Although a change in the engine rules had been forecast for more than a year, the timing of the move, particularly making the change for the 2003 season, was surprising.

The CART franchise owners board of directors voted to switch from the current 2.6-liter, turbocharged engines to normally-aspirated (non-turbocharged) engines with a maximum of 3.5 liters.

The actual specifications are to be announced sometime in the next 30-to-60 days, according to CART chairman and CEO Joseph Heitzler.

The change would apparently put CART's engine rules in harmony with the rival Indy Racing League, which currently runs 3.5-liter, non-turbocharged engines. That could open the door for CART teams to run in both series without having to buy all new equipment.

The announcement of CART's intentions did not please Tom Elliott, who heads Honda's CART racing project.

"Frankly, we're frustrated with CART, which seems to have a total disregard for the rulebook and the input they get from the competitors," Elliott said Saturday in Houston, site of Sunday's Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix.

Elliott said Honda has been telling CART for more than a year that it would not be ready to supply a new engine until 2004, so the specifics of the rule change won't make any difference.

"Regardless of the change they make, we would not be ready in 2003," he said. "We have commitments here through 2002 and we will honor those commitments. Most of our agreements expire in 2003 so, if we're going to go, this is a good time."

Asked if Honda would wait for the rules to be announced before making any final decision, Elliott said, "We will decide much sooner than that."

Ford officials said it is a two-year process to get a new engine from the drawing board to the racetrack and they are nowhere near ready to begin such a process at this time.

Dan Davis, head of Ford's worldwide racing program, would not go into specifics, but he did said, "We'll have to wait for the specifics and see where we stand."

Toyota, the third CART engine supplier, has already committed to building an IRL engine for 2003 and has strongly hinted it will leave CART after 2002 unless that series adopts similar engine rules to the IRL.

Heitzler told a Houston news conference Friday that the team owners are doing "what's best for the series, the fans, the sponsors and the manufacturers in our series."

A handful of CART teams have raced in the last two Indianapolis 500s, the IRL's showcase race. Those teams have had to buy all new equipment -- engines and chassis -- to conform to IRL rules.

Getting ready
Kenny Brack will move from Team Rahal to Chip Ganassi Racing next season, so it's no surprise he is interested in what his future team is doing.

Ganassi driver Bruno Junqueira, who could be Brack's teammate next year, was talking about some testing he did with the team's Lola-Toyota in practice on Friday with some parts and pieces for 2002.

"Thank you, Bruno," Brack said, grinning.

Junqueira looked startled for a moment by the interruption, then smiled and told Brack, "I know the secrets, but I'm not going to tell."

Junqueira and current teammate Memo Gidley are widely thought to be competing for the second Ganassi seat next year, although Ganassi has given no hint on who will join Brack on the two-car team.

Giving guy
Rick Mears, a three-time CART champion as a driver and now a full-time adviser for Marlboro Team Penske, said he will contribute up to $100,000 to charity this year, based on the performances of Penske drivers Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves, and nephew Casey Mears, a rookie driving for Mo Nunn Racing.

"Like many Americans, I want to honor the victims and heroes of the tragedy that occurred on Sept. 11," said Mears, a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. "With 498 total laps scheduled in CART's remaining four races, I will contribute $100 a lap to the Twin Towers Fund, based on the highest total laps completed by a Marlboro Team Penske driver."

Mears will also donate $100 to charity for every lap completed by his nephew, who will drive the final four races as a replacement for injured Alex Zanardi.

"Because CART's safety team was instrumental in saving Alex's life, the monies raised from Casey's laps will go directly to the Alex Zanardi Foundation and will be donated in the name of the safety team -- the unsung heroes of our sport."