"Firsts" are Foremost at Motorola 300

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"Firsts" are Foremost at Motorola 300
©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.

One third into the season, teams focus on new venue in Illinois
With Memorial Day the centerpiece of the first holiday of the summer, it is appropriate that other firsts abound as the PPG CART World Series prepares for the Motorola 300 on Saturday, May 24 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison,IL.
The Motorola 300 (ABC-TV live, 1:00 pm ET) is the first event of what is traditionally the biggest racing weekend of the year. It is the first at the new Gateway venue, a 1.25 mile oval located just across the river from St. Louis. It is the first time a PPG CART World Series event has been held on a Saturday since October 4, 1986, at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and it is the first Championship car race in Illinois since Al Unser, Sr. won on a dirt oval at DuQuoin on September 7, 1970.
And for the first time in 21 races, a non-American, Canadian Paul Tracy, enters the event atop the PPG Cup standings. He vaulted into that lofty position by winning the Hollywood Rio 400 on May 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the first time that Tracy (Marlboro Team Penske Mercedes) has led the standings since April 2, 1995, and, with 65 PPG Cup points, he has already exceeded his total from the entire 1996 season (60.)
Tracy, who had earlier won the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Presented by Toyota at Nazareth, PA., comes to Gateway attempting to become the first driver to win three consecutive PPG CART World Series events since Marlboro Team Penske teammate Al Unser, Jr., who turned the most recent triple in 1994 when he won at Mid-Ohio, New Hampshire, and Vancouver, and went on to win the PPG Cup.
Tracy believes his car is well-suited for a strong performance at St. Louis, given his two previous wins and a second-place finish (at Homestead) on oval circuits this year.
"I've seen a video-tape of the track which acting CART Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach took a couple of weeks ago, and it looks a lot like Phoenix International Raceway," Tracy said. "I've done well at Phoenix before and we had a good test there in December, so we should be looking good for the race. I think we've proven in Miami (Homestead), Nazareth, and Rio that the Marlboro car does well on ovals, so we're hoping for some good results in St. Louis.
Though Tracy has dominated the oval-track portion of the PPG CART World Series schedule to date, Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford) hasn't been far behind. He claimed his record 36th PPG CART World Series victory at Homestead, then finished second to Tracy at Nazareth before slipping to 21st at Rio. He is fourth in the PPG Cup standings with 51 points.
Andretti entered the Hollywood Rio 400 with the PPG Cup lead, but now trails Tracy, Scott Pruett, and Alex Zanardi in the points race. Pruett (Brahma Reynard Ford) has parlayed four top-five finishes in five races into second place, with 61 points. Zanardi (Target Chip Ganassi Reynard Honda) comes off a spectacular drive at Rio which saw him start 26th and finish fourth, the largest improvement recorded by any driver this season. He is third in the championship with 55 points.
Greg Moore (Player's/Indeck Reynard Mercedes) moved from seventh place to fifth by tying his career-best PPG CART World Series performance with a runner-up effort at Rio. After his runner-up finish at the April 6 Sunbelt IndyCarnival Australia, Moore has now finished second in both events off the North American continent this season. He brings 44 points to Gateway.
Defending PPG Cup champion Jimmy Vasser (Target Reynard Honda) stands sixth in the PPG Cup with 33 points, but has been quietly outstanding this season. He has extended active streaks of 12 straight points-paying finishes and 22 consecutive race finishes. He and Pruett have completed more laps than any other PPG CART World Series competitor this year (666 of a possible 667.)
Overlooked during Tracy's recent hot streak has been the performance of his teammate, Al Unser, Jr. (Marlboro Penske Mercedes), who has finished seventh of better in each of the past three events and stands seventh in the standings with 32 points. Likewise, Pruett's success has somewhat obscured a strong showing by Brahma Sports teammate Raul Boesel (Brahma Reynard Ford,) who improved from 18th to a season-best fifth at Rio and has produced four points paying finishes in a row.
The month of May has been designated in some quarters as the "PacWest 700." Hollywood, the title sponsor of the Hollywood Rio 400, is also the primary sponsor of Mauricio Gugelmin's Hollywood PacWest Mercedes, while Motorola, title sponsor of the Motorola 300, is the primary sponsor of Mark Blundell's Motorola PacWest Mercedes. Gugelmin made the most of the Hollywood connection in Rio by claiming his first career PPG CART World Series pole position. Blundell will look to go his teammate one better by winning for Motorola at Gateway.
In contrast to PacWest, Team Rahal had a heartbreaking result at Rio when owner/driver Bobby Rahal (Miller Lite Reynard Ford) ran out of fuel just over a lap from his first PPG CART World Series victory since Nazareth in 1992. Still, Rahal was dominant as he led 102 of the race's 133 laps and settled for 10th place. He and teammate Bryan Herta (Shell Reynard Ford,) who finished sixth at Rio and has scored points in 11 of the past 12 events, will be looking to build on that momentum at Gateway.
Arciero-Wells/MCI Racing also generated some momentum in Brazil as driver Max Papis (MCI Reynard Toyota) finished 13th, a season-high effort for the Toyota engine program. P.J. Jones (Castrol-Jockey Reynard Toyota) matched his season best with a 16th place finish and ran as high as eighth. Teammate Juan Fangio (Castrol - Jockey Reynard Toyota) will look to better his season-best finish of 15th at Nazareth.
Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/Cummins Special Reynard Honda) owns three points-paying finishes in his past four events, and Parker Johnstone (Kool Reynard Honda) has scored in three out of five. Roberto Moreno (Kmart/Budweiser Swift Ford) enjoyed a career-best start on the outside pole in his hometown of Rio, but subsequent engine problems relegated him to an 18th place finish.
Richie Hearn (Ralph's Food 4 Less Lola Ford) comes to Gateway having improved his starting position in all five races this season, including a season best at Rio. Gaulter Salles (INDUSVAL Reynard Ford) became only the second rookie to lead a lap this season when he led lap 52 at Rio.
Patrick Carpentier (Alumax Reynard Mercedes) and Dario Franchitti (Hogan Racing Reynard Mercedes) were early exits at Rio. They remain tied for the Rookie of the Year lead with five points each after going scoreless.
Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State Lola Honda) made his best start on an oval circuit this season with a 17th at Rio. Meanwhile, Tasman Motorsports Group teammate and defending Rio 400 champion Andre Ribeiro (LCI/Marlboro Lola Honda) shook off early contact and battled his way to a 16th place finish.
Michel Jourdain Jr. (Herdez/Mexlub/Viva Mexico! Lola Ford) matched his best performance of the season with a 17th place finish at Rio. Paul Jasper (Hype Lola Ford), a resident of Lake Forest, IL., races for the first time in his home state. Hiro Matsushita (Panasonic/Duskin Reynard Toyota) posted his best qualifying effort in nine races, starting 22nd at Rio.
Rookie Arnd Meier (J.A.G./Marcelo/Hawaiian Tropic) continues in the Project Indy seat, making back-to-back PPG CART World Series starts for the first time this season.
Qualifying for the Motorola 300 will air Friday, May 23 at 5pm ET. ESPN's "On the Grid" program will air Saturday, May 24, at 12:30pm ET. The 240 lap, 300 mile Motorola 300 takes the green flag Saturday at 1:15pm ET.
The PPG CART World Series continues with the Miller 200, Sunday, June 1 at The Milwaukee Mile.

Source: CART News Service


		JUST RELEASED! — The Official Directory for CART Racing

		"Firsts" are Foremost at Motorola 300 ©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. One third into the season, teams focus on new venue in Illinois With Memorial Day the centerpiece of the first holiday of the summer, it is appropriate that other firsts abound as the PPG CART World Series prepares for the Motorola 300 on Saturday, May 24 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison,IL. The Motorola 300 (ABC-TV live, 1:00 pm ET) is the first event of what is traditionally the biggest racing weekend of the year. It is the first at the new Gateway venue, a 1.25 mile oval located just across the river from St. Louis. It is the first time a PPG CART World Series event has been held on a Saturday since October 4, 1986, at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and it is the first Championship car race in Illinois since Al Unser, Sr. won on a dirt oval at DuQuoin on September 7, 1970. And for the first time in 21 races, a non-American, Canadian Paul Tracy, enters the event atop the PPG Cup standings. He vaulted into that lofty position by winning the Hollywood Rio 400 on May 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the first time that Tracy (Marlboro Team Penske Mercedes) has led the standings since April 2, 1995, and, with 65 PPG Cup points, he has already exceeded his total from the entire 1996 season (60.) Tracy, who had earlier won the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Presented by Toyota at Nazareth, PA., comes to Gateway attempting to become the first driver to win three consecutive PPG CART World Series events since Marlboro Team Penske teammate Al Unser, Jr., who turned the most recent triple in 1994 when he won at Mid-Ohio, New Hampshire, and Vancouver, and went on to win the PPG Cup. Tracy believes his car is well-suited for a strong performance at St. Louis, given his two previous wins and a second-place finish (at Homestead) on oval circuits this year. "I've seen a video-tape of the track which acting CART Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach took a couple of weeks ago, and it looks a lot like Phoenix International Raceway," Tracy said. "I've done well at Phoenix before and we had a good test there in December, so we should be looking good for the race. I think we've proven in Miami (Homestead), Nazareth, and Rio that the Marlboro car does well on ovals, so we're hoping for some good results in St. Louis. Though Tracy has dominated the oval-track portion of the PPG CART World Series schedule to date, Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford) hasn't been far behind. He claimed his record 36th PPG CART World Series victory at Homestead, then finished second to Tracy at Nazareth before slipping to 21st at Rio. He is fourth in the PPG Cup standings with 51 points. Andretti entered the Hollywood Rio 400 with the PPG Cup lead, but now trails Tracy, Scott Pruett, and Alex Zanardi in the points race. Pruett (Brahma Reynard Ford) has parlayed four top-five finishes in five races into second place, with 61 points. Zanardi (Target Chip Ganassi Reynard Honda) comes off a spectacular drive at Rio which saw him start 26th and finish fourth, the largest improvement recorded by any driver this season. He is third in the championship with 55 points. Greg Moore (Player's/Indeck Reynard Mercedes) moved from seventh place to fifth by tying his career-best PPG CART World Series performance with a runner-up effort at Rio. After his runner-up finish at the April 6 Sunbelt IndyCarnival Australia, Moore has now finished second in both events off the North American continent this season. He brings 44 points to Gateway. Defending PPG Cup champion Jimmy Vasser (Target Reynard Honda) stands sixth in the PPG Cup with 33 points, but has been quietly outstanding this season. He has extended active streaks of 12 straight points-paying finishes and 22 consecutive race finishes. He and Pruett have completed more laps than any other PPG CART World Series competitor this year (666 of a possible 667.) Overlooked during Tracy's recent hot streak has been the performance of his teammate, Al Unser, Jr. (Marlboro Penske Mercedes), who has finished seventh of better in each of the past three events and stands seventh in the standings with 32 points. Likewise, Pruett's success has somewhat obscured a strong showing by Brahma Sports teammate Raul Boesel (Brahma Reynard Ford,) who improved from 18th to a season-best fifth at Rio and has produced four points paying finishes in a row. The month of May has been designated in some quarters as the "PacWest 700." Hollywood, the title sponsor of the Hollywood Rio 400, is also the primary sponsor of Mauricio Gugelmin's Hollywood PacWest Mercedes, while Motorola, title sponsor of the Motorola 300, is the primary sponsor of Mark Blundell's Motorola PacWest Mercedes. Gugelmin made the most of the Hollywood connection in Rio by claiming his first career PPG CART World Series pole position. Blundell will look to go his teammate one better by winning for Motorola at Gateway. In contrast to PacWest, Team Rahal had a heartbreaking result at Rio when owner/driver Bobby Rahal (Miller Lite Reynard Ford) ran out of fuel just over a lap from his first PPG CART World Series victory since Nazareth in 1992. Still, Rahal was dominant as he led 102 of the race's 133 laps and settled for 10th place. He and teammate Bryan Herta (Shell Reynard Ford,) who finished sixth at Rio and has scored points in 11 of the past 12 events, will be looking to build on that momentum at Gateway. Arciero-Wells/MCI Racing also generated some momentum in Brazil as driver Max Papis (MCI Reynard Toyota) finished 13th, a season-high effort for the Toyota engine program. P.J. Jones (Castrol-Jockey Reynard Toyota) matched his season best with a 16th place finish and ran as high as eighth. Teammate Juan Fangio (Castrol - Jockey Reynard Toyota) will look to better his season-best finish of 15th at Nazareth. Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/Cummins Special Reynard Honda) owns three points-paying finishes in his past four events, and Parker Johnstone (Kool Reynard Honda) has scored in three out of five. Roberto Moreno (Kmart/Budweiser Swift Ford) enjoyed a career-best start on the outside pole in his hometown of Rio, but subsequent engine problems relegated him to an 18th place finish. Richie Hearn (Ralph's Food 4 Less Lola Ford) comes to Gateway having improved his starting position in all five races this season, including a season best at Rio. Gaulter Salles (INDUSVAL Reynard Ford) became only the second rookie to lead a lap this season when he led lap 52 at Rio. Patrick Carpentier (Alumax Reynard Mercedes) and Dario Franchitti (Hogan Racing Reynard Mercedes) were early exits at Rio. They remain tied for the Rookie of the Year lead with five points each after going scoreless. Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State Lola Honda) made his best start on an oval circuit this season with a 17th at Rio. Meanwhile, Tasman Motorsports Group teammate and defending Rio 400 champion Andre Ribeiro (LCI/Marlboro Lola Honda) shook off early contact and battled his way to a 16th place finish. Michel Jourdain Jr. (Herdez/Mexlub/Viva Mexico! Lola Ford) matched his best performance of the season with a 17th place finish at Rio. Paul Jasper (Hype Lola Ford), a resident of Lake Forest, IL., races for the first time in his home state. Hiro Matsushita (Panasonic/Duskin Reynard Toyota) posted his best qualifying effort in nine races, starting 22nd at Rio. Rookie Arnd Meier (J.A.G./Marcelo/Hawaiian Tropic) continues in the Project Indy seat, making back-to-back PPG CART World Series starts for the first time this season. Qualifying for the Motorola 300 will air Friday, May 23 at 5pm ET. ESPN's "On the Grid" program will air Saturday, May 24, at 12:30pm ET. The 240 lap, 300 mile Motorola 300 takes the green flag Saturday at 1:15pm ET. The PPG CART World Series continues with the Miller 200, Sunday, June 1 at The Milwaukee Mile. Source: CART News Service