Businessman and race driver sponsor Harry Muermans (right) from Holland is here in Long Beach watching both his driver Robert Doornbos who drives for Minardi Team USA as well as his son Dominick Muermans (below left) who is competing in the Atlantic series. Dominick told AutoRacing1.com that he is going to go back to
Europe and race 8 races in the Formula Masters series (a European F3 series) before returning back to the USA next year to do a full season in either Atlantic, or if he does well in F3, Champ Car………Former driver turned TV commentator Jon Beekhuis was a passenger in the Minardi 2-seat car Friday and came away quite impressed. "The braking is amazing. I knew it was going to be hard, and I was ready for it and still I banged my head on the dashboard each time my driver Patrick Friesacher hit the brakes. The car is light that on acceleration and braking the car really snaps your head, but once you hit 3rd gear it feels just like a Champ Car. I can see why they cannot pass in F1. The braking zones are just so short………We spoke to Minardi Team USA co-owner Keith Wiggins who told us that the 2-seater program will soon be rebranded as a Champ Car 2-seater instead of a Minardi
F1 2-seat ride. The cost for a ride? A cool $10,000 for three laps………Mo Nunn (seen right talking to Max Papis and Robin Miller) was an interested spectator. "I have not been to a race in two years," said Nunn. "I have been doing home remodeling and other things." Asked if he had any interest in getting back into racing and he pulled out his wallet and said, "this isn't thick enough for that," with a smile.
Mark C.
