The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 35

ontoya wins on heels of Andretti's engine woes who will be announced Thursday as Ralf Schumacher's teammate on Frank Williams' Formula One team. "I was just trying to stay on the lead lap with him before he broke." Carpentier, whose ride with Player'sForsythe has not been renewed for 2001, scored his sixth top-five of the season and duplicated his career-best performance. "I don't know if it will help my situation or not, but I had fun out there today," he said. Notes Cristlano da Matta, who finished fifth in the Pioneer Reynard Toyota, has signed a contract to replace Andretti in the Newman Haas stable. Rookie Oriol Ser-via continued to shine by charging from 18th to fifth in the Telefonica ReynardToyota.

Contact Robin Miller at (317) 633-9184 or via e-mail at robin.millerstamews.com would have been a great boost for them." Montoya Inherited a sizable lead over Tracy, which became insurmountable when the Canadian's gearbox failed, sending him against the wall on lap 209 and out of competition. "We only had couple gears left before it started locking up and that caused me to brush the wall," said Tracy, whose Kool Reynard Honda suffered damaged suspension. "We hung around in the top three all day and I had a good car." Montoya allowed Carpentier to unlap himself and cruised to the checkered flag. "When my car went loose, Michael disappeared," said Montoya, 67. From there, the 37-year-old veteran steadily pulled away In his KmartTexaco LolaFord.

He'd lapped all the way through eighth place by his second pit stop on lap 123. Following everyone's second stop, only three drivers remained on the lead lap and Andretti lapped Paul Tracy, who was in third, on lap 168. Andretti owned an 18-second spread after the third and final flurry of pit stops before a valve train broke and sent him to a smoky ending. "This one hurts because a win would have put us back In the point lead," said Andretti, who was out In front for 121 laps. "My crew did a fantastic job today and this a i1! i kl rl I MOTOROLA 300 to 788 (of 2,241 laps).

"I knew I could run with Michael, but not faster than him. Today, he got the bad break." In CARTs final appearance (the Indy Racing League takes over next year) on the 1.27-mile oval, a crowd estimated at 25,000 was treated to the best short-track show of 2000. The first 209 laps were run under green and traffic made for constant and creative passing in the tight turns. Starting on the pole for the sixth time this year, Montoya led the opening 28 laps but had to make a couple of nifty moves to keep Jimmy Vasser behind him. Vasser finally got the top spot for 12 circuits before Montoya swept past in traffic on lap 42.

Then, the '96 CART champ passed Montoya again on lap 48. While Chip Ganassi's team was duking it out up front, Andretti and Gil de Ferran were tearing through traffic. They were fifth and sixth, respectively, by lap 52. The first round of pit stops, between laps 61-66, proved pivotal as Andretti's crew gained him three spots and then he got past Montoya going into turn three on lap RETURNS TO INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK Saturday, September 23rd Bpm IfHBRIIil'K I DWI IflfKflEHIHflni Cosmetic Surgery International BFGoodiicH Cosmetic Surgery International's surgeons have performed over 8,000 procedures since 1990. Cosmetic Surgery International consists of the most experienced surgeons in the world when it comes to penile enlargement surgeries.

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25 3F-lMCEi Great Seats Great Prieeal Circle City Tickets 841-8056 or 1-800-832-9744 I I' i The pole sitter gets an unexpected trip to victory lane after the leader's engine fails. By Robin Miller STAFF WRITER MADISON, 111. He couldn't reel In Michael Andretti, but Juan Mon-toya finally caught a break Sunday afternoon. In a year plagued by mechanical misfortune, the defending champ of Championship Auto Racing Teams has still been his dominant self (leading the most laps by a large margin), yet notching only two wins going Into the Motorola 300. That scenario changed at Gateway Raceway.

Andretti had stormed from 16th to first and lapped everyone but Montoya by lap 197. Then, CARTs all-time winner suffered engine failure and Montoya got an unexpected trip to victory lane winning by 11 seconds over Patrick Carpentier. "You know how many races I've thrown away this year, so it's nice to have someone give me one," said the 24-year-old Colombian, who led 83 of the 236 laps In his Target LolaToyota to bring his season total Associated Press Veteran racer: 1978 Formula One champion Mario Andretti recently tested Indy's F1 course and was impressed. ANDRETTI Continued from Page 1 more laps. It invites you to shave all the little things and Improve your way.

"You don't exit any corner the conventional way because you have to prepare yourself for the next one. You're always thinking of the next corner so It's a good thinking driver's course." The 60-year-old legend from Nazareth, Pa. reached speeds of 170 miles per hour in his Porsche and feels certain Mika Hakklnen, Michael Schumacher Company will be running faster here than anywhere else on their 17-race schedule. "They will have maximum revs coming off turn 11 and I'm sure they'll be using seven gears and I think they'll be running 220 mph at the end of the front straightaway. They'll be in seventh gear from the short chute (in turn two) until they start braking for turn one." Because the F-l cars are running opposite of Indy cars on the oval and utilizing part of the second turn, the south short chute, turn one and most of the front straightaway, the Speedway's traditional first turn figures to be rather daunting to a group that doesn't run against concrete walls.

There were two accidents during Porsche tests in Indy's famous first corner (which is actually turn 13 on the road course). "You don't take a turn like that lightly," said Andretti, who scored a dozen F-l victories and joined Phil Hill as the only American champion. "It's not going to be a piece of cake to set up for, In my opinion, and it will be interesting to see how the grooved tires handle a constant radius, high-speed corner. "It's going to be a full compromise with aerodynamics. It should get everyone's attention, but everybody Is facing the same problems." Like many F-l tracks, Indy will feature a high-speed straightaway that funnels into a slow, tight first turn and makes it a likely spot for a big crash or some overtaking.

"The place that really Invites passing will be turn one. There will be a lot of slipstreaming there, so there will be a lot of action," predicted Andretti. "On the Infield straight, you're accelerating all the time so I don't think there will be any out-braking at the end of that straight. "You've got to reach terminal speed to be able to pass and there may only be one place to do that." 3 17-624-4636 i i. i.

4 "Xv'-i. vsm iff Contact Robin Miller at (317) 633-9184 or via e-mail at robin.millerstamews.com c-.