devilmaster
07-06-04, 02:39 PM
Its a week old, but I didn't see it here....
Herdez Competition back on track
Associated Press
6/30/2004
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - After owner Tony Bettenhausen died in a plane crash in 2000, Keith Wiggins took over with a meticulous plan to rebuild the racing team into a contender in the Champ Car World Series.
Now in his fourth year, Wiggins is finally getting some solid results.
The Herdez Competition team headed into Cleveland this weekend with three victories, two for driver Mario Dominguez and one for young American sensation Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Although clearly the guiding force, Wiggins modestly says the credit goes to the entire team.
``It is a team in the highest sense of the word,'' he said. ``If you put all of the best people in a room, it wouldn't make a good team, because there'd be dynamics, there'd be infighting, there'd be egos. So a team is truly getting 50 odd guys that can work together, all going in the right direction.''
Bettenhausen, the youngest son of a prominent racing family, died in a plane crash near Lexington, Ky., in February 2000. With him was his wife Shirley, Indiana businessman Larry Rangel and Bettenhausen Motorsports executive Russ Roberts.
Over the course of his driving career, Bettenhausen made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts. In 103 overall Indy car starts, his best finish was second. He was USAC's rookie of the year in 1979.
Bettenhausen's father, also Tony, was a two-time national champion who raced in the Indianapolis 500 from 1946-60 and was killed in practice in 1961. His brother, Merle, lost his arm in an accident at Michigan International Speedway in 1972.
Bettenhausen bought his team in 1988 (when the series was known as CART) and fielded two rookies of the year, Stefan Johansson in 1992 and Patrick Carpentier 1997. But he never had a win as an owner.
Although his team struggled financially, Bettenhausen had a new sponsor - Herdez - and was going to field Michel Jourdain for the 2000 season.
After Bettenhausen's death, Wiggins got a call from team engineer Tom Brown. Wiggins had run successful teams in Europe and was working for Lola Cars.
``He said `Look, we need your help.' We'd known each other for years, so I guess he thought I knew what I was doing,'' Wiggins said. ``So I looked into buying the team and the business, and then Herdez, the sponsor, they were looking into buying it. So the deal came out between us.''
Then came Wiggins' three-year plan. Working under a tight budget, he began to put his personal stamp on what became known as Herdez Competition.
``I liked Tony a lot. I didn't know him that well, but he was a good guy,'' Wiggins said. ``But if I am honest, I saw an opportunity to build a team that had some sort of foothold in the business and make it into something better.''
The team got their first victory a year later, when Dominguez won at Surfer's Paradise in Australia and claimed rookie of the year honours. He won again in 2003 in Miami, with then-teammate Roberto Moreno finishing second.
``They've been committed ever since they took over, and they're doing very well,'' said Jimmy Vasser, who drives for PKV Racing, of which he is a part owner.
This year, Dominguez finished third in Monterrey, to the cheers of the fans in his native Mexico. Then came Hunter-Reay's dominant pole-to-finish victory at Milwaukee. No Champ car driver had led every lap of an oval since Bobby Rahal at Phoenix in 1992.
With his boyish good looks and a surfer's way of talking, Hunter-Reay put the spotlight on Herdez.
``For sure, they're committed to the fullest extent,'' he said about Herdez.
The team was disappointed at the recent Grand Prix of Portland, with Dominguez spinning out and crashing early and Hunter-Reay finishing 12th. Next up is the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland on Saturday at Burke Lakefront Airport.
Hunter-Reay is currently ranked fifth in the points, while Dominguez is seventh.
``I think Tony would be proud of the effort they've made and are continuing to make,'' said Gerry Forsythe, owner of Forsythe Racing.
Steve
Herdez Competition back on track
Associated Press
6/30/2004
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - After owner Tony Bettenhausen died in a plane crash in 2000, Keith Wiggins took over with a meticulous plan to rebuild the racing team into a contender in the Champ Car World Series.
Now in his fourth year, Wiggins is finally getting some solid results.
The Herdez Competition team headed into Cleveland this weekend with three victories, two for driver Mario Dominguez and one for young American sensation Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Although clearly the guiding force, Wiggins modestly says the credit goes to the entire team.
``It is a team in the highest sense of the word,'' he said. ``If you put all of the best people in a room, it wouldn't make a good team, because there'd be dynamics, there'd be infighting, there'd be egos. So a team is truly getting 50 odd guys that can work together, all going in the right direction.''
Bettenhausen, the youngest son of a prominent racing family, died in a plane crash near Lexington, Ky., in February 2000. With him was his wife Shirley, Indiana businessman Larry Rangel and Bettenhausen Motorsports executive Russ Roberts.
Over the course of his driving career, Bettenhausen made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts. In 103 overall Indy car starts, his best finish was second. He was USAC's rookie of the year in 1979.
Bettenhausen's father, also Tony, was a two-time national champion who raced in the Indianapolis 500 from 1946-60 and was killed in practice in 1961. His brother, Merle, lost his arm in an accident at Michigan International Speedway in 1972.
Bettenhausen bought his team in 1988 (when the series was known as CART) and fielded two rookies of the year, Stefan Johansson in 1992 and Patrick Carpentier 1997. But he never had a win as an owner.
Although his team struggled financially, Bettenhausen had a new sponsor - Herdez - and was going to field Michel Jourdain for the 2000 season.
After Bettenhausen's death, Wiggins got a call from team engineer Tom Brown. Wiggins had run successful teams in Europe and was working for Lola Cars.
``He said `Look, we need your help.' We'd known each other for years, so I guess he thought I knew what I was doing,'' Wiggins said. ``So I looked into buying the team and the business, and then Herdez, the sponsor, they were looking into buying it. So the deal came out between us.''
Then came Wiggins' three-year plan. Working under a tight budget, he began to put his personal stamp on what became known as Herdez Competition.
``I liked Tony a lot. I didn't know him that well, but he was a good guy,'' Wiggins said. ``But if I am honest, I saw an opportunity to build a team that had some sort of foothold in the business and make it into something better.''
The team got their first victory a year later, when Dominguez won at Surfer's Paradise in Australia and claimed rookie of the year honours. He won again in 2003 in Miami, with then-teammate Roberto Moreno finishing second.
``They've been committed ever since they took over, and they're doing very well,'' said Jimmy Vasser, who drives for PKV Racing, of which he is a part owner.
This year, Dominguez finished third in Monterrey, to the cheers of the fans in his native Mexico. Then came Hunter-Reay's dominant pole-to-finish victory at Milwaukee. No Champ car driver had led every lap of an oval since Bobby Rahal at Phoenix in 1992.
With his boyish good looks and a surfer's way of talking, Hunter-Reay put the spotlight on Herdez.
``For sure, they're committed to the fullest extent,'' he said about Herdez.
The team was disappointed at the recent Grand Prix of Portland, with Dominguez spinning out and crashing early and Hunter-Reay finishing 12th. Next up is the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland on Saturday at Burke Lakefront Airport.
Hunter-Reay is currently ranked fifth in the points, while Dominguez is seventh.
``I think Tony would be proud of the effort they've made and are continuing to make,'' said Gerry Forsythe, owner of Forsythe Racing.
Steve