Thursday, April 16, 1998 | 5:34 a.m.
Don Panoz is a guy who likes to shake up the establishment.
His Panoz Q9 hybrid-electric sports car could do just that.
The American-born Panoz, who made a fortune in the pharmaceutical business in Ireland, is now based in Georgia. There, he has built a spectacular resort (Chateau Elan), complete with a winery and a spa.
As a sideline, he and son Dan started a car business, building hand-crafted street cars. Then they formed a sports car racing team, bought and rebuilt Road Atlanta and announced a new race, the Petit Le Mans.
But the latest Panoz move is entering the untested Q9 in the 1998 Le Mans 24 Hours race.
The car combines a Ford V8 with a Zytek electric motor, producing about 650 horsepower, of which nearly 30 percent is provided by the electric motor-generator.
A sophisticated Panoz-Zytec power train management system controls power application, regenerative braking and recharging. It matches the driver's power demand with available grip on the racing surface, and converts the electric motor into an alternator that, under deceleration, recharges the battery pack.
"By running the 24 Hours of Le Mans on a single set of batteries, we hope to establish the credibility of this technology for conventional road cars," Panoz said. "We've believe our system is true breakthrough technology that will not only reduce emissions levels and increase fuel economy, but show that environmentally responsible vehicles don't have to sacrifice performance."
Qualifying for Le Mans begins May 2.
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POSH DIGS: Remember when race tracks were dusty, dirty ovals, and a toilet with plumbing was considered an amenity? Well, times have changed.
Not only are ultramodern tracks popping up all over the country, but the services they provide are getting more and more sophisticated.
Beginning with the May 3 Winston Cup race, California Speedway will provide concierge service for the team motor coach, VIP motor coach and media areas at the year-old Fontana track.
Services will include dinner reservations and transportation to restaurants, dry cleaning service, a manicurist, a masseuse, transportation to the reserved grandstand area, a 24-hour fitness health club, delivery of morning paper, food delivery, live entertainment and an area with hors d'oeuvres and beverages for two hours each evening.
California Speedway is owned and operated by Penske Motorsports.
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HERBIE HORSEPOWER: Herb Porter has been working with race engines for so long, he has earned the sobriquet "Herbie Horsepower."
The 83-year-old Porter is helping partner Rick Long prepare Oldsmobile Aurora V8 engines for a half-dozen entries in the May 24 Indianapolis 500.
"That's a handful," said Porter, who watched his first Indy 500 in 1933 from a $1 seat in the fourth turn.
His big break came in 1968, when he prepared the winning Indy engine for mechanic Jud Phillips and driver Bobby Unser.
"I've just been an engine man since I was a kid," he said. "What makes them go, what are their problems? When you beat (the other teams) you get satisfaction. That's what keeps your ego up."
Porter, who says his body is "pretty shot," uses an electric cart to get around at race tracks these days. But he says his head is "still good," and he isn't thinking about retirement.
"I could (retire) financially," Porter explained. "What would I do? Sit in a rocking chair until I die? That ain't Porter."
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GORDON RETURNS: Robby Gordon, who spent most of the 1997 season driving in NASCAR's Winston Cup series, will make his return to the CART FedEx Championship Series on April 26 at Nazareth Speedway.
Gordon, who left Team Sabco last season, became a test and development driver in January for the Arciero-Wells team. He'll take over the driving for retiring Hiro Matsushita, who will compete for the final time May 10 in Brazil.
Gordon will race at Nazareth and Matsushita will sit out that race before returning for his goodbye in Rio de Janeiro.
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ANOTHER STEP: CART's acquisition of the KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship is the latest step the sanctioning body has taken to help prepare young open-wheel drivers for the top level of competition.
Championship Auto Racing Teams, which sanctions the CART FedEx Championship Series, acquired the Toyota Atlantic series this week from Pro-Motion Agency Ltd.
The move comes on the heels of the acquisition of the PPG Dayton Indy Lights Series last month, shortly after CART became a public company.
"One of the objectives in taking CART public was to generate resources that would allow us to establish a well-defined, effective ladder system which provides drivers with a clear progression for their careers, with the ultimate goal of racing in the FedEx Championship Series," explained Andrew Craig, chairman and CEO of CART.
Former Atlantic drivers now in the CART series include reigning champion Alex Barron, as well as former PPG Cup champions Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser and Bobby Rahal, as well as Patrick Carpentier and Richie Hearn.
Craig said CART also plans to add at least one driving school as the bottom rung of the ladder.
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