NOVEMBER 21, 2003

A job for Wirdheim

There are rumors in the United States that Patrick Racing CART team is to undergo a major revamp in the next few months and that it may even be that Pat Patrick will pass the whole operation on to a consortium led by Jim McGee.

There are rumors in the United States that Patrick Racing CART team is to undergo a major revamp in the next few months and that it may even be that Pat Patrick will pass the whole operation on to a consortium led by Jim McGee, the man who has run his operations since 1995 and prior to that between 1981 and 1991. Patrick is now 74 years old and has had more than 30 years as a team owner.

McGee is the most successful chief mechanic/team manager in the history of Champ Car racing and has run nine champions in his career which began in 1959. In that time he has worked for Andy Granatelli, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Carl Haas and Bobby Rahal. But he is best known for his links with Patrick.

At 66 he may be considered old to become a team owner but we hear that there may be an arrangement being discussed with Nick Hunter-Reay, Ryan Hunter-Reay's father, to invest in the new operation. Jimmy Vasser's name is also being mentioned as being part of the new organization and if all goes to plan the drivers would be Ryan Hunter-Rey and Formula 3000 Champion Bjorn Wirdheim , who tested for the team recently in Arizona.