| [ News Index ][ SpeedCenter Homepage ][ Copyright Info ][ SpeedCenter Galleries ] |
©2001 SpeedCenter Publishing INDIANAPOLIS (March 1, 2001) – Mo Nunn Racing announced today that Steve Newey has left his position as general manager, effective immediately. Newey, who was retained by the team in late 1999 to assemble a new racing organization to contest the CART FedEx Championship Series beginning with the 2000 season, will pursue other interests. “I have enjoyed the experience of working with Morris (Nunn) and starting a new race team, and then expanding the team to a two-car operation for the 2001 season,” Newey said. “Mo Nunn Racing has an excellent operation in place, and I am sure the team will be very successful in 2001. However, the time has come for me to pursue new opportunities in the racing business.” Nunn’s second-year team opens the 2001 CART campaign at Monterrey, Mexico, next week with returning driver Tony Kanaan in the #55 Hollywood-sponsored Honda-Reynard, and welcomes back to the series two-time champion Alex Zanardi in the #66 Pioneer-WorldCom sponsored Honda-Reynard. Nunn extended to Newey his warmest regards upon his departure. “We’ve come a long way in a little more than a year’s time, and Steve certainly played a vital role in growing our operation,” said Nunn, who started his own team in partnership with Mercedes-Benz after leaving Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, where he was technical director during four consecutive CART championships (Jimmy Vasser in 1996, Zanardi in 1997 and 1998, and Juan Montoya in 1999). “We enter the 2001 season on solid footing, and it was Steve’s veteran leadership that helped get us there. We wish him nothing but the best as he moves forward.” In the team's first year on the circuit, Kanaan and his Mercedes-powered entry led Mo Nunn Racing to seven top-10 finishes and ended up 19th in the final point standings despite missing four of the 20 events due to a mid-season accident. Mercedes subsequently discontinued its involvement in the series and the team switched powerplants to Honda, which Zanardi and Kanaan have driven to a combined 16 race wins and 11 pole positions from 1996-99.
|
|
|||
|
|
|||