Motorsports Notes

04/19/96

JIMMY VASSER, winner of the 22nd running of the Long Beach Grand Prix, is a true American racing product. Born in Canoga Park, CA, he did it "the old way" as he started his racing career in quarter-midgets, moved to Formula Ford, then to Atlantics with the next logical step into Indy Cars with Chip Ganassi. Number one in C.A.R.T. ; points at this point ain't a bad place to be.

SCOTT BRAYTON, IRL driver from Colwater, Mich recently turned the fastest lap ever recorded at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Scott zapped his Menard Buick Lola around the 2.5 oval at 237.555 mph striking a blow for the IRL cause and against those that say IRL is the minor leagues of Indy type car racing.

DENNIS VITOLO...remember him ? He was the Florida Indy car driver who decided to park his race car ON TOP of world champion Nigel Mansells Lola at the brickyard two years ago. He's back in C.S.R.T. racing with a Reynard Ford and sponsors one of which is SmithKLine Beacham...Aquafresh, Sucrets.

STU GRANT,general manager of Goodyear racing commented on the fact that Goodyears new option Eagle that copped five of the top ten spots on the Long Beach starting due to an accelarated development program. The tire wasn't supposed to be on the race cars until the Detroit Indy car race so you can read it that Stu is hearing footsteps and they come from Forestone.

HONDA engines seem to be the hot set up in Indy car as prior to sundays Long Beach fracas Honda powered cars had led 218 of 331 laps in three races.

ECONOMIC IMPACT is a marketing buzzword used to describe the "positive" effect a new big time sports venue or sporting event will have on the local community. At Long Beach it is estimated about $20 million extra flows into the stores, restaurants, etc. during the weeks prior and race weekend. Just figure: 207,000 people at about $25.00 per ticket, food, trinkets....parking goes from a normal $3.00 per day up to 20 bucks on race day. It all adds up but moreso when you take in corporate hospitality, rooms/suits, travel, parties etal. I know it's true because the young Japanese American lad/race nut standing next to at the back straight showed me a 1/42nd scale model of Ayrton Senna in his Marlboro McLaren that he had just purchased from a vendor for $300.00.

BRUCE JENNER, former Olympic decathelete, competed in the Pro-Celebrity race and said.."I felt good...I like the pressure" Bruce finished next to last.

A.J.FOYT has never been known for his temerity and now he's mouthing off about the screwed up (his words) C.A.R.T. board of directors. Anthony Joseph is suing C.A.R.T. contending that they pressured potential sponsors away from his Indy Car team. He said, "I don't care if I have to spend every last dime I have ..I want the world to know the truth about C.A.R.T. and its lies. It's not that I'm rich but I have a lot of stuff I can sell or borrow".

INDY 500 entries deadline passed on April 5 and historically the speedway makes a big schmeer abou the numberbof entries filed for only 33 starting positions...usually close to 100. But as of today there has been nary a squeak out of the IRL contingent as to who and how many.

RICHARD CHILDRESS is "Mr. Chevrolet" in NASCAR Winston Cup racing and car preparation. Jack Roush holds the same esteem re Ford stock car racers. Both claim that NASCAR rules favor "the other guy" so Roush (Ford) is building a Chevrolet to put in a wind tunnel and pinpoint for NASCAR officials just where Chevy has its advantage. Boys with expensive toys. Thank goodness for naive sponsors.

ALEX ZANARDI, Monte Carlo, Monaco, driver of the "other" Target Honda Reynard" and the only man to give race leader, Gil deFerran any sort of tussle in the early stages is another European import who started off in Karts. He raced formula cars for Jordan.Benetton, and Lotus but started with a complete family effort backing him in KArt racing where he won five European championships before moving into formula three in 1988. He's 29 years of age and has a lot of big time racing mikes under his skid lid.

PORSCHE means business as they prepare for the 24 hours of LeMans slated to blast off June 15-6. Their driver lineup is star studded with Scott Goodyear,Yannick Dalmas, Hans Stuck, Bob Wolleck,Thierru Boutsen and Karl Wendlinger. Some of the finest distance race drivers in the world and they will be chauffering Porsche Gt-1 with 3.2 six cylinder motors.

JACQUES VILLENEUVE, the formual one rookie sensation from Canada looks like Hollywoods central casting has him coming right off the set of MGMs Grand Prix. Star stuff. G.P. drivers has fabulous girll friends right ! International models with a pout on their lips and a monicker right out of a Revlon ad. JAcques lady has all the moves and a name that absolutely belongs in Grand Prix happenings. How about Sandrine Gros D'Allion. Take THAT Wendella.

C.A.R.T and the IRL split can only widen once the newly approved IRL race cars start rollingout of the shops of Dallara, G-Force and Riley and Scott because these race cars will be imcompatible with the rules for C.A.R.T. racing and CART cars won't meet IR: specs. They cannaot crossover. So any talk of a comprimise down the road...next year may never take place when the new cars start to rev up.

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel