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CART: Vasser sixth; Yellow catches Toyota out at Molson Indy Vancouver

5 September 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
- Juan Montoya's woes continued today at Vancouver after the Colombian closed to within a second of the lead with 23 laps remaining. After a short-fueling 42 laps into the race helped him move into third-place, Montoya was caught out on a full-course yellow less than 10 laters, having passed the pit entrance just before the yellow call. Instead of pitting with most of the leaders, the defending FedEx Champ remained on course for almost 20 laps before pulling off after suffering a fuel pick-up problem with approximately one gallon of fuel left in the car.

- Before retiriing, Montoya easily registered the fastest lap of today's race by approximately half a second. Montoya also registered fastest race laps at Homestead, Motegi, Milwaukee and Cleveland.

- Jimmy Vasser earned his 10th top-10 finish in 15 races this year with a sixth today. Vasser has now registered a fifth and a sixth in his last two starts.

- Cristiano da Matta appeared to be on his way to a podium finish before a late splash-and-go dropped him to seventh. Like Montoya, da Matta was caught behind the pace car on the mid-race yellow and unable to pit. The team gambled on being the only car able to finish the race on one stop, but were forced to pit with three laps remaining. The finish is da Matta's seventh top-10 showing of the season.

- Memo Gidley was running a strong eighth and appeared to be on the way to his fourth top-10 finish in five starts since joining Della Penna Motorsports when he suffered a gearbox problem with 13 laps left to finish 16th.

- With an 11th today, Oriol Servia now has scored championship points in every road course event this season except for one - a series-high mark. Servia failed to score only at Cleveland, where he was knocked out of the race after being hit from behind on the opening lap.

- With his seventh-place finish, Cristiano da Matta remained seventh in the FedEx Championship Series points race. Jimmy Vasser jumped up one spot to eighth with his sixth today. Juan Montoya remained in 10th.

Manufacturer's Championship: Ford 256; Honda 247; Toyota 208; Mercedes-Benz 57

Text provided by John Prodica

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