Target/Chip Ganassi driver JuanMontoya, the reigning FedEx Championship Series champion, began pursuit ofhis second pole position of the season Friday by posting the fastest lap inthe opening day of practice for the Rio 200 at Nelson Piquet InternationalRaceway.

Montoya, who captured the pole for the rescheduled May 27event at Nazareth,posted a top lap of 172.406 miles per hour (38.922 seconds) in a TargetToyota Lola during the afternoon session on the 1.864-mile EmersonFittipaldi Speedway oval. Montoya, the defending Rio 200 champion, willchase the pole, along with 24 other Champ Car qualifiers, when polequalifying begins at 1 p.m. local time (noon ET).

Experience apparently was not a factor in the opening practice day asMontoya, in his second year, was followed by a pair of rookies - Kenny Brackof Team Rahal and Alex Tagliani of Player's Forsythe Racing - in roundingout the top three. Brack (Shell Ford Reynard) was second with a lap of171.136 mph (39.211) and Tagliani third with a lap of 171.005 mph (39.241).Both are seeking season-best starts. Brack's current best is fifth at theseason opener in Homestead while Tagliani's best of fourth also came in theseason opener.

A pair of Brazilians rounded out the top five led by the defendingpolesitter Christian Fittipaldi (Big Kmart/Route 66 Ford Lola) ofNewman/Haas Racing. Fittipaldi, whose first and only career pole came here,posted a top lap of 170.865 mph (39.273). Marlboro Team Penske driver HelioCastro-Neves (Marlboro Honda Reynard) followed with a lap of 170.553 mph(39.345).

Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) of Team KOOL Green, the current championshippoints leader, was 10th fastest with a lap of 169.335 mph (39.628).

The top 22 in practice were separated by less than a second.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

JUAN MONTOYA, Target Toyota Lola: "This morning wasn't great, I wasn't happywith the car. We were late to get the car on track, then we made somechanges and the car kept getting better and better and better. I couldn'tbelieve it, you know. I think things are very promising for tomorrow. Thekey here is to have a nice balanced car to go quickly. You need a lot ofstability in braking. Being here is a second time is a big help."

KENNY BRACK, Shell Ford Reynard: "I guess like everyone else is saying, it'san oval, but it's a road course at the same time. It's very exciting and I'mlooking forward to the race. We'd be looking very good if Juan [Montoya}wouldn't be here, but really, we're looking OK. Usually, on Friday we don'tget much running [track time]. Our primary car didn't run that good, so wehad to take the spare car out. It was a mixture of things, but the setup wasgood all day."

ALEX TAGLIANI, Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard: "First of all,it's a very challenging track, and you need a very good balanced car. It'svery important to carry a lot of speed under braking. We're trying to getthe best compromise we can to carry speed through the corners and be fast onthe straightaways. It's a very challenging track. We're pretty pleased withthe balance. You never know what's going to happen in the race and I don'twant to do much predicting. But right now, we're fast, and we're going tocontinue working on the car so that we can hopefully start in the top five."

WHAT'S NOTEWORTHY

Three of the top four practice speeds were posted by Ford drivers,topped by Kenny Brack (Shell Ford Reynard), second at 171.136 mph (39.211seconds). He was followed by Alex Tagliani (Player's Forsythe Racing TeamFord Reynard), third at 171.005 (39.241) and Christian Fittipaldi (BigKmart/Route 66 Ford Lola), fourth at 170.865 mph (39.273). Ford will beseeking its second consecutive pole at Rio, following Fittipaldi's winningeffort last year, the first pole of his FedEx Championship Series career.