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©1998 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. By Bill Harris What is it with these Crazy Canucks? Paul Tracy's recent follies on the CART circuit have been well documented. But it was an uncharacteristically dangerous move by countryman Greg Moore yesterday that produced a seven-car bump-and-grind on the opening turn of the Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway. Moore's "mistake," as he termed it, knocked three cars — his own, Tracy's and Christian Fittipaldi's — out of the race, which ultimately was won in businesslike fashion by series leader and doughnut-maker Alex Zanardi. Moore, who started 14th, proceeded too fast into the Festival Chicane bottleneck. He moved right on to the grass and then cut back into traffic, momentarily becoming airborne and causing the contact. "Everyone slowed down so much and I just misjudged it," said Moore, a native of Maple Ridge, B.C. "I had passed about five guys and it looked like it was going to pay off." As they walked from their cars, Fittipaldi was in Moore's face. Asked what was said, Moore replied, "That's between Christian and me." Fittipaldi was more forthcoming. "I told him it's easy to say he's sorry now," Fittipaldi said. "How does a guy go from 14th to seventh (Fittipaldi's starting position) that fast? That ought to tell you something." Toronto's Tracy had started from the 20th spot after being suspended for Saturday's qualifying session because of his questionable shenanigans Friday. "I didn't see what happened (yesterday), but it's obviously somebody's fault," said Tracy, tired of being the designated CART whipping boy. "Cars were up in the air. I want to see something done about it." Ironically, all the pre-race talk had been of the tight first turn. The Indy Lights race won by England's Guy Smith earlier in the day had produced a similar first-turn fracas. However, the most spectacular crash of the afternoon featured Tracy's Kool Green teammate Dario (Speedwagon) Franchitti. He introduced himself to the wall with great haste on the 72nd lap, but amazingly walked away. All the contact rendered the last 20 laps anti-climactic. Zanardi, with an average speed of 101.355 mph, cruised to his fourth victory of the season as runner-up Scott Pruett held off pole-sitter and third-place finisher Bryan Herta. An ill-advised early pit stop by Herta put him on a three-stop timetable and cost him dearly, as the other leaders made do with two. "I keep taking advantage of other people's misadventures," said Zanardi, who stalled his car when first trying to perform his signature victory doughnuts and needed a push from some marshals to get re-started. "There will be times when I'll go home with a grumpy face, but for now everything is going my way," said Zanardi, who picked up 21 points yesterday for a total of 134, 38 more than Moore, who was shut out. "I am absolutely not the best driver in the world, but I have to believe I'm not worse than anyone else. Otherwise, I'd better get another job." The only Canadian to finish the race yesterday was Quebec's Patrick Carpentier, who was ninth. |
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