Overheard in Mexico

UPDATE Confirming what we heard in Mexico City, AutoRacing1.com has confirmed that Champ Car will have a 2006 yearbook, but it will not be published by Autocourse as in the past, but by a company out of Kentucky. Autocourse had three different owners over the past four or five years and it was becoming increasingly expensive to produce the books in England. Hence the switch. Jeremy Shaw is once again doing the bulk of the writing chores. The decision on the new publisher was made fairly late so it won't be out for Christmas (which will hurt sales) — actually probably not much before the start of next season — but it is in the process. And hopefully it will be promoted a little better this time. Mark C.

11/11/06 Hearing that Champ Car will not have an Autocourse yearbook to capture the 2006 season but that the book will be published by another company……Rain hit the track at 4:30 PM today and word is that it will rain tonight and Sunday morning but clear up by race time…….Hearing that former CART Chaplain Father Phil is back in the states and currently in Illinois checking out where he will be stationed after his stint at the Vatican is over next year……Heard that Dreyer & Reinbold will probably stay in the IRL as Honda and the IRL need the car count, but another source said they could have a foot in both series, which we doubt……Continue to hear that a third Forsythe car is a definite possibility in 2007 as previously reported……Hearing that a potential investor is looking at possibly buying into the Conquest Racing team, though Eric Bachelart won't comment, but did tell us we will be just fine next year.