European CART fans get TV boost

The season kicks off in just over a week's time with the new Monterrey Grand Prix in Mexico and Eurosport will broadcast the race live on Sunday March 11. A further 17 races of the 21-round series will also be shown live on the channel.

"This is a significant step forward in developing the sports entertainment programming climate for live CART racing in Europe," said CART president Joseph Heitzler. "The result is that more fans throughout Europe will have the ability to see more live CART racing, on a more timely basis, than ever before."

The three races that will not be broadcast live - at Vancouver, Germany's Lausitzring and the all-new oval at Rockingham in England - will be aired on a tape-delayed basis on Eurosport. However, CART plans to broadcast the two European rounds live on as-yet unnamed local terrestrial channels.

European fans of Champ cars have received poor coverage of CART races in recent years, but with live races being broadcast on prime time television, the sport is set to get a shot in the arm in terms of support this side of the Atlantic.

Team KOOL Green's Dario Franchitti, from Bathgate in Scotland, is excited about the prospect of CART's profile being raised in Europe.

"The fact that Eurosport will be televising 18 CART races live in 2001 is great news," said the 27-year-old, who was just pipped to the CART title in 1999 by Juan Pablo Montoya. "Europe is a terrific market for CART and this is great for racing fans throughout Europe, not to mention our families who will be able to watch us race on TV!

"Eurosport's coverage will raise CART's profile and give everyone a chance to see just how exciting Champ car racing can be."

Apart from Franchitti, there are seven other European drivers who will compete in this year's campaign. Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi returns to the series after a sabbatical following a dismal season in Formula 1 with Williams in 1999. The Italian will drive for Mo Nunn Racing.

Compatriot Max Papis races for Team Rahal and will be joined by Sweden's Kenny Brack. Last year's F3000 runner-up Frenchman Nicolas Minassian drives for frontrunners Chip Ganassi, while former DTM driver Marcel Tiemann joins the CART series with Zakspeed Forsythe. Fellow German Michael Krumm has landed a drive with Team PRG and Spain's Oriol Servia has recently signed for newcomers Sigma Autosport.