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Gugelmin and Mercedes-Benz Win Molson Indy Vancouver; Big Mo's First Career Victory Is Mercedes' Eighth of the Season

31 August 1997

Gugelmin and Mercedes-Benz Win Molson Indy Vancouver; Big Mo's First Career Victory Is Mercedes' Eighth of the Season

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 31 -- Mauricio
Gugelmin captured the first PPG CART World Series win of his career, marking
Mercedes-Benz's eighth CART victory of the season, at the Molson Indy
Vancouver.  "Big Mo," who pilots the Hollywood Reynard/Mercedes-Benz for
PacWest Racing, became the fourth Mercedes driver to visit victory lane this
year, and extended Mercedes' lead in the CART manufacturer's championship to
27 points with two races remaining on the schedule.
    "We've been working hard on this -- and it's great for me and the team,"
said the 34-year-old Brazilian driver.  "It was just fantastic today.  We were
conserving fuel early on, and then at the end, I knew I had enough fuel to
make it easily.  The Mercedes engine can go forever, and today it really
helped me.  I feel about 40 pounds lighter right now!  The strategy for pit
stops was right, and then once I got into the lead, the Mercedes and the
Firestone tires did the job.  I knew we could do it.  I just had to be
consistent and stay out of trouble."
    A Mercedes-powered car need only to finish eighth or better at next week's
Grand Prix of Monterey, at Laguna Seca Raceway, in Monterey, Calif., for
Mercedes-Benz to clinch the 1997 CART manufacturer's championship.
Mercedes-powered cars have finished second or better in 17 of the last 18 PPG
Cup races, and since joining the PPG CART World Series in 1994, the
three-pointed star has contested 49 races, finishing each race in the top six.
    "Everyone at Mercedes-Benz offers their sincere congratulations to Mo on
his first Indy car victory," said Steve Potter, manager, sports marketing for
Mercedes-Benz of North America.  "Our thanks go to Mauricio, Bruce McCaw and
everyone at PacWest for their work in extending the lead for Mercedes-Benz in
the CART manufacturer's championship.  We're confident this will be the first
of many victories for Mo."
    The Mercedes IC108D is conceded to make the most horsepower of any engine
in the paddock, but as has been the case several times this season, the V8's
excellent fuel efficiency played a decisive role in the victory.  The PacWest
team's pit strategy, which called for fuel conservation from the very start of
the race, helped Gugelmin move up from his fifth place starting position, and
with 25 laps left in the 100-lap contest, he ran second behind Bryan Herta,
who would need to stop once more for fuel.
    Gugelmin was patient, avoiding trouble as he lapped the 1.7-mile temporary
street circuit waiting for Herta to pit, but Herta never made it.  Alex
Zanardi, who led early but went off course several times, crowded Herta into a
tire barrier on lap 81.  Gugelmin took over the lead and held on for the win,
The 20 championship points he earned moved him from seventh in the PPG Cup
drivers championship standings to fourth, one of three Mercedes-powered
drivers in the top five.

    Unser Blasts From the Back of the Field
    Marlboro Team Penske's Al Unser Jr. was the second driver with
Mercedes-Benz power to cross the line, finishing fifth.  A flawless drive and
perfect pit stops by the Marlboro Team Penske crew allowed the two-time PPG
Cup champion to make up 17 positions from 22nd on the starting grid.
    Gugelmin's PacWest Racing teammate Mark Blundell was the third Mercedes
driver to finish in the top 10, bringing the Motorola Reynard/Mercedes-Benz
home eighth.  Rookie Dario Franchitti finished just out of the points in
13th place.  The young Scotsman started 10th and moved up to run as high as
sixth.  In the final laps, he battled fiercely with Zanardi and others but
ultimately ended his day in the tire barriers.
    Roberto Moreno, substituting for injured Canadian rookie Patrick
Carpentier, had a strong run in the Team Alumax car, running in the top 10,
but a steering problem forced his retirement on lap 80.  Local favorite Greg
Moore, too, ran well, but the Player's Forsythe car brushed the wall on lap
62, breaking the suspension and leaving Moore, who had run as high as fifth,
17th at the end of the day.  Fellow Canadian Paul Tracy continued his string
of bad luck.  His Marlboro Penske/Mercedes was collected in a first lap melee.
Without earning any points, he slipped back to third in the PPG Cup standings.

SOURCE  Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc.