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| | Moore and Carpentier Seek First Superspeedway Victory
©1998 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.
Forsythe drivers optimistic for the US 500Ready to take on the demanding challenges of theseason’s first superspeedway are Forsythe Racing’s Greg Moore and PatrickCarpentier, both seeking their first superspeedway victory, as they head intothe U.S. 500 for Round 12 of 19 in the FedEx Championship Series. Moore has accumulated five top-four finishes in six of the oval races thisseason, and earned two oval pole positions at Miami and St. Louis. "Winning on a superspeedway comes down to the durability of the car and driver,and a little bit of luck. Five hundred miles is a long race, and the car needsto be able to endure the distance and the heat, because it’s usually very hotwhen we race at Michigan. Also, as a driver, it’s physically and mentallydemanding. This is the first race the Champ Cars will be usingthe new Handford Device [wing-like aerodynamic piece] to help reduce top speeds.We tested with the device at Michigan earlier this year, and it reduced theoverall speeds, but our times were among the quickest. I think you’ll be seeingsome great side-by-side racing along the straightaways." Carpentier would like nothing more than to turn his luck around this weekend andcapture his first CART victory at the superspeedway. "Last year we were leading the race until our day ended with an electricalproblem. This year I have the Blue Crew behind me, and if we can get the setupjust right, we should have a successful weekend. On theovals, we’ve been just as quick as the fastest cars, but it’s a real science toget everything working just right. Hopefully this weekend things will fall intoplace and we’ll get our first win." Jerry Forsythe expects to see his Champ Cars up at the front of the field forSunday’s race. "The Forsythe team has had great success on the oval courses this season. CART’smandatory requirement of the Handford Device on the superspeedways willcertainly make this race different than it has been in the past. With thereduction of downforce in the corners, and increased straightaway drag, I thinkyou’ll see tighter racing amongst the drivers. But more importantly, the topspeeds are reduced thereby providing an important safety factor.The Blue Crew has been diligent on getting the perfect setup for this weekend.We’re looking to bring home a Forsythe victory." Source: Forsythe Racing |
