Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Tracy sticks with Team Kool Green and CART

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001 | 10:10 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Las Vegas resident Paul Tracy said he can concentrate on next week's test session at Sebring, Fla., now that Team Kool Green owner Barry Green has announced the team will remain in CART for the 2002 season.

There had been speculation that sponsor Brown & Williamson might force Green to switch to the rival Indy Racing League next season and Tracy reportedly had inquired about openings at other CART teams in order to remain in the series.

"I want to state as clearly and firmly as possible that Team Kool Green, along with our technical partner Team Motorola, will be racing in CART in 2002," Green said in a statement released on Monday.

"Certainly the 2001 season offered more than its fair share of challenges to CART and its teams and I'm under no illusions that we won't face additional challenges in the years to come. But CART took some important steps over the past 12 months to strengthen its future, and I'm proud to say that Team Kool Green has every intention of being a major part of that future."

The future -- at least the 2002 season -- begins next Tuesday when Tracy and teammate Dario Franchitti are scheduled to test their Honda/Reynards at Sebring International Raceway.

"We're less than 120 days from the start of the new season and we've got a lot of work to do if we intend to run up front next year," Tracy said. "Last season was difficult for everyone but it's last season and I've never been one to look back and say 'what if.'

"I'm focused on preparing for the coming year and doing everything I can to get Team KOOL Green back in the winner's circle."

Tagliani was scheduled to test today and Thursday and Carpentier is scheduled for a two-day test at Sebring Dec. 18-19.

The test will be the first for Carpentier since he underwent laser surgery last week to correct his vision problem. Carpentier is hoping the surgery will allow him to forsake the eyeglasses he has worn during races.

"I spoke with several people about laser surgery, including Alex, who had a lot of good things to say about it," Carpentier said. "I finally decided to go ahead with the corrective surgery because quite often my glasses start to fog up while I'm racing, especially when it's raining.

"Bruce Ashmore (the team's technical director) also gave me some reassurance by telling me that back when he was working with Bobby Rahal, Bobby had the best season of his career after he had the laser surgery."

On Jan. 8, Hornish will drive the torch around most of the famous 2.5-mile oval and then hand off to Cheever, who will run the torch off the racing surface, under the track through a tunnel between Turns 1 and 2 and hand it off to another torchbearer on 16th Street, just outside the Speedway.

Fernandez Racing fields cars for owner/driver Adrian Fernandez and Shinji Nakano.