Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: HVM fills out Champ Car lineup with Scandinavians

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 | 9:28 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.

The starting field for Sunday's Champ Car World Series season opener, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, gained two more drivers this week as HVM Inc. announced its driver lineup for the 2005 season.

HVM (formerly Herdez Competition) named Bjorn Wirdheim of Sweden and Ronnie Bremer of Denmark as its drivers. Wirdheim was a test driver for the Jaguar Formula One race team last season while Bremer moves up to Champ Car after a season in the Toyota Atlantic Championship.

"They are two fantastic drivers, both who are capable of winning the championship," HVM managing director Keith Wiggins said. "It has certainly been a tough winter for HVM, but as a team we are more determined than ever and we expect to have a very strong season."

Mario Dominguez and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who drove for HVM last season under the Herdez banner, left the team during the off-season and joined Forsythe Championship Racing and Rocketsports Racing, respectively.

The addition of Wirdheim and Bremer gives the Champ Car World Series 17 entries for Sunday's race, which could prove to be the final time the Champ Cars race on the streets of Long Beach, Calif. The rival Indy Racing League, which staged its first street race Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla., has let it be known that it would be interested in replacing Champ Car in Long Beach when Champ Car's contract there expires after this race.

Ken Ungar, the senior vice president of business affairs for the IRL, told the St. Petersburg Times that the IRL has held preliminary talks with officials from Dover Motorsports Inc., which operates the Long Beach Grand Prix.

"They're aware of our interest," Ungar said. "It would be an absolutely tremendous spring: the glamour of excitement of St. Pete and the long-term brand equity of Long Beach."

IMPRESSIVE VICTORY: Marco Andretti had more than the pressure of upholding his famous racing family name weighing on him when he made his first start in the IRL's Infiniti Pro Series race Sunday in St. Petersburg.

Less than 24 hours before the race, Andretti -- Michael's son and Mario's grandson -- learned that his best friend, William Riehl, had been killed in an automobile accident Saturday morning. Riehl, 18, was scheduled to join Andretti, also 18, in St. Petersburg Saturday night and watch him race the following day.

Andretti went out and won Sunday's race with a daring pass of race leader Wade Cunningham 31 laps into the 40-lap race, impressing veteran driver Dario Franchitti, who drives for Michael Andretti.

"I think Marco did a pretty tremendous job," Franchitti said. "He was under a lot of pressure, first of all, because his second name is Andretti. It's his first race in the series ... his grandfather is there, his dad is there; everybody's watching him.

"And then this tragedy that happened (Saturday), with his best friend, can one guy be put under any more pressure or strain?"

OUTLAWS UPDATE: Kraig Kinser won a pair of feature races over the weekend and pulled to within 55 points of series leader Craig Dollansky in the World of Outlaws standings.

Dollansky holds a slim 4-point lead over Steve Kinser going into this weekend's races at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Kraig Kinser is third in points and Donny Schatz, who won the WoO feature at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month, is fourth, 82 points behind Dollansky.