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Swan Recovering
CART Chief Steward Dennis Swan is resting comfortably at his Oxford, MIhome following two surgical procedures at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital inPontiac late last week.
Swan, who experienced an angina attack following the SunbeltIndyCarnival Australia, underwent and angioplasty to remove an arterialblockage on the left side of his heart. That procedure was followed bythe insertion of a coil spring to keep it from closing. He was releasedfrom the hospital on Friday, and is scheduled for a routine follow-upexamination later this week.
"I feel better than I've felt in a long time," Swan said Monday morning,"I'm really fortunate in that there was no heart damage at all. Ifeverything goes as expected, I should be back by Rio. Two weeks[recovery time] is about what they reckon."
The Hollywood Rio 400 is scheduled for Sunday, May 11 on the EmersonFittipaldi Speedway at Nelson Piquet International Raceway in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil. Acting Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach, CART's chiefsteward from 1980-1996, will continue in that role for this weekend'sBosch Spark Plug Grand Prix, Presented by Toyota.
New Look At Nazareth
Nazareth Speedway sports a new look for the PPG Cup cars this weekend,thanks to the largest renovation project in track history. The $8million renovation keyed on the frontstretch grandstands, which havebeen replaced with a new, state-of-the-art, 37,000 seat grandstand madeof structural steel and aluminum. The top of the 42-row grandstand stand65 feet off the ground - as high as a 6 1/2 story building - and thecolorful red and yellow seats can be seen from miles away. The newgrandstand stands 14 rows and 33 feet higher than its' predecessor, andconnects with the turn 4 grandstands built in 1996. The concreteretaining wall and debris fencing on the frontstretch were also replacedas part of the project. "A project of this magnitude speaks to ourcommitment to East Coast auto racing fans and to the future of autoracing in this area," said Nazareth Speedway President and CEO GeneHaskett. "As auto racing continues to grow, we want Nazareth Speedway tocontinue to be a premier facility, able to host the finest events autoracing has to offer."
A Welcome Addition
Walker Racing driver Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/Cummins Reynard Honda) andhis wife Angela, welcomed their second child, as son, into the world at6pm last Thursday, April 7, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Luke Anthony deFerran weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces. He was named after Gil'sfather, Luke, and Anela's father, Anthony. The de Ferrans also have adaughter, Anna, born in January, 1995.
Toyota Accelerating Program
Within days after the completion of the Bosch Spark Plug Grand PrixPresented by Toyota, All American Racers will begin testing the newToyota RV8B engine in tandem with the 1997 Reynard chassis at TheMilwaukee Mile. Plans are to have the new combination race-ready for theMotorola 300 at Gateway International Raceway on Sunday, May 24. Toyotahas participated in a limited testing program after a plant fire inJapan indirectly reduced the number of parts available for the RV8Bprogram. As a result, the parts shortage mandated that the older RV8Aengine stay in use longer than originally anticipated. "We are excitedthe P.J. Jones [Castrol-Jockey Reynard Toyota], Juan Fangio[Castrol-Jockey Reynard Toyota', and Hiro Matsushita [Panasonic DuskinReynard Toyota], will join Max Papis [MCI Reynard Toyota], in using thenew engine," said John Koenig, Toyota Racing Development USA Presidentand CEO. "Now we won't have to run two engine programs concurrently, andfor the first time this season, can begin testing the RV8B in earnest."The current 1996 Reynard Toyota RV8A package will be shipped to Brazilfor the Hollywood Rio 400, [scheduled] on Sunday, May 11 in Rio deJaneiro.