de Ferran

"I think it's a special challenge," said Gil de Ferran, fastest on the 1.527-mile, 10-turn course in Friday's practice.

"It's a different type of racing and it requires a unique approach and a unique set of skills.

"You're running between walls all the time and you can't make a mistake. At the same time, you can push very, very hard and it seems that your results are stretchable in some way. I enjoy that."

The Houston circuit is located at the south end of downtown, in the shadow of dozens of highrise buildings and winds alongside the city's convention center.

It's a good thing de Ferran is happy to be here because Sunday's race could play a pivotal role in the CART FedEx Series championship chase.

With one point up for grabs in Saturday's qualifying, series leader Kenny Brack holds a six-point lead over reigning series champion de Ferran and leads third-place Michael Andretti by 22 and fourth-place Helio Castroneves by 24.

With four races remaining on the CART schedule, there are 88 points still available. Each race pays 22 points -- one for the pole, 20 for the win and one for leading the most laps.

De Ferran, who won the pole last year with a lap of 93.558 mph and was third in the race, was fastest on Friday at 89.791. Christian Fittipaldi was next at 89.522, followed by Castroneves, de Ferran's Marlboro Team Penske teammate, at 89.505, Jimmy Vasser, who won last year while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, at 89.417, Bryan Herta at 89.390 and Mauricio Gugelmin at 89.156.

Brack was seventh at 89.127, while Andretti struggled to the 20th fastest lap at 87.909.

All the fast laps Friday came in the morning practice on a dry track. The afternoon session was slowed by light rain that forced the teams to go to the slower, grooved racing tires.

Fittipaldi's last run ended when he clipped the concrete barrier at the end of the final turn early in the afternoon session.

"That was going to be my last lap because we had done all the work we wanted to do," he said. "Then I ran out of talent and hit that wall.

"When you have damage on an oval, though, it's the whole car and, I didn't want to say it, but maybe the driver, too. On a street course like this one, maybe it's just the suspension or some pieces that's damaged."

Castroneves said he too enjoys street racing, despite the tight quarters.

"The risk is there, but I enjoy it a lot, especially when I have a good car like I have here," he said. "It's a great, great feeling to push hard and somehow make a better time after you thought you got everything you could out of the car the last time around."

With dry weather forecast for the weekend and the street course becoming cleaner and less slick as the competitors lay down rubber, speeds are expected to climb.