• Welcome back to CART FedEx Championship Series action from the “Windy City.” At the conclusion of this morning's practice session, #10 KANAAN found himself on top of the speed chart with a lap of 23.326 seconds (158.810 mph). Chicago skies are clear and the temperature at 1:35 p.m. has settled at 83 degrees.

• This afternoon's qualifying session is scheduled to run from 1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m. and will determine the starting grid for tomorrow's CART Grand Prix of Chicago–Round 7 of the CART FedEx Championship Series.

• NOTEWORTHY: Adrian Fernandez (#51 Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Honda/Lola/Bridgestone), the only owner/driver in the CART FedEx Championship Series, is tied for fourth among active drivers in career wins with seven, will be making his 152nd Champ Car career start this weekend and ranks 10th in all-time career starts. Fernandez currently sits 13th in the points with 28 and should be a major contender this weekend, as four of his seven career Champ Car wins were on ovals – Rio (2000), Japan (1999-‘98) and Fontana (1999).

• The qualifying lap record at Chicago Motor Speedway is held by Juan Pablo Montoya at 22.107 seconds (167.567 mph) in 2000.

• The Champ Cars will qualify individually, in reverse order of the top combined practice speeds. Each qualifier will be allowed up to five warm-up laps before the two timed GREEN FLAG laps that will determine qualifying positions.

• CART FedEx Championship Series Starter Jim Swintal waves the GREEN FLAG at 1:45 p.m. to commence qualifying for the Champ Cars.

• At 1:46 p.m., #9 JOURDAIN is first out and begins the first of five possible warm-up laps before his two GREEN FLAG qualifying laps.

• At 1:48 p.m., #9 JOURDAIN turns a fast time of 24.319 seconds (152.325 mph) on his second lap. #55 DOMINGUEZ is next.

• At 1:50 p.m., #55 DOMINGUEZ turns a fast time of 23.890 seconds (155.061 mph) on his first lap to put him first on the speed chart. #20 BELL is next.

• At 1:54 p.m., #20 BELL turns a fast time of 24.174 seconds (153.239 mph) on his second lap to put him second on the speed chart. #52 NAKANO is next.

• At 1:57 p.m., #52 NAKANO turns a fast time of 23.905 seconds (154.963 mph) on his second lap to put him second on the speed chart. #33 TAGLIANI is next.

• At 2:02 p.m., #33 TAGLIANI turns a fast time of 23.434 seconds (158.078 mph) on his second lap to put him first on the speed chart. #4 JUNQUEIRA is next.

• At 2:04 p.m., #4 JUNQUEIRA turns a fast time of 23.545 seconds (157.333 mph) on his first lap to put him second on the speed chart. #11 FITTIPALDI is next.

• At 2:06 p.m., #11 FITTIPALDI turns a fast time of 23.785 seconds (155.745 mph) on his first lap to put him third on the speed chart. #39 ANDRETTI is next.

• At 2:09 p.m., #39 ANDRETTI turns a fast time of 23.990 seconds (154.414 mph) on his second lap to put him sixth on the speed chart. #26 TRACY is next.

• At 2:12 p.m., #26 TRACY turns a fast time of 23.847 seconds (155.340 mph) on his first lap to put him fourth on the speed chart. #12 BRACK is next.

• At 2:14 p.m., #12 BRACK turns a fast time of 23.791 seconds (155.706 mph) on his first lap to put him fourth on the speed chart. #51 FERNANDEZ is next.

• At 2:17 p.m., #51 FERNANDEZ turns a fast time of 24.285 seconds (152.539 mph) on his second lap to put him 10th on the speed chart. #27 FRANCHITTI is next.

• At 2:20 p.m., #27 FRANCHITTI turns a fast time of 23.428 seconds (158.118 mph) on his second lap to put him on pole. #44 DIXON is next.

• At 2:22 p.m., #44 DIXON turns a fast time of 23.723 seconds (156.152 mph) on his first lap to put him fourth on the speed chart. #8 VASSER is next.

• At 2:25 p.m., #8 VASSER turns a fast time of 23.732 seconds (156.093 mph) on his second lap to put him fifth on the speed chart. #6 DA MATTA is next.< BR>

• At 2:27 p.m., #6 DA MATTA turns a fast time of 23.443 seconds (158.017 mph) on his first lap to put him third on the speed chart. #32 CARPENTIER is next.

• At 2:30 p.m., #32 CARPENTIER turns a fast time of 23.629 seconds (156.773 mph) on his first lap to put him fifth on the speed chart. #5 TAKAGI is next.

• At 2:32 p.m., #5 TAKAGI turns a fast time of 23.674 seconds (156.475 mph) on his second lap to put him sixth on the speed chart. #10 KANAAN is next.

• At 2:35 p.m., #10 KANAAN turns a fast time of 23.526 seconds (157.460 mph) on his first lap to put him fourth on the speed chart.

• #51 FERNANDEZ has withdrawn his primary car and will attempt to qualify his backup car. He has this option because the qualifying session lasts until 3:15 p.m. For his second attempt, #51 FERNANDEZ will still have up to five warm-up laps, but he only gets one timed qualifying lap.

• At 2:52 p.m., CART FedEx Championship Series Starter Jim Swintal once again waves the GREEN FLAG on qualifying. #51 FERNANDEZ is on course in the backup machine.

• At 2:54 p.m., #51 FERNANDEZ gets the one-to-go signal.

• At 2:55 p.m., #51 FERNANDEZ turns a fast time of 23.611 seconds (156.893 mph) in his only attempt to put him sixth on the grid. Now word has come in that #39 ANDRETTI has withdrawn his primary car and will also attempt to qualify the backup and improve his previous position of 16th.

• At 3:05 p.m., The same set of rules apply to #39 ANDRETTI in the re-qualifying attempt as he rolls off pit lane.

• At 3:06 p.m., #39 ANDRETTI gets the one-to-go signal.

• At 3:07 p.m., #39 ANDRETTI turns a fast time of 23.884 seconds (155.100 mph) in his only attempt to put him 14th on the grid. #27 FRANCHITTI has now officially won the pole for tomorrow's CART FedEx Championship Series CART Grand Prix of Chicago.

• Bridgestone Tire engineers report that track temperatures ranged from 121° to 124° F and air temperature from 91° to 96° F during Champ Car qualifying at Chicago.

CHAMP CAR TOP-THREE QUALIFIER QUOTES

DARIO FRANCHITTI (#27 KOOL Honda/Lola/Bridgestone): (On the qualifying effort) “It was definitely a good run for us. It's fun when you're quick in any session of course, but it's special to be on pole position. As Tags [Alex Tagliani] said, the track was slower today in the afternoon session and we had to make changes.” (On Adrian Fernandez and Michael Andretti re-qualifying) “It was nerve racking in the end with the other guys out there a second time. It just goes to show how competitive we are and what a competitive series this is. Whether you start from the back or the front you always have a chance at winning. But it's always easier to do it when you start up front and I'm happy that we'll be doing that tomorrow.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (#33 Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone): (After mechanical difficulties in practice) “I was definitely worried because we didn't put a time on the sheet after blowing the engine this morning. The car was a little bit on the conservative side, but good enough to get us on the front row for tomorrow. My team turned this car around and cleaned it up when all they had was about two hours. They did a great job for us.”

CRISTIANO DA MATTA (#6 Havoline Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone): “I'm really happy considering the luck we've had on the two previous oval events. Here, we are improving on what we took from and what we learned at Twin Ring Motegi and Milwaukee. This is more about being happy with our effort and the progression we have made on the ovals as opposed to the results. We are learning and we are getting better. We need more points and we have to get some of those points on the ovals.”

• This concludes the CART FedEx Championship Series pit notes for Saturday, June 29, 2002 from Chicago Motor Speedway. We'll see you tomorrow for another full day of “Real Racing. Real Sport,” as the Champ Cars come to life again in the 10:30–11 a.m. warm-up session in preparation for the 2:30 p.m. start of the CART FedEx Championship Series CART Grand Prix of Chicago. Good night!