It’s a Helio of a Day for Brazilian Driver

Attendance at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach appeared to be down dramatically Sunday, but anyone who saw the CART main event could understand why.

In Rio and Sao Paulo fans may have been cheering as three of their Brazilian countrymen--Helio Castroneves, Cristiano da Matta and Gil de Ferran--paraded across the finish line in front, but in Long Beach it was a snoozer.

Dover Downs, owners of the LBGP, do not divulge attendance figures, but it was apparent that a number of grandstands were only partially filled.

Castroneves started on the pole and for 82 laps had only mild challenges to his red and white Marlboro Honda-Reynard. Even during pit stops, he managed to come in first and get out first. The excitable winner gave the fans near the start-finish what they wanted when he got out of his car and climbed the nearest fence.

Fence climbing became the trademark for Roger Penske’s newest driver when he won his first race last year in Detroit. He repeated his wire act after victories at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca and Sunday after his first of 2001.

Da Matta started fourth but when Kenny Brack, the 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner, dropped out on Lap 31 with a damaged gear box, Da Matta moved into second place for keeps. His second-place finish, coupled with a victory in the season opener in Monterrey, Mexico, kept him in front of the season standings.

“It is very difficult to pass on a street course and I could have done some crazy things and maybe tried to pass Helio, but I’m satisfied, I am in a good position after two races,” Da Matta said.

It was a short day for the three most famous names in the race.

Michael Andretti, former CART champion and the 1986 Long Beach winner, was the first driver out when his Motorola Honda-Reynard quit on the second time around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi, back from a disillusioning year in Formula One, was third out, succumbing to mechanical problems after several pit stops.

Then came Brack, giving up his position to Da Matta.

“I didn’t make any mistakes out there today,” Castroneves said. “I was perfect. It helps when somebody is behind you, right on your gearbox, because you focus all the time.

“My car was great all race long. My only problem was the fuel monitor. It broke on the parade lap, so I just had to try to conserve fuel and rely on messages from the pits that my mileage was OK. Even when Cristiano was following me so closely I was feeling good. I like the pressure of leading. It was just a perfect weekend for me and the team.”

De Ferran, defending CART champion, agreed that his Penske teammate had driven an immaculate race.

“I should know, I had a great view all day long,” said De Ferran, 33, eight years Castroneves’ senior. “We had a great day. The car was handling very, very well, one of the best cars I have ever had.

“Dario [Franchitti] actually passed us at the start, but I was able to re-pass him under braking for turn one [at the end of Shoreline Drive] and after that it was a smooth race for us.”

Rookie Bruno Junqueira, another Brazilian who is one of Chip Ganassi’s new drivers, looked impressive as he finished ninth after starting 28th. He also had to make an extra stop when a tire came off and had to drive back to his pit on the rim.

Junqueira got no compliments from Zanardi, however.

“I had a great car and had it not been for Junqueira coming out of nowhere and T-boning me going into Turn 7, I think we had a car capable of a very strong finish,” Zanardi said. “It’s very disappointing getting taken out of a race like that.”

Frenchman Nicolas Minassian, the other member of Ganassi’s rookie tandem, finished eighth, the highest rookie in the race.

Another rookie, Tora Takagi of Japan, had an eventful day, spinning so many times that it would not have been surprising if his crew had handed him some Dramamine. On Lap 45, he spun in the first turn but managed to continue without hitting a barrier. On Lap 75, Takagi spun into the runoff area at the end of Seaside Drive, again not damaging his car. Three laps later, a spin back at the first turn sent his Toyota-Reynard into the tire barrier and out of the race.

Another unhappy driver was Alex Tagliani, who complained of being pushed out of the way by Paul Tracy.

“I’m pretty upset and disappointed that CART didn’t take any action against him for hitting me,” said the Canadian driver of his fellow Canadian. “That’s not the way you need to drive to pass people.

“Everybody was in single file going into the fountain turn and when I turned he flat out pushed me out of the way. His nose hit my rear and gave me a flat tire which pretty much ruined the rest of our days.”

Said a contrite Tracy: “I locked up the brakes and hit Tags on the start going into the chicane. All I can do is apologize. It’s my fault.”

Castroneves’ victory was the third time a CART race on Long Beach’s washboard streets had gone wire-to-wire. Mario Andretti did it in 1984, the first year CART replaced Formula One as the main attraction of the “World’s Fastest Beach Party,” and again in 1987.

It also was the sixth consecutive victory for Honda at Long Beach. Castroneves averaged 86.223 mph for the race, which lasted 1 hour 52 minutes.

The day’s only injury occurred when Patrick Carpentier’s car collided with Team Rahal driver Max Papis on Lap 53. Carpentier got airborne before banging down on the track. The impact broke his left wrist.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Long Beach Grand Prix

TOP THREE

1. Helio Castroneves

2. Cristiano da Matta

3. Gil de Ferran

STATISTICS

Margin of victory

0.534 of a second

Winner’s average speed

86.223 mph

INSIDE

Mike Kupper: D12

Results: D12

Past winners: D12