Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Las Vegas boy on track toward future in F1

Friday, Sept. 27, 2002 | 10:22 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.

When the Formula One cars roll off the starting grid for Sunday's United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there won't be one American driver among the field.

Former open-wheel champion and F1 driver Danny Sullivan one day hopes to change that through a program he has developed called the Red Bull Formula One Driver Search, a five-year project that Sullivan said could produce an American F1 driver as soon as 2004.

"I know how tough it is for Americans to come over (to Europe) and break into this arena," said Sullivan, who drove a full season in F1 in 1983 for the Tyrell Ford team. "We haven't had an American in Formula One since Michael Andretti in 1993 and we really only ever had two world champions (Phil Hill in 1961 and Mario Andretti in 1978)."

Sullivan and a team of talent scouts have identified 15 young American drivers -- including 16-year-old Michael Abbate of Las Vegas -- who will head to Europe for auditions in Formula Three cars. From there, the field will be narrowed to four finalists, who will receive fully sponsored rides next season in a junior Formula series. Red Bull, who is sponsoring the driver search, also will provide the funding for the four drivers.

Abbate, a national shifter kart champion and honor student at Bishop Gorman High School, last year was the youngest driver ever chosen as a Skip Barber Karting Scholarship finalist and this year finished second in the CART Stars of Tomorrow western region championship. He is youngest of the 15 candidates in the Red Bull Formula One Driver Search.

Joel Nelson, a 21-year-old from Reno, also was one of the 15 finalists introduced Thursday in Indianapolis. Nelson, who attended the University of Nevada-Reno, raced this year in the Palmer Audi Series in England and the Formula Russell Series on the West Coast.

Sullivan said to garner interest in Formula One in this country, it is critical to have an American driver in the series.

"Don't forget the last time that (F1) was really followed in a big way and we had a lot of Grand Prix in America was when Mario Andretti, in the late 70s, was in contention for the championship," Sullivan said. "We have to have somebody to cheer for and we need somebody, preferably, who is running competitively at the front."

Sullivan said his program has been met with enthusiasm by at least one high-profile F1 team.

"One of the teams ... (in) the top half of the field, or I'd even say maybe in the top third of the field, has said to me that if we've got somebody that we think has got some potential, they want us to get a hold of them because they would be interested in putting them in a test in their car," he said. "Let me tell you, this is one of the (teams) you would want to go, so I think the reception has been tremendous."

"I don't remember anything, it's kind of strange," Jarrett said. 'It was the first time I've had a concussion this magnitude. I don't remember arriving in Kansas City. The only thing I do remember is that entrance into turn one and getting tapped.

"It'll be like my first time at Kansas City. I don't remember the garage area. I know the shape of the racetrack just from the past and knowing it's a lot like Chicago, but from actually being on the track, I don't remember any of that. I don't even remember where the motor homes are parked or what shape the garage area is, so it'll be interesting going back there."

Elledge was fined $5,000 for unapproved air directional devices found last Friday during pre-qualifying inspection at Dover International Speedway. He had been fined and placed on probation last month following the race at Michigan International Speedway for unapproved fuel cell spacers. His probation continues until Dec. 21.

Petree will fill in as crew chief this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Greg Biffle is driving the car for the injured Bobby Hamilton, who is not expected to return to the car until the Oct. 13 race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Dyer is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Dixon won the event Sunday when he defeated Tony Schumacher -- who also was involved in a crash at Memphis in 2000 -- in the final. The win allowed Dixon to increase his lead over Kenny Bernstein, whom Dixon defeated in the semifinals, to 104 points with four races remaining.

"I felt like this racetrack owed both of us -- Tony and myself," Dixon said. "I thought both cars had the potential to win this race in 2000 and we both ended up in the hospital. To have us both in the final round, one of us was going to come out a winner and I thought that was kind of poetic justice for how it has gone.

"I'm glad it went our way because it was our third final in a row at Memphis and this is the first time we've won here. To race Bernstein in the semis and win was a big deal; it was a 40-point swing for our car."