Moments away from practise session! Moments away from practise session! Moments away from practise session! Moments away from practise session!

The last three Monterrey winners have gone on to win the title.

I wish I wish I wish I was there!! Speed Channel, 8:30pm Saturday night is it? That will have to do!

Going to sit down on Sunday, grab a few cold one’s and enjoy every minute of the race. I also look forward to hearing the broadcast team. I will give a full report on how I think they did on Monday or Tuesday.

Giddy like a school girl with a chocolate bar!!

I really like Timo Glock. I like his aggressive nature and his take no prisoner attitude. He stepped into a Champ Car and immediately turned some heads, back in Sebring earlier this year. You just know he tackled that Mile with his go-get-‘em attitude and unfortunately hit the wall pretty hard. This kid is good for the series, a genuinely nice person with a passion for the sport. I can only hope that his injuries suffered at the hands of Lady Mile are temporary and that he’s fit to go this weekend in Monterrey. He’s the kind of driver that will push Hunter into the next level of racing. Hunter need not be complacent and needs a teammate to drive him (pun intended) and I believe that Glock is that person. Frankly, I don’t know Glock all that well just yet and look forward to spending time with him and getting to know him. But everybody knows that he pushes the car to the limit, wants to make a strong impression early in his career and is determined to make his mark in the Champ Car World Series. That’s good for RHR. He needs that. Although I obviously liked Mario Dominguez and RHR as teammates, I thought they were the ‘brats’ of the series, the Boston Red Sox to Newman/Haas’ Yankees. The rugrats spoiling the fun for the big guys. But as they get older, their outlook became different and I think splitting them up was good for both of them.

Mario wants to go to F1 and has a possible deal lined up for 2006. RHR has mentioned that he aspires one day to tackle that circuit. It seemed last year that both of them were looking ahead instead of focusing on the ‘now’. This year, Mario sees PT and all the success he’s had, and the passion in his eyes and that will motivate Dominguez, he’ll realize that Champ Car is an end all and be all. I’m sure his aspiration for F1 won’t fade, but he may not be looking so far down the road.

Same thing with Ryan. Now he’s teamed up with a kid who came from the Formula One world and is trying his hardest to compete in the Champ Car World Series. This kid made the trip over the pond to compete in the world that RHR has been privileged to be part of for the last couple of years. I am not stating that RHR was taking things for granted. Not at all. But having a teammate who is so driven by Champ Cars, who is so appreciative of Champ Car can only help RHR. Champ Car is the top in North American open-wheel racing and, though second in terms of prestige and monetary around the world, every year that gap between F1 and Champ Car seems to be shrinking.

Having said all that, my main man Mario Haberfeld is standing by. That’s great news. Not that I want Timo to miss the race, but this will give Mario a chance to walk around the paddock and remind people just exactly who he is and what kind of driver he is/was in Champ Car. Hey, PKV has a third car for this event. What if Haberfeld brought along some money, can he sit in a third PKV car for the remainder of the season? If that happens, I guarantee that within a few races, the pecking order of that team will change.

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!

Two years ago, one of the great pleasures of Fundidora park was going jogging on the track during the evening. Oh sure, we weren’t supposed too, but one quick flash of the old hardcard and a slight language barrier later and I was off and running. You really appreciate why the drivers take so much time when they do their track walkthrough on Thursday, because being on the track at eye level makes all the difference in the world. Unfortunately, I don’t think I was able to complete the entire track and since it was evening, the Champ Car Safety team were nowhere to be found. Even if they were though, somehow I doubt they would have rushed to my help. I think it would have been more like “get off the track you jackass”. But I digress.

Now where we’re we…

For those who have been reading this blog and know I am a big Ronnie Bremer fan. The reason is simple, the guy drives the hell out of the car given to him. He proved it last year in Atlantics and proved it in Long Beach, when, despite it being his first ever champ car race, he was disappointed with his very respectable result. HVM obviously still has a strong presence in Mexico and there will be additional pressure on him and Weirdheim and Bremer strives on pressure. HVM is still the same basic outfit as last year where they proved to be very strong. This year, they have two ‘rookies’ who have a wealth of driving experience. This is a gutsy team too, they take chances, they gamble on strategies. They are fun to watch, plain and simple. They know that budget-wise, they aren’t in the same league as Newman/Haas, so they take different approaches. I liken them to the Minnesota Twins, who don’t have the Yankees budget, but are successful thanks to playing ‘small ball’. In Long Beach they were able to go 2 or 3 laps more then the other guys with their fuel load, so they may have found something there that nobody else found. Can they repeat that in Monterrey? A natural road course, a still predominantly Mexican team and a hungry Ronnie Bremer? That is a recipe for success.

The difference between Andrew Ranger and Ronnie Bremer, in my opinion is age. Both have tremendous talents, both can do things in automobiles that few others can. But, Andrew is so young that his mindset is naturally not as developed as Bremer I’m not calling him immature or anything like that. Its just a fact. An 18 year old mind thinks quite differently than a 26 year old. That will play in his favor in some instances and will play against him in others. Sometimes a bonsai move that only a kid can make works. Other times it doesn’t. An older driver might think twice about a certain move on the track, where a younger driver won’t. On a track like Monterrey, that could play in Ranger’s favour. On a tight city track with no room for error, then he’s more susceptible. But on a course like Fundidora park, I’d keep my eye on him.

I still haven’t figured out Nelson Philippe. He can drive. He’s showed maturity beyond his years on the track. He’s got dynamite hair! But he’s still an enigma in terms of his driving style. I think I need to pay more attention to him and get to know him better before I can formulate an opinion. Regardless though, he competes on the track and knows the rules, which is the most important thing we can ask of young drivers.

Is this new anti-blocking rule that severe in Champ Car? When Tracy said he let Bourdais pass him in Long Beach because he was playing by these new strict rules, I can’t help but wonder if a) Tracy is merely using an excuse b) is this rule that punishable?
Even Bourdais was surprised how easily he passed Tracy. I hope, for the sake of the series, that they don’t immediately punish a driver if he’s blocking. I’m not talking about lapped cars here, naturally. But blocking is part of the game. When a driver is leading, he should be able to do anything he can (within reason) to stay ahead. If it means a little blocking, then so be it. Its part of the sport. Its part of the strategy. Its also a skill to a certain extent. Its not like a driver doesn’t have enough to worry about in front of him when going at 200mph, but if he’s constantly worried about what’s behind him and makes the appropriate move to accommodate both what’s ahead and behind him, then the driver deserves some props! And if the driver chasing the guy in front is THAT much faster, then blocking will only go so far. Eventually the driver will find the right time to get in front of him. Let’s not threaten the drivers with fines and penalties for blocking EVERY time. Its part of the sport.

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!

Continuing our look at this weekend’s race in Monterrey!

A lot of pressure for AJ this weekend and this year. I don’t know if that pressure is warranted or not, but there’s no question that AJ is the future of American Open-Wheel racing. He’s made it clear he’s not a fan of ovals and that his interest in Formula One isn’t that strong. Therefore he’s Champ Car, and he’s Champ Car for life! But the powers that be would no doubt like to see a young American star win a prominent open-wheel race one week before the Indy 500. Unlike the IRL, its impossible for the powers that be to do something about it, i.e. give him a better engine. All they can do is hope it happens. The thing is that AJ also knows he represents the future, whether that’s good or bad. That’s a lot of pressure on a young driver and its even more pressure to get results. With the new teammate, and the disappointing result in Long Beach, I see AJ putting a lot of pressure on himself this weekend and I also see him delivering, cause he definitely thrives under pressure.

Is Bruno happy always being a bridesmaid? Well, the money is good. The trophies are nice. What’s wrong with always finishing in second? Somehow I doubt that’s what he’s thinking. Yet it seems that’s the way he’s been driving the last couple of years. Bruno is going to have to start taking chances if he wants those early season wins. If I was Bruno, it would be first or bust. What’s the point of finishing another year in 2nd? I would be so aggressive that every race would either be a win or a DNF. Of course, I’m not him. I’m merely typing away at my computer as he gets ready to hit the track.

Mario Dominguez no doubt has a lot riding on his shoulder this weekend. After a strong debut with Forsythe in Long Beach and with a return to his homeland as the solo full time driver in the series, all eyes are going to be on him. He likes that. Mario loves the attention, be it from the ladies at parties or from the fans on the track. He’s going to be in cloud nine all weekend and will take full advantage of it. His record indicates very strong performances in his motherland. He also has a couple of wins under his belt. Put those two together and this could be a very special weekend for Open-Wheel racing in Mexico.

I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed with PKV in Long Beach. I love that team. I love what they stand for and I love what they bring to the series. Yet, there’s no question that they dropped the ball in Long Beach. They would be the first to tell you that. Most of the off-season talk revolved around PKV, whether it was Jim McGee or DaMatta. Expectations are high for this year, despite it being only their 3rd year in operation and second, all things considered. DaMatta didn’t come back to Champ car to sit lower midpack. No, he came back to compete. Whether the rumoured ride with Newman/Haas had any validity or not, DaMatta chose PKV and the time is now.

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!
p.s. isn’t it fun having all these drivers who have serious chances of grabbing that checkered flag?

monterrey

Fundidora park baby!

Here’s the good news. For the next 6 months we can put aside any negative aspects brought upon us from the dreary waiting period. We can put aside all the stories of re-unification to rest. The wait is over my friends. Now the season kicks it up a notch and we go racing! No more 6 week break! No more reporters with deadlines forced to write ‘news’ stories. Now its time to get it on!

Alex Tagliani had an impressive debut with Team Australia and could surprise many this weekend. He’s the kind of driver that has immense talent, but according to his career, lady luck has seemed to guide his results. There have been instances where he was the run away winner of the race before having something go wrong with the car. Then there was his win last year in Elkhart lake, this time the lady reversed her curse on him and brought him some good fortune. Fundidora park is his kind of track. If the lady is on his side, look for him to finish very strong this weekend. He made a very impressive start with Johnson Controls two years ago in Monterrey, I’m sure he’d like to repeat that for his new team.

Justin Wilson is a driver I will be keeping my eye out all season, no matter where he starts in the race. The guy has got ‘it’ and in terms of the challengers to Bourdais this year, I have to put him in the top 5. Last year he ran into some misfortunes and admittedly, made some rookie mistakes. This year with a new outfit, along with a teammate that will light a fire under his pedal, I expect Wilson to find himself on the podium quite a few times. And it could all start this weekend.

Paul Tracy demonstrated in Long Beach that he still has the passion to compete and would like nothing more than to get his crown back. Would he be more likely to retire as defending champ? I would imagine so. But again, we aren’t here to speculate like so many people did in the 6 week lull. Tracy, and perhaps more importantly, his team have gotten used to not having the ‘players’ budget and are making due with what they have. That was the biggest hump for them in 2004 I believe, and frankly, I think that PT winning the first race that year was ultimately a bad thing for the team. Now there’s no room for complacency and everybody knows it. If this does turn out to be PT’s swan season, then it’ll just be more motivation for him to get that cup. Not that a guy like PT needs much more motivation anyway.

Tune in all week, I’ll continue to evaluate the upcoming race and drivers!

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!