nazareth

Race No. 4

Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Presented by Toyota
 Nazareth Speedway — Nazareth, PA
April 29 - May 2, 1999

Thursday Practice Report
pos car driver chassis
engine
tire		 laptime gap to
leader		 gap to
next		 mph km/h 110%
rule
1 9X Helio Castro-Neves Mercedes/LT/F 20.521 0.000 0.000 165.957 267.025 n/a
2 18X Mark Blundell Mercedes/RI/F 20.608 -0.087 -0.087 165.256 265.897 n/a
3 4X Juan Montoya Honda/RI/F 20.691 -0.170 -0.083 164.593 264.831 100.62%
4 4 Juan Montoya Honda/RI/F 20.703 -0.182 -0.012 164.498 264.677 100.67%
5 25X Cristiano da Matta Toyota/RI/F 20.712 -0.191 -0.009 164.426 264.562 100.72%
6 27 Dario Franchitti Honda/RI/F 20.750 -0.229 -0.038 164.125 264.078 100.90%
7 11 Christian Fittipaldi Ford Cos/SW/F 20.764 -0.243 -0.014 164.015 263.900 100.97%
8 36 Alex Barron Toyota/EA/G 20.826 -0.305 -0.062 163.526 263.114 101.27%
9 44 Tony Kanaan Honda/RI/F 20.827 -0.306 -0.001 163.519 263.101 101.28%
10 10 Richie Hearn Toyota/SW/F 20.834 -0.313 -0.007 163.464 263.013 101.31%
11 5X Gil de Ferran Honda/RI/G 20.842 -0.321 -0.008 163.401 262.912 101.35%
12 6X Michael Andretti Ford Cos/SW/F 20.856 -0.335 -0.014 163.291 262.735 101.42%
13 12 Jimmy Vasser Honda/RI/F 20.857 -0.336 -0.001 163.283 262.723 101.42%
14 6 Michael Andretti Ford Cos/SW/F 20.892 -0.371 -0.035 163.010 262.283 101.59%
15 22 Robby Gordon Toyota/RI/F 20.959 -0.438 -0.067 162.489 261.444 101.92%
16 9 Helio Castro-Neves Mercedes/LT/F 20.960 -0.439 -0.001 162.481 261.432 101.92%
17 2 Al Unser Jr. Mercedes/PC/G 20.964 -0.443 -0.004 162.450 261.382 101.94%
18 17 Mauricio Gugelmin Mercedes/RI/F 21.005 -0.484 -0.041 162.133 260.872 102.14%
19 5 Gil de Ferran Honda/RI/G 21.053 -0.532 -0.048 161.763 260.277 102.38%
20 8 Bryan Herta Ford Cos/RI/F 21.072 -0.551 -0.019 161.617 260.042 102.47%
21 7 Max Papis Ford Cos/RI/F 21.075 -0.554 -0.003 161.594 260.005 102.48%
22 24X Scott Pruett Toyota/RI/F 21.135 -0.614 -0.060 161.136 259.267 102.77%
23 18 Mark Blundell Mercedes/RI/F 21.138 -0.617 -0.003 161.113 259.230 102.79%
24 26X Paul Tracy Honda/RI/F 21.196 -0.675 -0.058 160.672 258.521 103.07%
25 99X Greg Moore Mercedes/RI/F 21.200 -0.679 -0.004 160.642 258.472 103.09%
26 40X Adrian Fernandez Ford Cos/RI/F 21.212 -0.691 -0.012 160.551 258.326 103.15%
27 25 Cristiano da Matta Toyota/RI/F 21.221 -0.700 -0.009 160.483 258.216 103.19%
28 40 Adrian Fernandez Ford Cos/RI/F 21.243 -0.722 -0.022 160.316 257.949 103.30%
29 33 Patrick Carpentier Mercedes/RI/F 21.265 -0.744 -0.022 160.150 257.682 103.41%
30 20 PJ Jones Ford Cos/SW/F 21.431 -0.910 -0.166 158.910 255.686 104.21%
31 24 Scott Pruett Toyota/RI/F 21.488 -0.967 -0.057 158.488 255.008 104.49%
32 19 Michel Jourdain Jr. Ford Cos/LT/F 21.781 -1.260 -0.293 156.356 251.578 105.92%
33 16X Shigeaki Hattori Mercedes/RI/G 23.164 -2.643 -1.383 147.021 236.557 112.64%
34 34X Dennis Vitolo Ford Cos/RI/F 23.210 -2.689 -0.046 146.730 236.088 112.86%
35 99 Greg Moore Mercedes/RI/F 27.034 -6.513 -3.824 125.975 202.693 131.46%
36 33X Patrick Carpentier Mercedes/RI/F 35.520 -14.999 -8.486 95.878 154.268 172.73%

Comments on the new wing configuration

Bryan Herta:
[about how the cars handle with the new wing config] "I would say its challenging. It's just a whole different animal. The lower speeds are good and the lap times we are doing are good and that's what CART wanted to do is slow the cars down. But, we are still working with it. I am still feeling out the car. Right now, once the car starts to slide it slides a long time. It's a little bit sketchy to drive at the moment. So, that's what we are working on right now. We are trying to find out with these wings and this set of rules is how we can make the car more comfortable so I can drive it hard for 225 laps and not just hard for one lap tom qualify.

[Comparing the track to the previous year] "This is a totally different race track. We might as well be at a brand new track. It changes the corners and it even changes the straightaways. The rate of acceleration we have with these smaller wings is much greater and we are having to brake much earlier because we don't have the grip. I think our top-speeds are actually quicker than it was last year but our corner speeds are so much slower. Last year on your third lap out of the pits you would be dead flat but as of now I have not done the track flat."

[If the track is more like a roadcouse now] "It's not like a road course. It really isn't. The cars now just slides so much."

Adrian Fernandez:
[Commenting about if he has a handle on how the new config will work out] "No. It's still the same no matter what car you have. It's not the ideal situation no matter what car you have. I think it is going to be tough during the race. I think you are going to have to play it conservative here to get some points and a good result. This place can bite you pretty bad. Basically you have 35 to 40 percent less downforce. The lines are basically the same it's just that you have less grip."

[Has Thursday practice helped you] "Yes, Especially for us because we practiced here with the Swift and not in the Reynard (during our test) so it gives us a little bit of insight into where we are and where we need to go with the setup of the car. It helped us along and showed us where were need to go and where we need to get better. So, I think it was a good move and it helped us."

[How he feels in the car]"At the moment I am not feeling very comfortable. We don't have much grip so we are working on many different things."

Michael Andretti:
"I was pleasantly surprised. The car was quite good, especially in traffic. Maybe we were all jumping the gun a little bit. It may be something that we all have to get use to. The cars are not quite as planted as they use to be but it is the same for everybody. We just have to drive a little more carefully."

"You have to feel things out a little more as a driver. In the past you would just turn the car in and put your foot to the floor. Now you have to feather the throttle and be a little more feathery with it. I like it."