Musical Chairs ©1998 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. The silly season as of Elkhart Lake By Dan Proudfoot Scott Pruett's move to Arciero/Wells forthe 1999 season may be the first such switch announced, but the keyto next year's driver alignments are Alex Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser. Neither is naming his destination just yet. Chip Ganassi has offeredVasser $3 million US to stay, a source close to the team said, but the1996 champion has been holding out for more. Vasser knows, according to the source, that Ganassi has offeredteammate Zanardi $7 million in an effort to prevent the Italian frommoving to the Williams Formula One team. This is how the 1999 lineup will begin to take shape. Zanardiconfirmed Sunday he'll make his decision by Vancouver's MolsonIndy. Zanardi will meet with Williams to straighten out thoseworrisome stories he has heard about the team not having competitiveMecachrome engines in 1999. Vasser's bargaining power will vary according to Zanardi's presence,so Vasser is on hold, too, until Vancouver. An outside chance hasVasser moving to Europe as well, joining Jacques Villeneuve at BAR.But Vasser is coveted on this side of the Atlantic as well. Richie Hearn also is on hold, but happily, as at least five teams mayend up bidding for his services. Loyal for years to owner John DellaPenna, Hearn understands that at 27 he needs to be with a teamcapable of winning. If Budweiser boosts its sponsorship commitmentto Della Penna — a decision expected this week — he may stay. Otherwise, Hearn can expect Target/Ganassi, Team Rahal, PatrickRacing and Gerry Forsythe's new team, which he hopes to runseparate from the Player's/Forsythe duo, all to show interest. Theywould have to buy out Hearn's contract with Della Penna, but theowner wouldn't be expected to hold his driver back. On Sunday Forsythe shot down a rumor that Target/Ganassi andTeam Penske were attempting to buy out Greg Moore's contract. "I've heard the rumor, but nobody has approached us," Forsythe said."Greg's our driver. I'd like to have him for the next 10 years. And I'vetold a couple of people just in casual conversations that there's not aCART owner out here with enough money to buy his contract." If that's so, Penske may be content to wait for Moore until 2000,leaving the Canadian with another year to discover whether he can bea PPG Cup champion with the Forsythe operation. The second Forsythe team, for which the owner has talked to 30companies in search of sponsorship, won't likely have a Canadian inthe driver's seat. That's where Hearn may be on the short list. P.J. Jones is another American expected to be available. Driving anunderpowered AAR Reynard Eagle has diminished his currency, buthe's not yet 30 and some believe in his potential. Gil de Ferran was coveted by teams such as Patrick, which let Pruettknow his services no longer were required. But de Ferran's teamowner, Derrick Walker, is believed to have placed a $1.5-million priceon buying out his contract with the Brazilian. The possibility remains of rejected Formula One drivers such asJohnny Herbert, should Sauber set him adrift, or F1 teams' test driverslike Juan Carlos Montoya coming to CART. That becomes morelikely as it becomes apparent fewer of CART's more desirable driversare able to move. Mass and Velocity Why was Dario Franchitti faster than teammate Paul Tracy by 1.2seconds in qualifying for the Texaco/Havoline 200? After reporting last week that Tracy being a big man may slow himdown, we looked further into the possibility. Conventional wisdomamong CART old-timers is that every 10 pounds of weight reductionin a car pays off with 1/10th of a second on a two-mile course. If so,because Elkhart Lake's Road America is four miles long, 10 poundsbecomes the equivalent of 1/5th of a second. The Canadian weighs 195, the Scot 135. And so we have at least onereason for Tracy's surprising difficulty in setting the pace with his car inqualifying trim. The weight difference between the two drivers,applying the formula to their 60-pound difference, accounts for 1.2seconds. Source: Canada Online, used by permission

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