rpm.espn.com: Driver, team movement likely

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Tuesday, September 10

Driver, team movement likely
By Jack Arute
ESPN.com

Jack Arute There's more talk in the IRL garage than just the torrid championship battle. There are a number of potential teams -- expansions, new operations and transfers from CART. There are also some changes set for this weekend's finale at Texas Motor Speedway.

Gil de Ferran will not answer the call to start engines at Texas due to injuries suffered at Chicagoland. It is important that de Ferran's car be in Texas to provide a drafting partner for points-chasing teammate Helio Castroneves.

Max Papis is the rumored replacement. The CART, F1, F3 and F3000 veteran has some IRL experience. He was part of Eddie Cheever's team for the Indy 500, where he started 18th and finished 23rd.

The three-car Kelley Racing effort that has been in place since Al Unser Jr.'s return from rehab looks to be a certainty for 2003. Scott Sharp and Unser will get Tony Renna as their permanent teammate.

Final negotiations are underway for Renna's sponsorship and a formal announcement is expected after this weekend's Chevy 500.

The other rumors include several CART teams that seem closer to aligning their efforts with the IRL in 2003.

Mo Nunn Racing has split its teams this season -- Felipe Giaffone in the IRL and Tony Kanaan in CART. Next year, both will move to the IRL with Pioneer expected to arrive with Kanaan. The addition of Kanaan will help Giaffone at the 1½-mile tracks where he has often found himself without a drafting partner.

Kannan gets a chance to right the perceived wrong he suffered when he spun in Bruno Junqueira's gearbox grease in this year's Indy 500.

Meanwhile, Michael Andretti's newly purchased Team Green outfit remains on the fence. It is certain it will be at the Indy 500 trying to give Andretti his first 500 win, but who will drive and where remains subject to speculation.

Current Team KOOL Green shoe Dario Franchitti was thought to be headed to CART's Newman/Haas Racing as a replacement for Cristiano da Matta, but now that seems to be on hold after the current points leader seems not to be heading to Formula One.

"I think I'm staying," Da Matta told National Speed Sport News at the Denver Grand Prix. "They (F1) don't respect who we are or what we do here. They don't want to pay. And they keep talking about me being a test driver instead of a race driver."

Franchitti could still end up in Mario Andretti's satellite Newman/Haas operation in CART, but he also could follow Michael to the IRL -- something he would prefer not to do.

Forsythe/Player's Racing's Patrick Carpentier has also talked to a number of IRL teams about his services, but likely will stay part of Gerald Forsythe's CART operation unless the biggest rumor comes to fruition.

Last week, sources inside Chip Ganassi's shop were told they would be switching from CART to the IRL in 2003. The crew members were told to plan accordingly and to also get ready for a four-car assault on both the Indy 500 and the entire IRL '03 schedule.

Who will drive three of the cars remains a mystery. Jeff Ward, who has carried Ganassi's banner in the IRL this year, is expected to return, but his CART driving stable of Kenny Brack, Junqueira and Scott Dixon are less than guaranteed IRL transfers.

Junqueira apparently has a deal to replace NASCAR-bound Christian Fittipaldi at Newman/Haas and Dixon, who was added to Ganassi's team with a $1.5 million support check from CART, is a free agent who may follow Ganassi to the IRL if offered the chance.

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