In the Paddock

The Tecate Girls are back again to support Adrian Fernandez, who has a new team in Patrick Racing and  is driving his new Swift chassis for the first time this weekend, but retains the same Tecate sponsorship as the last few years.

11:53 Fujicolor A200 SS1/750 CF8.0

Adrian's teammate PJ Jones fumbles through the programme to find a map of the circuit, so he can figure out where he needs to drive his Patrick Racing Swift. OK then, really he's signing an autograph. According to the 1999 Target web site, PJ is a boxers man.

11:56 Fujicolor A200 SS1/1500 CF4.5

Tarso Marques is sitting in for Al Unser Jr this weekend, after Al broke his ankle in the first race of the season.

12:03 Fujicolor A200 SS1/2000 CF5.6

Luiz Garcia Jr whisks his wife Patricia off to the pits on the back of his scooter. This is his rookie season in a Champ Car - last year he finished twelfth in the Indy Lights series. He drives the Tang sponsored Reynard, one of three entries from the Payton Coyne team this year. Of the other two, one is a Lola driven by Michel Jourdain Jr and the other is another Reynard shared between Gualter Salles and Dennis Vitolo, who drives it only on the ovals.

12:06 Fujicolor A200 SS1/2000 CF5.6

Team owner Barry Green rides his Team Kool Green scooter into the pits.

12:06 Fujicolor A200 SS1/2000 CF5.6

Jimmy Vasser, now free of Alex Zanardi, thinks he can relax and cruise to his second championship. Little does he know what his new teammate has in store...

Jimmy is another boxers man.

12:14 Fujicolor A200 SS1/750 CF5.6

Scott Pruett's new car (a Reynard Toyota) for his new team (Arciero Wells) with a new sponsor (Pioneer) makes its way to the starting grid.

12:15 Fujicolor A200 SS1/1500 CF5.6

Tom Anderson, Managing Director of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, wanders back to his team after a quick visit to the Penske garage. Tom is responsible for the day-to-day on-site operations for the team and also calls the shots on the radio for Jimmy Vasser during races.

12:15 Fujicolor A200 SS1/1500 CF5.6

Perhaps it's not hard to see why Paul Tracy doesn't always seem to have his mind on the race. Paul has a preference for briefs and is the first driver ever to be excluded from a season opener, due to his repeated instances of unjustifiable risk and unsportsmanlike conduct last year.

12:18 Fujicolor A200 SS1/350 CF13.0

This is Roger Penske, multi-millionaire owner of Marlboro Team Penske. The team is in the doldrums lately, but his business empire continues to grow, with a recent $145 million deal to take control of United Auto Group, the USA's second largest chain of car dealerships.

12:24 Fujicolor A200 SS1/350 CF13.0