In contrast to my 1996 season, which was considerably expanded from the actual CART schedule to include several additional circuits (for a total of 24 events), this one consisted of 18 races and was slightly closer to the real thing. Once again, a couple of non-point exhibition events were included (labeled E below), as was the season opener at Indianapolis.

Below are the results and recaps from each race, with race winners in parentheses. As in my previous season, I ran with 29 opponents at 97% strength, with arcade damage but all other realism options on (including random breakdowns and random weather), and at 50% race length; I also continued to use Brad's driver randomizer. The RELS values I used for each track were increased and are given below. (In many cases I used increased BLAP values as well - if I'd thought ahead I'd have simply upped the Opponent Strength setting!) Since a bug in ICR2-3D prevents races from being saved after the first couple laps, I ran every race straight through from start to finish, and I never restarted a race after the first lap had been completed.

The top ten in the final standings are as follows: Pitkin (168); Fittipaldi (164); Unser, Jr. (148); Pruett (108); Fernandez (100); Zanardi (99); Moore (99); Andretti (90); Vasser (90); de Ferran (82).

1 - Indianapolis 250, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (J. Vasser)
RELS: 94 • Laps: 100 • Race time: 1:34:13.8 • Lead changes: 10 • Qualified 13th, finished 8th • Completed 100 laps, led 3
DNFs: A. Ribeiro, wastegate • R. Boesel, electrical
I knew my car was terrible on cold tires, and that it wouldn't be anywhere near the fastest car out there even at its best, but I nevertheless managed a decent finish. I'd worked my way into 10th by lap 6 when Fernandez spun (interestingly, he would end up finishing 5th!), bringing out the yellow and advancing me to 9th. On lap 14, Zanardi and I touched wheels as I tried to work around him; neither of us suffered damage, but my spin brought out another yellow and put me way back in 29th. With nothing to lose, I decided to pit for tires and fuel; this put me on a different pit schedule from the rest of the field. On lap 26 Gugelmin and I tangled; again, no damage, and when several cars pitted I moved up to 12th. Herta wrecked on lap 36, at which time the rest of the field pitted and put me at the point, a position I held for only 3 laps. On lap 70, Papis and I tangled on the backstretch, but this time it was fortuitous - my right-side tires were almost completely worn, and I would have lost a lap pitting under green. I came out of the pits in 9th, with only 12 cars on the lead lap. Over the remaining laps I moved up to 7th, losing that position to Christian Fittipaldi with just 4 laps to go; I fought to get it back right to the checkered flag, and almost overtook him at one point, but finally had to settle for 8th. Overall I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out ... after all, my primary goal for the season is just to consistently finish in the points.

2 - IndyCarnival, Surfers Paradise, Australia (S. Pitkin)
RELS: 98 • Laps: 32 • Race time: 51:29.7 • Lead changes: 3 • Qualified 1st, finished 1st • Completed 32 laps, led 30
DNFs: B. Rahal, electrical • B. Herta, halfshaft • P. Carpentier, electrical • D. Franchitti, engine • G. Moore, engine
I was thrilled with qualifying on the pole - little did I suspect it would lead me to a win, one which is far and away the highlight of my sim-racing career. This is the most important victory I've ever achieved. The Surfers Paradise circuit has been notoriously wicked toward me in the past; small mistakes or lapses in concentration have always taken me out of the running or relegated me to non-points finishes. This performance wasn't without its mistakes - I damaged my left front wing after a dozen or so laps, which increased my lap times by a second or so (though, through some hard driving, I continued to maintain a pretty constant 2-second lead over second-place Blundell, my only major threat throughout the race). On lap 21 I pitted, opting only for 30 gallons of fuel and no tires, repairs, or other adjustments. I came out in 8th; two laps later the leaders were in. I found myself on the front straight just as Blundell was leaving the pits, passing him on the right near the end of the straightaway and reclaiming the lead going into turn 1. From there on it was the same as before; I stretched my lead to about 2 seconds during the course of that lap and held it until the end. I can't help but think how critical my pit strategy had been - if I had taken those 10 additional (but unneeded) gallons to fill the tank, I probably would have lost just enough ground that I would not have been able to squeak by Blundell going into 1. And if I hadn't gotten back by him there, I may not have had the opportunity again. So there's a lesson for everybody - those couple of seconds really can make a difference!

3 - Marlboro 100, Phoenix International Raceway (A. Zanardi)
RELS: 100 • Laps: 100 • Race time: 42:22.7 • Lead changes: 4 • Qualified 1st, finished 5th • Completed 100 laps, led 93
DNFs: P. Johnstone, fuel pump • J. Vasser, engine • R. Hearn, turbo • G. Salles, engine • B. Rahal, engine • G. Moore, halfshaft • A. Ribeiro, suspension
I was within sight of a victory when a late-race incident took it away from me; still, a 5th-place finish extended my points lead, so I can't complain. It wasn't difficult to keep my lead throughout the race, but passing backmarkers was a major issue - and even though I have a lot of experience here and know where best to make passes and where best to back off, I touched Meier on lap 24 and spun him around, bringing out a yellow and allowing the field to pit. Interestingly, I'd seen Zanardi gaining ground on me in the laps before the yellow, and he got by me just as the yellow flew. Nevertheless, my stop was superior to his and I came out first. On lap 43 Moore moved right up into me as I was passing him on the outside - one of those AI quirks you need to beware of here. This brought out another yellow, though I had sustained no damage. On lap 64 the same thing happened, with de Ferran this time; there was nothing I could do. Again the yellow flew, but again my car was unhurt. I was in position to win my second consecutive race of the season when, with 10 to go, Jourdain spun somewhere up ahead; Pruett, directly in front of me, braked hard, and I plowed into him, doing significant front wing damage (which on this track is devastating). I chose to stay out, knowing I'd lose a few positions when the green flew again with 7 to go, but that I would probably be able to finish higher than would have been possible if I had pitted to fix the wing. Several cars got by me in those final laps, but many were lapped cars (only 12 cars remained on the lead lap by the end of the race), and I held on to 5th for a decent points finish. A little disappointing, considering how close I was to a win, but a good solid run nonetheless.

4 - Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Unser, Jr.)
RELS: 99 • Laps: 52 • Race time: 51:23.4 • Lead changes: 5 • Qualified 6th, finished 30th • Completed 1 lap, led 1
DNFs: S. Pitkin, gearbox • R. Hearn, oil pump • D. Franchitti, gearbox
I was looking forward to a good race here, but it wasn't to be. I had a great start, moving up from 6th to 1st in the course of the first lap. Little did I know I wouldn't make it around again ... gearbox seized up. Everyone has a mechanical failure now and then, and I suppose I should be glad it wasn't at one of my better circuits. In any case, I parked, and watched the rest of the race as a spectator. Little Al took the lead after my retirement, with Pruett and Fittipaldi behind and closing fairly steadily. By lap 18 Little Al had picked it back up again, keeping Pruett at bay and, by lap 20, beginning to increase his lead again. Fittipaldi was now gaining ground on Pruett, though both continued to lose ground to the leader, who was now running in the 55-second range. By about lap 30 Unser had slowed - turning laps in the mid and high 56-second range - allowing Pruett and Fittipaldi to close; two laps later Fittipaldi managed to pass Pruett on the inside going into turn 7. Little Al pitted on lap 39, the rest of the field staying out; two laps later Pruett and Fittipaldi came in. But the latter's stop was slow, and the order once again became Unser, Pruett, Fittipaldi. By lap 46 Fittipaldi was starting to close again, but couldn't muster enough to make a challenge for second place. Anyway, I guess that's about the quickest retirement I've had to swallow in quite a while. At least I still lead in the standings, though I do so now by only one point over Little Al.

5 - Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix, Nazareth Speedway (S. Pruett)
RELS: 98 • Laps: 100 • Race time: 38:23.0 • Lead changes: 3 • Qualified 1st, finished 27th • Completed 22 laps, led 22
DNFs: S. Pitkin, accident
A backmarker who must have thought he was racing me for the lead took me out here, giving me my second consecutive DNF and dropping me from 1st to 4th in the standings. I was leading quite easily and passing backmarkers with extreme care when, in trying to overtake Gugelmin, I was punted, and found myself in the wall with severe suspension damage. So that was the end of the day for me - embarrassingly, the only DNF of the race. My accident having brought out the yellow, the field pitted, with Moore (who had been very strong in 2nd, gaining a bit of ground each lap as we went through backmarkers) now back in 9th, and Fernandez, Blundell, and Jourdain the top three. By lap 36 Moore had begun moving toward the front; four laps later he was in 5th, promptly shuffled back to 6th as Fittipaldi challenged him for the position. In the meantime, Pruett had moved to 2nd, and Blundell had dropped to 4th. By lap 60 Pruett began steadily gaining ground on Fernandez for the lead. At the three-quarters mark, 10 cars remained on the lead lap; one lap later Jasper spun, superficially hitting the wall, but bringing out a yellow which bunched the field up again. Once the race resumed, Moore managed to stay within a tenth of a second of Fittipaldi for several laps, finally overtaking him on lap 92; Johnstone would take Fittipaldi a couple laps later. The final two laps were entertaining: Fernandez got caught up in traffic, allowing both Pruett and Jourdain to get by; but Fernandez reclaimed 2nd from Jourdain at the last instant and finished there (after having led 74 laps).

6 - The Glen 100, Watkins Glen International (S. Pitkin)
RELS: 102 • Laps: 41 • Race time: 44:47.1 • Lead changes: 4 • Qualified 1st, finished 1st • Completed 41 laps, led 34
DNFs: B. Rahal, oil pump • P. Jones, turbo • R. Hearn, engine • P. Tracy, wheel bearing • A. Ribeiro, accident
Well, this was a first - I won under caution with suspension damage which, under normal circumstances, would have resulted in a DNF. It's certainly the most bizarre finish I've ever had. To begin with, I led until lap 21, by which time I had come upon some heavy backmarker traffic and so decided to pit for fuel. (The AI here are decidedly poor and passing can be very difficult.) I came out in 5th, dropped to 6th, and then gradually moved up again to the lead as the cars ahead of me pitted. With about 12 laps to go I touched the turn 3 Armco while trying to lap a car and did very slight wing damage; it slowed me down about a second a lap, enough for Ribeiro to close on me over the last few laps. With 3 to go, he made his move to the inside going into turn 10; I cut to the left to make the turn, he was there, we tangled ... and slammed the wall. We both sustained severe race-ending damage, but my car still ran and, having still had the lead as the yellow flew, I was able to follow the pace car around for the final two laps to take the checkers. Take a look at this picture from victory circle - you don't see a situation like this too often! In any case, the win put me back on top in the points, with a decent 7-point lead over Scott Pruett.

E - MCI Southern 100, Darlington Raceway (exhibition race) (A. Zanardi)
RELS: 101 • Laps: 73 • Race time: 33:33.1 • Lead changes: 4 • Qualified 2nd, finished 26th • Completed 72 laps, led 6
DNFs: B. Herta, halfshaft • J. M. Fangio II, engine • H. Matsushita, header
Good thing this was a non-points race. I took the lead right off and led the first 6 laps, at which point Zanardi, who was an absolute rocket here, got by me. I remained in 2nd for the next 20 or so laps, then dropped back two more positions before a yellow flew on lap 25 (couldn't tell why; nobody had wrecked) and the field pitted. I came out in 2nd, but fell to 13th in short order once the green flew - my car was terrible at the beginning of a run, and the fact that I had chosen not to replace the already-worn right-side tires didn't help any. Several laps later I ran a bit high around 3 and 4 and did some front wing damage; from there, as is usually the case, it was all downhill. I stayed out, hoping to salvage a respectable finish, but another graze with the wall damaged a wheel, sent me in for repairs, and dropped me back to the tail end of the pack, one lap down. I was able to make up only one position, and finished 26th. Regardless, this really is a great place to race - the AI seem to have more trouble getting around backmarkers than at other tracks, and as a result the racing is usually very close, but surprisingly clean. This shot says it all ...

7 - Miller 100, The Milwaukee Mile (A. Unser, Jr.)
RELS: 97 • Laps: 100 • Race time: 40:39.6 • Lead changes: 4 • Qualified 1st, finished 8th • Completed 100 laps, led 13
DNFs: B. Rahal, engine • G. Moore, halfshaft
I'd forgotten how poor the AI are here - they'll come down on you in 1 and 3 (or up into you in 2 and 4) as if you weren't even there. A couple of yellows were caused by just such incidents, in which I acquired no damage but did lose positions I'd worked for several laps to gain. I don't think I'll be running here again until I can locate or create some improved AI. In any case, I led the first 13 laps, by which time I was obliged to let Andretti by; a few laps later, Unser and I were battling for 2nd among the backmarkers. I was in 3rd when I was tagged (for no good reason) and a yellow flew, and I managed to retain that position after pit stops. I was using the same setup as last season, so I knew the RF would be problematic, but I opted to keep a medium compound on both right-sides throughout the race (the RF was almost gone by the end of the race; throughout the last couple dozen laps I had to ease off a bit in the corners to keep the RF temps down). After another AI incident and another yellow I found myself back in the pack, but I worked my way, car by car, back up into 3rd behind Franchitti, whom I struggled for a good 20 laps to get around - it was about as realistic a battle as they come. I finally got by him in traffic, but with only about 10 to go a backmarker tagged me (yet again), sending me back to 8th, the last car on the lead lap, where I finished. Strangely, no yellow flew as a result of that spin - any other time it would have - so I really had no hope of making up any positions. In any case, I'm happy just finishing in the points, though I'm obviously frustrated by the fact that all the caution and the hard driving I did during the race went out the window with unbelievably careless driving on the part of the AI. Incidentally, somewhere along the way I had a spin right in front of me - take a look at this replay from the front-wing cam! I can't believe I got by it all right.

8 - ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix, The Raceway on Belle Isle (C. Fittipaldi)
RELS: 99 • Laps: 38 • Race time: 51:00.2 • Lead changes: 2 • Qualified 1st, finished 18th • Completed 37 laps, led 13
DNFs: M. Gugelmin, engine • P. Tracy, fuel pump • M. Blundell, engine
No big surprise here - I know the circuit well and I've got a great setup, but I just can't seem to make it the full distance without damaging the car and falling back in the pack. It's an improvement over last season's result, but that's small consolation since I earned only 1 point here (for my pole) ... Little Al now has the lead in the standings by 7 points over me, with Fittipaldi just a single point below me in 3rd. So what happened? After leading 13 laps (coincidentally, the same number as the previous event at Milwaukee), with about a 5-second lead over Fittipaldi and then some 10+ seconds back to 3rd, I came into turn 8 too hot, lost traction, kissed the wall, and bent up the LF wing. I decided I may as well pit to take on fuel for the rest of the race and repair the wing. After the (slow) stop, I came out in 6th, but on lap 17 or 18 did some damage to the wing again. Naturally I decided to stay out; I was losing time every lap, but at least I could keep up front, and the rest of the field still had to pit. Well, at some point (with around 12 to go) I again touched a wall and this time did more serious wheel damage. I limped around and pitted, dropping back to 16th in the process. I made up one position, lost it again, and eventually fell to 18th, having been lapped by the leader with just a couple to go. Well, the bright side is that I've got a couple good circuits coming up - I can't afford another DNF at this stage if I want to stay in the running for the championship.

9 - Budweiser 100, Portland International Raceway (S. Pitkin)
RELS: 103 • Laps: 51 • Race time: 55:03.9 • Lead changes: 7 • Qualified 1st, finished 1st • Completed 51 laps, led 47
DNFs: C. Fittipaldi, halfshaft • M. Blundell, water pump • M. Gugelmin, electrical • B. Herta, header • R. Hearn, electrical
Wow, what a finish! The race was fairly uneventful; my primary concern was cleanly passing backmarkers, which can be difficult here since they don't exactly move over for you (and there are plenty of places where a little mistake can send you into the grass). I had a couple of small run-ins, but had enough of a lead (usually 9-10 seconds) over second-place Moore that I managed to stay at the point. I pitted with about 20 laps to go, came out in 3rd, and within a couple laps was back in the lead still with a decent 6-second lead over Moore. Toward the end, with around 8 to go, I touched a backmarker and grazed the wall, damaging the right front wing. A couple laps later Moore got by me; I took the lead back as we came upon traffic, but within a lap Moore had reclaimed it. I had 2 laps remaining to get it back, but with the car handling poorly due to the damage, I knew he would have to get hung up behind backmarkers for me to have any shot at all. This happened coming into the final lap, and I took him in the Festival Curves, holding on to the lead to take the checkered flag. The AI of the lapped cars was a bit troublesome at times, but it made for an interesting race; I found the most reliable places to pass were the chicane, turn 5, and turn 9. Speeds were close enough among the cars, including the backmarkers, that I had nothing on them on the front straight or the banana; I had to outbreak them in the corners, or get a better run off a corner, to get by them. I'm now back on top in the points, with a decent 15-point lead over Little Al.

10 - Medic Drug Grand Prix of Cleveland, Burke Lakefront Airport (S. Pitkin)
RELS: 104 • Laps: 42 • Race time: 46:50.9 • Lead changes: 1 • Qualified 1st, finished 1st • Completed 42 laps, led 42
DNFs: R. Moreno, turbo • A. Fernandez, wheel bearing
I really consider this my all-around best circuit, and this was a textbook race: I was clean, fast, and steady all the way. The 30-second lead I'd managed to pull out over second-place Fittipaldi was enough to allow me to pit (for fuel only; turned out my LR was almost gone by the end of the race) and still come out in first (and with a 5-second lead). What with the wide racing surface, passing backmarkers was generally not an issue; in addition, I knew the AI pretty well, and knew the best places to pass (and those which would guarantee me a tangle). The most interesting subject I need to bring up here is that of yellow flags at this circuit. It seems that the AI can successfully pass the pace car during a yellow, while you are prohibited from doing so - the result is that the whole field can lap you before you go green! Strangely, I had never come upon this situation before, possibly because until last season I had run only shorter (25% length) races and yellows had been less likely. In any case, for this race I turned yellows off. As far as the point standings go, this win solidified my lead ... I'm now 33 up on Fittipaldi, with Little Al sitting 4 points behind him. Those 33 points will give me a much-needed cushion going into Toronto.

11 - Molson Indy Toronto, Exhibition Place (M. Gugelmin)
RELS: 98 • Laps: 51 • Race time: 53:56.8 • Lead changes: 2 • Qualified 4th, finished 3rd • Completed 51 laps, led 48
DNFs: B. Rahal, oil pump • H. Matsushita, water pump • P. Carpentier, accident • B. Herta, electrical
This was certainly one of the most intense and realistic races I've ever run. I was a mere 3 laps from my first Toronto win when backmarker Moore braked heavily in front of me going into turn 3 and I tagged him, damaging the front wing and allowing Gugelmin and Ribeiro, who had been dogging me for the past 20 laps, to get by. I managed to hang on to 3rd, but the finish isn't what I'd hoped for after having led every lap until that tangle with Moore. Nevertheless, it's easily my best finish here, and I drove a nearly flawless race. Carpentier spun in turn 10 on lap 26, which brought out a yellow and provided a perfect opportunity to duck into the pits (a lot of drivers had already gone in). I took on only fuel and was able to maintain the lead. I think what made this race so incredibly intense was that, especially during the second half, I had Gugelmin always less than a second behind me; I knew one little mistake, locking up going into a corner or getting caught up behind lapped cars, would cost me my lead. When, with perhaps 7 to go, I saw backmarker traffic in front of me, I had a sense of foreboding. I now know I should have pulled farther to the right if I had planned to outbrake Moore in turn 3; I think I hesitated a little as to whether to make the move there or stay behind him, and it cost me the win. Well, at least my lead in the standings is now a beautiful 45 points!

12 - U.S. 250, Michigan International Speedway (G. Moore)
RELS: 100 • Laps: 125 • Race time: 1:24:21.8 • Lead changes: 14 • Qualified 1st, finished 2nd • Completed 125 laps, led 48
DNFs: R. Hearn, header • P. Tracy, accident • M. Jourdain, accident • P. Johnstone, engine • P. Jasper, electrical
I really can't believe I managed a 2nd-place finish after all that happened during the race. I led the 1st lap, was passed by Moore on the 2nd, and reclaimed the lead on the 4th, holding it for the next 20 or so laps until a backmarker tangle (which was no fault of mine!) brought out a yellow. I had just passed the pits as the yellow flew, which meant that the rest of the field could pit while I fell in behind the pace car, and I had to wait until I'd come all the way around again - dropping me to 19th position in the field. From there things seemed to go downhill, with a couple more yellows as I tried moving up through the field - as before, the result of AI cars seemingly not "seeing" me beside them (I'll learn one of these days). I remained at the tail end of the lead lap, back around 21st, for the entire middle portion of the race; but when a caution flew with a little over 60 laps remaining, I took advantage of my position to come in and get new tires and a tank of fuel. About 20 laps later, the cars in front of me had begun to make their final fuel stops, so before long I found myself back in the lead. I knew it would be only temporary, that I would be about 15 laps shy on fuel and so would have to pit again, but I pushed as hard as I could to acquire a good lead, a cushion for that splash-and-go I'd have to make, in the process drawing out about a 6-second lead over 2nd-place Zanardi. In the course of that run I touched the wall coming off of 4 and did minor damage to the front wing, but it didn't seem to slow me too much. In any case my car was a missile on warm tires and a light fuel load. Finally the time came; I had to pit. I opted for 15 gallons of fuel and right-side tires (both had almost worn through with the abusive driving), so I was out quickly, coming back onto the track (to my delight) in 5th, and being passed by two more cars over the following lap. With just a few laps to go, I began to notice a few cars going for the pits - several of the cars in front of me had been marginal on fuel, and needed to pit! With just 5 laps left, I was in 3rd, with Little Al just a few seconds in front of me and Moore 20+ seconds ahead (at the point). I vowed to try to take 2nd from Unser in those final laps, and with 2 to go, I got past him on the front stretch. I managed to pull to within about 8 seconds of Moore, but there wasn't enough time to catch him. In any case, after having run back in the pack all day, it was quite a surprise to finish up in front, especially with a damaged front wing. I knew my fuel strategy would help me, but I'd hoped only for a finish in the points; this far exceeded my expectations. So I'm now 54 points up on Fittipaldi, 55 up on Little Al ...

13 - Lexington Grand Prix, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (A. Fernandez)
RELS: 104 • Laps: 41 • Race time: 53:32.3 • Lead changes: 3 • Qualified 1st, finished 26th • Completed 26 laps, led 16
DNFs: M. Gugelmin, header • G. Salles, electrical • B. Herta, wastegate • S. Pitkin, wheel bearing • H. Matsushita, engine
I'm not superstitious, but sure enough, race #13 was an unlucky one. Everything started out beautifully: I took the lead and held it quite easily until lap 17, when I went off track in turn 11 and touched the Armco. The following lap I decided to come in for fuel and wing repairs, re-entering the race around 22nd but figuring I'd move back up into the points when the rest of the field pitted. But on lap 27 a wheel bearing failed, and I was out. After the field had pitted, Fernandez was at the point, de Ferran in 2nd. The green flew on lap 32; interestingly, Little Al dropped from 3rd to 9th almost immediately. The first two cars had drawn out a comfortable lead within a couple of laps, and the field remained pretty constant until the end. Once again, I'd had higher hopes coming into this race, but my cushion in the points is large enough that I won't be losing any sleep over this particular DNF. (I may regret saying that before the season's over ...)

14 - Pennsylvania 250, Pocono Raceway (C. Fittipaldi)
RELS: 99 • Laps: 100 • Race time: 1:26:23.4 • Lead changes: 7 • Qualified 3rd, finished 27th • Completed 70 laps, led 6
DNFs: S. Pruett, engine • P. Johnstone, halfshaft • B. Herta, engine • S. Pitkin, accident
Well, this was one of the "big" races of the season, and I blew it. Despite the fact that it took a number of laps for my car to hook up - it especially suffered around turn 1 - I took the lead on the first lap and held it for 6 laps until Fittipaldi got by. By lap 17 my car was dialed in, but I was a pretty hopeless 7+ seconds behind the leader, and Tracy got past on lap 31. I pitted next lap for fuel and right-sides, coming out a lap down in 18th. Within a couple laps, after the round of pit stops, I was back in 3rd, now 16 seconds behind the leader. The yellow flew on lap 50, and I pitted for fuel and four tires, coming out in 7th (there were 9 cars on the lead lap at this point). On the restart, Hearn and I got together, resulting in damage to a wheel and another stop for repairs; I was then 9th. I touched the wall on lap 66 and again had to pit to repair the bent wing, coming out in 12th a lap down; but I now had just enough fuel to go the rest of the way, so I knew I'd be moving up into a healthy points position before the end. Then, my major mistake: trying too hard around turn 1 - I had set the anti-roll bars such that the car was a little too loose - I spun, nailed the wall, and damaged an A-arm. So this DNF was my own fault. Again, my points lead is large enough that this isn't a big deal, but I could have had a finish in the top 10 pretty easily if I had kept my head.

E - Showdown at Sundown, Richmond International Raceway (exhibition night race) (A. Zanardi)
RELS: 100 • Laps: 133 • Race time: 48:10.8 • Lead changes: 9 • Qualified 2nd, finished 27th • Completed 30 laps, led 27
DNFs: B. Herta, engine • S. Pitkin, accident
This is my 3rd consecutive DNF ... fortunately it was a no-points race. It was fun while it lasted: I took the lead right off, losing it to Zanardi on lap 27 as we worked traffic, and then a couple laps later Johnstone and I tangled and the resulting damage put me out. (Johnstone made a completely unexpected move into me; I was simply following my line.) As usual, though, I enjoyed the rest of the event as a spectator. After the green flew, the lead trio of Zanardi, Andretti, and Unser had stabilized. Unser pitted on lap 69, with Zanardi pitting 2 laps later; when it all shook out, Ribeiro had the lead, with Zanardi and Unser trailing by some 8 seconds. By lap 91, only 6 cars remained on the lead lap. Vasser began battling with Unser for 3rd on lap 94, and got by the next time around. Ribeiro's lead had increased to 11 seconds by the 100th lap, and now only 4 cars remained on the lead lap. Next lap, though, Ribeiro pitted, giving 1st and 2nd back to Zanardi and Vasser; then 4 laps later, Moore spun and brought out another yellow. Unser pitted, dropping to 5th. When the green flew on lap 110, Vasser managed to jump Zanardi going into turn 1, though Zanardi would retake the lead on lap 124 - and with just 2 to go, Blundell would also get by Vasser to finish 2nd. Interestingly, both of the All American Racers cars managed to remain on the lead lap, with P.J. Jones in 4th and Fangio in 6th - obviously the Toyota development program is coming along nicely! In any case, I do love running here, but that traffic can be a killer.

15 - Texaco/Havoline 100, Road America (S. Pitkin)
RELS: 101 • Laps: 25 • Race time: 44:50.6 • Lead changes: 5 • Qualified 5th, finished 1st • Completed 25 laps, led 14
DNFs: P. Johnstone, fuel pump • R. Hearn, electrical • A. Unser, Jr., engine • P. Tracy,
engine • M. Blundell, electrical • B. Rahal, electrical
This was a fantastic race for me - particularly since it was my first race using my new control hardware (a wheel and pedal setup). I battled with Gugelmin throughout the race, and managed to lead the most laps in the process (14 to his 11). I took the lead within the first couple of laps and held it until, I think, the 6th lap, when I spun in the Carousel and allowed Gugelmin and Blundell to get by. A couple of laps later I got back by Blundell, and a half-dozen after that was able to outbrake Gugelmin going into turn 8 and retake the lead. (Gugelmin and I were very evenly-matched, and I really had to set up that pass to pull it off, carrying as much speed as I could onto Hurry Downs where I knew I had a bit of an advantage over him.) I pitted for fuel only on lap 15, and the rest of the leaders came in the next lap; when everything was sorted out, I found myself back in 3rd, a couple seconds behind Gugelmin, and again with Blundell in second. Within 2 or 3 laps, I'd gotten back by Blundell, who shortly after retired from the race; then I made it by Gugelmin again, who kept to within a couple seconds of me all the way to the checkered flag. So not only does it feel good to know I can already run competitively with the new hardware, it's also great to get another win after this recent string of DNFs. I'm now 37 points up on Christian Fittipaldi in the standings.

16 - Molson Indy Vancouver, Concord Pacific Place (S. Pruett)
RELS: 101 • Laps: 51 • Race time: 52:25.1 • Lead changes: 3 • Qualified 1st, finished 18th • Completed 51 laps, led 13
DNFs: P. Johnstone, accident • H. Matsushita, engine
Well, I thought I'd have a points finish here, but as is often the case at the street circuits, it didn't happen ... through nobody's fault but my own. I took the lead after a lap or two (from Johnstone; Fittipaldi and Blundell were running just behind), and held it until I did some wing damage (as I recall, accelerating too soon out of turn 5). I can't recall a lot of what happened afterward, except that around lap 20 I decided to come in for fuel and repairs. I came out in 15th, almost a lap down; Johnstone finally caught up to me, and made an aggressive move in turn 10 to lap me, at which point we touched and he hit the wall, apparently with terminal damage. A caution flew; the rest of the field pitted, and I restarted in 8th. One of the Penske cars, just ahead of me, cut in front of me unexpectedly as the green flew, turning me around and dropping me back to 14th. I worked my way through traffic over the next few laps into 8th, but after having acquired some wing damage (again), I gradually fell back, eventually finishing 18th. My setup wasn't optimal, going incredibly loose on me after a dozen or so laps, but that doesn't excuse a couple of driving mistakes on my part. I love the course, but I never seem to finish up front. So Fittipaldi has closed the points gap to 24 ... but that's still a comfortable cushion, with just two races to go.

17 - Coca-Cola Classic 100, North Wilkesboro Speedway (C. Fittipaldi)
RELS: 135 • Laps: 160 • Race time: 45:10.9 • Lead changes: 12 • Qualified 3rd, finished 28th • Completed 13 laps, led 0
DNFs: S. Pitkin, water pump • P. J. Jones, wastegate • M. Andretti, gearbox
It figures that Fittipaldi, my only worry for the championship, would have to win here while I retire with mechanical problems! So now Fittipaldi trails me by only 4 points going into the season finale at Laguna Seca, and the pressure's on. (Hopefully my mechanical woes are behind me now ...) In any case, I would have liked some more race time here - it's a fun circuit, if a bit nerve-wracking from a traffic standpoint. After I had retired, the order was Tracy, Unser, and Fittipaldi, and those three had broken away from the rest of the pack and remained so throughout the race. On lap 37 Fittipaldi took the lead while working traffic, but lost it in short order, with those three cars swapping positions lap after lap for essentially the rest of the race. By lap 87, only 5 cars remained on the lead lap; pit stops began about 20 laps later. The order up front hadn't changed with the stops, with Unser leading Fittipaldi and Tracy. On lap 121 Fittipaldi took the lead again, and 9 laps later third-place Tracy, who had dropped back in traffic, found himself being lapped! He unlapped himself with 5 to go, with Fittipaldi taking the checkers and effectively turning Laguna Seca into a championship
shootout. I'm a little apprehensive, to say the least ...

18 - Toyota Grand Prix of Monterey, Laguna Seca Raceway (G. Moore)
RELS: 98 • Laps: 42 • Race time: 50:37.8 • Lead changes: 3 • Qualified 1st, finished 2nd • Completed 42 laps, led 39
DNFs: R. Hearn, fire • J. Fangio II, electrical
I did it! What a fantastic race. In qualifying, I was second to Little Al until my very last lap, when I managed to snatch the pole from him. The race itself went very well - I led until my pit stop, came out in 4th, retook the lead when the other cars pitted, and held it until the last lap when Moore caught up to and outbraked me into Andretti corner. (I had been leading him by about 6 seconds, but I spun on the track on the next-to-last lap, which allowed him to close up; it was my only mishap of the race.) I stayed on his gearbox to the corkscrew, outbraking him at the top of the hill but getting the car sideways at the exit of the corkscrew and allowing him to get by once again. I gave it my all around those last couple corners, but couldn't regain the lead. I was hoping for my first 50%-length victory at Laguna Seca, but I'm happy enough just to be able to have finally completed a clean race here, minus all those off-course excursions that seem to plague me whenever I run here. I spent a lot of time practicing before the race, and it paid off, particularly with regard to getting a feel for the track with my wheel/pedal setup. I decided that, more so than at other circuits, it's imperative to refrain from mashing the accelerator coming off a turn until the wheels are straight; exit speed is important as ever, but for some reason it seems twice as easy to spin the car around here, especially with a light fuel load. I used a conservative setup for the race, and I think it was a good move. So I've claimed my second PPG Cup for Velocity Motorsports! I intend to increase realism (read: difficulty) quite a bit for future seasons, so this may be the last time we're at the top of the points for a while ...