INDYCAR RACING LURES INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS : FORMULA ONE'S LOSS IS GAIN FOR U.S.Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer A funny thing happened to Gil de Ferran Gil de Ferran (born November 11, 1967) in Paris, France to Brazilian parents, is a former racing driver. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for the Penske Honda Team and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500. on the way to Formula One. Based in England from 1988 to 1994, the young Brazilian had found considerable success racing Formula 3000 and Formula 3 cars. The next logical step: Formula One, the pinnacle of European auto racing and the realization of a childhood dream. So where did he end up? With a home in Indianapolis and a place on Hall Racing's IndyCar team right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. It's a path many overseas drivers are taking as the Indy Car World Series, like so many other major sports in the United States Sports in the United States are an important part of the national culture. However, the sporting culture of the U.S. is different from that of many other countries, especially those in Europe. Compared to any other nation, Americans prefer a unique set of sports. , becomes a logical destination for those with the talent and experience - regardless of country of origin. ``I never had a thing for Indy or IndyCars. I wasn't raised on American motor sports,'' de Ferran said. ``In '92, though, after I became more aware of it, I started to consider IndyCar a serious career option. ``Then, when I started working on finding a deal, I was given an opportunity to race in a world-class series for a traditional sponsor (Pennzoil) in an operation I knew I could be competitive in. I thought, `Hold it! This is big - in a worldwide sense,' and I decided to take advantage of it.'' Not many prospective young drivers have a thing for IndyCar racing IndyCar Racing, followed up two years later by its sequel, IndyCar Racing II, is a racing game by Papyrus Design Group. It was released in 1993.[1] Papyrus previously developed , released in 1990. . Until they confront the realities of Formula One, that is. Basically, only three teams - Williams, Benetton and Ferrari - and a handful of drivers have the resources to win Formula One races, which has turned the dreams of many young, talented drivers into disillusionment Disillusionment Adams, Nick loses innocence through WWI experience. [Am. Lit.: “The Killers”] Angry Young Men disillusioned postwar writers of Britain, such as Osborne and Amis. [Br. Lit. . Such is not the case in IndyCar racing, which requires a fraction of the investment it takes to build winners in Formula One. Make no mistake: It takes plenty of cash and a good team to win races here. The difference is there are many good teams - at least 10 - and as many as 15 drivers capable of taking the checkered flag. Last season, nine drivers recorded victories in 17 races. This is what sold Christian Fittipaldi Christian Fittipaldi (born January 18, 1971, São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian racing driver who has competed in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, Champ Car and NASCAR. , nephew of Emerson, on the IndyCar series The IndyCar Series is the premier series of the Indy Racing League. Due to the legal settlement with CART, the IRL was unable to utilize the name until the beginning of the 2003 season. . ``Unfortunately, in Formula One, if you're not with the top teams, you're nowhere,'' said the younger Fittipaldi, who raced Formula One with modest success for three years. ``That goes against my racing mentality. What's nice about Indy Cars is 10 to 15 drivers can win on any weekend. ``Races are wide open. I think that's what racing's all about.'' By all indications, the IndyCar series also is catching on with fans outside the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . This can be attributed to television coverage that has expanded dramatically the past several years. Today, it can be seen in 180 countries. In 1994, the series averaged more than 70 million viewers per race or an estimated 1.2 billion for the season and continues to grow. IndyCar racing has become particularly popular in Brazil, where IndyCar officials say television audiences rival that of Formula One. It started in 1984, when Emerson Fittipaldi in 1994 ]] Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946, São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful open-wheel racing series driver Brazilian, winning world championships in both Formula One and CART, and the Indianapolis 500 twice. made the somewhat unusual move from Formula One to IndyCar and was immensely successful, which gave IndyCar racing burgeoning credibility among his countrymen. Today, Brazil is represented by six drivers who have scored points this season, and an IndyCar race - the Rio 400 - was held for the first time there on March 17. ``Emerson has a lot to do with it,'' de Ferran said. ``He went to England in the late '60s to try Formula. He showed the way and a lot of Brazilian drivers followed. Then he switched his whole career to America and showed the path once again. ``He showed you can have a very, very viable career at the top of the motor-racing world right here.'' Andrew Craig, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of IndyCar, said there are more markets to conquer. The series broke new ground when a stop in Australia was added to the circuit in 1991. Then came Brazil. Next is Japan and then Europe before the turn of the millennium in a never-ending search for sponsors and fans. Mexican driver Adrian Fernandez called it a ``revolution.'' However, Craig said emphatically that IndyCar is not trying to mimic Formula One. ``There's an important difference between us and Formula One,'' he said. ``They have an international championship, we have an American championship with a unique style and personality. ``. . . We want to bring the attractions of an American product overseas and then come home, not set up an international series per se.'' Rookie Alex Zanardi Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi, (born October 23, 1966 in Bologna, Italy), is an Italian racing driver. He won two CART championship titles in North America during the late 1990s. He also had a less successful career as a Formula One driver. , the only Italian on the circuit, certainly is a believer. He drove Formula One for parts of three-plus years as a test driver and replacement driver but never found a home. Finally, he turned to IndyCar and has no plans to turn away. After three races, he's second in the Rookie of the Year Rookie of the Year may refer to:
``It would be easy for me to say that IndyCar racing is better than Formula One. Everything looks rosy when you're doing well,'' he said. ``We European drivers think of Formula One when we get involved in racing. It's a very good series. ``Then you wake up one day and realize, `Hey, the IndyCar series is also really something special, it's nothing less, nothing more than Formula One, but special.' It's right for me. ``Right now, I have no interest in Formula One.'' INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR Of the 27 big-name drivers on the IndyCar circuit, 16 are from outside the United States. The foreign drivers break down this way: Brazil (six): Raul Boesel Raul de Mesquita Boesel (born December 4 1957 in Curitiba, Brazil) is a former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League. , Gil de Ferran, Christian Fittipaldi, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mauricio Gugelmin Mauricio Gugelmin (born April 20, 1963 in Joinville) is a former racing driver from Brazil. He took part in both Formula One and the Champ Car World Series. He participated in 80 Formula One grands prix, debuting in 1988 for the March team. , Andre Ribeiro Canada (three): Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (b. December 20 1959 in Toronto, Ontario) is a former race car driver from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Goodyear ran the IRL and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. , Greg Moore Greg Moore may refer to:
Argentina (one): Juan Manuel Fangio II Juan Manuel Fangio II, or, in traditional English, Juan Manuel Fangio Jr. (born September 19, 1956 in Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a former auto racing champion and the nephew of legendary auto racer Juan Manuel Fangio. Chile (one): Eliseo Salazar Great Britain (one): Mark Blundell Italy (one): Alex Zanardi Japan (one): Hiro Matsushita Mexico (one): Adrian Fernandez Sweden (one): Stefan Johansson The major American drivers are: Michael Andretti, Robby Gordon, Bryan Herta, Parker Johnstone, P.J. Jones, Jeff Krosnoff, Eddie Lawson, Scott Pruett, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr. and Jimmy Vasser. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: (color) DE FERRIAN BOX: INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR (s ee text) |
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