BACK ON TRACK.(competition)(Formula One)

Formula One went back to work in Barcelona after a monthlong break since the curtain fell on the 2004 championship. Among the drivers doing their first work for their new 2005 teams were Juan Montoya (McLaren), Mark Webber (Williams), Ralf Schu-macher (Toyota) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault). Red Bull Racing (formerly Jaguar) gave Vitantonio Liuzzi his first test, and the highly rated FIA Formula 3000 champion was accompanied by former Jaguar men Christian Klien and tester Bjorn Wirdheim.

Of interest on the second day was the performance of Sauber's Felipe Massa, who headed the timesheet after the Sauber's first run on Michelin tires. New-signing Jacques Villeneuve made his Sauber debut and was third-fastest behind Toyota's Ricardo Zonta (who ran a remarkable 143 laps) and Antonio Pizzonia of Williams-BMW.

Might help

After struggling for several seasons with its Mike Ege-built engines, Petty Enterprises will get its Dodge power from Evernham Motorsports next season.

Drivers Kyle Petty and Jeff Green suffered a combined 10 engine-related DNFs in 71 Nextel Cup starts last season. Petty Enterprises ran in-house engines from 1949 through 2001, when it contracted the work to Ege. Team owners Richard and Kyle Petty decided to make the change at midseason.

Dynamic duo

Champ Car team owner Carl Russo wasted no time getting what he wants for next season. Barely two weeks after this year's finale in Mexico City, Russo announced his Rusport operation signed Brit Justin Wilson to team with 2004 rookie-of-the-year A.J. Allmendinger in 2005.