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By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 11, 2000
By now, the CART drivers in Montegi, Japan, for Sunday's Firehawk 500 are going a bit stir-crazy.
"The hotel is extremely quiet," driver Adrian Fernandez said. "There's like two or three channels on TV. I think there's just one in English and there's just one restaurant. There is not a gym. There is not a swimming pool there. They have a karaoke bar."
The excitement for Fernandez will come with his chance to make history. A victory by the 35-year-old Mexican will give him three straight at Montegi, and make him the first CART driver to win a track's first three events.
Montegi began hosting CART races in 1998.
"It's a track we know very well," said Fernandez, whose April 30 victory at Rio de Janeiro was his first of the season and sixth overall. "We have a good setup. I feel very confident on it."
The Twin Ring track is fast. It is egg-shaped with some turns Fernandez said you can drive "flat out" at 200 mph. Tight Turn 3 slows the cars to 160 mph, but the track's width gives room to maneuver.
"Coming into Turn 3, there's medium type of braking," Fernandez said. "Then it's just trying to put the power as soon as you can into the exit, which is coming into the main straight. It's important to come out good in that corner because that's going to give you the speed into the whole track."
COMING FROM BEHIND: All three CART races this season have been won from 13th place or lower on the starting grid.
Max Papis started 13th in the season-opener at Homestead. Paul Tracy was 17th at Long Beach and Fernandez was 16th.
That is noteworthy because in 327 races in 22 previous seasons, only 29 drivers had won from double-digit starting positions.
HARD FEELINGS: Officials at Texas Motor Speedway said they still are waiting for the second Winston Cup date they were promised.
NASCAR added Cup races in Joliet, Ill., and Kansas City, Kan., for next season. Both tracks are owned by International Speedway Corp., which is run by the family of the late Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR.
The Texas track is owned by Bruton Smith.
"I had been told repeatedly they could not add new events to the schedule without dropping some," TMS manager Eddie Gossage said. "But they found some way for tracks they own to fit in."
ISC officials have said no promise was made.
PAINFUL EXPERIENCE: David Coulthard was hurt worse than he let on in last week's plane crash, which killed the pilot and co-pilot. FIA medical officer Sid Watkins said the Formula One driver cracked three ribs and bruised his chest. Five days later, Coulthard finished second in the Spanish Grand Prix. Watkins is "confident" Coulthard will drive in the May 21 European Grand Prix in Germany.
HOT TICKET: The U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race on Sept. 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is sold out. Track spokesman Fred Nation said with general admission seating, attendance could approach 225,000.
In the 32 years Formula One staged races in the United States, attendance never reached six figures. Watkins Glen and Long Beach were estimated at 90,000. The largest Formula One crowds are estimated at 100,000 in Montreal; Monza, Italy; and Silverstone, England.
"This will be the largest (F1 attendance) in modern history," Nation said.
ODDS AND ENDS: Winston Cup driver Robby Gordon will drive the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500 on May 28. Tony Stewart ran both races last season, finishing ninth at Indy and fourth in the Coca-Cola. ... Michael Andretti's next victory will give him the CART record for most seasons with at least one win. He is tied with Rick Mears at 12. ... The Chip Ganassi Racing team, which includes Dario Franchitti and Tracy, will be featured on Gillette World Sports Special at 11:30 a.m. Friday on Fox Sports Net.
- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.