIZON MOTORSPORTS: Former PacWest team manager Russ Cameron and Honda publicist Dan Layton have covered every continent in search of money to field a car for Memo Gidley (first choice). Status: Work in progress.
• NEWMAN-HAAS: Bruno Junqueira is already on board to take '02 champ Cristiano da Matta's place and right now there is a three-way shootout going on in Sebring, Fla. for the other coveted seat. Jon Fogarty, this year's Atlantic champ, is battling with ex-F1 shoe Ricardo Zonta and 2002 F3000 champion Sebastien Bourdais. Verdict by this weekend.
• PAUL GENTILOZZI:the longtime Trans-Am king, has already announced his Rocketsports Racing's one-car effort for 2003 and now he's waiting to name his driver. Alex Tagliani seemed to be the obvious choice a few weeks ago, but could it possibly be Max Papis?
• HERDEZ COMPETITION: This veteran CART operation has been negotiating with veteran Roberto Moreno about a second car and the status of Mario Dominguez may hinge on having a seasoned teammate like Moreno.
• DALE COYNE: Coyne already has Joel Camathias signed for next season and promises he'll have a second car as well.
• A few other familiar names, like Toyota Atlantic team owner Mike Shank, have been tossed around as potential CART campaigners in 2003 and CEO Chris Pook continues to hint about a new team from Europe.
Taking the teams/drivers already committed, including Player's/Forsythe Racing (with Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier), Fernandez Racing (Adrian Fernandez), Visteon/Patrick Racing (Oriol Servia), Team Rahal (Michel Jourdain), Newman-Haas Racing (Junqueira), Dale Coyne Racing (Camathias), Herdez Competition (TBA) and Gentilozzi's Rocketsports Racing (TBA); and adding the second drivers at Newman-Haas, Coyne and Herdez as well as the "sure things" above (Johansson and Forsythe), you've got 15 drivers.
The other three or four will shake out soon enough. Pook guaranteed it because he knows what the contracts call for and whether or not the check is in the mail.
http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=5326