DETROIT (June 26, 2001) - In the midst of the most successful run in teamhistory, Team Rahal competes in its home state for the first time in 2001when the FedEx Championship Series travels to the shores of Lake Erie forthis weekend's Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstar (1 p.m.ET Sunday, live, ABC-TV).

The Columbus-based Team Rahal, co-owned by three-time FedEx ChampionshipSeries champion Bobby Rahal and entertainer David Letterman, has won threeof the past four FedEx Championship Series events, an accomplishmentunparalleled in the 10-year history of the organization. Kenny Brack (ShellFord Lola) began the run with back-to-back victories at Japan and Milwaukee- the first two triumphs of his FedEx Championship Series career - beforeMax Papis (Miller Lite Ford Lola) extended it with his second career victoryat Portland last weekend.

Now, Team Rahal and its rivals come to the 2.106-mile temporary road circuitat Burke Lakefront Airport for 20th Cleveland Grand Prix, the ninth of 21rounds in the 2001 FedEx Championship Series. A victory at Cleveland thisweekend would bring a special sense of symmetry to Team Rahal, since it wasBobby Rahal who drove to victory in the inaugural Cleveland Grand Prix in1982.

As a result of his two victories, and a total of six points-paying finishesin seven completed events, Brack leads the FedEx Championship Series with 76points. He returns to the site of former success this weekend, having drivento a runner-up finish, the best of his rookie season, at Cleveland lastyear.

Papis, for his part, comes to Cleveland on a run of four consecutivepoints-paying finishes, climaxed by last week's victory at Portland. Theeffort has moved him from 18th to 11th in the championship, with 38 points.

Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves (Marlboro HondaReynard) of Marlboro Team Penske enters the weekend as Brack's closestpursuer, with 69 championship points. He's followed by Michael Andretti(Motorola Honda Reynard) of Team Motorola, one of five former Clevelandchampions in this weekend's field, with 53 points.

Newman/Haas Racing teammates Cristiano da Matta (Texaco/Havoline/KmartToyota Lola) and Christian Fittipaldi (Kmart Toyota Lola) round out the topfive drivers in the championship, with 49 and 46 points, respectively.

Two-time Cleveland Grand Prix champion Alex Zanardi (Pioneer Honda Reynard)of Mo Nunn Racing joins Andretti on the list of former Cleveland winnerscompeting this weekend. He drove to victory at Burke Lakefront Airport in1997 and '98, and finished second in 1996 in his only other appearance atthe venue.

Other former winners in the field include Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) ofTeam KOOL Green, who won in 1993; Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Honda Reynard) ofMarlboro Team Penske (1996) and defending event champion Roberto Moreno(Visteon Toyota Reynard) of Patrick Racing, who claimed the first poleposition and victory of his seven-year FedEx Championship Series career atCleveland last year.

All FedEx Championship Series entries ride on Firestone Tires, the OfficialTire of CART.

The Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland is Round 9 of 21 in the 2001 FedExChampionship Series. The series visits seven countries and four continentsduring the season and climaxes with the season-ending Marlboro 500 Presentedby Toyota on Sunday, Nov. 4 at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Thanksto a partnership between Marlboro, Toyota, CART and California Speedway, thewinner of the season finale will collect $1 million, one of the richestpaydays in all of motorsports. An additional $1 million, as well as theprestigious Vanderbilt Cup, will be awarded to the driver who wins the FedExChampionship Series championship.

Following its third event in as many weeks, the FedEx Championship Seriestakes a week's respite before resuming with Round 10, the Molson Indy, July13-15 at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

WHO'S HOT

• FedEx Championship Series points leader Kenny Brack (Shell FordLola) of Team Rahal has scored championship points in five consecutivestarts and six of seven during the 2001 season. Included in his current runare his first two FedEx Championship Series career victories, at Japan andMilwaukee, and a runner-up finish at Nazareth. Brack also finished ninth atDetroit and 11th last weekend at Portland and enters this weekend's MarconiGrand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstar as the FedEx ChampionshipSeries championship leader, with 76 points. Brack also owns poles at Mexico,Texas and Milwaukee and has started on the front-row in four of seven eventsthis season, including outside poles at Long Beach and Nazareth.
• Michael Andretti (Motorola Honda Reynard) of Team Motorola hasclaimed four top-eight finishes in his past five starts to move into thirdplace in the FedEx Championship Series with 48 points. The run includesfinishes of second at Milwaukee, sixth at Nazareth, fourth at Detroit andeighth at Portland.
• Defending Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstarchampion Roberto Moreno (Visteon Toyota Reynard) of Patrick Racing earned aseason-best runner-up result at Portland, his second consecutive podiumfinish, following third at Detroit. He has scored championship points infive of his past six FedEx Championship Series events, including finishes of10th at Japan, 11th at Long Beach and 12th at Nazareth.
• Christian Fittipaldi (Kmart Toyota Lola) of Newman/Haas Racingrecorded his first podium finish of the season when he took third atPortland last weekend. That performance extended a run which has seen himpost top-five finishes in four of his past five FedEx Championship Seriesstarts, including fourth at Japan and fifth at Nazareth and Detroit. Lastweek's podium effort allowed Fittipaldi to improve from 11th to fifthplace in the FedEx Championship Series championship, with 46 points.
• Max Papis (Miller Lite Ford Lola) of Team Rahal claimed his secondcareer FedEx Championship Series victory last weekend at Portland, extendinga streak which has seen him score championship points in his past fourstarts. The run began with a sixth-place finish at Japan and was followed byfinishes of eighth at Milwaukee and 11th at Detroit.
• Dario Franchitti (KOOL Honda Reynard) of Team KOOL Green owns top-10finishes in six of seven FedEx Championship Series starts this season,topped by a runner-up result two weeks ago at Detroit. The run also includesfinishes of sixth at Long Beach and Portland, eighth at Nazareth and ninthat Mexico and Milwaukee. He is sixth in the championship with 45 points.
• Rookie Scott Dixon (Powerware Panasonic PacWest Toyota) of thePacWest Racing Group has scored championship points in four of his past fiveFedEx Championship Series starts, highlighted by his first career victory atNazareth last month, which made him, at age 20 years, nine months and 14days, the youngest driver ever to win a major open-wheel race. Dixon, the2000 Dayton Indy Lights champion, also owns a podium finish of third atMilwaukee and finished seventh at Portland and ninth at Japan. He standsseventh in the championship with 44 points, but is only five behindfourth-place Cristiano da Matta of Newman/Haas Racing (49).

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

• Alex Zanardi (Pioneer Honda Reynard) of Mo Nunn Racing owns twovictories (1997, '98) and a runner-up finish in three career starts at BurkeLakefront Airport. He has also started among the top three drivers for allthree events, including a pole position in 1997. Zanardi has led at least 30laps in each of his three career appearances at Cleveland and 130 combined,topped by a race-high 68 in 1998.
• Michael Andretti has recorded six podium finishes in his 15 careerstarts at Cleveland, including a victory in 1991. He also finished second in1986, '92 and '98, and third in 1984 and '99. He finished fourth last year,giving him a run of three consecutive top-four finishes. Andretti won the1989 pole position at Cleveland and has started among the top three driverssix times.
• Defending FedEx Championship Series champion Gil de Ferran (MarlboroHonda Reynard) of Marlboro Team Penske owns four top-six finishes in sixstarts at Cleveland, including a victory in 1996, the second of his FedExChampionship Series career. He also finished second in 1997 and '99 andsixth in 1998. De Ferran claimed his first career pole position at Clevelandin 1995 and has led a race-high number of laps in three of his six starts atthe venue, topped by 67 in 1995.
• Paul Tracy (KOOL Honda Reynard) of Team KOOL Green has recordedpoints-paying finishes in five of nine career starts at Cleveland,highlighted by a victory in 1993, when he started on the pole. He alsofinished third in 1994, fourth in '99, seventh in '97 and ninth in '96.
• Patrick Carpentier (Player's/Indeck Ford Reynard) of Player'sForsythe Racing has scored championship points in all four career starts atCleveland, topped by a fifth-place finish last year. He also finishedseventh in 1999, ninth in '98 and 12th in '97.
• Christian Fittipaldi has scored championship points with four of hispast five finishes in Cleveland, taking seventh in 1996, sixth in '97, 11thin '98 and 12th in '99.
• Bryan Herta (Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing Team Ford Reynard) of ZakspeedForsythe Racing owns a pair of podium finishes in seven career starts atCleveland, topped by second in 1995 and third in '97. He also finished sixthin 1999 and ninth last year, when he filled in for the injured Tony Kanaanat Mo Nunn Racing.

MANUFACTURING SUCCESS

• Ford has won three of the past four FedEx Championship Seriesevents, getting victories from Kenny Brack at Japan and Milwaukee and MaxPapis at Portland. Ford is also the defending champion at Burke LakefrontAirport, site of Roberto Moreno's first career FedEx Championship Seriesvictory last year.
• Honda has won four of the past five FedEx Championship Series eventscontested at Burke Lakefront Airport. The run consists of victories from Gilde Ferran in 1996, Alex Zanardi in 1997 and '98 and Juan Montoya in 1999.Honda has also claimed five of the past six pole positions at Cleveland,with de Ferran (1995), Jimmy Vasser (1996, '98), Zanardi ('97) and Montoya('99) doing the honors.

ON THE AIR

• Qualifying for the Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented byFirstar will air 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2. CART 2Day airs 11 a.m. ETSunday on ESPN2, while ABC-TV's live race broadcast begins 1 p.m. ET. Twentyof 21 FedEx Championship Series events are being televised live on ABC-TV orESPN, and 18 are being televised live on Eurosport, a European network thatreaches 250 million viewers in 54 countries. Sunday's race will also air onthe CART Radio Network and on CART's official website, at www.cart.com .

MARCONI GRAND PRIX OF CLEVELAND PRESENTED BY FIRSTAR "QUOTEBOARD"

KENNY BRACK (Shell Ford Lola), on last week's struggles at Portland: "We hada very difficult races in Detroit and Portland. In Portland, coming from22nd, we knew we had to use a fuel strategy. But I got hit many times inPortland and went out into the grass each time. I was skating around a lot.But I give our Shell team credit for staying with me all the way and we gotsome points. There were so many guys just flying off the track. I wasdodging many of them. I got hit from behind two different times and then Gil[de Ferran] spun in front of me and I had to avoid hitting him by going intothe grass. Luckily, I kept the engine going and drove it back onto thetrack. At least we scored some points. To be honest, Cleveland last year wasa lot like Portland last weekend. I was fast in every session exceptqualifying. We lost the grip in that last qualifying run after being thirdon Friday. But our Shell team was able to find the setup again and the carwas very good in the race. This time, I want to be up front at the start andrace for the lead all day. I feel confident about our car going intoCleveland. You can really race on that airport surface."

MICHAEL ANDRETTI (Motorola Honda Reynard), on his enjoyment of racing atCleveland: "It's a fun track but it's tricky. Yes, it's wide, so you canlet your hair down a little bit more because you have more room to get thejob done. But the trick is to be very careful because the track suckers youin - you think you have a lot of room because the track is so wide and theline is very wide at the entry of the corners, but when you get to themiddle of the corner, it comes down to one car width, so if you miss that,it can definitely mess you up a bit. You really need a different approach.[As a city] Cleveland is awesome. It's great to see how the city hasdeveloped over the last few years. It's a great city to race in, greatfans, and it's an awesome track for spectators because they can see thewhole track."

ROBERTO MORENO (Visteon Toyota Reynard), on last year's victory atCleveland, the first of his CART career: "It was great last year inCleveland. The Visteon/Patrick Racing team started going well in Portlandand then we got to Cleveland and it was fantastic. Cleveland is a verychallenging place. There are a lot of chicanes and that make thingsinteresting. Also, because you are on an airport runway, it is verydifficult to find your braking points. You have no reference and it is verywide so all you see is the cones in the corners. The biggest challenge atCleveland is to know where you have to brake. The Visteon/Patrick Racingteam had a good starting position at Cleveland last year, taking the pole.It was the first of my CART career and I am very proud of that. Then wecontinued to be fast in the race. Starting on pole last year really helpedme to win the race because there were a lot of crashes behind me and Ididn't have to get involved in all of that. We did have the fastest carthere and the Visteon/Patrick Racing crew did an outstanding job in the pitsso we were able to bring home my first CART victory. The memories of thatrace are fantastic for me. Winning your first CART race stays in your mindforever."

GIL de FERRAN (Marlboro Honda Reynard), on the room for racing at BurkeLakefront Airport: "Cleveland is a track and city that I really enjoy. Whilethe track is bumpy, it's wide and fast and you can try different lines.There's plenty of room to race, and unlike most temporary circuits, it has alot of very fast corners. It's also a great venue for the fans because theycan see the whole track. I won my first CART pole here in 1995 and won therace in 1996 so this venue holds very good memories for me."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (Marlboro Honda Reynard), on his misfortunes at Cleveland:"Cleveland has never been a very good track for me, as a matter of fact,I've never been able to finish a CART race there. I've had some success inIndy Lights [his third-place finish in 1996 was his first podium finish in aUS race] and I enjoy the circuit because it's so wide and fast, but for somereason, I've never done well there in CART. It's the tracks that you don'tdo well at that are the biggest challenges for a driver and if there is onething I know, Marlboro Team Penske is always up for a challenge."

ALEX ZANARDI (Pioneer Honda Reynard), on his affection for, and past successat Cleveland: "Cleveland is my favorite circuit in the United States. Ilike Cleveland a lot and I have great memories of racing in Cleveland.Right now, it's not a very good period we are going through. But bothMorris and I had a lot of success in Cleveland. We always had a car thatworked very, very well there. We still have the notes of what we did therein the past. Hopefully, this will help us get a better setup and make ourcar work,because it hasn't been working well lately. There's no magic in thisbusiness. It's all about making your car work. Max [Papis] proved thatpoint in Portland. I'm not looking to be the hero in Cleveland, althoughI'd love to see that happen. I want to see myself where I know I can be. Ithink Cleveland is a circuit that seems to be designed for our cars."

MAX PAPIS (Miller Lite Ford Lola), on his victory at Portland: "I'm glad Icould show my emotions in Portland. I was a little reserved Saturday when Iwon the pole because I knew my job wasn't done. Our Miller team did afantastic job. I've gone through some tough times lately. The Miller teamhad fantastic strategy with fuel and pit stops. The Ford engine had greatpower and the Lola car was good in both the dry and the rain. It's nice tobe fast when it's dry or wet. You had to pace yourself. I kept chasing thegrip in the track. Plus, [I was] trying to conserve fuel. Guys were flyingof the track every lap in the beginning. That was the most difficult part ofthe race for me. You can't tell where to brake when you have so many yellowflags. Other drivers used me as a reference point for braking. Every win isspecial here in CART with so many top drivers. Miami [site of his first winlast year] was very special because it's like your first girlfriend. We wentfrom zero to hero this weekend. I hope we can keep up this momentum atCleveland. I like that track but I haven't had too much luck there in thepast two years."

JIMMY VASSER (Patrick Racing Toyota Reynard), on the unique racingenvironment at Burke Lakefront Airport: "Cleveland is a unique track becauseit is a runway circuit. It is really bumpy and getting the car to work overthe bumps is always paramount at Cleveland. I am hoping the Visteon/PatrickRacing team will have a good baseline setup there because Roberto [teammateRoberto Moreno] took the pole there last year. The first turn is very important at Cleveland. Anytime you have a cornerlike that where you start the race and all the cars funnel into the firstcorner, you are going to have some problems. Hopefully, the Number 40Visteon/Patrick Racing team can avoid getting involved into anything badthere."

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI (Kmart Toyota Lola), on what makes the Marconi GrandPrix of Cleveland Presented by Firstar a great event: "What I think makesCleveland one of our best races is that it is incredibly wide, and thatcreates a lot of passing during the race. The drivers know if they out-brakesomeone by too much and go way too deep in a turn, that the worst that canhappen to them is that they will go on the grass and can come back to thetrack because there is a whole lot of run-off area. At other places, thereis a concrete barrier that isn't too friendly. It's fun for the drivers tobe able to give 110 percent because we don't have to worry about keeping itoff of the wall and that makes it great for the fans watching the race, too.Another interesting aspect about the Cleveland track is that no matter whereyou sit in the grandstands, you can see 90 percent of the track. On an oval,it is easy for you to do that, but on a road course, it is very hard becauseusually no matter where you are on the track, you can only see one or twocorners maximum. That is what makes Cleveland a good race to attend. As faras my history in Cleveland, I would say it's interesting. I have neverfinished on the podium there, but I had two to three very strong runs thereand unfortunately, it would just come down to luck. I was never that luckyto put the whole race together and finish up there [on the podium]. I canremember off the top of my head that I should have finished about threetimes on the podium there. In all, we have been very strong in Cleveland inthe past. We had a slow start to the season but there are many races infront of us for the championship and we are coming back strong. You don'thave much time to look back in racing because if you do, everyone else willbe working for the future and you will get behind, but it would have beennice to have the points for fourth place in Milwaukee. We would be in a muchstronger position right now. I would say our chances are good to continuethe momentum in Cleveland. We are definitely due for a podium in Cleveland."

CRISTIANO da MATTA (Texaco/Havoline/Kmart Toyota Lola), on his fond memoriesof racing in Cleveland, site of his first career podium finish last year:"It was really great to get to the podium, especially the way we got there.I had a strong car all weekend and I qualified fifth.. On the start I wasinvolved in an accident [and] I went all the way to the back and had to workmy way up from last place to third again. It was a tough day and a hardrace. My team was a little tight on fuel so I couldn't try and charge[runner-up Kenny] Brack at the end, and I remember that wasn't a goodfeeling. It was pretty close at the end of the race and they could only getone cup of methanol out of the car. The calculations were really good, butit was a pity that I couldn't go for it. The best thing I can compare TurnOne in Cleveland to is a motocross race. At the start of a motocross race,you come out of the gate into a very narrow first turn. Even though thebraking is very wide, as you go into the turn, it gets very narrow, withonly two lines maximum. At the start, you can go two by two, but as it goesinto one line on the first turn it can make for a fun start. It wasn't a funstart for me last year, but it is a place where you have to pay a lot ofattention because cars are coming from everywhere. That is why it givesdrivers the confidence that makes them think that that can make a big jumpat the start and pick up a lot of positions. Cleveland is a place where Ireally have to take care because your instinct makes you want to gain a lotof positions and you have to back off a little. The way to keep you fromhaving to take that chance is to qualify way up front and hopefully everyone else behind you has to worry about Lap One, Turn One in Cleveland. Wequalified well in Portland [second] so we need to match that or make it onebetter this weekend. Cleveland is not only one of my favorite races, but Iam sure it is one of everybody's favorite races because it is verychallenging to drive. It demands a lot of a driver and team skill to puttogether a good lap and the atmosphere of the fans is great and the track isreally safe. The whole Ohio crowd is so enthusiastic about CART. Every racein Ohio is fun to go to because fans really understand and you can tell thatby the questions they ask you."

TONY KANAAN (Hollywood Honda Reynard), hoping to rebound at Cleveland:"Cleveland has always been good to me, but so has Detroit and Portland, andwe're coming off of a couple of tough weekends at those places. So, I'm alittle hesitant to make any bold predictions. We know Cleveland is a verydriver-friendly layout. I love racing there more than most places. We justwant to show up this time and get it right. We're not expecting miracles,but with the talent we have on this team, we wouldn't be surprised if it allcame together this weekend. We've been struggling and even looked like wewere a bit lost the last two weekends. There definitely is a problem we aresearching for. We're working very hard to find it and solve it, and once wedo, 'Look out!' The good thing is we're still in the first half of theseason. There is a lot of racing left. Maybe soon, we will totally forgetwhat's been going on the last two weekends ... kind of like my Saturday atDetroit [where Kanaan sustained a mild concussion that forced him to sit outthe event]!"

SCOTT DIXON (Powerware Panasonic PacWest Toyota), on getting acclimated tothe Cleveland track in a Champ Car: "Cleveland is a very different track. Iraced there once in 1999 [in Indy Lights] and I'm looking forward toreturning. We couldn't do any testing at Cleveland, so I've never driven aChamp Car on this particular track. I'm interested to see how a Champ Carhandles all the bumps. Aside from being a bumpy track, it is difficult tofind your braking spots, so it should be very challenging. It's a very widetrack, so there should be a lot of passing, which will be exciting for thefans of Cleveland. I'm confident my engineers will put together a greatset-up and my Toyota Reynard package has been consistent all year. Plus,I'm qualifying in the fast group, so overall, it should be a good weekend."

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (Target Toyota Lola), on continuing Target Chip GanassiRacing's record of success in Cleveland: "This team has had great success atCleveland in the past. Our team has a great setup on the car for that trackand I can't wait to get there. Our qualifying this year has been very fastand consistent. We have had four top-six starts in the last five races.This is a very competitive series and it is a credit to our team that wehave done so well in qualifying this season. The field in Portland wasseparated by just over a second from first to last place. This weekend, I'mlooking forward to continuing the winning tradition that Team Target has inCleveland."

ADRIAN FERNANDEZ (Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Honda Reynard), on theimportance of setup and grip at Cleveland: "Cleveland is a very excitingcircuit and a great track for the fans. I am happy that we are racing there.It's very wide and there are a lot of passing opportunities. On the otherhand, it is difficult because it is so wide and flat, and you don't havevery clear references. It is also very bumpy and the car jumps hard. It isall about mechanical grip here, and setup is very important. John [Ward,chief engineer and race engineer for Fernández] gave me a great car lastyear, so hopefully, we can come up with something good again this weekend."

PATRICK CARPENTIER (Player's/Indeck Ford Reynard), on a special reason he'slooking forward to this year's Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented byFirstar: "The race in Cleveland is one of the highlights of the season forme, and even more so this year because that's where Kenny [Brack] and I willannounce the name of our band. The response to the Name the Band contest hasbeen amazing, and we're happy to see that so many people out there areinterested. Cleveland is a great event, with lots of loyal fans. I rememberthe times we've had rain in Cleveland and the fans hung in there to the end.Racing on the Burke Lakefront Airport runway is quite an experience. Youhave to be careful and patient getting through the hairpin on Turn Onebecause it's almost like a funnel. But there's lots of space on the trackfor passing. That helped me go from 19th to [finish] fifth last year. It'snice to be going to Cleveland on a bit of a roll. Team Player's has improvedin each of the last three races and getting into the top five in Portlandlast Sunday shows that we're headed in the right direction. You have to givecredit to the entire team. When we weren't having any luck earlier in theseason, no one got down. Everyone just kept working hard and now we'restarting to see some results from that hard work."

ALEX TAGLIANI (Player's/Indeck Ford Reynard), on the physical challenges ofcompeting at Cleveland:"All the mountain biking, weight lifting and training exercises that I dothroughout the year are probably going to come in handy in Cleveland thisweekend. It can get pretty hot running 100 laps on that airport runway inJune/July. Maintaining your stamina and making sure you stay hydrated isimportant. I enjoy racing in Cleveland because, at times, it's almost likeyou're out on this wide-open highway, putting the pedal to the metal. Butit's a track that can take its toll on equipment, as we discovered last yearwhen our gearbox gave out in the last 20 laps, just when we were close togetting into the top five. I'm not sure if Team Player's solid performancein Portland means that we've turned the corner, but we definitely havesomething to build on. We managed to persevere through a lot of adversity inthat race. We kept battling and we were there at the end. Races like thatare character builders and Portland may have been a great preparation forCleveland, where you have to be ready for anything. The heat, the rain andthe tough track in many aspects, is quite different from any other in theseries."

BRYAN HERTA (Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing Ford Reynard), returning to compete inhis former home state of Ohio: "It will be great to race again in Ohio. Ilived there for quite a while, so I really enjoy the Ohio races. We foundsome things during the practice session last weekend on our set-up that wehave been evaluating, and I think it should help us with our set-up thisweek, so I am looking forward to getting out on the track on Friday. This isa great event, and I really like racing at the airport."

ORIOL SERVIA (Sigma Autosport Ford Lola), on the importance of last week'sninth-place finish at Portland: "We accomplished what we needed to do atPortland and that was score some points. It is good momentum heading intoCleveland. I really like Cleveland and I think most of the drivers like it,too. It's one of my favorite tracks because it has fast and slow cornersand fast chicanes, which I like a lot. It's just an exciting race and agreat place to be because we have a great fan base there. It's the track tobe at for the fans because they can see almost all of the track and whatgoes on at a road circuit."

MAURICIO GUGELMIN (Nextel PacWest Toyota), on the recent improvement of thePacWest Racing Group heading into Cleveland: "Even though we didn't finishthe Portland race [contact while in fifth position], I still feel as thoughwe are on a roll and heading in the right direction entering Cleveland.This is a track where I have enjoyed a lot of success in the past. I havealways qualified well there, and the wide-open track is something that Ienjoy. The circuit allows you the perspective of seeing everyone on thetrack, so you can always gauge where you are compared to everyone elsesimply by looking around - which is unique for a street circuit. Last year,we nearly had the pole so this year, with Toyota power, I'm feeling veryconfident. I know what my crew and I are capable of doing. It's just amatter of putting it all together and really working hard as a team. Aslong as we stay focused and consistent in our efforts, the results willcome."

MEMO GIDLEY (Target Toyota Lola), on bouncing back from last week'sdisappointing return to the FedEx Championship Series: "Last weekend wasdisappointing for our team. Even though I was starting near the back of thepack, I felt that we had a car that could compete for a top-10 finish. Thefirst-lap incident that we were involved in ended those hopes. This teamhas really accepted me and I already feel like an integral part of thisorganization. I'm hoping that we can have a solid finish this weekend.Cleveland is my kind of track. It is a place where you can really throw thecar around and be aggressive."

SHINJI NAKANO (Avex/Alpine Honda Reynard), on adapting to the road courselayout at Burke Lakefront Airport: "The Cleveland track is somethingspecial. When I went there for the first time last year, I thought, 'What isthis?' Driving on an airport is a strange feeling, but it is a veryinteresting track. There are no reference points, so it is very difficult tofind your braking spots. It is also very bumpy. It's a challenge to find agood car because it is not a normal circuit. Now I know the track, and Ihave good feeling for this weekend."

TORA TAKAGI (Pioneer/DENSO Special Toyota Reynard), on getting comfortablewith FedEx Championship Series road- and street-course competition: "Thanksto a good weekend in Portland and more time in the CART car at Detroit theweekend before, and at our test in Mid-Ohio right before that, I have someconfidence on the road and street courses going into the Cleveland race.Plus, our team is working well together, so I am hoping that [at] this nextrace, we will make continuous progress and keep improving, although I hopeit is a little drier in Cleveland next weekend than it was the last!"

FAST FACTS FOR THE MARCONI GRAND PRIX OF CLEVELAND PRESENTED BY FIRSTAR

WHAT: Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstar Bank.
WHERE: Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio.
WHEN: Friday-Sunday, June 29-July 1.
SUPPORT EVENTS: CART Toyota Atlantic Championship, Barber Dodge Pro Series,Trans-Am Championship, Barber Dodge Pro Series.
BROADCAST: TV-ABC-TV (live, 1 p.m., ET). RADIO-CART Radio Network (WKNR,1220 AM). INTERNET - www.cart.com .
PRE-RACE PROGRAMMING: Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Firstarpole qualifying, 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN2; "CART 2Day," 11 a.m. ET Sunday, ESPN2.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Roberto Moreno.
DEFENDING POLESITTER: Roberto Moreno.
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.106-mile temporary road course.
RACE LENGTH: 100 laps, 210.6 miles.
TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) - 1998, Jimmy Vasser, 134.385 mph(56.417 seconds); Race - 2000, Roberto Moreno, 112.619 mph.
RACE NUMBER: Nine of 21 in the FedEx Championship Series.