IMSA GT3 Cup series to support USGP; Ferrari quick as winter testing starts
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Dec. 1, 2006 – The IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Michelin will conduct two support races June 16-17 during the 2007 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A 30-minute race is scheduled for Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 on the 2.605-mile IMS road course. The two races are part of an 11-round schedule for the series.
The largest single-make series in North America, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge gives top semi-professional and gentlemen drivers from the United States and North America the opportunity to compete in the world’s most successful GT3 sports car – the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer. Fields in 2006 exceeded 45 entries, and series organizers expect at least 50 entries for each race in 2006.
All competitors in the series, entering its third season, will field the new Type 997 cars from Porsche in 2007. The purpose-built race cars, based on the Porsche 997 body style, will have sealed engines and transmissions, providing for close racing where the driver’s talents are exemplified.
Details about other USGP support events will be announced later.
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Speed, other F1 drivers back on track: California native Scott Speed and many other Formula One drivers are back on the track as the teams begin preparing for 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship season that includes the eighth annual United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 17.
The testing ban that has been in place since the 2006 season finale Oct. 22 in Brazil is over, and all of the F1 teams except Spyker headed to Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya for a three-day test session that ended Nov. 30.
Speed racked up a total of 206 laps over the three days in his Scuderia Toro Rosso. That equates to more than three full Grand Prix distances at the Spanish circuit.
In 2007, all teams will use Bridgestone tires. This was the first chance that teams running Michelin tires in 2006, including Toro Rosso, had to try out the new Bridgestones.
“Our aim was to understand all the implications of switching to a new tire supplier,” Toro Rosso Chief Engineer Laurent Mekies said. “Bridgestone seems to be making a big effort despite the lack of competition.
“We carried out some fairly basic tests as it was our first run on these tires, and there were no bad surprises. It was vital to try and separate the results of car performance and tire performance, in order to understand what data will still be relevant when we run with next year’s car.
“The drivers also had to adapt their driving styles to suit the new rubber.”
There will be two more test sessions before the end of the year, Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-15, at the Jerez track in Spain.
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Ferrari quickest: Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, who won two races and finished second in the United States Grand Prix in 2006, set the quickest lap times on the first two days of the Barcelona test.
Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer posted the fastest time on the third day.
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Hakkinen back in F1: Mika Hakkinen, World Champion in 1998 and 1999 and winner of the 2001 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, drove a F1 car in earnest for the first time since he retired from F1 at the end of 2001.
He spent Nov. 30 at Barcelona testing with his old team, McLaren-Mercedes.
“It has been an exciting day for me, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to drive a F1 car after a five-year break,” said Hakkinen, 38. “I spent the morning really acclimatizing to the environment of the cockpit again and just getting to grips with driving a 2006 car.
“I didn’t expect to be quick straight away, and Barcelona is, of course, a hard track on both the car and driver. It took several laps before I was up to speed, but we were all expecting this to be the case.”
Hakkinen set the slowest time of the 18 drivers on the track that day but did a respectable job considering he has been out of F1 for five years and the cars have changed considerably in that time.
He may test for McLaren-Mercedes again, and while there are no plans for him to race in F1, he may become a consultant for the team.
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Schumacher remains involved with Ferrari: Seven-time World Champion and five-time United States Grand Prix winner Michael Schumacher will continue his association with Ferrari.
He drove for the team from 1996 until he retired at the end of the 2006 season. His new role at Ferrari will be as an advisor to the F1 team, including assisting in driver choice, and as a consultant on Ferrari’s road car design and development.
“Even if he won’t be inside the cockpit, his experience and his professionalism will be very useful for the future of Ferrari,” Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo said. “I’m very happy that Michael will continue to work with us and to share our choices and contributing to them and this is important. Michael will be (Jean) Todt’s de-facto super assistant for certain things.”
At the moment, Schumacher is taking it easy and enjoying his retirement.
“The last 16 years of my life have been completely organized and planned out,” he said, “so now I’d just like to go with the flow for a while.”
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2007 USGP tickets: Reserved Race Day and three-day “Season Passes” for the 2007 United States Grand Prix, June 15-17, are on sale to all customers.
The first 2,500 customers to purchase at least two Race Day reserved tickets or a pair of four-day “Season Pass” tickets from Nov. 1-Dec. 15 will be mailed the Official Formula One Season Review 2006. This is the only opportunity for fans in the United States to get this special full-color book – a $40 value – that features a detailed recap of all 18 Grands Prix in this exciting season, including the USGP.
Ticket information can be found any time at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-4639 or (317) 492-6700. Ticket Office hours are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
