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©1999 SpeedCenter Publishing Fifteen FedEx Championship Series drivers, includingthree of the top five in the PPG Cup points race, willbe participating in a two-day CART Open Test beginningTuesday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The test has been scheduled to help drivers and teamsprepare for the Aug. 15 Miller Lite 200, Round 14 ofthe FedEx Championship Series, which will be contestedon Mid-Ohio's 2.258-mile permanent road course.On-track testing is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon and 1to 5 p.m. each day. Heading the entry list is rookie and FedEx ChampionshipSeries points leader Juan Montoya (Target HondaReynard) of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, who claimed hisfourth victory of the season at Sunday's Medic DrugGrand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstar. With thewin, Montoya became the first FedEx Championship Seriesdriver to top 100 points this season while extendinghis lead over second-place Gil de Ferran(Valvoline/Cummins Special Honda Reynard) to 112-87. While de Ferran will not be participating in theMid-Ohio test, two of Montoya's other pursuers will.Third-place Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard)trails de Ferran by two points in the championship andis the defending pole-sitter at Mid-Ohio. Greg Moore(Player's Forsythe Racing Team Mercedes Reynard) standsfifth with 69 points and owns a 1997 runner-up finishat Mid-Ohio among his 16 career podium results. Other noteworthy participants in the Open Test will beJimmy Vasser (Target Honda Reynard), the 1996 serieschampion; defending Miller Lite 200 champion AdrianFernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing FordReynard) and Christian Fittipaldi (Big Kmart FordSwift), who has scored PPG Cup points in eight of ninestarts this season. Locally-based Team Rahal and Forsythe ChampionshipRacing, both located in suburban Columbus, also willparticipate. Team Rahal will be represented by BryanHerta (Shell Ford Reynard), who won the 1997 pole atMid-Ohio and comes off an outstanding drive Sundaywhich saw him recover from a first-lap spin which hadhim running 27th and last in the field to finish sixth. Tony Kanaan (McDonald's Championship Racing Team HondaReynard), winner of the 1998 Jim Trueman Rookie of theYear Award, will drive for Forsythe ChampionshipRacing. Champcar.com has a reporter on the scene and expects a first hand report. Source: CART News Service | ||
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