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©1998 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. By Bill Harris What is it with these Crazy Canucks? Paul Tracy's recent follies on the CART circuit have been welldocumented. But it was an uncharacteristically dangerous move bycountryman Greg Moore yesterday that produced a seven-carbump-and-grind on the opening turn of the Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200at Portland International Raceway. Moore's "mistake," as he termed it, knocked three cars — his own,Tracy's and Christian Fittipaldi's — out of the race, which ultimatelywas won in businesslike fashion by series leader and doughnut-makerAlex Zanardi. Moore, who started 14th, proceeded too fast into the FestivalChicane bottleneck. He moved right on to the grass and then cut backinto traffic, momentarily becoming airborne and causing the contact. "Everyone slowed down so much and I just misjudged it," saidMoore, a native of Maple Ridge, B.C. "I had passed about five guysand it looked like it was going to pay off." As they walked from their cars, Fittipaldi was in Moore's face. Askedwhat was said, Moore replied, "That's between Christian and me." Fittipaldi was more forthcoming. "I told him it's easy to say he's sorry now," Fittipaldi said. "How doesa guy go from 14th to seventh (Fittipaldi's starting position) that fast?That ought to tell you something." Toronto's Tracy had started from the 20th spot after being suspendedfor Saturday's qualifying session because of his questionableshenanigans Friday. "I didn't see what happened (yesterday), but it's obviouslysomebody's fault," said Tracy, tired of being the designated CARTwhipping boy. "Cars were up in the air. I want to see something doneabout it." Ironically, all the pre-race talk had been of the tight first turn. The IndyLights race won by England's Guy Smith earlier in the day hadproduced a similar first-turn fracas. However, the most spectacular crash of the afternoon featuredTracy's Kool Green teammate Dario (Speedwagon) Franchitti. Heintroduced himself to the wall with great haste on the 72nd lap, butamazingly walked away. All the contact rendered the last 20 laps anti-climactic. Zanardi, withan average speed of 101.355 mph, cruised to his fourth victory of theseason as runner-up Scott Pruett held off pole-sitter and third-placefinisher Bryan Herta. An ill-advised early pit stop by Herta put him on a three-stoptimetable and cost him dearly, as the other leaders made do with two. "I keep taking advantage of other people's misadventures," saidZanardi, who stalled his car when first trying to perform his signaturevictory doughnuts and needed a push from some marshals to getre-started. "There will be times when I'll go home with a grumpy face, but fornow everything is going my way," said Zanardi, who picked up 21points yesterday for a total of 134, 38 more than Moore, who wasshut out. "I am absolutely not the best driver in the world, but I have tobelieve I'm not worse than anyone else. Otherwise, I'd better getanother job." The only Canadian to finish the race yesterday was Quebec's PatrickCarpentier, who was ninth. | ||
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