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2002 Chicago Thoughts

TRACK: If Chicago really is worth keeping, it needs to be moved away from the heart of the summer (not too far away obviously, this being Chicago) to get away from all the festivals and parties that compete for spectators. And the blistering heat.

RACE: The biggest issue in CART right now is no longer engines, budgets, grid sizes, or Tony George. It's the aerodynamic package that has turned some of the most exciting tracks -- one-mile ovals -- into some of the most boring.

DA MATTA: So now Cristiano and Newman-Haas has their act together on ovals. The schedule is now back to seven consecutive road/street circuits. Note to other competitors -- be afraid. Be very afraid.

BRAZIL: Wow, Cristiano must be real famous in his homeland for Brazil to declare a national holiday on the Monday after his victory. What's that? You mean the national holiday is for the soccer team? Oh. Never mind...

JUNQUEIRA: Despite da Matta's domination, Bruno is only 25 points back in second place. The championship is far from over.

FRANCHITTI: You know that trick pet owners play on their dog where they balance a treat on the dog's nose, and tell the dog to wait ... wait ... wait before finally allowing them to flip the food into their mouth? Well, that must have been how Dario felt waiting for his pole position to be confirmed while Fernandez and Andretti decided to take another stab at it with their backup cars.

TAKAGI, NAKANO: Land of the Rising Sun drivers did quite well on a day with a blazing sun.

TAGLIANI: It was just a matter of time before the race win would escape Alex.

REYNARD: Far from dead.

JOURDAIN: Coming back down to Earth?

ANDRETTI: Why is it that Michael can dice and slice, but everybody else always complains about dirty air?

BRACK: That looked like a bonehead move from his F3000 days.

VASSER: Jimmy now takes over the hard luck award from Tony Kanaan.

BELL: Hey, Townsend, stop tailgating.

PIT STOPS: Time to send all the tire men back to school.

CBS: Another cool intro.

CROWD: It was so hot, half the crowd went downstairs to watch the race on the large screens in the air conditioned lounges. In other words, a crowd DNF.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Once again, Cristiano is poised to tie Al Unser, Jr and Alex Zanardi's record of four consecutive wins. He has now won six of the last nine races.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Chicago was home to a board track during that brief era of American racing. The two-mile track hosted races from 1915-18. Ralph DePalma won the most champ car races on it with four victories, including the last three in a row.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Dario Franchitti for stating the obvious, "We have to stop Cristiano from winning."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Tony Kanaan on the two-day format, "If you have a good car, it can be a two-day event -- no problem. But if you have a bad car, it needs to be a six-day event."

SCHEDULE: CART is going to Canada for the 4th of July weekend?! A papal visit will do that to the schedule.

Copyright © 2002 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.


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RACE RESULTS
  Driver Laps
1. da Matta 250
2. Junqueira 250
3. Franchitti 250
4. Takagi 250
5. Nakano 250
6. Dixon 250
7. Tagliani 249
8. Kanaan 249
9. Tracy 249
10. Jourdain 249
11. Dominguez(R) 249
12. Bell(R) 248
13. Fernandez 241
14. Fittipaldi 141
15. Andretti 79
16. Carpentier 48
17. Vasser 0
18. Brack 0

Time of Race
2:07:00.698

Winner's Speed
121.524 mph

Margin of Victory
0.639 sec.

Caution Flags
5 for 37 laps

Lead Changes
10 among 6 drivers

Most Laps Led
Cristiano da Matta

Pole Position
Dario Franchitti

CURRENT STANDINGS
  Driver Pts.
1. da Matta 95
2. Junqueira 70
3. Franchitti 64
4. Jourdain 57
5. Fittipaldi 43
6. Dixon 42
7. Carpentier 38
8. Tracy 36
  Tagliani 36
10. Andretti 34
11. Papis 32
  Brack 32
13. Fernandez 28
14. Vasser 26
15. Takagi 25
16. Bell(R) 19
17. Nakano 16
18. Servia 13
19. Kanaan 12
20. Dominguez(R) 7
 
 
2008 Thoughts
Long Beach

2007 Thoughts
Preseason Las Vegas Long Beach Houston
Portland Cleveland Mont Tremblant Toronto
Edmonton San Jose Road America Belgium
Holland Surfers Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2006 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Houston Monterrey
Milwaukee Portland Cleveland Toronto
Edmonton San Jose Denver Montreal
Road America Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2005 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Monterrey Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Toronto Edmonton
San Jose Denver Montreal Las Vegas
Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2004 Thoughts
Preseason Long Beach Monterrey Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Toronto Vancouver
Road America Denver Montreal Laguna Seca
Las Vegas Surfer's Paradise Mexico City Postseason

2003 Thoughts
Preseason St. Petersburg Monterrey Long Beach
Brands Hatch Germany Milwaukee Laguna Seca
Portland Cleveland Toronto Vancouver
Road America Mid-Ohio Montreal Denver
Miami Mexico City Surfer's Paradise Postseason

2002 Thoughts
Preseason Monterrey Long Beach Japan
Milwaukee Laguna Seca Portland Chicago
Toronto Cleveland Vancouver Mid-Ohio
Road America Montreal Denver
England Miami Surfer's Paradise
Fontana Mexico City Postseason

2001 Thoughts
Preseason Mexico Long Beach Nazareth
Japan Milwaukee Detroit Portland
Cleveland Toronto Michigan Chicago
Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver German
England Houston Laguna Seca
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

2000 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Long Beach Brazil
Japan Nazareth Milwaukee Detroit
Portland Cleveland Toronto Michigan
Chicago Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver
Laguna Seca Gateway USGP Houston
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

1999 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Japan Long Beach
Nazareth Brazil Gateway Milwaukee
Portland Cleveland Road America Toronto
U.S. 500 Detroit Mid-Ohio Chicago
Vancouver Laguna Seca Houston
Surfer's Paradise Fontana Postseason

1998 Thoughts
Preseason Miami Japan Long Beach
Nazareth Brazil Gateway Milwaukee
Detroit Portland Cleveland Toronto
U.S. 500 Mid-Ohio Road America Vancouver
Laguna Seca Houston Surfer's Paradise Fontana

1997 Thoughts
Miami Surfer's Paradise Long Beach Nazareth
Brazil Gateway Milwaukee Detroit
Portland Cleveland Toronto
U.S. 500 Mid-Ohio Road America
Vancouver Laguna Seca Fontana
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