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NOTEWORTHY: Round 1 race winner in Monterrey, Mexico Cristiano da Matta (#6 Chevron Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone) starts on pole this afternoon with a time of 1:09.473 (115.970 mph) for the first time in his Champ Car career, with Kenny Brack (#12 Target Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone) flanking on the outside of row one. Max Papis (#22 ROCKWELL FIRST POINT Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) has proved that he can get it done at Mazda Raceway. In winning last year's race here, Papis came from 25th on the grid and set a CART record driving to victory from the deepest starting position on a street or road course. The historic course layout at Mazda Raceway measures 2.238-miles in length. The CART FedEx Championship Series Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey Featuring the Shell 300 will consist of 87 laps (194.706 miles) around the track which features one of the most challenging sections in all of motorsports--the famed Corkscrew. Fuel Allotment--The calculated distance of the race is 201.420 miles, including two parade laps and one pace lap. The fuel allotment for this race is 108.9 U.S. gallons based on 1.85 miles per gallon, pursuant to 9.6.1B of the 2002 Rule Book. Pit Stops--The maximum lap interval for pit stops will be 25 laps. CART FedEx Championship Series Starter Jim Swintal displays the GREEN FLAG at 9:30 a.m. and a number of Champ Cars scream out of pit lane onto the frontstretch. At 9:31 a.m., #39 ANDRETTI is being observed for smoke. At 9:38 a.m., #22 PAPIS is fastest early on with a 1:12.413 (111.262 mph), followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA, #27 FRANCHITTI, #11 FITTIPALDI and #39 ANDRETTI. RED FLAG at 9:40 a.m., for #22 PAPIS who went head-on into the tire wall driver's right at Turn 9. Papis is out of the machine and under his own power. At the time of the incident he was fastest in the session with a 1:11.996 (111.906 mph). GREEN FLAG at 9:50 a.m., Just over nine minutes remaining in the warm-up. At 9:55 a.m., #4 JUNQUEIRA turns the fastest lap of the session with a 1:11.824 (112.174 mph). #33 TAGLIANI does a little agricultural racing in Turn 3 and continues. At 9:56 a.m., #55 DOMINGUEZ is fastest with a 1:11.623 (112.489 mph) followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA, #11 FITTIPALDI, #22 PAPIS and #5 TAKAGI. At 9:59 a.m., #10 KANAAN is off driver's left in Turn 3 without power. Kanaan is requesting a tow back to his pit box. CHECKERED FLAG, #55 DOMINGUEZ remains fastest in the session with a 1:11.623 (112.489 mph), followed by #12 BRACK with a 1:11.754 (112.284 mph), #4 JUNQUEIRA with a 1:11.824 (112.174 mph), #11 FITTIPALDI with a 1:11.889 (112.073 mph) and #22 PAPIS with a 1:11.996 (111.906 mph). Bridgestone Tire engineers report that track temperatures ranged from 88° to 91° F and air temperature from 68° to 72° F during the warm-up session at Mazda Raceway. The Champ Cars will report to the grid at 12:45 p.m. for the start of the CART FedEx Championship Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey Featuring the Shell 300. Stay tuned for more Real Racing. Real Sport. when the GREEN FLAG drops at 1:30 p.m.
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