Written by:
Kevin Krefting
03/28/2007
East Lansing, Mich.
Gentilozzi chats to Tagliani and Wilson: information-sharing partnership in Laguna test convinced owners to merge. (LAT Photo)
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With both operations obtaining funding for a single entry in the 2007 Champ Car World Series season, Rocketsports and RuSPORT have decided to join forces and create a new team, to be known as "RSPORTS".
Formerly one of Champ Car's powerhouses, RuSPORT lived through a difficult off-season following the departure of team founder Carl Russo. PKV Racing co-owner Dan Pettit rescued the outfit from extinction, but could not come up with sponsorship to keep a second car alongside Justin Wilson's CDW-backed machine.
Rocketsports, owned by Champ Car co-owner Paul Gentilozzi, had previously announced the return of veteran Alex Tagliani to its fold, with backing from Lexington Energy Services. Both teams will retain their current shops, with Rocketsports running Tagliani's car from East Lansing, Michigan while RuSPORT and Wilson remain based in Loveland, Colorado.
"The joining of Rocketsports and RuSPORT is both a strategic and economic alliance," Gentilozzi explained. "Two single car entries leave themselves without a technical sounding board that is certainly required today. Two drivers working together can expand the performance envelope when one is perhaps still looking for the right combination.
"Team operations in many areas are made more efficient when we have less multitasking caused by financial restraints. A larger group of people working on the same task allows us to focus those efforts with single expertise. The key ingredient is that both controlling partners are on the same page, it is clear that Dan Pettit and I are on that page. This arrangement will help both of us and our teams."
Pettit added: "This dual-effort gives us the strength we need to succeed this season in Champ Car by having two cars to work with. We have two veteran drivers that work well together and we can take advantage of a great engineering staff. It is going to be a great effort and strengthen both programs overall."
Both operations will keep their respective race shops but will work side-by-side during race weekends under the new "RSPORTS" banner.
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Wilson and Tagliani were obviously pleased with the opportunity of having someone to share technical information with.
"I have to say that it is good to run two cars within a team for both the technical and driving aspects, especially with the new Champ Car this year," said Tagliani, whose sole Champ Car win came with Rocketsports in '04. "We can not rely on the information that we had from the past and we had limited time testing these new cars, so it is key to have a two-car effort in 2007. Together we can log more laps, gather more data, and be able to share information with one another, thus enhancing both operations. For the driver side, we can work together and really learn from each other.
"I am not perfect, so I try to improve each time I step into the cockpit. But part of being able to do that is having the opportunity to compare driving style, strategy, and data with another driver. Justin (Wilson) is a world-class driver and it will be great to work with him as a teammate."
2006 Champ Car World Series runner-up Wilson added: "For sure there is an advantage to having two cars, especially two quick cars. We were able to demonstrate that through our combined efforts during the Laguna Seca test, as both Alex and I were able to run quick times and close together. It is great to have two cars running within a team because you learn twice as much. It is definitely a big advantage to have a teammate, especially an experienced one like Alex.
"I feel that we, as drivers and the team, were able to benefit from working together in Laguna and I look forward to continuing this relationship for the 2007 season. I think together we can have very positive results for the team, our sponsors, and our fans."
