August 18, 1998
CART: Blundell Powers Through Field
Mark Blundell
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Despite a problem on the parade lap which left him starting from
last place on the grid, Mark Blundell recovered to finish seventh in the
Texaco/Havoline 200, round 14 of the 1998 FedEx Championship Series.
Unfortunately, Blundell’s Motorola Reynard/Mercedes was the sole finisher
sporting the three-pointed star as misfortune struck all five
Mercedes-powered teams.
Player’s/Indeck Reynard/Mercedes pilot Greg Moore was an early
favorite, leading until gearbox trouble during his first pit stop forced
him to retire. Dario Franchitti won, scoring his first Champ Car victory
and the first for a Scotsman since Jim Clark in 1965.
Marlboro Team Penske’s Andre Ribeiro, driving with a broken left
fibula suffered earlier in the weekend, experienced the only engine-related
failure of the seven Mercedes-powered drivers who left the race early.
Ribeiro’s teammate Al Unser Jr. and Player’s/Forsythe Racing driver Patrick
Carpentier were both collected in a multi-car, first-lap incident.
Rookies JJ Lehto and Helio Castro-Neves were each felled by faulty
exhaust headers, and brake problems finished off Mauricio Gugelmin.
Mercedes Quotes
Mark Blundell, No. 18 Motorola Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone: Seventh
"On the parade lap, smoke started wafting up out of the cockpit and
getting into my eyes. We have yet to get to the bottom of that. So I came
in, and we changed the steering wheel and started from the back of the
pack. After that, we basically just chopped our way through the field. We
had a strong race, the guys gave us good stops and, except for a couple of
little problems, produced a solid top-seven finish for the team."
JJ Lehto, No. 9, Hogan Racing Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone: 18th
"I just started to lose power. Then something big happened at the
back. I don’t know if it was an electrical fire or what."
Mauricio Gugelmin, No. 17 Hollywood Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone: 19th
"I wound up with no brakes. Every corner the pedal would go down to
the bulkhead. Twice coming into Canada Corner I ran wide pumping up the
brakes, then it started to happen in every corner. We stopped to bleed
them, but it didn’t help. I would’ve been in the fence somewhere if we
stayed out there."
Greg Moore, No. 99, Player’s/Indeck Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone: 21st
"Our plan was for two stops. We knew we’d run out on that first
tank, but everything was going according to plan. I came in, and we had a
good stop. Then I tried to leave the pits, and the race was done. I
selected first gear and something in the driveline broke. I’m not worried
about the championship. I just want to win some more races. It’s real
disappointing."
Andre Ribeiro, No. 3 Marlboro Penske/Mercedes/Goodyear: 25th
"Unfortunately, on lap eight I suddenly developed a misfire, and my
Marlboro Penske/Mercedes just stalled on the entry to the carousel. They
still don’t know why this happened, but I’m confident they will find the
cause and work to find a solution. I’m going to take the next couple of
weeks off to rest my leg, and we should be set to go in Vancouver."
Helio Castro-Neves, No. 16 Alumax Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone: 26th
"We had an exhaust problem. The header pipe broke. We were 13th
fastest in this morning’s practice. On the first lap, I smelled a little
smoke. On the second lap, the cockpit filled with smoke. By the third lap
I was losing power. Then it was over. It’s a shame; a lot of the guys who
were behind me finished in the top 10."
Al Unser Jr., No. 2 Marlboro Penske/Mercedes/Goodyear: 27th
"I don’t know what happened. I got drilled from behind really,
really hard. Someone used me for brakes. Whoever hit me didn’t care.
They weren’t paying attention. People in front of me were using their
heads, but whoever was behind me just wasn’t thinking. It’s a shame. We
had a really good car. It just isn’t right."
Patrick Carpentier, No. 33, Player’s/Indeck Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone:
28th
"I couldn’t see Unser. Somebody spun him, and there was a big cloud
of dust. It’s really too bad. We had a great car this morning and thought
we had a good chance for the race--same for Unser. We’re all aggressive
and competitive, and everybody’s trying for a position."
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