RACE: It was a chess match all the way with Team Kool Green capitalizing on both good luck and misfortunes to bring home a win for Scotsman Dario Franchitti.

TRACK: Ovals, shmovels. Can we pretty please have a new aero package? And Michael Andretti, welcome to your new and boring world, Mister "there will only be 9 cars in CART next year."

FRANCHITTI: "Team St. Andrews" trumped Team St. George. For Dario it was a day where you could win a race even if a tire de-laminated. You can't buy luck like that. (If you could, Kanaan would be bankrupt by now.)

GREEN: The pit crew totally redeemed themselves after costing Franchitti better finishes earlier in the season by finally giving his car the kind of servicing it deserved all along.

DA MATTA: Da consistency! If Cristiano collects da Vanderbilt Cup in 2002, it will not only be because he has been fast all year and won races, but also because he's resisted the temptation to vie for a win when he has a pretty sure second or third.

CARPENTIER: His best CART season ever just keeps on going with another well deserved podium

SERVIA: Was that Townsend Bell at the bar slamming them down...?

TAKAGI: Takes the lead in the "heart stopping" Japanese driver points battle.

BRACK: Not wanting to lose out to Vasser and Kanaan for the bad luck award, Kenny is now vieing for that "prestigous" title.

MANNING: Though Darren's moments in the spotlight were due to the team's pit strategy, you still did an excellent job, mate. Especially for a first race. On an oval no less.

ANDRETTI: Michael, check the Lost and Found. You may find your fans there. Even if you've made the business decision to defect to the Eye-Are-Hell, you can afford to be gracious about CART. After all, Mr. Andretti, it was your CART fans who made it possible for you to have the money to buy TKG and then you turn around and dis the series that made you. Think about it.

JOURDAIN: In the points. Again. Sort of like da Matta's Mini-Me, if you ignore the size issues, that is.

DOMINGUEZ: He still hasn't taken over the rookie points lead!

FERNANDEZ: Adrian, go to your room; you are grounded until the Miami race. I mean, dude, come off it, you are a role model! You got no business throwing aside your steering wheel and stomping off just because things don't go your way. Please, save the prima donna temper tantrums for Driven II.

KANAAN: Even in England, he wasn't close enough to Eire to have some of that Luck of the Irish rub off. Too bad, because he looked pretty terrific until he tried to make friends with a wall.

NAKANO: Ouch!

FITTIPALDI: Pretty boy had bad luck with his car, but maintained his composure. We've noticed, whenever the new Mrs. Fittipaldi (who our friends in the pits say is one terrific woman) is at the race, hubby is on much better behavior. Theories, anyone?

TAGLIANI: You were tearing up the field until you broke. Why? We are so past ready for you to win your first race!

TRACY: Our pre-season joke prediction (the one where Paul gained weight, had a girlfriend named Bubbles who he later married and became CART steward) is coming true in a weird way. Not the weight part, but have noticed a wedding ring on his finger, and now he's turning into CART's premiere attraction. Who knew? Which makes his early gearbox failure all the more disappointing.

LOBOTOMY OF THE WEEKEND: This quote from Keith Wiggins, managing director for Herdez Competition concerning the pit penalty assessed to Mario Dominguez for not stopping within the 46 lap window -- twice -- floored us, "That was a very difficult situation, compounded by overly complex regulations." Overly complex regulations? Overly complex regulations?! How complex is it to count to 46? And then when you couldn't count that high the first time, you didn't figure out how to do it a second time? And you run a racing team with some of the most complex technology in the world with telemetry and laptops up the ying yang? Give this guy the Lobotomy of the Year award!

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Two. As in the number of times Kenny Brack's left rear tire changer dropped the wheel nut.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: The last time -- and only other time -- a Scotsman won a Champ Car race overseas was back in 1968 when Jackie Stewart won the USAC event at Fuji Speedway, Japan.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: To Darren Manning, who actually had a slew of great quotes, reacting to Dario Franchitti's comment about possibly losing some edge once he learned how much it hurts to hit the wall, "I hit the wall once in ASCAR. It did hurt...trust me. Nothing will take the edge off me. I don't have enough brain cells to worry about that."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Kenny Brack on what it is like to drive Rockingham, "...like a video game, but without a reset button!"

SCHEDULE: Back to Miami, on the streets, along with the American Le Mans Series. This should be one amazing weekend of racing!

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