CART: Walker Racing Portland Review
24 June 1999
BUDWEISER/G.I. JOES 200 PRESENTED BY TEXACO/HAVOLINERound eight of the 20-races FedEx Championship Series for the PPG Cup
GIL DE FERRAN # 5 VALVOLINE/CUMMINS - HONDA/REYNARD/GOODYEAR
Started 3rd, finished 1st, third in PPG standings - 71 points
MEMO GIDLEY # 15 ALPINE - HONDA/REYNARD/GOODYEAR
Started 25th, finished 19th, 1st Race
Derrick Walker- Team Owner: "Special day; One of those days when things work! Our fuel mileage was not what we wanted so we decide to start racing instead of trying to play the two-stop strategy. Pit stops were key! Gaining track position gave us the idea to go. Gil drove a flawless race and our car was good enough to make good use the tires. So much has been said about tires, that I was really glad we were able to give Goodyear something to be proud of. It's been a while since our sponsors had a good result., Thanks Valvoline, Cummins, National Rental Car, Craftsman, NGK, Parametric Technology, Delphi Automotive Systems, Stanley, Knoll, St. Elmo Steak House, and Alpine; we could not have done it without you. Teamwork won the day for us. Thanks Honda, for your patience. Reynard, cheers!
"Memo had a good solid start to his introduction into Champ cars. He did well, good to see another driver move up from the ranks of Atlantic. Ron Catt and guys picked up where we left of in Homestead; teams working well. Hats off to the whole team!"
De Ferran Wins Portland with Extra Pit Stop
Pit-stop strategy enabled Gil de Ferran to his first win in 1999, as he drove the Valvoline/Cummins Honda-Reynard to victory at Sundays Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway. De Ferran started third on the 1.9-mile road course, led 43 of the 98 laps, and finished 4.3 seconds ahead of Juan Montoya. Just two years ago, de Ferran endured a heart-breaking result at Portland, as he came home .027 seconds behind Mark Blundell in the closest finish in Champ Car history. This time, he made it to victory lane by defying conventional strategy and making three pit stops -- one MORE than his top rivals.
Fuel mileage and track position are always key factors at Portland. When de Ferran's Valvoline/Cummins crew gave him the lead with a superior second pit stop, team owner Derrick Walker decided to have his driver run a horsepower-producing richer fuel mixture, while others elected to conserve fuel to make it to the finish. De Ferran was able to open up a 29-second lead and thus maintain his advantage despite a third "splash-and-go" fuel stop in the closing laps.
"The car was working so well, and the tires were so consistent, that when Derrick gave the order, I felt very confident," said de Ferran, who finished third two weeks ago at the Milwaukee Mile. "Really, I was not thinking about the gap (to Montoya). I was just concentrating as hard as I could to drive to the maximum every lap."
Of his final pit visit, Gil said: "For me, it was a tense moment. It was hard for me to know what would happen. When Derrick said, 'Plus seven' (seconds to Montoya) when I left the pits, I said to myself, 'Yeah, baby, it looks good.' "
Walker explained: "We knew we were going to have to stop while the others seemed pretty confident they could go to the end. We decided to take a chance. With about 62 laps to go I said, 'Let's go for it.' We calculated we'd need about three seconds (worth) of fuel and that the whole process -- entering the pits, stopping, and getting out -- would take 26 seconds. It was one of those days when, finally, it all worked out."
De Ferran admitted special satisfaction as the thousands of test miles he has done as a primary test driver for Goodyear and Honda paid off. "It adds to the joy," he said. "I'm so happy for Derrick and all the team because for the last couple of years everyone has been giving, giving, giving, with nothing in return. Now, we can't get the smiles off our faces."
De Ferran jumped from seventh to third in the point standings. His first CART win came in 1995 at Laguna Seca as he clinched Rookie of the Year honors. He was the 1997 PPG Cup runner-up. This was the fourth win for Walker Racing and first since Robby Gordon's victory at Detroit in 1995.
Memo Gidley : " Im happy with my first race, learning what it takes to go on the front. I still have a lot to learn. Lap 85 I was feeling great, much better than the first lap. Im confident that Cleveland will be better. Im feeling much more confortable with the car and getting to know everybody in the team. Im also happy for Gil, what a great win! Congratulations Gil!
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