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Post by Senninha on Mar 4, 2002 17:56:44 GMT -5
I think we're well overdue something on this thread, and I've just found this... I'm sure it doesn't mean much to most of you.. but I was absolutely gobsmacked!!! I'm not convinced it's true yet but anyway....  PANTANO DROPPED BY SUPERNOVA by Tim Gray - 03/03/2002 Discuss this in our forum E-Mail the author Giorgio Pantano's management team say they will launch legal action against the SuperNova team on Monday morning, after the team announced it would not fulfil the Italian's contract. Pantano's manager, Lar-Christian Brask received a fax from David Sears on Friday afternoon saying that SuperNova could not afford Pantano for the 2002 because it had failed to find enough sponsorship. Pantano had originally been tipped to drive alongside Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais in the team, although earlier this year there were rumours that Bourdais had not signed because the team needed money from pay-driver Tiago Monteiro. Pantano, who was also thought to be bringing sponsorship to the team, signed a race contract several weeks ago. |
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Post by Henrik on Mar 7, 2002 5:37:53 GMT -5
Hi Senn!
Good to see somebody else is following the F3000. It is after all a good showcase for for future F1 drivers.
Must say I am surprised about Pantano. I had also heard about Bourdais, and thought that was a done deal. As to Tiago, do you know if he is actually signed to SuperNova or not. I know he did some tests for them, and produced some good lap times.
Henrik
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Post by Senninha on Mar 7, 2002 17:04:52 GMT -5
Hi Henrik!! Yeah, I love my F3000!!!  It's probably my 3rd/4th fave motorsport (depends whether I like CART more sometimes... hmmmm, and FFordsters.. oooh..) Definitely behind F1 and F3, but yeah, there are times when it beats F1 (like Malesia 99, Silverstone 98... and OBVIOUSLY Hockenheim last year!! Biased, me??!!  lol)... Where was I?? Ah yes, the first post was from www.formula-3000.net, which is generally accurate, but they tend to post a lot of rumours and it's often difficult to work out whether you're reading a rumour or fact... The following is from autosport... Pantano seeks court injunction
F3000 star angered after missing out on Super Nova drive
The management team of F3000 ace Giorgio Pantano are seeking a court injunction to restrain any driver from filling the seat at Super Nova for which they believe the Italian was contracted.
The three-times champions have chosen French star Sebastien Bourdais and Portuguese rookie Tiago Monteiro for this season, after a winter-long battle between the three drivers for the two available seats.
It appears that Pantano, who won the final race of the 2001 season at Monza, had signed a contract with the team, but it was terminated on March 1.
"We still believe that with the terms of the contract, and as a race team, Super Nova were the top option for Giorgio in 2002," said Lars-Christian Brask, chairman of Pantano's management team. "The way we were ultimately treated leaves us very disappointed from a professional and ethical point of view."
Super Nova boss David Sears admitted that their decision was based on the Italian's inability to attract sufficient sponsorship.
"The idea of the agreement with Pantano was made in consideration of us attracting a team sponsor, but this has not happened," he told AUTOSPORT. "We cannot run someone on thin air. We will fight in court. It's a shame because Pantano's talented and a nice guy."
An in-depth interview with Bourdais appears in this week's AUTOSPORT, on sale tomorrow (Thursday)
That looks like Tiago's gone to me, unless Pantano's people (is that like Pan's People!!!?? lol!!) do soemthing to prevent him for taking up his seat, which seems unfair on Tiago really, but y'know, you can understand why... ah well... I think Bourdais is definitely there though.... if not there should always be a place for one of them at EuroNova (with Sospiri running it in Euro3000), but obviously that's not quite the same, although maybe it would be a decent progression for Monteiro... Who knows??? |
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Post by Henrik on Mar 8, 2002 2:39:03 GMT -5
Ah well, I take that F1 driver politics is spilling over to F3000. Sounds a bit like what happened to Verstappen. I do believe Tiago has talent and deserves a good drive though.
I will be following closely this year the Formula Nissan as well. This seems to be a very promising series, and should be able to attract some good drivers. The chassis they have developed is looking good, and I would think this series can become a very serious option to F3000. It's always good when they get a constructor to back a series this way, sort of like the Toyota Atlantic (although they race four in-lines and the Nissan is a V6).
In any case, I'm set to be in Valencia for the first race in May this year.
Henrik
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Post by Senninha on Mar 11, 2002 12:06:33 GMT -5
Yeah, I think much of it is a case of too many good drivers chasing too few seats... just a pity one has to be left out in the cold.... none of the three I think deserve it...
I can't wait for the Super Formula Nissan!! Unfortunately it seems that, like with the 'smaller' version last year, I won't be able to see much of it, but if the past races of Formula Nissan at Donington are anything to go by.. it should be awesome.. they seem to be gathering a large number of fairly decent drivers too, and hopefully this will mean higher promotion, and with any luck a 'return' to Donington... I sooo missed it last year... I know it;s not the same, but it is really, just better...
RPM (the series organisers) seem to know their stuff too. Its nice to see them providing a 'cheap' series for drivers to race in, which offers good racing, relatively high tech cars (at F3000 speeds) and fairer racing (with the engine changes etc). They also have good prize money - I remember the Open Telefonica race winner (alonso as it turns out) recieved 1 million pesetas... which is pretty decent prize money or what?!
I read that Justin Wilson, Darren Manning, Darren Turner, Marc Hynes and Damien Faulkner are among the drivers looking at seats in the series for this year.... that would be nice to see...
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Post by Henrik on Mar 23, 2002 15:27:09 GMT -5
Senn,
I just read that Pantano has signed with Colani. So, he'll get a drive afterall, just don't know how good it will be.
Well, at least he will be racing.
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Post by greg99 on Apr 6, 2002 11:02:05 GMT -5
Hi Senn I was in a meeting recently with the Swiss Automobile authorities and they mentioned that F3000 faced the same fate as Indy Lights, i.e. this championship is on its way out (Indy Lights is gone now). I haven't read anything anywhere about that (but maybe I wasn't looking in the right places  ) and I was wondering if you feel it could be happening. Just to come back on the Open Telefonica prize money, 1 million pesetas is about £3'700. Just for sake of comparison, in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, the winner gets - per race - 25'000 US$, the runner up gets 14'000 US$, and so on until the 20th who still gets 1'100 US$. But there's better yet: in CART, the winner of the last race of the season (Fontana, Calif.) gets 1 MILLION US$ - how about that? BTW, do you plan on going to Rockingham this year? There's a fair chance I'll be there, with or without Henrik Til soon |
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Post by Senninha on Apr 9, 2002 7:44:29 GMT -5
Hello Mrs Henrik! Hmmm, I think I thought that a million pesetas was a bit more than that... but hey, thats still more than most (if not all) the British series are here...... Anyway, back to F3000.... Hmmm, dunno about the same fate as Indy Lights.. the grids are certainly looking that way... 20 cars is usually a bad sign... however, you only have to look at the way Formula Renault and British F3 have gone since the promotion of Button and Raikkonen.. the Renault grid now has something like 36 cars and when Kimi made his debut in 99 there were only about 15 (if I remember)... I think part of that was about Kimi, partially the successful revamp into FR2000 in 2000... who knows?? Hopefully F3000 will have that sort of result... I think it only takes a few drivers to think it is a good idea... and then everyone wants a go... I think though it's up to the teams to make sure they don't overcharge for the seats... in saying that, they seem to have a pretty strong grid in terms of driver talent this season, so hopefully that can save them... it remains to be seen however as to how well the new Nissan series goes... if they put it in direct competition then sooner of later one will go... I think what can only happen there is that we would end up with a new version of F3000.. I think there will always be something in that place relative to F1... whether it will be F3000 as we know it now, I don't know.... only time will tell.... As for Rockingham, I assume you mean CART , I'm thinking it's going to be unlikely, but hey... if I'm not otherwise occupied on the first practice day, I could end up going then... but the whole weekend is probably financially unviable.... and there are sooooo many other cool motor races to visit this year... and when you can go to the DTM at Donington, a Super Racing Weekend at Donington (F3,GT,BTCC,FR2000,FFord etc etc etc), an F3 meeting with Eurosports Super Racing weekend on at the same time and also British GTs... ALL of the above, for the same price as race day at Rockingham (unless they've lowered the prices???)... It's not looking likely... for me anyway... oooh, did I mention EuroF3000 as well.. with CIK Karts... that too... But if I can get to the practice day,.. I'll let you know... it'd be good if it doesn;t rain again... and if they've sorted out the weepers.... Later, Senninha!!! |
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Post by Henrik on Apr 9, 2002 8:31:42 GMT -5
That sounds like some mouth-watering race weekends there Senninha!
About pricing at Rockingham for the CART race, I have heard that they will be lowering the prices considerably for this year, like half price from last year. However, they keep pushing back the date for publicly announcing the prices for 2002, so I really can't confirm.
One thing though, last year, on race day, the tickets at the entrance were selling for like £30 for the grandstands!
So, if you are not too far away from the track, it might be an idea just to go on the morning of the race day and get a ticket on site.
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Post by pabs on Apr 9, 2002 15:34:23 GMT -5
Hey Senn,
Not about F3000, but rather F3. One of my friends keeps talking about some kid Billy Asaro. He's Canadian I guess and he is in the lower category in F3. Have you heard of him?
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Post by Senninha on Apr 11, 2002 7:35:39 GMT -5
One thing though, last year, on race day, the tickets at the entrance were selling for like £30 for the grandstands! So, if you are not too far away from the track, it might be an idea just to go on the morning of the race day and get a ticket on site. I think I remember something about that too... I also remember them letting people in free (whether unintentional or not I don't know) into the paddock throughout the weekend, which was particualrly frustrating AND annoying when you'd paid for it yourself... Yeah, I remember that.. also, with the supporters clud (which I joined to get cheaper tickets), last year we'd booked early, got the discounts good seats etc... only to find out you could get into the £85 grandstands on race day with a bit of paper they'd sent everyone, for £25!!! And the security there was ridiculous, once you were in the circuit, you coud practically have sat anywhere... you may as well have paid the £25, and sat in ANY grandstand.. for example, my sister was there working, and she came up into the grandstand (for which she had NO ticket) and sat with us for a while, and no one even checked...... Maybe I'll just climb over the fences this year, and get in for free!!!! As for being close.... well, it's about a 2 and half hour drive if you follow the road signs... make it 2 hours if you go the way you'd already planned!!! (we found that to our cost at the winter series last year...) |
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Post by Senninha on Apr 11, 2002 7:46:25 GMT -5
Hey Senn, Not about F3000, but rather F3. One of my friends keeps talking about some kid Billy Asaro. He's Canadian I guess and he is in the lower category in F3. Have you heard of him? Asaro seems to be an interesting one. He's currently running in the Scholarship class in British F3, yes. Unfortunatley I know nothing about his as yet, but he seemed very fast compared to his teammate Adam Carroll (who I thought was also pretty fast last year in FFord). A pity that Asaro didn't get into the second race, becasue of the increased grid sizes, his one lap time of about 8 minutes (I think he had a cracked tub of something, and thats why he couldn't start the restarted race either) didn't get him in. Carroll came from the back of that race to win his class that time, so it seems the team has got it together.. unfortunately Brands hasn't shown as a result to be anywhere near good enough to judge him on... so I dunno yet... Donington this weekend should be a different matter, but certainly he is in a position to be able to challenge for the championship in the class, unfortunately he will not recieve the same prize money from the BRDC that helped Robbie Kerr graduate to the championship class this year (you have to be British for that)... But should Robbie Kerr (more so ADR - I have my doubts over them mounting a full season challenge) prove true championship contenders, then whatever he does (providing he lives to his potential) he could be propelled to much bigger heights in the future... you don't seem to get many Canadians in these parts... |
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Post by julio_montoya on Apr 11, 2002 18:59:27 GMT -5
Hey, Billy Asaro is the best. He is one of my friends in Canada. I met him a couple of weeks back. And we talk by email every week. He is a great guy. And i like him allot. And he has the talent to make it into Formula one.
Here is a little about him.
A graduate of karting, Billy Asaro is climbing the racing ladder with aspirations of reaching the top. From his first kart race, Billy showed an incredible desire to go fast. That desire, backed by immense talent and unyielding determination has made him stand out as developing star.
He's been a regular spectator at the Molson Indy Toronto since it's inception in 1986 and recalls being a serious autograph hound. "Once, I even walked in on a Team Penske meeting to get Paul Tracy's autograph," he remembers with a grin.
He rapidly ascended through the ranks and finished his karting years by winning the 1997 Canadian Grand National Championship in the elite Formula A division.
From karting, Billy moved on to La Filiere (Elf Campus), a French racing school often regarded as the world's best. In fact, just getting a test with at La Filiere is a huge achievement.
In 1999, he returned to Canada where he entered the Canadian Formula Ford Championships, an eight-race championship bases in Ontario and Quebec. Billy was fast from the outset and soon the Canadian racing community was buzzing with his name.
At just seventeen years of age, Billy made a huge impression by winning three of the first four races and, had it not been for a faulty electrical connector, he would won four straight.
Ironically, it was the race he did not win that resulted in widespread popularity. In Montreal, in front of a Formula One crowd, Billy had led every lap and built a massive lead when his lifeless car coasted around the final corners and ground to a halt short of the finish line. Down, but not out and determined to finish the race, he sprang from the cockpit and began to push his car toward the finish as the rest of the field finally roared past. Billy didn't make it to the line, but the passionate crowd appreciated the effort and gave him a well-deserved standing ovation before flooding the paddock looking for his autograph.
Billy received a call from Forsythe who extended a generous offer to join Forsythe Racing's Development team and work toward a career in CART.
Billy was very successful in USF2000 with Key Motorsport as he won the 2000 oval crown.
This year, competing in the British Formula Three series with Sweeney Racing, Billy will become known to some of the world's most enthusiastic race fans. Furthermore, racing in England he's close to the hub of the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula One. For many years now, Formula One teams have looked to Formula Three for the next big thing. Many of the world's top stars - Senna, Coulthard, Hakkinen, Stewart, Button, Sato - graduated to the top echelon via Formula Three and Billy hopes to add his name to that prestigious list.
Billy Asaro is a amazing driver. And in my mind there is no doubt that he will make it to F1. I have his autograph on a f ford picture. Should be worth quite a bundle when he is in F1. LOL
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Post by Henrik on Apr 15, 2002 2:52:29 GMT -5
Senninha, It seems they made the right decision in hiring Bourdais. He was doing well in Brazil, and on top of winning the race this weekend, he also won the FIA GT race in Barcelona last weekend. Bourdais is on a roll!!  I wonder if Renault want to get a French driver for next year? |
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Post by Henrik on Apr 15, 2002 2:54:06 GMT -5
Oh, and I forgot to add a little rant! Seems the FIA pushed the TV fees too high for the F3000 races this year. So, Eurosport is no longer transmitting them.  It was fun last year to see some racing action... |
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Don't Die Before You Live...
It's probably my 3rd/4th fave motorsport (depends whether I like CART more sometimes... hmmmm, and FFordsters.. oooh..) Definitely behind F1 and F3, but yeah, there are times when it beats F1 (like Malesia 99, Silverstone 98... and OBVIOUSLY Hockenheim last year!! Biased, me??!! 
I wish I could fly
