Tracy

TORONTO -- Paul Tracy couldn't be in a better position in his return home to Canada.

Tracy returned to Toronto earlier this week as the CART series leader with an eight-point lead over Bruno Junqueira in the standings. He'll try to increase it Sunday in the Molson Indy, the first of two consecutive races in Canada.

"It's a great feeling to be able to go to Toronto for the first Canadian race of the season with the lead in the championship,'' Tracy said. "Coming home for a race at this stage of the season provides added incentive to keep plugging away toward our goal.''

Tracy has set his goal at winning his first CART championship this season and finds himself in prime position to do it with three wins in the first nine races.

But he hasn't been successful at the 1.755-mile temporary street course on the streets of Toronto since 1993, the only year he won in front of his hometown fans.

"I can't think of a better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my race victory in Toronto than by winning this year,'' he said.

Tracy knows how difficult it will be, even though he's quite familiar with the circuit and all the surroundings. Since his only victory at Exhibition Place, Tracy has failed to lead a single lap and finished 16th last year after mechanical failure.

"Toronto is one of my favorite tracks in the series but I realize there's no such thing as a home-track advantage,'' he said. "We're going to need to qualify well because it's a very tight street circuit with limited passing.

"We've had some success getting on the front row and hopefully that will continue in Toronto.''

Tracy has qualified well this season, starting from the front row in six of nine races with two poles.

He'll have solid competition from Patrick Carpentier, his teammate at Player's/Forsythe Racing and a fellow Canadian.

"Hopefully we won't wreck each other to win,'' Carpentier said. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to let him pass me easily just because we are teammates.''

But the two are getting along fairly well, something few thought possible when the Canadian-based team brought the two countrymen together as teammates earlier this season.

Carpentier has spent seven of his eight CART seasons with Player's, and his latest contract extension did not come easily. So when the team signed Tracy during the offseason, Carpentier was less than thrilled.

"Sure I was a little upset when the team brought Paul in,'' Carpentier said. "I had been through a tough year of negotiations to get a new contract and then the team signs Paul and gives him everything he wants.''

The animosity lingered at the start of the season, especially when the team changed from Reynard chassis to Lolas -- which Carpentier had no experience using. But Tracy did his best to help Carpentier with the new chassis and four races into the year, Carpentier softened toward his teammate.

"There is a sincerity about our relationship,'' Carpentier said. "When Paul talks to me I know I can trust what he says is what it is.''