TEAM KOOL GREEN AND DARIO FRANCHITTI COMPLETE FINAL OVAL TEST
INDIANAPOLIS--Dario Franchitti and Team KOOL Green finished their final oval test of 2002 on Tuesday, March 26, at the 1.5-mile Homestead Miami Speedway. Franchitti completed 172 trouble free miles posting an unofficial best time of 27.0 seconds. Joining Team KOOL Green at the test were Dario's technical partner Michael Andretti, as well as Champ Car drivers Cristiano da Matta, Jimmy Vasser, Alex Tagliani and Kenny Brack.
Team KOOL Green concentrated on finding a good balance for the #27 Honda-Reynard-Bridgestone to use as a baseline race setup for the ovals. The test was originally scheduled for two days, but wrapped up early as Franchitti found the car to his liking.
"The test went really well and I'm happy with where we finished," said Franchitti. "We weren't the fastest car out there but that wasn't our objective, we were here to work on a race setup and I think we are in good shape. It was good to work with Allen (McDonald race engineer) for the first time on an oval, we got a lot of stuff done. Team KOOL Green worked hard and we accomplished so much, we were able to finish early."
Team Manager Kyle Moyer saw good results during the test and is happy with the setup the team finished with.
"We had a flawless test," said Moyer. "Dario and Allen found a good balance for the KOOL car and we accomplished all of our goals. Now Team KOOL Green will focus on getting the car ready for Long Beach."
The #27 Team KOOL Green crew now head back to Indianapolis to finalize preparations for Round 2 of the CART FedEx Championship Series in Long Beach, California, on April 14.
ALEX TAGLIANI SETS TORRID PACE AS TEAM PLAYER'S COMPLETES FIRST OVAL TESTING SESSIONS OF THE 2002 CART SEASON
HOMESTEAD, Fla.--Testing on an oval for the first time this year, Team Player's and driver Alex Tagliani set a pace as torrid as the 47°C (118°F) track temperature on the Homestead surface on Wednesday in completing a successful two-day session. Tagliani clocked a fast lap of 26.3 seconds, the top speed of the day under those track conditions.
Tagliani had also put in the best time of 26.28 seconds during the Tuesday testing session on the 1.5-mile oval. In all, Team Player's ran 256 laps about 384 miles at the testing sessions, which had 10-15 other teams from the CART series on the track during the two days.
Team Player's main objective at the sessions was to work on set-ups with the new wing package that will be used on all ovals, with the likely exception of Fontana, in the 2002 CART FedEx Championship Series. The two most immediate races in which the wing package will come into play are the ones in Motegi, Japan, and on the Milwaukee Mile.
“The results were very encouraging,” said Team Player's technical director Bruce Ashmore of the sessions, for which both of the team's engineers Kelly Loewen and Michael Cannon, who oversee Tagliani's and Patrick Carpentier's cars, respectively, were on hand. “While the Homestead oval isn't identical to the one at Motegi, we were able to learn a great deal over the last two days. We tried out everything we had planned to do. We know where we're going as we prepare for the Japan race.”
Team Player's is the only Reynard-chassis/Ford-engine package on the CART circuit this season, and Tagliani was eager to see how the new Reynard oval-specific undertray and body work would stack up, especially against the Lolas.
“I've come away from these two days very confident about our competitiveness,” remarked Tagliani, who produced a strong fifth-place finish in the opening race of the CART season on the Monterrey, Mexico road course earlier this month. “Every track that we've been on so far, either for testing or for the race, we've been extremely competitive. We've been in the top 5, and that's our goal. The fast pace that we were able to set in the last two days means that we'll be going to Japan with lots of confidence. I expect that Team Player's will do well there.”
Prior to the first oval race of the season April 27 at Motegi the Team Player's drivers will be on the streets of Long Beach for Round 2 of the series, on April 13. They will have another testing session on an oval following the Motegi event as they run laps on the Milwaukee Mile, site of the fourth race of the season, June 2nd.
HAVOLINE DRIVER CRISTIANO DA MATTA, WINNER OF THE THREE PREVIOUS CART FedEx SERIES RACES COMPLETED HIS FIRST OVAL TEST OF 2002 AT MIAMI-HOMESTEAD SPEEDWAY TODAY
HOMESTEAD, Fla.--Havoline driver Cristiano da Matta got back behind the wheel of his Toyota-Lola-Bridgestone for the first time since winning his third consecutive CART FedEx Championship Series race at the 2002 season-opener in Monterrey, Mexico, for his first test on an oval track. Fresh from a week of relaxation and physical training at his home in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, da Matta completed a two-day test today at the 1.5-mile Miami-Homestead oval track, located a mere 45 minutes from his U.S. base of Miami.
"I haven't been on an oval since winning the Marlboro 500 in Fontana," said da Matta, who immediately hopped on an airplane at the conclusion of the test to travel to Los Angeles for the annual Toyota Motorsports Day tomorrow. "We ran a lot of miles and learned about the areas we need to work on. It was the first time to work with 'Rocky' (Guillaume Rocquelin, his race engineer) on an oval so naturally it was a learning process in terms of getting to know how I like the car on ovals. Since it was our first test on an oval we were trying a bunch of different things and trying not to put too much emphasis on a fast lap time but instead making the car feel good. The test ended on a positive note but it would have been nice to run one more day. Unfortunately we are limited on test days but it is the same for everyone."
"The car was not as good as we had hoped at the beginning of the test but by the end of today we feel like we will be in good shape for the first oval race in Motegi, Japan," added Brian Lisles, General Manager of Newman/Haas Racing. "Da Matta ran 260 trouble-free miles on Tuesday and 240 today. In addition to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach being important for our engine partner Toyota, the race in Japan is as well for obvious reasons. Cristiano had a good car last year but he was taken out of the race on the first lap. We are hoping to bring Toyota a victory in both of those events with either da Matta or Fittipaldi this year as well as collect as many points as possible early in the season for a run at the championship."
Newman/Haas Racing, owned by actor/race car driver Paul Newman and racing entrepreneur Carl A. Haas, competes in the CART FedEx Championship Series. The team began their 20th season in the series in 2002 as the most successful active competitor with 62 race wins and 63 pole positions. For more information log on to www.newman-haas.com, www.texaco.com/racing or www.cart.com. Round 2 of 20 in the CART FedEx Championship Series takes place on April 12-14 on the streets of Long Beach. The 20-race schedule will be broadcast by new television partners CBS, Fox and the Fox-owned Speed Channel.
U.E. "Pat" Patrick had already been fielding a Champ Car team for five years when his current driver Townsend Bell was born in 1975. The 2002 season marks Patrick's 30th year of team ownership, and at age 72, he shows no sign of slowing down.
Patrick Racing owner U.E. "Pat" Patrick has high hopes for the future of his team and CART, which he helped found.
Patrick is synonymous with CART. He and Roger Penske are considered the founding fathers of the Champ Car sanctioning organization that was formed in late 1978 to invigorate a sport that had grown stale under the leadership of the United States Auto Club. Patrick Racing has been a CART stalwart since then, with the exception of a three-year sabbatical from 1992-94.
Beyond providing the spark that created CART, Patrick founded the Indy Lights championship in 1985 and he was instrumental in bringing key sponsors Philip Morris and Mobil into Champ Car racing. He also spearheaded Firestone's successful return to racing in 1995 after a 21-year absence.
Patrick's decision to employ the talented Bell is typical of the man who calls himself a "wildcatter"--a term completely appropriate given his long history in the oil and energy industry. But he views it as no more of a gamble than the ones he took on Firestone tires or Alfa Romeo engines.
"We could have won more races over the years, but I've always been trying to prove something with engines, chassis or drivers," Patrick said. "If I'd just focused on racing, we probably would have achieved a lot more in terms of the record book."
As it is, Patrick's record in CART and USAC competition isn't too shabby. His drivers have scored 45 Champ Car race wins since 1970, including the 1973, '82 and '89 Indianapolis 500. He's also won the open-wheel National Championship twice--the USAC title with Gordon Johncock in 1976 and the CART crown with Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989.
Patrick views rookie Bell as the latest in a line of championship-caliber drivers that also included Johnny Rutherford, Swede Savage, Wally Dallenbach, Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Scott Pruett and Adrian Fernandez. Most team owners expect unproven rookies to bring a budget, but Patrick was more than happy to make Bell a properly paid pilot.
"I went to him," Patrick confirmed. "I used to run the Indy Lights series, so I keep an eye open there for talent. What got my attention more than anything was the Milwaukee race last year where he lapped the field two times. That takes talent. We worked with Dale Coyne to run him in the two European races last year to get him some experience on the big ovals. He did a great job and passed a lot of race cars.
"He crashed out in Monterrey, a bit of a rookie mistake," Patrick added. "That probably won't be the last crash of the season, but he'll learn. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'd like to see him win a few races this year. He's definitely a star in the making."
Patrick has done or seen it all during his 30 years in the sport, but he's particularly excited about CART's new era under the guidance of Chris Pook.
"I'm totally supportive of Chris," he said. "He's doing a great job, better than anybody else probably could. His strongest asset is his work ethic. He's been working eight days a week, and he's the first guy running the show who really knows our business since John Frasco resigned. He's respected by the racing community and the racers, and that's important."
One of Patrick's more recent ventures is race management. Through his connection with Adrian Fernandez, who drove for Patrick Racing from 1998 to 2000, Patrick was responsible for creating the highly successful Tecate Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix in Mexico. He remains a strong believer in CART's international expansion.
"I'm the guy who took us international in the first place," Patrick remarked. "I built the track in Monterrey before I sold it to my partners and I think I proved my point. Our major sponsors are international for the most part. The costs in Formula 1 are prohibitive and there is a void we can fill. We can deliver a better show than Formula 1 for one-10th of the cost. I'm very much in favor of that to increase revenue and profits."
Patrick also backs CART's move to normally aspirated engines for 2003 and beyond.
"It's the right way to go," he said. "We have to cut costs and the turbo formula is obsolete. People don't think that way anymore--normally aspirated V-8s are what the public buys. We have to do everything possible to keep our engine manufacturers. You can't blame them for being frustrated with CART over the last couple of years. We have to prove to our manufacturers and sponsors that we're on the way back."
Patrick's biggest disappointment over the years was probably losing the 1981 Indianapolis 500 to his old rival Penske after Penske's driver Bobby Unser was exonerated from a blatant blend-line violation. But he got revenge the following year when Johncock beat RIck Mears at the Speedway by 0.16-second in one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the famous race.
"Gordy just wasn't going to be passed that day," he recalled. "I also remember Emerson racing Al Unser Jr. before he went to sleep halfway through the race in '89. That was a great win."
Known as a hands-off team owner, Patrick leaves the day-to-day running of his team to Jim McGee, who has won more Champ Car races (89) than any other mechanic/manager in the formula's history. That approach completely befits a man who is hesitant to take credit for his many accomplishments over the years.
"Founding CART is probably the best or the most important thing I've done, followed by creating Indy Lights," Patrick said. "I hope I've done some things that have helped the sport and not hurt it."
Itt vagyok én is, sőt ha van valami franciául azt is bevállalom, csak mostanában kissé sűrűre sikerednek a napjaim:))) De amikor tudok, jövök:)))
Köszi, hogy beszúrtátok a Montréal-lal kapcsolatos dolgokat, ki tudja, a jövőben lehet hogy szükségem lesz arra a telefonszámra...:)))))
Mindenesetre érdekes egy derby lesz, már alig várom!!!!!
Már csak egy kosárcsapat kéne Montréalba, és teljes lenne az örömöm:))))) Már van ott hoki, CART, F1...:))))
Nos, rendben van, ha jelentekzik rá igény (már jelentkeztél) és időm, akkor megpróbálom ezt napi rendszerességgel tenni, sőt már most megyek és keresek valamit cart.com-on.
Aki tud olyan angol nyelvű oldalt, ahol napi renszerességgel jelennek meg hírek a cart-ról szóljon. (Persze a cart.com-on kívül.)
Köszi. Persze, hogy nem a jegyár érdekelt engem vagy másokat, hanem a többi.
Nincs kedved néha önszorgalomból a news-t beírni és röviden fordítani a jövőben, mint most? :)
MOLSON INDY MONTREAL: Egy új pálya, ami a szezon csúcspontja lehet.
Patrick Carpentier-rel a rendezők és szponzorok ma bejelentették, hogy már kaphatóak a jegyek.
Nem hiszem, hogy valakit érdekelne, de ezt a számot kell hívni jegyért: 1-800-361-4595.
Továbbiakban csak CART-al kapcsolatosakat írok. A hétvégével kapcsolatos események és Montreál taglalását nem fejteném ki.
Várhatóan 180.000 néző lesz.
Legalább 7 CART sofőr versenyzett már ezen a pályán más kategóriákban. Köztük:Tracy, Andretti, Carpentier, Tagliani.
"Pályám egyik csúcspontja volt, amikor megnyertem a '95-ös Atlantic futamot itt, és mindent meg fogok tenni a siker megismétléséért augusztusban."-Mondta Carpentier, aki hetedik CART szezonját tölti.- "De az eredményektől függetlenül biztos vagyok abban, hogy a szurkolók megkapják a show-t a pénzükért a pályán belül és kívül."
Jegyárak (remélem valakit érdekel):
3 nap: Gold:245 Silver:195 és Bronze:110 dolcsi. Plusz 45 dolcsi a boxba való bejutás. Gold-al ez ingyenes. Persze nem mindig lesz nyitva a box a nézők előtt.
Azért a cikk végén a biztonság kedvéért megint ott van a szám, amit hívni kell...
Michel Jourdain Jr Sebring-en tesztelt, míg Vasser a Californiai IRL furamon indult.
A Rahal/Letterman Racing, amelyet a Rahal csapat az Indy 500-ra nevezett az Indy-re való felkészülés részeként volt jelen California-ban. A baleset-mentes célbaérés a kilencedik hely mellett rengeteg adatot hozott a csapatnak.
"Elértük, amit el akartunk érni hétvégén." -Mondta Rahal. -"Persze a győzelemért akartunk csatázni, de a fiúk így is jó munkát végeztek. A célunk az autó megismerése volt. Jók voltunk a kiállásoknál, Jimmy pedig jó volt a kormánynál. Tudjuk, hogy Indianapolis nagyban más motor és vezethetősági szempontokból. Néhány hét múlva oda megyünk és akkor még több adatunk lesz. Szerintem készen leszünk ,mire a pálya először nyit május első hetében. Izgatottan várom."
"Mindenképpen megérte ez az út California-ba" -Mondta Vasser-"Tanulni jöttönk és ezt meg is tettük. Egy darabban visszük vissza az autót, és tudjuk min kell még változtatnunk. Jobb itt tanulni, mint Indy-ben. Mindenképpen sikeres volt ez a tényállás-szerző utunk. Nem volt elég leszorító erő (?) elöl, így nehéz volt. Jók voltak a pit stop-ok és a kocsi nem hibásodott meg. Néhány hét múlva Indianapolis-ba megyünk és meglátjuk tudunk-e még valamit tanulni a kocsiról."
Amerika másik felén Sebring-en pedig a Gigante csapat tesztelte a Rahal csapat ovál és épített pályás beállításait. Michel Jourdain Jr tette túl az egyetlen autót egy napnyi teszten, mely után a legjobb idő 50,9 mp volt az 1.65 mérföld hosszú pályán. A csapat majdnem 230 mérföldet tett meg az első napon.
"Az időjárás nem volt olyan jó, mint a korábbi tesztek alkalmával, de így is sokat tudtunk kint lenni a pályán. -Mondta Jourdain- A pálya eléggé tapadt a múltkori ALMS futam miatt, de így is sokat tanultunk az autóról, ami sokat segíthet Long Beach-en."
A Rahal csapat idei első rövid-oválos tesztje ezen a héten lesz Homestead-ben. Kedden-Szerdán Vasser és Jourdain részvételével.
A következő Indy teszt április 2-3 lesz Indianapolis-ban.
MOLSON INDY MONTREAL: A DEBUT THAT IS SHAPING UP AS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CART SERIES SEASON
MONTREAL--With driver Patrick Carpentier on hand, the organizers and title sponsor of one of this summer's most eagerly awaited sporting events - Molson Indy Montreal announced today that tickets are now available for this first-ever CART series race on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, August 23-25.
Racing fans who would like to purchase reserved-seating or general admission tickets for the Montreal event the 13th race on the 2002 CART FedEx Championship Series schedule can do so by calling 1-800-361-4595.
"We are sure that motor-sport enthusiasts will be pleased by the ticket-pricing structure and the entertainment value they are getting for their money, as well as the ticket packages that can be purchased enabling people to see the drivers and their teams up close,” remarked Jean-Paul Blais, the president and Chief Operating Officer of Molson Indy Montreal.
Mr. Blais added that parity among the teams and greater interaction between drivers and racing fans two of the major assets of the CART series should help to make the inaugural Molson Indy Montreal a resounding success. The first edition of Molson Indy Montreal is expected to attract 180,000 spectators and inject some $50 million into the economy of the Montreal region.
In adding a Montreal race to its schedule, the CART series is coming to a city that has played host to many marquee sporting events over the years. The setting for Molson Indy Montreal on a road course in the middle of an island bordered by the St. Lawrence River is one of the most dazzling on the CART circuit.
Combined with the city's European charm, its unique cultural and linguistic diversity and its vibrancy as a major urban centre, Montreal is destined to quickly become one of the favorite stops, for fans and drivers alike, in the CART series.
Molson DRY, the event's title sponsor, is currently preparing a series of promotional activities in conjunction with Molson INDY. These activities will enable fans of the CART series, who come from far and wide, to enjoy a memorable experience in sports and entertainment.
For history buffs, the August race in Montreal is the first time a race track will be playing host to a Formula One world championship race and a CART series event in the same year. At least seven CART series drivers have experienced racing on the Île Notre-Dame circuit (either in F1 or as part of a development series), including Team KOOL Green's Paul Tracy, veteran Michael Andretti with Motorola and the Team Player's duo of Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani.
"One of the biggest thrills in my racing career came in Montreal when I won the Atlantic series race in 1996, and I'm going to try to do everything I can for a repeat performance when I'm back there this August," said Carpentier, who is competing in his sixth season in the CART series. “But regardless of the result, I'm sure that racing fans are going to get their money's worth and the show, both from a racing standpoint and in the various activities surrounding the event, will be up to people's expectations.“
Adding Molson Indy Montreal to the CART schedule will provide racing fans in the northeastern sector of North America with the opportunity to experience one of the most hotly contested championships in the world, a competive balance borne out by the fact there were 11 different winners in last year's 20-race schedule. With Nazareth, Pennsylvania, no longer on the CART schedule, Molson Indy Montreal is now geographically the closest northeastern venue.
The ticket-price scale for a reserved seat for all three days of racing weekend is as follows: $245 for GOLD tickets, $195 for SILVER and $110 for BRONZE. Access to the paddocks (where the tow-trucks and garages are located) is available for an additional cost of $45, while for the same price, GOLD ticket-holders are entitled to pit-row access. However, the number of passes for paddock and pit-area access is limited.
A bleachers section has been set up, with tickets available at a cost of $75 for the weekend. As for general admission tickets, racing fans have the option of buying a single-day pass ($20 for the Friday session, $35 for Saturday and $50 for Sunday) or a three-day pass ($75).
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at: 1-800 361-4595.
A KOOL Green csapat megőjította együttmőködését a 100 Black Men of America-val.
Ez a 100 Black Men of America tulajdonképpen egy jótékonységi szervezet féle (ha jól értem, szerintem nem), amit a csapat és a Brown&Williamson nevű dohányipari cég hozott létre. A szervezet célja, hogy növelje a számítógépest dolgokat az elmaradt(?) országokban.
[(Akik láttát a Bennfentes című FILM-et ,azoknak ismerősen csenghet eme dohánykonszern neve. Mellesleg a FILM ma is volt a HBO-n.)]
Tavaly összesen 224 milkó dolcsi jutott el így a "rászorulóknak ".
Paul Tracy és a KOOL Green csapat megtette utolsó épített pályás tesztjét 2002-ben.
Március 25-én, hétfőn az Arizonai Firebird International Raceway-en Paul legojbbja 49.9 mp volt és sikerült 196 probléma mentes kört megtennie az 1.2 mérföldes pályán.
A csapat a mechaniakai és az aerodinamikai részeken egyaránt dolgozott. Sok javulást láttak a motoron és folytatták a friss kipörgésgátló finombeállítását.
"Sikerült rengeteg mérföldet tennünk a KOOL kocsiba," -mondta Tracy- "a Honda tökéletesítette a kipörgésgátlót és Steve (Steve Challis, versenymérnök) sok mindent javított az autón. Jó kocsink volt a Monterrey-i futam előtt, de nem sikerült elérnünk a várt eredményt, így már nagyon várjuk Long Beach-et, ahol elöl lehetünk."
Kyle Moyer csapatmanager le volt nyűgözve Tracy teljesítményétől, amit a tél során nyújtott.
"Paul nagyszerű munkát végzett az egész tél során. Nagyon keményen dolgozott a Hondával a kipörgésgátlón és nagyon jól el tudja mondani, hogy milyen a kocsi és min kéne még esetleg egy kicsit javíani. Nagyon sokat tanultunk télen és remélem, hogy ez majd meglátszik az év közbeni eredményeinken."
A KOOL csapat most visszavonul Indianapolisba, hogy megtegye az utolsó preparációkat a Long Beach-i futma előtt.
Franchitti kétnapos (március 26-27) ovál tesztbe kezd Homestead-ben.
TEAM RAHAL WRAPS UP BUSY WEEK OF TESTING;
MILLER LITE TEAM RUNS IRL RACE PREPARING FOR INDY
HILLIARD, Ohio--CART franchise member Team Rahal wrapped up a busy week of in-season testing which saw Michel Jourdain Jr. and the Gigante team testing at Sebring International Raceway and Jimmy Vasser and the Miller Lite Indianapolis 500 team enter the Indy Racing League race at California Speedway.
Rahal/Letterman Racing, the Indianapolis 500 entry of Team Rahal, entered the IRL event at Fontana to gain valuable track time in preparation for the team's entry in the Indianapolis 500 this May. The incident-free weekend saw Vasser finish ninth in the race and most importantly the team collected a vast array of data which will help them prepare for the challenge of the Indianapolis 500.
"We accomplished what we wanted to do here this weekend," said Bobby Rahal. "Sure, I'd have like to have raced for the win at the end, but our Miller Lite guys have been on a tough mission lately. Our goal for the weekend was to find out as much as possible about these cars. We were great on our pit stops and Jimmy did a solid job behind the wheel. We know that Indy is much different than here in terms of the engine and handling settings. We can go to the Speedway in a few weeks and get more information. I think we'll be ready when the Speedway opens in the first week in May. I'm excited to go back there."
"It was definitely worth the trip out here to California for our team," said Vasser. "We came to learn and that's what we did. We are loading the car back on the truck in one piece but most importantly we learned that there are a few areas that we need to address. It is better to learn that here at Fontana than at Indy. This was definitely a successful 'fact-finding' tour for us. We gave it all we had today. There wasn't a lot of attrition at the front and that made it tough. Our Miller Lite team had great pit stops today and the car ran all day. That was one of our goals when we came here. Now we'll go to Indy in another week and see if we can learn a little bit more."
Across the continent at Sebring Raceway in Florida, the Gigante team was busy working on the Team Rahal road and street course set-up in preparation for the Grand Prix of Long Beach (April 12-14). Michel Jourdain Jr. put the team's Ford-Cosworth/Lola through a day of testing, posting a fast lap of 50.9 seconds on the 1.65-mile course at Sebring. The team logged nearly 230 miles during the single day test.
"The track conditions weren't as ideal as they had been for previous tests, but we were still able to get a lot accomplished," said Jourdain. "The track was really quite slick because they had the 12 Hours of Sebring here last week, but we learned a few things about the car that should help us at Long Beach."
Team Rahal is scheduled for its first short oval test of 2002 this week at Homestead Speedway. The two-day test slated for Tuesday and Wednesday will utilize both Vasser in the Shell car and Jourdain in the Gigante car. The next scheduled test for the Rahal/Letterman Racing Indianapolis 500 entry is April 2-3 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, weather permitting.
Team Rahal is a franchise member of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, the team owned by three-time CART Champion Bobby Rahal and "CBS Late Show" host David Letterman, currently fields a pair of Championship Cars for 1996 CART champion Jimmy Vasser and Michel Jourdain Jr. in the CART FedEx Championship Series and an entry for Vasser in the Indianapolis 500. The 65-member team enjoys primary sponsorship from the Shell Oil Company and the Gigante Group in CART and the Miller Brewing Company for the Indy 500.
Team KOOL Green Renews Partnership With 100 Black Men of America
ATLANTA--Team KOOL Green (TKG) and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation announced today that they have agreed to once again combine their efforts during the 2002 race season, and, following a successful launch to their partnership in 2001, will work to raise funds for the 100 Black Men of America that will help increase access to computers, technology and training in urban communities.
Team KOOL Green, owned by Barry Green, is a highly successful racecar team participating in Championship Automobile Racing Teams (CART) Champ Car series, an international motor racing series that hosts events across the United States and in six countries.
"We value Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation as an important partner," said Bill Simms, National President of the 100 Black Men of America. "Last year through our association with the company a total of $224,470.31 was contributed to the 100 Black Men's urban technology program. The amount was based on performances by Team KOOL Green and through the KOOL All-Access Hip Hop Tour. With the funding, we were able to initiate cyber centers that offer computer and technology training. Additionally, we placed computers in homes across the country. We also established the 100 Black Men University, an online, affordable learning center that provides low cost courses to adults in urban communities."
In the 2002 program announced today, Team KOOL Green's performance at six Champ Car races, Long Beach, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Miami and Fontana, will determine the financial donations to the 100 Black Men of America's urban community technology program. New for this year is the addition of pit stop performances as a determining factor for the financial contributions. Donation of funds will be based on a maximum of three TKG pit stops completed in under 12 seconds per race.
"Pit stops are pure energy," says Bert Kremer, sponsorship consultant to Brown & Williamson. "We wanted to combine the excitement of the stops with a funding program that allows crew members to take personal pride in their shared experience. As two-time winners of CART's pit crew challenge for being the fastest in pit stop performance, TKG has a proven track record. Basing our contribution to the 100 Black Men of America's urban technology program on the team's performance keeps everyone involved and connected to the importance of this initiative."
A total of $304,000 is available for this season. A maximum of $14,000 per race will be awarded for pit stop performances, while TKG will add an additional $10,000 to the donation amount for race wins, $20,000 for 1-2 race finishes by drivers Tracy and Franchitti, and $100,000 should either driver win the CART Championship.
The funds will be used by 100 Black Men of America to continue their efforts in urban centers in connecting young adults with new information and communication tools, including access to the Internet, new computer technology, and skills training. Last season the 100 ordered 465 computers to distribute to their various chapters.
"We are pleased to be extending our partnership with the 100 Black Men of America," stated Team KOOL Green owner, Barry Green. "As an organization that is built on a high-technology platform, we fully appreciate the need for access to computers and technology. Seeing the work we do on track benefit urban communities is very rewarding."
The 100 Black Men of America is a group of concerned African-American men whose goal is to improve the quality of life in the African-American community through their collective resources, ability and experience. The group's urban community project gives money and scholarships to individuals who volunteer for minority social outreach programs.
PAUL TRACY AND TEAM KOOL GREEN COMPLETE FINAL ROAD COURSE TEST OF 2002
INDIANAPOLIS--Team KOOL Green and driver Paul Tracy completed their final road course test on Monday, March 25, at Arizona's Firebird International Raceway. Tracy posted a best time of 47.9 seconds while running 196 trouble-free miles around the 1.2-mile track.
Team KOOL Green worked on improving both the mechanical and aerodynamic grip of the #26 Honda-Reynard-Bridgestone. The team saw improvements from their adjustments as they completed back-to-back runs and continued their work with Honda to fine-tune the new traction control system.
"We were able to turn a lot miles in the KOOL car," said Tracy. "Honda continued to improve the traction control system and Steve (Challis, race engineer) made some adjustments to the car which seemed to work well. We had a good car for the race in Monterrey, Mexico, but we didn't get the result we wanted and looking ahead to Long Beach we should be able to run up front."
Team KOOL Green Team Manager Kyle Moyer oversaw the test and is pleased with Tracy's performance throughout the winter.
"Paul has done a great job in testing this year," said Moyer. "He has worked really hard with Honda to help develop the traction control and he is able to tell the engineers how the car responds to the changes. We've learned a lot with our testing program and I hope it will show during the season."
The #26 Team KOOL Green crew heads back to Indianapolis to finalize preparations for Round 2 of the CART FedEx Championship Series in Long Beach, California, on April 14. Today, Dario Franchitti and the #27 team begin two days of oval testing (March 26-27) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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