April 2008
|
April 2008 |
arts |
All-American legacy lives on as Vasser, Moran, Jr. join GAINSCO Auto Insurance team at the Rolex 24 at Daytona
DALLAS — December 15, 2005 -- GAINSCO/Blackhawk Racing’s assault on the crown jewel of American sports car racing will be powered by four American open-wheelers hungry for a title, as 1996 Champ Car champion Jimmy Vasser and Toyota Atlantic standout Rocky Moran, Jr. will join regular-season drivers Bob Stallings and Alex Gurney behind the wheel of the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley at the 2006 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, Jan. 26-29. Vasser needs no introduction to road-racing fans, as his championship success in the Champ Car World Series is legendary – nine poles, 10 victories and 33 podiums in 231 career starts. The open-wheel veteran is no stranger to the high banks of Daytona, either, as he helped the Comptech team take the 1992 IMSA Lights class victory at the 24 Hours, and finished third in 1999 piloting a Ferrari 333SP. “The 24 Hours of Daytona is a great race with a lot of history and to compete in it with GAINSCO/Blackhawk Racing is a great opportunity for me,” Vasser said. “I am proud to be a part of the All-American lineup with talented young drivers like Alex and Rocky. I grew up in admiration of the success of both of their fathers. It will be exciting to race with them, and Bob as well, who proved in his rookie year last season that he’s got what it takes.” Moran, Jr. is a young gun with two Toyota Atlantic victories under his belt, and a deep-rooted connection to Dan Gurney and the All-American Racers. His father, Rocky Moran, raced for Gurney’s team throughout the 1980s and 1990s and helped propel the Gurney Eagle into Victory Lane at the 1993 running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. ”This is an awesome opportunity for myself and the entire GAINSCO Auto Insurance team,” Moran, Jr. said. “Bob has put together a talented lineup with a strong legacy of success, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” Gurney is very cognizant of that same history and, after his strong rookie performances in the 2005 Rolex Series, is hungry to turn the team’s very first endurance race into the team’s very first Rolex Series victory. “I am so excited about the 24 Hour, I can hardly stand it! What a great way to start the racing season! In a sense, we are almost all rookies when it comes to the 24 but I am very confident in this team we’ve assembled,” Alex said. “This is a group of very quick guys who all tend to stay out of trouble. We believe this is exactly what you need to do well in this race. We showed a lot of speed and promise last year but now we are very ready to get to the top step of the podium. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Riley!” For his part, Stallings is enthusiastic about the potential for success as his team kicks off their second season in Rolex Series competition. “I’m truly thrilled that we’ve been able to assemble a great group of talented American drivers, a dedicated, motivated team back at the shop and a strong supporter in GAINSCO Auto Insurance,” Stallings said. For Vasser, the circumstances that brought him behind the wheel of the GAINSCO Pontiac Riley couldn’t have been more favorable, and he’s optimistic that as the sun rises over the sands of Daytona Beach on Sunday, the bright red No. 99 will have a strong bid at the checkered flag. “The team has done a fantastic job in putting together a competitive effort. They achieved a lot of success as a new team last year and, with all the hard work they’ve put in during the off-season, I am confident we’ve got as good a shot at victory as anyone,” Vasser said. “It would be a great honor to represent GAINSCO Auto Insurance in Victory Lane at such a historic and prestigious race. I am excited that the team invited me to be a part of this and I am really looking forward to getting in the car, starting at the Test Days in January. I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2006.” Indeed, their 2006 season will kick off Jan. 4-7 as the 2006 Rolex Series teams perform sports car racing’s version of “Spring training” – the Test Days at Daytona – where Moran and Vasser will get behind the wheel of the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley to the fabled 3.56 mile road course for the first time at full speed. Fans can keep track of the action with live timing and scoring at http://www.Grand-Am.com and the team’s Web updates at http://www.GAINSCOracing.com. Blackhawk Motorsports has been committed to excellence in road racing since its formation in 2001. The team campaigns the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype in the 2006 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve. With two poles, a podium and dozens of laps led in their maiden 2005 season, drivers Bob Stallings and Alex Gurney are hungry for even greater success. The team is supported by GAINSCO Auto Insurance and Wells Fargo, and proudly partners with Pontiac, Riley Technologies, BBS Wheels, Puma, and Ringers Gloves. The primary sponsor of the No. 99 Blackhawk Motorsports Daytona Prototype is GAINSCO Auto Insurance, a Dallas, Texas-based auto insurer that distributes policies through a network of independent agents across the Sunbelt. The company is publicly traded on Amex under the symbol GAN. GAINSCO Auto Insurance is a fast-growing presence in the automobile insurance industry and is using the racing program to promote its "Are You Driven?" marketing theme that is intended to build brand awareness and advance its distribution strategies. For more information, visit http://www.GAINSCO.com.
JUSTIN WILSON PACES FINAL DAY OF CHAMP CAR TESTING IN FONTANA FONTANA, Calif. (March 9, 2005) – It has long been said that the curse of having potential is the burden of having to eventually live up to it. Nowhere is that adage more true than in the Champ Car World Series, but the second-year RuSPORT squad with sophomore sensations Justin Wilson and A.J. Allmendinger appear ready to answer the bell. The Colorado-based team showed a glimpse of its potential on a sunny Wednesday in Fontana as Wilson put up the best time of the day, getting around the 1.45-mile road course in a best time of 52.71 seconds. “I think we have everything in place to be competitive this season,” Wilson said. “The team is doing a great job, we’re all learning and building our chemistry. We have the parts to be good, it is just a matter of putting all the pieces together.” Tuesday’s test leader Cristiano da Matta had another strong day, stopping the clocks at 52.81, improving nearly a half-second over his best time from Tuesday’s session. Allmendinger was third with a 52.86 while Paul Tracy turned a late lap of 52.91. PKV Racing’s Jimmy Vasser found some more speed after Tuesday’s testing, dropping his best time to 53.11. The revamped PKV squad is finding its legs after the inclusion of general manager Jim McGee and Steve Krisiloff, and Vasser believes that his team will be one of the ones to beat as the 2005 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season gets rolling. “We were definitely competitive at times out here today,” Vasser said. “I think Cristiano has been a great addition to the team and things are really starting to work. I think Champ Car fans are going to see a whole new side of PKV Racing this year.” As was the case yesterday, the first six cars were within six-tenths of a second apart at the end of the session. Andrew Ranger tested for the second consecutive day in the Mi-Jack/Conquest Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone and improved to a best time of 53.30, just 0.59 seconds off the session-leading effort of Wilson. Ranger was denied a chance to put up a quicker time at the end of the day when he suffered a punctured Bridgestone Potenza just before the end of the session. The close grouping of the times over the last two days of testing has many teams and drivers brimming with optimism for the upcoming season, which gets underway with the April 10 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. “We’re getting close on our program here at PKV Racing, but it’s going to be a tough deal because there are going to be a lot of strong cars,” said Vasser. “More than half the field is going to be very strong and fans are going to be rewarded with a great championship because a lot of guys are going to have a chance to win races.” Teams will hit the testing trail again at the end of the month with sessions being held at Sebring and Fontana March 22-24. Times as reported by Cosworth Racing engineers follow: 1) Justin Wilson, RuSPORT – 52.712) Cristiano da Matta, PKV Racing – 52.813) A.J. Allmendinger, RuSPORT – 52.864) Paul Tracy, Forsythe Championship Racing – 52.915) Jimmy Vasser, PKV Racing – 53.11 6) Andrew Ranger, Mi-Jack/Conquest Racing – 53.30 JUSTIN WILSON PACES FINAL DAY OF CHAMP CAR TESTING IN FONTANA 1) Justin Wilson, RuSPORT – 52.712) Cristiano da Matta, PKV Racing – 52.813) A.J. Allmendinger, RuSPORT – 52.864) Paul Tracy, Forsythe Championship Racing – 52.915) Jimmy Vasser, PKV Racing – 53.11 6) Andrew Ranger, Mi-Jack/Conquest Racing – 53.30 NEWMAN/HAAS TEAMMATES SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS AND BRUNO JUNQUEIRA TAKE CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES TITLE FIGHT TO MEXICO CITY SEASON FINALE
INDIANAPOLIS (November 3, 2004) – For the first time in four seasons, the battle for the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series title will go to the year’s final race as either Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) or Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) will leave Mexico City as the 2004 Champ Car champion.
Both drivers have held the lead at one point or another during the 2004 season and both have had career-defining moments that have put them in position to win their first Champ Car titles, but it now comes down to 63 laps around the 2.786-mile Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit to determine who will claim the Vanderbilt Cup.
Bourdais is in the better position of the two, entering the Gran Prémio Telmex/Tecate Presented by Banamex weekend with a 22-point lead over his Newman/Haas Racing stablemate. The series leader in wins, poles, qualifying average and laps led, Bourdais needs only to finish ninth or better in Mexico City to clinch his first Champ Car title. Junqueira, who kept himself in the title hunt by turning in one of his strongest efforts ever to take victory in Surfers Paradise, will need to get up front early and hope for some help to avoid becoming the first driver since Johnny Rutherford (1974-76) to finish as the Champ Car runner-up in three consecutive seasons.
Bourdais has used an unprecedented run of qualifying success to build his advantage as the second-year driver has started in the top three in each of the year’s 13 races and has a series-record streak of 14 consecutive top-three starts dating back to the 2003 season. However, Bourdais started fourth in last year’s Mexico City event, marking the last Champ Car race where he has not started third or better. He did not let that starting spot ruin his day however, using a strong mid-race run to climb to second place for a finish that sealed the deal on his 2003 Rookie-of-the-Year title.
Junqueira also knows a little about running up front at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez, winning the pole and finishing third in Champ Car’s return to Mexico City in 2002. He started third a year ago but ended his day in the seventh spot. No such luxuries will be available to him this year if he wants to stay in the title hunt though, as every point is vital to his championship survival.
But as intriguing as the war for the crown may be, the huge crowd will be following the fight for third in the season standings with equal interest. Mexican Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola Bridgestone) thrilled the record crowd by finishing on the podium last year, and enters this year’s race with a chance to become the second Mexican-born driver in the last two years to finish third in the series standings. Dominguez comes off a podium run in Australia that moved him into the top five with one race remaining as the third-year driver has put together the best season of his young career. His late-season run includes four top-five finishes in the year’s final six races, allowing him to climb to within 19 points of the third spot.
To get there, Dominguez will have to leapfrog past the defending winner of the Gran Prémio Tecate/Telmex Presented by Banamex Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). Tracy won from pole in Mexico City last year, leading 64 of the day’s 70 laps en route to the victory. He joins Bourdais as the only driver to score multiple wins and poles this season, and comes off an Australian trip that saw him earn the 22nd pole of his long career. Tracy is eighth on the all-time Champ Car list with those 22 pole positions, and is just one short of tying Rutherford for seventh on the list.
Tracy’s Forsythe Championship Racing teammate Patrick Carpentier (#7 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) will also have a say in who takes the third spot, considering that he is the driver that currently holds the position heading into the weekend. Carpentier had a tough time of it in Australia in a weekend that was capped by a hard crash at the end of the race, which allowed Tracy to climb to within four points of him in the fight for third. Carpentier was shaken up in the crash and was taken to the hospital for tests, but was released the next morning and is expected to be at full strength for the weekend. The eight-year veteran could match a career-best finish in the season standings if he maintains his spot throughout the weekend.
Battles will be waged throughout the field and throughout the standings as drivers jockey for various milestones, including the right to walk up on the stage later that night as one of the top-10 drivers in the championship. The 10th-place driver earns a season-ending bonus of $70,000, and while veteran Jimmy Vasser (#12 Gulfstream Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) enters the weekend in the final bonus spot, the four drivers trailing him all have mathematical chances at moving into that slot.
In addition to the fight in the final standings, there will be a six-figure sidebattle going as drivers chase the $100,000 Corona Cup. The inaugural Corona Cup goes to the Champ Car driver that scores the most total points in the two Mexican races, and will also be decided this weekend. As is the case with the season championship, Bourdais leads the way in the Corona Cup points after his win in Monterrey, while Junqueira is seven points behind. The Corona Cup and its $100,000 prize will officially be awarded Sunday night at the Champ Car Awards Banquet, to be held at the Camino Real in downtown Mexico City.
A.J. Allmendinger (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) clinched the 2004 Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year Award with a strong sixth-place run in Australia, but will be looking for more this weekend as the RuSPORT driver tries to improve his seventh-place perch in the standings. He needs to outscore Alex Tagliani (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) by five points to move into sixth place. Tagliani suffered an early accident in Australia that dropped him out of the year’s top five, and heads to a Mexico City track where he has never qualified better than 13th, and has a best finish of 10th coming in 2002.
Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) had one of the best qualifying efforts of his rookie season last year in Mexico City when he earned the fifth spot on the grid, but would have to be content with an 11th-place finish on Race Day. The American has scored top-five finishes in two of the last three races on the 2004 calendar and is just seven points behind Allmendinger and 11 in arrears to Tagliani heading into the weekend. Not only is getting in the top 10 important, but each spot you can gain inside the top 10 is vital as well as the season-ending bonus increases with each spot, culminating in the $750,000 prize for the series champion.
Favorite son Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) comes off a fourth-place finish in last year’s Mexico City race and is just eight points out of the top 10. Jourdain would become just the second Mexican-born driver ever to finish in the Champ Car top 10 in three consecutive races if he can muster a strong finish to the 2004 campaign. He is eight points behind Vasser in 10th and just 10 points behind Oriol Servia (#11 YokeTV.com Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), who is looking to give Dale Coyne Racing its first-ever top-10 finish in the season standings.
Toyota Atlantic veteran Michael Valiante (#15 Walker Racing Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone) will make his Champ Car debut in Mexico City, driving as a teammate to series leader in laps completed Mario Haberfeld (#5 Cummins Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone). Valiante, who finished second and third respectively in the 2002 and 2003 Atlantic standings, will make his long-awaited debut after his initial entry in last year’s Champ Car event at California Speedway was cancelled due to wildfires in the region.
Roberto Gonzalez (#21 Nextel Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) returns to the site of his first career top-10 finish as the series hits Mexico City. Gonzalez, who will end the year third in the 2004 rookie standings, competed at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez with Herdez Competition last season and improved eight spots during the race to finish in the 10th spot. The rookie has been one of the most reliable drivers all year, and is just eight laps behind Haberfeld for the series lead in number of laps completed.
The season finale will also provide a last chance for a couple of improving rookies to solidify their chances for next season. Nelson Philippe (#14 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Guy Smith (#17 Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) have each scored two top-10 runs in the last three races and will look to better that in their first-ever trips to Mexico City. Philippe has climbed to 16th in the season standings after joining the Mi-Jack team in August while Smith has carded three top-10s in his six starts with Rocketsports.
The Gran Prémio Telmex/Tecate Presented by Banamex will get underway with qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, with the 63-lap season finale taking the green flag at 3 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, November 7. The race can be seen live at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Spike TV. Fans can also follow along by using the Race Director feature on the official website of the series, www.champcarworldseries.com.
FAST FACTS GRAN PREMIO TELMEX/TECATE PRESENTED BY BANAMEX
WHAT: Gran Premio Telmex/Tecate Presented by Banamex WHERE: Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico WHEN: Friday-Sunday, November 5-7 SUPPORT EVENTS: Clio Cup, Formula Renault, Neon T4 Series
CHAMP CAR SCHEDULE (All times local): FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 – 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., Champ Car practice; 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Champ Car qualifying. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6 – 10:00 – 11:15 a.m., Champ Car practice; 1:45 – 2:45 p.m., Champ Car qualifying. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7 – 11:00 – 11:30 a.m., Champ Car warmup; 3:00 p.m., Gran Premio Telmex/Tecate Presented by Banamex.
U.S. TELEVISION SCHEDULE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7 – Gran Premio Telmex/Tecate Presented by Banamex, Spike TV, 4 p.m. (live)
2003 CHAMPION: Paul Tracy 2003 POLESITTER: Paul Tracy TRACK LAYOUT: 2.786-mile permanent road course RACE LENGTH: 63 laps, 175.518 miles TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) – 2002, Bruno Junqueira, 116.703 mph (1:25.941). Race – 2002, Kenny Brack, 104.468 mph (1:56:48.475) based on 73 laps (203.378 miles) RACE ROUND: 14 of 14 in the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES POINTS LEADERS: 1, Sebastien Bourdais, Newman/Haas Racing, 335; 2, Bruno Junqueira, Newman/Haas Racing, 313; 3, Patrick Carpentier, Forsythe Championship Racing, 247; 4, Paul Tracy, Forsythe Championship Racing, 243; 5, Mario Dominguez, Herdez Competition, 228.
EVENT HISTORY: Paul Tracy dominated the Champ Car event in Mexico City last year, scoring the pole during Friday qualifying and using that to roll away from the field on Race Day. Tracy beat fellow front-row starter Tiago Monteiro off the line and paced the first 57 laps, losing the lead briefly during pit stops, but regaining it for good with seven circuits remaining in the 70-lap event. Sebastien Bourdais clinched Rookie-of-the-Year honors with a second-place finish, coming home just 1.782 seconds behind Tracy, while Mario Dominguez touched off a wild celebration among the massive crowd when he finished in the third spot. The event set a new series record for event attendance with 402,413 fans and the Sunday crowd of 221,011 set a new record for single-day attendance.
VITAL RACE STATISTICS: Time of Race: 1:56:51.396 Average Speed: 100.133 mph Margin of Victory: 1.782 seconds Caution Flags: Four for 9 laps Lap Leaders: Paul Tracy, 64; Adrian Fernandez, 6.
THE GRAN PREMIO TELMEX/TECATE PRESENTED BY BANAMEX RACE HISTORY (Four events, 1980-81; 2002-present)
Year Race Winner Pole Winner 1980 Rick Mears Bobby Unser 1981 Rick Mears Bobby Unser 2002 Kenny Brack Bruno Junqueira 2003 Paul Tracy Paul Tracy
Total Victories Total Poles Rick Mears 2 Bobby Unser 2 Paul Tracy 1 Paul Tracy 1 Kenny Brack 1 Bruno Junqueira 1
NOTEBOOK GRAN PREMIO TELMEX-TECATE PRESENTED BY BANAMEX
WHO’S HOT
Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) put the petal to the metal taking the victory in Australia to claim his second win of the season. Keeping his name in the chase for the title, the Brazilian posted the fastest lap during the race and takes the Championship battle to the season finale trailing by 22 points.
Bourdais earned his 14th consecutive top-three start, his tenth start on the front row, and finished on the podium for the ninth time this season during Round 13 in Australia. A solid runner-up performance allowed the Frenchman to maintain his lead in the Championship points standings with 335 markers.
Champ Car audiences have seen Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Herdez Competition on the podium three times this season. At the Lexmark Indy 300, the Mexican finished third to earn his eighth career top-three finish. His result raises his total top-ten finishes to ten out of thirteen races this season moving himself into the top five of the Championship points standings for the first time in his Champ Car career.
Matching his best Champ Car career finish of ninth in Australia, Guy Smith (#17 Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) continues to progress with his Rocketsports Racing Team. He maneuvered his way through the field after starting 18th to earn his third top-ten result in only the sixth Champ Car race he has participated in.
RuSPORT’S A.J. Allmendinger (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) earned his eighth top-ten result in Australia crossing the finish line sixth after leading several laps during the Lexmark Indy 300. This result distinguishes him from the rest of the rookie field for being the only rookie driver to have finished in the top-ten that many times this season.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Bruno Junqueira has demonstrated speed on the 2.786-mile permanent road course in Mexico City by earning the pole position in 2002. He finished on the podium that year with a third place run, followed by a seventh place run in 2003.
Just after clinching the 2003 Series Championship Title in Australia, Forsythe Championship Racing’s Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) became the third out of four drivers to take the pole and go on to win the race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez venue.
Sebastien Bourdais quickly became acquainted with Mexico City’s road course by starting fourth on the grid and moving his way to the front to finish second claiming the 2003 Rookie-of-the-Year Title.
Becoming a National Hero from a third-place finish, Mario Dominguez was the first Mexico City-born driver to finish on the podium in front of his countrymen after putting on a show starting from the 11th spot to finish in the top three.
Another Mexican-fan favorite is Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of RuSPORT who has demonstrated speed during the last two races held in Mexico City, his best effort was last year when he started ninth and finished fourth.
DID YOU KNOW
This marks the fifth time the Champ Car World Series will run at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit. Prior to the 2002 event, Champ Car ran two events back in 1980 and 1981.
There are four drivers who will be in the limelight this weekend due to their nationality. The pressure will be on Mexican drivers Mario Dominguez, Michel Jourdain Jr., Rodolfo Lavin (#3 Corona Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), and Roberto Gonzalez (#21 Nextel Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) to be the first Mexican to win on home soil and proudly display their national flag.
NOTEWORTHY
On October 28, Champ Car released 14 of the dates on the 2005 schedule. The current schedule features events on three continents and five countries as the worldwide appeal of the premier open-wheel racing series in North America continues to grow. The calendar features seven races in the United States, three in Canada, two in Mexico and one each in Australia and Korea. It gets underway on April 10 at Long Beach, where the 2004 season opener drew 170,000 fans for the three-day event, and closes with a November 6 event in Mexico City.
Walker Racing will enter a second car for Canadian Michael Valiante alongside Brazilian Mario Haberfeld (#5 Cummins Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone) for the Gran Prémio Telmex-Tecate Presented by Banamex. Valiante’s debut comes just one year after completing a strong Toyota Atlantic career. The Canadian finished second in the 2002 championship and third in ’03, winning three races in each of those two seasons. A winner of multiple national championships in the karting ranks, Valiante, who will run the #15 car for Walker Racing, was denied his Champ Car debut a year ago with Cummins Walker Racing entry to be race at California Speedway before the race was cancelled due to wildfires in the area.
Wrapping up the Rookie-of-the-Year honors in Australia, A.J. Allmendinger (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) needed to finish one point ahead of Mi-Jack Conquest’s Justin Wilson (#34 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). By finishing sixth at the Lexmark Indy 300, he did just that, earning the 2004 Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year award after a successful season with his rookie team, RuSPORT, producing eight top-ten finishes, including a third place result in Vancouver.
Nation’s Cup was also wrapped up during Round 13 as Canada claimed its second consecutive title winning with a total of 361 points over Brazil and France. Paul Tracy, Patrick Carpentier, and Alex Tagliani all contributed to the title by producing a total of 11 podium finish, in which Tracy won twice, Carpentier won once, and Tagliani won for the first time in his Champ Car career.
Corona, which is the primary sponsor of the #3 Corona Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone Champ Car driven by Rodolfo Lavin, created the Corona Cup for the 2004 Champ Car World Series season, awarding a cash prize of $100,000 and a special trophy to the driver that scores the most total points in the two Champ Car races held in Mexico.
BY THE NUMBERS
22 – Number of points between one and two in the Championship points standings. 12 – Number of different drivers who have finished on the podium this season. 9 – Number of times Bruno Junqueira has finish on the podium this season. 7 – Number of seconds of the largest margin of victory at this circuit. Also, the number of the most lead changes during a race here in Mexico City. 6 – Number of wins Sebastien Bourdais has recorded this season. 4 – Number of times Champ Car has raced at this venue. 2 – Number of races in Mexico on the Champ Car World Series 2004 schedule. 1.782 – Number in seconds of the closest finish on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track. 0 – Number of times a Mexican has won on home soil.
PRONUNCIATION
Michel Jourdain Jr. (Joor-DANE)
Pre-Race Driver Quotes GRAN PREMIO TELMEX-TECATE PRESENTED BY BANAMEX
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “We still have a strong shot at winning the championship but the McDonald’s team really needs to finish (the race) in Mexico City. We can’t afford to have any mechanical failures or get caught up in an accident. It’s going to be a scary start over there this year. I think we’re going to improve our starting position hopefully and that could help us avoid an opening lap accident. We struggled in practice last year; we started with two completely different setups between Bruno and I because the team didn’t really know what would be fast around there from the year before. It proved to be that Bruno’s setup was faster so we merged to it and made some improvements for warmup on race day. I think if we can start the weekend with the baseline from last year we should be in pretty good shape for the event.
The fans are very impressive. To have over 200,000 people around the race track for the race is amazing. It’s also really motivating because you get to feel the excitement. Mexico City is another race track that has fairly long straightaways and for sure having P2P is going to be a huge help. I don’t know how many shots we’re going to get though. The main straight is so long that you might only get four shots out of the allotment. You’re going to have to use it at the right time.”
BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) For sure Sebastien will need to make a mistake or have a problem in Mexico City for the PacifiCare team to win the Championship. Well done Newman/Haas Racing for guaranteeing a 1-2 finish in the championship no matter what happens in Mexico City though. They did a good job this season. The PacifiCare team is going to work hard and be there in the front in Mexico City. If Sebastien has a problem, I’ll be there to win the championship. The race in Mexico is going to decide the championship and it’s going to be a really important weekend. We have to try to do our best and win the race. A lot of guys are going to take big risks to try to win the race since it’s the last race and they have no chance to win the championship but it’s the kind of thing you see throughout the year. Some guys just want to get good results in the races. The PacifiCare team wants to get a good result to give everything to try to win the championship.
My race last year in Mexico City was very hard. I qualified second but I had a big stomach problem. I was doing very well in the race, running second just behind Tracy; for sure still a contender, but unfortunately we had a problem with the engine. It started to lose power and I started to drop back and I finished seventh. It was not a great result but it’s a track I like a lot and it suits my driving style. It’s a proper road course with high speed corners. It’s one of my favorite tracks of the year. The first year I was on pole and I hope I can do it again and have a good race this year.”
PATRICK CARPENTIER (#7 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I had a long and hard race in Monterrey at the beginning of the season and after a hard battle with Mario Dominguez I finished fourth – so there is definitely unfinished business for me to get onto the podium this time in Mexico! And the championship points are close between me and Paul [Tracy], so I’ll be looking for a strong race and as many points as possible to finish the season. Mexico City is a great place to end the Champ Car season - the fans love our form of racing and the crowds are always huge here, like in Canada … and the Mexican people are really friendly and hospitable; the Mexican sponsors get behind their drivers and teams and the racing is great at this track too!”
PAUL TRACY (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “The Mexican fans are great – they really understand and embrace Champ Car racing; the best and most competitive open-wheel racing in North America, and with Rodolfo [Lavin] on the team this year with Corona Forsythe Racing its given me an even greater insight into the passion for racing in Mexico and the competitive nature of the Mexican fans and the leading Mexican sponsors. I’ve carried Corona’s logos on my front wings all season and so I definitely feel an extra desire to do well in Mexico City, Corona’s home town! I like the long and fast straightaway and deep braking at the Mexico City track … there are overtaking opportunities on the track and I’ll be doing everything possible to repeat my victory and improve my championship position in front of what will be a huge Mexican crowd for the last race of the 2004 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.”
MARIO DOMINGUEZ (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) "There is no other feeling like racing in front of your home crowd, especially when it’s 300,000 plus excited, loyal Mexican fans. To win this race would be a dream come true, it is certainly one of my biggest goals in life and we are going to work very hard to make that happen. We finished on the podium last year and it was just incredible. I was asked to go and drive around the Angel of Independence while thousands of fans cheered me on. It was probably the biggest honor of my life. Not only is it my home race, but it is the home race for my sponsor, Herdez who have given me an incredible amount of support through the years. They are not only my sponsors, but they are like my family and I truly appreciate everything they have done for me and for my career. I have a very good team and we have been working very hard on our strategy and set-up for this event, we have all been excited for this race all year, it's going to be a fantastic weekend."
ALEX TAGLIANI (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “The Mexico City circuit in the Autodromo is a very challenging course. It’s demanding and drivers need to be prepared for the tight twists and turns. Drivers also need to be in top physical shape because of the high altitude of the city. I’ve been training hard in Australia and back home in Las Vegas to be physically prepared. We struggled, but learned a lot in Mexico last year, which we hope will help us for better finish this weekend. The Rocketsports/Johnson Controls team has been very consistent and better prepared for each race this season. We’ve worked hard and finished each race up until Australia, which was unfortunate, but we’re focused and will do our best to compete with the top teams in the Champ Car World Series. We’re shooting for a top-five finish to the season and will go for it in Mexico City.”
A.J. ALLMENDINGER (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I’m glad that the Rookie of the Year chase is over! I must say that Justin Wilson was a great competitor and I had a lot of fun going head to head with him on the track. I’m really looking forward to Mexico City this weekend because we have a couple of new things to try out and it will give us an opportunity to get a jump start for next season. This has been a good season for myself and RuSPORT. We achieved all of our goals and we have a clear picture of what we need to get started on for next season and to start our run for the championship in ’05.”
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) "Mexico City was a good event for me last year; I qualified well and set the fastest lap of the race. I expect to do very well this year. We have a lot of support going into the event; the Mexican fans are just incredible. The track is a blast to drive and the roar of the crowd is an amazing feeling. This is a very important event for my team and my sponsors and I cannot think of a greater honor than to win on their home turf. I won the final race of the year last year and it was a nice feeling to enjoy over the weekend, I intend to do the same this weekend!"
JIMMY VASSER (#12 Gulfstream Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “What an amazing event. This race is probably one of the best venues I’ve ever raced at in terms of atmosphere and electricity. The crowds are unbelievable. We’ve proved that the Gulfstream car has road course potential after a strong effort at Road America earlier this season. I’m also pulling for Roberto this weekend. Anytime you race in an atmosphere like this in front of your home country, you’d like to perform well.”
MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “Last year I was totally committed to climb all the way to the top of the podium in my home town until I had that unfortunate contact on the first corner that sent me all the way to the back. Even with that incident I never stopped fighting to reach my goal but everything became more difficult. At the end I scratched the podium, finishing fourth. This year I am coming into this race, the most important one for me in the whole year, with the same courage and determination. I want to be the first Mexican to win an international race of this level in Mexico, so I will fight all the way to the end just to see my flag on the tallest pole.”
JUSTIN WILSON (#34 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “Mexico City should be a good event for us. We have been in good form the last few races, although I don’t think the results have fully showed that, so hopefully we can get a good result in Mexico to close out the season. It looks to be a very high-speed track, so as I driver I am looking forward to getting familiar with the circuit and having a competitive weekend.”
RODOLFO LAVIN (#3 Corona Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “Racing in Mexico is just the best for me – to do well for my sponsor Corona and my fans at the great tracks in Mexico is what I want to do most of all … At Monterrey it was still very new for me in the Lola chassis and with my new crew at the Corona Forsythe team. Now I have had this whole year I am confident that we will have a good result at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez. The races in Mexico are always very busy for me; I have been in Mexico City for a week already doing promotions and marketing events for Corona … these are very important for Corona and I enjoy doing them and meeting the many Mexican fans of Champ Car and of Corona! … But not as much as I enjoy getting to the track on Thursday to prepare for the Gran Premio! I’m sure that the Mexican fans will set a new record and that the stadium and the grandstands around the track will full on Saturday and Sunday for the big race that is the last of this 2004 season.”
ROBERTO GONZALEZ (#21 Nextel Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I have been waiting for this weekend all season, to be honest. Mexico City is the only track this season that looks familiar to me, and I want nothing more than to finish the season on a high note and perform well for my team, Nextel, and my family and friends that will attend this great event. I’ve had to overcome a learning curve at every track we’ve raced at this year, so hopefully my previous experience here will lend to a solid performance to close out the season. I’ve been on the phone all week with my engineers, working on setups and our overall approach. We have a team that can get the results, and I’m looking forward to getting on track for that first session Friday morning.”
NELSON PHILIPPE (#14 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “Mexico is like a second home for me, I love going down there to
race. I am leaving early for Mexico City so I can adjust to the altitude,
and so I can catch up with my friends down there before the race. The
track is very fast, and it looks like a lot of fun” said Philippe.
“This race is a culmination of what we have been working toward this
all season, and hopefully we can qualify well and get a strong result
to end out the season.” “I expect the Mexico City race will be fun. I’ve never been there before and look forward to seeing it for the first time. I know Champ Car is very popular in Mexico and there’s always a huge turnout for the race. It’ll be exciting to be part of the action. I understand the circuit is fast and very challenging, with a great mix of corners. I’m looking forward to the race and hope we can continue to improve on our ninth place finish in Australia. It would be great for the No.17 Rocketsports car to have a strong finish in the season finale.”
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES POINTS RACE TIGHTENS AS FIELD HEADS TO MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA FOR BRIDGESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
INDIANAPOLIS (September 7, 2004) – Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola Bridgestone) knew his stirring drive from deep in the field at Denver would get him no special consideration in Montreal and he was right on the money as he saw his Champ Car World Series points lead nearly halved two weeks ago at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Bourdais saw his advantage in the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford standings lopped from 58 to 34 points after mid-race contact left him 15th in the final results. His Newman/Haas Racing stablemate Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) took full advantage of Bourdais’ misfortune to get back in the title hunt, closing the gap by 24 markers as the series heads to picturesque Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for this weekend’s Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
Junqueira earned his first win of the year by taking the checkers at the Molson Indy Montreal, and heads to a 2.238-mile Laguna Seca layout where he has earned strong results in each of his three years in the Champ Cars. The Brazilian was a hard-fought runner-up a year ago after starting second and has finished seventh or better in each of his three starts at the Monterey track.
He ran second to Patrick Carpentier (#7 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) a year ago after chasing the Canadian to no avail all day long. Carpentier led flag-to-flag last year, pacing all 87 laps to take his fourth career victory. Carpentier also improved his title hopes in Montreal, scoring his third podium of the year with a second-place run that moved him into a tie for fourth place in the standings. The Forsythe Championship Racing driver is another that has done well on the tricky Laguna layout in the past, finishing in the top 10 in four of the last five seasons. His resume also includes a Toyota Atlantic victory in 1996 where he won from pole.
Bourdais does not have much in the way of previous Laguna success to fall back on, having finished 17th a year ago after mechanical troubles ended his day, but the Flying Frenchman has not let history stand in his way so far this season. Bourdais already has six poles to his credit and could possibly break the series single-season record of nine held by Danny Sullivan. He has led laps in each of the last seven races, the longest streak since Cristiano da Matta paced nine straight races in his championship season of 2002 and his five wins through 10 races has him within reach of the single-season record for victories (8, Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr.).
Carpentier is one of three active drivers that have earned Champ Car wins at Laguna Seca, one of them being his teammate Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). Tracy was the dominant driver in Laguna victories in 1993 and 94, leading 165 combined laps in the two races. Those laps would be the last that he would lead in the next nine seasons though as the 2003 series champion has found it an uphill climb rivaling the seven-story height of the fabled Corkscrew turn. Tracy started and finished third last year and has three top-four runs to his credit since his ’94 win, but he has failed to crack the top 10 in the other six starts. His fourth-place run in Montreal allowed him to close the gap to the frontrunning Bourdais as he looks to become the first driver since Gil de Ferran to claim back-to-back Champ Car titles.
The other driver to have uncorked victory champagne in Laguna comes off a record-setting day in Montreal. Jimmy Vasser (#12 Gulfstream Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) established a new benchmark for consecutive series starts two weeks ago when he took the green flag for the 193rd straight event. He has a Laguna streak going for himself as well as the California native has finished in the top eight in each of the last four starts. Vasser scored his Laguna victory in 1997, pacing 58 laps after climbing from sixth on the grid to win.
Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) has thrust himself back into the thick of the points chase as well, having strung together three consecutive top-five runs, headed by a podium finish in Montreal. The third-year driver will need his best Laguna performance to keep that run intact however as he has finished 10th and 15th respectively in his previous two starts. His recent string of success has seen him move to within 28 points of the third spot in the hunt for the Vanderbilt Cup as the season hits the homestretch.
Alex Tagliani (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) is another driver that will have to improve his Laguna history if he is to continue his championship charge. The winner at Road America, Tagliani is tied with Carpentier for the fourth spot in the points and has collected seven consecutive top-10 finishes. However, he only has one top-10 finish in his four Champ Car starts on the Laguna circuit, although he did score a podium finish in one of his four Toyota Atlantic starts before ascending to the Champ Car ranks. Tagliani does lead the series in laps completed and is the only driver to have finished each of the 10 races this season.
Coming off a weekend that was both rewarding and frustrating all at the same time, A.J. Allmendinger (#10 BG Products/Red Bull Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) heads to his home track as he looks to continue his climb up the standings. The Hollister, California native has vaulted from deep in the pack to seventh in the season points race with three top-five runs in the last four races, including a trip to Montreal where he earned his first Champ Car front-row start. He fell back to the rear of the grid after cutting a tire in a first-turn incident, but rebounded to lead the race for the first time in his career and finished fifth. He has had Laguna success as well, having won from pole in Toyota Atlantic competition last year as well as scoring a podium finish in the 2002 Barber Dodge Pro Series event.
Continuing to enjoy one of its best seasons ever in Champ Car competition, the Dale Coyne Racing team and Oriol Servia (#11 YokeTv.com Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) has slipped into the top 10 after three consecutive finishes of ninth or better. The Spaniard comes off the best of his three Laguna starts, moving up from 10th on the grid last year to place sixth. His teammate Gaston Mazzacane (#19 American Medical Response Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) had a good run in Montreal as well, gaining six positions to place 12th.
This weekend’s trip to Laguna Seca could prove to the be tonic that the Walker Racing team and Mario Haberfeld (#5 Cummins Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) need to crack the top 10 in the title hunt, as the sophomore pilot comes off a rookie season that saw him run a strong fifth at the Monterey track. Haberfeld continues to show his prowess on race day as he has finished better than he has started in nine of the year’s 10 races.
A trip back in time to relive past glories would be a welcome sight for Milwaukee winner Ryan Hunter-Reay at Laguna Seca. The American pilot has bowed out early in each of the last two races and has slipped to eighth in the standings. He gained five spots to finish 12th in his rookie Champ Car trip to Laguna a year ago and won from pole in the 2002 Toyota Atlantic event. One of the young ambassadors of the series, Hunter-Reay will come to Monterey just a few days after flying across the ocean to help launch festivities surrounding the Champ Car Lexmark Indy 300 event in Surfers Paradise, Australia.
Nelson Philippe (#14 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) continues to show improvement after two races in the Mi-Jack Conquest Racing stable, having set new career highs for qualifying in each of the last two events. The now 18-year-old Frenchman started 13th in Montreal in his first run in the team’s new Lola chassis but failed to finish for the first time in his brief series career after mechanical problems ended his day. His teammate Justin Wilson (#34 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) is just 28 points behind Allmendinger for the rookie points lead and has started in the top 10 in each of the last seven races.
The Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey gets underway with practice and qualifying Friday September 10, with the final grid set with Saturday qualifying, beginning at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The 80-lap race takes the green flag at 4 p.m. Eastern and can be seen live on Spike TV as well as HDNet.
FAST FACTS BRIDGESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
WHAT: Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey WHERE: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California WHEN: Friday-Sunday, September 10-12 SUPPORT EVENTS: Toyota Atlantic Championship, Motorock Trans-Am Tour, Formula BMW USA
CHAMP CAR SCHEDULE (All times local): FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 – Trans-Am practice, 8:00 – 8:30 a.m.; BMW practice, 8:45 – 9:45 a.m.; Champ Car practice, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.; Atlantic practice, 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.; Trans-Am practice, 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.; Champ Car qualifying, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.; BMW qualifying #1, 3:20 – 3:45 p.m.; Atlantic qualifying, 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.; Trans-Am qualifying, 4:45 – 5:15 p.m. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 – Atlantic practice, 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.; BMW qualifying #2, 9:15 – 9:40 a.m.; Champ Car practice, 10:00 – 11:15 a.m.; Atlantic qualifying, 12:15 – 12:45 p.m.; Champ Car qualifying, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.; BMW Race #1, 3:00 – 3:45 p.m.; Trans-Am race, 4:00 -5:15 p.m. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 – Atlantic warmup, 8:00 – 8:15 a.m.; BMW warmup, 8:30 – 8:45 a.m.; Champ Car warmup, 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.; Atlantic race, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.; Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey, 1:00 p.m.
U.S. TELEVISION SCHEDULE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 – HDNet, Champ Car qualifying, 5:00 ET, (Live); SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 –HDNet, Spike TV, Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey 4 p.m. Eastern Time (Live)
2003 CHAMPION: Patrick Carpentier 2003 POLESITTER: Patrick Carpentier TRACK LAYOUT: 2.238-mile road course RACE LENGTH: TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) – 2000, Helio Castroneves, 118.969 mph (1:07.722). Race – 2003, Patrick Carpentier, 107.9986 mph (1:48:11.023), based on 87 laps (194.706 miles). RACE ROUND: 11 of 15 in the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES POINTS LEADERS: 1, Sebastien Bourdais, Newman/Haas Racing, 258; 2, Bruno Junqueira, Newman/Haas Racing, 224; 3, Paul Tracy, Forsythe Championship Racing, 203; 4 (tie), Alex Tagliani, Rocketsports Racing; Patrick Carpentier, Forsythe Championship Racing, 181. NEXT EVENT: September 25, Champ Car Las Vegas 400, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
INSTANT REPLAY: Patrick Carpentier went wire-to-wire after inheriting the pole position, scoring his lone victory of 2003 with a win in the Grand Prix of Monterey. Carpentier got the pole when Michel Jourdain Jr.’s car failed technical inspection on Saturday and put it to good use and he rolled away from the field. Carpentier never really had it easy however, as his teammate Paul Tracy as well as Bruno Junqueira shadowed him fairly closely throughout the race. Carpentier had a couple of anxious moments getting into Laguna Seca’s tight pit entrance, but once he got off Pit Lane, he was tough to catch. Carpentier made his race by building a big lead early on new tires, but the field would start to reel him back in as the tires wore down. Tracy had to best chance to wrest the lead from his teammate but flat-spotted his tires on a braking maneuver and had to settle for third. Carpentier beat Junqueira to the line by 0.844 seconds to take his fourth career win while Jourdain rebounded from the qualifying problem to finish fourth. Rookie Mario Haberfeld had a strong day, finishing fifth after starting sixth.
VITAL RACE STATISTICS: Time of Race: 1:48:11.023 Average Speed: 107.986mph Margin of Victory: 0.844 seconds. Caution Flags: 1 for 1 lap. Lap Leaders: Patrick Carpentier, 87
THE BRIDGESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY CHAMP CAR RACE HISTORY (21 events, 1983 - Present)
Year Race winner Pole winner 1983 Teo Fabi Teo Fabi 1984 Bobby Rahal Mario Andretti 1985 Bobby Rahal Bobby Rahal 1986 Bobby Rahal Mario Andretti 1987 Bobby Rahal Mario Andretti 1988 Danny Sullivan Danny Sullivan 1989 Rick Mears Rick Mears 1990 Danny Sullivan Danny Sullivan 1991 Michael Andretti Michael Andretti 1992 Michael Andretti Michael Andretti 1993 Paul Tracy Emerson Fittipaldi 1994 Paul Tracy Paul Tracy 1995 Gil de Ferran Jacques Villeneuve 1996 Alex Zanardi Alex Zanardi 1997 Jimmy Vasser Bryan Herta 1998 Bryan Herta Bryan Herta 1999 Bryan Herta Bryan Herta 2000 Helio Castroneves Helio Castroneves 2001 Max Papis Gil de Ferran 2002 Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta 2003 Patrick Carpentier Patrick Carpentier
Total Victories Bobby Rahal 4 Danny Sullivan 2 Michael Andretti 2 Paul Tracy 2 Bryan Herta 2 Teo Fabi 1 Rick Mears 1 Gil de Ferran 1 Alex Zanardi 1 Jimmy Vasser 1 Helio Castroneves 1 Max Papis 1 Cristiano da Matta 1 Patrick Carpentier 1
Total Poles Bryan Herta 3 Mario Andretti 3 Michael Andretti 2 Danny Sullivan 2 Teo Fabi 1 Rick Mears 1 Emerson Fittipaldi 1 Paul Tracy 1 Jacques Villeneuve 1 Alex Zanardi 1 Helio Castroneves 1 Gil de Ferran 1 Cristiano da Matta 1 Patrick Carpentier 1
BRIDGESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY NOTEBOOK
WHO’S HOT
The time finally came for Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Newman/Haas Racing to shine at the Molson Indy Montreal. After starting on the grid fourth, he took the lead on lap 45 and never looked back until he saw the checkered flag waving. The margin of victory was 6.382 seconds as the Brazilian earned his first win of the season, but more importantly, closed the gap in the Championship points standings as he sits only 34 points behind the leader in second
Points leader Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) continues to dominate this season despite earning his second DNF during Round 10 in Montreal. Grabbing his sixth pole of the season that marked his eighth front row start in ten races, he led a total of 26 laps before his day came to an early end due to contact. 2004 Rookie-of-the-Year has finished on the podium in seven of ten races, in which five of them he claimed the victory.
Rookie A.J. Allmendinger (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and his rookie team RuSPORT showcased their talent level and the ability to run with the frontrunners of the series by earning their first Champ Car career front row start for the Molson Indy Montreal. The American got knocked down to 18th place on the first lap after an incident, only to make his way back to the front of the pack and take the lead on lap 42, recording his first Champ Car career laps led. Finishing fifth marked his second consecutive top-five finish, his fourth top-five of the season.
Patrick Carpentier (#7 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Forsythe Championship Racing and Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) of Herdez Competition finished the Molson Indy Montreal in second and third respectively. Round ten’s result was the third podium finish for Carpentier and second podium finish for Dominguez this season.
RuSPORT’s Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) earned a point during the Molson Indy Montreal for “most positions gained”. Starting on the grid in the 12th spot, he crossed the stripe in 6th resulting in his fourth top-ten of the season.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Carpentier has a solid track record here at Laguna Seca. With four top-ten performances in the past six years of competition, he dominated last season winning the pole position, taking the lead on the first lap in which he never gave up, and winning. He heads to familiar territory in Monterey with after a runner-up finish in his hometown and is yearning for that first win this season.
Last year’s runner-up was Junqueira enters Round 11 hotter then ever off his first win of the season during Round 10. He has improved his finishing position each visit during the past three years with respectable results of eighth (2001), fourth (2002), and second last year. He looks to develop a winning streak and earn his first win on the 2.238-mile permanent road course.
Coming to Monterey to drive the infamous corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the 14th year of his Champ Car career, Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) has his name is set in stone at this venue. In 1993 he won his first race here following that up with a win from pole in 1994. He hasn’t been on the top rung of the podium since, so he looks to add his name back in to the record books this trip.
Another veteran who has demonstrated consistency to run in the top is the 1996 Series Champion Jimmy Vasser (#12 Gulfstream Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) who has finish in the top-ten in the last four events here at Laguna Seca. He has one win to his name with a victory here in 1997. The co-team owner of PKV Racing is still in search for his first win of the season and for his team’s first victory.
NOTEWORTHY
At the drop of the green flag for Round 10 of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford Jimmy Vasser set a new record for most consecutive Champ Car career starts as he made his 193rd consecutive start. He tied Al Unser Jr. with 192 consecutive starts in Denver, breaking a new record in Modern Era (1979-present) history at the last event.
Six active Champ Car drivers are graduates of the top rung of Champ Car’s feeder system, the Toyota Atlantic Championship Series, and four of them have won from pole here while piloting an Atlantic car. In 1991, Jimmy Vasser partook in a weekend double header at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca taking the pole for both events, winning the second race. Others who have won from pole are Patrick Carpentier (1996), Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) (2002), and A.J. Allmendinger (2003).
As the Champ Car World Series heads to another premier road course circuit in 2004, rookies Justin Wilson (#34 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and Gaston Mazzacane (#19 American Medical Response Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) should feel at home with their background in Formula 1 and similar race track layouts.
Every time the Champ Car World Series has an event at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, they leave their mark in the memory books and their rubber on legendary circuit. Fans of the Champ Car World Series can also leave their mark with the “Steps to the Corkscrew” fund raising program that will benefit the road course’s improvement fund allowing fans to put their stamp on Laguna Seca.
DID YOU KNOW
Three of the events on the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series schedule that always bring out a big crowd are the Canadian Molson Indy’s. With stops north of the border in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, the total attendance of all three events reached a mark of 454,364.
BY THE NUMBERS
34 – Number of points that separate the top two drivers in the Championship points standings. 21 – Number of years Champ Car has races at Laguna Seca. 14 – Number of different drivers who have won from pole at the Laguna Seca venue. 13 – Number of different drivers who have led laps this season. 10 – Number of different drivers that have made a podium appearance in 2004. 7 – Most number of lead changes during a race at Mazda Raceway. 6 – Number of races that a driver has led every lap from to the pole to win the race here in Monterey. 5 – Number of different drivers who have won this season in the Champ Car World Series. 3 – Number of active drivers who have won here at Laguna. 2 – Number of rookies who have started on the front row and led laps this season. 1 – Number of rookies that have finished on the podium this season.
PRONUNCIATION
Michel Jourdain Jr. (Joor-DANE)
BRIDGESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY PRE-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (#2 McDonald’s Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “For sure we are going to work through the weekend on the evolutions we have learned on the setup to try to improve the car from last year. But all in all I know the car better, Craig (Hampson) knows me better and I know the track better. There is no reason to think we won’t be in better shape than we were last year . The whole package is easier to manage. Everything has been working well so far preparation-wise this season. The whole McDonald’s crew is really unified and we’re just giving our best every single weekend. The best situation is to start the race from the front. We need to start up front; we won’t win all of the races but it would be nice to win more before the end of the season.”
BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I like the track in Laguna Seca; it’s a proper road course. Last year we were really good at the test and again on race weekend. I was on the provisional pole on Friday but on Saturday a red flag came out at a bad time in qualifying and I also got caught in some traffic and lost the pole by a small amount. In the race, (Paul) Tracy passed me and I went to third but then passed him back. I had the fastest car but I just couldn’t get by (Patrick) Carpentier and I finished second. It was frustrating because that was a weekend when the PacifiCare car was very strong and we were capable of winning. We are going to try to have a better weekend this year and hopefully we can get a win in Laguna Seca. I love the track and it would be great to get a win there.”
ALEX TAGLIANI (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) ”The Johnson Controls team has been more competitive and consistent this season. We’re heading into the Laguna Seca race with a strong position in the Champ Car standings, and it’s important for us to stay focused in order to stay ahead. We’ve managed some strong finishes this year and I’m confident we can pull off another positive result. The Laguna circuit is one of the most demanding, and was tough for us last season, but we’ve come along way in a year and a half. I’ve developed as a driver and we’re at a point where we’re putting what we’ve learned into practice. I’m optimistic about the weekend and up to the challenge.”
MARIO DOMINGUEZ (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) "The event at Laguna Seca is a special one for Champ Car. We have been racing there a very long time and a lot of history has been made at that track. For me, it is a special place to race at because of all of the history and special memories. It is a wonderful racetrack with a lot of elevation changes and it is very fast, everything happens very quickly at Laguna Seca because it is a very fast racetrack. Of course the corkscrew is incredible for the driver and the fans alike, but I really enjoy the infield or some call it the new section, the turn two, three and four sweeper. It is really important to get a very good exit off of the turn one hairpin to make the most out of the infield section. It's a technical track that I enjoy to drive. Our results have been consistently getting better and better and I think we are due for a victory, we have been knocking on the door, and it is time for us to make it happen."
A.J. ALLMENDINGER (#10 BG Products/Red Bull Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I’m really looking forward to this weekend at Laguna Seca. It’s my second “home” race and it’s the track where I have the most experience. So this should be a good race for RuSPORT. Montreal showed that we’re getting much better at managing how the weekend runs, so I think we’ll be able to put together a strong effort here and deliver a top-five result, if not a podium.”
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) "Laguna Seca is one of my favorite racetracks. I earned my first pole and first victory there in Atlantics so I have great memories there. It is a very challenging racetrack, it is more of a rhythm track, on the same level as Mid-Ohio. There is a fast right-hander at the bottom of the hill, after the corkscrew that I really enjoy. It is been a crazy week since we were in Montreal, I've been to Australia and back to help kick off the promotions for the Lexmark Indy so I am excited and anxious to get back in my racecar."
JIMMY VASSER (#12 Gulfstream Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “Returning to my home track is always the highlight of the season for me. My memories of Laguna Seca extend all the way back to my childhood. I used to go there with my dad, and that track is really what sparked my interest in road racing. On top of that, some of my greatest and most accomplished memories of my career came at Laguna Seca. I won my first big Formula Ford race there in the 80’s; in addition to winning an Atlantic race there in 1987. In 1996, I clinched the title there and my good friend and teammate Alex [Zanardi] made “The Pass” on [Bryan] Herta. The next year I won the race and Alex won the championship there, which was pretty cool. It’s a special place with a lot of meaning for me.”
MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I am really thrilled with coming to race again in Laguna. This is the best race track; it’s fast, it’s fun, it takes a lot of driving skills, and it’s amazing! Last year in Monterey I had my best race of the whole year, maybe it was not my best result (4th), but it was definitely the most dominating race I ran in Champ Car last season. I started back on the grid because my qualifying time for Saturday was disqualified because of some problems with the weight of my car, but I still made my way to the front. If the race had been maybe 10 laps longer, I definitively would have won it. For this race this year I only expect the best, the team is better every weekend and I am sure we are going to fight hard to get another podium.”
JUSTIN WILSON (#34 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “We seem to have found the straight-line speed we lacked for a couple of races. This gives me tremendous confidence going into Monterey. It is very important to qualify well at Laguna Seca, since the passing opportunities are rather limited. If we have the speed, I feel good about our chances.”
ROBERTO GONZALEZ (#21 Nextel Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “I’ve been to Laguna Seca several times, but only as a spectator. PKV Racing tested there earlier this year in May, so I’m very excited to go back. The track is a lot tougher than it looks from the outside. With uphill, downhill and blind corners, the layout is very challenging, and you cannot afford to lose focus for a second. I’m really looking forward to this race. I’ve always dreamed of racing at Laguna Seca, and now that dream is going to become a reality.”
NELSON PHILIPPE (#14 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone) “I am psyched to be going to California! Since joining Mi-Jack Conquest Racing, I have twice been able to score my best qualifying positions since coming to the series. Doing it again in Monterey is my first goal. If we qualify well, that would put us in a good position to finish well."
GUY SMITH (#17 Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) “Laguna Seca has been quite good to me in the past and I’m certainly looking forward to returning; this time in a Champ Car with Rocketsports. I was there with the Indy Lights Series in 1998 and 1999, when I had the Pole and finished second. The last time I was there was with ALMS in 2000 and finished fifth. I’ve really enjoyed it in the past, and know the circuit well. From a driver’s perspective, it’s a pleasure and a challenge to drive, especially the famous ‘Corkscrew.’ Monterey, California is also a gorgeous area; a “must-see” and a great place to be for a race. I’ve settled in at Rocketsports and things are working well for us as a team. We’ve had some bad mechanical luck with the car, but if all goes well, we should have a good race.”
INDIANAPOLIS (January 7, 2004) – As the head physicians on the Champ Car Safety Team, Drs. Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell have played a key role in building the series’ quick-response team into the best safety unit in North American Motorsports.
As the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford prepares for the 2004 season, the doctors will take part in some preseason preparation of their own as they join a list of the top names in motorsports safety as speakers at the January 15 FIA-ICMS International Motorsport Safety Symposium to be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Industry leaders such as Professor Sid Watkins, Chairman, FIA Safety Commission, Dr. Henry Bock, medical director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and noted NASCAR physician Dr. Paul Kozak will make presentations along with Drs. Olvey and Trammell. Additionally, HANS device inventor Professor Robert Hubbard will deliver an update on the driver-restraint system as well as planned improvements for the future. There will also be panel discussions featuring experts on various aspects of motorsport. Road America: CART Breached ContractGrand Prix of Road America Remains on Schedule ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Road America has notified CART that CART breached its 2004 sanctioning agreement when it attempted to assign its non-transferable contract with Road America to the Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS), according to George Bruggenthies, president and general manager. CART signed over its assets to OWRS on Dec. 15 and filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 16. CART alleges that the Road America contract now is part of the bankruptcy proceedings to be decided by an Indianapolis judge. Road America's attorneys notified CART on Monday, Dec. 15. "All of CART's assets are before a bankruptcy judge," said Bruggenthies, "And resolution of the bankruptcy issues could take quite a while. Everything is up on the air, and again this year Road America's race fans can't make definitive plans. "No one can predict the future, and the future for CART at this point is uncertain," he continued, "Because everything is in the hands of a judge who must make a decision on a complicated bankruptcy." "The Grand Prix of Road America's schedule will go forward with the notation 'CART to be determined,'" said Bruggenthies, because of the uncertainty. Other series slated to compete during the Grand Prix of Road America Presented by the Chicago Tribune weekend include Motorock Trans-Am Series for the BF Goodrich Cup, Toyota Atlantic and a Barber Dodge Pro Series doubleheader. Other series may be added. "We have a business to run, and at the most basic level, products to sell," Bruggenthies continued. "Our product is racing entertainment and all that involves, from race fans making summer plans and buying tickets to corporate relationships. "We need adequate time to market our schedule. This unexpected maneuver by CART has really placed things up in the air for 2004," he said. "We must be responsive to the motorsports business and work to deliver an excellent racing and entertainment experience for Road America's race fans, sponsors, riders and drivers." In 2003 Road America negotiated, with race legend Mario Andretti's help, a two-year contract with CART to end in 2004. "It appears that there may be a new management group who may now define Champ Cars," Bruggenthies said. "We'll keep the lines of communication open, and like other open-wheel race fans, hope for the best."
Dover Motorsports Subsidiary Assigns Rights to Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to CARTApril 2004 Event to be Rescheduled DOVER, Del., Dec. 1 (PRNewswire-FirstCall) -- Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE:DVD) today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, Inc. ("Grand Prix"), has reached an agreement with CART, Inc. to transfer to CART certain assets and rights that Grand Prix has relative to the organization and promotion of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Grand Prix has a multi-year agreement with the City of St. Petersburg pursuant to which it is entitled to stage an annual auto racing event in and around the St. Petersburg waterfront. Grand Prix has assigned to CART its rights in its agreement with the City, subject to certain approvals. Economic terms were not disclosed. Neither Dover Motorsports nor Grand Prix will remain associated with the event. The next St. Petersburg race was scheduled to be held February 22, 2004, but has been postponed due to scheduling concerns. CART intends to reschedule the event for later in the year, subject to reaching agreement with the City of St. Petersburg. Grand Prix will provide refunds to patrons who purchased tickets in advance for the February event. Dover Motorsports, Inc. is a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. Its motorsports subsidiaries operate six motorsports tracks (four permanent facilities and two temporary circuits) in five states and promote motorsports events under the auspices of four of the premier sanctioning bodies in motorsports - NASCAR, CART, IRL and NHRA. The Company owns and operates Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware; Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tennessee; Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri; and Memphis Motorsports Park near Memphis, Tennessee. It also organizes and promotes the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in California and the Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver in Colorado. 2004 Cart Champ Car World Series Calendar AnnouncedINDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CART Champ Car announced its 2004 schedule Thursday morning, unveiling a challenging slate of races for the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford tour that again makes up the most diverse test in racing as drivers will face street circuits, temporary and permanent road courses and oval tracks in the quest for the 2004 Vanderbilt Cup. The season is slated to begin on February 22, providing a unique sports marketing delivery platform in many of the largest markets in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The series will also expand its reach in the Pacific Rim in 2004 as the Champ Cars will make their debut in Seoul, South Korea to race on a temporary road circuit, and will again feature a trip to Surfers Paradise, Australia which drew an event-record 306,184 fans this year. The schedule has an intriguing mix of new and established events as recent successes such as St. Petersburg, Mexico City -- where a series-record 402,413 fans came to this year's race -- and Denver are mixed into a slate which features 10 venues such as Portland that have hosted the Champ Cars at least 12 times. Things get underway in St. Petersburg, Florida for the second consecutive year, and move to California in April for the 21st running of the Champ Cars at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. May brings the series' first trip to the city of Las Vegas since 1984 as the Entertainment Capital of the World will once again hear the roar of turbochargers, and will be followed the next week by a visit to Monterrey, Mexico. The Champ Cars will also run a pair of night races for the second consecutive year, battling under the lights at the venerable Milwaukee Mile in June and again at Cleveland's exciting Burke Lakefront Airport course on the Fourth of July weekend. CART will make its regular three visits to Canada, holding street races in Vancouver, Toronto and at Montreal's challenging Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The triumvirate of successful Canadian races has drawn nearly 500,000 fans to see the Champ Cars do battle in each of the last two seasons. Next year's race at the picturesque Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California will return to its previously successful date in September, where it had run 13 of its 21 Champ Car events. "We have crafted a schedule that is challenging for our teams and drivers, as well as enticing to our sponsors and fans," said CART President and CEO Christopher R. Pook. "This schedule holds true to our philosophy of taking the racing to the major urban markets of NAFTA, while at the same time embracing our ties to the rich history of Champ Car racing at such places like Milwaukee, Road America and Long Beach. "We have an unresolved situation in terms of a date at California Speedway," Pook added. "And until this issue is resolved, we are unable to finalize dates at Mexico City, Korea and Miami. However, agreements exist with all of these venues and once the California Speedway issue is resolved, we will announce the remaining race dates. A similar situation exists with a possible return to Brands Hatch, and we will be able to proceed in that regard as soon as ownership rights to the track are worked out."
February 22 - St. Petersburg, Florida - Street Course (To be rescheduled) April 18 - Long Beach, California - Street Course May 16 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Venue to be confirmed May 23 - Monterrey, Mexico - Road Course June 5 - The Milwaukee Mile - Oval June 20 - Portland International Raceway - Road Course* July 3 - Cleveland, Ohio - Road Course July 11 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Street Course July 25 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - Street Course August 8 - Road America - Road Course August 15 - Denver, Colorado - Street Course August 29 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Road Course September 12 - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Road Course October 24 - Surfers Paradise, Australia - Street Course TBA - Miami, Florida - Street Course** TBA - Mexico City, Mexico - Road Course** TBA - Seoul, South Korea - Road Course** TBA - California Speedway - Superspeedway Oval** Brands Hatch, UK event status to be determined with track owner/promoter * - Subject to final commercial terms ** - 2004 sanctioning agreements in place 2003 Cart Season News, Highlights, Results, Schedule and More.Interested
in advertising your business on the Orlando Florida Guide? Click
here for Advertising Information. |
|
