Race No. 20

Marlboro 500
Presented by Toyota
California Speedway — Fontana, California
October 29-31, 1999

Tragedy Overshadows Season Ending Thriller
Championship decided in closest season finish ever

© 1999 SpeedCenter

FONTANA, Calif. (October 31, 1999) - Adrian Fernandez closedthe season Sunday with a $1 million prize for winning the Marlboro 500Presented by Toyota and rookie Juan Montoya won the season's biggest prize -the FedEx Championship Series crown - but both triumphs were tempered by atragic accident involving Greg Moore at California Speedway.

Moore, a 24-year-old driver from Maple Ridge, BritishColumbia, sustained massive head injuries as a result of contact with a wallexiting Turn 2 on Lap 10. He was airlifted to Loma Linda University MedicalCenter, where he was pronounced dead at 1:21 p.m. PT by Dr. Jeff Grange,Medical Director of California Speedway.

Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard)of Patrick Racing led the final 10 laps of the 250-lap season finale - theonly laps he led all race - to earn his second victory of the season andfifth of his career. He averaged 171.666 miles per hour en route to a7.634-second margin of victory over runner-up Max Papis (Miller Lite FordReynard). Christian Fittipaldi (Big Kmart Ford Swift) finished third.

A fourth-place finish by Montoya (Target Honda Reynard),coupled with a 10th-place finish by Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard),was just enough to give him the series title and PPG Cup in the closestfinish in CART's 21-year history. Montoya, who entered Round 20 trailing bynine points, scored 12 points while Franchitti earned three to place theremaining two title contenders in a tie at 212 points.

Montoya captured the title by virtue of the firstchampionship tiebreaker - highest race finish - as he posted a CARTrookie-record seven victories to three wins for Franchitti. The previousclosest points race was in 1985 when Al Unser topped his son, Al Jr., by apoint, 151-150.

Montoya became the youngest champion in series history at 24years, 1 month and 11 days - topping 1995 champion Jacques Villeneuve (24years, 4 months, 1 day) - and joined 1993 champ Nigel Mansell as the onlyrookies to win the championship.

Montoya also continued Target/Chip Ganassi's unprecedentedrun of excellence as the team became the first in history to win fourconsecutive FedEx Championship Series crowns. Target/Chip Ganassi Racing,which broke a tie with Penske Racing at three in a row (1981-83), began itsdominance with a championship by Jimmy Vasser (1996) and followed with apair of titles by Alex Zanardi (1997, '98).

Papis, who led a race-high 112 laps, matched his career bestestablished the previous race at Australia with the runner-up finish. Heclosed the season with four consecutive top-four efforts to finish acareer-best fifth in the championship. For Fittipaldi, it was his fifthpodium of the season and fifth top-eight performance in the last six starts.

Following Montoya and Franchitti among the top five in the serieschampionship race were Paul Tracy (Team KOOL Green), Michael Andretti(Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift) and Papis. It was the best championshipfinish for Tracy since taking third in 1994. For Andretti, it was the 15thconsecutive season he has finished among the top 10 in the title race andbest performance since taking fourth in 1995.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

ADRIAN FERNANDEZ, Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard: "It's sohard, because Greg was such a good friend of ours. We've been racing forawhile, and we shared so many moments, inside and outside the track. I can'texpress how sad I feel. The win doesn't mean anything. My heart goes out tohis dad, I'm sure he's hurting. We should all remember his family in ourthoughts. We will remember him as a great friend, a great gentleman and afantastic race car driver."

MAX PAPIS, Miller Lite Ford Reynard: "He [Greg Moore] is up there in thesky, and these are the messages that God sends to us. I'm so sad. There areno words ... there is nothing. Greg was a special person, in and out of thetrack. I came across the finish line and I thought I'd won, then Bob [teamowner Bob Rahal] came on the radio and said, 'I have very bad news to tellyou.' I had no idea ... no idea. We are not here for this ... we are nothere for this."

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, Big Kmart Ford Swift: "Obviously, this is a very badmoment for all of us. Obviously, my thoughts go to Team Penske. This hasbeen very, very difficult for them. I have no words. Definitely, Greg willbe missed everywhere, inside and outside the track."

JUAN MONTOYA, Target Honda Reynard: "First, I want to say I'm really sadabout what happened to Greg. I think he was a great guy, and I'm really sadfor his family and friends. I think he was a great guy to be around. It'svery satisfying to win the championship, even though we had some problemstoward the end of the season."

CHIP GANASSI, owner, Target/Chip Ganassi Racing: "We certainly don't wantour light to shine at the dimming of others. Let's not underestimate thecharge Team [KOOL] Green made in the second half of the season. You liveyour whole life and dream about days like today, and you're never preparedfor what ultimately happens. This guy next to me [Montoya] and our team hada great year. Team Green's tough. They're gonna be tough next year, and I'mdamned glad the season is over. I've known Greg for five or six years. Ithink everybody who's ever driven one of these cars can tell you that maybehe's not burdened with these things anymore. Our sport seems so small andinsignificant in times like this. Maybe this is a good time for everybody totake a step back. Everybody in this sport needs each other. Maybe it's timefor us all to be back together."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (KOOL Honda Reynard): "Today I lost one of the best friendsI ever had in Greg Moore. In the last couple of years, ever since I'veknown him, we shared a lot of good times together. He was the guy Icompeted the hardest with on the track, and he was the guy that I had themost fun with away from the track. The guy was going to be a champion,many, many times over. He was my friend. With what's happened, nothingelse matters."

WHAT'S NOTEWORTHY

* The FedEx Championship Series season concluded Sunday with Max Papisand Paul Tracy recording or matching career-best finishes in thechampionship. Papis (Miller Lite Ford Reynard) finished fifth with 150points to top his previous season-best of 21st established last year. Papis,who ended up one point behind fourth-place Michael Andretti(Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift), finished the season with 11 top-fivefinishes, including four in a row to conclude the season.Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota Race

In addition to back-to-back, season-ending runner-up finishes atAustralia and Fontana, Papis also scored a podium finish at Laguna Seca,where he finished third. Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard), meanwhile, matched hisseason-best finish of third in the championship established in 1993 andmatched a year later. Tracy's season was highlighted by victories atMilwaukee and Houston; runner-up efforts at Toronto, Detroit and Mid-Ohio;and thirds at Nazareth and Michigan. Tracy's PPG Cup point total of 161represented a high for his nine-year FedEx Championship Series career.

* The remaining top-10 finishers in the FedEx Championship Seriesincluded rookie champion Juan Montoya (Target Honda Reynard), with 212points; runner-up Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard), with 212 points;sixth-place Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing FordReynard), with 140 points; seventh-place Christian Fittipaldi (Big KmartFord Swift), with 121 points; eighth-place Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/CumminsSpecial Honda Reynard) with 108 points; ninth-place Jimmy Vasser (TargetHonda Reynard) with 104 points and 10th-place Greg Moore (Player's/IndeckMercedes Reynard) with 97 points.

* Montoya's victory in the championship marked the first time in the21-year history of the FedEx Championship Series that the points leadchanged hands in the final event of the season.

* Montoya finished the season with $973,000 in earnings to lead theFedEx Championship Series prize money list, and will collect an additional$1 million bonus from PPG Industries when he is presented with the PPG Cupat the FedEx Championship Series Awards banquet Monday evening in LosAngeles.

* Brazil ended the United States' four-year dominance of the Nation'sCup on the strength of Christian Fittipaldi's third-place finish in theseason finale. Brazil held a four-point edge, 257-253, heading into thefinal race and Fittipaldi's effort allowed the South American country tosecure the Cup by a 271-264 margin over the U.S. The United States, pacedSunday by Jimmy Vasser's fifth-place finish, had won the Nation's Cup everyprevious year since its inception in 1995.

* Patrick Racing General Manager Jim McGee registered his 88th careervictory with Adrian Fernandez's win Sunday, making him the all-timewinningest chief mechanic/team manager in all-time Champ Car history. Thewin allowed McGee to break a tie for the honor with the legendary GeorgeBignotti, who recorded 87 career wins from 1958-83.

* The Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota was the final race for retiringCART Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach. Dallenbach has been the sanctioningbody's chief steward since 1981 and has overseen 285 CART-sanctioned events.Dallenbach was honored as Grand Marshal of Sunday's Marlboro 500 Presentedby Toyota. His illustrious career as a chief steward and former Champ Cardriver will be recognized at Monday's FedEx Championship Series AwardsBanquet in Century City, Calif.

* Juan Montoya, the FedEx Championship Series champion, will be afeatured guest on CBS-TV's Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday. Theprogram airs following the late local news in most markets.

* Al Unser Jr.'s (Marlboro Mercedes Penske) start in the Marlboro 500Presented by Toyota extended his CART career record in that category. UnserJr. has made a record 273 starts in his 18-year CART career.