...is now a bit more than the last blog I posted! Maybe worth waiting for?
RACE CONTROL
As we got into December, the Champ Car office experienced another RIF – a “reduction in force.” Race Director Chris Kneifel , Steward Derek Higgins, and Technical Director Lee Dykstra were let go. Chris had been on the hot seat for a while (as the Race Director/Chief Steward normally is) and so had Lee, but the definition of an “RIF” comes with no detail other than it is a cost-cutting measure. Just remember, all three were employees of the company, not “contractors,” and our series owners are still GENEROUSLY footing a major part of our racing bill these days. All departments within Champ Car were subject to the RIF and a half dozen or so others were affected.
I will always be indebted to Chris for looking out for me after I was moved from the start stand. Frankly, I’m enjoying this position much better than Starter. And I will miss Derek’s knack for anticipating driver complaints, issues and questions (being a fresh former driver - he actually competed against a few of the guys in our field in 2004.) He was instrumental during racing incidents, having learned quickly how to handle and analyze race control’s replay equipment. We will continue to see Chris at our road course events as he will be kept on as our circuit construction consultant, so most of you will see him in the very same places you did last year.
Right after the new year, VP of Operations, John Lopes left his position to return to the IRL as Vice President of Andretti Green Racing. Last week, Director of Operations and Steward John Anderson also moved to Andretti Green Racing, linking back up with his former teammates when they raced in CART as Team Kool Green. Yeah sure, I know what this looks like - the nay-sayers will quickly point out that these guys have lost confidence in us and our product and are “jumping ship.” But, knowing these two personally, I know that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Just trust me on it. I certainly can’t go into any details in a forum like this, and to do so would be to violate theirs and Champ Car’s privacy which I simply won’t do.
As further evidence, A former Andretti Green employee is now with us. Tony Cotman has been named VP of Operations and will handle a good portion of the duties that both of the above did. He had been team manager with Team Green and AGR for a long time and although I have never officially met him, I hear good things. Our Operations Communicator, Paul Leyton, speaking from his experiences in pit lane says: “I can be confident in saying that he always was one of the true gentlemen out there, even in a competitive moment. He understands the side of the competition that we take care of. He always showed a great deal of respect to all of the officials prior to and during events. I think he will bring a very interesting perspective to this job.”
So the dice tumble for the third straight winter. I should be talking to Tony Cotman soon about all of you and our plans for 2005. He doesn’t have a “reinvent the wheel” approach, and I anticipate Steward Beaux Barfield, Ops Com Paul Leyton, Safety Com Joanne Jensen, Data Analyst Tara Sillert, Starter JD Wilbur and myself will stay put and be ready to go, come Long Beach. Don’t know anything about a new race director yet…
TV PACKAGE
Also since I last posted, our 2005 TV Package has been finalized. Long Beach, Monterrey, and Montreal will be on NBC. Milwaukee, Portland, Cleveland and Toronto will be on CBS. The balance of the events will be back on Speed TV, where they were in 2003. The TV production company will be none other than our good friends to the north Molson Entertainment, and THEY know how to cover auto racing, although I will get my first joke out of the way now, and say that in deference to them, we are abandoning all our current starting procedures and all events next year will begin from a face-off! Also our international coverage is much improved from last season and our events will once again be live in Europe which means more European drivers (AND THEIR FUNDING!) will be interested in coming over to race with us!
SPEAKING OF DRIVERS…
Today, we got another one back!! As I assured some of you toward the end of last season, 2002 Champ Cristiano da Matta is returning to the fold from F1, and has signed with PKV Racing. This news has finally given me the itch to get back to racing again, and it’s welcome. The following is a round-up of what I know, what I’ve heard, and some of the internet rumours going around about who will be driving for who in 2005:
NEWMAN/HAAS is set with Bourdais and Junqueira. If funding can be secured, they might run another car.
PKV RACING is also in with two cars for Vasser and da Matta. Rumor has it that possibly Emerson Fittipaldi may run a third car out of the shop (as he did with Conquest in 2003) with a TBD driver.
RuSPORT is set with Allmendinger and Wilson. Jourdain has gone to the NASCAR Busch series – they will race in Mexico this year…
HERDEZ is now called HVM Racing. Dominguez will drive one car in ‘05, but could be working on a deal to head to F1 with a new team in ‘06. Look for a second car with possibly another Mexican driver.
ROCKETSPORTS: Tagliani is expected to be back with a second car TBD.
COYNE RACING has signed Gaston Mazzacane back and could field a second car again for Servia.
FORSYTHE is set with Tracy and Lavin returning. Carpentier has gone to the IRL. A host of other drivers are rumoured for the vacated third seat, including Hunter-Reay, Jarek Janis (who ran with Coyne in Australia) Mathias Lauda (yes, Niki’s son) and former F1 driver Jos Verstappen. Some people have even thought they might run 4 cars if funding can be found!
MI-JACK CONQUEST most likely will run a car for Nelson Phillipe and a possible 2nd car for a driver TBD. Names that have been linked in rumours are Dutchman Bas Leinders, Ricardo Sperafico (cousin of Alex who drove for the team last year) and Matt Halliday, a Kiwi that drove for the team in Indy Lights.
WALKER RACING has tested a number of drivers this winter. We could see a return of Haberfeld and those who have tested are Valiante (who drove in Mexico City – damned well,) Andrew Ranger and Bryan Sellers from Atlantic, and Nicky Pastorelli from F3000.
OTHER DRIVERS rumoured to be working on deals are Atlantic runner-up Ryan Dalziel, David Rutledge, Timo Glock, Richard Lyons, Tarso Marques, and F3000’s Bjorn Wirdheim. We WILL have at least 18 cars on the grid for LB, my guess with the TV package we now have we will see more than that… time will tell.
"SPRING TRAINING"
Ain't gonna happen this year, at least not as on on-track activity. From what I understand, it came pretty close to happening in Las Vegas, but no dice. There will be a press and fan-related activity in Indianapolis, similar to the one that happened last year in Long Beach with all drivers in attendance. Keep an eye on www.champcarworldseries.com
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THE DA MATTA ANNOUNCEMENT is yet another big boost. We are experiencing Santa Ana winds this week in Southern California, the hot dry winds that blow out of the east from the desert. Just a reminder for me of another long, hot summer heating up for all of us. I will be again joining those in white this weekend at California Speedway for a Cal Club Regional/National. Hope I don’t screw up on Comm…
JHS
