CART: Medic Drug Grand Prix of Cleveland Driver Notes and Quotes
27 June 1999
JUAN MONTOYA, Target Honda Reynard: "We've been changing the car a lot and we were able to improve it over the bumps. This morning, we made some changes for qualifying and I was surprised at how quickly I was able to go fast. I went out and did a 57.3 [-second lap], and I thought, 'That should be enough.' But it wasn't. Fortunately, we were able to get out and make it even better. Obviously [during the race], you want to save some fuel, but I can't tell you how the race is going to go. Gil [de Ferran] is very quick, Michael [Andretti] was very, very quick this morning ... we'll just have to see what's going to happen."GIL de FERRAN, Valvoline/Cummins Special Honda Reynard: "Conditions were definitely better today [than Friday]. The track has a little more grip, but one of the things that was very different today was the wind, which changed the car dramatically for a couple of turns. We did one good lap on our second set of tires and got close to Juan [Montoya] but we couldn't get it done and after that, I didn't get another chance."
MICHAEL ANDRETTI, Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift: "The spin [during qualifying] hurt yesterday and the penalty killed me today because I had to sit out the last eight minutes when the track was getting better. You could see it improving almost minute by minute. It was kind of frustrating watching guys pick me off when I was on the pole, but after Gil [de Ferran] got by me, I was kind of hoping someone else would, too, because I'd almost rather start third here than second. So thanks, Juan!"
WHAT'S NOTEWORTHY
* Juan Montoya's (Target Honda Reynard) pole position was his FedEx Championship Series-high fourth of the season and third on a different type of course. He earned his first career pole position at Nazareth on a short oval, his third career pole at Portland on a permanent road course and Saturday's came fourth on a temporary street circuit.
* Montoya's pole was the sixth of the season for Honda and seventh for Firestone
* Gil de Ferran's (Valvoline/Cummins Special Honda Reynard) outside pole position is his third front-row start in five career appearances at Cleveland. He claimed the pole in 1995 and started on the outside pole in 1997.
* Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift) will start third for his sixth top-three start at Cleveland. Andretti's impressive qualifying performance at this venue is highlighted by a pole in 1989.
* Patrick Carpentier's (Player's Forsythe Racing Ltd. Mercedes Reynard) sixth-place qualifying effort represents a career-best FedEx Championship Series start on a road or street circuit, exceeding eighth at Portland last week.
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