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The TACH Report: Super Big Racing Weekend, CART, NASCAR, NHRA, PSR, Super Touring

28 August 1997

Patrick Carpentier of the Bettenhausen Alumax CART team will not be driving their Mercedes Reynard at Vancouver this coming weekend as he took a spill on his bicycle and suffered a broken collar bone. Veteran CART and F-1 driver Roberto Moreno will sub. The 38 year old Brazillian won the Intercontinental F3000 championship in 1988 and has driven F-1 for Benneton, Jordan and Minardi.

Target team driver Alex Zanardi is zeroing in on the CART championship and could clinch it this weekend with a win and a drop out by his closest rivals, namely Gil deFerran and Paul Tracy.

Defending Molson Indy champ is Michael Andretti, who has three wins at the Canadian circuit. For Canadian ace Greg Moore the Molson Vancouver event is a hometown event; he will be going all out for a win on the tricky/no escape roads, circuit.

Richie Hearn's ninth place finish at Road America is the best finish for a Lola chassis this season. Besides Zanardi, the hot kids on the block are Pac West racing stars Mark Blundell and Mo Gugelmin.

The NASCAR Winston Cup circuit moves to Darlington this weekend with mark Martin in the points lead, but Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon right on his points bumper. They will all be watching out for the "Darlington stripe," the infamous turn one off camber left hander that moves your car out toward the right side wall.

The biggest race of the NHRA drag racing season takes place at Indianapolis Raceway Park--the U.S. Nationals--and it has a million dollar purse. Kenny Bernstein, five-time NHRA champ, is currently in fifth place in Top Fuel points and has a frustrating season and of course hopes the black cloud will lift and he take all the marbles with his Bud/ProLong 6000 hp dragster. He trails points leader Gary Scelzi by 471 points. John Force has been struggling with his Ford in Funny Car, but is still a favorite to win another national championship. Gregarious John is a "Sunday" player however, in this case a "Monday (Labor day) player," because he comes to win.

At Mosport, Bowmanville, Ontario Canada the ProSports gang races this coming weekend. In spite of small purses and sparse crowds, there are 128 entries for the various racing classes. In WSC, World Sports Car points leader Wayne Taylor, R&S Olds goes up against three Ferraris and several R&S Fords.

Other SportsCar classes are Exxon Supreme Gt, Black Magic pro series, plus GT-1 and GT-2.

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel