Ganassi set for clean slate on drivers

The four-time title winning outfit has already signed current championship leader Kenny Brack and according to this week's Autosport, team boss Ganassi is not expected to retain current drivers Memo Gidley and Bruno Junqueira.

Mo Nunn Racing's Tony Kanaan, and rookie sensation Scott Dixon are the most likely candidates to line-up alongside Brack, however, both deals face potential stumbling blocks.

Mo Nunn is known to have taken up its option on Kanaan for 2002 and Dixon, who has become a hot property after taking a win in his debut season at Nazareth in May, is tied to his current team Pac West.

With both drivers wrapped up in contracts, Ganassi, whose team won its last CART championship in 1999, would have to buy them out of their existing deals and he is known not to want to pay the money it would take, especially for young Kiwi Dixon.

"Dixon's too expensive," a Ganassi team insider told Autosport. "We'd have to make [Pac West boss] Bruce McCaw's house payment to get him."

Sources close to last year's International Formula 3000 champion Junqueira have confirmed his current position is under threat. But the Brazilian is only halfway through a two-year deal and Ganassi would likely have to give him a hefty severance payment as he did with Jimmy Vasser last year.

Should Junqueira be forced to leave, his best option appears to be a seat with Mo Nunn, either through a straight swap deal with Kanaan, or by taking the drive left vacant by the seriously injured Alex Zanardi.

It is not yet clear what the future holds for Gidley, but his options would appear to be limited.