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©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc. Davis Racing driver Gualter Salles returns to the site of his first NorthAmerican victory, the nine-turn permanent road course at PortlandInternational Raceway. One year ago, Salles started the Firestone Indy Lightsrace from the outside front row spot and grabbed the lead in the tightFestival Turn. He never relinquished the top spot throughout the race andcaptured his first win in the series. GUALTER SALLES:
"Of course, because I did well last year in Indy Lights doesn't mean a thingwhere CART is concerned, just like winning a race doesn't guarantee you'll dowell the next week. The driver and the team have to come back and provethemselves all over again. CART is another league-a major league-and thecompetition is always tougher as you advance." "Before Portland I was stillgrowing as a driver and still learning about the series and racing inAmerica. But after Portland I was able to think that I could race in the PPGCART World Series in 1997. With my wins in the next two races (at Clevelandand Toronto), I made the Indy Lights championship a priority and getting aCART ride a goal for 1997. "The Indy Lights series is the best training ground a driver could have if hewants to move up to CART. It teaches a driver to race because all the carsare equal, to fine tune a car's setup and what the North American tracks areall about. Before I came to America I had never driven on an oval, a streetcircuit or an airport circuit like Cleveland, all of which are part of theIndy Lights championship."
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