Teams Test at Fontana
©1998 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.

Hanford device slows speeds down

Although the FedExChampionship Series is in a two-week hiatus from activecompetition, preparations for the "Million Dollar Payday" at theseason-ending Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota are movingahead full throttle.

A number of Champ Car teams traveled directly from lastSunday's Texaco/Havoline 300, feature event of the Honda GrandPrix of Monterey at Laguna Seca Raceway, to CaliforniaSpeedway, site of the Nov. 1 FedEx Championship Seriesseason finale, which offers a $1 million purse to the winner.

Wednesday, eight FedEx Championship Series driversparticipated in the first full day of tire testing at the two-mile oval,where ambient temperatures reached 93 degrees Fahrenheit andtrack surface temperatures reached 128.


All cars were equipped with the Handford Device, a wing-likeaerodynamic piece adopted by CART to help contain speeds atsuperspeedway events. The device debuted at July's U.S. 500Presented by Toyota at Michigan Speedway and helpedcontribute to a race which featured a CART-record 63 leadchanges, including one each over the final five laps of the 250-lapevent.

Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford), one of threeGoodyear-shod drivers participating in Wednesday's test, postedthe unofficial top speed at 232.4 miles per hour. His speed wasroughly 8 1/2 mph slower than the world-record speed of 240.942mph set by Mauricio Gugelmin (Hollywood PacWest Mercedes) inwinning the pole for last year's inaugural CART event at CaliforniaSpeedway.


Andretti was followed by Paul Tracy (KOOL Reynard Honda), at231.5 mph; Andre Ribeiro (Marlboro Penske Mercedes), at 231.1mph; Jimmy Vasser (Target Reynard Honda), at 231.0 mph andDario Franchitti (KOOL Reynard Honda), at 230.5 mph.

Gugelmin's fastest lap was clocked at 229.4 mph. He wasfollowed by Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/Cummins Special ReynardHonda), at 229.2 mph and Richie Hearn (Budweiser/Ralphs SwiftFord) at 226.9 mph.

"We are running at 232 miles per hour and the car feels verycomfortable," said Andretti. "The Handford Device slows the carhere at California Speedway just like at Michigan Speedway. Weput on a good show for the fans at Michigan in July and I think wecan expect the same here. It would be great to win $1 million.What a great way to end the season and if a fan gets lucky, theycan collect $1 million, too."

As part of the "Million Dollar Payday," a lucky fan may win $1million as well through CART's first-ever major consumerpromotion, a watch-and-win program during the live race telecaston ESPN.

"I won't be running 240 miles per hour at California Speedway thisseason," said Gugelmin. "The Handford Device has done its job inslowing the cars. It has also made the racing a lot closer. TheMarlboro 500 Presented by Toyota will be one of the closest andmost competitive races ever, and I'd like to come out on top witha $1 million prize."

Source: CART News Service

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