qualifying - as expected.

[bella]

although for a minute there, i was getting a bit twichy . god, christian might even have beaten the dark side (aka mikey). can't have that, can we?

will the race go the same way? i think so. but i'd be nice for a different winner, would it not? what about ickly cristiano da matta, or heck, what about christian or gil? i'm not one to cheer for gil, but if he can beat mikey, then please, go ahead.

i'm not bitter, i'm english

[Liz]

Well Christian is ahead of Gil for the time being, but we will see what happens on race day.

And I agree: Anybody But Mikey! In fact, I'd like to see Moreno win, Gil come second, and Vasser come third - just to keep the points race honest. But if Christian can do it, I will cheer him on too.

[Crash Test]

Look at the front row! carnage gauranteed!!

Newman-Hass and Kool Green at the front...what happened to the Penske domination? Maybe in the race?

[Liz]

Helio blew his engine in qualifying and did two laps in the T-car right at the end. He was lucky to set a time at all.

Gil never does squat on an oval in qualifying (except that once in Japan when he spun on the parade lap!) but it's a long race.

[Jay]

Well I don't want to see any carnage, but it is almost certain that at least one driver will find the concrete.

Tracy has been fast, but if my memory serves me correct he is not very effective at driving in traffic.

And I have no doubt that Baby Mikey will run over something or someone in one of his pit stops, or just stall a lot.

(Although Greg Moore did win in 1998 after stalling in the pits on almost every stop)

I pick Jimmy Vasser to take the win. He is not on the front row, but when has that mattered in a 500 miler?

[racingwheel]

With Tracy and Andretti up front the green flag will be awesome! I gotta root for my man Tracy, he'll hold off Mickey and if they do make any kind of contact, it'll take Mickey out of the race (my bad, that was not nice to say)! They both have a fast car and it should be an interesting and exciting race!!!!!

[floid2000]

F L A S H !........................................
Paul Tracy back on track to win his first championship. Andretti,Unreliable engine....Vasser, Maybe ..Penske Domination ?...I think that was in the eighty's or was it the seventies ? Time marches on and Team Kool Green's time has come GO PAUL

[Crash Test]

"he'll hold off Mickey and if they do make any kind of contact, it'll take Mickey out of the race"
-Nah, that sounds like Our Paul

Id wish i could have kept count of number of times he has hit other cars/things this season....a fair estimate would be well into double figures...Ok, he has gotten away with it for the most part so far, but correct me if im wrong when i say that the tide will turn against him....not championship material.

[Liz]

I'll correct you coz you're wrong.

The championship is so close that nobody will be able to say until the last race lap is run, who will win. Isn't that GREAT?

Gil will either finish on the podium or finish 12th. With him and ovals it's usually one or the other.

[jb]

Jay Quote: Tracy has been fast, but if my memory serves me correct he is not very effective at driving in traffic.

how then has he worked his way through the races starting 17th etc.?

[wallbanger]

Prediction: Adrian and Pupo both on the podium!

[Jay]

jb, I meant on superspeedways. Sorry if I was not specific enough, he has done quite a jub on the street circuits, but I can remember seeing him get hungh out to sry several times on the super speedways.


One thing that must always be remembered is that whether you were fast throughout the weekend means nothing on a superspeedway. In 1998 Greg Moore was nowhere near the top of the timing sheets all week. Yet he won.