Greg Moore Legacy Award Nominees...who shold win?

[Jay]

So, who do you think should win? And tell us why!

INDIANAPOLIS (October 25, 2003) – Among CART Champ Car drivers, perhaps no award other than the Vanderbilt Cup is more coveted than the one that is given in honor of a racer that may have seen his own name etched on the his toric championship trophy had it not been for his untimely death in 1999.

The Greg Moore Legacy Award was created in 2000 and is given annually to the driver that best represents the ideals and talents of the Canadian star, who met with tragedy in the 1999 CART season finale. The award is presented to the driver who best typifies Moore 's legacy of outstanding talent on track, as well as displaying a dynamic personality with fans, media, and the CART community. As Moore was a product of the CART Ladder System - having competed in the Dayton Indy Lights Championship from 1993-95 and winning 10 of 12 races en route to the series title in 1995 - drivers from the top two CART development series are also eligible for the award.

This year’s award nominees include Champ Car veteran Jimmy Vasser of American Spirit Team Johansson, series Rookie of the Year Sebastien Bourdais of Newman/Haas Racing and Walker Racing’s Darren Manning. The Toyota Atlantic Championship is represented by Michael Valiante and Barber Dodge Pro Series champion Leo Maia rounds out the quintet of nominees.

“Greg Moore was one of the brightest stars in the CART Champ Car World Series and would likely have gone on to great things in the sport,” said CART President and CEO Christopher R. Pook. “I have no doubt that Greg would have had the kind of racing career that many can only dream of. The five drivers that have been nominated for the 2003 Greg Moore Legacy Award have shown the same spirit and dedication throughout this season that Greg had throughout his entire career. This is an extremely special award, and all of the drivers who have been nominated should feel tremendously honored.”

A seven-member panel - including Pook, CART Toyota Atlantic Championship president Vicki O'Connor, Player's/Forsythe Racing owner Gerald Forsythe, Imperial Tobacco President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Bexon, CART Champ Car driver representative Adrian Fernandez, SPEED Channel commentator Calvin Fish, and National Speed Sport News CART beat writer John Oreovicz – will vote on the award prior to this year’s CART Champ Car Season Awards Celebration.

Vasser, a native of Canoga Park, California, became one of just six drivers to make 200 Champ Car starts this season and has helped make the first-year American Spirit Team Johansson squads one of the most promising of the season. Bourdais, of Le Mans, France, set a number of series rookie marks this year on his way to winning the Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year Trophy. He led the first Champ Car lap he ever ran and has gone on to win four poles and three races this season.

Manning, a native of North Yorkshire, England, set a series standard for rookies this season by finishing in the top 10 in eight consecutive events.

Valiante was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, and currently resides in Burnaby, B.C. He earned three victories in the 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship and finished third in the series championship. Maia, from Oakland, California, won the Barber Dodge Pro Series championship on the strength of six victories including three races where he scored all 23 available points on the weekend.

Brazilian Helio Castroneves was the inaugural winner of the Greg Moore Legacy Award in 2000, Dario Franchitti was named as the recipient in 2001 and Patrick Carpentier – a former teammate to Moore – was the winner of last year’s award.

The award will be presented during the 2003 Champ Car Awards Celebration at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, California on November 4.

My vote goes to Darren Manning, who has shown a lot of talent in the Walker Reynard on the track, and has been a very positive presence off the track. With the fans he is, in my observations, the most fan-friendly driver in the series - never turning down an autograph or photo, even if he has to put aside other obligations. With his own Walker crew, he has been an electric personality and I know they have enjoyed working with him, though the PR person will tell you she's always having to drag him around because he wants to spend far too much time mingling with fans, signing autographs, posing for photos etc...and falling behind in is sponsor/media obligations. All this, and he does not have any of the ego that many of the other drivers possess. Anyway, that's my vote...

[Muzza]

My vote goes for Darren Manning.

[brightline]

My vote as well goes to Manning. He is so charismatic and a great personality on TV and a hell of a driver. He and Hunter-Reay, AJ, and Dominguez are the real stars in the making. Hopefully the Masterminds behind Motorock/OWRS realize this. They want to reach the young crowds...get behind the new generation of young guns.

I also think that Jimmy Vasser is a great asset to CART and well deserving of the award. However my vote still goes to Darren Manning.

[Jay]

The only one of them I haven't met is Maia, and the others are all extremely worthy candidates. I just gave the nod to Manning because he seems to go well above and beyond the Champcar requirements for drivers to interact with fans - a lot like Zanardi used to. It's very tough to keep that kind of attitude given what these guys are under in a given weekend, and I can easily see how some guys would just like to head back to their motorhome and collapse - but there are some that just keep going and going similing for pics, signing autographs, etc... while they're co-drivers are sheltered in their motorhomes trying to get a moments peace between commitments.

[BobbyB]

I think Vasser deserves the recognition for the length of time that he has contributed quality performances in CART. He may have slacked off a bit in his later years, but he's still an accomplished racer with a ton of experience who is approachable by the fans. Good enough for me.

[evo]

I say Bourdais. He seemed like one of the nicest guys in the paddock, and he gave me a banana from the Newman-Hass trailer when I was at the race in Vancouver. Plus he did donuts for the fans on the backside of the course after finishing third there.

[Dov]

Originally posted by BobbyB
I think Vasser deserves the recognition for the length of time that he has contributed quality performances in CART. He may have slacked off a bit in his later years, but he's still an accomplished racer with a ton of experience who is approachable by the fans. Good enough for me.

Jeemy is a very nice guy, he has always supported CART and is good to the fans, but his personality isn't very dynamic, so I would have to pick Darren Manning to win the 2003 Greg Moore Legacy Award......Jeemy is a very close 2nd.

[enemy-ace]

Manning should get it. Top driver and very fan friendly.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by Jay
The only one of them I haven't met is Maia (...)

Maia - born in Brazil, raised partly in the United States - is a very talented driver, His precision is impressive for someone so young and with a relatively limited number of races under his belt. He also draws my attention for his ability to read both the car (that means, setting it up and understanding how its behavior changes during the race) and the race itself (meaning that he is a good strategist, plans what he does, and makes few "bonehead" (*) moves)

He is a very approachable driver and quite a nice fellow to talk with - but then, most guys are friendly at his young age, before success and money take over their minds (some people are sour even when young: amongst the current Toyota Atlantic and Barber Dodge crop, Aaron Justus is one that I would list as a rather unpleasant person).

(*) not being a native English speaker, I find this expression - "bonehead" - quite amusing and I am trying to incorporate it in my vocabulary as much as possible!


Muzza

[Jay]

Originally posted by evo
I say Bourdais. He seemed like one of the nicest guys in the paddock, and he gave me a banana from the Newman-Hass trailer when I was at the race in Vancouver. Plus he did donuts for the fans on the backside of the course after finishing third there.

That's what I like to hear about CART driver! Like I said, it's a tough choice... They're all very worthy.

Muzza, thanks for the info on Maia, I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from him!

[Woolley]

My memory of Greg is that on top of everything else, he was prepared to put his hand up and say sorry when it was his fault. For that reason, I'd also go with Darren who has shown that same sporting attitude throughout his career.

[Tenoch]

I day Darren he is always the best at the Media and he has made the most of his Reynard while Sebastien, could of won the championship, and Jimmy in his Reynard reminds me of a Jacques Villeneueve riding around in his BAR Honda.

[Omega99]

Manning is pretty awesome. He seems like a stand up guy with a lot of experience for his age. (Great pass on Vasser to snatch second place away from Vasser, by the way.) I think he's been overlooked by many this year. He's the top Reynard this year, and I look forward to even better things in the future!

[Liz]

Manning all the way. Never heard any complaining from him -- in fact I'd give him the Roberto Moreno Award as I believe he'll be around when he's 43, still the same exciting, friendly guy, no matter what happens. He reminds me of the F1 guys in the days when racing was fun, not bidness, and when fans were not a disposable nuisance.

I wish him all success and hope we can keep him in Champ Cars.

[Ben 93 325is]

I say Bourdais. I was thinking Manning...if only he had some better results I would have voted for him. He definitely seems like the nicest and most down to earth guy. But Bourdais seems like the total package. He is very quick, and carries himself well under pressure. Remember when PT took him out? Bourdais was visibly upset...but when he had the camera in his face he only said, "I have nothing to say!" That takes self control!

[TheRob]

Curious.

Originally posted by evo
I say Bourdais. He seemed like one of the nicest guys in the paddock, and he gave me a banana from the Newman-Hass trailer when I was at the race in Vancouver. Plus he did donuts for the fans on the backside of the course after finishing third there.

Did you ask for the banana or did he just give it to you?

[evo]

Well, it was about 5:30pm on Saturday and I was walking behind the Newman-Haas (I misspelled that before, sorry Carl) trailer and I look over and see Sebastien stuffing his face with candy. Then I look over at this big pile of bananas sitting on the table and I haven't eaten since breakfast so I say "hey Sebastien, could you grab me one of those bananas?"

So he walks over to them, kinda looks around to see if anyone's watching, and walks out to me and gives me a banana on his way to the drivers meeting. And that's why CART is far better than F1, and why Sebastien gets my vote.

As for Darren Manning, he was waiting to be interviewed by Global TV on Thursday and I was sitting there watching when this hot girl walks by and we both follow her across the paddock with our eyes. Then we both look back at each other and chuckle. Again, only in CART.

[Muzza]

Bourdais has a fine taste for self-deprecating jokes - I could witness that in Milwaukee, when he enjoyed playing the role of the "weird European" playing football (the American one). Later that same night he was purposedly stressing his accent when speaking English commenting his "performance" in the game. It was really funny.

I have no doubts (as I had said before) that Sebastien's relationship with his mechanics is much warmer than the one that Bruno Junqueira has with his guys.

[Jordi]

I say Vasser. Jimmy has the talent, and the speed (in a good car obviously) and on top of that he's always willing to help (even driver of other teams!), which makes him one hell of a member of this small circus called CART.

I also like Darren and Seb, but I bet they will have many more opportunities in the future...

[Jay]

Originally posted by Muzza
I have no doubts (as I had said before) that Sebastien's relationship with his mechanics is much warmer than the one that Bruno Junqueira has with his guys.

That doesn't take long to figure out... I think Bruno was a bit overwhelmed by Seb's sudden popularity...he's a real people person, and Bruno, though I think he is a nice guy too(despite what might come accross in TV interviews), just doesn't have the charisma as Sebastien.

[ascarracinguk]

MANNING!!!!!

[Jay]

I don't know Leo, but I imagine he's a lot better than poll indicates. Being a Barber Dodge driver, he doesn't get much exposure though...as Muzza has pointed out, I'm sure his time will come...