Double duty

Moreno driving in both Indy 500, Motorola 300

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Posted: Friday May 28, 1999 02:17 PM

Moreno: I can handle it very well because I can separate things." AP

MADISON, Ill. (AP) -- Not long ago, Roberto Moreno thought he might be sitting out the biggest weekend of the year for open-wheel racing.

As it turns out, he'll be a heavy-duty driver, racing in the CART Motorola 300 on Saturday and IRL's Indy 500 on Sunday.

"I must say, it's going to be a busy weekend," Moreno said.

The 40-year-old Brazilian driver believes he'll be enjoying the best of both worlds this weekend, even if it'll be a little hectic.

"Any driver would love to race the Indy 500," Moreno said. "It's still one of the biggest races in the world, but so is the CART championship; series. It's one of those deals that I'm very honored and it's a great pleasure to do both."

Moreno is one of three drivers doing double duty this weekend. Like Moreno, Robby Gordon is also doing the Motorola 300 and the Indy 500. Tony Stewart has the toughest challenge, taking on Motorola 300 and the Coca-Cola 500 in Concord, N.H., on the same day.

The worst of the travel is on Thursday, when Moreno was at Indy for the traditional Carburetion Day in the morning, then drove in the afternoon practice session at Gateway International Speedway.

Fellow drivers don't seem to mind him doing double-duty for two different series.

"I'm proud of what he's doing," Max Papis said. "It shows a lot of will and it shows a love for the sport."

It doesn't hurt that the war between CART and IRL, which first battled head-to-head on Memorial Day weekend in 1997, appears to be waning. Drivers would like Indy to return to its former exalted status.

"I'd love to go back there if the situation was right and the equipment was right," said Richie Hearn, who was third at Indy in his only try in 1996. "Who wouldn't want to go back there, really?

"It's lost some of its luster and notoriety, but that can change overnight."

Even if relations weren't thawing, Moreno would still be doing what he's about to do. He doesn't really care what anybody else thinks.

"Part of my focus is to block myself away from everything when I'm driving," he said. "A driver doesn't have time to think about that."

Moreno didn't have a CART ride until Mark Blundell of the PacWest team cracked a verterbrae during testing at Gateway International Raceway in April. Just as in 1997, when he filled in while Christian Fittipaldi recovered from a broken leg, Moreno was happy to be the replacement driver for Blundell, who's expected back in mid-June.

He'll be making his 50th career CART start, stretched over 14 years, on Saturday.

Moreno has been contracted for only three IRL races with Truscelli Team, including his second attempt at Indy, and has no guaranteed ride after this weekend. He has qualified in the 23rd position, putting him in the middle of the eighth row in the 33-car field.

Moreno believes his background as a consultant and test driver will help him get through the weekend. CART and IRL race vastly different machines, so his ability to change mental gears will be important.

"I switch like I switch a channel, and my mind is focused," Moreno said. "I can handle it very well because I can separate things."

 

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