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Saturday, May 5
Junqueira wins first CART pole
Associated Press
NAZARETH, Pa. – Bruno Junqueira proved he belongs.
The rookie won the pole Saturday for the Lehigh Valley Grand
Prix, giving Target/Chip Ganassi Racing its third straight top
qualifying effort at Nazareth Speedway.
|  | | Kenny Brack qualified second on Saturday for the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix at Nazareth Speedway. |
It was perhaps a bit surprising this time because Junqueira will
race on an oval for the first time Sunday.
"Pressure? Sure, I feel pressure," the 24-year Brazilian said
after hustling his Lola-Toyota around the .946-mile oval at 172.873
mph to take the pole in only his third try. "But that's a
challenge and I love challenges."
Juan Montoya, the last of three drivers to account for the
team's four straight CART titles from 1996-99, had the pole the
last two years. He won the race in 1999, a year after Jimmy Vasser
gave the team its first victory on a short oval.
Junqueira isn't shocked by the pole, even considering his
inexperience.
"This is a great team and I just have to go out and do things
right," he said. "We have a good car for the short ovals, and I
should have a good chance."
The rookie says his biggest task will be doing the things most
take for granted. He doesn't expect to lead all the way.
That's where the confidence he gained last year by winning the
F3000 championship should help him.
"I know what to do, and I need clean pit stops and I've got to
be careful passing the backmarkers," he said. "If I do that, the
experience of the team should help."
Starting alongside Junqueira is last season's Rookie of the
Year, Kenny Brack, who set a record for Team Rahal with his fourth
consecutive front-row start. Brack, whose fast lap in a Lola-Ford
was 172.540, has yet to win on the circuit.
He's happy with his qualifying result, but knows not to count on
anything after the last two days. The 90-plus temperatures of
Friday were just a memory with the thermometer in the mid-70s
Saturday.
The forecast for Sunday is more of the same, and Brack likes
that.
"Any little thing can change the car with these conditions,"
he said.
What also concerns him is lapped traffic on the flat and narrow
oval.
"Pit stops will be so important Sunday because it's so hard to
pass here," Brack said. "I'm glad I'm starting up front."
In the second row are Michel Jourdain Jr. and Oriol Servia, both
in the best starting spots of their careers.
Jourdain's Lola-Ford went 170.707. Now, he hopes to act like he
knows how to race up front.
"I feel very good about tomorrow, "Jourdain said. "I just
have to be smart and stay on the track."
Servia took the first step, getting around at 170.314 in his
Lola-Ford. Now, he wants to finish the job.
"My main objective was to qualify in the top 10," he said.
"We just have to do a nice, consistent race to the end.
Helio Castroneves qualified fifth and will start inside Adrian
Fernandez on the third row. Bryan Herta and two-time Nazareth
winner Paul Tracy are next, and points leader Cristiano da Matta and Tony Kanaan round out the top 10.
Defending race and series champion Gil de Ferran starts 15th.
Max Papis, second-fastest in practice Friday, had a tough time
Saturday. He had the fifth-fastest time in practice Saturday
morning but was forced to make a great save when he spun out. He
duplicated the spinout in the afternoon qualifying session, but
took another lap that put him 14th on the grid.
Junqueira's teammate, rookie Nicolas Minassian, crashed into the
second-turn wall during his qualifying lap.
Michael Andretti, probably racing in his hometown for the last
time because CART does not plan to return to Nazareth after this
season, will try for a record-tying third victory on the track from
the 13th spot.
The race has been plagued by unfavorable dates both early and
late in the season, and attendance also has been held down by bad
weather that caused rescheduling. Last year, the event was snowed
out April 9 and finally contested on May 27. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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