Press Snoop: Strategy and female team members.

There have been some changes made for the 2004 season of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford, which are designed to promote passing opportunities and make the races for exciting for the drivers and interesting for the fans, at home and abroad watching on TV. The driver will have to plan ahead, to make the decision.

Each driver will have a 'push to pass' button, with 60 seconds of extra added boost to use as he will during the race, and Cosworth has designed the system so as to bring the car 'back to normal' when a minute has been used.

However, one journo told me that, if the 'push to pass' button has been pushed, the car is going flat out, such as on the two long LB street course straight-aways and there is less than 60 seconds remaining...the car will continue at that pace until the driver lifts.

The driver has more say in when/if the 'push to pass' button is used than planning the strategy of when to use the new 'option tyres', which a driver must run at least once during the race and on all four wheels simultaneously. They're easy to spot due to the two six-inch oblong red tags, which make the car look like it's running red wall tyres.

The Champ Car rule regarding starting tyres is that for road courses, of which LBGP is one, the drivers must start the race on the same type of tyre as qualifying, but not necessarily the same set of tyres. That is, unless a wet race is declared.

Bridgestone has made a new softer, grippier tyre and each team will be issued two sets. The only way the teams can get around the option tyre rule is if the race is declared a wet race, and then rain tyres will be allowed. That is not going to happen this Sunday. Saturday there was a lot of rain, but Sunday is true to form - no rain. It's warm, sunny and dry.

Another change this year will be the requirement for at two green flag pit-stops, with at least one four tyre change. I did a random sampling of some of the teams on who will be doing the strategic planning on the use of the new button and tyre, with the following results:

Herdez will plan strategy between the driver, engineers, and those doing the team T&S. Newman/Haas Racing will have its drivers making decisions on the button and joint decision on tyres will be made by driver, team manager and chief engineer for each of the two cars. PKV Racing will have Jimmy Vasser's strategy planned by engineer Steve Challis, while assistant team manager Tim Broyles looks out for Roberto Gonzales. Rocketsports will have strategy planned by the team manager Phil Howard for Alex Tagliani and by senior crew chief Robin Hill for Nelson Philippe.

There are at least three Champ Car teams with women in key roles. Forsythe Racing has Mona McCrory handling the data acquisition for Rodolfo Lavin's #3 Corona Lola, Walker Racing has had Tricia Wall as assistant engineer for the past three years, while Herdez Competition hired Tess Breila as mechanic for Mario Dominguez. Last year, Breila was with American Spirit Racing.

Friday's weather was great and it certainly did draw the folks - more than many expected - especially for the morning. Crowds milled everywhere, which was a pleasant surprise given that it was a work day for most. And, unlike some street courses, there was no 'free Friday', so it was all paid admissions. Paul Tracy said he liked seeing all the avid fans. And, with a slight nod to the earlier concern that there might not be a full Champ Car field, he said dealing with the traffic on course 'is a good problem to have'.

Saturday's cold and inclement weather, especially in the morning, didn't do much to attract the crowds, but the day cleared and the fans came.

The Champ Car race will be shown live on Spike TV, with the broadcast team of Derek Daly, Calvin Fish and Tommy Kendall, who will exit early, as he's the pole sitter for the Trans-Am race, which follows the Champ Car race. Bronte Tagliani, wife of Rocketsports driver Alex, is the lifestyle feature reporter.

No sooner than I wrote that Cathy Telaneus was probably the only original member of 'the committee' of 300 still working at the Grand Prix, another surfaced. Vic Hawkins is another stalwart who has worked all 30 Grands Prix, and also works in the media centre.