BAR In Jeopardy…
February 6, 2004
…of losing engine supplier Honda. The Japanese engine builder will decide by the Silverstone race in July if they will stay in F1. That puts the pressure squarely on the shoulders of David Richards and BAR to deliver wins, or at the least podiums, to show Honda they can do the business. With tobacco banned from advertising and Honda considering bailing from the sport, where does that leave the team?
planet-f1.com: Honda set a July 11 deadline to decide future
grandprix.com: Why would Honda axe its F1 programme?
Champ Car Gets New Points System
February 6, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS (February 5, 2004) — In a move that will promote strong racing throughout every lap of a Champ Car World Series event and reward those drivers and teams that run up front, series officials today announced a revised points system that will go into effect with the 2004 season.
In the new system, points will be paid to the first 20 finishers with 31 points going to the winner of the event. As has been the case since 1983, the winner will receive four more points than the second-place finisher, with point totals decreasing by two for each place down the order through the top 10. Beginning with the 10th-place finisher, the point total will decrease by one.
Panis Takes Trip To Hospital After Wreck
February 5, 2004
Olivier Panis became the second driver in two days to have a huge wreck while testing at Barcelona. Panis was able to get out of the car under his own power, however he was complaining of headache and blurred vision after a heavy rear impact. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation as a precautionary measure, but these sound very much like the symptoms of a concussion.
Yesterday Felipe Massa was taken to the hospital after a similar shunt…
PlanetF1.com: Panis Taken To Hospital After Crash
F1Racing.net: Panis airlifted to hospital
Jordan Alive, And Kicking?
February 5, 2004
At the launch of the 2004 Jordan EJ14, Eddie Jordan spoke honestly about his team’s chances of winning another Grand Prix in 2004…
“It was lucky but we were there and Giancarlo did an amazing job,” said Jordan. “But we did qualify eighth for the race so we weren’t completely useless. I don’t care how lucky we get as long as we win. Why shouldn’t we do it again? We are lucky. We won races.”
It makes me kind of sad to hear him speak in this manner. I always get a little annoyed by the David Richards style PR talk that is usually spewed by mid-to-back field teams about how they are going to challenge the top three. You just know it is most likely not going to happen. But to hear the defeatist tone in Eddie’s voice is worse, I think.
In any case, the new car broke cover and it is a beautiful looking machine. It sported Trust logos, which would lead some to believe that Eddie has sealed a deal with Jos Verstappen (whom Trust sponsors) to drive for his team in 2004…or perhaps he just put the logos on there to let the people at Trust see how pretty they look and lure them into a deal…
Crash.net: Jordan shows it is very much ‘alive and kicking’
PlanetF1.com: It’s just a matter of time for Jos
PlanetF1.com: Photos of the car launch
SKF Backs Burton in Two Races
February 5, 2004
SKF To Continue Sponsorship Of Jeff Burton And Roush Racing In 2004
Concord, N.C. - Roush Racing announced today that SKF will continue its sponsorship of Jeff Burton, the No. 99 team and Roush Racing through 2004. In addition, SKF will expand their sponsorship to be primary sponsor of the No. 99 Ford for the February Rockingham race and March Atlanta race.
Hendrick Motorsports Notes & Quotes
February 5, 2004
Hendrick Motorsports issued a set of notes and driver quotes leading up to the 2004 Speed Weeks at Daytona.
Roush Racing Daytona Preview
February 5, 2004
Roush Racing issued a preview of Speed Weeks. Here are their notes and quotes from the drivers and crew chiefs leading up to the start of the 2004 NASCAR racing season.
Interview: Larry Dixon
February 5, 2004
VISTA, Calif. (Feb. 4, 2004) — Ten years ago, Larry Dixon was a baby-faced, 27 year-old veteran crew member performing cylinder head duties on Don Prudhomme’s Skoal Bandit Top Fuel dragster. In a few short months, Dixon would fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an NHRA Top Fuel driver after the Snake named Dixon as his replacement for one of the most coveted seats in the sport. In 1995, Dixon proved Prudhomme’s eye for talent as he raced to four victories en route to the NHRA Rookie of the Year award. Now, one of the most decorated drivers in drag racing, Dixon embarks on season No. 10 as driver of the Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster as he aims for a third consecutive NHRA POWERade Top Fuel championship.
MorganWorks Race Team Confirms Sebring Entry, Driver Lineup
February 5, 2004
3 Feb 2004 - Buoyant from a milestone performance at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit last November, the MorganWorks Race Team is preparing to take its highly popular campaign to the USA in March, where it will compete in the American Le Mans Series 12 hour endurance race at Sebring in Florida.
Fast Out Of The Box
February 4, 2004
That would be Dario Franchitti, who hasn’t raced since season ending back surgery after the June 15, 2003 race at Pikes Peak. It’s good to see Dario fully recovered and fast as well. My only question on the Andretti Green effort this year is can they equally support four teams? It sounds a bit ambitious, and some time this year one or two drivers will experience slumps which will be attributed to spreading the teams resources too thin. I hope not, as I am beginning to like Michael a lot better as an owner then I did as a driver.
sport.scotsman.com: Franchitti delighted to be in driving seat again