NASCAR

Ganassi's The Go

While the schedule remains fairly static, and most of the leading drivers have remained with the same teams as 2002, this doesn't mean 2003 will be a repeat of 2002 for the NASCAR Winston Cup series. The most significant news, and one that is quite likely to lead to debate during the season, is an attempt by NASCAR to further standardise the cars in the series by instituting a common body mounting point for all four manufacturers. As well as the common mounting points, changes have also been made to standardize the size of front and rear spoilers. On top of this, Pontiac and Chevrolet have introduced 2003 models of their Grand Prix and Monte Carlo respectively.

Also changing during the off-season is the make of car several of the teams will use next year. After several years with Pontiac, garnering Bobby Labonte in 2000 and Tony Stewart this year a Winston Cup title each, Joe Gibbs will return to Chevrolet for the 2003 season. The other big manufacturer switch is by Penske, who will switch from Ford to Dodge next year. Other teams to switch makes include AJ Foyt from Pontiac to Dodge, PPI from Ford to Pontiac and Morgan McClure will leave Chevrolet after twelve years to switch to Pontiac.

Finally, a few drivers are off to new homes while there are a gaggle of drivers joining the series, while the only major departure appears to be Jimmy Spencer. Biggest news is the swap between Wood Brothers and Robert Yates and their drivers Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler, Sadler joining Yates as Rudd joins the Wood Brothers. Joe Nemechek stays in the #25 car vacated by Jerry Nadeau partway during 2002, as Nadeau finds a home at MB2, replacing Ken Schrader, who has found a home at Andy Petree Racing providing sponsorship can be found. Long time Craftsman truck series regular including three time champ Jack Sprague, who finished fifth in the 2002 Busch series, will make the step up to Winston Cup with Haas CNC Racing with technical support from Hendrick Motorsports, Sprague's long-time entrant.

Jack Roush's garage will expand again in 2003, as it makes room for the 2002 Busch series champ Greg Biffle whose 2002 Busch series title followed from his 2001 Busch series Rookie of the Year title, following on from a similar combo of Rookie of the Year and championship success in 1998 and 2000 in the Craftsman truck series. Meanwhile Chip Ganassi will field three cars in 2003, thanks to Havoline coming to the party after the Ricky Rudd/Robert Yates relationship broke up. In those three cars it will field Sterling Marlin, who led the 2002 Winston Cup title race for a considerable length of time before his late-season injury, as well as two young drivers, Jamie McMurray, who stunningly won his second Winston Cup start while substituting for Marlin, and Casey Mears, nephew of open-wheel great Rick Mears and son of Roger Mears. Mears spent several years in open wheel cars, including finishing second in the 1999 Indy Lights championship before switching to the Busch series for 2002.

Talking of open wheel drivers, 2003 will see a limited Winston Cup campaign for Christian Fittipaldi, the son of Wilson Fittipaldi and nephew of the great Emerson Fittipaldi, two-time F1 champ, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1989 CART champion. After winning the F3000 title in 1990, Christian enjoyed limited success in Formula One before switching to CART, where his results improved but never really hit the heights many expected of him. During 2003 Fittipaldi will compete in a limited number of events in the ARCA, Busch and Winston Cup series in preparation for a full Winston Cup season in 2004.

As usual, the 2003 NASCAR season begins at Daytona, with the Budweiser Shootout on February 9, the twin 125 qualifying races on February 13 and the main event, the Daytona 500 on February 16.

  Motorcycles

Double Duty For Ducati

The 2003 MotoGP season promises to be a great season. Then again so did 2002, and that ended up being a Rossi/Honda benefit. There are reasons that suggest such Rossi domination is less likely to occur in 2003 however. Riders heading left, right and centre while two new manufacturers enter the series almost guarantee that 2003 will be more exciting than 2002 was.

Honda will field more of its title-winning RC211Vs in 2003. 2002 MotoGP champ Valentino Rossi and 2002 AMA Superbike winner Nicky Hayden will ride for the Repsol Honda factory team, while Max Biaggi returns to Honda and teams up with former Honda factory rider Tohru Ukawa to ride for the Honda Pons semi-factory effort. Sete Gibernau also returns to Honda, bringing Telefonica backing with him from Suzuki to join 2001 250cc champ and 2002 MotoGP rookie of the year Daijiro Kato at Gresini.

Yamaha have also changed their line-up for 2003. Carlos Checa is joined by 2002 250cc champion Marco Melandri at the newly renamed Fortuna Yamaha team, now that Marlboro have left to sponsor Ducati. Also on factory Yamahas will be the winner of two MotoGP rounds in 2002, Alex Barros, with 2000 250cc champ Olivier Jacque alongside at Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3, with 2001 Tech 3 rider Shinya Nakano replacing Norick Abe at D'Antin. All riders will be riding the YZR-M1 that won two races in the hands of Max Biaggi in 2002.

Aprilia have scored quite a coup by snaring 2000 and 2002 Superbike champ Colin Edwards away from Honda, who will have Noriyuki Haga alongside him at Aprilia, Haga returning to the series after riding 500cc for Red Bull Yamaha in 2001. 2001 Superbike champ Troy Bayliss is also on his way to MotoGP with Italian powerhouse Ducati, Ducati making their MotoGP debut, with twice 125cc and once 250cc world champ Loris Capirossi as his teammate. Kawasaki will field a pair of Aussies, with Garry McCoy and 2001 Supersport champ Andrew Pitt on their four-cylinder Ninja machines as they return to FIM ranks for the first time in a long time.

Kenny Roberts stays at Suzuki to be joined by fellow American John Hopkins, who had an impressive debut year at Red Bull Yamaha in 2002. The Proton KR team, with a new five-cylinder engine still under development for the bike to debut at the start of the 2003 season, will again have Nobuatsu Aoki and Jeremy McWilliams as the team's riders. Last but not least (hopefully) is the Harris WCM effort, who are designing a new MotoGP prototype with a much modified Yamaha R1-based engine. No riders are given at this stage and the team are going to be working very hard to make it to the first round of the season.

With all the happenings in MotoGP, the World Superbike Championship has taken a bit of a hit. Several top riders have joined MotoGP, Ducati has joined MotoGP while remaining in superbikes, Aprilia's involvement is shaky, Kawasaki has left superbikes to join MotoGP while Yamaha have also left the series. However, there is some good news, especially for those riders remaining, with a better chance than before to make it to the top, while the Foggy Petronas team is finally hoping to make their debut after originally planning to do so during 2002.

Both Aprilia and Benelli's involvement in the 2003 season depends on finding enough sponsorship, each team possibly fielding a single bike. On the other hand, Ducati will be out there in force, with Neil Hodgson stepping up from the HM Plant team to join the factory team alongside Ruben Xaus, the only riders on the dramatically different looking all-new 999. Taking Hodgson's place at HM Plant will be former Suzuki rider Chris Walker, joining the impressive 2001 rookie James Toseland. the duo riding the ex-Bayliss 998 F02.

On top of these two teams, there will be several other teams on Ducatis, including Steve Martin, Juan Borja and Marco Borciani riding for DFX Pirelli, Lucio Pedercini and Serafino Foti (and possibly a third rider) for Pedercini, while the NCR team may feature Simone Sanna or Regis Laconi, with Alex Gramigni or Giovanni Bussei alongside. Finally, a new team called PSG-C1 expects to run veteran Pierfrancesco Chili in what may be his last season, riding a factory spec Ducati.

Foggy Petronas are hoping that they can finally make it to the races and be competitive, with a strong rider line-up of 1996 Superbike champion Troy Corser and Briton James Haydon to show them the way. After winning the 2002 series with Colin Edwards, there will be no official Honda team in 2003, however, Oscar Rumi is hoping to use a Fireblade under the new regulations which allow four cylinder bikes up to 1000cc, with Mark Heckles onboard if the deal is successful. Meanwhile the White Endurance Honda team will use VTR1000s and the riding talent of Walter Tortoroglio.

Bertocchi Kawasaki will run the ex-factory Eckl ZX-7RRs with Mauro Sanchini and Ivan Clementi to pilot the bikes. Finally, Suzuki's factory Alstare team will use the all-new GSX-R 1000, which will be the one definite 1000cc four-cylinder machine in the championship, to be ridden by Gregorio Lavilla and joined by Vittorio Iannuzzo at the Italian rounds, and possibly a couple of others.

The 2003 MotoGP calendar:

Date            Event, Circuit
April 6         Grand Prix of Japan, Suzuka 
April 27        Africa's Grand Prix, Phakisa Freeway 
May 11          Gran Premio de Espana, Jerez 
May 25          Grand Prix de France, Le Mans 
June 8          Gran Premio d'Italia, Mugello 
June 15         Gran Premi de Catalunya, Catalunya 
June 28         Dutch TT, Circuit Van Drenthe 
July 13         British Grand Prix, Donington Park 
July 27         Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, Sachsenring 
August 17       Grand Prix Ceske Republiky, Brno 
September 7     Grande Premio de Portugal, Estoril 
September 20    Rio Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Circuit 
October, 5      Pacific Grand Prix of Motegi, Motegi
October 12      Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Sepang 
October 19      Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island 
November 2      Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana,
                Comunitat Valenciana

and the 2003 World Superbike calendar:

Date            Location, Circuit
March 2         Spain, Valencia
March 30        Australia, Phillip Island
April 27        Japan, Sugo
May 18          Italy, Monza
June 1          Germany, Oschersleben
June 15         Great Britain, Silverstone
June 22         San Marino, Misano
July 13         United States, Laguna Seca
July 27         Europe, Brands Hatch
September 7     Netherlands, Assen
September 28    Italy, Imola
October 19      France, Magny-Cours

Rossi Living In Fear After Terror Threat

By Simon Evans

Motorcycling world champion Valentino Rossi says he is living in fear after receiving threats from a group carrying out a parcel bombing campaign in Italy and Spain. Rossi is under police protection after letters sent with parcel bombs to Spanish airline Iberia's Italian offices contained references to him and his team Honda's links to Spanish petroleum firm Repsol.

"Certainly I have fear," Rossi told the daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday, "Because there is nothing I can do to change this situation".

Interior Ministry sources have said the four parcel bombs, all of which were defused safely, appeared to be linked to the case of two Italians, convicted and jailed in Spain more than 20 years ago for anarchist activity. Rossi's Honda team are sponsored by Repsol and media reports say that the threatening letters urged him to change his sponsor but the 23-year-old said the arrangement was nothing to do with him.

"I am being accused of having a contract with Repsol but that is absolutely untrue. I have my hands tied -- my relationship is exclusively with Honda and I certainly can't choose their sponsors," said the world champion.

Rossi was forced to miss a gala evening for Italy's top sportsmen and women this week and said he was frustrated that his movement had been restricted by the need for heavy security. "I don't like having to behave in this way but they have advised me not to speak to anyone and not meet anyone," said Rossi.

The MotoGP championship is in close-season and Rossi said he was annoyed that he was unable to take full advantage of the break from action.

"This is could have been the only spell of holiday for me after a hard season and prior to another one which looks like being even more difficult. Instead, however, there is nothing," said the Italian, who spends most of the year living in London.

Italian police defused parcel bombs at Rome's airport and a TV broadcasting office on Monday, part of what government sources described as an anarchist campaign. A package sent to an Iberia travel shop in central Rome was defused on Friday and a similar device found at Iberia's offices at Milan's Malpensa airport a day later. Last week, a package sent to Spanish newspaper El Pais in Barcelona was also deactivated without incident.

Investigators in Milan say documents found with some of the parcels sent in Italy pointed to an anarchist group called "Cinque C" ("Five Cs"), which has called for the release of the Italians jailed in Spain.

Rossi report provided by Reuters

  Upcoming Events Calendar

• January 1, 2003 - Paris-Dakar Rally
• January 22, 2003 - World Rally Championship, Round 1; Monte Carlo Rally