Champ Car
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Champ Car | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Category | Open wheel racing |
| Country or region | International |
| Inaugural season | See text |
| Drivers | 17[1] |
| Teams | 9[1] |
| Constructors | Panoz |
| Engine suppliers | Cosworth |
| Drivers' champion |  Sébastien Bourdais |
| Teams' champion |  Newman/Haas Racing |
| Official website | champcarworldseries.com |
Champ Car, an abbreviation of "Championship Car", was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades. It is also commonly used to refer to the Champ Car World Series, an international open-wheel championship that was based largely in North America.
The governing body was formerly known as Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART prior to its 2003 bankruptcy. The series was previously known as the CART PPG IndyCar World Series, the CART FedEx Championship Series, and, in the organization's second to last year, the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford. The series folded into the IndyCar Series before its planned 2008 season.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1909 the American Automobile Association (AAA) established the national driving championship and became the first sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. In 1956, the United States Automobile Club (USAC) was founded to take over sanctioning from the AAA, which ceased sanctioning auto racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the 1955 Le Mans disaster. USAC controlled the championship until 1979. In that year, CART began operating its own competing series, which quickly became dominant.
[edit] Formation of CART
The split from USAC in 1979 was spurred by a group of activist car owners who had grown disenchanted with what they saw as an inept sanctioning body. Complaining of poor promotion and small purses, this group coalesced around Dan Gurney, who, in early 1978, wrote what came to be known as the "Gurney White Paper", the blueprint for an organization called Championship Auto Racing Teams. Gurney took his inspiration from the improvements Bernie Ecclestone had forced on Formula 1 with his creation of the Formula One Constructors Association. The white paper called for the owners to form CART as an advocacy group to promote USAC's national championship, doing the job where the sanctioning body wouldn't. The group would also work to negotiate television rights and race purses, and ideally hold seats on USAC's governing body. Gurney, joined by other leading team owners including Roger Penske and Pat Patrick, took their demands to USAC's board and the proposal was rejected.
USAC's rejection of the proposal led the three owners to form a new series (CART) under the principles laid out in the Gurney White Paper. The new series quickly gained the support of the majority of team and track owners, with the only notable holdout being A.J. Foyt. CART's inaugural season was held in 1979.
The newness of the organization, however, prevented it from being recognized by ACCUS, the United States representative to the FIA. An arrangement was reached with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) where the SCCA would act as the sanctioning body for the new series. This would allow the events to be listed on the International Motorsports Calendar.
With the exception of Foyt's team, the more established teams joined CART. This meant that the front and mid-pack teams would be racing in the new CART series. Of the 20 races held that year, 13 were part of the 1979 CART Championship. Of the 10 tracks to host races, 5 would host CART events exclusively and one, Ontario Motor Speedway would host races from both series.
[edit] Dominance by non-US drivers
CART, like its predecessor USAC, was dominated by North American drivers until the 1990s. Many road-racing stars, including Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, and Danny Sullivan found success in the series. After former F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi won the series title in 1989, additional drivers from South America and Europe joined the series.
British driver Nigel Mansell, the 1992 F1 Driver's Champion, switched to CART in 1993 and beat Emerson Fittipaldi in the championship. Mansell's victory, coupled with 1991 CART champion Michael Andretti's underrated sojourn into F1, was seen by many as evidence of the superiority of non-US drivers. This, combined with CART's move to include more road racing on the schedule, led to a split of the series after the 1995 season due to a dispute between CART owners and Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
[edit] Split with Indy's Tony George
After resigning from the CART Board of Directors, George went on to form a new racing series, the Indy Racing League (IRL), which initially included an all-oval schedule, all races on US soil, and mostly American drivers.
In March of 1996, CART filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an effort to protect their license to the IndyCar mark which the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had attempted to terminate. In April, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway filed a countersuit against CART to prevent them from further use of the mark. Eventually a settlement was reached in which CART agreed to give up the use of the IndyCar mark following the 1996 season and the IRL could not use the name before the end of the 2002 season.
During the 1996 season, George used the Indianapolis 500 as his trump card when he all but shut-out non IRL regulars by guaranteeing the top 25 drivers in IRL points a spot in the race, leaving only eight of the thirty-three grid positions available to CART regulars. In 1997 this backfired allowing Johnny Unser and Lyn St. James, both IRL supporters, to make the race. Both were fastest to make the race if it was a regular qualifying format. Both were not in the top 25 in points and were not fastest in the 8 positions available thus would not have made the race. For the first time since 1979 35 cars started the Indy 500. The top 25 rule was dropped for 1998. In response, CART attempted to create a rival showcase event, the U.S. 500, at Michigan International Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500. But this race had a disastrous start with a major crash involving many of the cars. So after red flagging and restarting the race in backup cars, Jimmy Vasser went on to win. The race date was changed the next year so it did not run against the Indy 500. The U.S. 500 name was, however, retained through 1999, and affixed to the existing July race at Michigan.
CART's next strategy was to hold a race the day before the Indy 500 at Gateway, which also failed to draw attention away from the IRL's most famous race. Tony George's next move was to specify new technical rules for less expensive cars, and "production based" engines that outlawed the CART-spec cars that had been the mainstay of the race since the late 1970s. CART teams would be forced to purchase different cars if they wanted the chance to qualify for the Indy 500.
For the next few years almost all of the CART teams and drivers did not compete in the race. While this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an event that they might otherwise have been unable to afford, the turbulent political situation, along with the absence of many of the top CART drivers, the big-name sponsors, and the faster CART-spec cars, together served to cast something of a shadow over the race. It was certainly arguable that to the average fan the replacement of at least fairly-well-known foreign drivers by almost-unknown American ones was not perceived as a real gain. Consequently, the Indianapolis 500 lost its television ratings lead to NASCAR's Daytona 500.
[edit] CART after the split
In the early years of the split, CART seemed to be dominant. It controlled most of the races and most of the "name" drivers, while George's primary asset was Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 500. The first IRL schedule consisted of only three races, including the Indy 500, and many of the drivers were relative unknowns.
In 2000, Bobby Rahal stepped in as interim president of CART and designated the Vanderbilt Cup as the series championship trophy. The PPG cup was used from 1979-1999. That year, Gil de Ferran of Penske Racing set the world closed-course speed record for a car race at Fontana in his Marlboro Team Penske Honda at 241.428 mph (388.540 km/h) while qualifying for the season ending million-dollar (pursed to the winner) Marlboro 500.[2] [3] Despite the considerable drag on the car (inherent of the mandated Hanford MkII rear wing used in CART on the superspeedways at that time) the feat was accomplished on the first lap of qualifying.
CART dominance seemed relatively unchallenged through 2001 until a series of poor decisions and tension at the start of the millennium.
Beginning in 2000, some CART teams began to compete at the Indianapolis 500, and ultimately switched allegiance to the IRL for the entire season. This was motivated by mismanagement, upset engine manufacturers, and sponsors that desired participation at Indianapolis 500.
In 2000, Chip Ganassi, while still racing in the CART Series, made the decision to return to the Indianapolis 500 with his drivers, the 1996 CART and U.S. 500 champion Jimmy Vasser, and the 1999 CART champion Juan Pablo Montoya. On race day Montoya put on a dominating performance, leading 167 of the 200 laps to win. The defeat was somewhat humiliating for the IRL teams, with the Ganassi team's advantage primarily being pit stops that were frequently several seconds quicker than their main rivals. Yet the real winner was Tony George, who had brought back one of the CART teams—and its sponsor—to race with the IRL cars.
A year later, Roger Penske, historically CART and Indianapolis' most successful team owner, also came back to Indianapolis and won. For 2002, Penske and Ganassi became permanent entrants in the IRL.
[edit] Bankruptcy and rebranding to Champ Car
In 2002, FedEx announced that they would end their title sponsorship of the CART series at the conclusion of the racing season. In another blow, Honda and Toyota switched their engine supply from CART to the IRL after 2002. CART decided to rebrand itself. Beginning in 2003, CART began to promote itself as Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.
Due to the loss of its title sponsor and two engine providers, CART's shares plummeted to 25¢ (USD) per share. It declared bankruptcy during the 2003 off-season and the assets of CART were liquidated. Tony George made a bid for certain assets of the company, while a trio of CART owners (Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi, and Kevin Kalkhoven), along with Dan Pettit, also made a bid, calling their group the Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS). George's offer was to purchase only select company assets, in an effort to eliminate any series that would rival his Indy Racing League. However, if George's bid (which was actually higher than the OWRS bid) had been successful, many vendors that were still owed money by CART would have not been paid. Therefore, a judge ruled that the OWRS group should be the purchaser of CART, which ensured a 25th anniversary season in 2004, running as Champ Car. Open Wheel Racing Series. (OWRS) would later change its name to Champ Car World Series (CCWS) LLC.
Team Rahal and Andretti Green Racing defected in 2004, the latter team being owned by CART champion and fan favorite Michael Andretti. However, several teams stayed with Champ Car, ensuring that the series could continue. Most notable among these was Newman-Haas Racing (now Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing). The powerful and well-funded team owned by actor Paul Newman and Illinois businessman Carl Haas was adamant on its loyalty to the series and its direction. Another team notable for its loyalty was Dale Coyne Racing, one of the world's oldest continually operating open wheel teams.[4]
In 2007, with the withdrawal of Bridgestone and Ford Motor Company as presenting sponsors, the official name of the top-tier series promoted by Champ Car became simply the Champ Car World Series.
On February 22, 2008, the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series signed a deal to unify the two open-wheel American circuits, bringing them under the umbrella of IRL.
[edit] Specifications
- Engine Displacement: 2.65 L (162 in³) DOHC V8
- Gearbox: 7 Speed semi-automatic gearbox with paddle shifter (must have reverse)
- Weight: Approximately 1,575 lb (710 kg), without driver
- Power Output: 725–800 hp (540–600 kW)
- Torque: 350–425 ft·lbf (475–575 N·m)
- Fuel: Methanol
- Fuel Capacity: 35 U.S. gallons (132 liters)
- Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection
- Method: Turbocharged
- Manifold Pressure: 1.4 bars (140 kPa or 41.5 inHg) without "Power to Pass" 1.5 bars (150 kPa or 44.0 inHg) [5]
- Length: 190 inches (4.83 m)
- Width: 78½ inches (1.99 m)
- Wheelbase: 122¾ inches (3.12 m)
- Steering: Manual, Rack and pinion
- 0-60 mph time: 2.6 s (with traction control), 3.1 s (without traction control)
[edit] Comparison with Formula One
A Champ Car is a single-seat open-wheel racing car. For much of their history Champ Cars have been similar to Formula One cars, although there have traditionally been several key differences between the two.
Over the years, Champ Car's race schedule included high speed oval tracks. The increased stress and speed of these tracks mean that the cars tended to be heavier and have longer wheelbases than F1 cars (increasing stability but decreasing agility). In 2007, there were no oval tracks on the schedule.
When the weight of the driver is factored in, a Champ Car weighs over 30% more than a Formula One Car. The minimum weight for a Champ Car is adjusted from 1,575 lb based on the weight of the driver compared to the field average; with the driver included, all cars have a minimum weight of 1741 lb (790 kg). A Champ Car piloted by 195 lb Paul Tracy (the heaviest driver in the series and 29 lb heavier than the field average) must weigh at least 1,546 lb (701 kg) when empty. The minimum weight of a Formula One Car, including the driver, is 605 kg (1,334 lb). This difference of 407 lb (185 kg) is just over 30% of the F1 car's weight.
Since the late 1960s Champ Cars have used turbocharged engines. Turbos were banned in Formula One on safety grounds in 1989. For some periods of their history, notably in the early 1970s and late 1990s, turbocharging gave Champ Cars up to 300 horsepower (220 kW) more than F1 cars, in the 70s cars had in excess of 1,000 hp. Recently in 1999/2000 the Champ Cars approached 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) before regulations on turbo boost were tightened. The current generation of cars have roughly the same power as F1 cars, Champ Cars having 800 hp (600 kW) on demand and F1 cars having about 775 hp (580 kW) (since F1 switched to V8 engines for the 2006 season), with the turbo used mainly to improve the spectacle rather than lap-times with the so-called 'power-to-pass' or 'push-to-pass' system giving drivers an increased amount of power for a limited duration during the race. Another reason for retaining the turbocharger is the muffling effect it has on the exhaust note helps keep the cars inside noise-limits, particularly at the many city street races on the schedule.
Champ Cars use methanol for fuel rather than gasoline as used by F1 cars, and refuelling has always been permitted during the race. This is a legacy of a fiery crash at the 1964 Indianapolis 500 involving cars filled with more than 75 US gallons (285 L) of gasoline killed Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs. Until 1994, when refueling was re-introduced to F1, the coupling for the hose was a notable difference between Champ Cars and Formula cars.
Champ Cars continue to have sculpted undersides to create ground effect. This innovation was originally created in Formula One by Lotus in 1978, and was immediately used on the Chaparral Champ Car in 1979. F1 banned sculpted undersides in a bid to lower cornering speeds for 1983. In an effort to create better passing opportunities, the new spec Champ Car chassis being introduced in 2007 will generate nearly 50% of the total downforce of the car with sculpted underside tunnels versus the front and rear wings. This will reduce turbulent air behind the cars, enabling easier overtaking.
While F1 uses grooved tires to limit performance, Champ Cars continue to use tread-less "slick" racing tires. To make races more unpredictable, drivers are permitted to use one set of higher performance softer compound "alternate" tires. These are informally called "reds", as they are made visible to the spectators by their red sidewalls. The same feature has been adopted in F1 from 2007 season where each car must run on both the hard and the soft compound tires, although they can use more than one set of the softer tires. F1 also visibly distinguishes between the two types of tire - the softer set have a white stripe painted into one of their grooves.
Unlike in F1, Champ Car teams are not obliged to construct their own chassis, and in recent times have tended to buy chassis constructed by independent suppliers such as Lola, Swift, Reynard, March and Dan Gurney's Eagle. The most notable exception was Penske Racing, although they also bought other cars when their own chassis was uncompetitive. By 2000, most teams used either Reynard or Lola, with Lola gradually taking over to have a monopoly by 2004. Starting in 2007, Champ Car features a single, "spec" chassis, the Panoz DP01, created by Elan Technologies, a racing equipment manufacturer owned by Don Panoz. The spec chassis was introduced to reduce costs for teams.
[edit] Direct comparison
In recent years it has been possible to compare the respective performance of the two series.
The performance superiority of the Formula One machines was first demonstrated in 1989 when Champ Car began to race on a street circuit in downtown Detroit, Michigan that had served as the United States Grand Prix just one year prior. There was no big discrepancy in lap times on this occasion, but this was partly due to a tight second gear chicane that was removed from the circuit for the Champ Car series.
Since 1978 Formula One has made an annual visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Champ Car added this circuit to their tour in 2002, making another direct comparison possible. That year, Juan Pablo Montoya won the pole position in the Formula One race with a lap time of 1'12.836. Several weeks later, when the inaugural Champ Car race was held, Cristiano Da Matta won the pole position in the Champ Car race with a lap time of 1'18.959.
In the Autocourse / CART "Official Champ Car Yearbook" for 2002, the following article appears on page 132, entitled "CART VS. F1":
"With the FedEx Championship Series making its first visit to the track that had hosted the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix since 1978, there were inevitable comparisons between the world's two major open-wheel categories. Admittedly, it was rather like comparing apples and oranges, but it did represent the first opportunity in over two decades to get some idea of the relative performance of Champ Cars and their F1 cousins.
"On the face of it, there was no contest. Cristiano da Matta's pole time of 1 m 18.959 s was 6.123 seconds shy of 1999 CART champion Juan Pablo Montoya's stunning pole-winning effort aboard the BMW/Williams at the 2002 GP—which was exactly the sort of discrepancy da Matta had predicted in the run-up to the event.
"In CART, meanwhile, Bridgestone's position as sole tire supplier ensured production of a more conservative (i.e., harder) compound, prioritizing durability over ultimate pace. Granted, the F1 tire war was fought on grooved rubber rather than the slicks sported by Champ Cars. But bear in mind that a Champ Car weighed the best part of 400 pounds more that its F1 counterpart, and the general conclusion was that CART's machinery stacked up pretty respectably.
"And then there's the 'other' factor. As da Matta observed, 'It's a pretty unfair comparison, since one side spends £100 million more than the other! I think that our designers and engineers are pretty smart if they can get this close with ten percent of the budget.'"
In 2006, the last time both series raced on the same track, Formula One was 5 to 7 seconds faster than Champ Car. The pole position in Formula 1 was taken by Fernando Alonso in a time of 1 min 14.942 s, while Sébastien Bourdais took the pole in 1 min 20.005 s in Champ Car. The fastest lap in the Formula 1 race was 1'15.841 by Kimi Räikkönen, while Sébastien Bourdais' fastest lap was 1 min 22.325 s in the Champ Car race. Bourdais' qualifying effort was almost 1 second off the pace of even the slowest F1 qualifier, Super Aguri's Franck Montagny, who turned in a time of 1 min 19.152 s.
[edit] Latest possible comparison
At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California on August 20, 2006, Toyota F1 test driver Ricardo Zonta set a new unofficial lap record of 1min 6.309 s, however, this was in an exhibition, not a qualifying or race session.[6][7] The official record time is 1'07.722, set by CART driver Helio Castroneves in a Penske Champ Car in qualifying for the 2000 CART Honda Grand Prix of Monterey. Both of these times were eclipsed on March 10, 2007 by Sébastien Bourdais, who lapped in 1'05.880 piloting the newest Champ Car, a Panoz DP-01, for Newman/Haas/Lanigan during Champ Car Spring Training.[8][9]
All of these comparisons mentioned should take into consideration the fact that large F1 teams build their own chassis and engines. It is estimated that these teams spend €100 to €200 million ($125-$250 million) per year per manufacturer on engines alone.[10]The Formula One Car is a more expensive and technology-centric platform than a Champ Car. This was even the case during the CART PPG era during the mid to late 1990s. At this time global engine manufacturers Toyota, Honda, Mercedes and Ford vied for dominance. Since Champ Car's restructuring, a desire to keep costs down and the existence of one engine manufacturer has helped to create a series with far more parity than its European-based cousin. For instance, a competitive Champ Car team like Newman-Haas Racing team operates on approximately US$20 million per season, while McLaren-Mercedes F1 team operates on US$400 million.[11]
[edit] Seasons
- 2007 Champ Car World Series season
- 2008 Champ Car World Series season (cancelled, see below)
[edit] Reunification of Champ Car and the Indy Racing League
As in recent times, there had been some discussion among fans and journalists regarding the reunification of Champ Car with its rival series, the IndyCar Series. Proponents of the reunification idea theorized that a merger of the two series would provide a brighter future for open wheel racing in North America, whose racing landscape is currently ruled by the massively popular and more financially stable NASCAR. According to this theory, open wheel racing would be more successful in securing sponsorship, increasing the number of cars racing on track, and improving television ratings. There is continued speculation that both sides will look for future opportunities to resolve outstanding differences. It is possible that Champ Car's recent move to ABC/ESPN, the same television network as the IndyCar Series, could aid in reunification efforts.
On the other side of the reunification debate are fans and series owners who argue that Champ Car and the IndyCar Series are irreconcilably focused on different markets and agendas, as demonstrated by the release of the 2008 Champ Car schedule, which adds another European event, for a current total of three European events, one Australian event, and ten North American events. By contrast, the IndyCar Series calendar includes one race in Japan, where key sponsor and engine provider Honda is headquartered, with the remainder of events in North America.[12]
One example of how merger rumors highlight the sharp divide between the two series can be found in press reports from January 2008. Initially, Robin Miller of the SPEED television network reported on an alleged offer by the Indy Racing League's Tony George to assist in providing new and backup cars to any Champ Car team willing to commit to racing for the full 2008 IRL season. Miller stated that under George's offer, the IRL season would be modified to include events previously run by Champ Car, including Long Beach and Australia.[13] However, Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven denied in the Indianapolis Star that any such offer had ever been made. George stated in the same paper that he had indeed made an offer, but that it had recently been withdrawn. He noted that the deal would have only been worth his investment to bring Champ Car teams into the series for the full 2008 and 2009 seasons, rather than delay the deal's implementation until 2009. Also, George confirmed that under the terms of his offer, the IRL would have been responsible for managing the series, giving no control to any Champ Car owner.[14] Despite these denials, details of an impending merger continue to arise. On February 12, 2008, Miller reported that Champ Car might file Chapter 7 bankruptcy within 24-48 hours. Champ Car President, Steve Johnson, denied those rumors, but Miller's article claimed other employees have been told to cease working on 2008 projects and some to begin cleaning out their desks[15]. Kalkhoven claimed on February 14 that the bankruptcy rumors were "absolutely wrong."[16]
On February 22, 2008, an agreement, in principal, was reached and signed that merges the Champ Car Series with the IRL. As of this point, the schedule is in flux, with movement of several races pending on the 2008 Champ Car schedule and the 2008 IndyCar Series schedule to be determined. In addition, it appears at this time that the newer DP01 Champ Car will not be used in the IndyCar Series, at least not for 2008 except for the Long Beach Grand Prix. [17]
Currently, Champ Car will cease to exist as the IRL will absorb any remaining Champ Car World Series teams that wish to compete in the IRL. Barring any major changes, the open wheel split is now over. The DP01 chassis is rumored to be purchased by a minor league open wheel series.
[edit] The Final Bankruptcy of Champ Car
The owners of the Champ Car World Series filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just two weeks after agreeing to an open-wheel unification plan with the Indy Racing League. The filing in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, dated March 5th 2008, states that Champ Car has spent tens of millions of dollars in the past four years to maintain the series and that its takeover by the Indy Car is in the best interest of the sport.
The bankruptcy filing will not affect the Indy Car deal, said Jeff Hokanson, a lawyer representing Champ Car. The Champ Car owners intend to stay in business long enough to run their Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 20. Then they plan to liquidate or sell their assets to pay debts. The bankruptcy filing indicates debts of up to $10 million, but Hokanson said he expected known claims to amount to $5 million or less. "Subject to what additional claims may come in, we expect that creditors will be paid in full or close to it," he said. Champ Car's largest creditor is the engine-maker Cosworth Inc., which is owed $1.8 million (Cosworth is owned by Champ Car principals Forsythe and Kalkhoven, so they essentially owe the money to themselves).
The league was formed in 2004 after team owners Kevin Kalkhoven, Paul Gentilozzi and Gerald Forsythe bought the assets of Championship Auto Racing Teams after it had filed bankruptcy. But Champ Car's leaders decided "that it is no longer economically feasible to sustain an open-wheel series and that (Champ Car) did not have the funds to operate the series in 2008," said an affidavit from Gene Cottingham, vice president and chief financial officer of the series.
Champ Car said the Indy Car was paying $6 million for its intangible assets, such as trademarks and historical documents, and its traveling medical center. A meeting of creditors is scheduled for April 21, 2008, the day after Champ Car's final race.
[edit] Champions
[edit] By team
| Team | Championships | Last |
|---|---|---|
| Penske Racing | 9 | 2001 |
| Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing | 8 | 2007 |
| Chip Ganassi Racing | 4 | 1999 |
| Truesports | 2 | 1986 |
| Chaparral Racing | 1 | 1980 |
| Galles-Kraco Racing | 1 | 1990 |
| Team Green Racing | 1 | 1995 |
| Rahal/Hogan | 1 | 1992 |
| Patrick Racing | 1 | 1989 |
| Player's/Forsythe Racing | 1 | 2003 |
[edit] Rookies of the Year
[edit] CART Rookies of the Year: (1979 to 2003)
- 1979 - Bill Alsup
- 1980 - Dennis Firestone
- 1981 - Bob Lazier
- 1982 - Bobby Rahal
- 1983 -
Teo Fabi - 1984 -
Roberto Guerrero - 1985 -
Arie Luyendyk - 1986 - Dominic Dobson
- 1987 - Fabrizio Barbazza
- 1988 -
John Jones - 1989 -
Bernard Jourdain - 1990 - Eddie Cheever
- 1991 - Jeff Andretti
- 1992 -
Stefan Johansson - 1993 -
Nigel Mansell - 1994 - Jacques Villeneuve
- 1995 -
Gil de Ferran - 1996 - Alex Zanardi
- 1997 - Patrick Carpentier
- 1998 - Tony Kanaan
- 1999 - Juan Pablo Montoya
- 2000 - Kenny Bräck
- 2001 -
Scott Dixon - 2002 - Mario Dominguez
- 2003 - Sébastien Bourdais
[edit] Champ Car World Series Rookies of the Year: (2004 to 2007)
[edit] References
- ^ a b 2007 Entry List From speedsportmag.com. Retrieved on August 28 2007.
- ^ Champ Car > News Thursday, November 1, 2001
- ^ Champ Car > News Thursday, November 1, 2001
- ^ Champ Car > Dale Coyne Racing Profile
- ^ http://www.speedtv.com/articles/champcar/auto/33405
- ^ Zonta breaks the record, part three...
- ^ Videos of the event and record lap at toyota.com
- ^ Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Preseason Champ Car Testing Ends With Record-Shattering Performance By Bourdais
- ^ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE6475AbmdQ Video taken after Bourdais beat existing Laguna Seca track record
- ^ http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27851/
- ^ http://www.f1i.com/content/view/4377/0/
- ^ IndyCar.com
- ^ http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/42686/
- ^ George scraps offer to help merge series | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
- ^ Speedtv.com "Champ Car Heading for Bankruptcy?" 2/12/08
- ^ Thestar.com"Champ race in Toronto still possible"2/14/08
- ^ AUTO-RACING - UPDATE: Open-Wheel Unification Deal - SPEEDtv.com
[edit] See also
- List of Champ Car drivers
- List of Champ Car teams
- List of Champ Car pole positions
- List of Champ Car winners
- List of Champ Car circuits
- List of Champ Car fatal accidents
[edit] External links
- Official website of Champ Car World Series
- Champ Car racing statistics from 1909 to present
- Inner Circle Champions, the official Champ Car fan community
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