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CART: Al Unser, Jr. to Break Rahal's Record at Toronto

17 July 1999

By starting Sunday's Molson Indy, Al Unser Jr. will break Bobby Rahal's record of 264 CART career starts. Unser Jr., who joined the series in 1982, tied Rahal by starting last week's Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. He is the only active driver to have started all 13 FedEx Championship Series events contested at Toronto, with wins in 1988 and '90. All told, Rahal made 265 career Champ Car starts, including the 1982 Indianapolis 500, which was not run under the CART umbrella.

Rookie and FedEx Championship Series points leader Juan Montoya needs to lead one lap at any of the final 10 events of the season to take possession of the CART rookie record for laps led. Montoya's 46 laps led at Road America last weekend tied him with Alex Zanardi, who established the rookie mark in 1996 at 610 laps led. Montoya and Zanardi are currently tied with Mario Andretti (1987) for seventh place on the CART single-season laps led list. Michael Andretti holds CART's single-season laps led mark at 1,136. Andretti, who is also CART's career laps-led leader (5,992), needs eight more to reach the 6,000 mark for his career.

Jimmy Vasser would move into a tie for 15th-place on the CART career starts list by starting Sunday's Molson Indy. Vasser, currently tied for 16th-place with Teo Fabi at 116 career starts, could tie Kevin Cogan and Hiro Matsushita at 117 by starting Sunday.

Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard) will make his 100th CART career start Sunday, making him only the sixth active FedEx Championship Series driver to reach that mark, joining Unser Jr., Michael Andretti (240), Scott Pruett (135), Paul Tracy (122) and Vasser. Mauricio Gugelmin (Hollywood PacWest Mercedes) and Robby Gordon, with 98 and 96 starts, respectively, figure to move into the select group soon.

Gugelmin will make his 99th consecutive FedEx Championship Series start Sunday, tying him with Rick Mears for sixth place on the CART consecutive starts list. Gugelmin's streak began at Mid-Ohio in 1993. Vasser, meanwhile, will make his 97th consecutive start, tying him with Bobby Rahal for eighth place in CART annals. His streak began at Laguna Seca in '93. Unser Jr. leads the list with 192 consecutive CART starts from 1983 through '95.

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