Off the track, the 2001 season was an unmitigated disaster for CART under the leadership of Joseph Heitzler. It included two race cancellations inRio de Janeiro andTexas; a disastrous European tour that coincided with theSeptember 11 attacks and witnessed a severe accident to former series championAlex Zanardi in which he lost both of his legs; infighting amongst engine manufacturers that saw litigation and the announced future departure ofHonda andToyota; the loss of the series' television contract with ABC/ESPN; the departure of longtime tracksMichigan International Speedway andNazareth Speedway; the loss ofFirestone as the series' tire supplier and its replacement by parent companyBridgestone; and the defection ofTeam Penske to the rivalIndy Racing League (IRL) at the conclusion of the season.
The original calendar called for 22 races on five continents, by far the most ambitious calendar CART had ever attempted. With therace at Texas being canceled and theRio 200 being dropped, the 2001 season ultimately had the same number of races asthe previous year.
For the first time, CART would race in the United Kingdom and Germany and also return to Mexico for the first time in almost twenty years.
The original calendar released on August 5, 2000, had the first round of the season atJacarepaguá in Brazil, but disagreements with the track owners several months later led to the event being dropped.
The removal of Gateway from the calendar meant thatMemorial Day weekend would be empty, allowing several teams and drivers the opportunity to compete at theIndianapolis 500.
The 2001 season was the final time Michigan Speedway appeared on the calendar.
^Alex Zanardi's car was impacted from the side byAlex Tagliani's car atEuroSpeedway Lausitz. He lost both of his lower legs in the impact. This signaled the end of his open-wheel racing career.
"CART Postpones Firestone Firehawk 600 Presented by Pioneer Due to Unprecedented Physical Demands on Drivers" (Press release). CART / PR Newswire. April 30, 2001.
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