Youthful drivers making impact in CART

Mike Harris

Thursday, Aug. 10, 2000 | 9:26 a.m.

Youth no longer means you're riding at end of the field in CART.

Three of the nine winners this season are in their 20s, with six other youngsters among the contenders most weeks.

"It's tough to get to this level of motorsports," said Gil de Ferran, who has managed two wins this year despite reaching the advanced age of 32. "Now, the problem is that once you get there, all these young guys are coming along and trying to knock you off."

Foremost among the youngsters making waves in CART is 24-year-old Juan Montoya, who last season won seven poles, seven races and the title as a rookie. On Sunday, in Lexington, Ohio, he'll try for his third victory of 2000.

Dario Franchitti, 27, won three races each of the last two seasons and tied Montoya in points, losing the title on total victories.

This season, 25-year-old Helio Castroneves, de Ferran's teammate, has broken through for his first victory. At 26, Cristiano da Matta also is a first-time winner.

Tony Kanaan, 25, and Christian Fittipaldi, 29, won for the first time last year.

Alex Tagliani, a 27-year-old rookie, has come close to winning twice this season - although the mistakes of a novice caused him to crash both times. Also competitive have been 29-year-old Patrick Carpentier and Oriol Servia, 26.

"Any guy who gets into this series has to be pretty good," de Ferran said. "There are a lot of people trying to get here, and only the best make it."

Montoya, who came to CART from the European Formula 3000 series, thinks he knows why youth is claiming its place in the sport.

"I suppose young drivers maybe are a little more aggressive," Montoya said. "But I never thought about age. I've been racing since I was in go-karts about 15 years ago, so I don't feel like I'm so young."

Franchitti also came through the European ladder system.

"When you first come along, everything is natural," the Scotsman said. "It's all instinct and reflexes. Then you start to learn about the cars and the tracks, and pick up experience. I don't think you can reach your peak as a race driver until you are in your 30s."

A decade ago, a couple of twentysomethings, Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti, became stars almost at the outset of their careers. But the dominant drivers were Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, Emerson Fittipaldi, Danny Sullivan, Mario Andretti and Arie Luyendyk - all in their late 30s or early 40s.

"Actually, the big breakthrough for all these kids came because so many of us old-timers retired at about the same time," said Rahal, a three-time series champion who owns a CART team and is interim president and CEO of the series. "There's not much question that guys like Montoya and Franchitti have a tremendous amount of talent, but they also are getting opportunities that younger drivers didn't used to have because the more experienced guys had most of the rides."

Da Matta, a graduate of the Indy Lights steppingstone series, agreed that you need an opportunity, but also insists the talent level is higher now than ever.

"At each level, the best drivers rise to the top and move to the next level," he said. "By the time you get to CART, you're racing with the best. It is very competitive, very hard."

Even with youth being served in the Champ car series, however, the older guys are not stepping aside gracefully.

Heading into Sunday's Miller Lite 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the 37-year-old Michael Andretti is leading in points with 41-year-old Roberto Moreno second and de Ferran third.

There's a good reason for that - maturity, says Andretti, the 1991 series champion who has won twice this year.

"It's not enough to be fast," he said. "Just about anybody out here can win races, but the way you win championships is with consistency.

"You've got to finish races, finish in the top five and do it just about every week if you want to win championships."