PT on Wind Tunnel tonight

[Dov]

From SpeedChannel.com:http://www.speedtv.com/index.php

Don't miss our night of Champions tonight on Wind Tunnel

CART Champion
Paul Tracy
ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel
XDCS Champion Scott Bloomquist

[Dov]

Nabbed from another forum.........

PT said that Gerry F has a sponsor lined up for next year, but isn't going to make any announcements until the end of the season, so as not to steal any of the limelight away from Players in there final moments with the team.

[Dov]

PAUL TRACY: As far as I know I mean, I know that they have something lined
up. I know that Player's will retain it's half ownership in the team and
continue to do, I think they are going to continue to do hospitality, which
they are allowed to do, to entertain clients, certain customers, and as far
as I know on the sponsorship, they have a program lined up for next year.
That will be announced after the season is over and everything is in step
for Player's and they get their maximum exposure and then make an
announcement in the off-season.

[D.R.T.]

That is awesome news. The car should look nice next year with the no. 1 on it.

[Liz]

Did he say anything about NA$CAR?

[Dov]

Originally posted by Liz
Did he say anything about NA$CAR?

Some quotes from another forum...........

On Windbag, did Tracy say he might try NASCAR some day? But, that he didn't want to handle the 40-week schedule?

He wont do that until he leaves CART. He would be alot of fun to watch in NASCRAP!! He is so good at using that chrome horn after all!!

The man said he loves OW racing and wants to continue to do it. But, the guy did say he might consider the Taxis some day.

He said Napcar as an afterthought, after a list of other types of racing he would prefer, and ONLY after he retires from CART, which is a long ways off...

Childress and PT have talked about getting together "someday" in NASCAR in very general terms. Some reporter dug up some old quotes earlier this year and tried to make a big deal out of it. Childress was asked about it again at that time and said that he hadn't talked to PT about it in over a year. No story.

PT's comments in multiple places are all about staying in CART for a long time. He's comitted to Forsythe for 2004 and it wouldn't surprise me to see that extended within the next year. He only talks about NASCAR in terms of a "retirement plan"...I don't expect it to ever happen.

[Dov]

One more quote and an article on PT.........

I am not going anywhere. A lot of the champions have left to go to Formula 1 and I want to continue to try to win some more championships here."

"Toronto's Paul Tracy will return to defend CART title next season"

JULIE SCOTT
Canadian Press

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

"I've made my career in Champ Car," said Tracy. "I'm looking forward to coming back next year and having the number one on the car and driving for Gerry Forsythe."


(CP) - There's no doubt in Paul Tracy's mind. He'll be back next season to defend his CART title.

Last year's winner Cristiano da Matta left CART in favour of Formula One as did 1999 winner Juan Pablo Montoya. Gil de Ferran, who won back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001, has since jumped to the Indy Racing League. But Tracy says he's committed to CART and the Player's-Forsythe team.

"I've made my career in Champ Car," said Tracy. "I'm looking forward to coming back next year and having the number one on the car and driving for Gerry Forsythe."

The Toronto driver clinched his first CART drivers' championship in 13 years at Surfers Paradise in Australia over the weekend when closest rival Bruno Junqueira spun and crashed out of Gold Coast Indy. Tracy finished 13th, out of the points but his 28-point lead over Junqueira meant that the Brazilian had to pick up at least seven points to extend the title chase.

While Player's won't be able to emblazon Tracy's car with advertising next season due to new Canadian tobacco legislation, Tracy says the company will retain its stake in the team and will continue to be involved as much as the law will allow. As for a new sponsor, he says there's something in the works.

"As far as I know on the sponsorship, they have a program lined up for next year," said Tracy. "That will be announced after the season is over and everything is in step for Player's and they get their maximum exposure."

Player's-Forsythe signed him to a two-year contract a year ago with winning a championship in mind. He said his experience with the Canadian team has been nothing but positive.

"Once I came to the team, they basically told me whatever you feel you need to win the championship, just tell us," said Tracy. "I've never been in a situation with any team where they've said to me 'Who are the people you want? What are the cars you want?' It's always been come and we'll tell you what you're going to do."

Tracy, 34, is the first Canadian to win the CART championship since Jacques Villeneuve of Iberville, Que., did it in 1995. He's planning to return to Canada next week to do a media tour. Tracy, who won races in Toronto and Vancouver this year, says he's curious to see how he'll be received now that he's a champion.

"Having won the races in Canada and to top it off with a championship is a great feeling," Tracy said.

Tracy admits that he had moments when he wasn't sure if he'd ever win an overall title.

His breakthrough year with CART came in 1993, when he recorded five victories to tie champion Nigel Mansell for the series lead. He went on to place third in the points race and another third-place finish followed in 1994. Tracy was seen as CART's next star.

But he'd managed only one third-place finish in the season standings since, and had failed to finish among the top 10 in each of the past two seasons.

"There comes times in you career where you think 'Man, I've won all these races but am I ever going to win a championship? How do I do it?' Finally it's come so I'm just relieved that it's come. It's taken a long time but it's worth the wait."

The final race of the 2003 season is scheduled for Fontana, Calif., on Sunday. But with the raging forest fires that have devastated southern California, that race could be in jeopardy. A CART spokesman said Tuesday a close eye was being kept on the situation. {Noted that is has been postponed}

While he may have the title wrapped up, Tracy was hopeful that the race would go ahead.

"There's still some other people in the championship that are fighting for position," said Tracy.

When he arrived in Los Angeles from Australia earlier this week, Tracy was forced to drive home to Las Vegas after his flight was cancelled due to the fires.

"It's almost like being in fog," said Tracy. "I think the most important thing we have to worry about is the fans in the stands and the drivers on the track."

Tracy also says he'd like to help his teammate, Patrick Carpentier of Joliette, Que., get on the podium one more time this season since Carpentier gave him a hand on the weekend by putting pressure on Junqueira.

"I kind of owe him," said Tracy.

[macdaddy]

I'm quite surprised that Players is retaining their ownership in the team.

Maybe next year they'll be sponsored by Players rolling papers? There's no legislation against them (yet!) I'm just kidding, but it would be pretty funny. Imperial Tobacco owns the "ZigZag" name as well.

[Liz]

"ZIGZAG" would make a wonderful name for a racing car! "The Zigzag car was very mellow today ... "

"Paul Tracy Zigzags past the field to victory!"

From a private source, the announcement was scheduled for after Fontana, but now who knows when it will come out?

I'm glad to hear that PT is not really going to NA$CAR. Some people had him very serious about it (including McNulty in the Toronto Sun).

[Neil C]

PT did not rule out NASCAR at some point. Although he hinted he'd like to participate in some, but not all of the races.

[Jay]

On Canada AM (morning show on CTV) this morning, PT seemed open to doing one Nascar race at teh end of the year as a promotional even with Ford and one of their Nascar drivers who's doing well. Apparently Ford is looking to with the Nascar constructors championship. You can tell how much I know about Nascar... He said he was definately going to be driving for Forsythe next year, but seemed to be leaving it open after that...

[Tenoch]

Now that Fontana is canceled does anyone have a clue who will the sponsor be. Or can it be one of Imperial's Junior companies if it has any i'm not very common with Canadian tabacco products. Just the same way Philip Reynold's runs under the food and beer companies it owns.