CART Fernandez planning to remain involved

CART has been losing drivers, teams and engine manufacturers to the IRL.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FONTANA, Calif. -- Adrian Fernandez wants to do anything he can to help CART rebuild.
The only owner-driver in the Champ car series took a big step in that direction Friday, when he and team co-owner Tom Anderson announced that Fernandez Racing will run at least one car in CART next season.
That was good news for the embattled open-wheel series that has been losing drivers, teams and engine manufacturers to the rival Indy Racing League at an alarming rate. It was revealed last week that series sponsor FedEx also will be gone when CART races for the first time in 2003, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Even though this is the first confirmation of plans to race in CART next year, president and CEO Chris Pook -- making a Herculean effort to revive the moribund series -- insists the field will have between 18 and 22 cars.
"Absolutely," Pook said moments after the Fernandez Racing announcement. "I'm very confident. I think you're going to be rather surprised."
Two new teams
Pook said two teams new to the series will be announced over the next few weeks. He said many of the current teams will return but because of sponsor obligations cannot make an announcement until after the season ends in Mexico City on Nov. 17.
"There's no sense of urgency," Pook said. "I think you've got to take it a step at a time and build it properly."
CART was hit hard earlier this year when Michael Andretti, the series' career leader in victories, bought what is now called Andretti-Green Racing and said he will go to the IRL. He's taking drivers Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan with him.
Earlier this week, Mike Hull, general manager for four-time CART champion Chip Ganassi Racing, said the team will go from one to two cars in the IRL and will not run a car in CART unless more sponsorship is found. Ganassi has three cars in CART this season in addition to two in NASCAR's Winston Cup series.
Tony Kanaan was thinking more about the tough road ahead than the pole he had just won at California Speedway.
Kanaan led a Brazilian sweep Saturday of the top three positions for the 500 presented by Toyota. But the celebration of his second pole of the season and the fourth of his Champ car career was tempered by thoughts of what to expect today in the race.
"It feels good to win the pole but, by Turn One, I'll probably be third or fourth, but then first again by Turn Four," he said. "The pole doesn't mean that much here."
Nineteen drivers swapped the lead a series-record 73 times last year -- and that was only at the finish line, where official lead changes are registered.