VintageRPM » CART/Champ Car

1998 GP of Houston

Mike Stucker — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:13:09 +0000

On the first weekend in October 1998, big-time road racing came to the streets of downtown Houston for the first time with the running of the inaugural Texaco Grand Prix of Houston. Three series took part in the Grand Prix – the Toyota Atlantics, SCCA Trans-Am, and CART FedEx Championship Series. This was my first time at a race as a journalist. My job was to file reports for Motorsport News International (now Motorsport.com). Although not there as a photographer, I did manage to acquire a photo pass for all but Sunday’s CART Championship race. Those photos were taken from the George R. Brown Convention Center, which served as pits, paddock, press center, and race control..

1998 GP of Houston Pre-Race

The weekend's events actually started on Thursday, October 1, with a ceremony in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center to open the track. This was followed by a charity golf tournament with many of the drivers in attendance.

6 Photos

1998 GP of Houston Practice

CART FedEX Championship practice and qualifying took place on Friday and Saturday.

36 Photos

1998 GP of Houston Atlantics Race

Sunday afternoon began with the Toyota Atlantics race. The race started under full-course yellow when Masaoki Nagashima and Case Montgomery had a "coming together" on the final turn of the pace lap. It ended under yellow on lap 30 of a scheduled 45 because of a torrential downpour, with Anthony Lazzaro beating pole sitter Alex Tagliani and 1998 KOOL Toyota Atlantics Champion Lee Bentham.

27 Photos

1998 GP of Houston CART Race

The inaugural CART Texaco Grand Prix of Houston is remembered for three things - heavy rain, teammates Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti making contact in turn 5, and Tracy having a "dust-up" with team owner Barry Green after limping back to the pits. Franchitti would go on to win the race over 1998 CART Champion Alex Zanardi and 1998 CART Rookie of the Year Tony Kanaan.

26 Photos

Jensen Motorsports Testing 2006

Mike Stucker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:47:35 +0000

On February 13, 2006, I went out to MotorSport Ranch Houston to watch the Jensen Motorsport Champ Car Atlantic Series team finish a week of testing. They were also testing one of their Formula BMW cars. The team did not have exclusive use of the facilities, so I was also able to photograph some club members as they ran their cars around the track.

Rocketsports Champ Car Testing 2006

Mike Stucker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:46:47 +0000

The Rocketsports Champ Car World Series team tested F1 refugees Enrique Bernoldi and Antonio Pizzonia at MotorSport Ranch Houston on March 14 and 15, 2006. In addition to the team testing, MSR Houston members were also given time on track. Bellow are photos from the afternoon of the 14th.

Gelles Atlantics Testing 2007

Mike Stucker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:59:44 +0000

Over the weekend of January 13-14, Gelles Racing came to MotorSport Ranch Houston to test four drivers in their Champ Car Atlantic cars. Bob Gelles was kind enough to let me into their garage and photograph the team at work on Saturday. As it turned out, the Newman Wachs Racing Atlantics team was also there testing. Unfortunately, while I was there, Newman Wachs car only turned a couple of laps before losing drive and disappearing into the garage for the remainder of the afternoon.

More CART Photos

Mike Stucker — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:17:52 +0000

More CART Photos at Motorsport.com:

1999 Grand Prix of Houston – CART

2000 Grand Prix of Houston – CART

2000 Grand Prix of Houston – Indy Lites

2000 Grand Prix of Houston – Atlantics

2001 Grand Prix of Houston -CART