Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Champ Car co-owers buy Cosworth Racing

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004 | 10:41 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.

Champ Car World Series officials quelled any fears about losing their lone engine supplier when series co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe this week purchased Cosworth Racing from the Ford Motor Co.

Ford announced in September that it had put Cosworth Racing Inc. up for sale. Cosworth has been the exclusive engine supplier to the Champ Car World Series since the beginning of the 2003 season.

"Cosworth has been a performance engine supplier to the American motor racing scene for forty years and we wish to continue that heritage and allow it to develop into the future," Kalkhoven said. "As we go forward, Cosworth will be an engine developer for the supporting series of the Champ Car World Series; Cosworth will develop affordable engines for our ladder series.

"Being able to control our engine supply allows us to significantly determine the future of all of our race series from Champ Cars through the ladder system. Having control of its engine design and technology for the future is a key to the development of the Champ Car World Series and our developmental series. This will enable us not to be dependant on any particular manufacturer."

Kalkhoven, Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi purchased the assets of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in February and recently completed the inaugural 14-race Champ Car World Series season. Newman/Haas Racing's Sebastien Bourdais captured the season championship.

RED BULL BUYS JAGUAR: The Ford Motor Company on Monday also announced it has sold the Formula One Jaguar Racing team to Red Bull. The new Red Bull team will continue to use Cosworth engines next year.

Mark Webber and Christian Klien drove for Jaguar Racing this season but team principal Tony Purnell is conducting a search to fill the seats for the 2005 season.

RACE OF CHAMPIONS: Reigning Indy Racing League champion Tony Kanaan has been invited to take part in the Race of Champions next month in Paris.

Kanaan will compete against drivers from other racing disciplines including NASCAR's Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and Formula One's Michael Schumacher.

"It is such a special honor to be invited to race against the best drivers in the world," Kanaan said. "There has never been an IRL driver selected to compete in this event and I feel very proud to be participating. It is definitely going to be a lot of fun."

HUNTER-REAY HONORED: Herdez Competition's Ryan Hunter-Reay received the Greg Moore Legacy Award during the Champ Car World Series awards banquet last week.

The award is presented annually to the driver who typifies Moore's legacy of outstanding talent on track, as well as displaying a dynamic personality with fans, media and the Champ Car community. Moore was killed in a racing accident in the 1999 season finale at California Speedway.

"To be chosen for the Greg Moore Legacy award is a tremendous honor," Hunter-Reay said. "Greg was an inspiration for me and a true example of a professional athlete on and off the track. He accomplished so much in a short period of time and his persona is still very much a part of Champ Car racing."

Las Vegas resident Jimmy Vasser, A.J. Allmendinger and Toyota Atlantic driver Jon Fogarty also were nominated for the award.