rpm.espn.com: Senior tour to launch in 2002

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Saturday, September 1
Senior tour to launch in 2002
Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Golf has had its senior tour for years, so why not auto racing?

The Shelby Cobra Challenge Senior Racing Series, announced here Saturday, will feature some of the biggest names in the history of American auto racing in a series of road races beginning next year.

Among the drivers expected to take part in at least some of the six scheduled events are: Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al and Bobby Unser, Tom Sneva, Parnelli Jones, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Kevin Cogan, Bob Bondurant, John Morton and George Follmer.

"This is going to be pure racing, I guarantee you," Andretti said. "Look at golf, you think those guys on the senior tour are just out there to fool around?"

Races are scheduled in 2002 as support events during CART FedEx Series weekends in Monterrey, Mexico; Portland, Ore.; Cleveland; Lexington, Ohio; Elkhart Lake, Wis., and Monterey, Calif.

David Purcell, representing the Shelby organization, said each of the events, with 15-18 drivers racing equally prepared Cobras, will be a 30-minute sprint with no pit stops. Each race will pay $100,000, with $50,000 to the winner and there will also be a series points championship, expected to be worth $100,000 to the winner.

"Safety was a major criteria for selecting road courses as our venues," Purcell said. "And we're doing a lot of things to protect the drivers. There are a set of qualifications the drivers are going to have to go through to drive in the series."

Andretti joked that the new series has come just in time for a lot of the retired drivers.

"None of these guys, including myself, can see or hear," he said, grinning. "There are a lot of legitimate excuses for running into each other out there."

Turning serious, Andretti added, "We're going to try to have some fun and be serious at the same time."

Probation ending
Defending race champion Paul Tracy just needs to keep out of trouble in Sunday's Vancouver Molson Indy and he'll be back in CART's good graces.

The Canadian driver was placed on probation for five races after being accused of unsportsmanlike driving during the July 15 race in Toronto.

"It hasn't been a problem," said CART's longtime bad boy, who was held out of the opening race of the 1999 season for similar on-track indiscretions late in the 1998 season.

Tracy, driving a hot lap, ran into the rear of teammate Michael Andretti, who was warming up during practice on Saturday morning. That didn't get Tracy into any further trouble with CART, though, although he did get the standard eight-minute delay-of-session penalty after the green flag came out again.

Sponsorship expands
Nextel Communications is now sponsoring both PacWest Racing Group entries in the CART series.

The company had been on the sidepods of the cars driven by Mauricio Gugelmin, but this weekend it was also emblazoned across the car driven by rookie Scott Dixon.

PacWest said the two-car deal is for the rest of the 2001 season.

Spark plugs

Roberto Moreno has finished 12 of the 13 races this season, more than any other driver. Series leader Helio Castroneves, Dixon and Oriol Servia have all been running at the end of 11 races.

Twenty-one drivers have led at least one lap this season, led by Kenny Brack with 483 of 1,757. Dixon has completed the most laps (1,711).

Nineteen different drivers have had podium (top three) finishes.

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