Zanardi Quickes in First Practice at Gateway

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Zanardi Quickest in First Practice at Gateway
©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.
New Speedway gets favorable reviews
CART Online (May 21) -- Alex Zanardi put together a fast lap of 181.112 miles per hour Wednesdayas the new Gateway International Raceway opened to competitors with its first laps in preparationfor Saturday's Motorola 300.
Zanardi (Target Reynard Honda) led a trio of drivers over the 180 mile-per-hour mark during thefirst of four practices for Saturday's noon CDT (ABC-TV, live, 1 p.m. EDT) PPG Cup event.Two more practices are scheduled for Thursday on the 1.25-mile Gateway oval, with the finalpractice preceding Friday afternoon's qualifying session.
Qualifying will air Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. The $10,000 Marlboro Pole Award will be up forgrabs during the session.
As driver of the car whose primary sponsor also is the title sponsor of the race, Mark Blundell(Motorola PacWest Mercedes) received the honor of taking the first lap around the new circuitwhen the session began at 2:29 p.m. CDT.
Zanardi, meanwhile, will be chasing his third pole position of the season and the ninth of hiscareer when qualifying takes place Friday. Earlier this season, he established PPG CARTWorld Series records of six consecutive pole positions and 11 consecutive front-rowstarts.
"The circuit is beautiful," Zanardi said following Wednesday's session. "It has no bumps at all,and I believe it's going to get much faster. I believe we're going to be around 23 seconds(with the pole-winning time. Zanardi ran a best lap of 25.244 seconds Wednesday). I wouldn'tbe surprised to clean more than a second from the time we did today."
PPG Cup leader Paul Tracy (Marlboro Penske Mercedes) was second fastest Wednesday at180.876 mph.
Tracy, who has won the past two PPG Cup events at Nazareth, Pa. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,was the first driver to unofficially top the 180 mile-per-hour mark at the new track.Tracy enters Saturday's Motorola 300 four points ahead of Zanardi (65-61) in the PPG Cupstandings. He is bidding to become the first driver to win three consecutive PPG Cupevents since Al Unser Jr.'s victories at Mid-Ohio, New Hampshire and Vancouver in 1994.
Unser Jr., who posted the 14th-fastest practice speed at 176.614 mph was satisfied with hisfirst look at the new track. "We got a good enough read on the track where we could makechanges on the car and they would show up in the lap times," Unser Jr. said. "The track isa very fast race track. There are very few bumps and the transitions from straightaways tocorners are very good. It's going to be a great track to race on."
Wally Dallenbach , acting CART chief steward, praised the new layout. "If today is anyindication, the track is a keeper," he said. "By Saturday, we'll be ready to have agreat show."
Practice continues Thursday at 10:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. CDT.
Source: CART News Service


		JUST RELEASED! — The Official Directory for CART Racing

		Zanardi Quickest in First Practice at Gateway ©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. New Speedway gets favorable reviews CART Online (May 21) -- Alex Zanardi put together a fast lap of 181.112 miles per hour Wednesdayas the new Gateway International Raceway opened to competitors with its first laps in preparationfor Saturday's Motorola 300. Zanardi (Target Reynard Honda) led a trio of drivers over the 180 mile-per-hour mark during thefirst of four practices for Saturday's noon CDT (ABC-TV, live, 1 p.m. EDT) PPG Cup event.Two more practices are scheduled for Thursday on the 1.25-mile Gateway oval, with the finalpractice preceding Friday afternoon's qualifying session. Qualifying will air Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. The $10,000 Marlboro Pole Award will be up forgrabs during the session. As driver of the car whose primary sponsor also is the title sponsor of the race, Mark Blundell(Motorola PacWest Mercedes) received the honor of taking the first lap around the new circuitwhen the session began at 2:29 p.m. CDT. Zanardi, meanwhile, will be chasing his third pole position of the season and the ninth of hiscareer when qualifying takes place Friday. Earlier this season, he established PPG CARTWorld Series records of six consecutive pole positions and 11 consecutive front-rowstarts. "The circuit is beautiful," Zanardi said following Wednesday's session. "It has no bumps at all,and I believe it's going to get much faster. I believe we're going to be around 23 seconds(with the pole-winning time. Zanardi ran a best lap of 25.244 seconds Wednesday). I wouldn'tbe surprised to clean more than a second from the time we did today." PPG Cup leader Paul Tracy (Marlboro Penske Mercedes) was second fastest Wednesday at180.876 mph. Tracy, who has won the past two PPG Cup events at Nazareth, Pa. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,was the first driver to unofficially top the 180 mile-per-hour mark at the new track.Tracy enters Saturday's Motorola 300 four points ahead of Zanardi (65-61) in the PPG Cupstandings. He is bidding to become the first driver to win three consecutive PPG Cupevents since Al Unser Jr.'s victories at Mid-Ohio, New Hampshire and Vancouver in 1994. Unser Jr., who posted the 14th-fastest practice speed at 176.614 mph was satisfied with hisfirst look at the new track. "We got a good enough read on the track where we could makechanges on the car and they would show up in the lap times," Unser Jr. said. "The track isa very fast race track. There are very few bumps and the transitions from straightaways tocorners are very good. It's going to be a great track to race on." Wally Dallenbach , acting CART chief steward, praised the new layout. "If today is anyindication, the track is a keeper," he said. "By Saturday, we'll be ready to have agreat show." Practice continues Thursday at 10:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. CDT. Source: CART News Service