Japanese driver to join CART?

[Dov]

From Cart.com:http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7159

RYO FUKUDA: EASTERN AND WESTERN PROMISE

Thursday, October 2, 2003

For the last two years at Miami, it’s been no surprise to see out-of-work or vacationing race drivers hanging out at the Grand Prix Americas. Last weekend, Ryo Fukuda took the honors for making the longest trip to get there.

The 24-year old native of Fukuoka, Japan has spent most of 2003 racing Formula Nippon, a higher-tech version of Formula 3000 that is the top open-wheel series in his homeland. Fukuda also teamed with Masahiko Kondo and former Formula 1 driver Ukyo Katayama to notch a 13th place finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and he is a test driver for the British American Racing Formula 1 team.

But Fukuda wasn’t in Miami to soak up the sun and the brutal humidity. Accompanied by journalist Kazuki Saito, who runs Japan’s US-Racing.net website, he was talking to Champ Car team owners about potential employment for 2004.

“I’ve known about the Champ Car series for six or seven years,” Fukuda remarked in the frigid Miami press room. “My objective was to be a Formula 1 driver and I’ve done a lot of testing for the BAR team. But I want to race. When you’re just testing, you lose some of your skills. I think the best thing for me would be to race in the USA because I think Champ Car is a fantastic series.”

Fukuda raced in the French Formula 3 series from 1999 to 2001, where two of his competitors included current Champ Car pilots Sebastien Bourdais and Tiago Monteiro. Fukuda won the series championship in 2001, two years after his former teammate Bourdais accomplised the same feat.

“I learned a lot for him during the year he won the title,” Fukuda said. “He’s definitely very fast. I have seen him do very well in Champ Cars and I thought, ‘If he can do it, then I can do it.’” The series looks very interesting to me. For sure, it’s not easy, but it looks better than other American series to me because I prefer road and street courses. My favorite tracks are Spa, Suzuka and Macau.”

Fukuda’s nationality makes him attractive to BAR because of the team’s Honda engines. But Takuma Sato has the inside track on a test or race seat for BAR in 2004.

“The problem with testing is that you are always running to a pace,” Fukuda noted. “I always want to go fast, and when there are two test drivers, you want to go faster than the other guy. But my job was not to go fast - it was to test systems like launch control, traction control and tires.”

One thing that separates Fukuda from the crop of Japanese drivers trying to succeed on an international level is his ability to speak English (as well as French), gleaned from seven years of living in Europe. Fukuda, whose mother is American, also spent a year with his grandparents as a teenager in Hamilton, Ohio - near Cincinnati.

“We need a Japanese driver in Champ Cars to maintain interest in the series,” said Saito, who is the chief US correspondent for Japan’s Autosport magazine. “Ryo speaks English very well and that will help him a lot. Past Japanese drivers in the series have been quick at times, but this series requires good communication for a driver to be successful. For that reason, I believe Ryo can do very well.”

[KC]

If a guy like Fukuda can spark some interest in Japan, will that not in turn spark some interest with Honda and Toyota? If it does, should CART be interested in them returning?

[Avid Merrion]

I think Cart will welcome them .

[Dov]

Originally posted by KC
If a guy like Fukuda can spark some interest in Japan, will that not in turn spark some interest with Honda and Toyota? If it does, should CART be interested in them returning?

I'm not sure, KC, but CART needs more then one engine manufacturer! I wouldn't mind seeing Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volks-Wagon, Maserati, and Renault join Ford in The ChampCar World Series....at least three of them. If CART has a race in South Korea in the near future, will we see Hyundai come on board??? OWRS has to let the manufaturers know that they are in control and not the other way around. If they don't follow are rules, then they are gone. The tail will no longer be wagging the dog!!! I wouldn't mind seeing another tire manufaturer join CART....it makes the racing more interesting.

[macdaddy]

I'd welcome any engine manufacturer into the series. (That doesn't mean I have to root for them - perhaps I'd have somebody to root against). But what I'd also welcome would be a spec-ECU to keep the thumb over traction control.

[corkholio]

Take a look around. If the engine manufacturers don't keep supporting either in a few years the Indy 500 will be better known as the Brickyard 400.

[gttouring]

well i don't see why Ford doesn't want to brand some of the engines as Volvo, Jaguar, and Lincoln. it would at least make it obvious that the series has many brands fighting it out, I am surprised at the amount of people who do not know Ford is the parent company to so many even range Rover now yes? or is that still BMW, or are they Stand alone. either way, it would be good to see more manufacturers join the fray, so as a stop gap measure why not the name brands?
Mazda, even Aston Martin should jump in the labeling game- it would make for crazy adverts and fan loyalties.
So a Japanese driver is more than welcome bring the Honda back, and maybe other will follow

[varsitypride3]

Bring 'em in. We'll get twin-ring motegi back, and show the japanese what the other series couldn't.

[Snrub]

I'm all for a Japanese driver and it certainly could bring in Asian Manufacturers.

It would be terrific for Honda to come back. When they were in CART they always made sure they had top notch engines. They let it slide a tad in 2002, but I think it's pretty obvious why.

Toyota we can do without. They were bad for CART. They brough bags of money, but were not good engines until 2002. (2001 too I suppose) Toyota took so long to get up to speed it saddled much of the field with uncompetitive equipment.

Aston Martin doesn't a lot of sense to spend that kind of money for marketing/branding all in one shot.

IMO Nissan, Mazda and Hyundai would be smart brands to market in CART. Nissan and Mazda are obviously taking a performance oriented angle. Hyundai needs to shake off the image of unreliability and being sub-par. These stigmas are no longer true.

[gttouring]

here Here Snrub!
maybe not Aston Martin, but Hyundai, Mazda, and Nissan would be verywelcome. besides Nissan is known globally for its ferocious turbo cars, so bring the mystique to the US- ahem Skyline, Sylvia...

[BootsOntheSide]

I doubt Hodna or Toyota are likely to return. Not Toyota, because they're doing so well in the IRL. Honda would only move back across if they completely fail to get on level terms with Toyota and Cosworth in next year's IRL. Hyundai are possible, but remember that Renault own Nissan nowadays.

As for Ryo, it'd be gret to see him enter. Guys like him really should be getting a real shot at F3000, if not F1 immediately, as his record is impressive. America should welcome him with open arms.