---

CART: Team Target expects season to take off at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport

28 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Montoya aims for fifth pole position

Cleveland -- With eight races completed in the 2000 CART FedEx Championship Series, Target/Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Jimmy Vasser and Juan Montoya have experienced flashes of brilliance, but neither is satisfied with where they rank in the point standings.

Although trailing points leader Roberto Moreno by just 14 points, Vasser believes it is time for Team Target to regain its consistency and become a team with which to contend.

"No one is getting nervous because we all know we have the ability to win on any track, but with just over half of the season remaining, we think it's time to start putting together a good string of races and moving up in the standings," Vasser said. "We all have confidence that the Toyota-Lola can win, so it's just a matter of time before we visit the podium again."

Vasser, who has earned two poles at Burke Lakefront Airport (1996 and 1998), is eager to return to Cleveland and a chance to gain on Moreno.

"I've grown to enjoy racing at Burke," Vasser said. "We had some bad luck in Cleveland last year, so hopefully I got that out of my system. This is a good time of year to start earning valuable points and that's our goal heading into the weekend."

Vasser's teammate Montoya is also confident that a return to Cleveland is exactly what he needs to get his season back on track. Montoya earned the pole and the checkered flag in his first and only race in Cleveland.

"Cleveland was definitely one of my favorite races from last year," said Monotya, who won from the pole three times in 1999. "There's a lot of opportunity for passing and the track's layout suits my driving well. One of the trademarks of Team Target over the years is consistency. Our team is making that one of our main goals for the remaining races. Jimmy once said that if you don't finish races, you can't score points. The Toyota-Lola is capable of finishing and winning races. We'll be back in winner's circle soon, hopefully starting in Cleveland."

Montoya, whose impressive streak of seven straight races starting third or better was ended in Portland (eighth), is ready to begin a new streak.

"Qualifying is an important part of the race, but as drivers have shown in recent years, you can win at Cleveland no matter where you start," Montoya said. "I had a nice run of poles this season, so it would be nice to start a new one in Cleveland."

Text provided by Tom Ryan

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.