Back from suspension, Tracy vows to keep aggressive edge

Returning to the CART FedEx Championship Series after a one-race suspension for rough driving in a race last season, Paul Tracy no doubt will be the focus of attention in next week's Firestone Firehawk 500 in Japan.

But the Las Vegas resident doesn't believe he will be racing under any undue scrutiny from CART chief steward Wally Dallenbach, who handed Tracy the suspension late last year after numerous on-track incidents.

"(Wally and I) had an opportunity to sit down in Miami a couple of weeks ago and he told me I am starting from a clean slate, nothing is going to carry over from last year," Tracy said.

Although he was involved in no fewer than 10 incidents that resulted in fines, probation, exclusion from qualifying and, finally, the banishment from the season opener in Homestead, Fla., Tracy said he won't alter his aggressive driving style.

"I think nowadays everybody out there is aggressive -- whether you get into trouble or not," Tracy said. "If you are not aggressive and pushing all the time, then you are not going to win races.

"It's a double-edged sword: You are a hero if you can pull off an aggressive pass and make it work and if it doesn't come off, then you're an idiot."

At the same time, Tracy said he realizes he must learn to temper his aggressiveness if he is to make a run for the championship this season.

"If you are in a position to make a pass and have to make it aggressively and risk potentially losing positions from the attempt, then maybe it's not worthwhile," Tracy said.

"I mean, really, our goal this year is to try to be more consistent. We have got to weigh up what the risk and what the reward is and if (making a pass) is worthwhile, then it is worth the maneuver."

After winning 13 races from 1993 to 1997, Tracy suffered through a winless 1998, his first season with Team Kool Green. He had three fifth-place finishes last season, but two came in the first four races and he finished 13th in points.

Despite being forced to sit out last month's season opener, Tracy said he believes he can get back into victory lane in 1999 and make a run for the championship.

"It was frustrating to sit out the race but things could be a lot worse," he said, referring to an accident that left Al Unser Jr. with a broken leg. "From our standpoint, we just took it as a DNF (did not finish); we didn't have a good day.

"I am sure everyone is going to have one of those days somewhere along the course of 20 races. I think if you are narrow-minded, and you look at it in the short term and what a negative it is, then it is going to be a negative.

"I think, over 12 or 15 races, things will equal out and hopefully we can be consistent throughout that (period) and be in position for the championship."

One of Tracy's top-10 finishes last season came at Japan's Twin Ring Motegi. Rain washed out qualifying and Tracy was forced to start 16th (based on practice-session speeds), but he drove his Reynard/Honda to a fifth-place finish, giving him high hopes for next week's race.

"We had a pretty good race setup there ... so I am looking forward to going back to Japan," Tracy said. "Our race car was good and hopefully we can roll off the truck pretty well there. I feel good about it."

archive