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CART: Notes and Quotes from CART Sneak Preview, January 18, 2001

19 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and officials from Canadian race promoter Molstar Sports and Entertainment announced today that a new FedEx Championship Series event will be held in August, 2002 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal, Quebec. The announcement was made by CART President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Heitzler, Molstar Sports and Entertainment General Manager Bob Singleton, and Grand Prix F1 du Canada President Normand Legault, the race promoter.

"This is a great opportunity for CART to add a well-diversified and cosmopolitan city like Montreal to a strong domestic and international schedule of events already in place," said Heitzler. "We are confident that with Molson's success in promoting CART races and the loyalty of Canadian race fans throughout the country, that we will enjoy another successful event for years to come."

The event will be held on the same circuit in Montreal that has hosted the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada each June. The facility is named after the father of 1995 FedEx Championship Series champion Jacques Villeneuve. A letter of agreement has been signed for five years, ensuring FedEx Championship Series competition in Montreal through 2006.

"Race fans in Quebec and all of Canada will be delighted to see a round of the exciting FedEx Championship Series on the demanding Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve," said Legault. "No doubt, Montreal with its unique cachet in North America, will quickly become a favorite stop on the CART circuit for participants, as well as for race fans in Montreal and all over the world."

Molstar has promoted successful FedEx Championship Series events in Canada for the past sixteen years on the streets of Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2000, combined attendance for the two races established an all-time record of 329,000 spectators.

"Molstar will continue to be the rights holder of CART racing in Canada," Singleton said. "We are very excited to be bringing the Molson Indy to Montreal in 2002. Our commitment in Montreal will be the same as it has been in Toronto and Vancouver, which is to be one of the very best events on the CART circuit."

* Zakspeed Forsythe Racing announced today that Germany's Marcel Tiemann will join with Champ Car veteran Bryan Herta on the two-car team for 2001. Tiemann, a 26-year-old native of Hamburg, Germany brings experience from the German Touring Car Championship, where he finished ninth in the 2000 championship."I am pleased to be competing in the CART FedEx Series," said Tiemann. "Along with Formula One, the Champ Car series is one of the greatest challenges for a race car driver. This series is very competitive, and I am honored to participate. The car is very impressive, and I look forward to the coming season." Tiemann and Herta will drive Ford-Cosworth-powered Reynard chassis for the team, which is co-owned by Gerald Forsythe and Peter Zakowski.

"It has been a dream of mine to participate in the American Champ Car series," Zakowski said. "Jerry Forsythe and I are ambitious in our goals for the 2001 season, but at the same time we are confident in our team and drivers. We are pleased to represent Germany with a native driver in the CART series; particularly this year, as we approach the German 500 at the Euro Speedway in Lausitz, Germany."

* Sigma Autosport announced today that Watercolor Group, Inc. will sponsor the team, which will participate in its inaugural season of Champ Car competition in 2001. Based in Wheaton, Illinois, Watercolor Group specializes in customer-led E-business strategy and development. As part of the team sponsorship, Watercolor Group developed Sigma Autosport's new web site, www.sigmaautosport.com, which was launched today in conjunction with Sneak Preview. "Being an integral part of a CART series team mirrors the way we do business," said Watercolor Group president Tom Allen. "Speed, technology, and a unique method are things that we bring to our client relationships. By working with Sigma and CART, we now have the opportunity to market them to a larger audience."

Text Provided By T.E. McHale

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.