PRE-SEASON

PRE SEASON

overview

As usual in big league auto racing, there have been a myriad of changes happen since the ‘97 CART season ended last September.

Not the least of them is a new title sponsor, as you can see from the headline above. PPG Industries has scaled back its involvement in what used to be known as the PPG-CART World Series, and it will henceforth be known as the FedEx Championship Series for the PPG Cup, as the transportation giant throws its support behind North America’s premier open-wheel racing series .

Also new this year is the official name for the cars which race in the Series. Gone from the Series, except for the two races in Canada which continue to hold the rights to it here, is the name "Indy." Now, the cars will be known as Champ Cars, actually an old term from a few decades ago before they began to be called Indy Cars. That term is now used exclusively by the rival Indy Racing League.

When you throw in new races in Japan and Houston, and an entirely new track layout here in Vancouver, you have some of the biggest off-season racing news ever.

But that news would be incomplete without talking about who is going to be driving what for whom. And in that area, there is, as usual, a story to tell.

Actually, the drivers weren’t too busy in moving to other teams. The big shocker that got everyone’s attention was the unceremonious sacking of Paul Tracy by Marlboro Team Penske, despite the Canadian being under contract for 1998. Apparently, he had complained a little too loudly about the lack of performance of his car after he had won three short oval races in a row, and The Captain ushered him out the door with no notice.

At a point in the season when most deals have already been finalized, Tracy looked to be facing working for a lower-level team at best. But KOOL Team Green, who had grown tired of finishing well back with Parker Johnstone in ‘97, and who had already signed Dario Franchitti, sprung for a second car, and signed up Tracy within a couple of days to drive a Reynard/Honda/Firestone. Franchitti’s surprise departure from Hogan Racing, and his severing of his ties with sponsor Mercedes-Benz, opened that seat for Formula One and Sports Car veteran JJ Lehto of Finland.

Meanwhile, Penske was surprising everyone by signing Andre Ribeiro away from Tasman Racing to drive his all-new car alongside Al Unser Jr. The Tasman seat will be filled by Indy Lights champion Tony Kanaan of Brazil.

Player’s/Forsythe joined Team Green in growing to a two-car team, and it was no surprise to see them sign Quebec’s Patrick Carpentier away from Team Bettenhausen, to join Greg Moore. Filling the seat at Bettenhausen, with help from now-retired Emerson Fittipaldi, will be Helio Castro-Neves.

Adrian Fernandez moves over from Tasman to Patrick Racing to replace the departed Raul Boesel, and at All-American Racers, Atlantic Champion Alex Barron will drive the Reynard/Toyota vacated by the retired Juan Fangio III.

There are a few new equipment combinations, too. With the Penske not for sale, the spectacularly unsuccessful Lola being run by one bottom-feeder team, and only one new team taking a chance on the second-year Swift, Reynard has a stranglehold on the chassis front.

There were no big changes in engine affiliations amongst the teams, and only Team Rahal has switched tires, from Goodyear to Firestone.

So there you have it, the recipe for another competitive season of Champ Car racing. The relatively small number of changes over last year, and the resulting stability amongst the teams, should lead to another campaign where any of at least a dozen drivers can win on any given weekend.