Car Insurance

LAST YEARS CRAFTSMAN TRUCK Series champion, Mike Bliss, has moved up a notch on NASCAR’s ladder to the Busch Series. Taking his place on the Steve Coulter-owned Xpress Motorsports team is Travis Kvapil, who is entering his third year in the series.

Kvapil finished ninth in the 2002 point race after placing a surprising fourth as a rookie. He won a race and scored 10 top-five finishes last year. The Xpress team nearly disbanded in 2001, until Bliss scored a ninth-place finish in a one-off race at South Boston late in the campaign. The team opened 2002 running on a race-to-race basis, starting the year with a last-place finish in the Daytona opener. Bliss quickly turned the team’s fortunes around, however, and led the successful Championship drive.

Kvapil will be up against a few solid veterans contending for the rifle. Ted Musgrave finished second in 2001 and third in 2002 in his two years with Ultra Motorsports. The former Winston Cup driver is now in the best position of his career to win a NASCAR championship. Jason Leffler, who recorded 11 top-10 finishes but no victories in 2002, returns as his teammate.

Expected to join the series full time in 2003 is owner Bobby Hamilton, who takes over the wheel of his No. 4 Dodge after 11 years of Winston Cup competition.

World of Outlaws

Competitors in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws face another year trying to catch Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski. The pair had an exciting battle for the rifle last year, exchanging the points lead 12 times until an injury forced Lasoski to sit out four races, and opened the door to Kinser’s 17th crown.

Jeff Shepard is planning his return to the Outlaw ranks after a year with the All Stars Circuit of Champions. Shepard will drive David Helm’s No. 11 Vivarin Maxim, replacing Stevie Smith. Shepard won the Outlaw’s Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award in 2001, finishing 10th in the point standings while driving for Guy Forbrook. He has two WoO triumphs.

Infiniti Pro Series

The IRL Infiniti Pro Series looks for continued growth in its second season. The biggest news is that inaugural champion AJ. Foyt IV moved up to the IRL IndyCar Series, proving the value of the series as a steppingstone to America’s premier open-wheel division.

The Infiniti Pro Series’ schedule grows from seven to 11 races, with the possibility of a 12th race the night before the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Leading the returning drivers is Arie Luyendyk Jr., who moves to Sinden Racing and will be the man to beat for the title.

Other challengers include Ed Carpenter–who moved from Sinden to replace the champion on AJ. Foyt’s team–and Hemelgarn 91/Johnson Motorsports’ Cory Witherill and Aaron Fike, who each won races in 2002.

The top newcomer is Panther Racing’s Mark Taylor, an Englishman who has competed in Formula 3000. It’s also possible that of several IndyCar veterans will enter the series if they cannot find enough sponsorship to compete in the IRL.

NHRAA

While John Force continues to pile up honors in the NHRA Powerade Funny Car Series–he won his 10th consecutive title last year–Ron Capps is ready to make his move to the top. Capps was the last driver to lead Force late in the season–doing so in 1998–and has twice finished second in the championship.

In 2003, his Don Prudhomme-owned team looks to dethrone the champ. “We have a very good idea of what it takes to beat him because we’ve been close a couple of times,” says Capps. “Our motto is, ‘All that matters is the championship.’”

Kenny Bernstein may have hung up his helmet at the end of 2002, but another great from the past will return for limited action this season. The legendary Don Garlits–who began drag racing in 1950–plans to run four races this year in Swamp Rat 34, helping Summit Racing Equipment celebrate its 35th season. Over his career, Garlits has accumulated 17 championships and 144 event victories.

The Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series

The series introduces a lead division in its 2003 season-opening Daytona 24 Hours in February, the Daytona Prototypes. The new class features purpose-built sports coupes. Early manufacturers included Fabcar, Picchio, Multimatic, and Doran, with sports car powers Riley & Scott and Crawford also developing rides. The engine suppliers are Ford, Porsche, Toyota, BMW, Chevrolet, and Maserati.

Brumos Racing got off to a head start with the new cars by testing as early as October, with a driver lineup that includes Hurley Haywood, David Donohue, Mike Borkowski, and J.C. France. Multimatic–whose engines are built by NASCAR legend Robert Yates–counters with Canadian stars Scott Maxwell and David Empringham. Other top drivers include Picchio’s Darren Law and Doran’s Terry Borcheller and Forest Barber.

An interesting aspect of the new class is that the speeds of the cars will be similar to those turned in by the GTS and GT divisions, giving the. sports car series a wide-open battle for the overall victory. Among the veterans joining the series in 2003 is Davy Jones, set for his first regular ride since suffering injuries in a 1997 RL crash at Disney World Speedway. Jones finished second in the 1996
Indianapolis 500 and came back two weeks later to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After concentrating on building a go-kart business in Houston over the past few years, the Cortland, N.Y., native is ready to resume his pro racing career.