• Welcome back to a glorious day in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, as Champ Car fans await the 3:00 p.m. ET start of the CART FedEx Championship Series Grand Prix at Road America Featuring the Motorola 220. At 1:20 p.m. the temperature is perfect for racing at 72° F with 41 percent humidity and 7 mph wind from the Southwest.

• NOTEWORTHY: #4 JUNQUEIRA of Target Chip Ganassi Racing earned the pole position in yesterday's final qualifying session at 1:42.151 (142.659 mph) and will be flanked on the outside of row one by CART FedEx Championship Series points leader #6 DA MATTA of Newman/Haas Racing with a provisional pole speed of 1:42.640 (141.980 mph).

• Today's event is the longest road-course Champ Car race in terms of mileage since 1983 and is the fifth-longest in the history of the series. The 1981 and '82 races at Riverside International Raceway were the longest at 313.5 miles while the Cleveland races in 1982 and '83 were measured at 310.7 miles. Today's race is 242.88 miles.

• Fuel Allotment - Fuel allotment for this race is 135.7 U.S. gallons. The calculated distance is 250.976 miles including one parade lap and one pace lap based on 1.85 miles per gallon pursuant to 9.6.1B of the 2002 CART Rule Book.

• Pit Stops - The maximum lap interval for pit stops will be 14 laps.

• #6 DA MATTA paced this morning's warm up session with an orbit of 1:45.394 (138.270 mph).

• At 1:56 p.m., The command “Gentleman Start Your Engines” is given to the field.

• At 1:57 p.m., All Champ Cars successfully roll off the grid.

• At 2:06 p.m., The pace car exits the course down pit lane and CART FedEx Championship Series Starter Jim Swintal displays the GREEN FLAG over the field as the Champ Cars head up the hill on the over 4,000-foot straightaway down to Turn 1 of the mammoth road course. #4 JUNQUEIRA holds his position and leads through Turn 1 and 2. #26 TRACY overtakes #4 JUNQUEIRA for the lead heading into Turn 5. Now FULL COURSE YELLOW for #39 ANDRETTI who went off in the gravel trap in Turn 8. #55 DOMINGUEZ comes on pit lane for an early stop. #10 KANAAN, currently 13th after starting 18th, will receive a penalty from CART Race Control after jumping the start. #10 KANAAN will go back to 16th position. #39 ANDRETTI is started on the bump by the Simple Green CART Safety Team.

• GREEN FLAG restart on Lap 3. #26 TRACY leads the field into Turn 1. #39 ANDRETTI on pit lane for fuel and tires after the incident in the gravel trap.

• On Lap 4, #26 TRACY, who took the lead from #4 JUNQUEIRA on the opening lap after starting fourth, leads by 0.720 seconds, followed by #6 DA MATTA (1.678 seconds back), #33 TAGLIANI (2.160 seconds back) and #12 BRACK (2.879 seconds back).

• On Lap 5, #11 FITTIPALDI onto pit lane for an early stop. #26 TRACY leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by 0.647 seconds.

• On Lap 6, #5 TAKAGI onto pit lane for an early stop.

• On Lap 7, #32 CARPENTIER plays the strategy game and is on pit lane for a stop. #26 TRACY leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by 0.653 seconds, followed by #6 DA MATTA (1.157 seconds back), #33 TAGLIANI (1.621 seconds back) and #12 BRACK (2.356 seconds back).

• On Lap 8, #9 JOURDAIN in for a pit stop.

• On Lap 10, #8 VASSER on pit lane for his first stop. #26 TRACY leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by 0.742 seconds, followed by #6 DA MATTA (1.484 seconds back), #33 TAGLIANI (1.955 seconds back) and #12 BRACK (3.551 seconds back).

• NOTEWORTHY: #10 KANAAN turned the fastest lap of the race 1:45.523 (138.101 mph) on Lap 8.

• On Lap 14, #26 TRACY leads the field down pit lane. #26 TRACY gets out first and regains the lead after beating #55 DOMINGUEZ back to the line while pitting.

• On Lap 15, #39 ANDRETTI back on pit lane.

• On Lap 16, #26 TRACY leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by just 0.466 seconds, followed by #12 BRACK (1.055 seconds back), #6 DA MATTA (2.631 seconds back) and #33 TAGLIANI (3.517 seconds back).

• On Lap 18, #32 CARPENTIER is slow on course driver's right between Turn 7 and 8 and pits. #52 NAKANO in for his second stop for a loose rear wing. The Fernandez Racing team changes out the old wing with a new one and #52 NAKANO continues.

• On Lap 19, #11 FITTIPALDI on pit lane for his second stop. #26 TRACY leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by 1.178 seconds, followed by #12 BRACK (1.704 seconds back), #6 DA MATTA (2.272 seconds back) and #33 TAGLIANI (3.098 seconds back).

• On Lap 21, #26 TRACY now leads the Target Chip Ganassi Racing duo of #4 JUNQUEIRA and #12 BRACK by 1.305 seconds and 2.011 seconds, respectively. #4 JUNQUEIRA has just turned the fastest lap of the race at 1:44.603 (139.315 mph).

• On Lap 22, #26 TRACY turns the fastest lap of the race at 1:44.338 (139.669 mph) and remains the leader.

• On Lap 23, #26 TRACY extends his lead to 2.252 seconds over #4 JUNQUEIRA.

• On Lap 24, #12 BRACK in for his second pit stop, as is #8 VASSER.

• On Lap 25, Race leader #26 TRACY makes his second pit stop and #4 JUNQUEIRA assumes the lead. #6 DA MATTA turns the fastest lap of the race at 1:44.297 (139.724 mph). #51 FERNANDEZ slow on course between Turn 14 and now pits after a big tank slapper exiting Turn 7.

• On Lap 26, #44 DIXON off course in the runoff in Turn 5 and the car is on fire as Dixon exits the car under his own power. #10 KANAAN in for his second stop.

• On Lap 27, #20 SERVIA on pit lane for his second stop.

• On Lap 28, Leader #4 JUNQUEIRA pits, followed by #6 DA MATTA, #33 TAGLIANI and #27 FRANCHITTI.

• On Lap 29, #26 TRACY overtakes #33 TAGLIANI for third as the pit stop cycle continues. #51 has retired (mechanical) after the crew had the engine cover off the car on pit road for the last several laps.

• On Lap 30, #20 SERVIA passes #27 FRANCHITTI for seventh. #4 JUNQUEIRA leads #6 DA MATTA by 1.598 seconds, followed by #26 TRACY (3.420 seconds back), #33 TAGLIANI (5.016 seconds back) and #12 BRACK (5.429 seconds back).

• On Lap 32, #4 JUNQUEIRA leads #6 DA MATTA by 1.064 seconds, followed by #26 TRACY (4.627 seconds back), #33 TAGLIANI (5.325 seconds back) and #12 BRACK (5.781 seconds back).

• On Lap 34, #4 JUNQUEIRA leads #6 DA MATTA by 0.830 seconds, followed by #26 TRACY (4.907 seconds back), #33 TAGLIANI (5.415 seconds back) and #12 BRACK (6.111 seconds back).

• On Lap 37, #20 SERVIA is off course driver's right without power between Turns 12 and 13.

• On Lap 37, #26 TRACY in for his third pit stop. #20 SERVIA reportedly ran out of fuel between Turns 12 and 13 and has retired. #5 TAKAGI has also retired (mechanical).

• On Lap 39, Leader #4 JUNQUEIRA in for his third stop and #6 DA MATTA assumes the point.

• FULL COURSE YELLOW on Lap 40 for #12 BRACK who made a move inside #26 TRACY in Turn 12 for fifth and took both cars off course into the gravel trap with side-to-side contact. Both cars have retired (contact). #33 TAGLIANI, #9 JOURDAIN and #55 DOMINGUEZ pit.

• On Lap 41, #6 DA MATTA, #27 FRANCHITTI in the pits for their third stops. #11 FITTIPALDI is for his fourth stop.

• On Lap 42, #6 DA MATTA leads #27 FRANCHITTI under caution, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA, #33 TAGLIANI and #11 FITTIPALDI as the Simple Green CART Safety Team removes #12 BRACK and #26 TRACY from the course.

• NOTEWORTHY: #6 DA MATTA turned the fastest lap of the race on Lap 40 at 1:44.019 (140.097 mph).

• GREEN FLAG On Lap 44. #32 CARPENTIER passes #27 FRANCHITTI for fifth position. Now #27 FRANCHITTI pulls off course in the Turn 5 runoff area. #27 FRANCHITTI has retired (mechanical).

• On Lap 45, #6 DA MATTA leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by 0.433 seconds, followed by #33 TAGLIANI (1.391 seconds back), #10 KANAAN (2.193 seconds back) and #32 CARPENTIER (2.989 seconds back).

• On Lap 46, #32 CARPENTIER in for his fourth and final stop. #52 NAKANO in for his final stop.

• On Lap 47, #9 JOURDAIN on pit lane for his final stop of the race.

• On Lap 48, #6 DA MATTA leads #4 JUNQUEIRA by 1.118 seconds, followed by #33 TAGLIANI (1.720 seconds back), #10 KANAAN (3.637 seconds back) and #8 VASSER (8.886 seconds back).

• On Lap 49, #6 DA MATTA turns the fastest lap of the race at 1:43.994 (140.131 mph).

• FULL COURSE YELLOW on Lap 50 for #52 NAKANO who spun in the gravel trap driver's left in Turn 12 and ended up with the front end of his machine on course. The top seven cars pit for the final time. #6 DA MATTA gets out first, followed by #33 TAGLIANI who beats #4 JUNQUEIRA out of the pits. #52 NAKANO has been restarted on the bump.

• GREEN FLAG restart on Lap 53. #6 DA MATTA leads the single-file restart in Turn 1.

• On Lap 54, #6 DA MATTA leads #33 TAGLIANI by 0.830 seconds, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA (1.636 seconds back), #10 KANAAN (2.385 seconds back) and #8 VASSER (4.914 seconds back).

• On Lap 56, #6 DA MATTA leads #33 TAGLIANI by 1.118 seconds, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA (2.072 seconds back), #10 KANAAN (3.047 seconds back) and #8 VASSER (7.449 seconds back) with four laps remaining. #10 KANAAN has moved up 14 positions after starting 18th.

• On Lap 58, #33 TAGLIANI trims 0.400 off the lead held by #6 DA MATTA with two laps to go.

• WHITE FLAG for #6 DA MATTA who leads #33 TAGLIANI by 0.654 seconds with just over four miles remaining in the race. #4 JUNQUEIRA turns the fastest lap of the race at 1:43.792 (140.404 mph).

• CHECKERED FLAG for #6 DA MATTA of Newman/Haas Racing who finishes 0.805 seconds ahead of #33 TAGLIANI of Player's/Forsythe Racing, followed by #4 JUNQUEIRA of Target Chip Ganassi Racing (1.530 seconds back), #10 KANAAN of Mo Nunn Racing (7.147 seconds back) after starting dead last and #8 VASSER of Team Rahal (11.489 seconds back).

• Bridgestone Tire engineers report that track temperatures ranged from 103° F to 107°, and air temperature from 80° to 83° during the race.

CHAMP CAR TOP-THREE QUOTES

• CRISTIANO DA MATTA (#6 Havoline Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone): “I'm very pleased with the way everything went today of course. The strategy played a very important part in what we did today. Some guys tried to make stops on our pace and shorted themselves on fuel, which resulted in earlier pit stops for them. But it worked for us today. The car was consistent and we didn't want to repeat what happened in Mid-Ohio last weekend. I didn't want to make that same mistake again. I got a little bit concerned the last two laps and was driving about 99 percent with these guys [Tagliani and Junqueira] behind me. We wanted to bump start our rhythm again and we were really just looking for a top five. But during the race I felt good and I was keeping up a good pace. It was very rewarding to finish the race and even better to win this one.”

• ALEX TAGLIANI (#33 Player's/Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone): “The Player's Team is working really hard at the moment. They have been working hard at the shop and we have been improving every race. The only mistake we had was putting in a seventh gear that was pulling low revs. But at speed the car was handling good and I might have been able to pass Cristiano if I had a shorter seventh gear. In the end I had to protect my position from Bruno because I was experiencing the problem with seventh. But I'm pleased with a second today.”

• BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (#4 Target Toyota/Lola/Bridgestone): “It was an OK day. I can't complain about third place. I was a little unlucky when Cristiano pitted a few laps before me on the second stop. I would have been able to overtake him coming out on cold tires but the yellow came out and I lost position. It was a shame. I thought we could have been two tenths faster. I didn't have much downforce so it was difficult to outbrake Alex and make a pass.”

• This concludes the CART FedEx Championship Series pit notes for Round 12 of the 2002 season. Next up for the series is the CART FedEx Championship Series Molson Indy Montreal in Quebec, Canada, for the running of Round 13 on the 2.747-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (permanent road course) on August 25. Congratulations once again to Cristiano da Matta for winning the Grand Prix at Road America Featuring the Motorola 220 at Road America. The win is the 10th of da Matta's Champ Car career and the sixth of the season. On behalf of Championship Auto Racing Teams, have a safe weekend and thank you once again for your interest and continued support of the CART FedEx Championship Series. Good Night!