Heats on in Miami for last race with Players name and logo
Team Players
Its been four weeks between Champ Car World Series races for Team Players
drivers Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier but the month-long break in the action
hasnt dulled their intensity leading into Sundays 135-lap Grand Prix Americas on
the 1.314-mile Miami street course.
The Miami race is highly significant in the history of Team Players because it
is the last time the familiar blue and white Team Players cars will bear the
Players logo. The full extent of Canadian government legislation banning tobacco
sponsorship comes into effect on October 1, and Players, which is ending its
sponsorship following the 2003 season, will be running without the Players logo
for the last three races. Team Players will announce shortly what design
features it is planning for its cars for the final three events.
For Tracy, the Miami race is the resumption of a torrid battle for the
driverschampionship, as he tries to extend his 18-point lead (204-186) over
Brazilian Bruno Junqueira, who closed the gap slightly in the last race with a
dominant performance on a short, tight and bumpy Denver street circuit that is
not unlike the Miami course.
Tracy is well aware that the Miami circuit poses a formidable challenge, but, as
his lead in the driversstandings would attest, he is used to racing on the edge
and emerging with strong results.
Miami can be a difficult ride, especially if you arent able to
get much grip,explained Tracy, who was knocked out of last years race while
running third in the closing laps. Youve got three turns in a row 4, 5 and 6
that are usually quite slick and going through them is like walking a tightrope.
But Im not one to drive tentatively, and with the championship on the line in
each of the four races we have left, Im going to try to continue to do
everything I can to squeeze the most out of every lap. Overall, Team Players has
had a lot of success on street courses this year, and theres no reason why that
shouldnt continue this weekend in Miami.
Tracy has won four street-course events this season, and in all four victories
he earned a front-row start. That type of starting position would be a huge plus
in Miami, where race-day passing is at a premium because of the short length of
the straights. Because of the short length of the track, qualifying will be
conducted in single file, and that could be Tracys advantage in a Team Players
car that has been among the best at running fast laps this season.
While the driverschampionship may be out of reach for the fifth-place
Carpentier, he is aiming to regain the fourth position currently held by French
rookie Sebastien Bourdais. I look at the rest of the schedule as a mini-season
of four races, and my objective is to get as many wins and podiums as I can, and
then well see where I end up in the standings once its over,he remarked. Weve
had some braking problems in the last couple of races, but Team Players has had
some time to work on that and things should be fine for Miami.
Carpentier, whose spinout on lap 35 ended his day at last years inaugural Grand
Prix Americas, added: You cant afford to lose your concentration for even a
split second on the Miami street course. Like a lot of street courses that we
race on, its bumpy and rather slippery. But thats just something you have to
cope with. And with the time off after our stretch of five races in six weeks,
Im focused and ready to go.
Racing fans can follow Team Players progress at Grand Prix
Americas throughout the weekend by logging on to the teams website at:
www.teamplayers.ca
They can also watch the race on The Sports Network on tape
delay at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.