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CART: Vasser Continues Superspeedway Success with Pole for U.S. 500

25 July 1999

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Jimmy Vasser of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing upstaged his FedEx Championship Series-leading teammate, Juan Montoya, Saturday by claiming his first pole position of the season for the U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota at Michigan Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, live ABC-TV).

On a day when 21 of the 26 qualifiers were separated by less than one second, Vasser's lap of 229.606 miles per hour (31.358 seconds) in the Target Honda Reynard brought him his third pole position in his last five starts at Michigan Speedway. His other poles at Michigan came in 1996 at The Inaugural U.S. 500 and the Marlboro 500. It was the seventh pole of his career and first since last year at Cleveland.

Vasser, the 1996 FedEx Championship Series champion, earned a PPG Cup point, taking him to 40 for the season. He is 10th in the championship as the series heads into Round 12 of 20.

Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard) qualified second at 229.438 mph (31.381 seconds) to match a season-best start established in the season opener at Homestead. He makes his second front-row start at Michigan in as many years, after winning his first career pole there last season.

Montoya (Target Honda Reynard) qualified third at 229.321 mph (31.397 seconds) to earn his seventh top-three start in the past nine events. Montoya enters Sunday with a 113-106 lead over Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard) in the championship.

Franchitti qualified ninth at 227.790 mph (31.608 seconds). He and teammate Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) recorded identical qualifying times, but Tracy was awarded the eighth starting spot based on having the faster speed during his other qualifying lap per CART rules.

Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift) qualified fourth at 229.168 mph (31.418 seconds) and was followed by Scott Pruett (Pioneer/MCI WorldCom Toyota Reynard) at 228.593 mph (31.497 seconds). Andretti's start will be his best at Michigan since qualifying third in 1995. Pruett will make a season-best start, which represents the best for a Toyota-powered driver in the engine manufacturer's four years in the FedEx Championship Series. Prior to Saturday's qualifying, Toyota's best was 15th by Alex Barron at California Speedway last season.

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