Voor de racefans: Champcar

quote:

Op maandag 19 april 2004 17:57 schreef mikezwet het volgende:
Long Beach is geen circuit om echt in te halen, dat is jammer. Ik vind ovals altijd wel gaaf. Wanneer tracy wat verder naar achter zit is het ook meestal wel spanned, inhaalslag!

quote:

An Englishman abroad - Justin Wilson Interview!

Apr 19 2004


Cosworth Racing caught up with former F1 and rookie Champ Car driver Justin Wilson immediately after the finish of his first race at the Long Beach Grand Prix.

You’ve just finished your first Champ Car race in sixth place, held the fastest lap during the race and climbed five places. You must be pleased.
Yes, I’m very happy, although I didn’t get the extra point for the fastest lap as mine was beaten towards the end of the race by two tenths of a second. But I did get the point for the most places made up, for improving five positions during the race. So I am happy – I really enjoyed the race.

What’s your initial impression of racing in America?
I really like it. It’s all about entertainment and the series itself is very friendly but at the same time, extremely professional. There are no compromises as a result of the whole thing being so open and accessible. It’s very enjoyable for a driver.

How does Champ Car racing compare with what you’ve done before?
It’s very similar to Formula 3000, in that everything is very close and to succeed, you have to work very hard on the car set-up to make it work as well as possible for the particular track conditions

Technically, Formula One cars and Champ Cars are very different. As a driver, what are the main differences between the two?
The most obvious one is the power delivery – when the turbo on the Champ car comes in, it really gives you a kick in the back – it’s an amazing feeling. The Champ Car isn’t more or less physically demanding to drive, it’s just different. Some things are easier, some are harder. As an example, the Champ Car steering is much heavier but generally, the cars aren’t as hard on the body as F1 cars, so the differences tend to balance out.

How much testing did you carry out before the start of this weekend’s program?
I did one day at the Homestead course in the team’s Reynard chassis, followed by two days on the Fontana road course on the Lola car. That was Wednesday and Thursday, then it was Friday morning and practice at Long Beach. Obviously we’re still catching up but we learned a lot during testing, as well as this weekend.

The fans seem to have a very high importance placed on them
Yes, they are very important because without them, there’s no reason for the sponsors to be involved and without the sponsors, we don’t go racing

You spent an hour signing autographs on Friday. Is this new for you?
I’ve done this kind of thing before but it’s amazing how passionate people here are. They are genuinely interested in the sport and follow the series and drivers like crazy. The response I’ve had here has been amazing.

Finally, has your signature got shorter and quicker?
Yes, it used to be J-W-I-L-S-O-N. Now, it’s J-W-squiggle.

quote:

Op maandag 19 april 2004 23:58 schreef BernieEcclestone het volgende:

[..]

Cleveland das toch dat geile vliegveldcircuit met die wazige pitts en waar om de haverklap iemand van de baan af tettert met als gevolg 97x een gele vlag situatie waardoor het voor geen meter op schiet met de wedstrijd zeker niet als er ook nog een bak water uit de hemel valt

quote:

Dear Sir,
Thank you for your interest in Eurosport. We have just received information on the current situation. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the year the Rights Holder for Champcar changed and therefore, the contract that we had with the one before was no longer valid. We are still in negotiation with the new Rights Holder, but at the moment we are not that optimistic about finding an agreement.
We appologise for any inconvenience and hope you continue to enjoy Eurosport.
Please always keep an eye on our website www.eurosport.com for any uptodate info.
Kind regards
Eurosport

quote:

16:10 Ayrton Senna - The right to win

17:15 De Indianapolis 500
Voorbeschouwing op de 88e Indy 500.

17:50 De Indianapolis 500
Live verslag van de 88e Indy 500 op de beroemde Oval van Indianapolis.

quote:

Op woensdag 26 mei 2004 21:31 schreef mitt het volgende:
Over de Indy 500 mag best een eigen topic geopend worden hoor

quote:

At the Sebring International Raceway in Central Florida, Christijan Albers put in an impressive performance in his first Champ Car appearance for Walker Racing last Wednesday. Under fresh but sunny circumstances the Dutchman drove about 100 laps at the 2.0 mile short course and immediately set competitive laptimes.

Albers, who accepted an invitation from teamowner Derrick Walker after the latter got impressed by Albers performances in recent years, flew already to the team's headquarter in Indianapolis last weekend in order to fit his seat. To thank his main sponsors for their support in 2004, the 750 HP racecar carried a special black and white livery for this occasion with expressions from TRUST, JVC and GR8 INDUSTRIES.

Due to his recent race and test activities in DTM, Formula One and now Champ Car, Albers was able to give a good comparison between these three series during the one-day testsession. In Champ Cars, for example, the use of tyreblankets are forbidden, and drivers also need to operate the clutch by their left foot. To combine his experience with the know-how of Walker Racing, Albers continuously improved himself in terms of both speed and feedback.

Albers commented on his Champ Car experience: "By my knowledge, no one has ever before tested two F1's and one Champ Car in three weeks time. Therefore a big "thank you" goes out to Derrick Walker and his team! Next to enjoying this great opportunity, I also went immediately flat out to find the limits of the car. Though that was quite hard in the beginning, as the tracksurface exists of both tarmac and concrete layers, I could soon find my rhythm. My laptimes in both the morning and the afternoon session were competitive. A true nice end of the season!"