Back to square one: after another mass exodus—including eight top drivers and two manufacturers—CART is reevaluating its business plan and goals - 2003 season preview: CART - Championship Auto Racing Teams

Auto Racing Digest, April-May, 2003 by Chris Dolack

EVEN THOUGH THIS OFFSEAson was the shortest in CART's history, it was still too long for race fans who have waited since November to see the best open-wheel drivers in the world zip around ovals, streets, and road courses. The anticipation over whether Cristiano da Matta, who clinched his first CART championship with three races to go last year, can defend his title is almost too much to take. What? Da Matta won't defend his title? He's going to race in Formula One this year? A lifelong dream of his, huh? Well, no matter. Who can fault a guy for following his dream.

Dario Franchitti should have a fine Season. He was injured a couple of years ago but is finally returning to his old dominating self on sweet and road courses. He won at Montreal last year, finished fourth in the points, and should improve on that in 2003. What? He's gone, too? And to the IRL? That's an odd decision. That series competes only on ovals, and he hasn't had success on that type of track.

Fine, there is no da Matta or Franchitti, but Christian Fittipaldi is heating up at Newman/Haas. He was fifth in the points last year and had five podium finishes. He's finally healthy, so expect big things from him. He's gone, as well? You're kidding? Where? NASCAR? A Fittipaldi in NASCAR and not in CART? This is getting crazy.

Well, if there's one driver CART can hold over the IRL it's Kenny Brack, the 1998 IRL champion. CART has him at Chip Ganassi Racing, and after a bit of a down season he came on at the end to capture the finale. Take that, Tony George. You're not serious? He returned to the IRL? In a Bobby Rahal car? This isn't funny.

Chip Ganassi, too? Ganassi is not fielding a car in CART?. But he's on the Board of Directors. He's a four-time champion owner. He can't do this. First went Roger Penske and now Ganassi?

It makes no sense for all those guys to leave for the IRL, which is basically a one-engine series. At least in CART there's Honda and Toyota and ... Honda and Toyota are in the IRL, too? This really is getting dismal. The next thing you're going to say is that Michael Andretti is leaving CART. Michael Andretti wouldn't ditch CART to race in the IRL.

OK, OK, now I know this is a joke. You're saying Michael Andretti--the Michael Andretti, the winningest active open-wheel driver--is going to race in the IRL in 2003? He bought Team Green and is moving it to the IRL with Franchitti and Tony Kanaan as drivers? This is almost too much to take.

So what's left for CART?

CART--or the "Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car Series Powered by Ford," as it will be known this season--still features the world's best all-around open-wheel racing. There will be many new faces and a couple of new teams. In addition, the series opens in February with a new event on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (It concludes in November at California Speedway.) The schedule is also expected to feature a night race at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, the first of its kind in CART. The series also returns to places such as Montreal Denver, and Mexico City, where more than 350,000 people combined to see three days of CART events last year.

The additional bad news is that although the troubling economic climate has affected all forms of raring, nowhere is that more apparent than in CART. Veteran drivers such as Jimmy Vasser, Max Papis, Alex Tagliani, and Bryan Herta spent most of the offseason wondering where--or if--they would compete in 2003. All held out hope for a seat in CART, but without financial backing many drivers were sent scrambling. Vasser even spent a considerable amount of time testing stock cars.

What shape the 2003 season takes probably won't be determined until the green flag drops in St. Petersburg, but it will no doubt be thrilling.

Here's what race fans can expect:

The Major Teams

Newman/Haas Racing: Defending its fourth title won't be easy, but this is CARTs most successful active team--second all time in wins and poles--and most staunch supporter. The team loses champion da Matta and Fittipaldi but gains 2002 runner-up Bruno Junqueira, a former Ganassi racer who elected to remain in CART rather than pursue options in the IRL or F1. After struggling under intense pressure as a rookie in 2001, Junqueira put together a solid season in '02 and was the only driver to challenge da Matta. He won't get much help from a teammate--a rookie is expected to fill the seat vacated by Fittipaldi.

Player's/Forysthe Racing: Left without a ride when his former boss, Barry Green, sold his team to Michael Andretti, Paul Tracy joins fellow Canadian Patrick Carpentier to form what should be CART's toughest tandem. Carpentier has been on the rise for years and could become a superstar in 2003. As for Tracy, the only driver who can usually stop him is, well, Paul Tracy. But he doesn't apologize for an aggressive driving style that can irk the race stewards. This fresh start with a new team could finally net him a championship.

Team Rahal: Although he would love to field a two-car team in CART, Rahal downsized to a single-car effort for financial reasons. Driver Michel Jourdain Jr. is coming off his best year in CART and now has more resources to help him improve on his 10th-place finish.