TRACK: What ... huh ... {rubs eyes} ... can't be ... {squints} ... my gosh ... it is. There are actually fans in the seats!

RACE: You didn't mind that the race was consumed by the leader running away because 1) you had the feeling you were witnessing the coming out of a great talent, and 2) the action behind Alex Tagliani was intense and exciting. Then, you felt sorry for Tags. Finally, you felt like booing him along with the rest of the crowd.

FERNANDEZ: Is there some kind of new rule this year that you must qualify in the second half of the field in order to win a race?

VASSER: Definitely the Vasser of old. It might be Jimmy who ends up keeping Team Ganassi's streak alive.

TRACY: Three consecutive podium finishes to start the season. Looks like the Tracy bashers, yours truly included, are going to have to find another hobby.

FORD: Well, it's about time for what was supposed to be the killer engine of 2000.

FIRESTONE: Isn't the end of the tire war doing wonderful things to the races especially in the waning laps?

BRACK: An extremely aggressive, and thrilling, drive.

TAGLIANI: From hero to zero.

ANDRETTI: Sheesh! Not again!

MONTOYA: Only one point (and that from a race that hasn't even been run yet) after three contests. The funny thing is, if this happened last year, nobody would have thought twice about it.

FRANCHITTI: Is he going soft on us?

HERTA: Like the Long Beach performance showed he deserves a ride, Rio showed that he is still in a rut on ovals.

SERVIA: Oriol, Oriol, Oriol. Don't be handing IRL fanatics such easy fodder.

BRAZILIAN DRIVERS: So much for home track advantage...

HONDA: Groupies?!

HARD CHARGER AWARD: Am I the only one who thinks this award is bogus? Sure, on a race to race basis, it can be interesting as Fernandez showed (and Tracy last time). However, on a seasonal basis, this award rewards those who consistently qualifies dirt slow, stays out of trouble (by driving slow), doesn't break (by driving slow), and picks up positions by attrition. After all, has Garcia actually passed anyone on the track? This is an award that Dennis Vitolo would have won. And he's the last guy you would call a hard charger.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Mark Blundell on trying to find his way through the smoke of Alex Tagliani's spin, "I was a bit nervous."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Memo Gidley on the hot Rio weather, "The water in the drinking bottle became so warm that you couldn't take a whole mouthful, I mean you could make coffee with that water."

SCHEDULE: Should we give the Motegi trophy to Fernandez right now?

Copyright © 2000 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.