Racing Rumors

[macdaddy]

Thanks for the link, Dov.
I knew that we hadn't heard the last of that name.
In fact, I'm sure it's only the beginning.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Team Shuffle: American Spirit Team Johansson has shuffled a few positions within the team, in efforts to maximize the potential of the #12 entry driven by Jimmy Vasser, the #31 entry driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay and its team members. Graham Taylor will now hold the title of team manager, while Robin Hill will serve as the team’s crew chief. Taylor, a veteran of Formula One will oversee the day-to-day running of American Spirit, while he will no longer race engineer Ryan Hunter-Reay, he will continue managing the technical aspects of American Spirit. Hill, the 1997 championship winning crew chief with Alex Zanardi will return to the role of crew chief, a new position within American Spirit. Paul Burgess recently joined American Spirit Team Johansson, he will race engineer the #31 entry driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay. A native of Kenley, England, Burgess’s background includes Formula One and the Indy Racing League.

Tech Ed: Ryan Hunter-Reay will head to Dallas on Tuesday to promote the Microsoft No Limits (www.racing.net) tour. The No Limits tour will stop at Microsoft’s Tech Ed convention at the Dallas convention center, where Hunter-Reay will give visitors a tour of the display and sign autographs. The traveling display highlight’s the latest Microsoft technology and illustrates how those innovations are used in the world of Champ Car racing. No Limits is an interactive display which gives visitors a behind the scenes look at the technology of Champ Car racing, including actual American Spirit race telemetry from the Champ Car race in St. Petersburg. The hands on display includes a driving tester, comparing your skill to that of American Spirit driver and 1996 series champion Jimmy Vasser, as well as Pocket PCs, Smartphones, Pi Research sensors, Sigma steering wheels and Hunter-Reay’s driving suit and helmet.

Hometown Hero: Jimmy Vasser will return to his roots, the California Central Coast this week when he visits news outlets in San Jose and Monterey to promote the Grand Prix of Monterey at the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. A graduate of Live Oak High School in Morgan Hills and a former San Jose State University student, Vasser grew up and started his racing career in the region. He owns and operates Jimmy Vasser Chevrolet/Toyota in Napa, with his father, Jim Sr. A former race winner at Laguna Seca, Vasser will make his 12th start at the scenic 2.2-mile road course on father’s day, June 15th. SPEED channel will televise the event live at 3:30 pm ET.

Le Mans: American Spirit Team Johansson team owner, Stefan Johansson will return to Le Mans this weekend looking to win his second 24 Hours of Le Mans title. Driving the Champion Motorsports Audi R8, with teammates Emmanuelle Pirro and JJ Lehto, it will be his 10th time racing and the historic endurance race. SPEED channel will televise the event beginning at 9:00 am (ET) on Saturday, June 14th.

[¡As-de-mim!]

At least now I know what kind of physician pit road reporter Dr. Jerry Punch is -- a spin doctor.

[Dov]

From cart-racing.com http://www.cart-racing.com/news/2003/item_2533.html

[¡As-de-mim!]

Having heard rumors of the earlers going road racing, I used my supersecret skills to search their data storage facilities and have found the track layout of their proposed course. You will notice that they are staying with their tried and true formula of only turning left.



Thanks to Towndrunk.

[Dov]

Those EARLS....even on a road course....they still gotta turn left constantly.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Airton Dare a few hours ago at TMS.

[Jay]

duh...they don't use this logo for nothing:Looks pretty accurate actually....

[Dov]

While I always enjoy watching the EARL's crash, I never like to see any driver injured. The drivers (most of them) must be having second thoughts now about getting back into their cars.

[marcus]

what happened to unity Dov ????

true colours coming through now mate , oh well it was a nice thought for a while wasnt it.

you guys are a disgrace to be called motorsport fans

[¡As-de-mim!]

Who said EARL was motorsport?

[The Snout]

Originally posted by marcus
what happened to unity Dov ????

true colours coming through now mate , oh well it was a nice thought for a while wasnt it.

you guys are a disgrace to be called motorsport fans

Dov I'm sure meant it in a Hollywood action film kind of a way. Does that mean people who like the Havoc series of videos are a disgrace too.

[marcus]

no because I have a few of them myself , what i was referring to was the upfront stuff about uniting the two series and the "we are deadly serious about this" only to snigger and backstab the other series.

but thats life isnt it , it just amzes me that people can hold silly little grudges for 8 years now , boy thats very sad isnt it.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, medical services director for the Indy Racing League: Airton Dare has a broken right femur (upper leg) and a broken right humerus (upper arm). He expected to undergo surgery later tonight. He is in stable condition and he is awake and alert at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas

[The Snout]

I think the threads about uniting the two series was genuine, certainly I was. But judging by the underwhelming response that was received in the petition and in general my take is that the CART guys/fans are all done with unification talks, And with all the debate seen about engine formulas I think for the first time in a long time we're all focused on 2005 and beyond.

Dov can answer for himself but lately has been very positive and the first time Ive seen the CART forum not talk about the IRL but the racing and CART issues. There's still bad feelings there but the gulf between the series is clear and I think people are handling that. There's a lot less shots from guys like Rush1 etc on this side of things anyway, I can't speak for the IRL Indycar side.

[Lee Janotta]

marcus, you need to develop a thicker skin if you can't handle some good-natured ribbing about the left-turn-only thing.

And your guys _do_ crash often and spectacularly.

As for the unification... I'm still 100% behind the idea, but there are too many sticking points for it to happen right now. It's important right now just to try and keep big-bore open-wheel road racing in North America alive, whether through CART or something else.

[macdaddy]

In that link Dov posted above from CART.com, John Lopes says,
"If we can’t get it done because of the right timelines and we need another year to put it together we’ll keep working on it. If we did that we could either continue with the current formula or we could go a single manufacturer V10 if one of them was ready to go."

That "single manufacturer" had better be Ford. They've already offered to support the series for an extra year, and to think that they'd drop them in favour of another spec manufacturer is... well, unthinkable.

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by macdaddy
and to think that they'd drop them in favour of another spec manufacturer is... well, unthinkable.

Then again, this _is_ CART.... They've done dumber things before.

[Dov]

Marcus, I'm still not sure why your so upset. Yes, I poked some fun at the IRL today....I have in the past and probably will again in the future. That said, I don't like to see any drivers get hurt, no matter what racing series they drive in. Isn't it fair to say that there has been to many crashes in the IRL this year that has caused driver injuries? The IRL heads should really look into this problem.

While you (Marcus) are a fan of many different racing series, CART is the only series that I have really ever cared about. I follow a few other racing series (WRC, LeMans, a little F1 and NASCAR), but none of them have ever compared to CART. Over the past 8 years the IRL has taken drivers, sponsors, manufacturers and racing venues away from CART. So after all this time, do I still hold a grudge towards the IRL? Of course I do!

But I am a realist. Things have changed in OW racing in North America over the past 8 years, a little for the better, but a lot for the worse. Both CART and the IRL have positive and negative aspects about them. As for the two series uniting into a single Open Wheel Racing Series in NA....I am still all for it and I would like both sides to sit down and work something out. But, as we all no by now, it looks like MOST people in the CART and IRL forums are happy with the way things stand right now. In the CART forum they are talking about the future and what might be. To be honest, in the IRL forum, I never see them discuss any problems the IRL is going through...they stick to what's happening on the track.

(1)I respect CP, but if most CART fans think that Pook is the messiah...then they are wrong.
(2)If IRL fans only care about what's happening on the track and they don't see the BIGGER picture...then they are wrong and they should be worried.
(3)Together We Stand...Divided We Fall
(4)I'm very tired...Goodnight....

[Dov]

Originally posted by macdaddy
In that link Dov posted above from CART.com, John Lopes says,
"If we can’t get it done because of the right timelines and we need another year to put it together we’ll keep working on it. If we did that we could either continue with the current formula or we could go a single manufacturer V10 if one of them was ready to go."

That "single manufacturer" had better be Ford. They've already offered to support the series for an extra year, and to think that they'd drop them in favour of another spec manufacturer is... well, unthinkable.

Pook better keep Ford happy...they are the only engine manufacturer who has stood behind CART. It seems to me that CP is determined to have the NA V10 running by 2005. If the other manufacturers aren't ready for 2005, then CART should stick with Ford and it's current engine specs for another year or maybe Ford can change it's specs to the NA V10 for 2005. CP better not replace Ford in 2005 with an engine manufacturer who is ready with the new engine specs (NA V10). It won't make the boys at Ford to happy. But, as Lee was saying, CART has done dumber things before. Now for the last time...Goodnight....or should I say Goodmorning.

[Jay]

Originally posted by macdaddy
That "single manufacturer" had better be Ford. They've already offered to support the series for an extra year, and to think that they'd drop them in favour of another spec manufacturer is... well, unthinkable.

I think he means anyone with an engine ready. I don't understand why'd they do that though, unless they had guarantees that others would join in the following year. Still, if it's only going to be one manufacturer, I think they'd be much smarter to stick with XFE engines that have been amazing thus far. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about the engines Ford's supplied Cart with. The cars are lapping at nearly the same pace they were with Honda and Toyota, but the engines are a 1000% more reliable.

[marcus]

I wasnt upset so to speak , just annoyed that this has gone on for so long , Yes I guess everyone is a little ticked off at the whole situation and there doesnt seem to be any real solution in the near future , so why not embrace both series for what they are. Ok if you dont like ovals then thats fine , Im not a big fan of oval racing actually but i enjoy what the IRL has to offer.
I am from a road racing background and that will always hold top spot over anything for me but I enjoy what the IRL has to offer and love the look of the cars , but thats my personal opinion.
The reason and Ive said this before that Im not to fussed about unifying the series is that I get 2 quality series right now as it is , yes I could get ONe fantastic series , but do you really think that will happen ???

I dunno , I like both series and CART is going through a difficult period right now , but Im sure they will bounce back as it is also a quality series.

I think the US is strong enough to support both series which brings me to the political side of things

ok it was mentioned above about topics in the IRL forum being mainly to do with "on track" stuff , and for me thats all im interested in and always have been , politics is politics and it tends to bore me no end , I just love racing and the rest of it can do what it likes.

If I was financially involved of course I would take a different view on the matter but im not and if a series burns itself out finacially then thats life I cant do anything about it , it simply doesnt interest me at all.

so I apologise if my topics in the IRL forum have only been on racing but I just dont find that side of it interesting.

but by all means feel free to post topics in there about whatever you like as long as it is constructive and has good nature debate and conversation in it , then thats fine.

but anyway I obviously shouldnt have posted my above comments and I apologise and will refrain from doing so in the future , i just want it all to end.

CHEERS
Marcus

[marcus]

P.S excuse me to if that didnt make sense , ive had a few beers

[racerkeke]

BTW, that image of Dare at TMS reminds me of "the race that never was" -- bringing this back to CART. Ever since that weekend, listening to Eddie Gossage (manager of TMS) and Bruton Smith go ON about how "the IRL guys don't have any problems here, you CART guys are just wimps", I have been predicting that the IRL drivers will eventually have the same G-force issues as the CART drivers did. Certainly, from the image, the same debris field issues apply...

keke

[Jay]

They're still quite a bit slower than Cart was on that track (in relative terms), with Cart's fast lap being 233.447. Still, you're right, a track like that will naturally produce close racing, as everyone's flat out, running similar speeds and changing spots as they move in and out of the draft - you could easily have a Nascar style pile up.