Racing Rumors

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From http://cartbrickheads.speedgeezers.com

31.1.2003
Haberfeld on thin Ice
Eric Bachelart may give Mario Haberfeld the boot if he does not prove that he can be competitive and challenge for wins. His fate lies in the next test session where his times will determine if he stays or not. Finally, a team owner who does not hire a driver based on cash.

31.1.2003
Coyne Has 2 cars - Update
Reports are that Roberto Gonzalez has out-bid Alex Yoong for Dale Coyne's second seat. This will mean that in 2003, Mexican ChampCar fans have Fernandez, Lavin, Gonzalez, Dominguez and Jourdain to cheer for.

30.1.2003
Coyne Has 2 cars
Unconfirmed reports say that Dale Coyne has a 2000 specification chassis and will run that as a second car in 2003. A driver is yet to be named.

30.1.2003
Teams Expanding
Dale Coyne had promised a second car, possibly for Tiago Montero or Memo Gidley. Patrick Racing is trying to get things together for two cars, for Bryan Herta or to run a car for Emmerson Fittipaldi. And Alex Yoong keeps saying he will have a ride in the series with an established team... Could it be Rahal?

[mac]

I would be a bit upset if Haberfeld got punted before he ran a race. I mean, that would be completely unfair to punt a guy before he even turned up to a race.

[f1manoz]

I concur with mac. Give him a few races to give him a chance to acclimatise to the series and the way everything is run. He's only had a couple of runs in the car!!!

However, if he still isn't up to scratch, say after 5-6 races, then perhaps it would be best to get another driver in there for a run.

[indycool]

Some of these guys that have no name recognition may also have no talent. The earlier the better if they can't cut it. Why let them start a reputation as the next King Hiro or get someone hurt if it's clear they have no name recognition for a reason?

[Liz]

Well, I think he ought to get the same chance that Baby Mikey got in F1 and Mr. Bell got last year. Let him have 10 races and see how he does. Sometimes that helps a guy focus! But it won't help him focus if everyone is watching him in the certainty that he will mess up. Give him your support and encouragement until it's obvious he can't make the cut. Half a race is't enough (remember Montoya in his first couple of races?)

[BootsOntheSide]

Yea but Montoya did show impressive raw speed from the word go, I think he led his first race, then won the 3rd and 4th. Haberfeld is entering a harder position though, as the lone driver for a rookie team. Unless he crashes a lot of Reynards in the early races he deserves at least 10 races.

[Russfeld]

Yeah Montoya was in the top 10 in his first race, nearly won his second, and won his third

[Snrub]

Not everyone is JPM so it's unfair to say you should show speed from day one.

To be valid in hiring Haberfeld they should have seen that he was fast given the circumsances he was under. If he's not improving they way they thought he would I don't think it's unfair to can him before the season starts. I would have to say they shouldn't have signed him on with a conventional contract in that case. Once the season starts they should give him a shot.

[Russfeld]

Well no not everyone is a Montoya, but 9 times out of 10 you can predict about where a guy's going to be in CART based on his pre-CART racing record. Thats pretty much what team owners the world over go on.

[Liz]

Well they were 100% wrong about Mikey then, weren't they? He was an abject failure in F1, no matter what his record was before or after in other series.

I'm not saying Haberfeld is going to be the next Senna. But I do hope that they give him a chance to settle in and judge him by who he is and not who he isn't.

[Russfeld]

Which just goes to show you should base a driver's career over his career, not one season or one series.

[Snrub]

In all fairness Mikey was a good driver, despite his F1 performance. Last season he really sucked.

IMO PC probably should have been canned a couple years back. He had a few decent oval performances, but that was it. Part of that was due to Player's killer 1 mile oval setup. Lo and behold in 2001 he starts showing what he's made of, 2002 he shows he's one of CARTs best drivers.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Bernie Hints At 2004 Spa Return Friday, January 31, 2003 reported by DB

Spa-Francorchamps could make a spectacular return to the grand prix calendar in 2004, Bernie Ecclestone has declared.

Cancelled over a dispute concerning tobacco advertising, the much-loved and historic circuit carving through the Ardennes forest may well feature on an expanded F1 calendar of 18 races next year.

That is the intimation of the sport's commercial boss, anyway, who is hopeful the Belgian government will reverse its stance on new advertising laws.

'We are OK [with the number of races for 2004],' the 72-year-old hinted to Autosport magazine.

'The only thing we may have to do is put one back if we want to run in Spa and if I can convince the teams to have 18 races.'

The recent cancellation of the famous and challenging Belgian Grand Prix was met by sadness and consternation by the F1 fraternity - not least of whom the drivers themselves.

'It is a challenge that we should not have lost,' said David Coulthard. 'It is a shame.

'My grandmother could take the Indy banking flat, but Spa was really hairy, a test, especially Eau Rouge which is totally unique.'

Ecclestone now says he'd like to see Spa-Francorchamps back on the calendar: 'Yes,' he said. 'There aren't any tracks like that any more.'

But the F1 supremo has little sympathy for the Austrian government, who recently imposed a total ban on tobacco-advertising and as a result had its Grand Prix cancelled for 2004.

China and Bahrain will stage new grands prix next year.

Ecclestone said of the Austrian Health Minister: 'As he wanted to come out and screw us in the end, then why should we worry about them?'

Sources hint that the cancellation of A1-Ring's grand prix contract had more to it than mere colourful tobacco logos.

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Pook said in news conference today that the schedule has been finalised; they would issue a press release later this week or Monday

[¡As-de-mim!]

In an interview with Jim Rome, W^nkdretti said "I had no choice" about moving to the IRL. Also said CART would not be the one series that survives.

[f1manoz]

And who cares what Mikey says?

[The Snout]

Did he say that in Japanese ?

[Snrub]

What's Mike going to say "IRL is a loser series and it's going to die?"

[JohnSSC]

I will say that Mikey has come to disappoint me over the years. Certainly his decision to go IRL was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Let's just try to be fair though. Like Snrub said: what would Mikey say? Right, wrong or indifferent he is going to have to defend his decision to go. We may have our suspicions/thoughts/feelings about it but he would have to be a lunatic to say : "Well, IRL is **** too so I just went for the best deal."

As far as his F1 career I doubt that you could call him an "abject failure." He may not have lived up to our expectations but (and I think Zanardi is terrific, please don't misconstrue this) his season did include a podium and some good runs through the field before mechanical dnfs occurred which is better than what Alex was able to do in his last stint.

When evaluating his talent, lets not allow how we feel about his loyalty (or lack thereof) to CART to cloud what by any measure was a very successful career. No offense to the current field but CART wishes they had more drivers with his resume.

[¡As-de-mim!]

FedEx to Sponsor IRL

[Tailwind]

That is a classic! Excellent shot! Is that the new Falcon chassis?

That could be used on one of the Cr**wagon T-shirts.

[mac]

Originally posted by Russfeld
Yeah Montoya was in the top 10 in his first race, nearly won his second, and won his third

You appear to omit the fact that Montoya joined a team that had just won the last three championships in a row, with an experienced teammate that won one of those championships.

Many of these guys will be on a hiding to nothing in one-car teams, with relatively uncompetitive machinery.

[indycool]

mac, I think the machinery will be okay and pretty equal competitively. I DO think that, of the Haberfelds, Lavins, Camathias, etc., some will turn out to be ****ers. Then you put these guys on narrow, tight street courses, let 'em run into each other and what do you have? Liz is really right....give 'em a chance. But some of those rides are based on money the driver has brought to the team, not talent, so CART will give those guys a longer rope than others because they're responsible for the cars being on the grid. That's why Haberfeld will pretty much get to play all he wants to, regardless of talent. It's the fat check. I just hope those guys don't hurt themselves or someone else.

[JohnSSC]

Ok, speaking of bringing money, whatever happened to Yoong's various deals? Is he in or not?