CHAMP CAR: Tracy Discards NASCAR Plans
Written by: RACER staff Las Vegas, Nev. – 11/9/2006
Tracy has decided to focus
solely on regaining the Champ Car title in '07. (LAT Photo)
Paul Tracy will no longer take part in a partial NASCAR Busch
Series schedule as announced last September in order
to focus on his 2007 Champ Car campaign, the Canadian wrote
on his column on autosport.com.
Tracy was slated to make seven NBS starts for the new Riley-D’Hondt
Motorsports team next year. He made four Busch outings with Frank
Cicci’s team this season.
“You may remember I had a deal to do seven Busch races
next year? Well, I've cancelled that program and kinda handed
it over to Max Papis, who's been trying to get into NASCAR,” Tracy
wrote. “I'm 100 per cent behind Champ Car and behind
our [Forsythe] team, and I want to show that.”
The 2003 series champion does intend to venture outside Champ
Car racing next season, but focusing on races that take place
before the start of the '07 CCWS campaign, the first with the
new Panoz DP01 chassis.
"I'll do Daytona 24 Hours with Michael Shank again, probably
with Max [Papis], and probably some kid from England called Ian
James. And if I can set up an ALMS prototype ride for Sebring
12 Hours too, then I'll do that. But you know that's all done
by February. I'm not going to do Le Mans, because that's mid-season,
and I'm not going to do stuff that distracts me from trying to
win the Champ Car title," he added.
Next year will be the first of a five-year extension signed by
Tracy with Jerry Forsythe's team this season.
