Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Vasser: New CART rules add excitement

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 | 9:44 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 had the opportunity to put his Champ Car through its paces in the season-opening race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., and he believes CART's new rules package will provide for more exciting racing this season.

Besides going to a spec Ford turbocharged engine, CART did away with the traction control it experimented with last season. Although traction control made the cars easier to driver, Vasser said he feels more in control of the car this year.

"Last season we had some tools, the electronics of the engine management system, that really made it a lot easier to drive," said Vasser, a Las Vegas resident. "A lot of that is traction control. Taking that away this year, we're getting back to where we have full control over 800-plus horsepower with our right foot.

"With a turbocharging system, getting boosted up, there's a bit more of a lag and it becomes even more and more difficult to drive."

Without the traction control, Vasser said, rear tire wear will become more of an issue.

"I think you're going to see more passing opportunities like you did at St. Petersburg because it's more difficult to control the power application and thus you're going to have more rear tire wear," he said.

"Some cars don't handle as well. Drivers don't know how to utilize that horsepower, (so) they're going to burn the tires off and you'll have more discrepancy of lap time. I think the end product for the fans is you're going to know in your heart that the driver has got full control over the race car and you're going to probably see a lot more exciting racing."

Vasser's first run in the American Spirit Team Johansson Reynard/Ford in St. Petersburg proved to be more exciting than Vasser had planned. Although he qualified eighth, he started the race from the back of the 19-car field when his car developed electrical problems on the first pace lap.

He worked his way through the field and eventually into the top five before settling for sixth.

Lasoski, the 2001 WoO champion who drives for Tony Stewart, holds a 9-point edge over Jac Haudenschild and a 26-point lead over Craig Dollansky going into this weekend's event at Hollywood Hills Speedway in San Felipe Pueblo, N.M.

Tim Shaffer, who won Friday's preliminary feature and Saturday's main event at the LVMS dirt track, is sixth in points.

Brandon Erwin finished third in the 67-lap race. Teammate Tom Wood was sixth.

Herta will drive Team Nasamax's entry, which runs on Bio-ethanol, a fuel made from agricultural products that does not pollute the environment.