Fittipaldi still fighting for CART in Brazil

The 1989 champion was a spectator at this weekend's Champ Car season-opener in Monterrey, Mexico. The former promoter of the Rio event, Fittipaldi said he hopes CART will return to Brazil next year. He insists that Rio's chances of hosting the race again are gone however, after the major of the city called off the event at a month's notice.

"It definitely won't be in Rio," Fittipaldi said. "What happened there this year was an embarrassment for Brazil and I can't imagine we will ever have another race there."

Fittipaldi said four sites are under consideration. Three are permanent circuits at Curitiba, Goiana and Brasilia. The fourth option is a street circuit in Salvadar, the original capital of Brazil located on the Atlantic coast a couple of hours north of Rio.

"Salvador is my first preference," Fittipaldi said. "It's one of the top tourist destinations in the country, with beautiful beaches. It's one of our leading international vacation destinations, and it would be a fantastic venue."

Brazil is heavily represented in the CART series, with ten of the 28 drivers in the championship originating in the country. The season-opening race in Monterrey was a one-two for Brazil, with Newman-Haas' new signing Cristiano da Matta leading home reigning champion Gil de Ferran.