Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Vasser ready to win with his new team

Friday, March 8, 2002 | 10:08 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.

Jimmy Vasser may be starting the 2002 CART season with his third team in three years, but the 36-year-old Las Vegas resident isn't talking about adjustment periods or learning curves as he heads into Sunday's Tecate Telmex Grand Prix in Monterrey, Mexico.

Vasser, who takes over for Kenny Brack in the Team Rahal No. 8 Shell Lola/ Ford, has every intention of matching -- or surpassing -- Brack's 2001 mark of four race wins and six poles.

"They're bringing me in to win a championship and win races and anything short of that is a failure," Vasser said.

Vasser, the 1996 CART champion, parted ways with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing following the 2000 season and spent last year with underfunded Patrick Racing. When Brack left Team Rahal at the end of last season to join Ganassi's team, Bobby Rahal said his choice to replace Brack was an easy one.

"Jimmy is one of the most complete open-wheel drivers in the world today," Rahal said. "He has won on all types of tracks from superspeedways to short ovals to permanent road courses to street circuits.

"He is consistent and fast. I've raced wheel-to-wheel with Jimmy and I know he is good. We just have to give him a strong car."

Rahal already has given Vasser all the confidence he needs going into the 20-race season.

"It has been a very good winter for myself and the Shell team," said Vasser, who has nine career wins in 10 seasons in CART. "It was one of the best testing programs I have ever been involved with in my CART career. Team Rahal showed me how they won all those races last year."

Hendrick dislocated his right shoulder in a crash and needed arthroscopic surgery to repair ligament damage in his injured shoulder. He is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

The network also will televise the Grand Prix of Monaco on May 26, the Canadian Grand Prix on June 9 and the Italian Grand Prix Sept. 14. The broadcasts from Canada and Indianapolis will be live while the races from Monaco and Italy will be tape delayed.

Jimmy Stephensen of Las Vegas and Mike Cafro of Carlsbad, Calif., took first in the ATV Class 25.

The Southern California duo of Dan Smith and David Ashley won their fifth consecutive desert race by finishing first overall and first in the featured Trophy-Truck division. Smith and Ashley averaged 60.71 mph over the 227.70-mile course.6Vasser