RACE: You go ahead and win the championship. No, you take it. I insist, you have it. No, no, it's yours.

TRACK: A typical down under demolition derby.

FERNANDEZ: Another win outside the U.S., and at least one on every continent CART races on. Put your money on Adrian next year in the European races...

BRACK: Yet another podium finish.

VASSER: Jimmy cannot win the championship. If he gets maximum points and de Ferran scores none (and assuming no one else in contention scores enough to top them), they would end up tied in points (153) and wins (2). It would then go to the next tie-breaker which de Ferran wins by virtue of two second place finishes to Vasser's one.

MORENO: However, if Roberto scores maximum points and de Ferran scores none (with the same assumption as above), Moreno would take the title by virtue of--get this--having one fourth place finish to none for de Ferran. They would be tied in points (153), victories (2), 2nd places (2), and 3rd places (2).

JOURDAIN: If only he and the team can string a few of these performances together.

DE FERRAN: Gil should have known better to be aggressive after the first lap.

MONTOYA: He grabs poles reminiscent of the way the great Senna did.

ANDRETTI: Before the season started, everyone raved about the new Ford engine, convinced it would power the champion. Ultimately, it may end up being the Achilles' heel of their drivers.

TRACY: Overaggressive as usual.

SERVIA: Note to all drivers -- Oriol isn't ever going to back down.

CASTRONEVES: Almost forgotten in the last quarter of the season running in de Ferran's shadow.

BRIGHT: The more different talented drivers sit in the Della Penna car, the better Memo Gidley looks.

BARRON: The definition of heartbreak.

BLUNDELL: Pretty animated throughout the race for a guy who wasn't doing squat and backed into a points paying position.

FRANCHITTI: Talk about bad luck -- Dario has now finished dead last 4 times this year. He has also finished 24th, 23rd, and 22nd (out of 25 in all of them).

INTERESTING STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Fernandez has now scored championship points in 16 of his past 17 starts.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: In the thank goodness they are not psychologists category, about their coming together, Oriol Servia said, "What was he thinking?" and Paul Tracy said, "I don't know what he was thinking."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Jimmy Vasser stating the obvious about his fellow drivers after the Honda Indy Melee, "They drive like they don't want to finish, so they don't."

SCHEDULE: Consider this -- ovals have been Team Penske's weakest link this year, and Fernandez typically does well in 500 mile races.

Copyright © 2000 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.