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Different feeling Drivers facing different conditions in Michigan
Updated: Friday July 20, 2001 10:51 PM
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) -- Max Papis thought long and hard to come up with a way of telling the average motorist what it's like to be passed on Michigan International Speedway's oval at 225 mph. "Everyone has been driving when a truck cuts in front of you and you feel your car move," Papis said. "This is that plus 10. It's a different feeling that I've never experienced before." Papis was among the fastest drivers Friday, the opening day of practice on the two-mile oval for the Harrah's 500 -- apparently the last time CART will race at a track that has been part of its schedule since the Champ cars began competition in 1979. Kenny Brack, Papis' Team Rahal teammate and the series points leader, was fastest on the long, hot day of practice -- with air temperatures in high 80's and a blanket of humidity -- turning a lap of 226.351 mph in the morning session. Thanks to some rule changes initiated by CART for this race, that speed was nearly 10 mph slower than last year's Michigan pole and would have placed Brack near the rear of the 25-car field for the 2000 race.
A reduction in turbocharger air pressure -- reducing horsepower -- and a bigger version of the Handford Device, a blocky aerodynamic piece fastened to the rear wing of the Champ cars, have accomplished the slowdown. There is a downside, too. "I think it's a lot more turbulent out there than last year," Brack said. "It's going to be a little more difficult in the race when you're around other cars." Papis echoed Brack. "Looking on the technical side, the new wing package is difficult because there is an engine fighting a hand brake, which is the wing," he said. "It's not what you expect out of a very technological series. It requires a lot more attention at 225 than it did at 236 last year. The cars are very unpredictable." Papis was close behind Brack at 226.038, with his fast lap coming in the hotter afternoon session. "That lap was done under race conditions, so I'm very encouraged," he said. Patrick Carpentier was third on Friday at 225.585, followed by his Player's-Forsythe teammate Alex Tagliani at 225.077, Paul Tracy at 224.341 and Bryan Herta at 223.776. Michael Andretti, coming off his first victory of the season and going into Sunday's race second in the standings by 11 points, was 16th overall at 222.614. "We gained a lot of ground today in getting the new wing package figured out and making the car comfortable," said Andretti, who did several laps of intense racing with Carpentier during the afternoon practice. "With the new package, there's a lot more turbulence than before, so the car doesn't feel quite as stable. But we're working through that and I know by the time the race rolls around these guys will have it figured out."
"We were both looking for somebody to run with for a while. I passed him and he passed me," Carpentier said. "It's the only way to find out how the car is going to be in the race." Carpentier added that the full impact of the changes won't be felt until race day. "The only thing is that we're going to be racing a lot closer," he said. "I was only running with one other car, but it's going to be a lot different when there's 18 cars running together." Despite the turbulence, the speeds and the hot, greasy track, the only crash came in the morning, when Roberto Moreno spun while being passed by Tagliani on the high side and Dario Franchitti on the low side. Moreno slammed into the wall coming out of turn 2 onto the back straightaway. Moreno, who was shaken up but not injured, thanked MIS officials for paving the area between the track and the inside wall a year ago and for adding a tire barrier in front of the inside wall since last months' NASCAR race here. "That surface before the wall really slowed the car before impact, and that tire wall was very important in cushioning the impact," said Moreno, who wound up with the 10th fastest lap of the day at 223.159.
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