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CHkMPCAB Tustin, CA BI-MON~HtY JUL 1839 ~®®P88SS ""97419 ~ CLlPPtNGS The E tl i t e tl b y J o h n O r e o v i c z a G~ ~our FRIENDLY CBMPETROBS The posmve sperd apparent in Ihe press conlerence at Homestead carries over into discussions about the future ol CAPPs power plant regulahons lar LEFT TO NGHTt Aust. Clarke, Boug and Oavls. The real power brokers behind CANT are the engine manufacturers. Their sbnng and united presence injects the FedFx Championship Series wilh huge amounls ol credibility, capital and marketing clout. At a joint press conterence at Homestead, Ue leaders ot the four competlng engine programs led a discussion that was extraardinarily candid and wide-ranging. "I've been enremely pleased with the way the four engine manufactluera have been able to work together even Ilwugh we're such huge competitors out on the race track," said Robert Clarke, general manager af Honda Perfolmance oevelopment. Over the last year, the manufac turers developed a proposal for Ue luture based on a 1.8-6ter turbo VB formula, using boost limits to regu- fate power. trowevel, In the intetest of mle stabillty, that proposal hxs heen put on Indelinite boid. "The current engine formula is something really weN advanced and we all should think very caretully about any changes," said Nornen "Better 15 races marketed in a perfect way with full grandstands than 20 where five of them are only s0'so.yy-Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Haug, director of motarsports, world- wide for Mercedes-Benz. "Every change costs a lot ol money and it takes a while to achieve Ihe same IevelofcompeNliveness.Therelore, we wauld argue to everyone in CPRT lo Neep It cool with rule ehanges." 'Pule sGbility mxlly rwrks and for a manulacturer, it's really impaltant," noted Dan Bavis, director of Ford's Special Vehicle OperaGons.'The lact that the roles have been stable lor so long in Nis series is the reason wfiy the competitiwl 15 sn close." Nwther area of discussian among the engine manulacturers was CAHT's ability to police tractionn control faidy and ettectlvely. "ICs an issue that we do not feel comfortable with: said Haug. `We must lirsl agree on a de6mlion at .vpat mxke; Irac6on conhol." Toyota Racing Development Presiand CEO JimAUSi leferred lo the potential lor a lurlher schedule expansion, which may intlude a race in Europe: "We leel lhat 20 r2ces is about where we would hMe to be," he said.'1)bviously, its a very coslly program and more races mean more money. To add races just fnr the sake of adding races, without taking a real sincere bok at me series as it currently exlsls, is probably not the answer" "I don't think Honda is against having races in Iloreignl markets; added Clarke, "but we would Ilke to see GANT locus its ettarts antl put more emphasis on the North American market before bying to eapand into Ine international market.' Haug believes higher quality races and better marketing by CART is vital, "The most impartzni point is having me right rzces in the right places with better markeling;' he stated. "I think what CART needs is lurther Improvement in its leleviswn coverage, especially here in the States. That is crucial." Davis also emphasized the need for beller marketing tram CAPT "The racing on the track is lantestic. It's probably the best racing in the world. but it's not marketed property to the point where we've got the lans ovedlowmg nN mole media and so lonh. Ihal's Ihe number one pnority. Get Ihal stralgblened oul brst, men we can talk about going farther aheld"

® oillerem wodds Roger Penske wasn't narrow- minded when he sought a replace- ment for the injured AI Unser Jr. He auditioned foreign road racers /I Gonzalo Rodriguez and Tarsa Marques (LEF"F), and a test far ® USAC short track star Jason Leffler (RIGHn was postponed after Marques crashed the car. 111777VI Roger Penske created a siirjust prior to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach by announcing his intention to sell nearly 90 percent of his CART stock in an S-3 filing , with the Securities and Exchange Commission. h was the latest in a series of moves that have even veteran Penske-watchers scratching their heads. For the most part, Roger has been maintaining a relatively low profile within CART over the past few years. He's only mnning one car in the FedEx Championship Series and he declined a seat an CARPs public boaN. Penske claimed the stock sale was no big deal-stncdy business. "I was going to sell some stock (after CART's Initial Public Onering in March'98], but we felt we had to support C.4Ai. I have to look at it as an investment" Roger almost never talks about his intendons, but has he quietly been dropping clues? It so, many of them seem contradictory. For starters, why was Penske Motorsports, Inc, Vice Chairman Waft Czamecki seen in company with Indy Racing League President Tony George in the CART paddock at Homestead? Where is PMI's alliance with Bill France and Intema8onal Speedway Corp.leading? Penske has business relationships with every one of CART's engine suppliers, nd his race tracks control five CART dates, including both 50G-milers. UnUl now, nls has been one of C.4RT's core strengths; hut has it become a vulnerability? For all his success in the corporate world, much of Penske's reputation was built at the Indianapolis 500, where his team won a record 10 times. Some believe Penske's history at the Speedway and close ges with IRL executive director Leo Mehl and driver coach/consultantN Unser may ultimately entice him back; but he says he won't go unless he's in control of his own destiny in terms of chassis and engine. Yet he recently downsized his car-building operation... There are a lot of pieces to the Penske puale. We asked Ruger himself to help ,aear up the mystery. Tum to page 32 for his answers. off 0 0 1W 1W T he :Ignt of a huge empty Turn Four grandstard at Homestead defrnitely dir,n t neo CART's Imape What realiy got the CART troops seething was the :ar_t 'hat 'tie chendmg grandstand wasn't evea tne= Auring Spring Training Th4 c-ftra seating was trected in preparaCrpn fGr Hnmefitead'S first tfAK?R lbns[on Cup race-aclreduled for flr,remGe: Nhy_ 'hen, aas d~n placn 'rr n r,ART rpo'o in hlar,-h that certamPy dn)n't neyd the extrn cupacny' „_,,. r, v;era ,7uick :o hldme Bill France ano nternapr.nnl speedaay Corp h-u.n co-pwnS the BomaStead track :A[h P?nLPq MnlorSpartS. Inp The hre n.re fueled by »Vstem thot rewarUed Ulose buying hc#ets for the well-:,,:rt ~;ransman rrurk rvnnt .vdh preferen[Inl ;ea[mg for [hq Cup rAOr 'rn .,n/ ,:a;n. UARf'P dr.tu .It F1em,a:[mul HaS-iqr/ tli-.nppwnbr.g , 'Y;, CharnpCar 19 h-,141111M] It seemed like a powerful metaphor when Marlboro Team Penske conY~iru'cted a wall in the open space separating it from neighbor Tear4Gordon in the Homestead giiage area (ABOVE). Penske's side of the wall was cleanly finished in typical Penske style, while Gordon's crew was happy to leave exposed joists and unpainted drywall. Neither team fared too well on race day, but Gordpn's bunch may have aroused a bit of envy from much of the CART paddock; Team Gordon, after all, will be contesting the 83rd Indianapolis 500 on May 30... .I :f S1:lr