By RANDY PHILLIPS, The Gazette (Montreal)
January 15, 2010
Alex Tagliani is in the best shape of his life, but most noticeable is the absence of the anxiety he's endured during the last couple of years while trying to pursue his car racing career.
It's amazing how becoming the owner of his team, which is set to make its debut in the 2010 IndyCar Series, has changed things.
"I'm very pleased and at the same time I feel very emotional, because this is a dream that's finally become reality," Tagliani, 36, said yesterday. "Stability. Longevity. Having a team where you can go race and win.
Focus on driving. For a long time, I had forgotten what racing was really all about.
"Now I'm enjoying every second," he said. "I'm proud to be involved with a team that is going to try to contribute to the long tradition of racing in Canada." After the spending the better part of the last two years uncertain about his future in racing, virtually going door-to-door begging for rides, the Montrealer is one-third owner and only driver with the new FAZZT Racing Team.
The only Canadian race team with a Canadian driver will compete full time on the 17-race IndyCar Series starting March 14 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Other stops include the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, Honda Indy Toronto, July 18, and Rexall Edmonton Indy, July 25.
"We're doing a lot of things, spending a lot of money on parts to make sure the car is fast, but we're getting these parts made in Canada and Quebec," Tagliani said. "So every time the car goes quicker, people will feel proud about it.
"As a driver, I no longer have the headaches of having to look for sponsors," he continued. "I only think about driving now. It's one of the reasons I'm so fit, because for the last six months all I've done is lift weights and run. So it is exciting and I'm ready." Tagliani, who competed for Forsythe Racing on the CART circuit from 2000 to '05, has partnered with longtime racing and business executive Jim Freudenberg, chief operating officer of Indianapolis-based Rubicon Sports Agency, his partner and Canadian actor Jason Priestley, and Montrealer Andre Azzi, a self-made entrepreneur in the financial services and CEO of the new team.
Rubicon and Azzi Race Division announced last August it would field a team this year. In addition to Tagliani, as a partner and on a five-year contract as a driver, they bought all the equipment of Roth Racing and also brought on board Walker Racing veteran Rob Edwards as team manager.
Freudenberg has been involved in open-wheel racing for more than 20 years and is former general manager of Kelley Racing.
"I don't feel it's a significant step up from where we've been, but it's an exciting step up for sure," said Freudenberg. "My business partner is Jason (Priestley), a fellow Canadian, and we've had Rubicon for the last two years. Different now is that we own all the equipment vs. subcontracting someone to run the program for us." The team was officially formed last July after Tagliani introduced Azzi to Freudenberg.
Azzi's involvement stems from a passion for the sport, and he joked about the fact his poor driving ability ruled out the possibility of fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a race car driver.
The key for the team's inaugural campaign is to be competitive as quickly as possible.
"We want to make sure this team competitive and we're going to take all the necessary steps available to us and all the testing we can do, we'll do to make sure we're ahead," Azzi said.
The team completed its first on-track shakedown at Homestead- Miami Speedway last week and came away more than satisfied with the results of Tagliani's No. 77, the Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry.
The team has another two-day test on Monday and Wednesday on the road course at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
"Our expectations are fairly high for a start-up team," Freudenberg said. "We want to be an upper echelon team. We don't expect to come out of the gate like that because the teams we're competing against have many years of building on us, but I don't think we're going to come out of the gate as a back-marker team or a field filler either."
rphillips@ thegazette.canwest.com
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