MEXICO CITY -- Mexican driver Michel Jourdain Jr. will be
back in the CART series next year.
Jourdain received a sponsorship from a major Mexican retailer,
Grupo Gigante, which has four supermarkets in California and plans
to build three more.
"For the first time in my life, I think, I'm going to start the
last race of the season knowing I am going to have something to do
next year," Jourdain said Sunday before the start of the Mexico
Grand Prix.
Gigante President Angel Losada said the deal was for at least
two years and might be extended for two more.
The 26-year-old Jourdain, driving a Lola-Ford for Team Rahal,
was among the season's steadiest finishers even though he did not
win a race. He finished 10th in the points standings.
Running with Walker
Another Mexican driver joining CART next
year is Roberto Gonzalez, a 26-year-old veteran of a Mexico-based
Indy Lights series who ran Formula 3000 cars in Europe for the last
two seasons.
Team owner Derrick Walker said he wants to announce sponsors and
perhaps another driver soon for next year's series, which starts
Feb. 23 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Gonzalez finished second in the British-based Formula Chrysler
series in 2001 but slipped to 20th overall this year in the
Spanish-based Telefonica World Series, a Nissan-engine Formula 3000
competition. His best finish was eighth in Valencia, Spain, on Oct.
20. But his team was weak, finishing last in the series.
"He's better than he looks, believe me," Walker said. "A
driver of that level, you just never know where they can go. You
never know how they are going to grow."
He said Gonzalez spoke with other teams and was scouted by
Walker's friends.
"I just started getting interested and he just seemed to have
that spark," Walker said. "The first thing he asked for was not,
'How much salary am I going to be paid?' it was, 'Can you help me
have a physical trainer?' So his whole focus is very dedicated."
NAFTA focus
CART President Chris Pook sees his series partly
as a racing version of the North American Free Trade Agreement,
focusing on Canada, Mexico and the United States.
So far, he's doing pretty well with the Mexicans and Canadians.
Team owner-driver Adrian Fernandez of Mexico has committed to
next year's series. Team announcements on Sunday guaranteed seats
to two other Mexican drivers, veteran Michel Jourdain Jr. and
rookie Roberto Gonzalez out of Formula 3000.
Pook noted that several major Mexican businessmen had been
promoting the development of young Mexican drivers through
sponsorship of the local series.
"If you keep pumping out this young talent you're going to win
a championship," Pook said.
The Canadian-based Players team said earlier in the year that it
would continue in the series. Canadian driver Patrick Carpentier
finished third in the point standings this year.
The top U.S. driver to finish was Jimmy Vasser in sixth place.