From CART Online (March 15, 1998)
-- Michael Andretti
charged out of the gate for the third time in the past five
FedEx Championship Series seasons Sunday to extend
his all-time leading CART victory total to 37 with a triumph
in the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota
at the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex.
Andretti’s victory in the Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford was his third in the past five season openers, following wins at Australia in ’94 and Homestead last year. He became the first driver since Rick Mears in 1989 and ’90 to win back-to-back FedEx Championship Series season openers.
His 0.075-second margin of victory over polesitter and runnerup Greg Moore (Player’s/Indeck Reynard Mercedes) was the fourth closest in CART history. Defending PPG Cup champion Alex Zanardi (Target Reynard Honda) finished third, 0.918 seconds behind Andretti.
Andretti averaged a race-record 144.339 mph for 225 miles to defend his championship on the 1.502-mile Homestead oval. He led 62 of 150 laps, including the final 43, to earn a $100,000 payday.
"The car ran well," Andretti said, "especially from about midway on. After that, I just tried to conserve tires. My [Goodyear] tires held up really well. They were really strong there in the end."
Andretti’s victory was the first for Goodyear since Paul Tracy’s win at Gateway last year, a span of 11 events.
"I almost messed up on one pit stop," Andretti said. "I almost stalled and nearly spun trying to beat Alex [Zanardi] out. It was just one of those days when it’s your day."
Moore, winner of his first CART career pole position Saturday, made an astounding charge from a lengthy stay in the pits brought on when his air jack failed during his initial stop on Lap 36. He slid from first to 15th due to the malfunction and fell as far back as 17th on Lap 45 before beginning the climb back.
Moore improved to 13th by Lap 60, 10th by Lap 71 and seventh two laps later. He moved into fifth during a caution period on Lap 102, then began a 42-lap stay in third place from Laps 103-144. He passed Zanardi for second place on Lap 145 and went on to the fifth runner-up finish of his CART career.
"Michael was a little bit quicker than I was in clean air," said Moore, fourth-place finisher at Homestead last year. "With 10 laps to go, Steve Challis, my engineer, came on [the radio] and said, ‘Do you think you have something for him?’ I said, ‘In traffic, I think we do.’ I think we could have won the race with one more lap, but second place is a good way to start the season. We just have to get them in Japan."
Zanardi qualified sixth and drove a steady race which included stints on the lead from Laps 37-43 and Laps 103-107.
"We set up the car in a way which was going to be consistent," Zanardi said. "We set it up for long runs. Before we went yellow for the last time [when Hiro Matsushita (Panasonic/Duskin Reynard Toyota) brushed the Turn 2 wall on Lap 129], I was in a position to catch Michael. I’m kind of disappointed, but it’s a good result to start the season, with a long way to go."
The race featured seven lead changes among four drivers. Moore led the first 36 laps before his costly stop under caution caused by contact in Turn 4 by rookie Tony Kanaan (LCI Reynard Honda) put Zanardi in front for the first time.
Gil de Ferran (Valvoline/Cummins Special Reynard Honda), last year’s PPG Cup runnerup, passed Zanardi on the restart to lead Laps 44-65. Andretti’s first stay on the point lasted from Laps 66-76 before de Ferran regained the lead under caution from Laps 77-94. Andretti (95-102) and Zanardi (103-107) combined to lead the next 13 laps before Andretti regained the lead for good by passing Zanardi heading into Turn 1 on Lap 108.
"We have a good setup on ovals with the Swift," Andretti said. "It’s looking very good for us, even on street and road courses. I think Goodyear will be strong, too. I’m really looking forward to the street and road races."
Christian Fittipaldi (Kmart Swift Ford), Andretti’s Newman/Haas teammate, finished fourth for his best effort since a fourth-place showing at Road America last year. Scott Pruett (Visteon Reynard Ford) finished fifth for his third consecutive top-five finish at Homestead. He was fourth in ’96 and fifth last year.
The Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota will receive an encore performance 1 p.m. ET Monday on ESPN. The race re-airs 3:30 a.m. Tuesday on ESPN2.
The FedEx Championship Series continues Saturday, March 28, with the Budweiser 500k from the new Twin Ring Motegi motorsports complex in Motegi, Japan.
NOTEBOOK: Sunday’s .075 margin of victory between Michael Andretti and Greg Moore was the fourth-closest in CART’s 20-year history. Three of those finishes have occurred in the past four seasons, including Mark Blundell’s .027 conquest of Gil de Ferran at Portland last year in the closest FedEx Championship Series finish ever. Scott Pruett edged Al Unser Jr. by .056 at Michigan Speedway in ’95 to account for the second-closest finish in the series, while the .07 margin of victory by Mario Andretti over his son, Michael, at Portland in ’86 ranks third overall in CART annals. CART’s timing and scoring system did not include a third decimal point in ’86 so the victory margin was rounded off … Ford took the lead in the Manufacturer’s Championship on the strength of its victory, 17-14, over Mercedes-Benz. Ford drivers also finished fourth (Christian Fittipaldi, Kmart Swift Ford), fifth (Scott Pruett, Visteon Reynard Ford), sixth (Adrian Fernandez, Tecate/Quaker State/Labatt Reynard Ford) and eighth (Bryan Herta, Shell Reynard Ford). Moore’s runner-up effort keyed defending champion Mercedes second position in the Manufacturer’s race.
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