Racing Rumors

[macdaddy]

Nah... Just kiddin' ya.
The truth of the matter is that Paul Newman will be driving for Dale Coyne in Portland.

[JohnSSC]

And that will be a one car, two driver effort as PLN will drive the first third of the race and Gordon Johncock driving the middle third so PLN can get a nap before taking over again in the final third. They will be sponsored by Viagra, Geritol and the AARP.

[Dov]

Macdaddy, have you been drinking again?

[Dov]

From grandprix.com
Rumours of F1-CART talks continue with the latest suggestion being that there could be a merger between CART and F1 in order to create a two-tier system of events. This would give F1 access to several premium events in North America and would allow CART to expand into Europe. If the rules and regulations are carefully organised it would also allow for Max Molsey's idea of promotion and relegation between two championships and give US teams the chance to break into F1. In order for this to be achieved however Formula 1 costs need to be reduced considerably to bring them into line with the level of spending in the United States.

Pollock has missed the last two CART events, preferring to attend Grands Prix, looking after Jacques Villeneuve and "maybe doing other things".

[Jay]

Possibly trying to get his guy a ride.... In a way I dont like having a Cart event this weekend, as it clashes with teh Canadian GP. It used to be that quite a few Cart people came to the F1 race... I kinda miss that...

That's an interesting scenario Dov...might be worthwhile if it means Cart can race at some of the better European venues. That said, I still don't think Cart should have any more than 3..or MAX 4 European events.

[macdaddy]

Just got done a conference call with my pals Bernie and Chris...
Got some more "inside scoop" for ya...

By 2005, F1 and CART will be merged in that they will run together at 30 selected venues. Similar to sportscars, there will be two separate classes of cars ontrack at the same time. The schedule is to be divided up between the existing schedules of both series. The calendar will feature a race every weekend, with the sole exeption of qualifying day at Indy. Ecclestone has purchased turn two and much of the backstretch at IMS, and so the 28-and-5 rule will be reintroduced, only vice-versa. F1 designers have already begun drawings for the entirely new chassis that will be required for the eight ovals on the schedule, which will include Michigan and Fontana. So as to not upset the Montreal race fans, (having two racedates combined into one), the new series will visit the cirucit twice; once in February and again in July. This is also sending the tire manufacturers scrambling to come up with a good snow tire. Discussions are ongoing with the Pikes Peak HillClimb to stage an event there. A decision is expected next week. Tentatively dubbed "Formula World", the series will particpate in a non-points invitational event following the conclusion of the season, to be held in Honolulu Hawaii, in which the top five finishers will compete against IRL regulars in a demolition derby.

Oh, and by-the-way, they've decided upon turbocharged rotaries.
(If there is such a thing).

[Fish_Flake]

That has to be both the best and worst idea anyone has ever come up with.

[evo]

Sure, the last RX-7 was a twin turbo 1.3L 2-rotor. Of course it only made 265bhp, and the new RX-8 has an atmospheric 1.3L 2-rotor that makes 250bhp.

Oh wait, that's not a rumor, it's reality... sorry.

[carsten66]

A rumor from Champweb/Autosport UK:

>> The Pau street circuit in France is pushing to host a round of the Champ Car World Series.Pau Grand Prix president Jean Paul Pasquet admitted that he has already had preliminary discussions with Champ Car boss Chris Pook about a race.
"It could happen," said Pasquet. "we have had a dialogue with Chris Pook and a Champ Car race in Pau would be very good. We are making a lot of improvements to the track to take us forward all the time. For 2006 we are planning to build modern new grandstands on the start-finish straight and smash the old ones up."

Pau is also angling for a round of the DTM, as well as the Eurosport Super Racing Weekend package on which the European Touring Car and FIA GT Championships run. But Pasquet wants to keep the Formula 3 Pau GP, which has become a popular fixture since it replaced the circuits round of the FIA F3000 championship in 1999."Our commitement is to stay with F3" he said. "After that, we will see what we can bring to Pau".

For next year, the rack will undergo its most radical extension since it became a regular venue in the 1950's. The fast sweepers before the start-finsih straight will be replaced by a left turn onto a new loop that uses residential roads. French F3 ace Nicolas Lapierre backed the move. "It will create some new corners," he said. <<

... and who likes to drive a lap around Pau Arnos Circuit:
http://www.bearn-online.com/circuita...is/circuit.htm

[Snrub]

Such a thing as a turbo rotary??!? I'm in London this weekend, come up and I'll show you one.

The 3rd gen RX-7 made 'only' 255hp on seqential turbos. As such it had a very flat power delivery (which all rotaries have anyway). It will rip the hell out of a RX-8. At the time of it was brought to market only the Porsche 959 and Mazda Cosmo (Japanese only and both the 13B-RE and the legendary 3-rotor 20B) had sequential turbos. One of the problems for the first couple years had to do with the reliability of the 'pre-spool' in the sequential turbos. Reliability was not great for during the short american run, but was later fixed while still sold in Japan until last year. The 'old' Mazda rotary engines had peripheral exhaust ports which produce very strong exhaust pulses making them ideal to mate with a turbo. The 3 rotor engines seem to eleviate the low torque issues often associated with rotaries. There's a guy I've met in TO who with the puny stock turbos was putting out 450hp on the 20B (2.0L). (note that the turbos on the 20B are actually SMALLER than those found on the 13B-REW) He's no where near pushing it...yet.

The RX-8 uses only side exhaust ports and is sort of like the Honda S2K which requires big revs to produce power. Despite having low torque, the curve is very flat. My biggest problem with the RX-8 is that piston engines have made MASSIVE strives in the last 10-15 years while the rotary has only made small strives. Mazda put it on the backburner and do not have nearly the advantage they use to have. The RX-8 in someways doesn't seem like the car best suited to bring back the rotary. RX-7s have always had the rotary because it made them better. Rotary's should always leave no doubt in the minds of anyone why they are in a given vehicle. IMO aluminum intermediate housings would reduce the weight enough that a 3 rotor would be the best choice. In this case the fuel consumption of the 3 rotor would probably have to be improved a bit, perhaps closer to the level Mazda promised with the renesis.

The peripheral ported (intake/exhaust) rotary is the ultimate race engine. Huge overlap and huge power at very high revs. Back in the early 80s in the IMSA series GTU class they were putting out 330hp+ from 1.1L n/a.

...Anyway, part of why I'd love to see CART as all rotary would be to help develop the rotary for the public. It's the perfect engine for CART and vise versa.

[macdaddy]

Wow! Now I know everything, and I'm too smart for my own good!

Not rumours, but here are a couple of tidbits of info:
- NTN Bearings has signed as associate sponsor to Manning.
- Memo Gidley signed to drive for Rocketsports in TransAm.

[cos]

Cosworth and General Motors - a little bird says

Our spies in the United States are suggesting that anyone with any doubt about the possible relationship between General Motors and Cosworth Racing should make their way next week to the Chicagoland Speedway where it is believed Pennzoil Panther Racing will do a back-to-back test between the current Chevrolet Indy Racing League engine and an engine which was designed by Cosworth but never put into production. It is beleived that the test will be carried out by IRL Champion Sam Hornish Jr. The deal will be a significant one for Cosworth if it goes ahead as it will hlep to protect the company's employees who may be under threat given the cut back on engine supplies in CART and in Formula 1 and the reduction in the number of rebuilds necessary.

Chevrolet has turned to Cosworth (a Ford subsidiary) because its own engine is uncompetitive with the Toyota and Honda engines in the Indy racing League this year.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns11335.html

[Snrub]

I still can't believe that Cosworth & Chevy rumour. It's sounding more and more like it's true, but it's just so wild.

Good for Manning and Gidley.

Oh yes, last tidbit - Tommy Kendal drove a GTU RX-7 to win the championship.

[Lee Janotta]

They're getting rid of the esses down Avenue Gaston Lacoste?! That's the best part of Pau!!!!

I don't think that's the same Pau circuit they're talking about, carsten. This is the street circuit:
http://www.racingcircuits.net/France/Pau.html

[carsten66]

@ Lee: Oh yes, that's possible. Here some pictures from the Grand Prix de Pau:

http://www.bearn-online.com/sport/gr...rix/photos.asp

[¡As-de-mim!]

Indy future secured: Mackenroth
Tuesday, 24 June 2003

Queensland Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth says any sale of the American company that runs the Gold Coast Indy will not jeopardise the Australian event.

Liberal leader Bob Quinn is urging the Government to do all it can to ensure the races continue, even if it means extra funding.

Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth says the Government has a five year contract for the race and it will continue.

He says the news of a possible sale comes as no surprise.

"The contract that we have is with the organisation. If it's sold the contracts would be sold on as well, but we were aware last year that the actual, I guess, the ownership of CART [Championship Auto Racing Teams], could change anyway," he said.

"It's not something that's new, it's just that they have actually told the New York Stock Exchange they are looking at their ownership structure."

[Omega99]

Wow! Both the Pau road and street circuits look unbelievable! I'd like to see CART racce at both.... at the same time... you know, by running on some highways and streets in between... it'd be like a 20 mile lap proabbly, but a very nice one.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Jacques-Pollock needs to focus/Lemarie got Screwed!

"Jacques Villeneuve thinks that his agent, Craig Pollock, is being distracted while being involved everywhere in the world of motor racing. The pilot québécois stated that he would prefer that his agent devotes 100 percent of its energies to find to him a suitable drive for the next season. When one asks him for his impressions on the fact that Craig Pollock is in line to acquire part of the Champ Car series, Villeneuve answers curtly that he doesn't give a damn. Clearly, the pilot would like that his agent re-examine his priorities. He, in addition, at all did not appreciate the way in which his/her friend Patrick Lemarié was laid off by the Pollock-Kalkhoven team. Jacques Villeneuve estimates that the team fired Lemarié by thinking that he did not progress, then realized that it is the team which, according to him, is useless."

Translated from:
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/f1-cart/a...03,350416.shtml

[Jay]

Interesting.... Well, I have to admit Herta nor Papis have brought the car any further up the grid than Lemarie did (actually steps backwards), so perhaps Jacques has a point.

As for finding Jacques a new ride for next year, if he doesn't think Craig is capable than he should find someone else or do it himself. Craig has his business, Jacques has his.

All that said, I don't see any actual quotes, so perhaps it is taken out of context and shouldn't have much attention payed to it.

[Dov]

This rumour is from Champweb, so take it for what it's worth.
Sebastien Bourdais has a new color scheme here in Mid-Ohio. Red and White...

Rumor buzzing around the pits, is that a fast food giant, will take a sponsorship role for a few races, along with Paul Newman and his Salad Dressing.

Stay tuned to Champweb.net for the latest..

[Dov]

Another rumour from Champweb.net:A rumor buzzing around the Mid-Ohio paddock today was that there could possibly be a new car entering the grid for the remainder of the 2003 season.

Speculation is that Fernandez or Rocketsports may add a second car, however this is unconfirmed.

[Dov]

From Champweb.net:One thing of notice here in Mid-Ohio, is that many of the teams are carrying new associate sponsorships. The Mi-Jack conquest car is filled with bunches of associate stickers, as is Tiago Monteiro's, Taglianis, as well as the Herdez machines.

This is a good sign.

[macdaddy]

The sponsor news is the BEST news!
I hear Bourdais will be flying new colours.
And I hear Coyne is flying a new driver in Alex Sperafico.

[Jay]

I kind of question anything from Champweb... there have been a ton of new associate sponsor stickers appearing on the cars over the last few races, so I'm not sure it's anything new.

Sperafico may be testing...i think he has the cash (based on his ride last year), so we might have a different person in the roll of mobile chicane at some point.

[racefanatic]

GOSH, I think I'd rather have Sperafico than any of the people that have been on the team so far this season! That's great news if it's true!