Forsythe Championship Racing Confirms PT and Mario Dominguez for 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – February 20, 2006 – With one driver from Canada, one from Mexico and with a crew based in Indianapolis USA, the 2006 edition of Forsythe Championship Racing could easily be called “Team NAFTA” after the historic trade agreement that marks the close relationship among the three countries. Forsythe Championship Racing is pleased to announce that Toronto’s Paul Tracy and Mexico City’s Mario Dominguez will once again team up for an all-out assault to reclaim the Vanderbilt Cup as Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to once again sign two of the most talented drivers in motorsport,” said team owner Gerald Forsythe. “Paul Tracy is already a legendary figure in the history of Champ Car and is capable of dominating any event. Mario Dominguez joined our team last year at the last minute and immediately produced outstanding results without any preseason testing at all. I’m excited at the prospects of these two drivers as we seek to repeat our 2003 Championship season.”
Vice President of Operations Neil Micklewright is equally enthused. “Obviously we’re very pleased to continue our relationship with both Paul and Mario. You can’t overstate the value of continuity in a racing team, and with both drivers back for 2006 and the rest of our staff mostly unchanged we’re optimistic that we’re going to have continued success and build on the momentum we developed last year. We’re currently working on our test schedule for both drivers and I know Mario will be very happy to get some preseason testing after having sat in the car for the first time on Thursday at Long Beach last year!”
Paul: “I’m really looking forward to the 2006 Champ Car season, we had some unfinished business last year when we led more laps than anybody but had a lot of bad luck. The team really stepped up the program in 2005 and we should come off the trailer in Long Beach with quick cars. I’m looking forward to my first test day this week in Sebring. I’ve been in a few other types of race cars recently and can say that there’s nothing more enjoyable and challenging to drive than a Champ Car. It’s good that Mario will be back with us. He’s a great guy, a great teammate and an excellent driver. We work well together and it’s nice to have that familiarity with your teammate. We should be up front again this year.”
Mario Dominguez will drive the #7 INDECK Lola/Ford-Cosworth/Bridgestone car. “I’m very excited to be back with Forsythe for 2006,” said Dominguez. “The team was so strong last year and we had fast cars at every event. This year I’m going to be able to do more testing before the first race so that should be a big plus. Champ Car is once again going to be a very competitive series but I anticipate a very successful year for our team. Paul’s experience is a great asset for any driver. We’ve had a chance to get to know one another very well and it will be a great feeling to line up on the grid at Long Beach with this team.”