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CART: Marlboro 500 Pre Race Notes and Quotes

27 October 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
* Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard) has erased a 28-point deficit to rookie Juan Montoya (Target Honda Reynard) in the FedEx Championship Series points race during the past two events and enters the Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota as the championship leader. He owns a series-high 11 podium finishes, including victories at Toronto, Detroit and Australia. At Australia, his 22-point sweep for winning from the pole and leading the most laps moved him into a 209-200 led over Montoya, who had held the points lead since winning at Chicago. Franchitti's sweep marked the sixth time this season that a driver has scored the maximum possible points in an event. Other sweeps were recorded by Greg Moore (Player's Forsythe Racing Team, Ltd. Mercedes Reynard) at Homestead; Montoya at Nazareth, Cleveland and Vancouver; and Bryan Herta (Shell Ford Reynard) at Laguna Seca.

* Juan Montoya has scored a FedEx Championship Series-high 90 points on ovals, including victories at Nazareth, Rio de Janeiro and Chicago and a podium finish of second at Michigan. He leads the series with seven victories, a CART rookie record; seven pole positions, which ties the rookie mark established by Nigel Mansell in 1993 and 929 laps led, third on CART's all-time single-season list.

* Max Papis (Miller Lite Ford Reynard) comes to Fontana off a career-best runner-up finish at Australia and has finished fifth or better in five of his past six starts, including fifth at Mid-Ohio, fourth at Chicago (where Papis recorded his first career pole position) and Houston; and third at Laguna Seca. He stands a career-best fifth in the FedEx Championship Series points race with 133 points.

* Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard) has finished sixth or better in five of his past six FedEx Championship Series starts, and seven of the past nine. The run encompasses podium finishes of third at Road America and Australia, as well as fourth at Portland, fifth at Milwaukee and Laguna Seca and sixth at Toronto and Michigan. Fernandez missed four starts from Detroit through Vancouver after sustaining a fractured radius bone in his right wrist during a practice crash at Detroit.

* Bryan Herta (Shell Ford Reynard) owns top-five finishes in his past three FedEx Championship Series starts dating to his victory at Laguna Seca. He also finished fifth at Houston and fourth at Australia.

* Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) has scored PPG Cup points in 11 of his past 13 FedEx Championship Series starts, dating to his victory at Milwaukee. The run also includes finishes of second at Toronto, Detroit and Mid-Ohio; third at Michigan; fourth at Cleveland and Laguna Seca; fifth at Portland; seventh at Australia and 11th at Road America. Tracy enters the season finale with a 10-point lead (161-151) over Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Swift) for third place in the FedEx Championship Series championship and is seeking his best championship finish since taking third in 1994.

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