When the engines warm up next week at Homestead, Chip Ganassi's Target Team will face tough and unpredictable opponents as they go out on the track to defend their recent two championships. Ganassi didn't change much in his team - there was no reason to change a successful package. They continue to use the improved Reynardchassis, which enters the season as the one to beat — although there aren't too many teams trying to beat Reynard with a different car: the majority of the cars in 1998 are purchased from Adrian Reynard's shop. Ganassi's cars remain powered by Honda. The engine manufacturer, while dethroned last year by Mercedes in the '97 Manufacturer's Championship, remains among the engines of choice by top teams. Honda redesigned their engine to match the gains in horsepower made by their competitors. The new Honda is slightly smaller, has a lower center of gravity, and also revs higher than the '97 engine.

Lapping at Spring Training

Who are Target/Ganassi's big challengers this year? Penske has to be named first, because of their radical approach to turning the team around. Theoretically, the new PC27 Penske generates more downforce and creates less drag than other cars, mostly due to an design that exploits the very small '98 Mercedes engine. But the new car has had some teething problems. The engine electronics of the new Mercedes engine are far from race ready, forcing the team to plug in the Delco electronics they used with the old engines — a less than optimal solution. Additionally, Penske's new transmissions exhibited reliability problems during pre-season testing. Will they be cured and last through an entire event once the season begins? Penske's car is a radical departure from their old car and could be a serious weapon once the initial problems are resolved. Does Penske have time to get up to speed? They will have to be, because there are some teams who won't have to overcome problems and will be dangerous right from the first lap of the season.

Team KOOL/Green enters the season with the identical package Ganassi's drivers have been so successful with: Honda/Reynard/Firestone. Expanded to two drivers — veteran Paul Tracy, and hot sophomore driver Dario Franchitti — the team has clearly stated that the Championship is their main goal of the season.

Then there is Players-Forsythe Racing, also expanded to a two car effort. Since they run the Mercedes engine, the team is looking at the same engine electronics situation Penske is dealing with, but otherwise they are ready to take on the competition with Greg Moore and Patrick Carpentier, who say their driving style allows them to share identical setups. Having to develop only one setup, where Ganassi usually has two could be very helpful on new and modified tracks this season.

PacWest is another team that should be ready to challenge for the Championship. They won 4 races in 1997, and only the problems with the new engine electronics for the '98 Mercedes may dampen their early season charge, but even if they do start the season with last year's cars, there is no reason to believe that these cars are much slower than the new crop of Reynard Mercedes, especially given the fact they were very fast when the season ended.

Another two car team ready to take on Vasser and Zanardi is Patrick Racing. Scott Pruett is joined this season by Adrian Fernandez. Both drivers have been very quick in pre-season testing, especially on road courses. With Ford power, this team will be running '98 Reynards on Firestone tires right from the start of the season.

A Ford-powered team always to reckon with is Newman/Haas Racing. The improved Swift chassis may just be what it takes to get Michael Andretti or Christian Fittipaldi to the front of the pack. At spring Training they were fast, and the team is very optimistic about their chances in 1998.

Setting up the New Cars

Bobby Rahal returns for a last season before retirement, racing next to Bryan Herta with a Ford/Reynard/Firestone package. The change toFirestone tires is the biggest departure from previous seasons at Team Rahal. Not having won any races yet, the team may not be the hot pick for the title, but the performance to win races has been demonstrated multiple times over the last few seasons. This might just be the year when it all comes together for them.

Walker Racing an Gil de Ferran finished second in the 1997 championship. They are a single car team with a unique package of Honda/Reynard/Goodyear, but they have proven in the past that they can run up front and collect the points it takes to challenge for the title.

New tires and a Swift chassis are Della Penna's recipe to provide Richie Hearn with a ride capable of winning races. After a disappointing season with the '97 Lola, the team ordered a Swift for 1998. It will be Ford-powered like at Newman/Haas. Their tires will come from Firestone this season, making itthe first Swift to run on Firehawks.

Class Photo 1998

The rookie lineup of the season is entered predominantly by single-car teams. Tasman Motorsports returns from a two-car season with justone car in 1998. Their driver will be Tony Kanaan in their Honda/Reynard/Firestone champ car. Brazilian rookie Helio Castro-Neves will drive for Tony Bettenhausen with close support from new team associate Emerson Fittipaldi, who will assume a role at Bettenhausen this season that is similar to Rick Mears' advisor position at Penske. Carl Hogan will field Formula One and FIA-GT veteran JJ Lehto in his Mercedes/Reynard/Firestone entry. Lehto has never driven on ovals, but his versatility and the solid Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone package should help the team to impress like they did last season with then-rookie Dario Franchitti.

Formula Atlantics Champion Alex Barron joins Dan Gurney's All American Racers, replacing Juan Fangio II who recently announced hisretirement. Barron will join PJ Jones in one of Gurney's Toyota/Reynard/Goodyear cars. PJ Jones returns for his third season with the team, hoping Toyota will close in on the competition. An all new engine promised for the first race of the season, the RV8C which is the first engine developed in the US at TRD. Later this summer, Toyota will follow up with yet another new version of the engine.

At Arciero-Wells Racing, Max Papis and Hiro Matsushita have similar hopes for competitiveness. Both drivers return with the Toyota/Reynard/Firestone package, packing a lot of experience from previous seasons with the same equipment. The team recently hired veteran Robby Gordon as official test driver to accelerate the team's development work. Gordon is also expected to make appearances at select events in a possible third car for the team.

The two-cars of Payton/Coyne Racing return pretty much unchanged from 1997. CART's "Most Improved Driver of 1997," Michel Jourdain, and veteran Dennis Vitolowill pilot Ford/Reynard/Firestone cars this season. The team finished the '97 season with very impressive qualifying and race performances by Jourdain and hopes to continue where they left off last year.

The only Lola in the field will be prepared by Davis Racing. The team recently announced the decision to run the chassis. Driver Arnd Meier returns for his second season in CART and joins a with a team that may have a package to surprise a few others. It isexpected that Lola will support the team very closely to attempt to establish itself as one of the cars of choice in future seasons. If the Lola doesn't work out, the team has the option to return to Reynard.

Project Indy just announced Roberto Moreno as their driver for the '98 season. Moreno comes off a season in which he changed driver suits and sponsor logos almost monthly. He drove one race for Payton/Coyne, then 5 for Newman/Haas, and later two for Bettenhausen. He did quite well and many observers were surprised when Moreno didn't wind up with a full time ride earlier during the silly season. Project Indy will campaign a Reynard/Goodyear car, possibly powered by the 1997-spec Mercedes engine, which would match the package Moreno last drove at Laguna Seca to a 10th place finish.

The new season adds two new tracks to the schedule (Motegi in Japan, and a city race in downtown Houston), while 3 other venues have modified tracks over previous seasons (Homestead, Detroit, Vancouver). These changes add some unknown variables to a schedule that takes the teams now to 19 venues.

And Now Some Wild Season Predictions - Don't Quote me on These!

All American Racers #36 Alex Barron #98 PJ Jones
Alex Barron with Friend   Will the sun finally rise for AAR?		Until their engine packs the power of the competition, the team will have o work extra hard finish in the points. PJ has the experience to bring a good car home, but after two years of frustration it is hard see him suddenly tear up the field. But Toyota is closing the gap, so expect PJ to look better than last year, especially towards the second half of the season where road and street courses allow a good driver to run well even if the car isn't the most powerful in the field. Alex Barron has a tough rookie season ahead, but at least he has a teammate who can aid him in car setup and strategy. Alex impressed at Homestead in Spring Training, lapping the track faster than any other Toyota driver. My pick: a few points-paying finishes and some good top 15 runs, again with most good finishes on street and road courses.

Arciero-Wells Racing #24 Hiro Matsushita #25 Max Papis #?? Robby Gordon
Mad Max Papis Wants Results		The team is well funded, has great people working for them, and has an aggressive driver leading the charge, but unless the equipment matches what the extremely tough competition employs, they will have a hard time finishing better than midfield. A new engine is in the pipeline, which is why I predict a few top 10 finishes for the team later this year. The other joker here is Robby Gordon, who will either start as a third car, or take over for Hiro Matsushita later in the season. His experience and his desire to return to the sport after a less than elegant exit 2 years ago may be the ingredient needed to get some good finishes. Summary — maybe a few top ten finishes, but it is unlikely for them to break into the top 5.

Bettenhausen Racing #16 Helio Castro-Neves
Emerson Fittipaldi's Protege		Last year Tony Bettenhausen's rookie driver almost won a race. This year, he has another rookie with great credentials and a coach with the resume of a champion. Emerson Fittipaldi joined the team as technical advisor and will aid in coaching the fast rookie to cope with the demands of racing the fastest cars in the world. With his Indy Lights experience on most of the CART tracks, his learning curve should be quick and a few finishes in the upper half of the field are possible.

Davis Racing #77 Arnd Meier
Davis and Arnd Meier Bet on Lola		Davis Racing takes a big gamble with the only Lola in the field. It may not be enough to have just one car to actually develop a chassis. Meier comes off a season with the disastrous '97 Lola during which he never had a chance to show what he really has up his sleeve. This season he should be able to run midfield if the car is truly competitive. If the car is better than the other cars, well — that's the gamble Davis is taking.

Della Penna Motorsports #10 Richie Hearn #42 Hideshi Matsuda
Now with Bud Logos: Hearn Blasting off   Hideshi Matsuda Will run at Motegi for Della Penna		Della Penna has switched to Firestone tires and will benefit from the Swift chassis improvements. Better funded with Budweiser stepping in next to Ralph's, the team should have more striking power than in previous years. Expect Richie in the top 10 on occasion this season. Matsuda will probably race only one event in Japan. His lack of experience and testing will most likely keep him out of the top 15 at that event.

Player's/Forsythe Racing #33 Patrick Carpentier #98 Greg Moore
There are two of these cars in 1998		Fast in testing, fast last season, and now with two cars and two drivers who are known to be quick under many different conditions, Players-Forsythe is going to be one of the top teams this season. Expect Greg Moore to be one of the drivers to count in for a top finish at all tracks. He has won before and he wants more. If he can stay out of trouble and his car doesn't let him down too often, Greg could be in the running for the Championship this year. Patrick Carpentier still has to prove his speed on road and street courses in a champ car. He didn't do well on those tracks last season. Given the record of Forsythe Racing, plus the desire to beat his teammate, Patrick should show some of that road course performance that won him the Atlantics title in '96. He will be very tough on ovals, and should be a regular top 10 finisher on the remaining tracks.

Target/Chip Ganassi Racing #1 Alex Zanardi #12 Jimmy Vasser
Jimmy Vasser Explains his Speed at Homestead		The Team to beat this year. Alex Zanardi is still hungry — a second Championship would also enhance his resume nicely for the day when his contract with Ganassi expires. It's a bit early, but he may be the right guy to replace Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 1999. For 1998 in CART, he will be a tough driver with enough experience to finish races. Just as in previous seasons, he should dominate the second half of the season, while short ovals are an area he still needs to record a win to complete his score card. Still — he is a top favorite for the championship. Jimmy Vasser — champ in '96, fast in the second half of '97, and fast at Spring Training. Obviously, we are looking at another favorite here. Given his inconsistencies even in his championship season, he is not a top favorite in my book. He'll definitely finish the season in the top 10 in points, with a top 5 ranking more likely than 5 though 10. The issue is — can he beat Zanardi often enough to win the title?

Team KOOL Green #26 Paul Tracy #27 Dario Franchitti
Dario Changed Colors		A revamped Team Green returns with 2 cars in 1998. Veteran Paul Tracy won races in '97 with the ill-fated PC26 Penske. This season he has the same equipment the '97 champion has available to him. This makes him an automatic favorite for the title. For reasons hard to quantify, I just don't see it happening. Most of his good seasons happened with superior equipment. Now he has just the equal package to other top drivers. Is he really that fast? Is the team ready to prepare the car for him to be fast? But there's a second car now to help: Dario Franchitti, the '97 rookie sensation from Scotland, was hired to run the second car for Barry Green. He had the opportunity to win a few races in '97, but never quite got there. With more maturity, and a teammate of Tracy's caliber, he should be even more competitive in '98. Maybe not a title contender quite yet, but if he learned from his mistakes in the previous season, he should be tough to ignore. I see him consistently in the top 10, with many top 5 finishes. He may even win a race or two.

Hogan Racing #9 JJ Lehto
JJ Lehto is about to Learn about Ovals		Lehto ran well at Spring Training, and with some advice from Rick Mears, he is getting ready to race between concrete walls. The former F1 and FIA-GT car driver comes to CART backed by Mercedes. But like any other rookie entering this competitive series, I don't see him finishing too frequently among the top 10, even if the car is capable of it. But he should do quite well if he makes it through the first half of the season and most of the ovals in decent shape.

Newman-Haas Racing #6 Michael Andretti #11 Christian Fittipaldi
Michael Andretti, Confident about '98		Last year their car was new and hard to tune for road courses. This year Newman-Haas will enter an improved Swift chassis to break the dominance of Reynard. Michael Andretti is always ready to run for the championship, and given the right equipment, he will be in contention again this season. If pre-season tests and Spring Training are any indication of the team's readiness, Michael Andretti should be a top contender for the title once again. I see him win a few races, possibly more on ovals than on road courses, but still enough to be in the running for the cup. 1 Christian Fittipaldi is still working on his first CART victory in his now 4th season. He is an expert in the rain and may have El Nino on his side this summer — historically El Nino years are followed by hot and wet summers. But even without rainy conditions, he should be a frequent top 10 finisher with an occasional podium. Will he finally win his first race? I think he is due for it.

PacWest Racing Group #17 Mauricio Gugelmin #18 Mark Blundell
New Paint for Mo		In 1997 PacWest emerged as one of the top teams of the field, posting multiple wins and pole positions. They didn't show too much on short ovals, but the confidence earned in the second half of 1997 should positively affect their performances on all types of tracks this season. Their decision to enter the '97 cars for the first few races in order to allow the '98 Mercedes engine electronics some time to mature may be a smart move, but it also could cost them dearly. Only Homestead will show how competitive their (definitely fast) 1997 package can be among 1998-model year competition. Among the two drivers it is very hard to choose a top performer. Mo is fast, but Mark has been getting the results. I see Mo post a few pole positions and collect a few podiums again, finishing the season in the top 5 in points. If he has the stuff it takes to win the cup, actually winning it may largely depend on the performance of the older cars early in the season. Mark Blundell showed that he can run on road and street courses, plus he can win on super speedways. His 1997 results on short and medium ovals were hi lighted with an 8th place finish in Brazil and a 12th in Milwaukee — not enough to name him a top contender for the title. He could be — but it all depends on how well he will do in the first half of the season. A top 10 season finish is my prediction for him, maybe a top 5.

Patrick Racing #20 Scott Pruett #40 Adrian Fernandez
Fernandez Hopes for a Comeback with the Reynard   Scott Pruett Changes Colors to Silver in 1998		Scott Pruett won a race in '97 and ran well enough at many races to possibly take even more wins. But it didn't work that well, and he finished 9th for the season. Stability in the team and their package means he will return this season with many known variables. Experience may finally pay off. My guess is that he will win again, and if things work out for him, he should be able to run among the top 5 drivers of the season. Definitely another top 10 season result. Adrian Fernandez comes to Patrick from a dismal season with the Lola at Tasman. He showed good speed in testing, and should have what it takes to run as well as Scott Pruett. Being the new guy at Patrick may or may not be of disadvantage. Most importantly — the car he is driving should not be a reason for finishing in the back of the pack anymore. He is hungry to prove to his fans and sponsors that he can still run up front. Expect a few really good finishes for the Mexican this season. A top 10 season finish is very possible.

Payton/Coyne Racing #19 Michel Jourdain #34 Dennis Vitolo
Michel wants to be the fastest Mexican		One of the biggest surprises of 1997 was how well Michel Jourdain performed throughout the second half of the season. The package will be the same this season, so more of the same may be in order. Michel has a lot of talent and as long as the car he gets to drive won't fail, he should be a frequent points finisher. He may not become a permanent top 10 fixture — Payton/Coyne just doesn't have a record to suggest that he will be that fast all the time — but he should be collecting points more frequently than he did last season. A top 20 points finish seems almost certain, possibly top 15. Dennis Vitolo ran a few races for Payton/Coyne in 1997, including his best finish ever with a 7th place at Michigan. He clearly excels on ovals, with few memorable performances on road/street tracks. Entered for only 15 of the 19 events, he will have a hard time collecting the points necessary to finish in the top 20 of the championship. A recent serious testing accident may also affect his competitiveness in the early part of the season. Dennis Vitolo also has a record of poor qualifying performances and may be the first CART driver to make use of a provisional starting spot due to the new 110% rule. My prediction: a season finish outside of the top 20 in 1998.

Marlboro Team Penske #2 Al Unser Jr. #3 Andre Ribeiro
Al Unser Jr. can't be Ignored		Roger Penske has set everything in motion to turn around his team. The car for 1998 will be the most radical design on the track, and his drivers have so far been very impressed by it. If the reliability is there for the season, the team may be running for the top ranks again. However — there are too many "ifs" that make it hard to qualify the team as an outright favorite for the championship. Al Unser Jr. has to prove his critics wrong that his best days are already past him. He has prepared for the season harder than in recent years, and given his vast experience, he should return to the podium in 1998. Yet there are too many unknown variables to give him a guaranteed top ranking in my predictions. Andre Ribeiro is fast — he proved this many times in the past, even in 1997 when he switched to Reynard in mid season and scored a podium at Toronto in his second race with that car. He looked fast at Laguna Seca and at Fontana, too. Given the Penske resources, he may prove to be the hotter ticket in Roger's stable. But hot doesn't always mean winning races. A similar "maybe top 10" ranking applies for him. If the new car is "the bomb" in '98, then obviously we are looking at a potential one-two team finish — but a 1994 repeat is unlikely. The tire situation alone may work against Penske.

Project Indy #15 Roberto Moreno
Last Minute Ride for "Pupo"		Roberto Moreno impressed many of critics last season when he jumped into multiple cockpits vacated by injured drivers, and instantly put together solid performances. If Project Indy can provide a good car (their switch to Reynard Mercedes should get them closer to that goal), Moreno should be able to put this car into the top 15 on occasion. The team really could use a good year.

Team Rahal #7 Bobby Rahal #8 Bryan Herta
It's his Last Ride Tour   Overdue for a Victory		Team Rahal has come close to winning many times in '96 and '97. This season they are adding Firestone tires to their arsenal and hope to finally get that first win. With Rahal making his last appearance in 1998 it's a "now or never" deal for him: he does want to end the career on a high note. A few podium finishes seem like a reasonable guess to me — but I don't think the team will make a huge leap forward and battle for the championship. Rahal may finish the season in the top ten in points. Bryan Herta has the speed it takes to win races, but he also seems to be fighting bad luck and a certain red car that always seems to be the final obstacle to a Herta victory. As long as Bryan can perform the way he did at Mid Ohio and Laguna Seca in 1997, he should have a good shot at his first victory this season. His lackluster performance on short ovals in '97 means that he probably will struggle there again in '98. A season finish in the top half of the field is almost certain, and a top 10 is definitely possible. I don't see him as a top 5 driver quite yet.

Tasman Motorsports Group #21 Tony Kanaan
Tony Shows Instant Speed		Another promising rookie comes with an Indy Lights title on his resume to run Tasman's only car in 1998. This total focus on a rookie by a team used to campaigning 2 cars is good news for the Brazilian who performed remarkably well at Spring Training. In my predictions I expect Kanaan to win Rookie of the Year honors. He races with proven Honda/Reynard/Firstone hardware which is definitely able to win races. He is with the same team he worked with during the Indy Lights championship where he was fast on ovals and road courses alike. He should be a regular top 10 finisher if things work well for Tasman this season.

Walker Racing #5 Gil de Ferran
Can Gil Win the Series?		Some bad luck and a few close finishes cost Gil a lot of points in 1997. But for much of the season he was a consistent finisher with a shot for the win at most venues. If the team can build on that this season, they will again run at the top of the field. The only reason I don't pick de Ferran as a top contender for the title is the observation that he seems to attract more than his fair share of bad luck in races and practice. He definitely has dibs on a season finish in the top 5 and should be a regular visitor on the podium. But will it be enough to beat Zanardi or Andretti?

One final prediction: this CART season will be dramatically more interesting and competitive than what they call the crown of motor racing. The fans get a great show, the drivers enjoy the competition, the sponsors and manufacturers are drawn to the sport - everyone wins.