Race No. 20
Marlboro 500
Presented by Toyota
California Speedway — Fontana, California
October 29-31, 1999
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Young Guns Final Showdown
By Greg Spotts
From the first race of the season, we've been telling you about the Young Guns. Seven drivers who started the season age twenty-five or younger, looking to take over the dusty old town. Sure enough, as we come upon Halloween, there are only two masked men left standing in the championship saloon, Dario Franchitti and Juan Montoya. Both are Young Guns, talented drivers who have permanently changed the face of the Fedex Championship Series.
Remember when Michael Andretti was Mario's babyfaced son? Well, Michael just turned 37, and next season he will be the oldest full-time driver in CART. The success of drivers like Montoya, Franchitti, Moore, Kanaan and Castro-Neves has put heavy pressure on the more established drivers, and the oldest are bailing out. Unser's defecting to the IRL, and Pruett's putting himself out to pasture in NASCAR. Open wheel racing is starting to look like professional basketball, where the elder statesmen of the sport are in their mid-thirties.
Montoya just turned 24 years old, and he has broken almost every rookie record in the book. And that record book includes "rookies" like Nigel Mansell, who came to CART as an experienced F1 champ. This season is Montoya's first in any top-line racing series, yet he heads to Fontana topping the charts in victories, poles, and laps led. Montoya has won poles and races on both road and oval courses, and is second only to Max Papis in laps completed.
Nevertheless, the supernova Montoya is nine points behind the steadier, smoother Franchitti. All season long, the Scotsman has stayed in contact with Montoya through consistency rather than flash. Franchitti has only three victories and two poles. Here's what Franchitti hasn't done this season: hasn't won on an oval, hasn't broken any records, hasn't ever won a race that Montoya finished. Franchitti has shared the podium with Montoya at Long Beach, Brazil, Portland, Mid-Ohio, and Chicago, never once ahead of his younger rival.
Yet weekend after weekend Dario has racked up the points, with 11 podium visits and an additional four points-paying finishes. For those of you scoring at home, Dario has added to his championship points-stash in 15 out of 19 races. Conversely, it has been feast or famine for Juan. When Juan doesn't win, he often doesn't score. Of his 200 points, Juan has gained 155 from victories, poles, and laps led. Juan has only two non-victory podiums, runner-up finishes at Portland and Michigan. Outside of his 7 wins and pair of P2's, Juan has scored a mere 13 points.
It's been a classic case of the tortoise vs. the hare, and the tortoise is leading the hare by 9 points with one race remaining. One grueling, engine-crushing, Handford-drafting, five hundred mile race, where anything can happen.
Obviously Dario comes into Fontana with an advantage: he doesn't have to win. All he has to do is finish in the top three to guarantee himself the PPG cup, or the top four in the event that Juan does not win the pole or lead the most laps. Juan does not have control of his fate, and could win the race without displacing Dario from the championship.
Here's a few tidbits for those of you handicapping Fontana: Dario has never won an oval race. He has suffered mechanical breakdowns in his first three 500-mile races before finishing fifth at Michigan this year. Meanwhile, Montoya finished second in his 500-mile debut at Michigan. Although Montoya's mishaps at Houston and Australia have gotten a lot of press in recent weeks, note that Montoya doesn't crash on ovals. All of his five DNF's this season have come on street or road courses.
Conventional wisdom says that the Handford device will keep things close and set up a drafting duel at the end of the race. But this year's race at Michigan didn't happen that way. Max Papis drove away from the field, and if he hadn't run out of gas on the last lap, only Kanaan and Montoya would have finished within ten seconds of the winner. Also bear in mind that the usual victory purse of $100,000 is multiplied by ten at Fontana, so there will be a number of highly motivated drivers looking for a million-dollar payday, including oval gods Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Greg Moore, and Adrian Fernandez.
In just a few days, we'll know whether the tortoise or the hare wins the championship. But no matter who wins, this pair of young guns has raised the bar on CART competition, challenging drivers and teams to improve their preparation, concentration, execution, and physical fitness for next season.
Quotes
DARIO FRANCHITTI (KOOL Honda Reynard), on the opportunity to claim his firstFedEx Championship Series championship: "A total team effort has gotten usin a position to win the championship and it will take a total effort byeveryone at Team KOOL Green to clinch it at Fontana. I know we're capableof getting the job done, we just need to get on with it. We had a good testat Fontana and we ran well at Michigan this summer [Started 9th / Finished5th], so I think we'll be all right car-wise. We've just got to stayfocused and do what we've been doing all year - qualifying well and runninga smart race. We're not going to worry about what Juan [Montoya] is doingor anything else that we have no control over. It's great to be with a teamthat has won a championship before [Jacques Villeneuve in 1995]; it givesyou a lot of confidence."
JUAN MONTOYA (Target Honda Reynard), on the anticipation of his battle withDario Franchitti for the FedEx Championship Series championship: "I can'twait to get out to Fontana and race. I love this kind of race, where everylap is important -- and it can't get much more important than having the PPGCup on the line. Surprisingly, I'm not feeling a lot of pressure. I thinkthe pressure is going to be on the other drivers to keep up with me. Ireally enjoyed my first 500-mile race [at Michigan] in July. It seemed likeI got stronger as the race wore on, so I'm hoping my endurance will be anadvantage for me on Sunday, too. I'm just going out to win the race like Itry to do every week. If we end up winning the PPG Cup, too, then that willbe a great prize, but unfortunately, we can only control what happens to ourcar."
BARRY GREEN, Team KOOL Green owner, on the team's dedication to winning theFedEx Championship Series title: "Everybody at Team KOOL Green knows that wehave a job to do and that's to have Dario [Franchitti] come away with thechampionship. We must maintain our focus and approach this race like anyother. Our engineers, crew and drivers will continue working together.This approach has worked for us all season and has won us the last two races[Paul Tracy at Houston & Franchitti in Australia]. We are one team and weare all working toward winning the championship. I cannot think of a betterwing-man for Dario to have heading into this race than Paul Tracy."
CHIP GANASSI, Target/Chip Ganassi Racing owner, on pursuing an unprecedentedfourth consecutive FedEx Championship Series championship: "An old baseballcoach of mine once said that a sign of a great team is one that can comefrom behind and win. That's our goal this weekend in Fontana. Obviously, wehave no control over the competition, but our entire team has done anexcellent job of staying positive. No one's given up hope. It's going tobe an exciting race, that's for sure."
PAUL TRACY (KOOL Honda Reynard), on the success of his 1999 FedExChampionship Series season: "This season has been fairly rewarding and hasmade up for a lot of the disappointment we experienced last year in my firstseason with Team KOOL Green. It just shows you that hard work, dedicationand teamwork will allow you to overcome most anything. But of all thethings that happened last year, losing the lead and a million dollars atFontana with four laps to go was probably the worst [Late in the race, Tracyspun while preparing for a restart while in the lead]. A win there thisyear and we will have come full circle. We know -- and everybody else inCART knows -- we can win this thing. But we've also got to be thinkingabout helping Dario win the championship. I know the #26 team will doeverything we can to get the title for Dario, Barry [Green] and the folks atKOOL."
JIMMY VASSER (Target Honda Reynard), the 1996 PPG Cup winner on the amazingaccomplishments of his rookie teammate, Juan Montoya: "I've come to realizethroughout this season that the kid's not human, so I don't think anythinghe does surprises me anymore. He's done things this year that I didn't thinkwere possible for a racer, much less a rookie. It's no surprise that Juanhasn't let the pressure of racing for a championship get to him, and itwouldn't surprise me at all if he pulls it out. It would be a great day forTeam Target if I'm able to successfully defend my race title and Juan canclinch the championship."
MICHAEL ANDRETTI (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift), on last year'sfrustrations at Fontana: "Basically, I got caught out with my face shieldbeing dirty in the race last year and couldn't see. The sun almost blindedme. It forced me into oversteer and into the wall. I was reallydisappointed since I was in a position to win. We have been verycompetitive on [super]speedways. We led 65 laps at Michigan earlier thisyear before finishing fourth. We had problems with the rear wing, also.Experience helps everyone, but I don't see where we have an advantage overanyone else. There are millions of dollars on the line. Coming down to thelast lap, you definitely think about it. Kmart is involved with the [FanAppreciation Day] sweepstakes so it would be nice if a Kmart driver won the$1 million. Now, I just have to convince the other drivers of that.Hopefully we can pick up a million and help a fan win, too. We were able totighten up the points a little with Paul [Tracy] in Australia, but it wasnot enough. We ran well in testing in Fontana and ran well at the Michiganrace, so we're confident that we can run well in the season finale. We needto finish 11 points ahead of Paul to take third and finish our season on ahigh note. [On Wally Dallenbach's retirement from the role of Chief Stewardfor CART] I have known Wally all of my life. He has been a real friend tome and he is going to be sorely missed. He helped make CART one of, if notthe, most competitive racing series in the world. Wally is fair and has atrue passion for the sport. I wish him all the best in his endeavors."
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI (Big Kmart Ford Swift), on the $1 million prize forwinning the Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota: "We will definitely put on ahuge party in Fontana if I win the race and the $1 million prize money.First I have to win the money, then I will decide what to do with it. To bein contention, it's really important to be there at the end of the race andthen go for it. The car has to be running good and we ran well in Michigan,which gives us confidence for Fontana. You have to pace yourself the wholerace. The last 25 laps are definitely the most important of the whole race.[On Wally Dallenbach's retirement from the role of Chief Steward for CART]It was great working with him. He definitely had one of the toughest jobsin the series. Because he had been a driver, he knew what type of pressurewe were in as well as the importance of safety issues. Wally was also fairwith the drivers, so we respected his decisions. I'm just glad I earned hishat before he retired." (NOTE: When Fittipaldi asked to have WallyDallenbach's trademark Stetson hat, Dallenbach told him that if he won arace, he would give Fittipaldi his hat. Dallenbach presented Fittipaldiwith his trademark Stetson at the Molson Indy Toronto, the race followingFittipaldi's first CART victory at the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road Americaon July 11.)
GREG MOORE (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ltd. Mercedes Reynard), on hisfinal start for Player's Forsythe Racing: "Because this is my last race withthe Player's team, I hope to win one for the crew. They've worked so hard inmy three years here. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail have put mein a position to be competitive in every race. I'm pleased that this lastrace is Fontana because we've had success there and on other super ovals inthe past. Two years ago, we led the race in Fontana with 10 laps to go, andlast year we had the lead five times before finishing second. Hopefully,this year we can get to that next step on the podium and give the guys a winthey richly deserve."
PATRICK CARPENTIER (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ltd. Mercedes Reynard), onthe unpredictability of a 500-mile event : "Anything can happen on a superoval like Fontana, so we're looking to go out there and really give iteverything we have for 250 laps. There were 24 lead changes [at Fontana]last year and I'm sure that will happen again this year. It's a long raceand a tough one, both mentally and physically, but as a driver I also thinkit's a great challenge. Winning or getting on the podium at Fontana would bea great way to end the season and reward my Player's team crew for the finejob they've done all year."
AL UNSER JR. (Marlboro Mercedes Penske), on his final appearance withMarlboro Team Penske: "I always look forward to the Marlboro 500. Alex[Barron] and I had a good test at the California Speedway a couple of weeksago, so we're looking for the Marlboro Mercedes Penske to be competitivecome race weekend. I'd like nothing more than to give Marlboro Team Penskea strong finish - we've had a great run together and I hope to do well inmy final race for the team."
ROBBY GORDON (Johns Manville/Panasonic/Menards Toyota Eagle), on closing theFedEx Championship Series season with a strong finish at CaliforniaSpeedway: "I'll tell you why I'm looking forward to Fontana. We've had fivedays of testing there in the last month. Generally, when we've tested,we've run well. It helps so much to have a good setup already in the carwhen you roll off the truck for a race weekend. Our final day last week weran a best lap of 232.5 mph in the Eagle and consistently ran in the low232s without a draft. I don't want to get too excited, because anything canhappen between now and the day we qualify, but the reason we switched to theEagle was because we felt it was a good oval car. It cuts the air very well,with little drag. To have the test time and have it in conjunction with DanGurney's team helps us incredibly. Raul [Boesel] and I have been comparingnotes and the engineering crews on both teams doing the same. I think Raulran in the 230s, so things are looking up for both of us. It's everyone'sback yard here in Fontana, we'd like to win it for Toyota, Dan Gurney, andeveryone who's worked so hard at Team Gordon."
TV INFO
Qualifying for The 500 Presented by Toyota will air 12:30 a.m. ETSunday on ESPN2. "CART 2Day" airs 11 a.m. ET Sunday on ESPN2 while ESPN'slive race broadcast begins 3 p.m. ET Sunday.