![Qualifying on Saturday](images/Portland1998/Portland98Shirt-s.gif) |
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Photos from
Qualifying on Saturday June 20. |
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Richie Hearn waits in his car before making a qualifying attempt in
the first session. Not a good one: he started 23rd.
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![Richie in the Bud Car](images/Portland1998/Portland98b24-s.jpg) |
![Arnd Meier Qualifying](images/Portland1998/Portland98c04-s.jpg) |
Arnd Meier, from Hanover, Germany, sets out to qualify the only
Lola in the field for Davis Racing with a Ford/Cosworth engine on
Goodyear tyres. He can place only 25th on the grid.
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Finnish former Formula One driver J. J. Lehto takes out the Hogan
Racing Reynard/Mercedes/Firestone to put himself in 24th on the grid,
between Richie and Arnd.
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![JJ Lehto Qualifying](images/Portland1998/Portland98c07-s.jpg) |
![Greg Moore in Pit Lane](images/Portland1998/Portland98c11-s.jpg) |
Greg Moore waits with his crew in
pit-lane while the slower cars complete the first qualifying session.
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Jimmy Vasser gets prepared for his qualifying attempt.
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![Jimmy Vasser in Pit Lane](images/Portland1998/Portland98c13-s.jpg) |
![Tony Kanaan in Pit Lane](images/Portland1998/Portland98c15-s.jpg) |
Rookie Tony Kanaan from Brazil discusses his set-up with the Tasman
Motorsports team.
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Bryan Herta sits in his Team Rahal Reynard-Ford with Firestone
tyres waiting for the second session to begin. He went out and took
pole position with an average lap speed of 121.341 mph.
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![Bryan Herta Waiting to Qualify](images/Portland1998/Portland98c19-s.jpg) |
![Bobby Rahal Interview](images/Portland1998/Portland98c21-s.jpg) |
Meanwhile, team owner Bobby Rahal interviews with ESPNEWS. Retiring
at the end of the season, this is his last race here.
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Alex Zanardi and Tony Kanaan sit on the pit wall and chat.
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![Zanardi and Kanaan](images/Portland1998/Portland98c24-s.jpg) |
![Tracy Banned from Qualifying](images/Portland1998/Portland98c25-s.jpg) |
Paul Tracy not in his driver's suit watches his team-mate Dario
Franchitti qualify second. Already on probation for previous dangerous
driving, he was banned from qualifying on Saturday after running into
the back of Michel Jourdain Jr. on a non-competitive out-lap the day
before.
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English driver Mark Blundell, last year's Portland winner, sits in
his car in the pit-lane. The best he could manage was a 16th place
starting position.
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![Blundell Waiting to Qualify](images/Portland1998/Portland98d07-s.jpg) |
![Ribiero at Penske](images/Portland1998/Portland98d10-s.jpg) |
Andre Ribeiro still trying to get the hang of the new
Penske-Mercedes clocks a speed to put him 17th on the grid.
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Jimmy Vasser returns to the Target pit after setting a time that
places him fourth.
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![Vasser In-Lap](images/Portland1998/Portland98d12-s.jpg) |
![Pruett Qualifying](images/Portland1998/Portland98d19-s.jpg) |
Scott Pruett puts the Visteon Reynard-Ford into third place for
Patrick Racing.
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Greg Moore has an appalling qualifying
session only managing to muster 14th on the grid with the
Player's/Forsythe Reynard-Mercedes when he is lying second in the
championship battle.
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![Moore Qualifying](images/Portland1998/Portland98d24-s.jpg) |
![Barry Green](images/Portland1998/Portland98e02-s.jpg) |
Team owner Barry Green discusses Dario's excellent performance
after the session.
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The Target team strip down Alex's car, which he has qualified
fifth, much improved from Friday. He had told us earlier in the day
that he wasn't expecting a good race because the car was not behaving
well.
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![Zanardi's Car](images/Portland1998/Portland98e03-s.jpg) |
![Moore's Car](images/Portland1998/Portland98e04-s.jpg) |
Greg Moore's car stripped down.
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Bobby signing "Rahal's Last Ride" autographs.
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![Rahal's Last Ride](images/Portland1998/Portland98e06-s.jpg) |
![Tracy Autographed Qualifying Times](images/Portland1998/Portland98Qual-s.jpg) |
I asked Paul Tracy to autograph the Official Grid Sheet - the
result of the qualifying session from which he was banned. Am I cruel
or what?
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