IN SIGHT Think Tomas is listening?. FOCUS: GIANCARLO FISICHELLA Fisichella And now, please welcome your Brazilian Grand Prix winner ... Kimi Raikk ... (wait, what?) Oh. Um ... Brazilian Grand Prix winner ... (we sure this time? OK. That's what we're going with, then ...) ... Giancarlo Fisichella! He got to celebrate briefly before he had the rug pulled out from under him (just imagine Bernie E. tugging a rug and cackling madly ... odd). "We really believed that we had won just after the race," Fisichella said after the race. "It was an amazing moment, but unfortunately I finished second. But it's a fantastic result. I would like to say thanks to the team. We did a fantastic strategy, and it's a very important result for us." But in a great move by the FIA, Fisichella's Persian cloth was reinstated under his moccasins later in the week and he was once again the race winner. "Thankfully Formula One is not like football, here you can see the replay and mistakes are recognized and the results changed," Fisichella said after being declared the race winner. "I am happy for the win, I am happy that the FIA admitted their mistake." As for Kimi Raikkonen, the guy who sort of won? Don't worry 'bout him. "I'm sure that there will be more wins for McLaren Mercedes and myself in the future so I'm not too disappointed," said the Finn. So all's well that ends well for Fisichella? Not quite. "The damage remains. I would have been the first Italian to win in 11 years and I was not able to stand on the top step of the podium. But it's still a win that will go down in Formula One history." Either way, he's finally an F1 grand prix winner. And while that could be key for his own future, Jordan's ability to put a car up front is duly noted. "It's very important even for my future because now I have won my first race in Formula One and after that I would like to drive for one of the top three teams. But if the Jordan is going to be competitive I could stay with them next year." And which would be more impressive, parleying success into a top ride or sticking with Jordan and helping to change the top three into the top four? Either way, Fisichella would be on the right track. PIT PASS So far, so good: Last week, we took a look at Bruno Junqueira's Champ Car season thus far. He was a preseason title favorite, but Paul Tracy's three-straight wins has changed things. And while Tracy won at Long Beach on Sunday -- partly thanks to Michel Jourdain Jr.'s horrible luck -- Junqueira was pleased with his third-place finish. "I think it was a pretty beautiful day," said Junqueira. " I'm quite happy to finish third today. I think the PacifiCare team did a great job, especially because they didn't start with the best car, and at the end of the race I was very competitive." Jourdain's Sunday heartbreak allowed Junqueira to jump to second in points, though he still trails Tracy by 26. "I'm pretty happy with the way the season has gone so far. I think we struggled a little bit. I think at the start of the season we were really fast. We've been struggling a little bit in qualifying to start a little bit up front. The first two races I had really fast car in the race. This race, at the start, my car wasn't too good. I think we could get better results, but third is not bad at all and it put us second in the championship." But Junqueira realizes he's not quite in control of his own destiny. "The only problem is that Paul is doing too good. I think the championship is long, and being consistent is very important. But on the other hand is important to win races as well. Let's see if we can get some wins for the next couple of races." On the other hand ... : IndyCar drivers Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon both suffered fractures in a two-car accident during the Indy Japan 300 on April 13 at Twin Ring Motegi. Kanaan suffered a radial fracture on his left arm, and Dixon suffered multiple fractures in his right hand and wrist. The two drivers were the only race-winners heading into Sunday's event, won by Scott Sharp. Dixon should be ready for Indy, while Kanaan is expected to have surgery on his left arm this week. His prognosis is undetermined. Even if you hate him, you've got to be loving this. Jeff Gordon -- race winner, top-three in points. And with a just couple of bad-luck finishes keeping him out of the top spot, it's safe to say that Jeff Gordon is back. Not that he ever went anywhere. After all, he did finish fourth in points last season despite the misplaced hype surrounding his winless streak. But there's no such streak this year. "It just takes that weight off your shoulders," said Gordon. "We don't have to go each weekend going, 'OK, it`s been 18, 20, 30, 40,' however many races it`s been since we won. Plus, we go into an off-weekend, so we get to enjoy it for a little bit longer than just a regular win." But this isn't just about Gordon. Rather, with all the talk of rookies (McMurray? Biffle?) or surprises and Cinderella stories (Blaney? Spencer?), it's NASCAR's Big Guns that are atop the standings. Sunday's finish? Gordon vs. Bobby Labonte. Points race? Matt Kenseth -- one of the newest Big Guns -- leading Dale Earnhardt Jr and Gordon. Sure, some of the next few drivers fall into the young guns category -- Jimmie Johnson in fourth, Kurt Busch in fifth, Kevin Harvick in sixth -- but quietly lurking in seventh is Tony Stewart. Just outside the top 10? Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin. NASCAR's elite. Yes, there is still room for anyone to win any given race. But if you had to list your dream championship battle, it's hard to argue with Kenseth, Junior and Gordon leading the pack, with Stewart sure to join them in the coming weeks. Battles between the best drivers in NASCAR don't always shape up -- it's too difficult with 43 cars on the track. And while it's still very early in the season, exit polls seem to show that we could be in for a fun fight -- partly because four-time Cup champ Gordon is solidly in the mix. And he's happy to be there. "There are so many sweet things about getting a victory early in the season. In the first third of the season, I think it means so much. "This team -- I think they've been right there week in and week out to get a win," Gordon said. "We've been close and let it slip away and it's awesome to finally get it -- especially early on." But Gordon's got strong competition from within his own camp -- Johnson's No. 48 car. Sitting fourth in points, Johnson has rolled off three top-10s and a top-15 in the last four races after a couple of tough finishes. "I'm very pleased with everything we've been able to do as a team. We had some crazy off-the-wall bad luck develop (a few weeks back), but we're still high in points. With that in mind, once we get rid of this black cloud over our heads, we're going to be in good shape." That black cloud is gone and Johnson is running as well as Gordon, Kenseth and Earnhardt Jr., adding even more talented congestion to the top of the standings. And we haven't even mentioned guys like Michael Waltrip and Ricky Craven, who could also make some noise. Let the fun begin. EXHAUST FUMES Duno Exposure: American Le Mans Series driver Milka Duno competed in the professional category in the annual Toyota Celebrity Challenge event as part of this past weekend's Long Beach Grand Prix. The Venezuelan driver is also the subject of a brief feature article in the April issue of "Maxim En Español" magazine. She is pictured with a Panoz LMP01 show car in the magazine. First, Toyota Atlantic driver Danica Patrick appeared in FHM in an attention-grabbing pictorial. Now, Duno is drawing the attention of Maxim. Women in racing is a tricky subject. Some believe they should be praised while others criticize anyone who gives them more attention based solely on the fact that they are women. But Patrick has shown she can drive, not only via success in Europe but also through a strong run at Long Beach last year and a third-place last month in her first-ever Toyota Atlantic race. Now, Duno -- who already has race wins to her credit -- has also turned heads at Long Beach. Duno qualified second in the pro category, but took the lead on the first lap of the race. She led for six laps, more than half of the 10-lap event, before being bumped twice and falling back to third, where she eventually finished. "It's a great event," said Duno. "I had the chance to meet, practice and race with some very popular and wonderful people. Everything about the preparation for the race and the race weekend is first class. And the best thing about it is that it benefits the children's hospital of Long Beach." Duno, who drove for three different teams in ALMS competition last year, is still working on putting together a deal to return to the series when racing resumes in June. And if publicity via men's magazines helps that cause, more power to the drivers. OVERHEARD Michel Jourdain Jr. On his near-win at Long Beach: "I don't know if this is the best or the worst day of my life." Sam Hornish Jr. On Japan's messy race: "The Indianapolis 500 is the ultimate long haul, and if it goes like it went (in Japan), there will only be five cars that finish." Jeff Gordon On his battle with Bobby Labonte: "I was pretty determined to win this race. I thought I was kind of nice about it."

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