RACE: For those of you who would like to see the complete race and not have the lap count jump by 20 every time they went to a commercial break, the uncut version will be repeated on ESPN2 on Wednesday at 7:30pm and on ESPN on Thursday at 2pm. Set your VCR for two hours.

TRACK: A new course will be used starting next year. It couldn't come any sooner. Vancouver is one of the worst street circuits CART runs on, probably second to Detroit, and the "racing" showed it.

POINTS: By now, you have all figured out that I was wrong in saying that Zanardi only needed 6 points from this past weekend. I should have known better not to trust the news articles. He needed 6 points more than all of his chasers. Now, and this time I confirmed it, he needs a 6th place finish no matter what anybody else does. And the lower de Ferran finishes and the less bonus points he gets, the lower finish Zanardi needs to clinch. As long as Alex comes away with a 22 point lead, it is over.

ZANARDI: Well now we know the difference between Zanardi and Gilles Villenueve. Gilles was always praised by his fellow drivers as one who would never put another competitor in danger. The same can not be said for Alex. His move on Bryan Herta was nothing short of the worse you see in NASCAR. Yes, technically he was along side Herta, but at the apex AFTER Herta already turned in. Plus, his angle and speed was such that he had no pray of ever making that turn even if Herta gave him room. Alex still would have taken them both out. And his excuse making was pathetic. CART seems to agree with me as they fined Zanardi $25,000 and put him on probation for the remainder of the season. One more thing -- am I the only one who believes that Zanardi did NOT have brake problems? It was just a convenient excuse?

GUGELMIN: Now we can stop hearing the reporters asking Big Mo about whether he will ever get his first victory. Great job by Gugelmin as he finally did the inevitable. The PacWest team will definitely be one to reckon with next season now that both drivers have re-upped and they've tasted success.

HERTA: Bryan said it better than I could: "I'm angry about getting stuffed into the tire barrier. Zanardi is trying to unlap himself and used the rest of the field as pinballs. He thinks he can just run into people and nothing will be said. It is ridiculous. He thinks he owns this series. I don't think we should have to put up with his banzai tactics anymore. It's not the type of behavior that a champion should be exhibiting -- unlapping yourself by taking out the leader."

DE FERRAN: Yes, the guy is a great driver. Yes, the guy is a great person. But, do you really want to see someone win a championship without winning a single race?

VASSER: I missed it, but some are saying that Varsha and Sullivan mentioned that Vasser was using his own setup for the first time this year. In the past, he has used Zanardi's setup. Now, this might say a few things. First of all, Vasser really is a good driver and deserved his title last year. Most drivers don't like to use other's setups. However, it might also say that Vasser is not very confident setting up his own car. Or, perhaps he is so in awe with Zanardi's speed. Or, Vasser is not very bright...

FITTIPALDI: Christain, stay in the car until there is a break in traffic! Jeepers, did you scare the hell out of me jumping out of your car with three guys bearing down at you with their brakes locking up. And your leg is still in a brace!

TRACY: I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the guy.

SALLES: Tough situation to be in. The team claims they have the money to finish the season. Hopefully, that's true.

VITOLO: I just shake my head. I simply just shake my head.

HEARN: Richie Hearn has got to be the happiest guy at Vancouver. Well, not including Gugelmin. It was announced that the Della Penna team will be the second Swift team for 1998. Plus, Swift will be providing a 1997 chassis for Hearn for the final event at Fontana. Now we'll see this young star begin to shine.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Goes to Gil de Ferran when asked about Zanardi's wild race tactics: "He's doing everything he can to lose the championship."

SCHEDULE: All you need to say is "The Corkscrew." They return to Laguna Seca and the site of "The Pass." Couple that with the actions from Vancouver, and admit it, how many of you would love to see Herta and Zanardi running for the lead in the waning laps? I know I do!

KENDALL: Almost deja vu from Road America. With a wet track early in the Mosport Trans Am race, Tommy Kendall went from a fifth place (thanks to the random starting order for the Top 5) starting position to first in just 2 laps. Then, he ran away with it. It helped that all the top contenders either crashed, suffered mechanical problems, or had dismal pit stops converting to slicks. Two more races to go for an unprecedented undefeated season.

Deep Throttle

Copyright © 1997 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.