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THE TACH REPORT: C. Fittipaldi Is Fashion Model, Emmo On The Mend, New Saab Line To Debut At Auto Shows.

18 December 1997

THE TACH REPORT: C. Fittipaldi Is Fashion Model, Emmo On The Mend, New Saab Line To Debut At Auto Shows.

CART/Fed Ex Champ car driver Christian Fittipaldi can be seen in this months' issue of Marie Claire magazine along with supermodel Eva Herzigova modeling sports clothes from the Dona Karan line. Couldn't you feature Dale Earnhardt or A.J. Foyt in that role. Unbelievable.

Emerson Fittipaldi is back in Brazil and still on the mend from his airplane accident September 7 and it will take a long time as bone transplant was required.

You may have heard of the new Saab 9-5 (crazy name for A car) and this '98 model is now joined by the 9-3 rounding out the line with the 9000. The 9-5 will have a turbo V6 motor at 3 liters. The new cars can be found at the Detroit Auto Show which The Auto Channel will cover Jan 9.

The worlds biggest/richest classic car auction, The Barrett-Jackson comes up January 14 in Scottsdale, AZ and as an extra added attraction will feature toys and memorabilia...400 lots of trinkets and toys.

In IRL activity Billy Boat has signed on with A.J. Foyt Racing and he will join Kenny Brack on the team. Team Cheever will field a team in IRL next season despite losing sponsor FirstPlus Financial. The first race of 1998 for IRL is at Disney World in January and tickets are not selling so the promoters are making a $10.00 offer.

Lola Cars had a miserable 1997 with one podium finish...Adrian Fernandez at Fontana but the race car maker says they will be back in 1998 racing with a vengeance.

In Canada Players cigarettes is dropping all racing sponsorship after the 1998 season. The Canadian Tobacco act is the culprit.

In F-1 Jacques Villenueve had something to say about M. Schumacher losing his points for rough driving in the last race. JV said M.S. should have lost everything...points and wins. There are 23 teams in F-1 for 1998.

The new California (Penske) Speedway had a garage sale thanksgiving week and sold off all the dated 1997 memorabilia.

Roger Penske is going to build a superspeedway in Brazil.

Don Panoz has made a $zillion from the anti-smoking patch and he owns the Panoz sports car works plus Road Atlanta. He is upgrading the circuit and putting in a drivers school.

In the car(sales) wars it looks like the Honda Accord may surpass the Toyota Camry in sales. Film at eleven.

Bill Maloney The Auto Channel