THE CHAMPS CLIMB BACK; The once almost dead series has new life.(Motorsports)

Byline: BILL McGUIRE

Now entering its third year with owners Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi and Kevin Kalkhoven, the Champ Car World Series seems to have shed nearly all of its bad old ways, and has taken several strategic steps the series hopes will plant it back on solid ground and lead to a bright future.

A brief review of the past two years: Kalkhoven and Forsythe reached down into their deep pockets and purchased outright two key assets, the Long Beach Grand Prix Association and Cosworth Racing, nailing down both the series' marquee event and a supply of engines for the foreseeable future. Toronto now falls under the series umbrella, and two brand-new venues, Edmonton and San Jose, were hits on last year's schedule.

The picture isn't all rosy. With the season opener at Long Beach on April 9, many teams are still scrambling to put together deals, so a number of car-and-driver combinations are still to be determined as AutoWeek goes to press. The most recent announcement places 2005 Atlantic Series champion Charles Zwolsman in a Conquest Racing seat, and there will be at least 18 cars on the grid; series ownership will pull the strings and, if necessary, cut checks to make it happen.

Series powerhouse Newman-Haas Racing is set to roll, led by two-time champion Sebastien Bourdais and joined again by Bruno Junqueira, now recovered from serious injuries suffered in the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Bourdais is again the heavy favorite for the season title, while Junqueira will need to work hard to return to his speedy form.

Oriol Servia moved over from his Junqueira-substitute role at Newman-Haas to take a seat at PKV Racing, where he teams with Katherine Legge, the first woman to earn a full-time Champ Car ride. Legge will face a steep learning curve while staring directly into the white-hot glare of media attention. All indications are the 25-year-old has the steel to withstand the pressure, but those expecting Legge to become an overnight winner will probably be disappointed.

Still, if Legge can bring half the exposure to Champ Car that Danica Patrick brought to the Indy Racing League last year, the series is well on its way to climbing back into national attention. That prospect is certainly not lost on series co-owner Kalkhoven, who is also Legge's car owner and de facto manager. But the team's best hopes for race wins come from Servia, a good match with team manager Jim McGee, while Jimmy Vasser returns to pilot a third car at selected events, beginning in Long Beach.