New boss reveals his masterplan

Pook, who took over from ousted CEO Joe Heitzler earlier this week, says he has clear ideas over what needs doing to turn the fortunes of the ailing series around.

"This is not a question of saving CART," he said. "This is just a question of realigning some of the assets of CART, and I'm talking about the human assets of CART, so that we can make them effective and let them do their jobs in a more constructive and successful manner. So this is not an issue of saving at all; it's just a question of moving the dominos around on the board.

"We are trying to create a management team, a cohesive management team that understands clearly what the goals and objectives are. The past is the past, it's not going to change. We have to look to help and how we are going to fix it and that's what we are going to do. We are clearly going to solve the engine situation for 2003 onwards. We are going to solve the chassis situation."

Pook also pointed out that he has no axe to grind with the rival Indy Racing League series, which split US-based single-seater racing in the mid-'90s.

"The IRL has their product - it is an oval series and we are not," he said. "We are a completely different series. We are a multi-national series comprised of different disciplines, racing on ovals, road and street courses. And the only one comparative item is that some of our guys who race on ovals, who like ovals, will be able to go and race the Indianapolis 500.

"I am hopeful that some of the IRL guys will want to come over and race with us, and I am hopeful that some of our guys will race in more IRL races. That's really our position."

Pook added that he is not going to radically alter the markets where CART races in the near future.

He said: "I think the combination of North America, Canada and Mexico makes a very, very good combination - and as I said before, overseas races add a flavour to it. And the fact that we have international drivers is also very important.

"We have got two good Mexican drivers in Michael Jourdain and Fernandez; two good Canadian drivers in Tagliani and Carpentier. I think we have got a good Brazilian core of drivers and I hope that we'll have a very good English driver and Australian and German."