IndyCar
IRL: Indy Racing weekly notebook 2002-12-19
Cheever hires Jones as team general manager; Fisher receives Italian award. INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002 -- Max Jones, who has won numerous races and championships as a team manager for Roush Racing, has joined Red Bull Cheever Racing as ...
Edited: Mar 27, 2008, 5:32 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Cheever hires Jones as team general manager; Fisher receives Italian award.
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002 -- Max Jones, who has won numerous races and championships as a team manager for Roush Racing, has joined Red Bull Cheever Racing as general manager, owner and driver Eddie Cheever Jr. announced Dec. 16.
As general manager, Jones will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Red Bull Cheever Racing. He replaces Richard Caron, who served as general manager since the formation of the Indy Racing League team in 1997. Caron has been promoted within Cheever Group, the parent company of Red Bull Cheever Racing.
"Richard has been instrumental in the success of this race team, including our 1998 Indianapolis 500 victory," Cheever said. "It's time for him to take on new challenges in our growing organization.
"When Richard and I set out to hire a new general manager, we wanted someone dedicated to winning, and Max fits that mold to a tee. He is a proven winner, guiding a number of young drivers and mechanics to the winner's circle at Roush Racing. He will bring some new blood to this race team."
Jones has worked for Roush Racing since 1990. As general manager for Roush's IMSA, SCCA Trans Am and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' efforts, Jones is credited with 52 victories and five championships.
"Indy cars, especially the Indianapolis 500, is something I have always wanted to do, but only if I could be with a successful team," said Jones, a native of Long Beach, Calif. "I have followed Red Bull Cheever Racing for some time now, and the team has all the right pieces to win races and championships. I am very excited to get started."
Jones began his career in motorsports as a driver. His road-racing career included a victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1991, and victories at Topeka (1989) and Portland (1988) with the factory Chevrolet team. He also won the 1987 SCCA Sport Truck Championship and the 1986 IMSA Firestone Firehawk Championship.
***
Fisher receives award in Italy: Indy Racing League standout Sarah Fisher recently received the prestigious Caschi D'Oro trophy by Italian magazine Autosprint, presented to the fastest female driver in the world.
2000 Indianapolis 500 winner and current Formula One star Juan Pablo Montoya received the award as the fastest male driver in the world, and former F1 and CART star Alex Zanardi received a special prize.
"It was a great honor for me to be invited to attend the award ceremony in Italy for Autosprint," Fisher said. "Caschi D'Oro means helmet of gold, and this is one of the most beautiful trophies I've ever seen."
Fisher traveled to Italy on behalf of her personal sponsor, TAG Heuer watches.
"It was also the first time I'd ever been to Italy, and the TAG Heuer staff gave me an insider's look at Milan and Bologna and all the history of the country," Fisher said. "I can't wait to go back."
***
Seat fitting: Track testing is a vital part of an Indy Racing driver's offseason, but drivers can't start testing a new chassis until they've had a seat fitting.
There's more to a seat fitting than meets the eye. Take Marlboro Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran, for example.
Both drivers had to travel to Penske Racing headquarters in Reading, Pa., to get fitted for their 2003 seats. The fitting process for Indy Racing car seats stems from technology borrowed from the NASA space program.
The seat is constructed by having the driver sit in a bag of soft plastic beads, which are mixed with a resin. The air is withdrawn from the bag and the beads weld together in the form of the driver in the seated position. The driver's comfort in the car is paramount, so it may take several sittings before the right design/mold is constructed into the actual seat.
The entire process takes about a day and a half. Once completed, Marlboro Team Penske will prepare three seats for each driver.
***
McGehee to tie knot: Indy Racing League veteran Robby McGehee became engaged last weekend.
McGehee, a private pilot, flew to Bloomington, Ind., where his girlfriend, Norma Oteham, lives. He took Oteham for a secret flight that ended up in Chicago.
Once on the ground, 1998 Indianapolis 500 Bank One Rookie of the Year McGehee popped the question during dinner at the Everest restaurant on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange.
***
Sharp on parade: 1996 Indy Racing League co-champion Scott Sharp will serve as the grand marshal of the daily parade through the Magic Kingdom on Dec. 20 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
Sharp also will sign autographs that day at Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at the Magic Kingdom.
-irl-
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article NA-F2000: SBRS: CHAMPCAR/CART: Sellers tests Newman/Haas Champ Car
Next article CHAMPCAR/CART: NHR closer to selecting 2nd driver for 2003
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Helio Castroneves
Team Penske and Chevrolet announce multi-year extension of IndyCar partnership
IndyCar
IndyCar
Team Penske and Chevrolet announce multi-year extension of IndyCar partnership
Where will Kevin Magnussen rank among the Project 91 NASCAR drivers?
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
San Diego
Where will Kevin Magnussen rank among the Project 91 NASCAR drivers?
The five closest Indy 500 finishes in history
IndyCar
IndyCar
110th Running of the Indianapolis 500
The five closest Indy 500 finishes in history
More from
Team Penske
Winners and losers from a frantic NASCAR Cup race at Talladega
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
Winners and losers from a frantic NASCAR Cup race at Talladega
NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Blaney earns pole as Larson struggles
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Blaney earns pole as Larson struggles
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
IndyCar
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
Latest news
F1 Mexico GP: Charles Leclerc pips McLaren and Mercedes to top FP2
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
5 min
F1 Mexico GP: Charles Leclerc pips McLaren and Mercedes to top FP2
What's behind "absolute nonsense" Oliver Bearman contract rumours
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
1 h
What's behind "absolute nonsense" Oliver Bearman contract rumours
F1 Mexico GP: Follow FP2 with live timing
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
1 h
F1 Mexico GP: Follow FP2 with live timing
F1 Mexico GP: Charles Leclerc beats Kimi Antonelli to top FP1
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
3 h
F1 Mexico GP: Charles Leclerc beats Kimi Antonelli to top FP1
Feature
Discover prime content
How Spanish engineering and Alex Palou brought IndyCar to Barcelona
Feature
IndyCar
Feature
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
How Spanish engineering and Alex Palou brought IndyCar to Barcelona
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
Feature
IndyCar
Feature
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
IndyCar
By Joey Barnes
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe