CART: Andretti Earns Texaco/Havoline 200 Provisional Pole
10 July 1999
ELKHART LAKE,. Wis. - Michael Andretti of Newman/Haas Racing got a leg up on a successful defense of his Texaco/Havoline 200 pole position Friday when he earned the provisional pole for Sunday's 10th round of the FedEx Championship Series at Road America. (2 p.m. ET, live, ABC-TV).Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift), whose pole position at Road America last year was his first since 1995, recorded a top lap of 143.781 miles per hour (1 minute, 41.354 seconds) on the 4.048-mile permanent road course. He will be chasing his 32nd career pole position when final qualifying begins 1:45 p.m. ET Saturday.
Andretti is a three-time winner at Road America (1990, '91, '96) and has scored PPG Cup points in nine of his 14 career starts at the venue.
FedEx Championship Series points leader Juan Montoya (Target Honda Reynard) qualified a provisional second at 143.374 mph (1:41.642). Montoya, who holds a 112-87 points lead over Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/Cummins Special Honda Reynard), is seeking his eighth consecutive top-five start as well as his fifth pole of the season.
Patrick Carpentier (Player's Forsythe Racing Ltd. Mercedes Reynard) was third at 143.054 mph (1:41.869). He posted his fastest lap just prior to a spin in Turn 1 which caused his car to flip five times before coming to rest in a gravel trap against a tire barrier. Carpentier was uninjured in the incident, but will have to abandon his qualifying time if he is forced to switch to a secondary car during final qualifying.
Rookie Memo Gidley (Alpine Special Honda Reynard), in only his third start in the series, was an impressive fourth at 142.904 mph (1:41.976). He was followed by Greg Moore (Player's Forsythe Racing Ltd. Mercedes Reynard) at 142.848 mph (1:42.016).
De Ferran was eighth at 142.531 mph (1:42.243).
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