Silly Season Update...

[power&glory]

I was just on Champweb and saw the silly season page, updated as of 11-15. Take a look http://www.champweb.net/silly/index.htm

Good news for Forsythe, Fernandez, Rahal, and Fittipaldi

Surprising to see that Servia's out at Patrick, but it's super that they're adding a second car. I wonder where Servia will go.

Bad news for ASTJ and Walker I don't know about ASTJ, but I know that Walker could probably just find a couple of guys with big sponsor dollars, like Coyne does, to field a team.

Would Carl Russo really take Toyota's money? Oh I hope not.

So, right now, the pessimistic outlook is: 19 cars

And the optimistic outlook is: 24-26 cars (+/- ASTJ)

So it looks pretty good. Seems like its all in the hands of the shareholders vote at this point. (PRAY!!!)

[Snrub]

I'm not surprised by Servia this year. There were some times when he clearly had the car but did not perform. The team mentioned publically that they were disappointed with him several times.

Would Russo take Toyota money? The real question is the Toyota money to go the the IRL or do something extra in Atlantics.

[Liz]

That rumour about ASTJ is not what I have heard from other sources.

Zonta has committed to Toyota's F1 program as their third driver. He wants to remain in F1. But I like the Monteiro/Laving pairing and especially like them getting Lolas. Monteiro is a very good driver.

I expect we'll be hearing from Cork any minute regarding his beloved Lavin.

[Jay]

I've got a bad feeling that if Russo doesn't find sponsorship money quickly he may take Toyota's blank cheque. Hopefully not...though I'm not a huge fan of AJ, he's a great road racer, and it'd be a shame to see another talent wasted turning left.

As for ASTJ, from all of the rumours that have been swirling around it appears they'll either have a reduced effort next year, or we'll see their equipment on the selling block soon. Hopefully they'll be back.

Good to hear that Fernandez is close to having another car - hopefully some others can do the same.

[Dov]

Here are some questions and thoughts regarding CART's Silly Season...

Who's going to be the new primary sponsor(s) at Forsythe Racing....Molson?/Pizza Hut?/????

Both SeaBass and Junky should remain at N/H for 2004. Will McDonalds become Bourdais primary sponsor in 04?

It's looks promising for Fernandez racing next year. Adrian should be joined by Luis Diaz or ?, but if the sponsorship falls through, then how long does Fernandez want to drive (alone) for?

Team Rahal will most likely remain a one car team. While it looks like Pierre Kaffer may have the sponsorship to land him the 2nd seat, the deal may hinge on there being a race in Germany!?

It looks like Tiago Monteiro (FDR) will be joined by Rodolfo Lavin and his Corona money. It's 50/50 that Conquest Racing will field a 1 car team again next year and they might end up joing FDR. If so, does that mean that Haberfeld is out of a ride?

It looks like PK Racing has signed a sponsor for 2004 and could possibly expand to a 2 car team, but if it doesn't work out, they still have Mika Salo.

Who will replace Roberto Moreno at Herdez Competition...Gonzalez?

If ASTJ does make it on to the grid in 04, they will most likely be a 1 car team piloted by RHR!? If American Spirit folds, then where does RHR take his money (what team)? What about Jeemy, does he takeover at Pat Patrick Racing? Does he drive as well? Is he joined by Bjorn Wirdheim and is Servia the odd man out??

Since Dashley looks like he is going EARLing again in 2004, RocketSports will most likely remain a 1 car team.

Michael Valiante might be the only driver left at Walker Racing....the big question is will there be a team left for the start of the 2004 CART season?

Will RuSport find the money to run AJ in CART in 04 or will Tony follow Toyota's money bags to the EARL??

As funny or as sad as it may seem, Dale Coyne Racing will once again have a 2 car team in 04. I'm hoping that Tomas Enge gets one of those seats, but we all know that it doesn't matter to Dale Coyne as long as you "Show Him The Moneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"!!!

[racer69]

Originally posted by power&glory
So, right now, the pessimistic outlook is: 19 cars

And the optimistic outlook is: 24-26 cars (+/- ASTJ)

I'd be inclined to think that it's optimistic to think that the pessimistic look is 19 cars

Are Newman/Haas still looking at 3 cars?

Have Patrick lost Servia because Visteon are out? Does this mean two pay drivers?

[jetsetter]

I think CART would love to get 19 cars on the grid for next year with the way things are at the moment.

[BootsOntheSide]

24-26 seems ludicrously optimistic given the lack of rumoured new teams. FDR absorbing Conquest seems like, ASTJ are questionable, Walker still don't have any funding in palce, and second Rocketsports and PK entries are strong rumours at best. Getting a grid of that size would depend on every rumour coming good.

[macdaddy]

On Dov's post...
I think we may see Moreno driving for Herdez again next year, although probably not in the Mexican rounds.

If FDR absorbs Conquest, and Lavin brings his money there, that's gonna leave Haberfeld out of work. Which would be a shame.

[Liz]

Tomas Enge has had backing from Coca Cola in the past. Could he bring any of that with him to CART?

[jjspierx]

Are you sure Enge had backing from Coca Cola, and that Coke wasn't just backing the Ferrari team he was driving for? Or did he have backing from Coca Cola in F3000?

[BootsOntheSide]

The backing was from Coca-Cola's Eastern Europe division (it was there when he drove for Nordic Racing (Chris Mower of COnquest's old team, although I won't start any 'Enge to COnquest rumours) in F3000 in 2001), and I doubt it has any conenction to any international marketing effort from the corporation, and the Eastern European department would be unlikely to get enough visibility from it.

[jjspierx]

holy ****, BootsOntheSide, you are the only person(besides myself) who I have ever seen use double-parenthesis's.

[Omega99]

So will anyone be running Reynard's next year???

[Tenoch]

Enge may bring the Coke sponsorship evene if its from the Eastern European Coke, Just like Michel has Office Depot sponsorship from Office Depot of Mexico and not the Us chain. Samething with adrian and quakerstate.

[Dov]

Originally posted by Macdaddy
I think we may see Moreno driving for Herdez again next year, although probably not in the Mexican rounds.

I thought Moreno and his family were headed to Australia where Roberto might be driving in the V8 Super Car Series!?

From Cart.com: http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7389

Roberto Moreno - Driver, Car 4
Total Points: 67 Championship Position: 13th
Of course, the cancellation of the race at California Speedway was not how any of us wanted to finish up the 2003 season. But we must remember the impact the fires were having on the people of the San Bernardino area – it was not the right time for us to be having a race when people were being put out of their homes.
I feel good about the 2003 season overall. I came to Herdez Competition to assist in the development of Mario Dominguez and to help in the development of the car. I feel that we have achieved those objectives. So my satisfaction with the season is not related to one particular day or event, though the 1-2 finish in Miami is a special memory. Simply put, my satisfaction was in seeing the development of the team as a whole, day in, day out. It gives me great pleasure to know that I am leaving the team after being part of their graduation to the next level of competitiveness and becoming one of the top teams in the Champ Car paddock.

[macdaddy]

Thanks, Dov. Sometimes when I get one of those "gut feelings" it turns out to be little more than gas!

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally posted by jjspierx
holy ****, BootsOntheSide, you are the only person(besides myself) who I have ever seen use double-parenthesis's.

It must be down to all the BASIC programming I've done, using nested FOR-NEXT loops.

I think Moreno will be moving on, and I wish him every success in Aussie V8s, which seem to be getting mroe and more overseas drivers by the year.

[macdaddy]

This came as news to me...
Forsythe's new sponsor is rumoured to be KOOL.

[Dov]

What you talk'in about Willis, er, Macdaddy!?

[macdaddy]

Just surfin' the net, out of boredom, looking for something juicy. Apparently this is rumoured on AR1.

I was expecting to have heard something from the Forsythe camp by now, but apparently their announcement will be closer to Christmas.

[spider]

So, to sum up, list the teams and drivers that are confirmed or are expected to be confirmed for 2004...

[macdaddy]

Off the top of my head, here's what I'm thinking...

"Confirmed" would be too strong a word.
How 'bout "Likely"?

Forsythe - Tracy
Forsythe - Carpentier
N/Haas - Bourdais
N/Haas - Junqueira
Fernandez - Fernandez
Rahal - Jourdain
FDR - Monteiro
FDR - Lavin
PK - Salo
Herdez - Dominguez
Herdez - Somebody
Rocketsports - Tagliani
Patrick - Vasser? Servia? Wirdheim?
Walker - Valiante?
Coyne - Enge?
Coyne - Sperafico? Salles? Boss?

And second cars are quite possible for:

Fernandez - Diaz?
Rahal - Kaffer?
PK - Somebody?
Rocketsports - Somebody?
Patrick - Vasser? Servia? Wirdheim?

So that's 16 on the first list, add the other 5 and maybe a car for RuSport, and that gives me 22. Seems like a pretty hefty number, but it's still way too early to get a clear picture.

[BootsOntheSide]

Newman Haas - Bourdais certain, Junquiera near-certain, Hunter-Reay possible

Forsythe - Tracy certain, Carpentier certain

Rahal - Jourdain certain, Kaffer possible

Patrick - Vasser likely, Wirdheim likely, Servia unlikely

Rocketsports - Tagliani certain, Franchitti possible, other possible

Fernandez - Fernandez certain, Diaz possible

Walker - Vailente likely, Lavin possible, other possible

Fitipaldi-Dingman - Lavin likely, Montiero likely

Herdez - Dominguez certain, Gonzales possible, Diaz possible, Moreno unlikely

PK - Salo likely, Franchitti possible

Conquest - unlikely

ASTJ - Hunter-Reay possible

Dale Coyne - Keohane possible, Enge possible, Salles possible, Boss unlikely (excuse while I weep at the loss)

RuSport - Allmendinger possible

[macdaddy]

Refresh my memory, please?
Why am I thinking that the "18-car-grid" was only guaranteed in the contracts with the off-continent events? (England, Germany, Australia)?