TRACK: So long, Detroit. Your no passing, rough surface, and dismal paddock won't be missed.

RACE: A typical Detroit race. Most of the action is behind the leaders. This year was a bit tougher for a flag to flag winner. Castroneves never had any breathing room.

CASTRONEVES: This isn't motown for Helio. It's "my town."

FRANCHITTI: Welcome back to the podium, Dario.

MORENO: No question, his best weekend of the year.

ANDRETTI: An extremely quick car at the end, but needs speed in the beginning also.

DA MATTA: Happy to finish every lap.

CARPENTIER: A great weekend for Patrick. He didn't deserve the last six laps of demotions.

BRACK: Well ... you grab your points when you can.

TRACY: This time it was more strategy than guts that nearly gave Paul a great finish from way back.

SERVIA: A very aggressive first lap.

JUNQUEIRA: Bruno's performances the past few races, including Indy, has definitely shown that he is indeed a talent to be reckoned with. It will be a surprise if he does not win his first race this year, and he is certainly still a threat to win the Jim Trueman trophy.

MINASSIAN: Nicolas on the other hand ... well ... we want Memo!

VASSER: C'mon Jimmy! That is such a silly ass mistake for you to make.

TAGLIANI: Does a great job avoiding the spinning Minassian, and then ... BANG ... into the wall himself.

WILSON: Nice job preventing a bad situation from turning worse.

KANAAN: Tony is one driver who will not lose any sleep over not coming back to Detroit.

CART: Do they even have a foot left to shoot themselves in?

FORD and HONDA: The above statement notwithstanding, whether you were getting around the rule through ingenious, and perhaps even legal, means is not the point. CART has every right to make sure you only get 37 inches of boost and not a fraction more. No matter what. That's the rule. This isn't NASCAR where the loudest whiners get their way. Deal with it!

POPOFF VALVE: One more time, Ford and Honda. Rule 9.54A.5: "...any race car which exceeds the manifold pressure requirement as set forth above during practice, qualifications, and/or competition may be disqualified by the Stewards. Any attempt to defeat the valve may result in the imposition of one thousand ($1,000 U.S.) to the Chief Mechanic for the race car involved." Case closed.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Castroneves is first back to back winner for a Champ car race at any Detroit venue, including a one-mile dirt oval run sporadically from 1928-57.

HISTORICAL FACT OF THE WEEKEND: Only two other drivers have won this race twice -- Emerson Fittipaldi (1989 and 1991) and Michael Andretti (1990 and 1996) -- and nobody has won it more than twice.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: In the don't give me such a scare category, Helio Castroneves when he was told the tire sensor was reading low pressure in the right front, "You don't need to tell me that with five laps to go!"

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: In the willing to sacrifice category, John Anderson, Paul Tracy's race strategist, "I'd trade my next paycheck for a gallon of gas."

SCHEDULE: Portland, where the long straights will truly show the effect of the popoff valve spacer.

Copyright © 2001 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.