December 16, 2024

Since June of 2023 our lives have here been a bit messy here with surgeries and non medical fun for my wife and me. A big Monday and Tuesday here this week but I hope and pray that we are on the right path now.

December 29th last year was really a bad day as all of us lost a great race car driver at just 56 and I think about him a lot. Gil de Ferran was a special racer and a prankster. Gil passed away last year of a heart attack on the Concours Race Track in Opa-locka.  Very sad day and he was having fun with his son that day at the track.

I did not know him very well but had some fun with him at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America.

So I feel the need to look and remember our friend as it's so close to a year that he has been gone.

Gil gave Team Penske it's 100th win and consecutive CART championships in 2000 and 2001.

The Milwaukee Mile put my photo of Gil in the Media Center at the Milwaukee Mile. It's also in one of the suites in the grandstand. It's a picture of Gil sitiing in his car giving a thumbs up. The photo was from 2001 and I've cherished it for a long time in my race room here.

In 2000 Team Penske almost had Gil de Ferran and future superstar Greg Moore who we lost in 1999 as teammates. Who knows what could have happened with Greg Moore and Gil together. Gil would have mentored Greg for sure but without Greg we got Helio Castroneves and Gil mentored Helio very well into the Spiderman!

Enjoy some photos of Gil through the years.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

January 1, 2024

This past year has pretty much sucked around our house here with my right kidney being removed, an infection that had a tooth removed and my wife having surgery as well. We are ready for a much better and healthier 2024 for everyone.

Also, we have lost a lot of musicians and racing folks including Gil de Ferran on December 29th and NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough yesterday.

Gil de Ferran was an amazing racer who won the Indy 500 in 2003 and two Indy Car championships in 2000 and 2001.

He was born in France but moved with his parents to Brazil before he was one year old.

Then he started moving up the ladder to try for Formula 1 but he really focused on Indy Car and CART from 1995 to 2003.

Starting in 1995 with Jim Hall's racing team and then on to Derrick Walker's racing team in 1997 before getting with Team Penske from 1999 through 2003.

The fastest lap EVER in an Indy Car was done by Gil at California Speedway in 2000 qualifying at 241.428mph! That's crazy fast and probably will never be beaten.

Gil became a bit of a friend through the years as we talked at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America. I have a photo of him at the Milwaukee Mile with a thumbs up in the cockpit of his Penske Indy Car. He signed a large print for me and I gave him a copy.

He also had some history in my state of Wisconsin for a semester in high school. Before he went to school for that semester he had to milk the cows!!

I heard the very sad news that he passed away of cardiac arrest at an event at the Concours Club in Opa locha, Florida on December 29th in a car in pit lane. His son was also with him that day and it just broke my heart that Gil is gone at 56 years old.

Prayers for Gil and his family and all the racing community that knew him. I still can't believe that he is really gone...

Thank you for the friendship Gil and as Rick Mears says and I always sign my blogs with,

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Gil de Ferran racing Indy Cars at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America 1995 through 2003.

December 4, 2023

In 2000, the CART Racing Series was becoming a mess with the Indy Racing League trying to take control of the series.

Only one CART team showed up at the Indy 500 in 2000 and it was Chip Gannasi Racing with Juan Pablo Montoya in an IRL car. He easily won the Indy 500.

CART tried to have their own Indy 500 with the Michigan 500 in July but it wasn't anything like the famed Indianapolis 500.

Fresh from his Indy 500 win, the following weekend on June 6, 2000 Juan Pablo Montoya put his car on pole position in Milwaukee.  For the Miller Lite 225 presented by Kmart race, Juan Pablo had the fastest laps during the race and won.

DailmerChrysler/Mercedes would withdraw their engine program and the series was becoming a mess thanks to Tony George and his Indy Racing League trying to take over.

Helio Castroneves was in his first of many successful years in a Penske Indy Car. That car was to be Greg Moore's ride but Greg died tragically in 1999 at the California race.

Greg was missed and we can only imagine what he would have done during his racing career.

Helio would go on to win many races through the years including 4 Indy 500's! Maybe Helio can get Indy win number five next year!

Gil de Ferran would win the championship in 2000 and Kenny Brack was the rookie of the year in 2000.

Enjoy a look at the Milwaukee Mile where the Indy Cars are coming back in 2024 after missing the last 8 years there.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann