CART: Junqueira and Minassian ready for old-fashioned Texas shootout
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 25, 2001Fort Worth, Texas -- Target Chip Ganassi Racing rookie drivers Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian will search deep in the heart of Texas for their first Champ Car checkered flag Sunday at the inaugural Firestone Firehawk 600 in Fort Worth.
Texas Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile oval, with its high-banked corners, will provide a challenge for all drivers, and especially for the Team Target duo, which makes its oval debut. Despite the tricky track and the drivers' lack of oval experience, both Junqueira and Minassian are confident they have a chance to christen victory circle.
Team Target heads to Texas Motor Speedway with momentum on their side, following a strong showing on the streets of Long Beach. Junqueira charged through the field from his 28th starting position to place ninth, tallying the highest number of cars passed since former team driver Alex Zanardi charged from 26th to fourth at Rio in 1997. Minassian also moved forward in the field at Long Beach, climbing from 14th to eighth.
Junqueira, last year's Formula 3000 champion, is eager for his Champ Car education to continue on Sunday with his first oval race.
"We've done a lot of off-season testing on oval tracks," Junqueira said. "Our test at Las Vegas gave our engineers a lot of good information that will translate over to this track. I feel very comfortable on the ovals so far, but I've never raced on an oval with other cars. I'm going to have to learn how the car will be with other cars on the track. The practice sessions will be the place for me to find out about that. It's going to be a long race, and it will be important to stay out of trouble during the first half of it. If we can do that, I think we'll have a good chance to win on Sunday."
Junqueira's teammate, Minassian, is also looking forward to his third Champ Car challenge.
"This is going to be a very exciting race for the fans," Minassian said. "But I'm not so sure how exciting it will be for the drivers. With 28 cars racing side-by-side at over 220 miles per hour, it will be a little nerve-wracking for me. I'm looking forward to the challenge. I've never raced on a track like this before, but I'm confident our team will give me all of the information I need to succeed. I've seen pictures of Texas Motor Speedway and it looks like a beautiful place. It will be even more beautiful if I can win the race."
Team Target managing director Mike Hull believes his team is prepared for Texas Motor Speedway's 24-degree banks.
"This is a very challenging track from an engineering standpoint," Hull said. "We'll be able to use most of the information we acquired at the winter test in Las Vegas. This track, however, has a higher banking and will produce faster speeds than Las Vegas. We have some of the best engineers in the business and I'm confident they will find a fast set-up for our cars. I'm also confident that Team Target has the ability to challenge for a win on Sunday afternoon."
The Firestone Firehawk 600 airs live on ESPN, with the green flag set to wave at 3 p.m. EST.
Text provided by Brian Zepp
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