Railbird
04-10-04, 08:23 AM
Amid the clutter of last month's Champ Car Season Premiere, Kevin Kalkhoven one of three new owners of the series promised to have 18 cars by the time the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach got underway.
He stood by that pledge even as two Champ Car stalwarts Adrian Fernandez and Bobby Rahal left the series in the coming weeks for the Indy Racing League.
And in the end, it wasn't just blind optimism.
Veteran Champ Car owner Derrick Walker announced Thursday he would field a car with second- year driver Mario Haberfeld in the cockpit, bringing the number of confirmed cars set to race here next week to 18.
"I've always told you we had 18 cars lined up,' Kalkhoven said Thursday. "This regime is organized and was waiting for the appropriate time to open our mouths. We have been busy finding the right driver for the right team.'
When the Season Premiere concluded on March 10, Champ Car had 13 confirmed rides. But that number shrank to 11 when Fernandez and Rahal left.
"I knew they were determined to make it to 18,' said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "I do have to admit that when Adrian Fernandez left, I had my concerns.'
But less than five weeks later, Champ Car came up with an additional seven entries.
Still, the announcement comes just days before the 30th running of the Long Beach Grand Prix opens next Friday. Some of the uncertainty surrounding the series formerly known as CART may keep some fans away.
It was reported in last week's Press-Telegram that hotel bookings were down, but Michaelian doesn't hold Champ Car's new ownership responsible. "Realistically speaking, I think they did the best they could under the circumstances,' he said.
Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi won their bid in January to purchase CART's assets in bankruptcy court, leaving them less than three months to assemble a series before the opener here.
While Champ Car does have 18 confirmed cars, there are only 16 confirmed drivers. Dale Coyne Racing is expected to announce who his two drivers will be in the coming days.
Champ Car's contract with the LBGP calls for a minimum of 16 cars, but most other events on the series schedule have an 18-car minimum.
The series' current roster includes reigning champ Paul Tracy and runner-up Bruno Junqueira, as well as a strong field of younger drivers, including three FIA International F3000 champions and two Toyota Atlantic champions.
Walker had a two-car team in 2003 with Rodolfo Lavin and Darren Manning in his cockpits. Lavin left for Forsythe Racing, taking his Corona sponsorship with him, and Manning jumped to the IRL.
Haberfeld, who drove for Mi- Jack Conquest last year, had three top-five finishes in 2003 and was third in the Rookie of the Year chase won by Newman/Haas' Sebastien Bourdais.
Walker returns with one of his old sponsors diesel-engine manufacturer Cummins. The two were partners from 1994 through 1999.
"We are looking forward to competing in the Champ Car World Series in 2004,' said Walker, who also eyed a jump to the IRL. "It has been a long winter, now it's time to go racing.'
In other LBGP-related news Thursday, the Grand Prix Association announced Long Beach mayor Beverly O'Neill will be the race's grand marshal.
He stood by that pledge even as two Champ Car stalwarts Adrian Fernandez and Bobby Rahal left the series in the coming weeks for the Indy Racing League.
And in the end, it wasn't just blind optimism.
Veteran Champ Car owner Derrick Walker announced Thursday he would field a car with second- year driver Mario Haberfeld in the cockpit, bringing the number of confirmed cars set to race here next week to 18.
"I've always told you we had 18 cars lined up,' Kalkhoven said Thursday. "This regime is organized and was waiting for the appropriate time to open our mouths. We have been busy finding the right driver for the right team.'
When the Season Premiere concluded on March 10, Champ Car had 13 confirmed rides. But that number shrank to 11 when Fernandez and Rahal left.
"I knew they were determined to make it to 18,' said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "I do have to admit that when Adrian Fernandez left, I had my concerns.'
But less than five weeks later, Champ Car came up with an additional seven entries.
Still, the announcement comes just days before the 30th running of the Long Beach Grand Prix opens next Friday. Some of the uncertainty surrounding the series formerly known as CART may keep some fans away.
It was reported in last week's Press-Telegram that hotel bookings were down, but Michaelian doesn't hold Champ Car's new ownership responsible. "Realistically speaking, I think they did the best they could under the circumstances,' he said.
Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi won their bid in January to purchase CART's assets in bankruptcy court, leaving them less than three months to assemble a series before the opener here.
While Champ Car does have 18 confirmed cars, there are only 16 confirmed drivers. Dale Coyne Racing is expected to announce who his two drivers will be in the coming days.
Champ Car's contract with the LBGP calls for a minimum of 16 cars, but most other events on the series schedule have an 18-car minimum.
The series' current roster includes reigning champ Paul Tracy and runner-up Bruno Junqueira, as well as a strong field of younger drivers, including three FIA International F3000 champions and two Toyota Atlantic champions.
Walker had a two-car team in 2003 with Rodolfo Lavin and Darren Manning in his cockpits. Lavin left for Forsythe Racing, taking his Corona sponsorship with him, and Manning jumped to the IRL.
Haberfeld, who drove for Mi- Jack Conquest last year, had three top-five finishes in 2003 and was third in the Rookie of the Year chase won by Newman/Haas' Sebastien Bourdais.
Walker returns with one of his old sponsors diesel-engine manufacturer Cummins. The two were partners from 1994 through 1999.
"We are looking forward to competing in the Champ Car World Series in 2004,' said Walker, who also eyed a jump to the IRL. "It has been a long winter, now it's time to go racing.'
In other LBGP-related news Thursday, the Grand Prix Association announced Long Beach mayor Beverly O'Neill will be the race's grand marshal.