|
ROOKIES IN 2003:
G
Pantano
R
Hunter-Reay
M
Haberfeld
T
Monteiro
R
Lavin
P
Lemarie |
DRIVER
& TEAM CHANGES (2003 SEASON)
- DEPARTURE
OF ANDRETTI, KANAAN, FRANCHITTI TO IRL
3
leading CART drivers will switch to IRL in 2003. CART's most successful
driver in history Michael Andretti has purchased Team Green and
will enter the team in IRL series. He will take with him Dario Franchitti
from the existing Team Green and Tony Kanaan from Mo Nunn Racing.
The new Andretti Green Racing Team will be heavily supported by
Honda which will also move to IRL.
- DEPARTURE
OF GANASSI TEAM + DIXON TO IRL
One
of CART's most successful team run by Chip Ganassi will switch to
IRL series from next year. The IRL Ganassi will be powered by Toyota
with G Force Chassis. Scott Dixon from the current Ganassi driver
line up will move across with the team and make his IRL debut. The
other driver will be Tomas Scheckter who drove for Cheever Racing
this year and had his maiden win at Michigan 400.
- DEPARTURE
OF FITTIPALDI TO NASCAR
Newman
Haas driver Christian Fitipaldi will leave CART and join NASCAR
next season. After 8 years in CART, 31 year old Fittipaldi will
drive for Kyle Petty in Winston Cup, Busch Series and ARCA races.
QUOTE FITTIPLADI: " .. NASCAR has always
been in the back of my mind. I realize now (after 2 Busch Series
starts) there's no way on Earth to do it unless I am willing to
dedicate myself and do it full time ... "
- DEPARTURE
OF BRACK TO IRL TEAM RAHAL
2001
championship runner-up Kenny Brack has re-joined Team Rahal but
will race in IRL.
- TAGLIANI
MOVES TO NEW ROCKETSPORTS TEAM
Alex
Tagliani will join the new Rocketsports Racing team after 3 years
with Players Forsythe team. The new team is owned by 3 times Trans-Am
champion Paul Gentilozzi.
QUOTE
TAGLIANI: " ...I’ve been racing
in CART for 3 years ... I’ve led races, I started on pole
many times and I never won, for one reason or another, something
always happened and I didn’t win races. So, the best coach
I can have right now is Paul, because he won everything, he won
championships and I feel comfortable that maybe having him around
it’s gonna give that little push that I need to win that first
race ... "
- DEPARTURE
OF TAKAGI TO IRL
Tora
Takagi will join Mo Nunn's IRL team in 2003.
- VASSER
JOINS NEW JOHANSSON TEAM
Jimmy Vasser will move form Rahal to new team formed by Steffan
Johnasson.
QUOTE VASSER: " .. This is going to be
a very interesting season in Champ Car racing, to say the least
... With the new rules and the new ‘spec' Ford-Cosworth XFE
engine, it's going to be very competitive. On paper, we may be a
new team, but we have a number of key people with tons of Champ
Car experience to guide us. I'm looking forward to the season ..
"
- HUNTER-REAY
JOINS NEW JOHANSSON TEAM
22
year old Ryan Hunter-Reay from Toyota Atalantic makes his CART debut
with the new
Team Johnasson.
QUOTE HUNTER-REAY: " .. To drive in the
Champ Car World Series is truly a dream come true ... I think it
will be a real benefit to my career to get to work with people like
Jimmy and Stefan, as well as the guys on the crew. I can hardly
wait ... "
- PANTANO
TO JOIN CART
Formula 3000 runner-up Giorgio Pantano will make his CART debut
with the new BC Motorsports team (Ford Lola).
QUOTE PANTANO: " .. My aim is to try
and make a strong impression in CART and, like Jacques Villeneuve
and Juan Pablo Montoya, come back across the Atlantic to race in
F1 in a few years ... I see this as a step towards F1, not a step
away. Maybe F1 has not
noticed my qualities in F3000, so now I must prove myself in CART
... "
- YOONG
TO JOIN CART ?
Minardi Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong may join CART in 2003.
QUOTE YOONG: " .. I feel a year’s
racing (in CART instead of F1 test driver role) would be better
and am looking forward to CART. Also the fact that there is a chance
to win races instead of racing at the back is very attractive to
me. The competition in CART is very intense but it´s possible
for me to do well there. The series have quite a number of races
outside America and I´m sure it will expand further ... "
- MORENO
RETURNS TO CART
43 year old Roberto Moreno who lost his drive
in after 2001 season will return in 2003 season. He will join Herdez
Racing and drive alongside team-mate Mario Dominguez
QUOTE HERDEZ (K Wiggins): " ..
It's going to be a great help for Mario and it will
help the team as well ... From the standpoint of CART, it also gives
them another known driver and a guy who is really good with the
fans and the media ... "
-
NEW DRIVERS IN 2003:
8 rookies
- Ryan
Hunter-Reay
- Giorgio Pantano
from F3000
- Sebastein
Bourdais from F3000
- Tiago
Monteiro from F3000
- Mario
Haberfeld from F3000
- Patrick Lemarie
- Rodolfo Lavin
- Roberto
Gonzalez
-
Joel Carnathias
|
|
NEW
TEAMS |
NEW
CART TEAMS IN 2003 SEASON
ROCKETSPORTS
RACING
- Owner: Paul
Gentilozzi (3 times Trans-Am champion)
- Car: Ford Lola
- Team manager:
Phil Howard
- Race Engineer:
Andy Borme (ex engineer for H castroneves, Penske)
- Driver: A Tagliani
AMERICAN
SPIRIT TEAM JOHANSSON
- Owner: Stefan
Johansson (1997 Le Mans winner; ex Formula 1 and CART)
- Car: Ford Reynard
- Team manager:
Phil Howard
- Race Engineer:
Ed Nathman (Vasser); Graham Taylor (Hunter-Reay)
- Drivers: Jimmy
Vasser, Ryan Hunter-Reay (age 22)
PK RACING
- Owner: Craig
Pollock (Manager Jacque Villeneuve), Kevin Kalkhoven
- Car: Ford Lola
- Driver: Patrick
Lemarie
- QUOTE POLLOCK:
" ... The fact that all Champ Car teams
will be running with the same engine will make the start-up a bit
easier for us because it's a level playing field ... "
FITTIPALDI-DINGMAN
RACING
- Owner: Emerson
Fittipaldi (CART & Formula 1 champion) & James Dingman (29
year old financier)
- Car: Ford Reynard
- Tiago
Monteiro
|
