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CART: Thirteen is Unlucky Number for Kanaan At Mid-Ohio

14 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Helio Castroneves scored his second victory of the season in Sunday's Miller Lite 200 at the bucolic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Castroneves took the lead from his Penske teammate Gil de Ferran after the first round of pit stops and held it to the checkered flag. Veteran Michael Andretti retained his lead in the drivers' points standings with an eighth-place finish.

The 83-lap event was not as fortunate for the Mercedes-Benz contingent. In round 13 of the CART FedEx Championship Series, held Sunday, Aug. 13, Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Mercedes driver Tony Kanaan finished 13th. After setting the fourth-quickest lap of the race, Kanaan's chances for a top-10 result were lost in the closing laps when he was caught in a wreck between Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracy. Tagliani tried to pass Tracy on Turn Two of Lap 70, but the two touched wheels, causing Tracy's car to spin. Kanaan, battling for position close behind the pair, bumped nose-first into Tracy's car. Kanaan was forced to pit to allow the team to change his car's nosepeice, putting him a lap down.

"What a way to go," said Kanaan. "We had a top-10 car for sure. It's a shame that the accident happened. I could see it coming up ahead of me, but I had absolutely nowhere to go. It cost us points, which would have been an accomplishment for our team this weekend. But we persevered, and the crew is upbeat, all things considered."

Mark Blundell finished 14th in the PacWest Motorola Mercedes, while Herdez pilot Michel Jourdain Jr. retired with an engine problem on Lap 76 and was 15th. Mauricio Gugelmin's PacWest Nextel Mercedes was bumped by Roberto Moreno's car on Lap Five, causing Gugelmin to spin off course. Gugelmin continued on, one lap down. After the second scheduled pit stop on Lap 56, Gugelmin's race car began running rough, and the Brazilian parked it one lap later. Luiz Garcia Jr.'s Hollywood/Arciero Project Racing Group Mercedes lost power and retired on Lap Five.

The CART FedEx Championship Series moves to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for the Motorola 220 on Aug. 20.

Results, Miller Lite 200
Lexington, Ohio
August 13, 2000

Pos. Driver Engine Laps

1 Helio Castroneves Honda 83
2 Gil de Ferran Honda 83
3 Christian Fittipaldi Ford Cosworth 83
4 Max Papis Ford Cosworth 83
5 Kenny Brack Ford Cosworth 83
6 Adrian Fernandez Ford Cosworth 83
7 Patrick Carpentier Ford Cosworth 83
8 Michael Andretti Ford Cosworth 83
9 Alex Tagliani Ford Cosworth 83
10 Oriol Servia Toyota 82
13 Tony Kanaan Mercedes-Benz 82
14 Mark Blundell Mercedes-Benz 82
15 Michel Jourdain Jr. Mercedes-Benz 76
20 Mauricio Gugelmin Mercedes-Benz 57
25 Luiz Garcia Jr. Mercedes-Benz 5

Text Provided by Susan Schroeder

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