2002 CART season
| 2002 CART season | |
|---|---|
| FedEx Championship Series | |
 |
|
| Season | |
| Races | 19 |
| Start date | March 10 |
| End date | November 17 |
| Awards | |
| Drivers' champion |
 Cristiano da Matta
|
| Constructors' Cup |
 Lola
|
| Manufacturers' Cup |
 Toyota
|
| Nations' Cup |
Brazil
|
| Rookie of the Year |
 Mario Domínguez
|
The 2002 FedEx Championship Series season, the twenty-fourth in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 19 races, beginning in Monterrey, Mexico on March 10 and concluding in Mexico City, Mexico on November 17. The FedEx Championship Series Drivers' Champion was Cristiano da Matta. Rookie of the Year was Mario Domínguez.
Sports television channel ESPN dropped CART coverage for the 2002 season. CBS and Speed Channel took its place for two seasons.
Bridgestone became the exclusive tire supplier for CART, replacing Firestone, an association that would continue until the final Champ Car season in 2007. The 2002 season was last to feature multiple engine manufacturers.
The following teams and drivers competed in the 2002 CART Championship Series season.
The biggest change to the team lineup in the 2002 CART season was the defection of Team Penske to the rival Indy Racing League. The departure of Team Penske, a CART stalwart from its earliest days, was an early sign of a major shift in the CART-IRL rivalry. Several other major CART powers would follow Penske to the IRL for the 2003 season. Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Mo Nunn Racing both set up separate IRL teams in 2002, but continued to compete in CART for the time being, though Mo Nunn downsized his team to a single car. They would be among the teams to leave CART for the IRL in 2003. Blair Racing also left CART for IRL.Patrick Racing downsized their effort to a single car, while Forsythe Racing shutdown their third car driven by Bryan Herta in 2001 for lack of sponsorship.
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