The ChampCar series is expected to achieve its minimum requirement of 18 cars for the start of the 2003 season. After the defection of several top-line teams to the IRL, it was feared that the championship would struggle to meet requirements for grid sizes.
Grid size is an integral part of the contracts agreed between CART and each race promoter. These contracts stipulate that there must be a grid of no less than 18 cars for each race and should CART fail to meet these requirements race promoters would be released from their obligations to the series.
After the loss of Ganassi Racing and Team Green on the back of Penske's defection, the 2003 grid looked set to dip below the 18 mark. However, a number of new teams look set to enter the fold and rejuvenate the series for 2003.
Sportscar racer Paul Gentilozzi is set to enter the series with at least a 1-car outfit, supplementing the existing 2-car teams of Newman-Haas, Forsythe Racing and Team Rahal. Indeed Gentilozzi is rumoured to be chasing Alex Tagliani as his lead driver after news that the Canadian is to be dropped in favour of countryman Paul Tracy. His pursuit of such a top-level driver is a clear indication of his desire to be a successful ChampCar team owner.
Other new squads are also on the horizon in the form of ex-CART racer Stefan Johannson and the ORECA sportscar squad. Both teams look set to field one-car teams, having been enticed by CART's bumper prize fund and the effective freeze on technical regulations.
Added to that there is the presence of staunch supporter Mario Andretti as a team owner, a move that was confirmed earlier this year, and the possibility of the Herdez squad expanding to two cars. And with Emerson Fittipaldi set to enter his own team in 2004 and CART switching to an F1-style set of engine regulations in 2005, the future once again looks promising.
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