Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Vasser may make jump to NASCAR

Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 | 11:53 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

It may have taken a while, but Jimmy Vasser finally is beginning to enjoy his position as a free agent.

When the Las Vegas resident was told earlier this summer that he would not be returning to the Target/Chip Ganassi CART racing team in 2001, the offers didn't exactly start rolling in for the 34-year-old Vasser.

That has changed.

"It's a nice place to be (but) it has taken a while to get things stirred up a bit," Vasser said. "In the summer, when Chip didn't want me to be coming back in the CART operation, it was kind of a stunner. I think it put kind of a stigma on me as a driver because (people were saying) 'I wonder why that's happening.'

"Instead of people taking me for who I am, people were probably wondering why Chip was doing that. I think more people are starting to figure that he is making a big mistake."

Vasser said in recent weeks he has talked to at least four other CART teams, two high-profile Indy Racing League teams and may, ironically, have an opportunity to drive for Ganassi in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series next season. Vasser is in Lakeland, Fla., today to test the Winston Cup car.

"It's intriguing," Vasser said of the possibility of racing a stock car. "NASCAR certainly is a phenomenon and it's great racing; NASCAR definitely appeals to me or I wouldn't even play around with it.

"You would have to say that in the business of racing in this country, it's the pinnacle so I think it warrants some attention from me and at least a strong look if I have an opportunity, which I do."

Vasser said the overriding factor in his decision where he will drive next season will be whether the team can compete for race wins and a series championship.

"If I can't honestly believe that I can win races and go for the championship, then I'll go elsewhere," the 1996 CART champion said.

Vasser said he hoped to have his decision on where he will be driving next year made by the CART season finale Oct. 29 at California Speedway.

Vasser earned his ninth career CART victory last Sunday in the Grand Prix of Houston, snapping a 37-race winless streak. He called the win one of the most important in his nine-year CART career.

"It was a big win," Vasser said. "It was definitely time to win, definitely the right timing. And to win in that fashion, with all those top guys still in the race, beating (teammate Juan) Montoya ... it was a great weekend for me.

"You start to wonder, 'Am I ever going to win a race again?' and now I might even be leaving the series, so it was just fantastic. I was facing looking at two seasons without a win."

Now that he has a win under his belt this season, Vasser is full of optimism for the final two races.

"I think the momentum we gained from Houston will take us into Surfer's Paradise (Australia) and I've run well there, I've won there and I've run up front in the race, so I'm confident that we have a shot to win at Surfer's.

"We've also won at Fontana and I've been strong at 500-milers at superspeedways, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that I win the last three races."

"As far as Las Vegas goes, it would certainly be a good addition to the truck series -- the trucks have raced there before," Triplett said.

"We have talked with the folks at Las Vegas and right now it's a timing issue as far as when, during their season, they would have time when we could find some time on television." ...

Mark Melling, owner of the No. 9 Kodiak Ford driven by Stacy Compton in the Winston Cup Series, announced that he and crew chief Jerry Pitts have parted ways. A replacement for Pitts has not been named.

The 1998 Indy Racing League series champion and 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner ranks seventh in CART points and has posted eight top-five finishes and qualified in the top 10 in 13 races this year. ...

Australian Jason Bright, an Indy Lights competitor, will make his CART debut in the Della Penna Motorsports entry at next weekend's Honda Indy 300 in Australia.

Della Penna's regular driver, Memo Gidley, will not make the trip to Australia, but will return with the team for the season finale at California Speedway on Oct. 29.

Buddy Lazier leads Scott Goodyear by 38 points in the championship and Lazier needs only to finish 13th or better in the Oct. 15 Excite 500 to clinch the title.

Goodyear will be running his final race for Pennzoil Panther Racing, with whom he has started 29 races. Goodyear said he still is exploring his options for the 2001 season.

Evans, who has earned more than 140 victories during his 31-year off-road racing career, will come out of retirement to compete in next month's once-in-a-lifetime SCORE Baja 2000.

"This is the race of the millennium," Evans, a nine-time winner of the Baja 1000, said. "I just couldn't pass it up."

Native Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan and off-road regular Roger Gray will share driving duties in Evans' Chevrolet Trophy Truck. ...

Gaughan drove his NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to a ninth-place finish in his ARCA debut Wednesday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Gaughan qualified 15th for the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts ARCA 100. ...

The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the final points races of the season Saturday night for NASCAR Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Legends, NASCAR Chargers, Mini Stocks and Bandoleros. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7. ...

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host two days of drag racing this weekend, including triple main events on Saturday and a VW Bug-in on Sunday.

Super Comp, Super Eliminator and Super Gas will highlight an all-day event on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. On Sunday, the Strip will host the VW Bug-O-Rama featuring VW Bug-In drag racing, a swap meet and vendor alley section and a participant car show. Gates open at 7 a.m.