Lotterer to Arden CART Toe-Dipping Project?

[BootsOntheSide]

From crash.net: http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/030228/230/dufh2.html

Negotiations are continuing apace to ensure that former Jaguar Formula One test driver Andre Lotterer is on the Champ Car grid when the series makes its second visit to the German EuroSpeedway in Lausitz with some reports saying that a deal is '95 per cent' done.

Following a sparkling Champ Car World Series debut last year for Dale Coyne Racing in Mexico City, rising German talent Andre Lotterer is set to return to the series at some point in 2003. However the questions of whom for, where and for how long remain unanswered.

Initially linked to a full-time effort with Jakub Grayewksi's J.A.G Racing outfit, who brokered the deal with Coyne last year, that effort was rumoured to be coming on-line in time for the Long Beach round of the series in April although the latest speculation has placed him with former F3000 team Arden International, who plan on running up to five events this year, including the two European events at Brand Hatch and the EuroSpeedway.

According to press reports in Lotterer's native Germany, it was 95 per cent certain last week that Lotterer would be included in Grayewski's J.A.G. team, be it as a stand-along operation or in conjunction with an existing team (ala Conquest, Fittipaldi-Dingman).

However new rumours have it that he might take part in two races in Europe - at Brands Hatch (U.K.) and at EuroSpeedway Lausitz - as well as in three races later in the season in the USA (TBA), Mexico (Mexico City) and Australia (Surfers Paradise) for the English Arden Team.

Arden is also taking part in the Formula 3000 in 2003, and plans to be the first team based in Europe to participate in a full season of the Champ Car World Series in 2004.

Even though Lotterer has no deal to run with Arden in F3000 and former CART driver Townsend Bell is already on their driving staff, any Champ Car deal with Christian Horner's outfit this year would certainly place Lotterer in prime position to move into the serried full time with the team next year.

Lotterer to Arden is a new rumour to me - the running one had JAG running out of the Rahal shop. Arden were supposedly considering entering anythign from 5 to 8 races with Enge this year, then a full season with Enge and Bell next year, but who knows? Lotterer did show pretty well in Mexico last year.

[Snrub]

IMO it's BS that Lotterer doesn't have a ride. CART says he put out the 3rd fastest lap of the race (at the back of the field). In the earlier portions of the race, he was consistantly putting in fastest laps. It wasn't a fluke.

When a guy shows that kind of potential that early and under those circumstances, you know he's the real deal. Some CART team should pick him up. It may cost in the short term, but the guy will be the next Da Matta if given the chance.

[MolsonBoy]

I read this on the AR1 forum....
The German magazine "Motorsport aktuell" reports that German driver André Lotterer will likely drive for the new ChampCar-team J.A.G. Racing as of the third race in Long Beach!

The owner of the new team, Jakub Andreas Grajewski was in negotiation with Team Rahal and Dale Coyne Racing in the last weeks, but the deals collapsed because of money.
After that, Grajewski bought 2 Lola chassis (a new and a old one), a garage and an agency in Indianapolis, a transporter, as well as experienced employees.

The deal could have worked already for Monterrey, but Grajewski had to organize a boxing match so that Lotterer will firstly drive in Long Beach.

[Jay]

Just happened to have the millions for all that in his back pocket?

It'll be interesting to see if it happens. From his Mexico performance, Lotterer looked more than capable of being in Cart. I suspect there will be another new car or two for Long Beach even if this goes through.