CAPPELLINI IN DRIVER'S SEAT FOR 5TH TITLE!
JONES AND GILLMAN STILL WITH A SHOT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP!

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (November 26 th ) It wouldn't be much of a surprise to say that both 3-time World Champion Jonathan Jones of Cardigan, Wales and defending title holder American Scott Gillman maybe having the same nightmares while trying to sleep these last 14 weeks between the Grand Prix of Russia and next week's final at the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, as both drivers see themselves winning the race, but losing the World Championship.

For the 4 th time in this 5 year event, the final round of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship will decide the eventual champion, and all five times Italian Guido Cappellini has been right in the mix of the battle. For Cappellini, the 39 year-old driver from Como, has seen this script before. In 1994 he, Jonathan Jones and Germany's Michael Werner were within 19 points of each other for the championship and Cappellini's 9 th was all that he needed to capture his 2 nd title in a row from Jones by a 108-97 margin.

In 1995, Cappellini came a long way back after Werner had won the season's first 3 races and by the final event at Abu Dhabi's inner harbor, Guido had a 20 point lead and was looking for just 1 point for the title. He "coasted" his way to 9 th and got his 3 rd straight championship winning with a 107-94 total.

The following year, Italy's all-time winningest driver had it sowed up by the time the boats arrived at Abu Dhabi. This time was no different than most of the season, as Cappellini won for his 8 th time in 9 races and taking a commanding 160-76 margin from Finland's Pertti Leppala and his 4 th straight crown.

3-time North American Champion Scott Gillman arrived on the scene in 1997 and let it be known that his mid-season slump wasn't serious, as he took the final win of the season in Abu Dhabi, his 5 th of the year. Cappellini, dropping out of the event early after leading, opened the door for Finland's Leppala to finish runner-up in the table for the 2 nd straight season and relegating Cappellini to 3 rd in the title chase when it was all over.

This time again, it's Cappellini leading the pack and everyone hoping he makes a mistake in order for the door to open for the title. This will be a difficult task, as Jones, who is looking for his own 4 th World Championship and his first since 1991, faces a couple of different scenarios. The most likely being, that he will need a victory and collect his 20 points while the Italian getting no better than a 4 th for the man from Wales to capture the title. Jones will be a major player in Abu Dhabi, having won the event in 1995 and leading in 1996 before dropping out. "We've been testing both our English Burgess hull and our American Seebold and we are still not certain which of the two we will use," stated the Welshman. "I like this course here and we've done well in the past, but we must concentrate on our task in hand and not worry about anyone else."

For the defending World Champion Scott Gillman of Basalt, Colorado, he is in a deeper hole to climb out of in order for him to make it 2-straight titles. Being 14 points back he will need to win for the 2 nd straight year in Abu Dhabi, while having both Jones and Cappellini finish poorly. Jones no better than 3 rd and Cappellini no better than 6 th which won't be easy as the Italian has only finished below that number three times in the season's first 8 events.

"We've got to concentrate on our task at hand and not worry about anyone else," stated the California native. "We have won here before and we have a lot of confidence we can do it again this year. Only this year it's a lot more critical to do so."

Other pilot's looking to throw a "munkey wrench" into the picture, will be Finland's Pertti Leppala, coming off his first F1 victory ever at the season's last race in Moscow in August. If 1998 will be known as a year of "new winners" another driver who plans on turning his luck around will be Sweden's Goran Karlof a winner in Finland in June and hoping for his first finish in Abu Dhabi since 1995.

Italian speedster Francesco Cantando, the youngster with a great future in the sport, finished 2 nd here a year ago and he is also looking for his first F1 win. While fellow countryman Massimo Roggerio, a first time winner this year at Stresa in Italy, is looking for another podium finish in Abu Dhabi this season.

All in all, it's been a wild year with no one driver dominating in the races this season. Yes, Cappellini has the most wins with 3 and most pole positions with 5, but he has made mistakes this campaign and Gillman, who has a pair of victories but has crashed out twice himself and failed to finish in 4 of the 8 races needs a perfect day. Maybe the darkhorse in all of this will be Jones, as 1998 has been a rare no-win season, could this be his return to the title? We'll know all those answers by the time the sun sets on beautiful Abu Dhabi on the edge of the Arabian Sea Thursday, December 3 rd and crown a new World Champion!

Email: floridahotshot@aol.com