Spectacular Day for Motor Racing

INDY CAR, CHAMP CAR, FORMULA1...and then there's the sportscars!

Racing started early this weekend, with American LeMans Series at Portland International Raceway on Saturday. It went late here in Texas, as all west coast events do, it was after 8 p.m. at the checkered flag, and as ALMS races happen, there are winners everywhere.

Frank Biela and Emmanuel Pirro have driven Champion Audi's R-8 to many victories, and none more suprising than this. Champion Audi has been locked in battle with Dyson Racing for dominance in the series. Dyson, after a resurgence in recent races, qualified front row for Saturday's race, with Chris Dyson and teammate Butch Leitzinger's Lolas outlapping Pirro and Lehto's R-8's. But that's why they run the race. A body snafu made a spectacular race-ending wreck for JJ Lehto's R-8, and a last lap fuel pressure failure on Dyson's Lola gave Biela and Pirro and Champion Audi Team another victory this season, and bragging rights...until next race-August 21 at Road America.

Sunday mornings are Formula 1-time on Speed channel, due to the time-zone difference of the live television coverage. Varsha, Hobbs and Matchet, and don't forget Peter Windsor, do a bang-up job. Hungaro's stories were McClarens speed, Schumacher's pole, and where's Fernando?
Kimi and Juan Pablo are the fastest team mates right now, and Kimi is behind Fernando Alonso, who is leading the championship points battle. If 'Nando finishes in non-points paying positions Kimi may still have a chance. Michael Schumacher had a predatorial drive, but his Bridgestone's wouldn't outlast Kimi's Michelin's, and he slowed to save them early on. Raikkonen passed him with plenty of time to amass a 35 second lead, although it should have probably been for second, were it not for a mechanical failure on Montoya's McClaren. Ralf Schumacher put in a great drive and pressured brother Michael near the end but could not pass. And speaking of passing, the fact that there are few passing attempts tells the story as to how closely matched the competition is in Formula 1. I sure miss the tire rules of last year, and although it's a large part of Ferrari's and Schumacher's troubles, it's not the complete story...

IRL and CHAMP CAR ran races this weekend, and Andretti's Bryan Herta won at Michigan and Sebastien Bourdais in a Newman/Haas Cosworth took the victory at the inaugural event at San Jose, California on the downtown streets.

WORLD KARTING FEDERATION is one governing body here in the states, and we'll have some pictures from some National events soon. For now, though, we have a picture from my own club, Gulf Coast Karters Inc. in Katy, Tx. It is of A.J. Foyt IV emitting smoke. I understand he finished on the podium. AJ IV has graduated on to bigger cars, but he still shows up on non-club days and sharpens the skills.

Next Issue: some kart pics from stateside, but a huge journey through the steeped circuits of Europe and the elite ladder system to the most elite open wheeled sportscars known.
Euro Karting is off the charts.

















AJ Foyt IV (left) emitting smoke (GCKI and
Speedworks)