The sporting and economic conditions confronting Champ Car teams and manufacturers are different than they were a year or two ago, but Lola Cars is set to build on its championship-winning success.

When the green flag drops for the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season opener in St. Petersburg in nearly seven weeks, Lola expects to equip around three quarters of the Ford-Cosworth-powered field.

Despite the chassis freeze instituted by CART in 2002, Lola currently has 10 new B2/00 chassis on its production line in Huntingdon, England, to meet demand. In addition, the Lola works has its hands full converting the existing B2/00 chassis that were originally configured for Honda or Toyota engines to mate with the universal Ford-Cosworth XFE engine that will be used by all teams in 2003.

"It's very hectic at the factory," confirmed Jeff Swartwout, who runs Lola's U.S. Champ Car office in Indianapolis. "There are a lot of chassis being converted, but it's a straightforward process to get them re-jigged. Invariably when the tubs are already back at the factory, they find superficial repairs that are needed after a year of bashing over curbs and bumps. So it's a good opportunity to have that work done."