Stewart Fastest In Indy 200 Practice
23 January 1998
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Stewart's best lap around the 1-mile tri-oval was 21.308 seconds, 168.951 mph in the Glidden/Menard G Force/Aurora as 31 drivers took practice laps to prepare for the season-opening Pep Boys Indy Racing League event at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Stewart's lap was faster than his pole-winning lap in January 1997, 21.685, 166.013.
Qualifying starts at noon Friday.
"I've never earned one pay check for practicing, so we'll just go out and see what happens tomorrow," Stewart said. "We're pretty happy because we're close to where we tested, but we'll go back and see if we can find something that will bump us up a notch."
Scott Sharp was second-fastest at 167.645 in the Delphi Dallara/Aurora. Roberto Guerrero was third at 166.929 in the Pagan Racing Dallara/Aurora.
Thiago Bezerra captured the pole for the US F2000 Championship race. The 50-lap feature starts at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
On the airwaves: The live television and radio broadcast schedule for the Indy 200:
oFriday: Qualifying -- noon, Speedvision.
oSaturday: Race -- noon, IMS Radio Network; 12:30 p.m. ABC. The
Orlando-area
IMS Radio Network affiliate is WQTM, 540 AM.
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