More F1/CART drivers take to karts

[marcus]

Formula 1 ace Rubens Barrichello will be joined by a host of big names from the world of motorsport to compete in an endurance kart race in Sau Paulo next month.

The 500-mile event is to be held overnight starting on November 9 and has attracted some of the biggest drivers from several top series around the world.

Joining Barrichello in his three-man team will be Champ Car stars Christian Fittipaldi and Tony Kanaan, who will be fresh from competing in the CART championship finale at Fontana the previous weekend.

The trio head into the race as the team to beat having won the event twice before. Top of the list of likely rivals is Arrows Formula 1 driver Enrique Bernoldi, who heads up a Red Bull-backed team consisting of Jordan test driver Ricardo Zonta and Formula 3000 frontrunner Ricardo Mauricio.

Felipe Giaffone, whose family own the track which will host the event, will be partnered by former F1 man Ricardo Rosset and Flavio de Andrade, president of Souza Cruz, which owns Champ Car sponsor Hollywood cigarettes. Christianop da Matta, Raul Boesel and Mario Haberfeld are also expected to take part.

here is a pic of Rubens driving during the F1 kart event in france I believe.

[Stephen Green]

Let's hope that Sky or Eurosport tape it and show the race on UK TV!

[superbird]

Oh come on lets see some more F1 drivers taking part in actual top level events (as well as the charity ones, they just shouldn't be mistaken for being anything like what Schumacher achieved)

[hysen]

I'm all for F1 drivers coming back to race karts the only problem being that although Schumi's appearance at Kerpen raised kartings profile tremendously it did detract from the event. Certainly the TV coverage did anyway.......all camera's firmly focused on Schumacher they even managed to miss Perera(sp.?) being hit out of the lead.

[Stephen Green]

I can understand your worries as a purist, but if you manage to get TV coverage courtesy of Michael, then all the better for karting in general I would have thought. Johnny Herbert still does a few charity events each year, normally the Paris Bercy race and the one the other week at Monaco.

Oh well, if I were 20 years younger, no make that 30, and had the cash.......*dreams away to himself*

[philneast]

Yes I agree Stephen

on one of our local stations thay showed more seconds of karting in the news of the Micheal Schumacher story than they might show total of karting for the rest of the year.

I think it helps legitimise karting as real motorsport when sombody with the stature of the current F1 World Champion takes karting seriously.

Should be more of it.

[marcus]

yep i agree as well ..but you can understand the complaints if all the press was there filming Michael and not the drivers who may well be in F1 within 10 years or less..I wouldnt be too happy having all those reporters there and not have a chance of getting on the box.

but as you say it is a step in the right direction for the sport and hopefully this will encourage more top line drivers to have a crack at it.

[Stephen Green]

On the down side, an article on the front page of the Sports ection of today's Times newspaper slams the young kids who are karting in the UK for their parents unsportsmanlike behaviour. It cites instances of officials being abused both verbally and physically and is worth a read! Coincidentally, on the back page of the same newspaper is a very good article on Eddie Jordan.

[marcus]

unfortunately I have seen it time and time again Stephen ..some parents should just not be involved in their kids sports (no matter what sport it is) but to see it happening in a sport that i love is very disheartening and i have even been on the recieving end of it by a fellow competitors mother (who happened to be an official as well)..she ranted and raved and jumped up and down and threatened to disqualify me from the meeting (ohh like I care ) ..until her son walked up and said that it was his mistake that took us both off the track into the gravel trap ...was rather funny actually but at the same time I was not impressed ..and niether was the senior official who promptly sent her home.

[yelodwg]

Originally posted by marcus
The 500-mile event is to be held overnight starting on NOVEMBER 9 and has attracted some of the biggest drivers from several top series around the world.

Joining Barrichello in his three-man team will be Champ Car stars CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI and Tony Kanaan, who will be fresh from competing in the CART championship finale at Fontana the previous weekend.

Marcus, I just came across this article, http://sports.yahoo.com/rac/nascar/n...ittipaldi.html
I wonder if Christian will be getting lots of frequent flier miles, or will he have to bail to do qualifying for the Busch race?

Tom Stephens
www.kartfinder.com

[superbird]

On the down side, an article on the front page of the Sports ection of today's Times newspaper slams the young kids who are karting in the UK for their parents unsportsmanlike behaviour. It cites instances of officials being abused both verbally and physically and is worth a read!

Unfortunately for the writer, it's not at all accurate. He couldn't even get the name right of the owner of the country's most successful track, so I suppose it's not surprising that he's made the mistake (or told a deliberate untruth for journalistic effect) of thinking violence is commonplace in the sport in this country.

[Stephen Green]

Well Superbird, I have to admit to not seeing it myself, although I normally only marshal car races. In general people are well behaved in all forms of motorsport, but you will always get the one or two idiots wherever you go I guess.

[Stephen Green]

Maybe I should do a few more kart meetings? I don't live far from Buckmore Park. Problem, how do I explain being away every weekend to my wife?

[marcus]

well I guess we can rule Christian Fittipaldi out of this kart event then ..I doubt whether he will be flying between the two..shame really ..but at the same time I cant wait to see him in the Busch race..I just hope my Cable carrier will show it.

[yelodwg]

Marcus, my wife and I are looking forward to seeing Christian race. But if I had a choice, I'd MUCH rather watch a televised Brazil race with him in a kart than in a NASCAR!

We are having to get satellite as CART is changing to Speedvision next year and our cable company does not carry Speedvision.

Tom

[philneast]

Rubens Barrichello has won the Granja Viana 500 Miles race,
He was driving for the Tic-Tac team and his co-drivers were Tony Kanaan and Mario Haberfeld.


After Christian got pushed from behind and spun into the wall and out of the race he may have preferred to go karting.

[yelodwg]

Originally posted by philneast
After Christian got pushed from behind and spun into the wall and out of the race he may have preferred to go karting.

philneast, you'd think so, but check this out: http://sports.yahoo.com/rac/nascar/n...ittipaldi.html

He's not done yet!

Tom

[rlinter]

Originally posted by superbird
Oh come on lets see some more F1 drivers taking part in actual top level events (as well as the charity ones, they just shouldn't be mistaken for being anything like what Schumacher achieved)

Top Drivers will be taking part in the Pro-Am Charity Kart Challenge see the current hot topic for details or see karting.racinglines.com