DETROIT (June 13, 2000) - Last year during his rookie season, defendingFedEx Championship Series champion Juan Montoya of Target Chip GanassiRacing made his presence known early as he won three of the first fiveevents and maintained the points lead for 12 of the remaining 15championship rounds thereafter.

This year, Montoya's approach has been a bit different, to say the least.Heading into Round 6 at Milwaukee without a victory or even a podium finish,Montoya (Target Toyota Lola) stepped up in a big way at the rain-delayedMiller Lite 225 at The Milwaukee Mile. He led 179 of 225 laps from the poleen route to his first victory of the campaign as well as the first forToyota in its five-year history in the FedEx Championship Series.

The 22-point sweep Montoya registered for winning from the pole and leadingthe most laps moved him into a fourth-place tie in the championship withMichael Andretti (Big Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Lola) of Newman/HaasRacing, whose runner-up effort at Milwaukee was the 86th podium result ofhis career. Montoya and Andretti have 44 points each, 15 fewer than FedExChampionship Series leader Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) of Team KOOLGreen, as the series heads to The Raceway on Belle Isle for this weekend'sTenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit (1 p.m. ET Sunday, live, ESPN).

Montoya's victory at Milwaukee made him the sixth different winner in asmany events this season, matching a series record for most different winnersto start the season established in 1991. The other race winners have beenMax Papis (Miller Lite Ford Reynard) of Team Rahal at Homestead; Tracy atLong Beach; Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing FordReynard) of Patrick Racing at Rio de Janeiro; Andretti at Japan and Gil deFerran (Marlboro Honda Reynard) of Marlboro Team Penske at Nazareth. Aseventh different winner at Detroit would establish a new FedEx ChampionshipSeries standard for the start of a season and go a long way toward breakingthe series record of 10 winners in a season, established last year.

The Detroit entry list includes three former winners at Belle Isle - Tracy(1994), Andretti (1996) and defending champion Dario Franchitti (KOOL HondaReynard) of Team KOOL Green. Andretti also won the Detroit Grand Prix in1990, when the race was conducted on a downtown street course, and won allfour pole positions at the downtown venue from 1989-92. Other pole winnersat Belle Isle include Montoya last year and de Ferran in 1997.

Tracy enters the weekend with a 59-52 championship lead over Roberto Moreno(Visteon Ford Reynard) of Patrick Racing. Montoya's Target Chip GanassiRacing teammate, Jimmy Vasser (Target Toyota Lola), stands third with 48points.

The Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit begins a run that will see sixFedEx Championship Series events contested in the next seven weeks. Theseries continues with the Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco,June 25 at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Ore.

WHO'S HOT

Target Chip Ganassi driver Juan Montoya (Target Toyota Lola), thedefending FedEx Championship Series and reigning Indianapolis 500 champion,comes to Detroit off his first victory of the season, June 5 at TheMilwaukee Mile. En route to the eighth victory of his two-year FedExChampionship Series career, Montoya scored a maximum 22 championship points,earning 20 for the win and additional single points for the pole positionand leading the most laps. Montoya has qualified among the top three for allsix events this season - including pole positions at Nazareth, Japan andMilwaukee - and nine of the past 11, dating to a pole at Vancouver lastyear. He has been the dominant driver in each of the past three FedExChampionship Series events, leading 461 of a possible 651 laps (70 percent)during that three-event stretch. The run consists of leading 172 of 201 lapsat Japan, 110 of 225 at Nazareth and 179 of 225 at Milwaukee. In only hissecond FedEx Championship Series season, he has moved into 11th place on theCART career laps-led list with 1,436, only 11 behind Tom Sneva and AlexZanardi, who are tied for ninth at 1,447.

FedEx Championship Series points leader Paul Tracy (KOOL HondaReynard) of Team KOOL Green has scored championship points in five of sixstarts this season, including a victory at Long Beach and podium finishes ofthird at Homestead and Rio de Janeiro. He holds a 59-52 lead over RobertoMoreno of Patrick Racing in championship points and leads the FedExChampionship Series in laps completed, with 989 of a possible 991 and milescompleted, with 1,342.409 of a possible 1,344.387.

Roberto Moreno (Visteon Ford Reynard) owns five top-10 finishes,including four top-six results, in six starts this season. Included are arunner-up effort in the season opener at Homestead, matching a career best,and a third-place effort at Japan. He also finished fifth at Milwaukee,sixth at Rio de Janeiro and ninth at Long Beach. He currently stands secondin the championship with 52 points, seven behind leader Paul Tracy.

Rookie Kenny Brack (Shell Ford Reynard) of Team Rahal has finishedfifth or better in his past three FedEx Championship Series starts,highlighted by a season-best third-place performance at Nazareth. Brack alsofinished fourth at Milwaukee and fifth at Japan and holds a 39-18 pointslead over Alex Tagliani (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard) ofPlayer's Forsythe Racing in the quest for the Jim Trueman Rookie of the YearAward. Brack has scored championship points in each of his past four starts,beginning with a 10th-place finish at Rio de Janeiro.

Christian Fittipaldi (Big Kmart/Route 66 Ford Lola) of Newman/HaasRacing has scored championship points in five of six starts this season andin 21 of his past 25 FedEx Championship Series events, dating to aninth-place result at Laguna Seca in 1998. This year's run includes finishesof fifth at Rio de Janeiro, seventh at Homestead, ninth at Milwaukee and11th at Japan and Nazareth.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Michael Andretti (Big Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Lola) ofNewman/Haas Racing has finished fifth or better in seven of 10 starts atDetroit, including victories in 1990 and '96. He also finished second in1997, fourth in 1992, '95 and '99, and fifth in '94. He also earned fourconsecutive pole positions at Detroit from 1989-92 and has led 172 laps inhis career at Detroit, including all 62 en route to his victory in 1990.

Defending Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit champion DarioFranchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard) of Team KOOL Green has finished fourth orbetter in two of three career starts at The Raceway on Belle Isle, topped bylast year's victory when he led the final 13 laps. He also finished fourthin 1998.

Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Honda Reynard) of Marlboro Team Penske hasbeen on the podium in three of five career starts at Detroit, withconsecutive finishes of third in 1996, '97 and '98. He also won the poleposition at Detroit in 1997.

Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard)has scored championship points in four of six starts at Detroit, highlightedby a runner-up performance in 1998. He also scored with finishes of fourthin 1996, sixth in '95 and seventh in '93. Fernandez did not compete in lastyear's race after sustaining a fractured radius bone in his right wristduring practice for the event.

Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) has scored championship points infive of seven career starts at Detroit, including a victory in 1994. He alsorecorded a podium result with a runner-up effort to Team KOOL Green teammateDario Franchitti last year. His other scoring performances include seventhin 1998, eighth in '95 and ninth in '93. He has led a combined 72 laps inhis seven career appearances at Detroit, topped by 27 in 1993.

Jimmy Vasser (Target Toyota) has finished sixth or better in four ofhis past five appearances at The Raceway on Belle Isle, topped by arunner-up showing in 1995. Vasser also finished fourth in 1997, sixth in1998 and fifth last year.

MANUFACTURING SUCCESS

Toyota claimed the first victory in its five-year FedEx ChampionshipSeries history with last Monday's victory by Juan Montoya in the Miller Lite225 at The Milwaukee Mile. Montoya led a race-high 179 of 225 laps whilefinishing 1.015 seconds ahead of runner-up Michael Andretti. Montoya has led461 of a possible 651 laps (70 percent) in the past three FedEx ChampionshipSeries events conducted at Japan, Nazareth and Milwaukee. Montoya has alsoqualified third or better for all six FedEx Championship Series events thisseason, including a series-high three pole positions.

Honda has won the past two FedEx Championship Series eventscontested at The Raceway on Belle Isle, with victories from Alex Zanardi in1998 and Dario Franchitti last year. Honda has also won two of the pastthree poles at Belle Isle with Gil de Ferran ('97) and Montoya ('99) doingthe honors.

Ford has won three of the six FedEx Championship Series eventscontested to date in 2000, getting victories from Max Papis at Homestead,Adrian Fernandez at Rio de Janeiro and Michael Andretti in Japan. Thosevictories have helped Ford to a 104-96 edge over two-time defending championHonda in the CART Manufacturer's Championship. Toyota currently stands thirdwith 90 points.

NOTEWORTHY

This Sunday, Father's Day, will find three generations of theAndretti family competing at three different venues in pursuit of a racingvictory. Family patriarch Mario Andretti, winner of the 1984 FedExChampionship Series championship who ranks second all-time in Champ Carvictories (52), will be attempting to win the historic 24 Hours of Le Mansin his Ford-powered Panoz LMP-1 roadster. Mario's son, Michael Andretti,CART's career victory leader (39) and winner of the 1991 FedEx ChampionshipSeries title, will be competing at this weekend's Tenneco Automotive GrandPrix on The Raceway at Belle Isle. Meanwhile, Michael's son, 13-year-oldMarco Andretti, will be competing in the Yamaha Sportster karting seriesthis weekend at Oakland Valley Raceway in Port Jervis, N.Y., and looking toextend his points lead in the series championship. Mario and Michaelcompeted against one another in the FedEx Championship Series from 1983-92and again in '94, finishing one-two five times and sharing the podium on 10additional occasions. "When I look back at the times we have had at thetrack together either on the front row, starting together or on podiums, youlook at the average and we got to do that much more than we deserved," Mariosaid. "As a family, there are no better moments. This sport has given usback a lot over the years."

Casey Mears, runner-up in the 1999 Dayton Indy Lights Championship,is testing a Champ Car today for the PacWest Racing Group at the Putnam Parkroad course near Indianapolis. Mears, the nephew of three-time FedExChampionship Series champion Rick Mears, is receiving the test as part ofPacWest's continuing commitment to the evaluation and development of youngdrivers. "Casey was one of a group of young drivers who tested a Champ Carfor us last year, and he was professional and gave us good feedback," saidJohn Anderson, PacWest's Vice President of Race Operations. "That originaltest was effected by bad weather and teething problems with the new car, andwe believed Casey deserved more time in the seat. We are delighted that weare in a position where we can give him the time in the car that hedeserves. At the same time, we have to get a closer look at this young guyand mark him in our books for any future positions that may becomeavailable." Mears, son of former Champ Car competitor Roger Mears, currentlystands third in this year's Indy Lights championship behind PacWest's ownchampionship leader, Scott Dixon, and Australian Jason Bright. "I amexcited," said Mears, in his second season with Dorricott Racing. "Anytime Ican get time in a Champ Car is valuable to me. I have to thank [PacWestPresident] Bruce McCaw and John Anderson for giving me this opportunity."

ON THE AIR

Qualifying for the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit will air4:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2. "CART 2Day" airs 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday onESPN2, with ESPN's live race broadcast scheduled to begin 1 p.m. ET. Therace will also air live on the CART Radio Network and on CART's officialwebsite at www.cart.com .

TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE GRAND PRIX OF DETROIT "QUOTEBOARD"

JUAN MONTOYA (Target Toyota Lola) on collecting his first victory of theseason, and the first for a Toyota-powered driver in FedEx ChampionshipSeries history, last week at Milwaukee: "We've had some good successqualifying this year. In Milwaukee, we finally made it pay off and we gotToyota its first win. With the great competition and the difficult tracksin this series, it's a big advantage to start toward the front. It wasfrustrating to not a get a win until our sixth race, but I know we'll beback on the podium soon. [On The Raceway at Belle Isle] That racetrack wasone of the most fun to race on last year and I was very disappointed to notfinish better [17th]. Since I'll be getting my second look at the track, andwith the way the Toyota-Lola is running, I know we'll have a good race onSunday."

PAUL TRACY (KOOL Honda Reynard), on his enjoyment of this busy stretch ofthe FedEx Championship Series season: "This is the part of the season that Ilike. We're either testing or racing - sometimes both - every week. Wejust had a test at Mid-Ohio and now we're headed to test at MichiganSpeedway, then on to Detroit for the race on Belle Isle. All that testingjust strengthens us as a team. We'll hit Belle Isle with our game-face onand ready to race. It'll be good to run a street course after all the ovalracing we've done. Team KOOL Green has proven to be the team to beat on thestreets, so we're going there believing we'll be challenging for the win.Bottom line is we've let the field catch up to us so we've got to startscoring big points again."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (KOOL Honda Reynard), on defending his championship in theTenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit: "Detroit is a welcome site on theschedule! We have had a good car the last few races but, except for Japan[Franchitti finished 2nd], we just haven't gotten the kind of results we'dlike. Having swept Detroit last year, with me winning and Paul [Tracy]finishing second, everyone at Team KOOL Green is heading there with theintention of being on the podium again. The circuit suits me just fine.Though there's only one really good place to pass [Turn Three], I like thecombination of slow and fast corners and the way it really emphasizes driverskill. You have to be on top of it at all times, anticipating traffic andworking your race strategy."

JIMMY VASSER (Target Toyota Lola), on chasing his first victory of the FedExChampionship Series season: "This team is not satisfied with our past fewraces and I get a sense that everyone is hungry for our first win of theseason. The good thing is that no one is getting nervous or making excuses-- we're just excited to get back out there, race and gain some ground onPaul [Tracy, the championship leader]. It's been awhile since we'veexperienced a victory celebration, but with the Toyota running so strong, Iknow it's going to happen soon. I'd love to get a win for my guys in thepits. They've been working so hard this year -- they deserve a checkeredflag. I had a nice run in Detroit a year ago, so I have a good feelingheading back there. I think it's about time to start another streak ofpodium finishes."

MICHAEL ANDRETTI (Big Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Ford Lola), on the importance ofdoing well in Detroit: "The Detroit race is a very important one to ourteam. It's Kmart and Ford's backyard so we want to do well there for thembecause they bring a lot of guests to the race. I think the Detroit race isimportant to CART as well because they are in the automobile capital of theworld. The Detroit Grand Prix is a tough race. It's one where you want toqualify well. If you qualify well, and keep your track position, you shouldfinish pretty well. But if you start in the back, you could have a longday. Although we have actually started in the back and came back and almostwon the race. The Lola and Ford should do pretty well. We have made someimprovements since we raced in Long Beach [the last FedEx ChampionshipSeries event contested on a street circuit]. We are just starting to makeup for some of the points we left on the table earlier this season. It'simportant for us to do well in this race and the entire BigKmart/Texaco/Havoline team is focused on that task. We are very excitedabout this race."

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI (Big Kmart/Route 66 Ford Lola), on performing well atBelle Isle for his sponsor, Kmart, and his engine supplier, Ford : "It's areally important race for us because of Kmart and Ford. They have supportedus over the years and we want to make them proud in their hometown. Wins arehard to come by because the series is so competitive so you take them whereyou can get them. There's no doubt about it, we want to do well in front ofour sponsor and technical partner. The 1996 race was a great race for us inDetroit. I basically made a mistake and lost the race to Michael[Andretti], his Newman/Haas Racing teammate]. The car was perfect, and wehad the car set up good and basically dominated the whole race. We also ranthe fastest lap but on the last restart with about five laps to go, I went alittle deep into Turn Three. I went wide and Michael went by, and he wonthe race and I finished second. That one was hard to take because we wereso close but that's the way it goes. It's nice to finally put that behindme since the win in Road America [last year] but I still wish it would haveturned out differently. Competitors never want to lose."

GIL de FERRAN (Marlboro Honda Reynard), on the challenges of The Raceway onBelle Isle: "Detroit is a track that I find very challenging. It's atypical bumpy street circuit with a great mix of fast and slow corners, it'snotoriously difficult for overtaking and its tough to get in a fast lap forqualifying. But I do enjoy racing there - I've finished on the podium threetimes at Belle Isle. Marlboro Team Penske had a good race in Detroit[deFerran captured the pole and teammate Helio Castroneves finished second]and hopefully some of our set-ups and what we learned there will translatewell to the Detroit circuit and we'll be able to bring home another podiumfinish."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (Marlboro Honda Reynard), looking to build upon themomentum generated by a successful test at Mid-Ohio last week: "MarlboroTeam Penske is coming off of a very successful test in Mid-Ohio, so we hopeto carry that momentum into the Detroit race. It's a challenging circuitfor the drivers and engineers in that it's bumpy and there are pavementchanges from concrete to asphalt. The fast chicane in turns one and two isone of my favorite parts of the track. Qualifying up front will be keygiven how difficult it is to pass."

ROBERTO MORENO (Visteon Ford Reynard), on his enjoyment of racing at BelleIsle: "Detroit is a street circuit where I very much like to compete. Thenew configuration is a little less challenging, but the track is safer andthere are more places to pass. A good result in Detroit is important to theVisteon/Patrick Racing team. It will help us in the race for thechampionship, plus it would be a big thrill to get our sponsor, VisteonAutomotive Systems, their first win at home in front of their employees andcustomers."

ADRIAN FERNANDEZ (Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing Ford Reynard), on hispast successes at Detroit: "I am looking forward to going back to Detroit.The Tecate/Quaker State/Patrick Racing team has been very strong at thisrace in the past. Unfortunately, we had the accident last year [resultingin a fractured radius bone in his right wrist], so it is important that wego back this year and get back to where we were in year's past. This is akey race for the championship. We need a good result here to keep ourmomentum going and set the tone for the next few races on the road andstreet circuits. Qualifying is the most important thing in Detroit. Thetrack is challenging and with the new configuration there are some moreplaces to pass, but it is still very difficult to get by other cars. Thatmakes qualifying the key to the race."

PATRICK CARPENTIER (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard), on hissuccessful start to the FedEx Championship Series season: "We've felt sincethe start of the season that we have the right package for the Player's teamto be consistently in contention. We're always aiming to be in the top fiveand, fortunately, we've been able to do that in two of the three races we'verun in so far. After missing three races because of the wrist injury, it'sgoing to take that type of consistency to climb our way up the drivers'standings, and getting the podium in Milwaukee enabled us to move up severalpositions.

"I didn't have any unusual amount of soreness in my wrist after the race inMilwaukee. I talked to some of the other drivers and they said their wristswere a bit sore, too, but that's something which is normal after goingthrough a long race. With a series of street and road-course events comingup, it was good to have a couple of days of testing sessions on the Mid-Ohioroad course a week before going to Detroit."

ALEX TAGLIANI (Player's Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard), on making hisfirst start in the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit: "This is goingto be my first opportunity to race in Detroit, although I've heard a lotabout how nice the Belle Isle track is and how the fans really get intoracing there. I know the Player's team has run well in Detroit in the past,with Greg Moore winning the race in 1997 and taking the pole the next year.That gives us some inspiration going into my first race on this course. I'mgoing into the Detroit race hungry to pick up some points in the drivers'standings because we've had some misfortune in that regard recently. This isan extremely competitive series and you can stay close to the pack as longas you can get into the paying points on a regular basis. That's what wewere doing at the start of the season and we're going to work hard to getback into that groove in Detroit."

LUIZ GARCIA JR. (Hollywood/Embratel/Tang/Banco Sofisa Mercedes Reynard), onthe importance of driving skill on FedEx Championship Series road courses:"We were having a good run in Milwaukee. I think we can accomplish the samething at Detroit. It will be nice to turn left and right for awhile. At atrack like Detroit, the drivers will be more of a factor than on an oval,because we'll be doing a lot of shifting and working the wheel. I haveraced here twice before in Indy Lights. It's a tight track, but one you canreally go fast on. Let me tell you, it will be nice to turn right for achange here and the next few races."

WHAT: Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit.
WHERE: The Raceway on Belle Isle, Detroit, Mich.
WHEN: Friday-Sunday, June 16-18.
SUPPORT EVENTS: Dayton Indy Lights Championship, BF Goodrich Tires Trans-Am
Championship, Barber Dodge Pro Series, Neon Charity Challenge.
PRE-RACE PROGRAMMING: Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit polequalifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN2; CART 2Day, 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday,ESPN2.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dario Franchitti.
DEFENDING POLESITTER: Juan Montoya.
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.346-mile temporary street circuit.
RACE LENGTH: 84 laps, 197.06 miles.
TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) - 1998, Greg Moore, 114.859 miles perhour (1 minute, 13.530 seconds).
Race - No race record at this distance.
RACE ROUND: 7 of 20 in the FedEx Championship Series.
FedEx CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINTS LEADERS: 1, Paul Tracy, 59 points; 2,Roberto Moreno, 52; 3, Jimmy Vasser, 48; 4, Michael Andretti, 44; 5, JuanMontoya, 44.
NEXT EVENT: June 25, Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco,Portland, Ore.