Dario Franchitti to CART???

[Aus.CARTfan]

Hey guys just a quick note to let you know that the Gold Coast race was awsome. Had a great time hanging out with all the drivers at the drivers breakfast on thursday morning.
Now the question i need awnsered is Dario Franchitti coming back to Cart in 2004?? He was on the gold coast all weekend and was even on our national race coverage talking about CART. PLEASE help me with this one!!!!

[DNQ]

It's rumoured he might replace Bruno at NH, but it really is anyone's guess. Fingers crossed.

[Aus.CARTfan]

Do you guys honestly think that n/h will go to irl next year? I think that dario will end up driving for rocketsports next year!!

[macdaddy]

N won't, no question. And I really don't think that H will either.
My crystal ball definitely sees Dario at Rocketsports next year, although (and feel free to correct me) he is still under contract with Mario's grandson's father.

[racer69]

During any interview i saw over the weekend he constantly referred to Tony Kanaan as his teammate, and when asked if he was interested in driving a Touring Car at Bathurst, he said it would depend on his schedule back in America.

He has said he will be back in a car in January. January seems abit late to start if he was going back to CART, but could also indicate that his Andretti/Green contract is terminated as of December 31, as i'm pretty sure he had 3 year deal with AGR.

[KC]

Newman-Hass isn't going to the IRL next year. That is a known fact based on the words of Paul Newman. However, Carl Haas has a sponsor lined up to run a single car effort in the IRL and rumor still persists that he and the sponsor want Bruno in the car. That could be the opening that Dario is looking for.

If Dario takes the drive, will he be able to get up to speed quickly and keep pace with the mercurial Bourdais. Dario has been out of a car since before Indy and the rust will be evident.

[Dov]

From TSN.....http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_s...me=auto_racing

Haas says its status quo for 2004

TSN.ca Staff

10/22/2003

Newman-Haas owner Carl Haas has once again denied reports that his team is planning to bolt to the Indy Racing League next season.

Given the uncertain future of CART and the team's recent test of a Toyota-powered IRL car, the rumors of his defection have continued to surface. But Haas tells Autoweek that if everyting comes together, he will be back in CART next year.

"The only thing we’ve done is the test," said Haas. "If we can get everything together, we’d like to do the [Indianapolis] 500, but we aren’t considering a full-season [IRL] program."

Haas also refuted another rumor that Dario Franchitti would return to CART next season with his team. While admitting he'd love to have the former Team KOOL/Green driver, Haas says he's set to return with Bruno Junqueira and Sebastien Bourdais.

Franchitti is currently recovering from back surgery which sidelined him for most of the IRL season. While there were strong indications that the Scotsman was interested in returning to CART, it's believed he has taken up his option to return with Andretti-Green Racing next year.

[Tailwind]

Mario's grandson's father.

Nicely put...

[Liz]

Dario might wish he were coming back to CART next year but unless he wants to slip Dale Coyne some cash, I can't imagine where he might find a seat. Everyone I have heard says he's coming back next year and there are several hopefuls much younger and less expensive for any vacancy or second car that might occur.

Sorry Mr. Judd, you had your chance and you blew it.

[Russfeld]

Indeed. He could have gone to N/H a few years ago but priced himself out of a ride.

[Tenoch]

if he still ahs a contract with Mickey and his million$$$ and is still wanting to come to cart the i'm pretty sure money is not the Issue. just let his wife support him.

[Liz]

An interesting sidelight to this: last night on Speed News it was announced that Mikey had funding for two cars (named as Kanaan and Wheldon) and "were hoping to get funding for [a driver I did not recognize] or another car ." Dario was not mentioned. Perhaps that is why he was in the pitlane?

[Hazza]

how rumours start:
I saw DF talking to Pollock after the race at Indy while everyone else was watching Tracy and the ASTJ boys. (I'm serious)
HES GONNA DRIVE FOR PK NEXT YEAR OMG OMG OMG OMG! SPREAD WORD SPREAD WORD!

(i'm joking, but i did see him talk to one of the PK guys.)

comeback dario : we miss you!

[Jordi]

Hey, could be, Hazza!

[Tailwind]

According to Paul Tracy:

"I think Dario will be back next season, I think the accident that killed Tony Renna in Indianapolis maybe turned a light on in his head."

[Aus.CARTfan]

Tail wind where did you read that. I hope it is true we need some big names for next year.

[TedN]

Originally posted by Aus.CARTfan
Tail wind where did you read that. I hope it is true we need some big names for next year.

Link

Nov. 7, 2003. 01:00 AM
Tracy bullish on CART future
`It's going to be a good series next year,' champ says
`Thrill from West Hill' on Letterman show tonight
by RICK MATSUMOTO
SPORTS REPORTER
Toronto Star

Paul Tracy came home yesterday as the CART champion, something he's been striving to do since the first time he was strapped into a Champ Car at Long Beach, Calif., in 1991.

And he's confident the financially troubled open-wheel racing series will be around next year.

"I don't have any reason to believe there won't be a championship next year," said Tracy, who was accompanied by the huge, silver Vanderbilt Cup on his victory tour, which will include an appearance tonight on David Letterman's talk show in New York. Letterman is a minority owner in Bobby Rahal's racing team, which is a rival to Tracy's Player's-Forsythe Racing on the CART circuit.

"I was more in doubt coming into this season than the one coming up. I feel there will be a championship and the competition is going to get tougher. I think it's going to be a good series next year."

The "Thrill from West Hill," who turns 35 next month, clinched the championship at the Australian Indy 300 last month. He finished the race in 13th place following an early incident. However, when Brazilian Bruno Junqueira, the only other driver still in the running for the championship, crashed late in the race, Tracy became the first Canadian since Jacques Villeneuve in '95 to win the title.

Tracy said Gerry Forsythe, co-owner of Player's/Forsythe Racing, assured him there would be a series in 2004.

"He said, `Don't worry about it. There's going to be a series with a 16-17 race championship and there will be a full field of teams.' A lot of people couldn't tell me that last year."

Forsythe and his group (Open Wheel Racing Series) recently purchased the financially plagued series but have yet to finalize the deal.

Because CART was a publicly traded company, which OWRS is seeking to return to private ownership, the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission is reviewing the proxy statement before it is turned over to the shareholders for a vote.

Tracy said he expects his former Team Green teammate Dario Franchitti, who jumped to the rival IRL this season, to be back in CART next season.

He said the recent accident that claimed the life of IRL rookie Tony Renna at Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with a second accident which seriously injured former CART driver Kenny Brack "turned the light bulb on in his head."

Tracy said other drivers might also follow Franchitti back to CART/OWRS. Many observers feel the IRL, which runs exclusively on ovals, is more dangerous than CART.

Dressed casually in a black T-shirt and jeans, Tracy remains an often-blunt, down-to-earth person, who admits he's more comfortable riding his motorcycle across the desert or through the mountains near Las Vegas, where he now lives, than speaking to a large gathering.

"I don't feel any different," he said. "I don't feel like I'm a different person at all. I'm going to live my life the way I always have. I'm not going to change.

"I do, however, feel like a weight's been lifted off me. I feel more relaxed. I don't have the pressure of having to answer the question: when are you going to win the championship?"

Tracy, who admitted he cried in his car when he was told by his crew that Junqueira had crashed and he was the champion, broke down again when he was handed the trophy at trackside. "When I got that trophy in my hands it was a most special time," he said.

Now that he's finally wearing the crown Tracy said it shouldn't take as long to become a repeat winner. "It's like winning your first race," he said. "It's the most difficult to win. After you've done that you've figured out how to do it and the others come a lot easier."

Tracy said he's already begun training for next season, which hopefully will begin in February.

"I did a 50-mile bike ride (Wednesday) before I got on a plane to come here," he said.

"I love what I do. And the most important thing is that I love to race here in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal."

[Liz]

Well it wouldn't be the first time when a driver has been convinced of his mortality by seeing a terrible accident (or two). I'm interested in the fact that PT doesn't believe the accident will convince Dario to quit racing (perhaps he has finally managed to convicne Ms Judd that he is entitled to a career of his own?)

[BobbyB]

Originally posted by Liz
Well it wouldn't be the first time when a driver has been convinced of his mortality by seeing a terrible accident (or two). I'm interested in the fact that PT doesn't believe the accident will convince Dario to quit racing (perhaps he has finally managed to convicne Ms Judd that he is entitled to a career of his own?)

Liz,
Why are you so condescending towards Dario? Your remarks about "perhaps he has finally managed to convicne Ms Judd that he is entitled to a career of his own" are meant to belittle Dario.

Why don't you stop your attempt at character assassination? Moderators?

[Liz]

Sorry if I offended you. But it is well known that his wife has been trying to get him to quit racing since his accident at Homestead. I ought to drop the subject though, you're right. We all know it by now too.

I don't personally like Dario as he has relentlessly trashed CART in public even before he left it. That is colouring my opinion of him.

[Snrub]

Liz is perfectly entitled to say that stuff about Dario.

But if we look at what happened to Dario in CART it's not hard to understand why he'd say bad things.

[PT cruiser]

Great post.
I saw Ashley Judd on Letterman last week with Paul Schaffer hosting,
and she said that Dario was driving a champ car and realizing her gaffe said "oops , I hope I'm not in trouble" then basically stated that she didn't know where they'd be (racing) next year.

[Flatspot]

Welcome to the forum PT Cruiser.

Either way, she said he will be driving.

[Dov]

Originally posted by Snrub
But if we look at what happened to Dario in CART it's not hard to understand why he'd say bad things.

What happened?

[jjspierx]

Originally posted by Dov
What happened?

Yeah, I'd also like to know what happened? Dario seemed to have a good stay, the only think thing I can think of is Greg Moore's death, who of course was best friends with Franchitti. I don't see why that would make Dario want to leave for the IRL, where all they do is race ovals(which of course the late Greg Moore was killed at). When Dario left, I was never under the impression that there were hard feelings. In fact, I was under the impression that he left because he was uncertain about the future of the sport, and if he had not gone to IRL he might not have had a ride this year. Not to mention I'm sure his contract with Andretti was paying more than he would have been picked up for in CART, unless maybe Newman HAAS snatched him up over Bourdais.