The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 15

mm CART" rookies turn in impressive drives at Long Beach DO YOU SUFFER FROM IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME? THEN NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL 1-31 7-927-2071 MEDICAL RESEARCH CONSORTIUM IS CONDUCTING A CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME If you are: MALE OR FEMALE 18 YEARS OR OLDER DIAGNOSED WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME OR "SUFFER FROM ABDOMINAL PAINDISCOMFORT AND ALTERED BOWEL HABITS You May Be Eligible For Participation! Qualified Patients Will Be Compensated for Their Time and Travel A Night of Racing Excitement at the Indianapolis Speedrome We're giving away FOUR FREE tickets to the first AOO lucky callers. APRIL 29m 2000 CALL (317) 624-4636 ENTER CATEGORY 3400 Only one winning entry -er household! il and took over the lead on lap 34. A fuel pickup problem knocked him out. "We were capable of winning this race," said the 29-year-old Califor-nian. "We were consistent and the car was strong.

It's a shame. I'm looking forward to Brazil even though I've never raced a champ car on an oval." Servia, last year's Dayton Indy Lights champion, started 21st and used some heady driving and good pit strategy to get to the front and stay there in the Telefonica ReynardToyota. "I learn a little more every lap I'm out there, and today said a lot about the potential of this team," said Servia. Brack, out of road racing the past three years while he competed in the Indy Racing League, qualified seventh in the Shell Reynard Ford, ran fifth early and was battling Tony Kanaan for seventh when they tangled. "I thought it was my corner," said the 1999 Indy 500 winner.

Fontana, who didn't have enough money for Formula One but did bring enough to supplant Richie Heam in John Della-Penna's team, was racy all day. He stayed DAI If IMMA Mil YV HwammturmHmtmoiwHiitiM Cosmetic Surgery International surgeons have performed over 8,000 i Surgery International consists of the world when it comes to penile Cosmetic Surgery International's procedures since 1990. Cosmetic most experienced surgeons in enlargement the Self Confidence Self Improvement 100 Financing Available as Tagliani came up with his second consecutive strong performance, and Gidley showed he's got what it takes to run up front in this series. They both did a bang-up Job," said Nell Micklewrlght, vice president of Player'sForsythe who hired Gidley to replace the injured Patrick Carpentier. "Tag showed a lot of maturity and Memo was just impressive all weekend." Tagliani became the first rookie since Nigel Mansell to score points in his first two CART starts.

He finished ninth at Homestead, but led eight laps and was in contention for the win until a penalty dropped him back. "I wanted to get to the podium and I was really pushing to get (Jimmy) Vasser, but I kept locking up the wheels. So 1 decided fourth was better than hitting the wall," said the 27-year-old graduate of Formula Atlantic, who started 11th. "I'm happy for all my guys; it takes good teamwork to get these results." Gidley hadn't been in a champ car since last September. He qualified 10th, passed Helio Castro-Neves on the first lap, battled with Brack and Bryan Herta for 30 laps who leads the FedEx Championship heading for Brazil on April 30.

"Every time I come into pit lane, I know I'm going to make up some time. "I had a lot of cars in front of me, and you know you're not going to pass them all at this place. It takes good strategy, great teamwork and a little luck." Castro-Neves came from ninth in the Marlboro ReynardHonda to match his career-best finish and did a nice job offending off Vasser's repeated challenges. "We decided to take a chance on fuel and it worked out," said Castro-Neves, one of Roger Penske's new drivers who went the final 44 laps on one fuel load. "I was being conservative and saving fuel and I ran out just past the checkered flag." Starting second, Vasser didn't lead a lap but was never out of the lead pack as he ran third in the Target LolaToyota and gave Toyota its best finish.

Rookie Alex Tagliani did an excellent job to come home fourth in the Player's Reynard Ford. Bryan Herta, filling in for Shinji Nakano at Walker Racing, passed Oriol Servia for fifth place on the final lap. LONG BEACH, Calif. The tight, concrete confines of Long Beach's street circuit are usually no place for a rookie. The smallest bobble or misstep can ruin your day, if not your car, and there's no room for the learning curve of a real road course.

The Racing Insider Robin Miller put six of the seven drivers making their initial champ car start here Sunday afternoon scored high marks at one of Championship Auto Racing Teams' toughest tracks. Canada's Alex Tagliani finished fourth and Spain's Oriol Servia came home sixth. Japan's Takuya Kurosawa led seven laps before crashing out, while Argentina's Norberto Fontana was running ninth before spinning into the tires trying to get to eighth. Sweden's Kenny Brack and American Memo Gidley battled for fifth early but weren't around at the finish. It was an especially encouraging day for the Player'sForsythe team, TRACY Continued from Page 1 on lap 10.

When all the leaders finally made their first stops, from laps 31-35, Andretti and Tracy jumped to 1-2. That valuable track position was key in the outcome, just like Team Green's next call. Because when Tracy pitted under another caution on lap 40, he dropped, only from second to eighth. He was fourth, behind Moreno, Jimmy Vasser and de Ferran when the yellow waved again on lap 53 for a two-car accident involving Kenny Brack and Tony Kanaan. The leaders came into the pits and Tracy's team opted to follow suit.

They got him out ahead of Vasser. And the lineup behind the pace car was Kurosawa (who hadn't pitted), Moreno, Tracy, Castro-Neves and Vasser. When the green waved on lap 58, Moreno suddenly slowed with gearbox trouble in the Visteon ReynardFord, and Tracy muscled past Kurosawa for the top spot four laps later. "You've got to stick with your strategy and we did," said Tracy, in in the top 10 from the halfway point until getting a little bold and missing turn one. But the most surprising drive came from the 37-year-old Kurosawa.

Starting 23rd out of 25 in Dale Coyne's MTCI LolaFord, he made the most of yellow-flag pit stops and was out in front on lap 55. Track announcer Bruce Flanders predicted he'd get his shield sucked off by the big boys on the restart, but Kurosawa managed to hold the lead for seven laps before eventual winner Paul Tracy got past. On lap 76, Kurosawa crashed and wound up 13th. Notes Scott Dixon took advantage of Jonny Kane's mistake with three laps left to capture the Dayton Indy Lights race. Kane led the first 35 laps before spinning out to wind up sixth.

Tomy Drissi dodged a last-lap crash to win his first Trans-Am race, just ahead of Willy T. Ribbs. Robin Miller is the auto racing writer for The Indianapolis Star. You can contact him by calling (317) 624-4636 and entering 7165 or e-mailing him at rmiller stamews.com tried to get into the mix on the final trip around the 2.66-mile track. But The Intimidator drifted high in turn four while Gordon pulled away from Skinner for a 0.189-second victory.

Gordon, whose win drought matched one from 1994-95 as the longest of his career, was 12th in the points race entering Talladega. Further compounding his problems, he qualified poorly and started 36th in the 43-car field. But he quickly pushed to the front and grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 103 of the 188-lap event. "I'm a little shocked," said Gordon, who came from further back in the field than any previous winner at Talladega. "We were not very fast when we tested here and not very fast when we qualified.

But, in the draft, the car was just spectacular. Sometimes, a car comes to life in the draft." Rusty Wallace, who finished 41st, was the previous driver to pick up his 50th in the March 26 Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn. Martin, who led 99 laps and seemed much of the day to have the strongest car on the track, finished sixth but moved past Bobby Labonte into the points lead. Mi it Immediate Results 'Call The 2000 Ford 2000 Ford Windstar 96TH 846-4241 77 iiTi "JJI 1 i GORDON Continued from Page 1 his car was surrounded by hundreds of adoring fans. Others were perched precariously on the steel girders under the stands, straining to get a look.

"Everybody likes a winner," said Gordon, who beat Skinner by two car lengths to become the ninth driver to win in as many Winston Cup races this year. "But no one likes someone who wins too much. I understand that." On lap 183, the three-time Winston Cup champion dived to the inside coming out of turn four, nipping at the infield grass to get past leader Mark Martin. Skinner fell into line behind Gordon and tried to pull out his first Winston Cup victory. But Gordon would not be denied.

Mired in a 13-race losing streak, he blocked Skinner time and time again on the backstretch, briefly flshtailing at one point before regaining control and maintaining the lead as the two cars went nose-to-tail. Dale Earnhardt, who has won a record nine Cup races at Talladega, A surgeries. to order informational video. iWymMMfihM JLio Windstar comes starting at $18, 995 I KEYSTONE -800-493-7022 mi yij i mm Knowledge is power ii nun. 4 3 I if Milw If 1 lj 4 I 5 A i urn MONDAY NIGHT IS YOURS 1 1-t 70 CPS PACERS msm I 8fm Jewel.