PORTLAND -- As the Champ Cars prepare for Sunday's G.I. Joe's 200, the talk of the paddock was the speculation on Bernie Ecclestone's purchase of CART and why ex-CART star Dario Franchitti opted for surgery in the middle of the season.

Since Bernard (that's how CART CEO Chris Pook refers to the Formula One chief) couldn't be reached for comment and Pook wasn't giving out any new information since it was announced CART was for sale last Monday, the Franchitti story drew plenty of comment.

After missing three races with a fracture in his back suffered in a motorcycle accident in April, Franchitti returned to Indy Racing League competition last Sunday in fine fashion -- finishing fourth.

Then the 30-year-old Scotsman announced last Wednesday he'd decided to undergo surgery and forego the final 10 races of 2003.

Naturally, some of his friends in CART offered several theories as to why he'd suddenly pulled the plug.

"Michael Andretti is already out of money and asked Dario if he'd mind having that operation right now so the team could finish out the season," said one driver.

"Dario is done with the IRL, it's way too dangerous and he's a road racer anyway. He'll be back in CART next year," offered another competitor.

"He's got a Lloyd's of London insurance policy that pays him more money to sit out than to drive," was another opinion.

Ah, but it turns out it wasn't anything so dramatic for the highest paid driver in American open-wheel racing.

	Franchitti will miss the remainder of the IndyCar season.

"I talked with Terry (Dr. Terry Trammell) about having the operation before I got back in the car and I talked to him a bit more after Texas and we decided it just made sense to do it now and not take any more chances," said Franchitti on Friday night from his home in Tennessee.

"I'm not in any discomfort and I feel fine but this is something that needs to be addressed."

Trammell, the orthopedic wizard who's been putting race drivers back together for 20 years, said Franchitti's situation hasn't changed since he first saw the X-rays in late April .

"His fracture healed sufficiently to allow him to resume racing and there is no greater risk of recurrent injury," said Trammell, overseeing the medical team here for this weekend's CART show.

"But the main issue here is exposure. There's a high propensity for spinal injury in rearward directed high impacts in single seat, open-cockpit, open-wheeled racing. Because of the exposure risk, I encouraged Dario to consider avoiding this risk and undergo surgery.

"He's in no discomfort or pain and that makes it hard. But he really didn't think about what this meant until I explained it to him."

Of course, the all-oval track IRL breeds big hits with its speed and close quarters racing. Of the 86 drivers injured since 1996, 75 percent of them have suffered head, neck or back injuries.

"The nature of those accidents are to break traction and go backwards into the wall," continued Trammell, who has treated several IRL drivers during the past eight years. "If Dario was to have another injury, it would have a much higher risk of being catastrophic.

"That particular form of racing and those circuits have that problem. It's not an indictment, it's simply a fact."

Franchitti, who commands a $5.5. million retainer but has an insurance policy on himself in case of being disabled, said the reaction from car owner Andretti made him feel appreciated.

"It was unbelievable," he said. "Michael said exactly what I hoped he would, that he'd have a car for me next year if I wanted it. That made me feel much better."

As will the surgery, which Trammell hopes to perform early next month. "The point of surgery is that he can go back racing with the same risk as everyone else," he said.

The Bernie file
Because CART remains a public entity and Pook isn't allowed to comment on prospective buyers, everyone has a theory about Ecclestone's possible involvement.

So here's an educated guess from an uneducated person.

Ecclestone will purchase 51 percent of the company and Gerry Forsythe, who currently owns 24 percent of the stock and co-owns the two-car Player's team, will wind up with 49 percent. They will take CART private within four weeks and have to raise at least $100 million to keep Champ Car on track in 2004.

Ecclestone doesn't have time to manage CART but has two loyal subjects already in place. David Clare, who spent eight years working for Ecclestone in Formula One, will continue as CART's COO and Normand Legault, who co-owns the Canadian Grand Prix with Ecclestone (in addition to promoting the CART race in Montreal) will take over Pook's job as CEO.

Pook will retire to Palm Springs and serve as a consultant, while Ecclestone's clout and business savvy will supposedly open doors and possibly attract some second tier engine manufacturers.

This still doesn't explain why Ecclestone wants to buy into another series but Pook has been way too happy lately so something is definitely going down.

Beside CART's stock.

Cozzie IRL report
Nobody from Cosworth or Panther Racing would comment on Friday's IRL test at Chicago but word is it was hugely successful.

Because Chevrolet has been totally out-classed by Toyota and Honda this season, it approached Cosworth about trying its 3.5-liter, normally-aspirated, never-been-run IRL engine.

Cosworth, which supplies all the turbocharged engines for CART's Champ Car series, provided Panther and Sam Hornish Jr. with an engine for a test. The two-time IRL champ, yet to lead a lap in 2003, reportedly trimmed out the Chevy and reached a top speed. Then he hopped into the Cosworth and, in only 10 laps, went five mph faster than the Chevy.

If GM wants to keep any customers for 2004, it's got to make the switch -- which would still need to be OK'd by the IRL.

More notes
Look for Bryan Herta to step into Franchitti's ride with Andretti-Green Racing for the remainder of 2003. The 32-year-old veteran subbed for Franchitti at Texas and finished fifth in his IRL debut. ... Jimmy Vasser will make his second Busch series start nect weekend at Milwaukee. He was running fifth in his debut at Daytona last February before being punted with two laps left. ... Kevin Blanch, crew chief for Hornish the past three years, is expected to become IRL technical chief following the Kansas City race.