• Welcome back to the streets of Toronto as Champ Car fans await the start of the CART FedEx Championship Series Molson Indy Toronto. At 1:20 p.m. the temperature is 70° with a 16-mph wind from the southwest.

• NOTEWORTHY: Cristiano da Matta (#6 Havoline Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone) starts on pole this afternoon with a time of 58.135 seconds (108.678 mph/174.900 km/h), with Toronto's own Paul Tracy (#26 KOOL Honda/Lola/Bridgestone) flanking on the outside of row one.

• The street course layout at Exhibition Place measures 1.755-miles (2.824 km) in length and the CART FedEx Championship Series Molson Indy Toronto will consist of 112 laps (196.560 miles/316.333 km) or 2:15, which ever comes first.

• Fuel Allotment--Fuel allotment for this race is 109.1 U.S. gallons (412.988 L). The calculated distance is 201.825 miles (324.806 km) which includes two parade laps and one pace lap based on 1.85 miles per gallon pursuant to 9.6.1B of the 2002 Rule Book.

• Pit Stops--The maximum lap interval for pit stops will be 34 laps.

• Helio Castroneves holds the race lap record at Toronto with a lap of 59.028 seconds (107.034 mph/172.254 km/h) in 2001.

• #11 FITTIPALDI of Newman/Haas Racing paced this morning's warm-up, turning a lap of 1:00.392 (104.617 mph/ 168.365 km/h).

• At 1:35 p.m., The command “Gentleman Start Your Engines” is given to the field.

• At 1:36 p.m., Champ Cars roll off the grid.

• At 1:41 p.m., The pace car exits Turn 10, slides onto pit road and honorary starter Alex Zanardi assists CART FedEx Championship Series Starter Jim Swintal in displaying the YELLOW FLAG over the field after #26 TRACY jumped the start. #26 TRACY receives a warning for the violation.

• GREEN FLAG on Lap 2. #6 DA MATTA gets the jump and leads into Turn 1.

• On Lap 3, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 1.218 seconds, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA, #12 BRACK and #11 FITTIPALDI.

• On Lap 4, side-to-side contact reported between #51 FERNANDEZ and #33 TAGLIANI in Turn 8.

• On Lap 5, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 2.435 seconds, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA (3.555 seconds back), #12 BRACK (5.324 seconds back) and #11 FITTIPALDI (6.032 seconds back).

• On Lap 7, #6 DA MATTA extends to a 3.027-second lead over #26 TRACY.

• On Lap 12, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 4.739 seconds followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA (6.424 seconds back), #12 BRACK (10.574 seconds back) and #11 FITTIPALDI (11.632 seconds back).

• On Lap 16, #20 BELL pits early.

• On Lap 17, #27 FRANCHITTI pits early after flat-spotting a tire.

• On Lap 21, #5 TAKAGI in for an early pit stop.

• On Lap 22, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 7.183 seconds, but is slowed by #5 TAKAGI who re-entered the course after pitting.

• On Lap 23, #6 DA MATTA has his lead cut to 5.214 seconds.

• On Lap 25, CART officials announce that #39 ANDRETTI will be held in pit lane for an additional three seconds after the team's stop is completed for topping off with fuel on the final pace lap before the start.

• On Lap 26, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 5.771 seconds, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA (12.077 seconds back), #12 BRACK (12.914 seconds back) and #11 FITTIPALDI (14.095 seconds back).

• On Lap 31, #55 DOMINGUEZ is slow entering Turn 1 and coasts in the runoff. #6 DA MATTA claims he is being held up by #20 BELL and his lead over #26 TRACY is now 4.726 seconds. #51 FERNANDEZ is in the pits before the required 34-lap window.

• On Lap 33, #26 TRACY makes his first pit stop.

• On Lap 34, #6 DA MATTA in for his first stop and beats #26 TRACY out on course. #39 ANDRETTI makes his first stop and CART officials assess the three-second penalty.

• On Lap 35, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 5.570 seconds as the pit stop cycle is completed.

• On Lap 38, #4 JUNQUEIRA and #52 NAKANO reported to have side-to-side contact in Turn 6 and continued.

• On Lap 40, #39 ANDRETTI in the runoff in Turn 3 after flat-spotting the right front tire.

• On Lap 41, #39 ANDRETTI in the pits. He takes off but stops the car so the team can confirm the rear tire was mounted correctly.

• On Lap 43, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 10.313 seconds, followed by #12 BRACK (20.383 seconds back), #11 FITTIPALDI (23.064 seconds back) and #4 JUNQUEIRA (31.155 seconds back).

• On Lap 50, #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY by 9.669 seconds, followed by #12 BRACK (23.415 seconds back), #11 FITTIPALDI (24.438 seconds back) and #52 NAKANO (35.388 seconds back).

• On Lap 51, #27 FRANCHITTI and #32 CARPENTIER in for their second stops.

• On Lap 56, #10 KANAAN in for his second stop.

• On Lap 57, #8 VASSER in for his second stop. #6 DA MATTA remains the leader and secures another championship point by leading the most laps (57 of 112 laps led thus far). He now leads 98-70 in the standings over #4 JUNQUEIRA who is running in sixth place.

• On Lap 62, #6 DA MATTA approaches the lapped car of #32 CARPENTIER. YELLOW FLAG for #10 KANAAN who is stopped driver's right at the exit of pit out. #4 JUNQUEIRA, #12 BRACK, #52 NAKANO, #11 FITTIPALDI, #33 TAGLIANI, #51 FERNANDEZ and #9 JOURDAIN all in for pit stops.

• On Lap 63, #6 DA MATTA, #26 TRACY and #44 DIXON all in for pit stops.

• On Lap 65, #10 KANAAN retires (mechanical). #6 DA MATTA leads #26 TRACY, followed by #12 BRACK, #11 FITTIPALDI and #52 NAKANO. CART officials have the Simple Green CART Safety Team perform a sweep of the back stretch before the restart.

• GREEN FLAG on Lap 72. #9 JOURDAIN, #51 FERNANDEZ and #20 BELL separate #26 TRACY from race leader #6 DA MATTA. #33 TAGLIANI is off line in Turn 3 driver's left without power. #33 TAGLIANI is started on the bump by the Simple Green CART Safety Team and continues.

• On Lap 73, #26 TRACY spun and continued in Turn 1 after locking up the rear brakes behind #20 BELL. Nose-to-tail contact is reported between #27 FRANCHITTI and #33 TAGLIANI in Turn 3. Both cars continue.

• On Lap 74, #26 TRACY locks up the rear brakes, contacts the wall driver's left in Turn 1 and continues.

• On Lap 78, #27 FRANCHITTI and #8 VASSER make calculated stops that allow them to go the distance.

• On Lap 80, #6 DA MATTA leads #12 BRACK by 9.835 seconds, followed by #11 FITTIPALDI (10.906 seconds back), #52 NAKANO (12.002 seconds back) and #44 DIXON (12.588 seconds back).

• On Lap 83, #26 TRACY sits in seventh place (17.586 seconds back).

• On Lap 86, #12 BRACK (currently second) is the fastest car on course, lapping at 59.445 seconds.

• On Lap 88, #32 CARPENTIER overshoots Turn 8, takes the runoff and continues. YELLOW FLAG for #26 TRACY who lost control entering Turn 1 and backed into the tire wall driver's left.

• On Lap 90, #26 TRACY continues after being started on the bump by the Simple Green CART Safety Team. He pulls into his pit box and climbs out of the car after experiencing apparent front braking problems.

• GREEN FLAG on Lap 92. #6 DA MATTA leads #12 BRACK on the restart. Side-to-side contact reported between Canadian teammates #32 CARPENTIER and #33 TAGLIANI.

• YELLOW FLAG on Lap 93 for #20 BELL who spun #4 JUNQUEIRA into the tire wall driver's left in Turn 3. #4 JUNQUEIRA has retired. #20 BELL continues on the bump and returns to the pits. CART Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach has ordered #20 BELL to be parked for the remainder of the event.

• GREEN FLAG on Lap 97. #6 DA MATTA holds the point. #9 JOURDAIN and #27 FRANCHITTI both in the tire wall in Turn 3 after an incident that included contact with #33 TAGLIANI from behind.

• On Lap 99, #9 JOURDAIN continues from the incident in Turn 3. #6 DA MATTA leads #12 BRACK by 1.080 seconds, followed by #11 FITTIPALDI (2.351 seconds back), #52 NAKANO (5.028 seconds back) and #44 DIXON (5.470 seconds back).

• On Lap 101, #27 FRANCHITTI loses his rear wing on the front stretch just off the racing line driver's right after making contact with the tire wall in Turn 8. #27 FRANCHITTI in the pits and has now retired.

• On Lap 105, #6 DA MATTA leads #12 BRACK by 3.763 seconds, followed by #11 FITTIPALDI (6.959 seconds back), #52 NAKANO (10.465 seconds back) and #44 DIXON (11.098 seconds back).

• On Lap 108, #6 DA MATTA leads #12 BRACK by 5.269 seconds.

• On Lap 110, #6 DA MATTA leads #12 BRACK by 5.690 seconds, followed by #11 FITTIPALDI (10.766 seconds back), #52 NAKANO (12.901 seconds back) and #44 DIXON (14.283 seconds back).

• WHITE FLAG for #6 DA MATTA who leads #12 BRACK by 5.607 seconds.

• CHECKERED FLAG for #6 DA MATTA of Newman/Haas Racing who wins his fourth CART FedEx Championship Series race in a row and fifth of the season. #12 BRACK of Target Chip Ganassi Racing finishes 4.398 seconds back, followed by Newman/Haas racing teammate #11 FITTIPALDI, #52 NAKANO of Fernandez Racing and Ganassi stablemate #44 DIXON.

• Bridgestone Tire engineers report that track temperatures ranged from 110° (43° C) to 115° (46° C), and air temperature from 78° (26° C) to 85° (29° C), during the event.

CHAMP CAR TOP-THREE QUOTES

• CRISTIANO DA MATTA (#6 Havoline Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone): “I'm very pleased with the effort this weekend, of course. We didn't have any problems except for the incident on Friday when I was in trouble.” (On Alex Zanardi waving off the start) “He did an excellent job on the start because [Paul] Tracy obviously took off before me. The second time we came around clean and he did an very good job.” (On the mid-season success) “We are pretty confident right now, especially on the road and street courses. I am concerned about two races though–the oval races in Germany and England. In Germany last season we were slow–very slow. But my team has been working very hard on the ovals. England wasn't as bad as Germany because we finished on the podium. Those tracks are going to be important.”

• KENNY BRACK (#4 Target Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone): (On gaining ground on da Matta) “On the restarts I tried to catch him a little bit, but I was always a fraction behind. That was pretty much it for us. I can't really complain about the result today so we'll keep going and look forward to Cleveland.”

• CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI (#11 Lilly Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone): “We were pushing it all the time. On my last stint I was trying to hang with this man [Kenny Brack] and I ended up burning off my tires. I had a lot of push in the car toward the end. Apart from that, it was a trouble free race.” (On feeding off da Matta's success) “Cristiano is on a roll. Apart from that, my guys and I have only had two DNF's this year. But racing incidents happen. Cristiano is doing very well and there's nothing more I can really say. Maybe I'll have to lose a little weight to catch up with him.”

• This concludes the CART FedEx Championship Series pit notes for Round 8 of the 2002 season. Next up for the series is the CART FedEx Championship Series Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by U.S. Bank from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio for the running of Round 9 on the 2.106-mile temporary road course, July 8. Congratulations once again to Cristiano da Matta of Newman/Haas Racing for winning the Molson Indy Toronto. The win in Toronto makes it four straight and five on the season for da Matta. On behalf of Championship Auto Racing Teams, have a safe weekend and thank you once again for your interest and continued support of the CART FedEx Championship Series. Good Night!