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CART: Tracy Fastest on Opening Day of Practice for Miller Lite 225

5 June 1999

WEST ALLIS, Wis.-- Team KOOL Green driver Paul Tracy led a Canadian assault on The Milwaukee Mile on Friday when he recorded the fastest practice lap for Sundays Miller Lite 225, Round 7 of the FedEx Championship Series.

Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) posted a top lap of 168.681miles per hour (22.025 seconds) on the 1.032-mile during the opening day of practice for Sundays 225-lap event (4 p.m. ET, one-hour tape delay, ABC-TV). Tracys fastest lap came on a day when 29 of the 36 cars (including secondary cars) posting practice times were separated by less than one second.

Another practice session is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET Saturday, with qualifying slated to begin at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Tracy, after his 13th career pole position and third at Milwaukee, followed by fellow Canadians Greg Moore and Patrick Carpentier of the Players Forsythe Racing Team. Moore (Players Forsythe Racing Ltd. Mercedes Reynard) was second fastest with a lap of 168.475 miles per hour (22.052 seconds) while Carpentier, the defending pole-sitter and track-record holder, was third at 168.408 mph (22.108 seconds).

All three drivers recorded their fastest laps during the morning practice. The afternoon session was interrupted by rain and condensed from two separate 45-minute sessions to one 45-minute session for all competitors.

Helio Castro Neves (Hogan Motor Leasing, Inc. Mercedes Reynard) was fourth at 167.979 mph (22.117 seconds). He was followed by rookie Juan Montoya (Target Honda Reynard) at 167.570 mph (22.171 seconds). Montoya takes a 69-65 PPG Cup points lead over Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard) into Saturdays qualifying session.

Castro-Neves recorded his fastest lap in the morning while Montoya had the top lap of the afternoon session.

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