Cart: General

[TheRob]

Andretti wins in Toronto again. After a first lap crash, he falls to last place, then makes a major comeback. I don't even like Andretti, but that was a great drive. You got to like Tagliani coming in second to. Good Canadian kid.

TR.

 

[TheRob]

Michigan 500

The High banks of the Michigan Superspeedway on Sunday. The last two races there have been decided by .072 seconds. Sunday should be great race. Will anyone besides me be watching?

TR.

 

[Regs]

For this Sunday? probably, yes... It's Nation's Cup weekend for Christ's sake!...

But if I were watching... Go AJ Foyt!!!!

~TB.

 

[TheRob]

Nations Cup weekend, Right. What was I thinking.

Well I'll be watching, and I'll post a full page report here on Monday.

TR.

 

[TheRob]

Today, the Canadian flag to the left of your screen waves with great pride. Patrick Carpentier(sp?), of Canada, wins the Michigan 500 be .234 seconds over Dario Franchitti. Quality race.

Do I dare ask if anyone even saw it? All 3 Canadians finished in the top ten, and Andretti didn't finish. An all around perfect day at the track.

Hmm, only 8 posts in the motorsport thread, shouldn't be to hard to moderate, hey Regs?

TR.

 

[Regs]

Nope... on both counts

~TB.

 

[Jinky]

The Rob,

Ididn't see it but I did hear the call on The Team. It sounded exciting, I will admit.

 

[TheRob]

Jinky,

61 official lead changes, 172 un-official lead changes. You can't beat that.

TR.

 

[TheRob]

Kenny Brack won the CART race in Chicago yesterday. Patrick Carpentier was second, Alex Tagliani was fifth, and Paul Tracy was 12th. Pretty boring race, but good results for the Canadians.

TR.

 

[TheRob]

Midseason Report

For those actually reading, here is a midseason look at CART.

By Robin Miller

Halfway through the 2001 FedEx Championship Series season, we've got more winners than dominance, more questions than answers and another wide open battle for the championship.

With eight different drivers pulling into victory lane during the first 11 races, CART again has the deepest, best balanced and hardest to predict motorsports series on this planet.

True, Kenny Brack has opened up a little daylight following his third win of the season at Chicago, but with a half dozen competitors still very much in the hunt (sixth-place Cristiano da Matta is only 37 points behind), the championship is far from being decided.

So, in no particular order, here's some fact, fiction and opinion about the first half of 2001.

Team Rahal owns the most wins with four and it could easily be six as Max Papis and Brack took each other out at Michigan while having the fastest cars and K.B. lost Nazareth because of some unlucky yellow flags. At 35, the little Swede is on top of his game and has no peer on the ovals so far this season. Papis was brilliant in the rain at Portland yet still suffers from inconsistency and mechanical breakdowns. With his focus and aggression, I think Brack will be hard to beat.

The Lola chassis remains superior on ovals and Reynard keeps throwing new aero and chassis pieces at its teams.

Player's/Forsythe couldn't do anything right the first seven races, but Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani came alive the past three races and finally gave Canadians something to shout about. Not to mention Ford.

Chip Ganassi may have reluctantly turned to Memo Gidley, but the tough-to-please owner has warmed up to this spirited American following a second at Cleveland, a strong showing at Michigan and fifth place at Chicago.

After starting out so strong (first and second for da Matta and four top fives for Christian Fittipaldi), Newman-Haas stumbled into the mid-season break and needs to regain its grip-–literally and figuratively.

The engine manufacturers battle is tighter than A.J. Foyt's waistband as Ford is keeping up with Honda and Toyota despite losing two major hitters in the off-season.

Team Penske has shown flashes of dominance on road and street circuits, but defending champ Gil de Ferran is still looking for his initial win of 2001 while teammate Helio Castroneves has been very fast everywhere but slowed by a pair of DNFs. Look for these two to gain ground during the next three races.

Last month's Michigan 500 featured 60 official lead changes, 167 unofficial ones and the wildest, greatest and purest 10-lap finish in Champ Car history.

Alex Zanardi got his groove back the past four races and Tony Kanaan has been qualifying strong all season yet Morris Nunn Racing is still seeking that elusive first victory. We all want to see at least one more Zanardi doughnut.

CART took some hits for canceling Texas over driver safety concerns but received high marks from the general public for putting lives ahead of the show.

CART made the HANS Device of Dr. Robert Hubbard and Jim Downing mandatory for ovals at the start of the season and mandatory everywhere else starting at Mid-Ohio and it's already helped Mauricio Gugelmin (twice) and Roberto Moreno escape major accidents with minor bumps and bruises.

No in-fighting or on-track skirmishes from Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti and Michael Andretti, but Barry Green's trio also hasn't had as much success as everyone expected. Yes, Franchitti and Andretti are 3-4 in the standings and each have a victory, but they've both been hurt by mechanical gremlins and Tracy is trying to salvage a season that already includes five DNFs.

Cleveland remains a bumpy old airport circuit and one of the treasures on the CART circuit. Isn't there an Air Force base near Detroit?

PacWest rookie Scott Dixon has upstaged Target tyro Bruno Junqueira, F-1 vet Tora Takagi and newcomer Max Wilson. The 21-year-old Kiwi not only has a win already, he's got track savvy way beyond his years and a fabulous future.

We gringos had no idea what a hero Adrian Fernandez was in his homeland until the season opener in Monterrey, Mexico. He needed bodyguards everywhere he went and it was pretty neat to see what an impact his success has had on that country. Fernandez will be the first owner/driver since Bobby Rahal to win a CART race. It's only a matter of time because, after a slow start, "Muchacho" has been coming on strong the past five races.

Pat Patrick doesn't have a sponsor for Jimmy Vasser but he's running the '96 CART champ out of his own pocket-–just like Gerry Forsythe is doing with Bryan Herta and Bruce McCaw is more or less doing for Dixon. Thumbs up to these three longtime owners for putting their money where other people's mouths are flapping.

Michel Jourdain Jr. scored his first-ever podium at Michigan and his Herdez Bettenhausen stable is looking more competitive than ever before--especially on pit stops.

Larry Blair went from sponsor to owner when Al and Frank Arciero needed help and with rookie Wilson, they've had some very good showings despite their lack of time together. Blair is also footing the bills.

Chicago's Tom Wieringa is the other new guy on the CART block and his Sigma Autosport team is a first-rate operation that has run much better than its finishes (ninth twice) would indicate. Oriol Servia continues to impress people.

Finally, Castroneves' win at Indy and subsequent fence climb was one of CART's best marketing tools ever. Not to mention the fact that de Ferran, Andretti, Vasser and Junqueira followed Helio to the checkered flag to give CART a decisive victory.


Team Rahal can boast to having the most victories in 2001 as Max Papis (left) has one race win and points leader Kenny Brack has three.

Any comments?

 

[Buckfast]

What is a CART?

Go on, Jackie Stewart!!!!!!

 

[TheRob]

Go on, Jackie Stewart!!!!!!

Wrong thread. What is a Buckfast?

TR.

 

[Buckfast]

Ova ya heed....

I am not to sure what a "Buckfast" is either, but I am sure it far more interesting then "CART".....unless you live in Maple Ridge, of course.

 

[TheRob]

Now you've gone and hurt my feelings Bucky

TR.

 

[TheRob]

Next up.....Vancouver.

Bruno Junquera won the last CART race at Road America. One of my favorite tracks on the curcuit. Next up, the Vancouver Indy. Anybody going? Should be a great weekend. It is competeing with the Burnaby Tourny though. Mabye the Indy organisers should change dates so it doesn't conflict with the tourny. I think I'll run it by them.

TR.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Vancouver Indy

TR, what are your predictions for the race this weekend?

Perhaps you could post some pictures of some lovely ladies in race outfits to help build intrest in the site.

What is the difference between Indy and Cart? Or are they the same

Does a bear shed it's skin in salty water?

HOS-Racing

 

[TheRob]

Does a bear shed it's skin in salty water?

Ask Jinky.

 

[Keeper]

HOS,

Such as this? See here for more.

 

[TheRob]

Keeper,

As co-moderator of the motorsports threads, I must inform you that the picture you posted was a picture of an F1 bird, therefore your post is in the wrong thread. Please post in the right thread next time. Just kidding. There will be lots of that around the paddock this weekend. Should be great.

My prediction for the race......Dario Franchitti will win, followed by Patrick Carpentier, and Helio Castro Neves.

TjustwaitingforacommentfromBuckyR

 

[Keeper]

I did my best

It seems that the prime "pit babes" show themselves on the international scene. Bearing that in mind, re-examine the photo above and realize she probably speaks French, Swedish, or language of love, German.

Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhh