Haberfeld shows what he's capable of

By Flagworld (Auto123.com),

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

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Brazilian again best of the Reynards

source: cart.com
Copyright © 2003, CART, Inc.

Nobody seemed to know much about Mario Haberfeld prior to the start of the 2003 Champ Car season. Sure, the media guide told us he was the 1998 British Formula 3 champion but his three-year F3000 stint hadn't bowled anyone over statistically.

The 27-year-old Brazilian was very much an unknown going into his debut at St. Petersburg. But evidently car owner Eric Bachelart had a good scouting report because Haberfeld has been the most pleasant surprise of the first half of 2003.

"Mario didn't have the best luck in F3000 but I knew he was talented and now he's back at his best again," said Bachelart after Haberfeld drove the MiJack-Conquest Racing Lola-Ford/Cosworth to fifth place in Sunday's Grand Prix of Monterey.

"He got everything out of that car. I'm very proud of him and this team."

That fifth follows a seventh at Milwaukee and a fourth in the season opener at St. Pete that leaves Haberfeld ninth in the point standings.

"I never lost my confidence, I knew I could do it but you don't enjoy racing so much when you're not running good," he said after starting sixth and winding up only 42 seconds behind winner Patrick Carpentier in a fast, caution-free sprint over the 2.2-mile grind of Laguna Seca. "You enjoy life when your racing is going well and things are good again."