Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Rumor mill collects Carpentier — again

Wednesday, July 17, 2002 | 9:48 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Patrick Carpentier has heard the rumors before.

Two years ago when the 30-year-old Las Vegas resident's contract was running out with Player's/Forsythe Racing, the word in the CART paddock was he was going to be replaced by fellow Las Vegan Paul Tracy.

Now, as Carpentier prepares for negotiations on a new contract with Player's and team owner Gerald Forsythe, the Tracy rumor again is picking up steam. Only this time, Carpentier said he is not going to let the Silly Season rumors bother him. He proved that Sunday when he went out and won the Grand Prix of Cleveland -- his second career victory and first road-course win.

"I decided that (the rumors) didn't matter," Carpentier said Tuesday. "Whatever is going to happen is going to happen -- that's the end of it. Every year ... I'm involved in the stories. It's the same thing: Am I'm going to be replaced or not?"

Part of the reason for Carpentier's new outlook stems from the "other options" in both CART and the rival Indy Racing League that he and agent Alan LaBrosse are exploring.

"We already started talking for next season. We're talking in a couple of series, in CART and also the IRL, so we'll see what's going to happen," Carpentier said.

Though his negotiations with Player's historically have gone down to the last minute, Carpentier said that hasn't left him frustrated or been a distraction on the track.

"I was a bit stressed before (the race in) Toronto, but right now I think we have a couple of options that we can go to and different things we're looking at, so I'm not as stressed as I was before," he said.

"I would love to be with (Player's/Forsythe) if they want to have me drive for them, but I just don't want to force my way in, so I'm going to let them decide whatever they want to decide.

"Actually, I feel I'm at a crossroads in my career, in my life, and maybe we'll see what I'm going to choose and what they're going to choose. If we're together next year, I think we can have a fantastic season. I'm kind of getting used to it, though, because every year it's a little bit of the same story."

Carpentier is not the only CART driver at the end of his contract; Michael Andretti and Tracy -- who finished second and third at Cleveland -- also are in the final year of their contracts. Carpentier said because there are so many talented drivers available, combined with the economic climate, teams are weighing their options more carefully.

"The first sport that usually gets touched by a rough economy is auto racing because it's more expensive, whether it's CART, IRL or NASCAR," Carpentier said.

"I think all of the series lost a couple of teams, even Formula One . Soon they're going to end up with 18 cars, which is what we have in CART. So I'd say it's just a couple of years that are going to be tough for the racing and the drivers."

"Germany is an important market and we're disappointed the race will not be held, but the only proposed solution was basically for us to write a large check on top of the financial commitment we had already made," CART president and CEO Chris Pook said. "We will shift our European focus to other markets."

A spokesman for Petty Enterprises denied Monday that the meeting took place and said Petty had remained in Chicago "the entire weekend" of the Tropicana 400 Winston Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Tracy, 33, has said on several occasions he is "genuinely interested" in moving to NASCAR as his open-wheel career winds down.

Salazar, who suffered a torn vertebral artery, will return to the car now being driven by Greg Ray. Ray, who has filled in for Salazar since the Indy 500, will move into a third Foyt entry. Airton Dare will continue to drive Foyt's No. 14 car.