RACE: Who says there is no passing for the lead in CART? Who says these guys can't bang and slam like stock cars? Who says Champ Car races have been getting boring lately?

TRACK: The unpredictable weather is what makes Portland one of the most exciting tracks on the schedule.

START: It was the Starter who really showed who was boss.

FERNANDEZ: One week after we said Adrian "needs a spark this year" he goes out and wins. One week after we doubted Michel Jourdain's rise, he goes out silences all the skeptics by nearly winning Long Beach. We will take payments to slam any driver who needs a break...

TRACY: Glad to see PT has lost his "edge."

JOURDAIN: On the one hand, Michel had to play tough to finally prove once and for all he is no longer a driver that can be pushed around. On the other hand, Michel, what did you expect?! Sure you were slightly ahead of Paul Tracy, but he was not just going to drive into the grass for you. And, if that's your definition of being "completely" in front of another car, you need to look that word up in a dictionary.

TAGLIANI: If there ever was a driver, and team, that deserves a win, it's Alex, and Rocketsports.

JUNQUIERA: A strong recovery from qualifying.

SERVIA: Oriol probably has the quietest top five finishes in racing history. Especially considering his past.

REYNARD: On a track perfectly suited for this chassis, the drivers showed their stuff. However, on the bumpy runways of Cleveland, don't expect a Reynard anywhere near the front in the next race.

HUNTER-REAY: Looks like Ryan was finally about to break out, and then some weight and a clutch let him down.

LAVIN: Rodolfo actually didn't do half bad ... until he took out Max Papis.

PAPIS: As Bryan Herta discovered last week, The PK Racing team needs more work than many realized.

BOURDAIS: A see-saw race.

CARPENTIER: From the highs of racing to the lows of racing, in just one week.

SALLES and BOSS: Gualter and Geoff almost makes you miss Joel Camathias. Almost.

VARSHA: Does Bob read Deep Throttle? After criticizing him the repeated use of a tired, worn out phrase, Varsha did not use it for apparently the first time in something like two years.

OVER/UNDER: 5 -- the number of cars eliminated in the first turn on the first lap at Cleveland.

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: Tempers.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Adrian Fernandez becoming the first owner/driver to win since 1992 when Bobby Rahal did it. It's become quite a rarity these days with the modern demands of this sport.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: The history of champ car racing has seen the cars race on just about every type of surface and track imaginable. The Pacific Northwest hosted many of those variations -- natural road courses (14.6-mile layout in Portland in 1909), a plank road course (a 5-mile and then a 3.5-mile layout in Tacoma, WA in 1912 and 1913, respectively), a 2-mile dirt oval (Tacoma in 1914), a 2-mile board track (also Tacoma from 1915-1922), and of course closed circuit road courses (Kent, WA in 1969 and currently Portland).

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: The reason everybody loves Mad Max, "...give me a car with four wheels and a steering wheel, and I'll drive it fast."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: In typical Tommy Kendall fashion, he opens up the qualifying show with, "Watch Uranus."

SCHEDULE: It's been a long, long time since a race has been so eagerly anticipated as the night race at Cleveland with a 4th of July fireworks extravaganza.

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