Club Cobra - American team,Ford power in F1

Dan Gurney operated a successful F1 and CART team for years, but this could be his toughest challenge yet...

Two of America's greatest Grand Prix stars, Dan Gurney and and 1961 World Champion Phil Hill, are throwing their hats into the ring in the race to create an American Formula 1 team, as soon as next year!

Details of the audacious idea remain sketchy, but at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today, Gurney explained some of the background behind the project. A deal to run Ford Cosworth engines is "on the table," he claimed, but the All American Racers team boss declined to elaborate on what chassis would be used or whether the program involved a buyout of an existing team.

"I think by the middle of October we'll know more," said Gurney. "It would be American-owned and it will be with more than one person. I'd like it to be a U.S. team with U.S. drivers. The time is perfect for this to happen."

Gurney, whose son Alex raced in CART's Toyota Atlantic Championship this season, said he has been working on the plan for 2 1/2 years, although Hill only came on board recently. The former Ferrari driver, whose son Derek is also a racer and competed in International F3000 this season, has never been involved in team ownership - unlike Gurney, who ran the Eagle-Weslake F1 outfit in the '60s prior to swicthing to Champ Cars.

"It’s going to require certain dominos to start falling pretty quickly, but it would be a monumental situation," said Gurney. "One of the keys right now is engines. We have a commitment–not a contract–from Ford Cosworth, and we could have a signed contract in a couple weeks’ time. If we have our way, we’ll see you here next September (with a team).

“It could be enormous. The reality is it would need to be done properly and be properly funded. It could definitely happen. We’re awfully close to it. As a racing fan myself, I know fans will be extremely stoked about it. It’s an opportunity that comes, and you try to make the best of it.”

Gurney named two business partners, Bob Balachowski and Russ Olsen, and said that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told him, "Anything he could do to help, let him know."

“Bob Balachowski and Russ Olsen have a very good business plan that will stand up to scrutiny to run a good business, and they’ve done a lot of the planning and leg work,” Gurney said. “We will end up with major American sponsorship that wants to get global racing exposure and business. We’ll end up with many vintage car enthusiasts involved."

While Gurney is undoubtedly right about his announcement firing the enthusiasm of American fans, there are obviously a lot of questions still to be answered. Roll on, October....

Copied from the Speed TV site.

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