F1 Appears to Be Priority One for Gurney

All American Racers team owner Dan Gurney hasn’t been in the Championship Auto Racing Teams series since 1999, but he may return to big-time racing in a big way, by leaping back into Formula One.

Gurney, who dazzled crowds in the 1960s while driving to seven Formula One victories--four in World Championship events--said at last week’s U.S. Grand Prix that the machinations are in place for an American F1 team to be on the grid five months from now at the Australian Grand Prix on March 9, 2003.

Gurney, 71, would use a Ford Cosworth powerplant, and his team would build its own chassis, though assets of an existing team could be acquired and raced in the interim.

“The experts we would work with say yes, we can build a chassis,” said Gurney, whose Eagle has been a racing fixture. “Other experts say no. It depends on whose experts are right. It could be built at AAR [in Santa Ana], or it could be that some of it would be built here and some elsewhere. We have the capability.

“We don’t have a deal with Cosworth, but they would like us to be a customer and they have the capacity to service a two-driver team that we would campaign.”

Gurney will be the racing brains behind a partnership with Bob Balachowski and Les Olsen. They have been researching this for two years. Gurney was contacted nine months ago. They should know within about two weeks if they will have financing.

“If we do start, we want to be fully prepared and not worry about the funding for the first two or three years, and if we can’t do that, we just won’t,” Gurney said. “We have a designer and a technical director in mind who are ready to stand on the gas when we put the package together.”

Gurney is considering only American drivers, including Bryan Herta, for whom Gurney tried to put together a Ford-powered CART team in 2000. Another candidate could be Gurney’s son, Alex Gurney, a product of Toyota Atlantic and British F-3 series.

“This is a terrific opportunity, and has been a dream to many people,” Gurney said. “I honestly believe the first American outfit that actually does it will have a huge advantage.... A lot of people think this is a joke, but it isn’t.”

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NASCAR

NASCAR has implemented rules in which drivers can be required by infield medical doctors to undergo CT scans to detect suspected concussions; drivers with concussions must then receive medical clearance to return to racing.

CART and the Indy Racing League have similar rules already in place.

Call it the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rule. He disclosed last week that he suffered a concussion April 28 in a crash at California Speedway and drove several races while impaired. Earnhardt said he was not a threat to himself or others, but at the same time blamed the concussion for his subpar season. Obviously he wasn’t thinking clearly.

If he is unable to maintain focus for 3 1/2 hours while driving a car 185 mph, he’s not only endangering drivers, but those on pit road and in the stands. He was lucky.

Earnhardt joked that even at 80%, he was better than half his competitors. He’s wrong.

Through 29 races, only 12 drivers have had performances drop off from 2001 more than Earnhardt. In the six races before his concussion, Earnhardt finished in the top eight five times, the exception a crash that left him 42nd. He has finished in the top eight only four times in 19 races since.

By comparison, Gil de Ferran, trying to win his third consecutive championship, was kept out of the final race of the IRL season because he suffered a concussion. De Ferran finished third in the championship and had no choice in the matter.

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Motocross

The World Cup of Motocross took place last weekend, only nine days after it was conceived. It was a testament to Glen Helen Raceway President Bud Feldcamp, Vintage Iron owner Rick Doughty, and U.S. team captain Roger DeCoster. They created the event after the Motocross des Nations, scheduled last weekend for Competition Park in San Jacinto, was postponed until Oct. 19-20 in Bellpuig, Spain.

About 10,000 showed up at Glen Helen Raceway to see the Australian contingent of Chad Reed, Michael Byrne and Craig Anderson claim the title, ahead of Team USA’s Tim Ferry, Sean Hamblin and Kyle Lewis. Points were awarded to each country’s top two finishers in each of three 20-minute motos, and points were accumulated by finish. Australia scored 20, the U.S. 24, and Canada finished a distant third with 60.

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Irwindale

Last week’s Super Late Model season finale was rained out, so it will be part of the show Saturday at Irwindale Speedway. Rip Michels of Mission Hills has already clinched the title. Also on the card: Tom Landreth of Alta Loma and Ricky Waldman of Yorba Linda are tied with 490 points in the Legends division; seven drivers can still win the Ultra Wheels Super Trucks title, where Carson Woods has 310 points, Rich Geisler has 304 and Jim McGill 302; Michael May of Huntington Beach has clinched the title in West Coast Pro Trucks; and Terry Limberopoulos of Bellflower, the Modified 4 champion, leads the field in a 50-lap enduro.

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Last Laps

Cristiano da Matta can clinch the CART championship Sunday with three races remaining if he outscores fellow Brazilian Bruno Junqueira by 10 points at the inaugural Grand Prix Americas in Miami. CART and the American Le Mans Series are racing at the same venue for the first time.

Superbike national champion Nicky Hayden and his brothers Tommy Hayden and Roger Lee Hayden will race Sunday in the Del Mar Mile at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. They will also compete in the Formula USA Short Track Classic on Saturday.... Orange County Speedway has its season finale Saturday. Josh Larsen of Monrovia has clinched the title with a 195-point lead over Shawn McConnell of Diamond Bar....

The NHRA Motorsports Museum presents the 11th California Hot Rod Reunion through Sunday at the Famoso Dragstrip north of Bakersfield. Heritage Award honorees tonight are Don and Bob Spar, Roberto Skinner and Tom Jobe, Bobby Tapia, Doug Thorley and Don Vesco. Information and tickets can be obtained through the NHRA Motorsports Museum at (909) 622-2133.

Three-time U.S. Auto Club Western Midget Car Champion Robby Flock of Murrieta and relative newcomer Jerome Rodela of El Monte continue their battle for the USAC Western Midget Car Series Championship Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway in the 30-lap main event.

Parnelli Jones inducted Joe Pittman into the Arizona Motorsports Hall of Fame last Saturday. Pittman was Jones’ mechanic when he won national sprint car titles in 1961-62. Also inducted were driver Art Mankel and former Manzanita promoter Harry Redkey.

Shav Glick has the week off.