Updates from the Rest of the Racing World
Atlas F1 Magazine Writers
Advice: The points tables for most series covered by Elsewhere In Racing are available here. Individual series are linked to their corresponding points table after each report.
The Scandinavian Law
It is a rule, nay a law of motor racing that states that Scandinavians will not be beaten on home soil. Despite the appearance of drivers like Spaniard Carlos Sainz, Scot Colin McRae and Englishman Richard Burns, both Rally Sweden and the 1000 Lakes, now known as Rally Finland, have remained the exclusive province of the drivers of Finland, Norway and Sweden. The law was not broken this year as Marcus Gronholm won his third consecutive Rally Finland.
On Stage 13 Rovanpera punctured on one of the longest stages of the rally. The rim was wrecked and the resultant damage to panels and suspension componentry meant Rovanpera would be unable to continue. This brought Gronholm back into a lead of over 60 seconds ahead of Burns. By the end of Leg 2 that lead was out to over 90 seconds and that gap was maintained throughout Leg 3 as Gronholm cruised to his third victory of the year. Third place was 82 seconds behind Burns so Peugeot's dominance of this, the fastest gravel event of the year, was never threatened.
That third place was held for much of the rally by Colin McRae. But the 1995 World Champion had his Ford Focus catch fire half a kilometre from the end of Stage 20. At the time McRae was just under a minute behind Burns, his chances of improving dependent on the two silver cars ahead striking problems. McRae, along with his two teammates, were able to take four of the five stage victories not claimed by Peugeot. McRae and Carlos Sainz won a stage each with Markko Martin winning the two penultimate stages of the rally.
McRae was shattered by his retirement, which leaves him 17 points behind Gronholm. Sainz spent much of the final day of the rally fighting over what became third place. At the start of Stage 18, Sainz leapt too early and was slugged with a ten second penalty. It would cost him third. Despite Martin's Leg 3 pace, a lonely fifth place was all he could hope for, following home the veteran Spaniard.
Seventh was the first of the privateers, Sebastian Lindholm bringing his Peugeot 206 home in fine style. Lindholm climbed into the top ten on Stage 3 and stayed there. Juuso Pykalisto, also Peugeot mounted, was sixth after Stage 2 before rising to be fourth after the next stage. The local hero was claimed by transmission dramas in Stage 6 however.
Finn Jani Paasonen finished eighth on his home event. His was the only factory Mitsubishi to make the finish. Both Alister McRae and Francois Delecour retired their cars, the new Step Two WRC Lancer. McRae retired after hitting a rock in Stage 18 while Francois Delecour stopped late in Leg 1 with a collapsed suspension. Both drivers were encouraged by the improvements of the new car. Whether this translates into extra pace is something we'll have to wait until Germany for.
Freddy Loix finished ninth in his Hyundai Accent. Coming into the final Leg Loix was on the fringe of the top ten but was swept aside by the Citroens, at least while they lasted. As attrition hit higher in the order, Loix climbed to ninth. Armin Schwarz was 13th. The Hyundais were struck down with braking problems on Leg 3, and faulty spark plugs on Leg 1. Legend Juha Kankkunen retired on Stage 11 after rolling his Accent.
Skoda had hydraulic problems in both cars on Leg 1 that led to Kenneth Eriksson's engine bay catching fire. Once extinguished the engine dropped onto three cylinders, and with an injector jammed open quickly ran out of fuel. Toni Gardemeister came home in twelfth, a fair indication of the new WRC3 Octavia.
The result of this rally makes it look very bleak for the competition. The Peugeots were absolutely faster on the high speed gravel stages of 1000 Lakes, which should set them nicely for the forthcoming Rally New Zealand and even Rally Australia, which despite its infamous ball bearing surface is similar in terms of speed to Rally Finland. Even more depressing though is the next two rallies, the new Rally Deutschland, and the old Rally San Remo are both tarmac events, a surface on which Peugeot is just as impressive with its only threat being Citroen, who are not competing the championship seriously this year. It seems there is nothing to stop Gronholm taking his second World Championship.
Result of World Rally Championship, Round 9 of 14, Rally Finland:
Standings: Marcus Gronholm 47, Colin McRae 30, Carlos Sainz 26, Richard Burns 25, Gilles Panizzi 21, Petter Solberg 19, Harri Rovanpera 18, Tommi Makinen 15, Markko Martin 9, Sebastien Loeb 8 etc.
Carpentier Strikes
The race for runner's up position in the title chase intensified further as Patrick Carpentier dominated the Mid-Ohio meeting in the Gerry Forsythe-run Player's Reynard-Ford. It wasn't an unexpected win, as Carpentier's road course form this year has been second only to series leader Cristiano da Matta. Christian Fittipaldi salvaged some pride for Newman-Haas with Michael Andretti third.
With pitstops not required until lap 26, Oriol Servia upset the predictions stopping early on lap 14 with Michel Jourdain in soon after. While the front of the field circulated in processional fashion, Servia proved the value of the early stop, setting the fastest lap of the race. Scott Dixon then led the rest of the field in over the next few laps, with the leaders waiting to the last lap. By this time though Tracy was out. His engine had dropped in power and he parked in the pits.
Carpentier resumed in the lead with da Matta now second as his crew outperformed their stablemates working Fittipaldi's stop. Takagi had to return to the pits to serve a stop/go penalty for leaving the pits with too much enthusiasm for the speed guns. Tracy's dramas seemed to be contagious as Dario Franchitti stopped the second of the Team Kool Green cars at the pit entrance to abandon it.
Now ahead of Fittipaldi, da Matta was free to close in on Carpentier, taking tenths out of the lead each lap. With several cars in for second stops already the yellow flags appeared after Mario Dominguez plunged across the gravel trap into the tyre wall. The leaders took advantage of the situation to get a 'free' stop under the yellows. Carpentier emerging first ahead of da Matta, Fittipaldi, Tony Kanaan and Michael Andretti in the surviving Green prepared car. Junqueira pitted smokily while Max Papis's one-off drive with the Fernandez team finished early with a dead engine.
After Carpentier's spurt da Matta closed again and had a look into Turn 2 on lap 80, but lost the back end, spinning and bringing out the yellow flags. Da Matta was push started to rejoin the field and pits along with the rest of the field. Da Matta dropped to 14th, a lap down. At the restart Carpentier led from Fittipaldi, Kanaan, Andretti and Junqueira. Kanaan soon stopped with a dead engine however. Carpentier put the blowtorch back on the field again, blowing the gap out to over four seconds before backing off to cruise to the chequered flag.
Carpentier moves up to second in the points, 27 adrift of da Matta and nine ahead of Junqueira. There is only seven days before the next race as CART makes its annual trip to Wisconsin for the challenge that is Road America, Elkhart Lake.
Result of FedEx CART Championship Series, Round 11 of 19, Mid-Ohio, Ohio, United States:
Standings: Cristiano da Matta 122, Patrick Carpentier 95, Bruno Junqueira 86, Dario Franchitti 84, Michel Jourdain Jr 76, Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi 74, Paul Tracy and Kenny Brack 68, Alex Tagliani 64 etc.
Stunning Stewart
In a week where he had been fined US $10 000 by NASCAR and US $50 000 by his major sponsor after an altercation with a photographer following the previous round, Tony Stewart needed something good to happen to him at Watkins Glen, so winning was the ultimate tonic after such a tumultuous week during which Stewart feared he may lose his drive with the team. Stewart's good form on road course continues after finishing second at Sears Point earlier in the year. Robby Gordon also had a good day, leading the race early and running fast all day to finish in third place.
The race restarted on lap 13, with Tony Stewart making a move at turn one to take the lead. There was contact between them, with Gordon holding on to the lead on the exit of the corner and edging away once again. Meanwhile the other Gordon, Jeff, was up to eleventh by lap 15 after starting a suprisingly low 23rd. Road racer Scott Pruett was also making his way through the field, up to sixth by lap 21, driving Jimmy Spencer's usual ride. Lap 24 saw the pit stops begin, Robby Gordon stopping one lap later, losing a little bit of time as he stalled the engine as he exited. Stewart pitted a lap later, as the pit stops intensified. As those who pitted early stayed out, Jeremy Mayfield became the new leader ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr and Sterling Marlin, while Robby Gordon was now behind Stewart after his problems exiting pit lane, Stewart 8th with Gordon 10th.
The next caution came out on lap 38 after Joe Nemechek went off at turn ten following problems earlier on the lap. Some cars pitted, while Sterling Marlin stayed out an extra lap to lead a lap, as his team took the chance to score the extra points as for the second week in a row he was suffering engine problems. Tony Stewart was now back in the lead ahead of Robby Gordon as the pack piled into turn one side by side behind the slow-restarting Gordon. Ryan Newman was now third with Scott Pruett right on his bumper as they passed the halfway point.
After dropping back at the restart, Gordon closed back in Stewart as they approached lap 50. The next caution came out on lap 53 after Kurt Busch left half his engine on the track following its failure. Almost the whole field pitted for what they hoped would be their last stop of the day, Rusty Wallace among six drivers not to pit. Of those that did pit, Ryan Newman won the race off pit road ahead of Stewart and Gordon. The yellow continued for several laps, with Wallace eventually pitting and losing many places.
Through the inner loop on lap 63 Jones had a moment, which saw Jones and Ricky Rudd touch entering the carousel, costing Rudd a place to Pruett and causing minor damage to Jones and Rudd's cars. The next caution came out on lap 65 when Mike Skinner's engine did a pretty good impression of Busch's not many laps earlier. At the restart on lap 67, PJ Jones dived down the inside entering turn one to take second, but on the exit they were side by side. They continued side by side through the Esses, which saw Jones lose out to Stewart and Pruett, while Robby Gordon was still back in seventh.
Stewart soon closed up on Newman as he attempted to retake the lead as lap 71 saw Robby Gordon pass Jeff Burton for sixth. Into turn ten on lap 72 Stewart moved to the inside of Newman, taking the lead as they entered the final turn. Just seconds later Dale Earnhardt Jr was in the turn one gravel trap, bringing out another caution. Stewart led once again at the restart, pulling away from the train led by Newman. The caution came out after Ricky Craven became another visitor to the turn one gravel trap, Robby Gordon taking fifth from Rudd as they raced back to the line for the yellow.
To finish the race under green conditions, the race was red flagged on lap 88, allowing Kenny Wallace's wreck to be cleaned up. The cars eventually restarted, leaving a one lap sprint to the chequer. The race was basically decided when Tony Stewart decided to restart before the last turn instead of on the exit of it as required by NASCAR, catching the rest of the field out, Stewart going on to take the win ahead of Newman and Gordon. Jeff Gordon's up and down season continues, finishing 22nd after a late stop despite running in the top ten earlier in the race, finishing one place behind Bill Elliott, winner of the previous two rounds, while Sterling Marlin held on to the points lead despite finishing 30th in his sick Dodge.
Result of NASCAR Winston Cup, Round 22 of 36, Watkins Glen, New York, United States:
Standings: Sterling Marlin 2944, Mark Martin 2891, Jimmie Johnson 2888, Tony Stewart 2840, Jeff Gordon 2838, Rusty Wallace 2812, Ricky Rudd 2794, Bill Elliott 2756, Ryan Newman 2683, Matt Kenseth 2664 etc.
Giaffone Gets There
It is now a race in four. Felipe Giaffone had long been just that small gap away from the three title front runners. If he wanted to figure in the championship he needed to win. At Kentucky Speedway that's just what Giaffone did. Of course it wasn't that simple, having to fight to the last inch to hold off Sam Hornish, but the end result is that 17 points cover the top four drivers in the title chase with over 150 points still to be claimed.
Fisher took the green, leading Boat and Giaffone, as Tomas Scheckter got away well. Too well in fact. A black flag was quickly shown for the last start winner, a drive-through penalty for jumping the start was the verdict. Giaffone was second across the line the second time as the field jostled for position. Buddy Rice and Gil de Ferran moved up the order to challenge Castroneves, with Sam Hornish soon joining the battle.. Hornish was quickly through de Ferran and Rice to be fifth. Greg Ray was the first retirement when his Chevrolet engine developed dramas.
The first yellows came shortly afterwards when, after a clash with Gil de Ferran, Richie Hearn was sent into the wall in turn one. It was a heavy impact, and Hearn's right foot was broken in the incident. The field dived to the pits. Billy Boat resumed at the front of the field ahead of Hornish, Castroneves, Rice and Buddy Lazier. Fisher dropped to tenth. De Ferran was stuck in the pits as the crew changed a nosecone and worked on the front suspension. Boat took up the running at the restart but Lazier was the mover, quickly passing Rice and Castroneves.
On lap 41 de Ferran did a single lap and pitted again. Six laps later and Lazier was now up to second and pressing on Boat. Boat however knuckled down and forced the lead out to over two seconds. Debris in turn two brings the yellows out again on lap 58. The field dives for the pits again, jockeying for an on-track advantage. Felipe Giaffone led the field from the pits ahead of Buddy Lazier, Hornish, Al Unser Jr and Castroneves. At the restart 'Little Al' drove past Hornish into third, then took second from Lazier only to drop back to fourth as both Hornish and Lazier regained the positions. Hornish closed in on Giaffone looking to take the lead when Tomas Scheckter spun and hit Airton Dare. Both were out.
Green again and Giaffone leads Hornish around by a narrow margin. Hornish ranged up on Giaffone for three laps before Sarah Fisher returned to the fray and claimed second from Hornish. It was shortlived as Hornish regained second and moved up to challenge Giaffone again, this time succeeding. It was thrilling racing. The crowd was enthralled as the race entered its final quarter. It was a long green and some cars were getting marginal for fuel. Eddie Cheever and Laurent Redon were forced to pit early, before a yellow finally flew for debris on lap 159.
After the pitstops were completed Giaffone led at the restart from Scott Sharp with Buddy Lazier quickly past into second with Hornish and Castroneves in pursuit. Over the next 30 laps Lazier kept Giaffone close company before, with four laps to go, Sam Hornish made his move, taking Lazier in turn two. As the white flag flew Hornish ranged up on Giaffone's outside but the Brazilian held on to take his and Mo Nunn Racing's debut IRL victory by less than a tenth of a second. Lazier followed the duo across the line with Sharp hanging on to the lead group. Castroneves was fifth ahead of Al Unser Jr, Tony Renna and Sarah Fisher. Everyone down to Raul Boesel in thirteenth completed all 200 laps.
Sam Hornish Jr now takes over the lead of the title chase, four points ahead of Helio Castroneves and thirteen ahead of Gil de Ferran whose 21st place finish dropped him from first to third in the points, while Felipe Giaffone's win moves him closer to the pointy end, just four points behind de Ferran and seventeen points behind Hornish. Next stop is Gateway International Speedway in Madison, Illinois. This fight is a long way from over.
Result of Indy Racing League, Round 12 of 15, Kentucky Speedway, Tennessee, United States:
Standings: Sam Hornish Jr 399, Helio Castroneves 395, Gil de Ferran 386, Felipe Giaffone 382, Alex Barron 283, Scott Sharp 262, Airton Dare 253, Jeff Ward 237, Al Unser Jr 235, Buddy Lazier 229 etc.
Actor Jason Priestley has temporary memory loss after a weekend racing car accident in which he broke his back but should recover from his injuries, his doctors said on Monday. Canadian-born Priestley, 32, best-known for his role as a teen heartthrob in the decade-long run of the TV show "Beverly Hills, 90210," was able to speak his name to assembled family and friends and was taken off a respirator.
The memory loss from the moderate concussion Priestley sustained in the 180 mph crash should wear off, but he will need surgery to repair his broken back, the doctor said. He could move his extremities when asked, and apparently did not suffer any paralysis. Priestley also suffered fractures to both feet and lacerations on the bridge of his nose, left cheek and neck. He was listed in serious but stable condition.
"He doesn't have any injury that he shouldn't recover (from)," Stapczynski told reporters. "Obviously, we're avoiding stressing him. We're not wanting him to work too hard. ... We're letting him rest and recover."
Later on Monday, Priestley was flown to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, which is renowned for its treatment of injured race drivers. Priestley's car, a smaller version of the type raced on the Indy car circuit, apparently ran over a patch of "oil-dry," an absorbent material used to soak up oil from another car, during the final practice for the Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series in Sparta, Kentucky. The car turned sideways, then corrected and slammed head-on into the outside wall.
Priestley is an experienced driver who has raced competitively for 10 years and was ranked seventh in points after three races in the series, league officials said. The 100-mile race was run later on Sunday, with series points leader A.J. Foyt IV taking the checkered flag. Priestley had qualified his Dallara-Infiniti on Saturday for a start next to pole-sitter Foyt.
Priestley won a 1998 Grand-Am race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and has worked for ABC Sports as an announcer for Indy Racing League broadcasts.
Report provided by Reuters
Master Carbone
Carbone led into the first corner from Tristan Gommendy, Olivier Pla and Heikki Kovalainen. Gommendy quickly lost his second place though, and was trapped behind Kovalainen briefly before being unable to get past Pla. Pla held on to come home second, having to defend from Gommendy for virtually the whole race. Renault development driver and Carbone's teammate Kovalainen chased the two French cars home for fourth, with Valiant's Ronnie Bremer a lonely fifth. Bruno Besson took sixth after a tremendous dice ended with Kousuke Matsuura and Frank Diefenbacher. In his first race since a monumental accident while testing the Jaguar R3 at Monza, James Courtney finished tenth.
Result of Marlboro Masters of Formula 3, Zandvoort, The Netherlands:
Priaulx's Scottish Raid
In miserable conditions, Andy Priaulx took his debut victory in touring cars after his debut pole position. In a wet feature race otherwise dominated by Vauxhalls, Priaulx was a standout in the treacherous conditions and gave Honda its comeback victory in the BTCC.
At the restart, with Priaulx's lead reduced to nothing by the Safety Car, Neal saw an opportunity, but was swamped by Reid and Thompson. Neal fought his way back up the order before outblasting Priaulx out of Taylors. Neal quickly built up a gap while Priaulx fell down the order, finishing seventh. Reid and Thompson filled the podium as they had for most of the race, with Yvan Muller climbing the order to be fourth at the line ahead of Morrison and Neal's teammate Paul O'Neill.
The rain was heavier for the feature race. Heavy enough that the first five laps were run with the Safety Car leading the race. On the sixth lap Priaulx was able to take up the running as most of the front running drivers immediately dived into the pits, gambling on the weather. Reid now led the race from O'Neill until O'Neill dived under Reid to take the lead. Tom Chilton was third by this stage with Priaulx in fourth, the first of the cars to have completed their compulsory stop.
Priaulx's drive has put him within three points of Anthony Reid's fourth spot in the standings, while up front James Thompson has 24 points on Muller. It will be hard for Muller to catch Thompson from here, and even harder for Matt Neal, a further 18 points adrift. The series returns to Brands Hatch in two weeks.
Result of British Touring Car Championship, Rounds 15 and 16, Knockhill, Great Britain:
Standings: James Thompson 156, Yvan Muller 129, Matt Neal 116, Anthony Reid 95, Andy Priaulx 81, Paul O'Neill 65, Warren Hughes 64, David Leslie 63, Dan Eaves 41, Alan Morrison 39 etc.
Rally
Gronholm took the lead of the event on the first Friday stage, taking the lead from teammate Richard Burns who had won the short prologue stage on Thursday. Burns retook the lead on Stage 4, holding it to the end of Leg 1. On the first stage of Leg 2, Harri Rovanpera took advantage of his starting position in the field to climb past Gronholm to second on Stage 11, then past Burns into the lead on Stage 12.
Third thus was taken by Subaru's young gun, Petter Solberg. Solberg was delayed on Leg 1 by an incorrect tyre choice, but thereafter was on the pace of the Fords. While unable to catch McRae, Solberg was able to catch Sainz and stay with him over the closing stages, taking third after Sainz's penalty. Tommi Makinen struggled with an offsong engine and on Leg 1 had to cope with oil fumes in the cabin from a loose oil breather pipe. But Makinen would score a point. His first since Cyprus, and only his third finish in the points all season.
Tenth was the best result Citroen could claim. It perhaps should have been better, but probably not much. It was a cautious start to the team with Sebastien Loeb not having driven the rally before and Thomas Radstrom needing time to reacquaint. By rally's end Radstrom was tenth and climbing before he crashed in Stage 20. This moved Loeb up into tenth.
Pos Driver Car
1. Marcus Gronholm Peugeot 206
2. Richard Burns Peugeot 206
3. Petter Solberg Subaru Impreza
4. Carlos Sainz Ford Focus
5. Markko Martin Ford Focus
6. Tommi Makinen Subaru Impreza
7. Sebastian Lindholm Peugeot 206
8. Jani Paasonen Mitsubishi Lancer
9. Freddy Loix Hyundai Accent
10. Sebastien Loeb Citroen Xsara
CART
Carpentier took pole in a spirited Saturday session that saw Kenny Brack and the two Newman-Haas Lolas each head the timesheets. Carpentier led the field around to the green and took up the early lead, persued by the Newman-Haas team, Fittipaldi in front; then the Chip Ganassi squad, led by Bruno Junqueira. The early mover in the field was Tracy, taking Brack to disturb the team by team pattern.
The greens did not appear on schedule though, as Carpentier jumped too early, causing a second attempt at a restart. Carpentier skipped away at the second attempt, quickly setting several fastest laps as he tried to break da Matta's chase. The Ganassi team were on the move, with the repaired Junquiera and Scott Dixon both displacing rivals ahead of them to move into fifth and eighth respectively, although Dixon soon lost the spot when he pitted for his final stop.
Pos Driver Car
1. Patrick Carpentier Reynard-Ford
2. Christian Fittipaldi Lola-Toyota
3. Michael Andretti Lola-Honda
4. Bruno Junqueira Lola-Toyota
5. Scott Dixon Lola-Toyota
6. Kenny Brack Lola-Toyota
7. Alex Tagliani Reynard-Ford
8. Jimmy Vasser Lola-Ford
9. Shinji Nakano Lola-Honda
10. Oriol Servia Reynard-Toyota
NASCAR
Polesitter Ricky Rudd led the field into turn one, while further back Robby Gordon moved up from seventh to fourth. Into the inner loop on lap one and Gordon moved to third ahead of Bill Elliott, and before the end of lap one he was past Michael Waltrip to take second. Into turn one on lap four and Gordon completed his run to the front, taking the lead. After dropping to fifth at the start from third, Tony Stewart was back up to third by lap seven, and second at turn one on lap nine, as Robby Gordon continued to stretch his lead. Soon after, Matt Kenseth spun into the turn ten gravel trap while trying to pass Ryan Newman, bringing out the first caution of the day. Cars towards the rear of the field took the opportunity to make an early stop.
The race restarted with Bobby Hamilton leading Jeff Green, followed by Ryan Newman who took second into turn one, with Tony Stewart up to third by the Esses, while early leader Robby Gordon was ninth, just behind Scott Pruett. Meanwhile PJ Jones was up to fourth thanks to some good driving and good pit work, taking two tyres, as Newman and Stewart diced for second, allowing Hamilton to edge away. Pruett and Gordon were soon up to sixth and seventh, joining the train behind Newman. Lap 62 saw Hamilton come in for his stop, dropping him down the field but knowing he could definitely make it to the finish.
The race restarted once again on lap 82, with no change at the front, until as they completed that lap Pruett was inside Newman through the last turn, the two making contact as they exited the turn. This cost Pruett down the straight, with Jones and Gordon moving past Pruett as they negotiated turn one, Rudd going past Pruett on the exit, with Gordon then taking Jones as they made the run up to the Esses. This moved Gordon up to third, as Stewart ran away and hid in the lead. Just when it seemed all the drama and intrigue was all over, Kenny Wallace had a brake failure entering turn one, and slammed hard into the foam barriers after spinning the car to wipe off some speed.
Pos Driver Car
1. Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
2. Ryan Newman Ford Taurus
3. Robby Gordon Chevrolet Monte Carlo
4. PJ Jones Pontiac Grand Prix
5. Ricky Rudd Ford Taurus
6. Scott Pruett Dodge Intrepid
7. Jeff Burton Ford Taurus
8. Todd Bodine Ford Taurus
9. Michael Waltrip Chevrolet Monte Carlo
10. Mark Martin Ford Taurus
IRL
It was a weekend of firsts as Sarah Fisher became the first woman ever to take an IRL pole position, scorching around Kentucky Speedway in 24.0661 seconds. It was the first pole position for the Robbie Buhl-run Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team. Billy Boat was second fastest ahead of Giaffone and Helio Castroneves.
Tony Renna bent his front wing emerging from the pits as Will Langhorne took up the lead of the race, being the only driver not to stop. Langhorne now led from Hornish, Lazier and Giaffone. The restart did not go Langhorne's way and the leading four bunched up then ran abreast into turn one. Lazier emerged in the lead from Giaffone and Hornish. Giaffone wasn't content with second and retook the lead only for a debris flag to yellow the track again. It did allow Langhorne to pit though. Shortly afterwards there was another yellow when Boat slowed dramatically. It was only a cut tyre, but just as the race resumed Buddy Rice spun in turn two.
Pos Driver Car
1. Felipe Giaffone GForce-Chevrolet
2. Sam Hornish Jr Dallara-Chevrolet
3. Buddy Lazier Dallara-Chevrolet
4. Scott Sharp Dallara-Chevrolet
5. Helio Castroneves Dallara-Chevrolet
6. Al Unser Jr Dallara-Chevrolet
7. Tony Renna Dallara-Chevrolet
8. Sarah Fisher GForce-Infiniti
9. Alex Barron Dallara-Chevrolet
10. Robbie Buhl GForce-Infiniti
Jason Priestley Improving After Crash
"He is becoming more aware of his surroundings. He can verbalize his name. He can recognize his family and friends. His neurological function is the key here," said Dr. Stephen Stapczynski of the Kentucky Medical Center.
Formula 3
Brazilian Fabio Carbone has won the biggest race of his career, winning the Zandvoort Marlboro Masters, the premier event on the Formula 3 calendar. Carbone raced away at the start, building up an impressive lead as the Fortec driver drove steadily away from the impressive talent.
Pos Driver Car
1. Fabio Carbone Dallara F302 Sodemo Renault
2. Olivier Pla Dallara F302 Sodemo Renault
3. Tristan Gommendy Dallara F302 Sodemo Renault
4. Heikki Kovalainen Dallara F302 Sodemo Renault
5. Ronnie Bremer Dallara F302 Mugen-Honda
6. Bruno Besson Dallara F302 Sodemo Renault
7. Robbie Kerr Dallara F302 Mugen-Honda
8. Vitantonio Liuzzi Dallara F302 Spiess Opel
9. Bruce Jouanny Dallara F302 Mugen-Honda
10. James Courtney Dallara F302 Mugen-Honda
BTCC
Priaulx took both pole positions in front of James Thompson, Matt Neal and Alan Morrison for the sprint race and Anthony Reid, Aaron Slight and Thompson for the feature. In the sprint race Priaulx made a good start leading Neal, Morrison and Reid as Thompson dwelled and was lost. The safety car made an early appearance though, after Warren Hughes and Tim Harvey clashed, sending Hughes into the barriers.
Chasing behind were Thompson and Muller but it was a vain chase as the Honda was pulling away in the conditions. Once the three leaders had pitted and emerged down the field, the race was over. Priaulx had driven a superb race to victory. He made it hard for himself though, for with a lap to go he skated across the grass at Glenvarigall, using up almost all of his impressively won lead. And while Muller closed, he ran out of laps. Priaulx took his first BTCC race win by two seconds. Thompson was third ahead of Matt Neal and the race's early star O'Neill, with Reid's MG next ahead of another Vauxhall in Chilton.
Round Fifteen
Pos Driver Car
1. Matt Neal Vauxhall Astra
2. Anthony Reid MG ZS
3. James Thompson Vauxhall Astra
4. Yvan Muller Vauxhall Astra
5. Alan Morrison Honda Civic
6. Paul O'Neill Vauxhall Astra
7. Andy Priaulx Honda Civic
8. Colin Turkington MG ZS
9. David Leslie Proton Impian
10. Tom Chilton Vauxhall Astra
Round Sixteen
Pos Driver Car
1. Andy Priaulx Honda Civic
2. Yvan Muller Vauxhall Astra
3. James Thompson Vauxhall Astra
4. Matt Neal Vauxhall Astra
5. Paul O'Neill Vauxhall Astra
6. Anthony Reid MG ZS
7. Tom Chilton Vauxhall Astra
8. David Leslie Proton Impian
9. Tim Harvey Peugeot 406
10. Alan Morrison Honda Civic
Briefs
Max Papis has returned to CART as a temporary replacement for Adrian Fernandez in the #51 Fernandez Racing Lola-Honda. Fernandez was injured in a late race crash at the Vancouver CART round, suffering a fracture to his hip. Fernandez has so far been forced to miss the Mid-Ohio round of the FedEx CART series while he recovers. The Mid-Ohio race is Papis's first race since the Sigma team stopped racing after the Laguna Seca round in June.
Christian Fittipaldi has been confirmed as the driver of a Dodge Intrepid for Petty Enterprises in the NASCAR Busch and Winston Cup series in 2003, leading to a full-time Winston Cup program in 2004 and 2005. The move ends a eight year career in CART, most of those spent with the successful Newman-Haas team, during which he won two races. This followed Fittipaldi winning the 1991 Formula 3000 title which saw him spend three years in F1 from 1992 to 1994. Fittipaldi's move to NASCAR follows occasional races in the Busch series during the last two years.
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