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CART: FedEx Championship Series rides upward trends into opening race of 2000 season

22 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

DETROIT - Change is in the air, much of it for the better, as the FedEx Championship Series moves into the new century by launching its 2000 season at this weekend's Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota at Homestead-Miami Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, same-day tape delay, ESPN).

The FedEx Championship Series closed out the 20th century in strong fashion courtesy of arguably the most competitive season in CART's 21-year history. The ultra-competitive 1999 season produced the closest points race in series history, ultimately decided by a tiebreaker; a record 10 different race winners; a record 12 different pole sitters and the second-closest race in all-time Champ Car history at Michigan. The series also posted increases in both attendance and television ratings, had a 130-percent increase in traffic on its website, initiated programs for female and African-American drivers and formed the inaugural CART All-Star Team.

The majority of Champ Car teams looking for an edge to end the unprecedented four-year reign of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing as FedEx Series champions have opted for changes in their competition packages to unseat 1999 champ Juan Montoya.

Interestingly, leading the charge in change is that same Target/Chip Ganassi Racing team. After utilizing a Honda engine and Reynard chassis en route to the past four championships - Jimmy Vasser in 1996, Alex Zanardi in '97 and '98 and Montoya last season - Target/Chip Ganassi will look to bring the series' ultimate prize to Toyota engines and Lola chassis. The tire of choice remains Firestone, which becomes the official tire of the series beginning this season after dominating the competition the past four years.

Montoya, a '99 CART All Star who earned a rookie-record seven victories last season, and Vasser, who has eight career wins, are poised to bring Toyota its first triumph since the manufacturer joined the series in 1996 and Lola its first since that same season. And a fifth title is never out of the question for the most dominant team the series has ever witnessed.

Montoya (Target Toyota Lola) enjoyed the most dominant rookie season in series history last season, but it was barely enough to edge the consistent Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard). Franchitti, a '99 CART All Star with three wins and 11 podiums overall in 20 starts, stalked the hard-charging Montoya throughout and forged a tie for the championship following the season finale at California Speedway. Montoya won the crown by virtue of most wins, seven to the three of Franchitti.

Now, the second-year phenom faces challenges not only from Franchitti, whose team - Team KOOL Green - was one of the few teams that did not make any major moves, but a host of title contenders.

The group includes the likes of Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard), Franchitti's Team KOOL Green teammate and '99 CART All Star; Newman/Haas Racing teammates Michael Andretti (Big Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Lola), a '99 CART All Star, and Christian Fittipaldi (Big Kmart/Route 66 Ford Lola); the Team Rahal tandem of '99 CART All Star Max Papis (Miller Lite Ford Reynard) and prized rookie Kenny Brack (Shell Ford Reynard); and Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard) of Patrick Racing.

That's not to mention the new Marlboro Team Penske duo of Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Honda Reynard) and Helio Castro-Neves (Marlboro Honda Reynard). Like Target/Ganassi, the Penske team has changed both its engine and chassis, opting for the package that has won the past four FedEx Championship Series titles.

Franchitti, meanwhile, will compete following recovery from a fractured pelvis and brain contusions sustained in a testing accident Feb. 9 during CART Spring Training at Homestead. After being cleared to resume competition by Dr. Steve Olvey, CART Director of Medical Affairs, Franchitti tested at Nazareth Speedway Sunday and Monday and Team KOOL Green announced he will be in the car this weekend.

As with any off-season, there have been plenty of changes from both a driver and equipment standpoint during the preceding five months. In addition to de Ferran and Castro-Neves, drivers changing teams included Roberto Moreno (Visteon Ford Reynard), now with Patrick Racing; Tony Kanaan (Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Mercedes Reynard) with newly formed Mo Nunn Racing; Michel Jourdain Jr. (Herdez Mercedes Lola) with Bettenhausen Motorsports, and Luiz Garcia Jr. (Hollywood/Embratel-21/Tang/Banco Sofisa Mercedes Reynard) with the newly formed Arciero Project Racing Group.

Joining Target/Chip Ganassi Racing and Marlboro Team Penske in making significant equipment changes were Newman/Haas Racing, which is running Lola chassis for Andretti and Fittipaldi after campaigning Swifts; and Player's Forsythe Racing, which will campaign Ford power for drivers Patrick Carpentier (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard) and rookie Alex Tagliani (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard) rather than Mercedes-Benz.

Tagliani is one of six rookies who will make their FedEx Championship Series debuts this weekend. The others are Brack of Team Rahal, Shinji Nakano (Avex Honda Reynard) of Walker Racing, Norberto Fontana (Della Penna VideoMatch Toyota Reynard) of Della Penna Motorsports; Takuya Kurosawa (MTCI Ford Lola) of Dale Coyne Racing and 1999 Dayton Indy Lights champion Oriol Servia (Telefonica Toyota Reynard) of PPI Motorsports. Brack is the most recognizable of the first-year group, having won the 1999 Indianapolis 500.

Following Sunday's season-opening Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota, the FedEx Championship Series moves to Nazareth Speedway for Round 2, the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Presented by Toyota, on Sunday, April 9.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

* Michael Andretti (Big Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Lola) is a two-time winner at Homestead (1997, '98) and also a runner-up last season. His victory from 14th in 1997 ranks third in CART history for the furthest starting position for a race winner on a short oval. Andretti, CART's all-time laps led leader with 6,119, also has led at least a lap in each of the past three events at Homestead, 136 in all, including race-high totals of 72 in 1997 and 62 in '98.

* Jimmy Vasser (Target Toyota Lola) owns three top-four finishes in four career appearances at Homestead. He was victorious in 1996, third in '97 and fourth last year. He has also qualified among the top 10 for all four events, topped by thirds in '96 and '98.

MANUFACTURING SUCCESS

* Ford is hopeful that the show of strength displayed by its drivers at last month's CART Spring Training at Homestead is an omen for this weekend. Ford drivers took seven of the top nine spots on the combined speed charts, led by Max Papis (Miller Lite Ford Reynard), who was fastest overall at 209.907 mph (25.760 seconds). He was followed by Team Rahal teammate Kenny Brack (Shell Ford Reynard), at 208.651 mph (25.915 seconds), and Andretti, at 208.033 mph (25.992 seconds). Other Ford drivers in the group included Christian Fittipaldi (Big Kmart/Route 66 Ford Lola), fifth at 207.069 mph (26.113 seconds); rookie Alex Tagliani (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard), seventh at 206.437 mph (26.193 seconds); Patrick Carpentier (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard), eighth at 206.130 mph (26.232 seconds) and Roberto Moreno (Visteon Ford Reynard), ninth at 204.369 mph (26.458 seconds). Andretti's victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 1997 and '98 make Ford the leading winner (2) in four events at the venue. Honda and Mercedes-Benz have scored one each.

MILESTONES

* Michael Andretti's next triumph will allow him to set a CART record for most seasons with at least one race victory. Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Lola) is currently tied for the top spot with Rick Mears, each with 12 seasons with at least one victory. Andretti begins his 17th season of FedEx Championship Series competition this weekend.

* With his start at the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota, Jimmy Vasser will move into sole possession of sixth place for most consecutive starts in CART history. Vasser, whose streak began at Laguna Seca in 1993, is currently tied for sixth with Mario Andretti at 106 consecutive starts. Mauricio Gugelmin (NEXTEL PacWest Mercedes) is the current active leader with 108 starts heading into Homestead. The CART record for consecutive starts is 192, set by Al Unser Jr. from 1983-95.

NOTEWORTHY

* Team KOOL Green announced Monday that driver Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard), the runner-up in the 1999 FedEx Championship Series, will compete in this weekend's Marlboro Grand Prix Presented by Toyota. Franchitti, who sustained a fractured pelvis and brain contusions in a Feb. 9 testing accident during CART Spring Training at Homestead-Miami Speedway, completed two successful days of testing Sunday and Monday at Nazareth Speedway with no setbacks due to his injuries. "I was a little rusty at first," said Franchitti, who completed 138 laps during the two days on the 1-mile oval, with a fast lap of 20.2 seconds, "but everything came back pretty quickly. We just took our time, didn't put any pressure on ourselves to set lap records, and everything came together in its own time. Paul's [teammate Paul Tracy] done a fantastic job shouldering the testing work for the last few weeks, and he gave me a car that was well balanced from the start. I feel fine. I was a bit mentally tired last [Sunday] night, but there's no sign of vertigo, and believe me, it's really saying something if you can run around Nazareth at racing speeds without feeling dizzy!" Franchitti's test was attended by Dr. Terry Trammell, CART's chief orthopedic consultant, who commented, "Dario is doing fine and healing rapidly. He is a healthy, well-conditioned athlete and I have no doubt about his ability to drive without impairment from his injuries. We did make some minor changes to his seat to assist with driver comfort and better protect the fractured areas." Team KOOL Green owner Barry Green was elated to see Franchitti respond so quickly once he returned to the car. "It was pretty clear after his first few laps yesterday that he was ready to go," Green said, "but we wanted to have a night sleep on it and then do some long runs before we made a final decision. Now, it's 'all systems go' for Homestead and the 2000 season. I can't wait."

* Della Penna Motorsports announced Friday that Argentine Norberto Fontana will contest all 20 events during the 2000 FedEx Championship Series season, driving a Toyota-powered Reynard with sponsorship from VideoMatch, a top-rated Argentine television program. Richie Hearn, who has been with Della Penna Motorsports since 1994 and has driven for the team in the FedEx Championship Series since 1996, will remain on board as team owner John Della Penna seeks additional funding to expand to a two-car team. Fontana finished 15th in the International Formula 3000 Championship last year with four top-10 finishes. He also finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 1997 and '98 Japanese Formula Nippon Championships. In addition, Fontana made four starts for Sauber in the 1997 Formula One Championship, with top finishes of ninth at Silverstone and Hockenheim. "I am proud to have Norberto Fontana join Della Penna Motorsports," Della Penna said. "I have always wanted to field a fellow Argentine driver and have admired Norberto's talent for some time. While he only began testing with the team in early March, his ability to adjust to the car and bring it up to speed was very impressive. He still has a steep learning curve on the ovals, but I'm confident he will be a successful rookie standout in CART." Hearn, who earned 16 top-10 finishes in his four years with Della Penna in the FedEx Championship Series, took his "layoff" in stride. "I've been with John for a number of years, so this is definitely not an easy situation," he said. "It came down to finding sponsorship. We've heard so much about the lack of American drivers in open-wheel racing, but in this case, an American sponsor wasn't willing to step up to the plate. It's going to be difficult to watch someone behind the wheel of a Della Penna Motorsports entry, but I'd rather Norberto have the seat than for John to have to close the doors. There are around 30 other people that John has to consider besides me."

* The newly formed Arciero Project Racing Group completed a preliminary shakedown of its Hollywood/Embratel-21/Tang/Banco Sofisa Reynard Mercedes on Sunday at Putnam Park near Indianapolis. Though cold and damp conditions kept the car from reaching its potential, driver Luiz Garcia Jr. was pleased with the result.

Text provided by T.E. McHale

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