Tracy fears his IndyCar career is over
Paul Tracy fears that this weekend's Long Beach Champ Car finale could prove to be the last single-seater race of his career
The 2003 Champ Car champion will be released from his Forsythe contract after this weekend as the team are not contesting the IRL IndyCar Series, but does not currently have a drive lined up for the rest of the season.
"I guess it could be my last race here as an open wheel driver," Tracy admitted.
"I want to go racing. This isn't really how I want my career to end. From here, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'd like to go to race for somebody, but there's nothing out there.
"I feel having missed a bunch of time last year with my back injury, and if I miss the whole of this year, it's probably unlikely that I'll be able to drive an IndyCar again. Just too much time out of the car."
Tracy has been linked to an IndyCar drive with Tony George's Vision Racing team - either as a one-off for the Indianapolis 500 or in a third car for the balance of the season - but he played down this possibility.
"Tony George knows how to get hold of me," Tracy said. "If something were to pop up, I guess he would give me a call, but there's nothing available now."
He also dismissed the possibility of starting his own IndyCar team.
"That's even more expensive," he said. "I'd have to go buy equipment, buy trucks. The start-up cost of an IndyCar team, you're probably talking upwards of $15 million (USD)."
Although 39-year-old Tracy - who first raced in the CART Indycar World Series in 1991 - conceded that he is in the twilight of his career, he is certain that he still has several years of IndyCar racing in him.
"Open wheel racing, IndyCar, Champ Car style racing is my first love. It's what I've done since 1991. I would like to continue to do it," he said. "Obviously I know there's a shelf life; I'm not going to keep driving for another ten years or anything.
"I would like to do a couple more seasons and help the series establish itself. But like I said, I don't think I'm going to get the opportunity to do that. I'm looking at other things."
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