A triumph of mind and da Matta
BY JUSTIN LACY | 14th Mar 2001
It was the 27-year-old Brazilian's first race with Newman/Haas Racing. He started from second position on the grid and ran with the lead bunch throughout the race. He was first to greet the chequered flag after taking control at the front for 32 of the final 34 laps in his Toyota/Lola.
A record crowd of over 100,000 flocked to the Fundidora Park circuit to witness the first CART race in the Mexico in 20 years.
Pit stops were all important, as the slippery and dusty conditions coupled with the tight layout meant passing opportunities were hard to come by.
"We had a pretty good race. Kenny (Brack) was hooked up at the beginning of the race but I think he had some problems. Maybe he was using more fuel than I was but running leaner helped me later in the race when I could go one more lap than he did," da Matta said.
"When I passed him, I had to make good fuel mileage and keep him behind me but my car was a little better in the middle of the race and the end than it was in the beginning. After my last stop when Gil was behind me, my car was much better.
"I thought I had it (won) at a certain point in the race if I didn't have mechanical problems. Overall we are off to a good start and I am looking forward to racing in Long Beach even more."Interestingly, it was also the first time in the 18-year history of the Paul Newman-Carl Haas race team that they had started a Champ car race without an Andretti behind the wheel.
Defending champion Gil de Ferran put in a courageous drive to finish second after suffering a severe bout of gastroenteritis in the lead-up to the event.
He sought treatment in the CART medical centre before and after the race to replenish his fluid levels.
"Considering all the circumstances this weekend, second place is a great way for Marlboro Team Penske to start the season," de Ferran said.
"It was unfortunate I became sick, because I wasn't able to eat anything since Saturday morning and I really was feeling bad. But once I got in the car, all the enthusiasm from the great Mexican fans kept me going."Paul Tracy was able to turn his disappointing qualifying performance around, charging from 15th on the grid to claim the final podium position.
Michael Andretti started fifth and finished fourth on debut for Barry Green?s Team Motorola in a Honda/Reynard.
Kenny Brack scored his first career pole position but had to settle for fifth place after setting the pace in the early stages.
He was chased for most of the race by eventual winner da Matta but lost the lead when the engine in his Ford-Cosworth/Lola cut out briefly on lap 44. He recovered to regain contact with the leaders, but was further hampered when brake problems surfaced on lap 53.
The CART series heads back to the US for the next round of the Fed Ex championship, where the Long Beach street circuit in California will play host to the champ cars on April 8.
RACE RESULTS1. Cristiano da Matta (Newman/Haas Racing) 78 laps2. Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Team Penske) 78 laps3. Paul Tracy (Team KOOL Green) 78 laps4. Michael Andretti (Team Motorola) 78 laps5. Kenny Brack (Team Rahal) 78 laps6. Jimmy Vasser (Patrick Racing) 78 laps7. Tony Kanaan (Mo Nunn Racing) 78 laps8. Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Team Penske) 78 laps9. Dario Franchitti (Team KOOL Green) 78 laps10. Tora Takagi (Walker Racing) 78 laps11. Nicolas Minassian (Target Chip Ganassi Racing) 78 laps12. Max Papis (Team Rahal) 78 laps13. Scott Dixon (PacWest Racing Group) 78 laps14. Oriol Servia (Sigma Autosport) 78 laps15. Mauricio Gugelmin (PacWest Racing Group) 78 laps16. Bryan Herta (Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing) 78 laps17. Michel Jourdain Jr. (Herdez Bettenhausen) 78 laps18. Shinji Nakano (Fernandez Racing) 76 laps19. Adrian Fernandez (Fernandez Racing) 75 laps ? Retired20. Christian Fittipaldi (Newman/Haas Racing) 66 laps ? Retired (mechanical)21. Alex Tagliani (Player?s/Forsythe Racing) 60 laps ? Retired (mechanical)22. Bruno Junqueira (Target Chip Ganassi Racing) 57 laps ? Retired (mechanical)23. Michael Krumm (Dale Coyne Racing) 51 laps ? Retired (mechanical)24. Alex Zanardi (Mo Nunn Racing) 39 laps ? Retired (contact)25. Patrick Carpentier (Player?s/Forsythe Racing) 38 laps ? Retired (mechanical)26. Luiz Garcia Jr (Dale Coyne Racing) 37 laps ? Retired (mechanical)27. Roberto Moreno (Patrick Racing) 21 laps ? Retired (contact)28. Max Wilson (Arciero Brooke Racing) 7 laps ? Retired (contact)CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS1. Christiano da Matta (BRA) 212. Gil de Ferran (BRA) 163. Paul Tracy (CAN) 144. Michael Andretti (USA) 125. Kenny Brack (SWE) 116. Jimmy Vasser (USA) 87. Tony Kanaan (BRA) 68. Helio Castroneves (BRA) 59. Dario Franchitti (SCO) 410. Tora Takagi (JAP) 311. Nicolas Minassian (FRA) 212. Max Papis (ITA) 1