Remember Jimmy Vasser?
Written by Josh Katinger · June 4, 2005
This is too good to be true. 1996 Champ Car series champ Jimmy Vasser will make his 200th Champ Car start in proper style - from pole position. He took the pole for today’s Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225 on the Milwaukee Mile with a lap of 21.081 (283.622km/h). This was the first pole for PKV racing in its over two-year history.
Motorsport.com: Wily Vasser takes pole in Milwaukee
V8Central.com: Jimmy Strikes a Surprise
PKVRacing.com: VASSER EARNS PKV RACING’S FIRST POLE
As most of long-time Champ Car fans will recall, Jimmy was the guy who gave Chip Ganassi his first major racing series championship. He was half of Chip’s Zanardi/Vasser one-two punch between 1996 and 1998. Those days seem like so long ago. And then of course Juan Montoya came along and Vasser began his slide to the background.
Since those “good ole days” he’s been Mr. Consistency and is one of only 14 drivers to start over 200 Champ Car events. However poles and wins have been hard to come by. Perhaps the fact that fellow American A.J. Allmendinger will share the front row with Vasser, the first time Champ Car has seen Americans start 1-2 in 8 years, is a good omen for the veteran racer. Maybe he’s got some vavors he can cash-in with A.J. to help ward off the likes of Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais.
Whatever happens it is great to see some competition in the series and some cars other than Newman/Haas out there with a good chance at a win. I wish Jimmy all the best, really I do. I want to see Americans do well in any racing series…but I’m not holding my breath.
Starting Lineup
Pos Car Driver Nat Team Chassis Time Gap To 1st Speed
1. 12 Jimmy Vasser USA PKV Racing Lola 21.081 176.235
2. 10 A.J. Allmendinger USA RuSPORT Lola 21.109 0.028 0.028 176.001
3. 9 Justin Wilson GB RuSPORT Lola 21.125 0.016 0.044 175.867
4. 21 Cristiano da Matta BR PKV Racing Lola 21.261 0.136 0.180 174.742
5. 3 Paul Tracy CDN Forsythe Racing Lola 21.268 0.007 0.187 174.685
6. 1 Sebastien Bourdais F Newman/Haas Racing Lola 21.356 0.088 0.275 173.965
7. 31 Ryan Hunter-Reay USA Rockertsports Racing Lola 21.454 0.098 0.373 173.171
8. 4 Bjorn Wirdheim S HVM Lola 21.584 0.130 0.503 172.128
9. 2 Oriol Servia E Newman/Haas Racing Lola 21.609 0.025 0.528 171.928
10. 7 Mario Dominguez MEX Forsythe Racing Lola 21.632 0.023 0.551 171.746
11. 15 Alex Tagliani CDN Team Australia Racin Lola 21.722 0.090 0.641 171.034
12. 34 Nelson Philippe F Conquest Racing Lola 21.883 0.161 0.802 169.776
13. 27 Andrew Ranger* CDN Conquest Racing Lola 21.954 0.071 0.873 169.227
14. 8 Timo Glock* GER Rocketsports Racing Lola 22.281 0.327 1.200 166.743
15. 5 Marcus Marshall* AUS Team Australia Racin Lola 22.283 0.002 1.202 166.728
16. 55 Ronnie Bremer* DK HVM Lola 22.424 0.141 1.343 165.680
17. 19 Ricardo Sperafico BR Dale Coyne Racing Lola 23.379 0.955 2.298 158.912
* Series rookie
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having spent time in the target hspitality tent when Vasser and Montoya were on the team together,Vasser was always a class act while Juan made it clear that he was to be the #1 driver and acted like a premadona. they were like night and day. then jimmie lost his ride and juan won the indy 500 and moved to Formula one. its a shame it didnt happen to vasser
I’m glad we kept him. F1 would have messed him up. Sorry Jimmy - it’s not that we wouldn’t have been happy for you. We’re selfish.