Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Mercedes could pull-out of CART

Mercedes could pull out of the CART Championship Series at the end of the 2000 season

The German giant only supplies engines to five cars in this year's championship and PacWest, the only two-car Mercedes squad, is said to be considering a switch to Honda power for 2001.

PacWest owner Bruce McCaw is also a part-owner of fellow Mercedes runners Mo Nunn Racing. If McCaw switches allegiance, that would leave only the Bettenhausen and Arciero Project teams running Merc power.

The Mercedes squads have been unhappy with both the performance and the reliability of the engine this season. Mauricio Gugelmin's close second at Nazareth is the only podium finish for a Mercedes-powered driver so far in 2000.

A Mercedes spokesman in Germany refused to rule out the possibility of a CART pull-out.

"We may go," he said. "A decision will be taken at the end of the year, as is the way every season."

Luiz Garcia Jr was the only Mercedes driver to finish last weekend's Michigan 500, and he trailed home a distant 11th. The other four Mercedes runners all dropped out with engine related problems.

The last time a Mercedes-powered car won a CART race was in March 1999, when the late Greg Moore took victory at Homestead.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Wiggins joins Bettenhausen
Next article 'Passing will be hard' warn drivers

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe