The TACH Report: Penske to Field a One Car CART Team in 1999? San Diego Gears Up for Vintage Speed Fest, BMW Gets high Marks
5 October 1998
It's that time again in the wonderful world of speed: rumors regarding driver changes and team re-alignment are surfacing, and the CART series is no exception. The hot tip goin' round is that Penske will be a one-car equipe next season. Someone asked PR chief for Penske, Dan Luginbuhl what was really happening and he said everything is status quo and that the General and his staff are analyzing 1998, looking at budgets for 1999, and will most likely keep Andre Ribeiro and Little Al next year. As for staying with the PC10 chassis noone knows for sure.
Steve Earle of Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) put on the first-ever vintage car race last fall at the North Island, San Diego Naval base. Though the racing was pretty good, the crowd management was lacking in coordination . . . nobody knew what way was up, or where, or who. Well, title sponsor Chrysler liked the affair, and is coming back November 14-15 to help conduct the two day racing fracas again. Spectator glitches such as tram rides from parking lots, directions, crowded bridges and lack of viewing areas have been smoothed out, and Steve has added 'Retromobile USA' to the weekend schedule. It's a deal fashioned after the famed Retromobile Exhibition in Paris: part car museum and part car show, with a dollop of auto oriented vendors in the mix for spectator enjoyment. Info: 619 283 5808
When J.D. Power speaks, carmakers listen. They hope the car buying public is listening also. John David just announced that the BMW M3 models and the 318ti just received the highest marks in the new APEAL survey for their respective categories. The study analyzes styling, performance and cockpit layout among other imporant aspects of auto design.
The SCCA runoffs come up October 9 from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and SpeedVision will cover 13 hours of racing starting at 1:30 p.m. eastern, Oct 9.
Is it all over for IROC. Pontiac's contract for Firebirds has run out and no new manufacturer has been named to participate (BIG BUCKS) in the popular made-for-TV series for next year. We hear that the phone at Jay Signore's IROC office ain't connected. HMMmmm.
Got to pity that poor dude in Las Vegas, Tommy Baker, who has worked literally on and off for four years to bring a Formula One race to glitter gulch. The developer went through all the proper procedures regarding paper work and trips to London to meet with his highness, Bernie. He thought he had a fighting chance to face off with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to get a USGP in the year 2000. Then came time for the County Commisioners in Clark (Vegas) county to vote on Baker's plans, and a couple of the commissars were conviently absent. A cople more feared (abstained) to vote, lest they upset the gambling moguls at the major casinos who have their own recipe for Vegas' sporting future, and poor Baker was HAD. Then these guys voted yes on a golf course proposal that had casino bucks behind it and was submitted by a gent who is under investigation by the Feds for ALLEGED illegal sports betting . . . like $2.7 million worth of illegal. Kind of makes a true motorsports fan want to say, "who needs Vegas?"
On the other hand, down in Kershaw, S. Carolina, plans are shaping up for the construction of a 2.5 mile road course called Carolina Motorsports Park. They are going to build it for a reputed $2 million. Baker's Vegas track (with golf course) was budgeted at $70 million, and Penskes California Speedway is $35 mill.
Will Nissan ever make it to the front in Indy Car racing with their Infiniti race motor? They've been working night and day on this potentially hot V8 for over two years, but at IRL events you usually do not see more than two teams willing to take a chance on this mill. Things are looking up, however, as Journeyman IRL pilot Roberto Guerrero led 22 laps in the Lone Star 500 and showed the motor is about ready for the big show.
In NASCAR, Mark Martin's sixth victory of the year last week at Martinsville was the 11th for Ford this year. Jeff Burton and Dale Jarret have each won for FOMOCO.
The CART 'biggie' event is coming up in a few weeks at the California Speedway. In testing last week, Michael Andretti turned a 232.4 mph lap, followed by Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser and Dario Franchitti all in the high 229 mph arena.
Attendance wise we all know that you just can't buy or beg a ticket to a Winston Cup race, and that the IRL has been playing to sparse crowds even though the reported 50,000 fans on hand at Charlotte and Atlanta is respectable. The IRL's Oct 10 night race at the Las Vegas Speedway might be enlightening crowd-wise, if last year's event is any indication. The place has 107,000 seats (sold out for the 1999 Winston Cup race). Last fall there were more people in the private (casino) boxes than in the grand stand.
Here's a neat reference book we just came across. The 1999 Sponsor FactBook is put out by Team Marketing Report, and it contains everything you want to know about all phases of motorsports marketing: teams, contacts, sponsors, media. For info: 888 616 1879
We came across and new automotive aftermarket safety device that is just revolutionary. It's called "Express Sensor" and is a device that is installed on your vehicle and it contains a small speaker and sensors that chirp when in reverse gear you approach objects such as a car, fence, kids, dogs, trees behind you and let's you know the closing distance.The closer you get to the garbage can or parking barrier the faster the beeps. Works great and costs about $299. Info: Express Systems (949) 789 6220.
Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel