• Good Morning from the high mountains at the top of Japan and exquisite Twin Ring Motegi for the first day of practice for Saturday’s Firestone Firehawk 500, Round Five of the 2001 FedEx Championship Series season. The weekend and this morning’s first practice session on the 1.549-mile; (2.493 km)-track is scheduled for the Green Flag at 9:45 a.m. for a one-hour, 45-minute practice session. At 1:45 p.m., the FedEx Championship Series teams will again take to the track for a 90-minute afternoon practice session. Friday’s schedule has the Champ Cars performing in the split group format with Group One on track at 9:30 a.m. for the 45-minute morning practice session, followed by Group Two for the same session length. The groups will be split according to the Championship Points earned thus far in the season with the highest-point-total drivers making up Group Two. CART qualifying will then follow, scheduled from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. This single qualifying session will started by the driver who has the lowest total of Championship Points, moving up to the driver with the highest going out last, (barring any cars qualifying out of order). Brazilian GIL de FERRAN holds the track qualifying record with his 1999 effort of 219.000 mph (352.371 kph; 25.463 seconds. (The 1999 event was run with the superspeedway aero package featuring the Hanford MkI, which was replaced with the MkII for the 2000 and 2001 events. The MkII has helped slow the cars about five miles per hour in overall lap speeds while providing more stability and downforce). Saturday’s schedule has the traditional 30-minute warm-up beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the Green Flag for the 201-lap, 311.349-mile, 501.093-kilometer Firestone Firehawk 500 at 1 p.m. The entire race will be shown on tape-delay basis at 1 p.m. Saturday, EST. (All other times are local.)

• The weather here at Motegi, Japan this morning is absolutely perfect; crisp spring-morning temperatures highlighting bright blue skies over the mountains that surround the Twin Ring Motegi racetrack. After yesterday’s on and off again rain showers, the warm sunshine this morning is a welcome respite for the members of the FedEx Championship Series. And the good news is that the weather is predicted to hold throughout the weekend.

• Though the track measurement here at Twin Ring Motegi (1.549-mile; 2.493-km) places the ultra-smooth race plant in the Super Speedway category on the FedEx Championship Series season, the track itself contains enough challenge to historically keep overall lap speeds under 220 mph (354 kph). It sports the air of a superspeedway with overall trap speed clockings well over 230 mph (370 kph) at the end of the backstraight but the track maintains a short-oval attitude due to the tight Turns 3 and 4 and the six-degree banking, causing drivers to run the last corners at roughly 200 to 210 mph (310 to 340 kph). The combination of the varying radii and lengths gives the egg-shaped Twin Ring Motegi course a multiple personality. The wide-open Turn 1 speaks of Chicago Motor Speedway in height and radius, allowing drivers to enter the left-hand corner nearly flat-footed on the accelerator. Turn 2 however, presents a tighter radius, causing the Champ Car drivers to apply the brakes thru the corner before entering the half-mile, .81 km backstretch. The Turn 2 portion of the track is also the traditionally slowest part of the Motegi course and is the location of the CART Timing & Scoring Trap #1 speed measurement device. It is not uncommon to see the competitors’ trap speeds differ by more than 10-15 mph (15-25 kph) at this point, depending on the particular drivers’ chassis setup. (The trap speeds are generated by CART Timing and Scoring exactly like your local Highway Patrol but without the increases in your insurance rates! It’s a one-time snapshot of an oncoming car’s velocity). After the Champ Cars enter the wide-open backstretch, the drivers confront the fastest part of the track and the site of the Trap #2 speed measurement at the end of the straight, resulting in clockings in excess of 230 mph. (Some drivers have entered this corner at over 250 mph (402 kph) on draft-aided laps in the 1999 event before the Hanford MkII was utilized). But it’s a quick slowdown as the drivers will immediately be forced onto the brakes and a quick downshift to negotiate the Turns 3 and 4 part of the racetrack. Both of these corners are built to a tighter radius than the Turns 1 and 2 portion, and therefore, this part of the track emphasizes handling more than brute horsepower, just like a short oval. The final trap measurement is accomplished with the Start/Finish Line laser which basically will tell what team is getting the power and traction to the wheels most efficiently off of Turn 4 as the drivers are again wide-open on the accelerator and shifting back to high gear heading back to Turn 1. Speeds here will top off in the 215-200 mph range (345 kph to 355 kph), closely mirroring the results at the exit of Turn 2.

• GREEN FLAG waves at 9:45 a.m. to start the first practice session of the weekend. Firestone engineers report track temperature of 99 degrees F. (37 C.) and an ambient temperature of 69 degrees F. (20 degrees C.) at the start of the session.

• YELLOW FLAG waves at 9:51 a.m. to allow CART safety workers to conduct a safety inspection after several teams report cut tires on their cars after examination in the teams respective pit stalls.

• GREEN FLAG waves at 9:59 a.m. to resume the session.

• YELLOW FLAG waves at 10:02 a.m. after #27 FRANCHITTI loses power in Turn 2 and coasts to a stop at the bottom of Turn 4. CART safety workers quickly hook the car up and tow it back to the pits.

• GREEN FLAG waves at 10:05 a.m. to resume the session.

• Also at 10:05 a.m., 20 minutes into the session, the fastest driver is now #8X BRACK with a lap of 200.316 mph; 27.820 seconds; seventh lap), followed by #20X MORENO (195.051 mph; 28.571 seconds; sixth lap) and #77X HERTA (194.880 mph; 28.596 seconds; sixth lap).

• At 10:15 a.m., 30 minutes into the session, the fastest driver is now #11X FITTIPALDI with a lap of 208.516 mph (26.726 seconds; 19th lap), followed by #6X ANDRETTI (207.987 mph; 26.794 seconds; 13th lap) and #3 CASTRONEVES (207.052 mph; 26.915 seconds; eighth lap).

• At 10:25 a.m., 40 minutes into the session, the fastest drivers and speeds remain unchanged from the 10:15 a.m. report.

• BLACK FLAG is shown at 10:26 a.m. to #8 BRACK after CART course observers report smoke trailing from the car at speed on track. BRACK subsequently pits the car for an inspection and the crew finds no problems.

• At 10:28 a.m., #6X da MATTA logs the fastest lap of the weekend with a speed of 209.472 mph (26.604 seconds) on his 29th lap of the session.

• YELLOW FLAG waves at 10:29 a.m. after #6X da MATTA loses power off with a transmission problem off of Turn 3 and coasts to a stop at the bottom of Turn 1, trailing fluid from the rear of the car. CART safety workers quickly start an extensive clean up of the front stretch as the crew readies the primary car for use in the remainder of the session.

• At 10:35 a.m., 50 minutes into the session and under a Yellow Flag, the fastest driver is #6 da MATTA with a lap of 209.472 mph (26.604 seconds; 29th lap), followed by #3 CASTRONEVES (208.985 mph; 26.666 seconds; 15th lap) and #11X FITTIPALDI (208.602 mph; 26.666 seconds; 23rd lap).

• GREEN FLAG waves at 10:42 a.m. to resume the session.

• YELLOW FLAG waves at 10:44 a.m. after #22 SERVIA loses power down the front stretch with smoke and fluid trailing from the rear of the car. SERVIA pulls to the bottom of the track and exits the car as CART safety workers again start clean-up of the track.

• At 10:45 a.m., 50 minutes into the session and under a Yellow Flag, the fastest drivers and speeds are unchanged from the 10:35 a.m. report.

• GREEN FLAG waves at 10:48 a.m. to resume the session.

• At 10:54 a.m., #55 KANAAN logs the fastest lap of the session with a speed of 209.970 mph (26.541 seconds; 42nd lap).

• At 10:55 a.m., 70 minutes into the session, #3 CASTRONEVES moves to the fastest spot with a lap of 210.382 mph (26.489 seconds; 31st lap), followed by #55 KANAAN (209.970 mph; 26.541 seconds; 42nd lap) and #6X da MATTA (209.472 mph; 26.684 seconds; 29th lap).

• YELLOW FLAG waves at 11 a.m. after several teams report cut tires on their cars after examination by the crews in the pits. CART safety workers quickly begin a full-track inspection.

• At 11:05 a.m., 80 minutes into the session and under the Yellow Flag, the fastest drivers and speeds are unchanged from the 10:55 a.m. report.

• GREEN FLAG waves at 11:07 a.m. to resume the session.

• At 11:15 a.m., 90 minutes into the session, #3 CASTRONEVES moves to the fastest spot with a lap of 210.382 mph (26.489 seconds; 31st lap), followed by #55 KANAAN (209.970 mph; 26.541 seconds; 42nd lap) and #11 FITTIPALDI (209.811; 26.561 seconds; 24th lap).

• At 11:20 a.m. #55 KANAAN takes the top spot with a speed of 211.950 mph (26.293 seconds) on his 68th lap but is immediately replaced by #3 CASTRONEVES with a faster lap of 212.184 mph (26.264 seconds) on his 38th lap.

• YELLOW FLAG waves at 11:21 a.m. after CART course observers report debris on the backstretch. CART safety workers quickly begin a clean-up operation.

• GREEN FLAG waves at 11:24 a.m. to resume the session.

• At 11:25 a.m., 100 minutes into the session, the fastest drivers and speeds are unchanged from the 11:15 a.m. report.

• At 11:27 a.m., #55 KANAAN goes back to the top spot with a lap of 213.174 mph (26.142 seconds) on his 75th lap of the session.

• CHECKERED FLAG waves at 11:30 a.m. to end the first session of the weekend with #55 KANAAN hanging onto the fastest lap with his earlier speed of 213.174 mph (342.997 kph; 26.142 seconds) on his 75th lap, followed by #3 CASTRONEVES (212.184 mph; 341.404 kph; 26.264 seconds; 38th lap) and #66 ZANARDI (211.475 mph; 340.263 kph; 26.352 seconds; 70th lap). FedEx Championship Series drivers introduced 44 cars to the track in this morning’s session with the top 21 cars are separated by less than one second in lap times. Secondary cars were utilized by #6X da MATTA, #11X FITTIPALDI, #32X CARPENTIER, #77X HERTA, #8X BRACK, #5X TAKAGI, #33X TAGLIANI, #20X MORENO, #7X PAPIS, #4X JUNQUEIRA, #3X CASTRONEVES, #16X JOURDAIN Jr., #18 DIXON, #1 de FERRAN, #12X MANASSIAN, #22X SERVIA, #17X GUGELMIN, #52X NAKANO, and #40X VASSER.

• #8 BRACK leads the drivers with the fastest speed at the Start Finish line, registering a 212.515 mph (341.937 kph) recording. #39 ANDRETTI is second fastest here, clocking a 211.964 mph (341.050 kph). At the Turn 2 trap, overall fastest driver #55 KANAAN leads with a 217.352 speed (349.719 kph), followed by #3 CASTRONEVES (216.779 mph; 348.797 kph). The Trap #2 at the Turn 3 entry features #3 CASTRONEVES again, this time with a speed of 226.017 mph (363.661 kph), followed by #8 BRACK at 225.394 mph (362.659 kph).