#10 Kanaan CART Denver Friday Provisional Qualifying

Kanaan Third on Provisional Grid at Denver

DENVER (Friday, Aug. 29, 2002) -- Tony Kanaan and the #10 Pioneer-WorldCom/Mo Nunn Racing Honda-Lola sit third on the provisional grid for Sunday's inaugural Shell Grand Prix of Denver after first-round qualifying today.  Kanaan was credited with a fast lap of 1 minute, 2.454 seconds (94.937 mph) around the 1.65-mile temporary street course near downtown Denver.  Kanaan earlier had turned a faster lap of 1:02.328, but he lost that lap time due to the fact he brought out a red falg earlier in the session after spinning and stalling the car in Turn 1.  CART FedEx Championship Series rules instituted this season take away the fast lap of the session any time a driver brings out the red flag.  Kanaan had an even faster lap going, according to computer projections, when he spun a second time late in the session and backed the car into the a tire barrier and knocking the rear wing off the car.  He had to abort the lap and managed to limp back into the pits, avoiding a second red flag.

Adrian Fernandez is on the provisional pole after a fast lap of 1:02.073 (95.520 mph), followed by Christian Fittipaldi with the second-fastest lap of 1:02.440 (94.958 mph).

Practice continues Saturday morning with final qualifying set for 1:45 p.m. local time (3:45 p.m. EDT).  SPEED Channel will carry the final qualifying session live as part of a 90-minute show that begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT.  Race time Sunday is 1 p.m. local time (3 p.m. EDT) with a live broadcast set for SPEED Channel beginning with a 30-minute pre-race show at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

 TONY KANAAN QUOTES

 "The guys gave me a really good car today and what happened in qualifying was completely my fault.  I feel really bad because I lost not one, but my two fastest laps when all was said and done.  But you can't say I wasn't trying my absolute hardest.  It's a brand new racetrack and it's very bumpy and very slippery, but there's no time to waste getting on the gas because Sunday will be here before we know it.  All things considered, I think we're in pretty good shape in the number three position on the grid.  If it rains tomorrow, we're in great shape.  I really wish we could have gotten the pole and guaranteed a top-two starting position.  But we were two-tenths behind Adrian (Fernandez) even with our best laps that never counted, so I don't know if we could have caught him today.  This is a very interesting track, to say the least.  Sunday's race is going to be very, very interesting.  For now, we just have to sort out all that we learned today and hope we can come back and not make any mistakes tomorrow.  Funny thing is, after I spun the first time today, Morris (Nunn, team owner) told me on the radio not to make another mistake.  Right after he said that, I spun again.  Oh well.  Those things happen."