- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
IndyCar
INDYCAR: Tracy Closing In On Michael Shank Deal
New IndyCar entrant Michael Shank Racing just won America's biggest sports car race at Daytona and could add more good news by signing Paul Tracy.
Paul Tracy hopes to close his Indy car career with old friend Michael Shank. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
After starting off the year with the biggest victory of his career at today’s 50th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Michael Shank could be close to pulling off another major score by signing 2003 Champ Car champion Paul Tracy to drive for his new MSR Indy team in 2012, according to the 43-year-old Canadian.
“My plan right now is to do a final season of IndyCar racing,” said Tracy after completing a twilight stint at Daytona. “I’m trying to do a deal with Michael Shank to start an IndyCar team with himself and AJ Allmendinger.”
Shank, who formally announced the his new IndyCar team in October with partners Allmendinger and businessman Brian Bailey, has been speaking with a number of drivers, but with Tracy, who has driven multiple times for Shank in the GRAND-AM Rolex Series, the Ohio-based team owner would have a known quantity to help establish his new open-wheel program.
“We have a car,” Tracy continued. “We have a sponsor lined up. We need to put together an engine program this week and tie up a couple of other lose ends of some other contractual stuff, and if we can do that, then we’ll get the car put together and try to get to Sebring to test.”
Shank announced he would be using Lotus engines last year, but with Tracy’s longstanding ties to Honda Canada, defecting to the Honda Performance Development-built 2.2-liter single-turbo V6 engines would provide an instant boost in competitiveness and sponsorship dollars.
Although a few details still need to be sorted before PT and MSR can cement a deal, Tracy is already starting to think about how he’d like to see his farewell tour to take place.
“It would be my final year of IndyCar racing,” he said. “Then after that, I’d like to do more sports car racing. This season will be my 22nd year [of Indy car racing] and it will be the last year for that. If we can out together a program for me and be my final farewell year and do a lot of stuff with fans and do a lot like we’ve done the last few year with Make A Wish and helping some kids out and raising some money for disabled kids. That’d what I’d like to do.”
Tracy has been mentioned as a candidate with the established Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan team, and, more recently, Honda’s Dale Coyne Racing, but Tracy says people shouldn’t be surprised he has his sights set on Shank—a newcomer—to close his open-wheel career.
“The attraction of going with Mike is really just his desire,” Tracy explained. “We’ve known each other a long time. I’ve known him since he had a Formula 2000 team. His desire—the people that he has in [team]—I know he’s going to give me everything he has. It’s not going to be ‘Oh, we’ll take your money and give you a half-assed effort.’ I don’t want that; I don’t want my career to end like that. I know that he’s gonna give 110 percent and he’s putting it all on the line. That’s what really drew me in to push for this deal.”
MSR Indy was also in the running for one of the two $1.2 million IndyCar TEAM contracts that went unused by the departed Newman/Haas Racing, but it’s believed the contracts went to two other entrants on Thursday. A third TEAM contract is said to up for grabs next week which, if awarded to MSR Indy, could play a pivotal role in closing the financial gap needed to secure a full-time program for Shank and Tracy.
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. He also contributes to Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett on Twitter.
“My plan right now is to do a final season of IndyCar racing,” said Tracy after completing a twilight stint at Daytona. “I’m trying to do a deal with Michael Shank to start an IndyCar team with himself and AJ Allmendinger.”
Shank, who formally announced the his new IndyCar team in October with partners Allmendinger and businessman Brian Bailey, has been speaking with a number of drivers, but with Tracy, who has driven multiple times for Shank in the GRAND-AM Rolex Series, the Ohio-based team owner would have a known quantity to help establish his new open-wheel program.
“We have a car,” Tracy continued. “We have a sponsor lined up. We need to put together an engine program this week and tie up a couple of other lose ends of some other contractual stuff, and if we can do that, then we’ll get the car put together and try to get to Sebring to test.”
Shank announced he would be using Lotus engines last year, but with Tracy’s longstanding ties to Honda Canada, defecting to the Honda Performance Development-built 2.2-liter single-turbo V6 engines would provide an instant boost in competitiveness and sponsorship dollars.
Although a few details still need to be sorted before PT and MSR can cement a deal, Tracy is already starting to think about how he’d like to see his farewell tour to take place.
“It would be my final year of IndyCar racing,” he said. “Then after that, I’d like to do more sports car racing. This season will be my 22nd year [of Indy car racing] and it will be the last year for that. If we can out together a program for me and be my final farewell year and do a lot of stuff with fans and do a lot like we’ve done the last few year with Make A Wish and helping some kids out and raising some money for disabled kids. That’d what I’d like to do.”
Tracy has been mentioned as a candidate with the established Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan team, and, more recently, Honda’s Dale Coyne Racing, but Tracy says people shouldn’t be surprised he has his sights set on Shank—a newcomer—to close his open-wheel career.
“The attraction of going with Mike is really just his desire,” Tracy explained. “We’ve known each other a long time. I’ve known him since he had a Formula 2000 team. His desire—the people that he has in [team]—I know he’s going to give me everything he has. It’s not going to be ‘Oh, we’ll take your money and give you a half-assed effort.’ I don’t want that; I don’t want my career to end like that. I know that he’s gonna give 110 percent and he’s putting it all on the line. That’s what really drew me in to push for this deal.”
MSR Indy was also in the running for one of the two $1.2 million IndyCar TEAM contracts that went unused by the departed Newman/Haas Racing, but it’s believed the contracts went to two other entrants on Thursday. A third TEAM contract is said to up for grabs next week which, if awarded to MSR Indy, could play a pivotal role in closing the financial gap needed to secure a full-time program for Shank and Tracy.
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. He also contributes to Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett on Twitter.
Latest Gallery
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
VIDEO: 8Star LM24 Wednesday vBlog
Rui Aguas checks into SPEED.com prior to the start of practice and… -
LE MANS: Corvette On-Board Pass Returns For LM24
Watch! Live in-car and garage cameras from Corvette Racing during… -
LE MANS: Lotus LMP2 Cars Seized By Court
BREAKING: Lotus T128 parts seized by local courts over financial… -
LE MANS: Taylor Brothers Continuing Family Tradition
Second-generation racers Jordan, Ricky Taylor seek victory at Le… -
LE MANS: LM24 LMP1 Preview
John Dagys takes a team-by-team look at this year’s LMP1 class… -
DE CHAUNAC: Le Mans 1998, Extreme Tension
After two participations without podium with the Viper, 1998 was… -
LE MANS: Baron's Helping Hand At SRT
2012 LMP2 class-winning team owner and strategist drafted in to support… - More News
