TRACK: Houston did something that no other street circuit has been willing to do. Repave the track without a crown. Brilliant. Oops, what's that falling from the sky?

PIT LANE: By far the most diabolical pit exit design in the history of motor racing.

RACE: I'm not convinced that this track was a bad one as street circuits go. We never could tell, though it showed signs of becoming a good race when it briefly started to dry out. This could have been a good race, and we won't know until perhaps next year. I'm not ready to place Houston in the "Nuke 'em" category where Vancouver and Detroit belong.

FRANCHITTI: Looking like he's setting himself up for a banner year next season.

FITTIPALDI: Sure I've been on Christain's case about being the most overrated driver on the circuit, but lately I've got to feel sorry for him. He's had some pretty good qualifying efforts and partial races recently only to be the victim of other people's mistakes.

ZANARDI: So close to yet another victory. He certainly isn't just putting in his time before he leaves for F1.

TRACY: What a bonehead. What an absolute bonehead.

GREEN: The altercation was probably more Barry's fault than Paul's. And despite what Barry says about Paul, there comes a time when you have to decide if keeping a certain driver is worth the possible detrimental affect to the team and it's morale.

DE FERRAN: I thought they said this guy was good in the rain...

MOORE: I think Greg needs to do what the Villenueve's used to do in the offseason -- race snowmobiles.

PAPIS: Now there was one happy driver. I loved his retort to the interviewer's question who was trying to prod him into talking about next year. "Let me enjoy this moment."

VITOLO: Dennis must be thinking, you know, with such a slick track, there are going to be so many drivers spinning out. Well, I can't let them beat me to the punch. I'll do it on the pace lap!

TOYOTA: When all is said and done after this weekend, it is difficult to gauge them. They were competitive, but only with the newly designed low revving engine in the Arciero-Wells cars. That may also work for Australia, but whatever they use for Fontana I suspect will get blown away.

POP-UP VIDEO: Not that I want to bring attention to this silly idea, but one of them had me scratching my head. "186-191 manhole covers on course." Now wait a second. Can't they count exactly how many manhole covers there are?! I mean, it's not like they move around. Or does it depend which alternate universe you are in?

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Barry Green to Paul Tracy over the radio just after the incident: "You got what you deserved."

HATTORI: This has been rumored for awhile. I just hope we don't have another Hiro on our hands. Honda is very high on this guy. (And don't be mistaken, this is a Honda induced move, not Derek Walker's doing. Rumor has it there will be close to $15 million of new sponsorship coming in for Walker taking on Hattori. Who wouldn't go along with it?) But his record in Indy Lights is not exactly awe inspiring: currently ninth in points, he has only five top-5 finishes in 13 races, and his oval performance has been weak.

SCHEDULE: The Aussies know how to build a street circuit, whether for CART or F1. As long as you can overlook the silly chicanes at Surfer's Paradise, which the drivers always seem to ignore anyway, this should be a good race. Surprise winners have come out of Australia before.

Deep Throttle

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