Sunday

Sunday morning warm-up finds Adrian Fernandez contemplating the race.

09:16 Konica 200JX SS1/350 CF4.5

Drivers Sticking their Tongues Out - Number 3: Paul Tracy. Maybe he is licking his lips at the prospect of his first competitive run all season?

09:22 Konica 200JX SS1/350 CF6.7

 

Dario Franchitti is strapped into his car and ready to go.

09:23 Konica 200JX SS1/500 CF6.7

 

Michel Jourdain Jr. not looking happy as he walks back after throwing his race car into the barrier during warm-up.

09:31 Fujicolor A200 SS1/350 CF9.5

Robby Gordon steps from his car after the warm-up.

09:32 Fujicolor A200 SS1/350 CF6.7

JJ Lehto was eighth fastest in the warm-up in his Hogan Reynard-Mercedes.

09:34 Fujicolor A200 SS1/750 CF8.0

Alex clocks the fastest time and is seen here discussing it with Morris and Jimmy.

09:35 Fujicolor A200 SS1/350 CF6.7

Alex: "Whata you thinka the track's like today, Jimmy?"

Jimmy: "Hmm... let me think about that..."

09:36 Fujicolor A200 SS1/500 CF8.0

Mark looks solemn as he heads away from the pit lane. Mauricio was second fastest this morning, but he's still down at 25th.

09:45 Fujicolor A200 SS1/750 CF4.0

Jimmy Vasser is looking cheerful as he leaves through the Indoor Racing 98 brochure.

09:49 Fujicolor A200 SS1/350 CF5.6

Pete and I return from lunch at the Yaletown to take our grandstand seats. Mark sits opposite on the grid, waiting for the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

12:58 Fujicolor A200 SS1/2000 CF5.6

Something you don't see very often: Helio Castro-Neves pit board showing him in first place.

Until he overcooked it into Turn 1, locked up the brakes and slid into the tyre wall on lap 42.

13:47 Konica 200JX SS1/500 CF8.0

Dario takes his second straight win: "It was a great feeling. The Team Kool Green guys kind of beat me up when I came into the victory circle. They're big guys and they were hitting me pretty hard - they were a bit happy!"

15:22 Konica 200JX SS1/2000 CF5.6

By winning from the pole, Dario earned an additional $330,000 from the Marlboro Pole Award, which had been accumulating since it was last won over a year before.

15:24 Konica 200JX SS1/2000 CF6.7

Michael Andretti, on the right, lost the lead seven laps from the end: "I went in [to Turn 1] trying to protect my line a little bit. It had to do with me trying to conserve fuel, because that was one of the areas where I was trying to conserve, and he got a run on me."

15:27 Konica 200JX SS1/750 CF9.5

Chip Ganassi celebrates winning the third championship in a row for his Target team. "I told Alex with five laps to go, 'You're in fourth place. You can stay where you are and win the championship, or you can go for it. And do you know what he said? 'We're going for it.' That, as much as anything, is why he's here today. "

15:37 Konica 200JX SS1/2000 CF5.6

Alex accepts the PPG Cup for winning the championship - his second. "This is a great feeling and it actually comes at a beautiful period of my life. My wife is expecting - it could happen any day - and I want to dedicate this one to my kid, who maybe in the next few days will be starting the race of life."

15:41 Konica 200JX SS1/2000 CF5.6

Jimmy Vasser, champion with the Target team two years ago joins Chip and Alex. "Greg is having a party at the Roxy tonight. You're all invited!" he announces.

15:44 Konica 200JX SS1/750 CF9.5

Alex poses with the Firestone crew. "It's important to me to do my job. I'm not going to Laguna just to have fun and celebrate, I'm going there to win the race, because I know I have a great race car and a great team behind me."

15:47 Konica 200JX SS1/750 CF8.0

The remains of Patrick Carpentier's car are returned to the team. He punted Jimmy off during an over-ambitious passing attempt on lap 10.

15:49 Konica 200JX SS1/250 CF8.0

Mauricio Gugelmin, last year's winner, discusses his sixth place finish with a crew member.

15:53 Konica 200JX SS1/125 CF11.0

And teammate Mark Blundell is interviewed (by Swedish television?) about his twelfth position.

15:53 Konica 200JX SS1/350 CF4.5

Louie the lizard clung to the front of Richie's Budweiser car. "I thought I had a shot at passing Scott (Pruett) and he closed the door on me and I locked up the rear end and spun out. It's my fault. What can you say? I was trying hard and I made a mistake."

15:55 Konica 200JX SS1/2000 CF4.5

 

Andre Ribeiro relaxes after the race with an ice pack on his knee, which he fractured the previous race weekend. I asked him to sign my race pass too.

15:58 Konica 200JX SS1/500 CF4.0