Wirdheim to Test for Patrick Racing

[Dov]

From Cart.com:http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7338


WIRDHEIM TO TEST FOR PATRICK IN ARIZONA
Monday, October 27, 2003

This years International Formula 3000 Champion – Bjorn Wirdheim, will sample Champ Car power for the first time next week as part of his prize for taking this years title in his Arden International run Lola.
The 23 year old Swede will undertake his first test at the new Arizona Motorsports Park in Arizona with Patrick Racing, one of CART’s most established and respected teams. Patrick have run a Lola B2/00 Champ Car this season for Spaniard Oriol Servia and the B2/00 design has won 17 one of the18 races run so far this year.

The test is part and parcel of a commitment made by Lola Cars earlier this season to further continue the links between F3000 and Champ Car. Wirdheim is set to work with one of Champ Cars most respected engineers, Jim McGhee, who has guided the likes of Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi to CART titles.

Wirdheim has enjoyed a superb season in International Formula 3000 this year, winning 3 races, claiming 9 podium finishes and clinching the title with 2 races in hand. After claiming the crown, Bjorn made his Formula One debut at the United States Grand Prix, undertaking Friday morning testing for Jordan. He has also tested for BAR.

“I am very much looking forward to making the most of this opportunity and am pleased that it is with a top team like Patrick Racing,” anticipated Wirdheim. “I met Jim McGhee at Indianapolis before the Grand Prix and got a good impression of the team. I expect the car to be very different to F1 but it will be interesting to see how things compare in style and handling. It is also nice to be continuing the Lola link in to a different category.”

Christian Horner, team principal at Arden International was also looking forward to the test and said: “This test is a great opportunity for Bjorn and just reward after a totally dominant season. This is the first time that the F3000 Champion has been rewarded with a guaranteed test and I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Lola and Patrick Racing for making this possible.”

Lola have long since taken an active involvement in helping drivers move up the International ladder and Lola Cars’ Managing Director, Rupert Manwaring commented: “It has been a pleasure to watch Bjorn and Arden have such a successful season this year. We believe that a test like this will enable Bjorn to show that Formula 3000 is the number one category for feeding world class series like Champ Car.”

Former F3000 champions who have driven Lola chassis have excelled in their subsequent careers. Juan Pablo Montoya, Nick Heidfeld and Justin Wilson have all made the step to Formula One while many have found fame and fortune in Champ Cars including current Newman Haas duo Bruno Junqueira and Sebastien Bourdais, both of whom won races during the 2003 season.

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally posted by Dov
From Cart.com:http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7338

The 23 year old Swede will undertake his first test at the new Arizona Motorsports Park in Arizona with Patrick Racing, one of CART’s most established and respected teams. Patrick have run a Lola B2/00 Champ Car this season for Spaniard Oriol Servia and the B2/00 design has won 17 one of the18 races run so far this year.

Yea, and Servia hasn't 'one' any of them.

Great opportunity for Bjorn though, as long as it would be for a second car if he gets a race seat.

[Dov]

Maybe Servia should do what Townsend Bell did and join the F3000 series next year, then return to CART in a year or two....it does help some drivers. Sorry, Jordi....

[Tenoch]

I feel Oriol will pull al least a podium at FOntana he has done well at the past two ovals. And everytime his job on the line he seems to respond. Otherwise it F300 for Oriol hey at least he will be at home in Europe.

[Snrub]

Do we assume Servia is out of a ride or could Patrick be ready to run another car for 2004?

[mac]

Have I missed something here?

I reckon Oriol has done a fine job this year. He's made a couple of boo-boos (Miami anyone?), but every driver has this year.

Yes, he still hasn't won a race, but how can you expect him to regularly compete with Forsythe and N/H, both with two good cars and a much greater budget than Patrick.

I think 3 of the standout performers this year have been Jourdain, Servia and Tagliani. All have performed well in comparatively underfunded single car teams.

Oriol has also had a bucketload of bad luck this year - just look at the last race.

He doesn't need to go anywhere next year, and I'd love to see he and Wirdheim in a two-car Patrick outfit next year. A couple of years ago he was in line for a Prost Grand Prix seat, until Moneybags Mazzacane bobbed up. Do you think, at the age of 29, he's lost it?

Somehow I don't think so.

People seem incredibly over-enthusiastic to climb into drivers for no reason.

[Snrub]

I think this year we've seen how good Servia is. I thought he was a bit better than he's shown. There were a few times when his team were clearly diappointed with him - as in they though the car had substantially more than he was showing.

[macdaddy]

Perhaps Patrick is simply fulfilling an agreement with Lola? Perhaps he has every intention of recampaigning Servia, (as I believe he does). A 2-car Patrick team is certainly not out-of-the-question!

[Omega99]

I was thoroughly impressed with him all season. I didn't think he had it in him, but e proved me wrong. He's earned his ride.

[Thommy]

Wirdheim? Could be funny.... "Where is the finish-line?"

[BootsOntheSide]

I wasn't criticising Servia as such, more pointing out the atrocious grammar in the article. All the same, I don't think Oriol has truly excelled. Realistically, he wouldn'rt be set to finish up the championship if the teams who left were still around, and, considering Patrick's history of success, that's not a great showing. He's not a rookie anymore, and he seems to be making too manmy mistakes.

I still don't think he's any more than average, and there are better drivers without a ride. All the same, he's a good man for a one-car team because he has some experience and techncial skill

[mac]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Realistically, he wouldn'rt be set to finish up the championship if the teams who left were still around, and, considering Patrick's history of success, that's not a great showing.

He's a lot closer than Vasser or Bell were. Realistically, it has been quite a while since Patrick were right up the pointy end. Everyone talks about the team's history, but they've been chasing Ganassi, Penske, Green, Newman/Haas and now Players Forsythe since 1998.

If anything, I think Servia has taken big steps to get the team heading in the right direction.

He's not a rookie anymore, and he seems to be making too manmy mistakes.

So does the guy who's been in the series 13 years and just won the championship. I'd say Oriol's made less mistakes than him this year.

Needless to say I think he's a big asset to our series.

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally posted by mac
He's a lot closer than Vasser or Bell were. Realistically, it has been quite a while since Patrick were right up the pointy end. Everyone talks about the team's history, but they've been chasing Ganassi, Penske, Green, Newman/Haas and now Players Forsythe since 1998.

If anything, I think Servia has taken big steps to get the team heading in the right direction.

So they've lost ground to Forsythe (and Rahal), and could lose out to Herdez or Ferndandez as well (and Herdez were nowhere 2 years ago, even with Joudain. Is that progress for a team that finished 2-3 in 2000?

So does the guy who's been in the series 13 years and just won the championship. I'd say Oriol's made less mistakes than him this year.

Needless to say I think he's a big asset to our series.

True that Tracy still makes a lot of mistakes.

Oriol is something of an asset to the series, as he attracts an audience in anotehr part of the world, and could add to the chance of a CART race in Southern Europe. Plus, he raises international attention on the Catalan situation.

[mac]

I think Forsythe have moved forwards (particularly with Tracy at the helm), as opposed to Patrick moving backwards. Plus, there is no doubt that both N/H and Forsythe have massive budgets in comparison with Patrick.

Anyway, back to the topic, Wirdheim should go pretty well.

[Russfeld]

N/H have quite a small budget actually this year.

[JMeissner]

Originally posted by Thommy
Wirdheim? Could be funny.... "Where is the finish-line?"

Watch it Thommy!

Don't know if you've seen this:

News from 5-11-2003 Newly-crowned F3000 Champion Bjorn Wirdheim, who tested for both the BAR and Jordan F1 teams this year, has made a big impression in America where he is running a Lola B2/00 at Arizona as part of his reward for winning the 2003 FIA series. The Swede, driving one of the Patrick Racing team cars, completed just under 200 laps in two days of running and on his second day posted a new unofficial lap record.

The highly-rated Swede has been linked with a drive at Jordan, though it seems ChampCars might be the more likely option. Later this month Bjorn competes in the Race of Champions replacing fellow Swede Kenny Brack. Other 'names' taking part in the event include Fernando Alonso, Antonio Pizzonia, Cristiano da Matta, Nick Heidfeld and 2002 F3000 champion Sebastien Bourdais.

[Jordi]

Well about Oriol, what can I say? I obviously think he's deserving, and I don't think he missed a chance to win. Montreal and Denver were close, but others were faster in the pits/on track.

The season hasn't been disappointing to me, overall. I would have liked a win, but... I think transferring to the Lola wasn't as easy as it was for Player's/Forsythe because Player's is a bigger organisation, and there was a new engineer in Steve Challis. I don't know, it was mostly an inconsistent year. Sometimes Oriol could race with Newman-Haas and sometimes with the Reynards. Improve that consistency and add a win or two, and there will be a championship contender. I obviously don't think it's enough to fire Oriol, but I would love to see a teammate like Wirdheim pushing Oriol more.