SAO PAULO, Brasil (Feb 15 '97) — After testing at Sebring and Homestead,Scott Pruett and Raul Boesel, Brahma Sports team drivers, were at Riode Janeiro last week. They went to the Emerson Fittipaldi Oval track, insidethe Nelson Piquet International Raceway, to see the modificationsmade under CART requirements. "I would like to see more circuits like thisone in the United States," commented Pruett, who got a third place finish in theinaugural race last year.

Both drivers ran 3 laps in a street car on the track and liked themodifications. "To race here is very exciting — to overtake, using the draftas strategy, changing gears and manuevering the car like on a road circuit, butat 'oval speeds'," declared Pruett.

The drivers approved the major change inthe track — tires barriers tied at the outside walls in corners 1 and 4."It would be better to move the wall back and to build a run-off area,but this solution is good as well," said Boesel. Pruett agreed with Boesel andthink it would be better to have a 100 foot sand/gravel trap.

"The main point is todampen a frontal crash — to avoid such a thing that happened to Blundell," Pruett commented. MarkBlundell suffered a broken foot due to a huge frontal crash last year when onlap 11 his car went straight out at corner 4 due to brake failure.

One of the main things the two drivers were looking at was tbe bumpy track surface, which was a big issue in 1996. Thisyear the track seems to be much improved over last year, according to Boesel. "It's much betternow. I think the asphalt cured more," said the Brasilian.

Pruett considersthe circuit layout definitely good. "The track design is unique. It's due to the factthat the corner angles are sharper that makes racing here so exciting."

TheBrahma Sports team drivers expect that Rio oval track will be a model for futurecircuits.