Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Looking out for No. 1, Carpentier has eye on IRL

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004 | 10:45 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.

This month's Champ Car World Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway could prove to be Patrick Carpentier's lone opportunity to race on his hometown track.

Carpentier, a five-year resident of Las Vegas, told reporters last weekend in Montreal that his agent, Alan Labrosse, is in negotiations with a team in the rival Indy Racing League. Carpentier declined to name the team, but added that his agent also has had discussions with other Champ Car teams.

Carpentier told the Montreal Gazette that he could remain in Champ Car, but likely not with his current team, Forsythe Championship Racing. Carpentier is the third driver for Forsythe, behind fellow Las Vegan Paul Tracy and Rodolfo Lavin.

"I don't want to be in this situation at this stage in my career," Carpentier told the Gazette. "It will be a choice between Champ Car and IRL. We're talking to both sides and after Montreal is when we're going to make a decision.

"If I leave (Champ Car), it won't because I'm disappointed. It will be because I want to. A personal choice."

Carpentier told the Gazette that he wants to be the No. 1 driver with a contending team and added that he has no problem with Tracy, who came to Forsythe in prior to the 2003 season as the team's top driver.

"The perception that we don't like each other is a wrong perception," Carpentier said of Tracy. "We get along quite well and exchange information.

"Paul's been the best teammate I've ever had. I would tell you if it wasn't a good relationship. It's more with the team that I have had difficulties."

Carpentier briefly lost his ride with Forsythe earlier this year when the team signed Lavin, and Carpentier said he wasn't informed of the decision until after the fact -- when Tracy called him and told him. Forsythe put together a third car for Carpentier less than a month before the season-opening Long Beach Grand Prix in April and Carpentier has scored three podium finishes this season -- including a runner-up finish last weekend in Montreal.

The Champ Car World Series will race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 25 as part of a same-night doubleheader with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

TRACY STAYING PUT: Although Carpentier's status for next year remains uncertain, Tracy said last weekend that he would return to Champ Car next season with Forsythe Championship Racing.

Tracy, the reigning series champion, told the Toronto Star that he has reached a verbal agreement with Forsythe on a new contract for 2005 -- ending speculation that he would leave the open-wheel series and move to NASCAR.

Tracy leads all active Champ Car drivers with 28 victories and 21 poles.

IRL TEST POSTPONED: The Indy Racing League on Monday postponed its first road-course test, slated to begin Thursday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, due to the projected landfall of Hurricane Frances this weekend.

Five IRL IndyCar Series teams and two Menards Infiniti Pro Series teams were scheduled to test mechanical parts for use in a road-racing package in anticipation of the two road-course races being added to the 2005 IndyCar Series schedule.

The IRL did not announce a date or location for the rescheduled test.