Race No. 9

Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200
Portland — Oregon
June 20 — June 22, 1997

1996 Pole Winner: Alex Zanardi
1996 Race Winner: Alex Zanardi
1996 SpeedCenter Report
Portland Weather Forecast
Portland International Raceway Area Map

True Road Racing
CART heads to the first natural terrain raod course venue this season

©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.

Portland International Raceway, located seven miles north of Portland, Oregon, is the first of the natural road courses for the 1997 PPG CART World Series season. The track is always a relief from the looming concrete walls that characterize both ovals and street courses. Picturesque in its Pacific Northwest setting, the 1.95 mile circuit is officially 9 turns, but it's a 12 turn course if you count the Festival Corners chicane at the end of the front straight.

"I saw 10 to go and they were the 10 longest laps of my life." These were the words of then rookie Alex Zanardi after claiming his first PPG CART World Series win just twelve short months ago. The icing on the cake for Zanardi was the Marlboro Pole Bonus of $55,000 awarded for having taken the victory from the pole.

A brief shower at mid-race had sent many cars to the pits for rain tires, and many others off the track attempting to weather the damp conditions on slicks. Zanardi and the Target Chip Ganassi Team had gambled that the rain would pass and stayed on slicks, and Zanardi cashed in on careful driving during wet conditions. By the end of the race, Zanardi's lead was more than nine seconds over second-place Gil de Ferran and more than eleven-and-a-half seconds over third place Christian Fittipaldi.

Fittipaldi will return to the cockpit of the #11 Kmart Budweiser Swift Ford for this Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 mile event. Still in recovery from his April 6 crash at Surfer's Paradise, his doctors have enabled special adjustments to the padding in the cast (it's more like a 'brace' than a cast) he will be wearing on his right leg. Christian admits that he still feels some discomfort, but says that it's not so unbearable that it will distract from his driving. In his first time back in the seat, Fittipaldi ran 13th fastest last week in a two day practice session at the challenging Mid-Ohio road course. He will be walking with the aid of crutches for another 2-3 weeks.

The race will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 5:00pm EDT (2:00pm PDT.) We'll then see if the string of victories by German engines and Canadian drivers can be stopped. Mercedes-Benz has certainly been dominant and leads the manufacturers points with 154 over second-place Ford with 124. Last years dominant Honda package trails in third with 118. Canadians Paul Tracy and Greg Moore have won the last five races.