Vasser

Jimmy Vasser will make his 162nd consecutive start in Sunday's Honda 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia.

The string started in the 1993 season finale in Monterey, Calif.

Vasser, whose first start in a Champ car came on the streets of Surfers Paradise in Queensland in March 1992, has the longest current strong of consecutive starts and will move within two of Emerson Fittipaldi, who is second all-time with 164.

Al Unser Jr. holds the CART record with 192 consecutive starts.

"We've been competitive on the street courses this year and I'd really like to win it again," said Vasser, who won the 1996 race in Australia on the way to the CART championship.

"We've had six straight top-10 finishes and we're still after a top-five in the points," added Vasser, who goes into the race tied for eighth in the standings with Michael Andretti.