1999 Firestone Firehawk 500K

Last updated
Flag of Japan.svg 1999 Firestone Firehawk 500K
Race details
Race 2 of 20 in the 1999 CART season
Twin Ring Motegi oval map.svg
Twin Ring Motegi
DateApril 10 [1] , 1999
Official name 1999 Firestone Firehawk 500K
Location Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Tochigi, Japan
CoursePermanent oval course
1.549 mi / 2.493 km
Distance201 laps
311.349 mi / 501.093 km
WeatherDry
Pole position
Driver Gil de Ferran  (Walker Racing)
Time25.463
Fastest lap
Driver Hélio Castro-Neves  (Hogan Racing)
Time25.830 (on lap 136 of 201)
Podium
First Adrián Fernández  (Patrick Racing)
Second Gil de Ferran  (Walker Racing)
Third Christian Fittipaldi  (Newman-Haas Racing)

The 1999 Firestone Firehawk 500K was the second round of the 1999 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on April 9, 1999, on the Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi, Japan.

Contents

This was the first Champ Car race since the 1995 Indianapolis 500, in which Al Unser Jr. is absent on the starting grid.

Report

Race

There was drama at the start when polesitter Gil de Ferran spun while taking the green flag. As a result, the start was delayed, and de Ferran was able to take back his starting position: pole. He led the early stages but then began to drop back with tire problems and Maurício Gugelmin took the lead. Gugelmin led comfortably until the first round of stops, when he overshot his pitlane, losing time. He was also given a black flag for running over pit equipment, which put him a lap down and out of contention. Adrián Fernández took the lead and led comfortably until Juan Pablo Montoya closed right up to him. Fernández held him off, and Montoya's challenge was ended when he lost three laps due to a fuel pick-up problem. In the final stages of the race, it seemed clear that everyone had to pit for fuel, and a caution brought out by Max Papis's spin was ideal. All the leaders pitted, except Fernández who for some reason stayed out. It seemed to be a mistake, as the race went green with 4 laps left, and he did not have enough fuel for 4 green-flag laps. However, Greg Moore, running second, spun while lapping backmarkers, which resulted in Richie Hearn crashing, and the caution came out again. Whereas the spin dropped Moore to fourth, the caution was till the end of the race, which meant that Fernández did not have to stop, and thus won the race. de Ferran recovered to finish second, and Christian Fittipaldi completed the podium.

Classification

Race

PosNoDriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
140 Flag of Mexico.svg Adrián Fernández Patrick Racing 2011:46:01.463420+1
25 Flag of Brazil.svg Gil de Ferran Walker Racing 201+6.347116+1
311 Flag of Brazil.svg Christian Fittipaldi Newman-Haas Racing 201+7.669714
499 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Greg Moore Forsythe Racing 201+38.027612
56 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Newman-Haas Racing 200+1 Lap510
644 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan Forsythe Racing 200+1 Lap178
717 Flag of Brazil.svg Maurício Gugelmin PacWest Racing 200+1 Lap26
822 Flag of the United States.svg Robby Gordon Team Gordon 200+1 Lap145
99 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castro-Neves Hogan Racing 199+2 Laps184
1010 Flag of the United States.svg Richie Hearn Della Penna Motorsports 198Contact213
1126 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Paul Tracy Team Green 198+3 Laps102
1212 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Vasser Chip Ganassi Racing 198+3 Laps121
134 Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Montoya Chip Ganassi Racing 197+4 Laps15
142 Flag of Brazil.svg Tarso Marques Team Penske 197+4 Laps22
1520 Flag of the United States.svg P. J. Jones Patrick Racing 196+5 Laps9
167 Flag of Italy.svg Max Papis Team Rahal 196+5 Laps3
1736 Flag of the United States.svg Alex Barron All American Racing 195+6 Laps19
1819 Flag of Mexico.svg Michel Jourdain Jr. Payton/Coyne Racing 188+13 Laps26
1971 Flag of Brazil.svg Luiz Garcia Jr. Payton/Coyne Racing 184Engine25
2016 Flag of Japan.svg Shigeaki Hattori Bettenhausen Racing 140Clutch24
2124 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Pruett Arciero-Wells Racing 106Fire20
2227 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dario Franchitti Team Green 91Contact11
238 Flag of the United States.svg Bryan Herta Team Rahal 84Electrical8
2418 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Blundell PacWest Racing 78Handling16
2525 Flag of Brazil.svg Cristiano da Matta Arciero-Wells Racing 39Transmission23
2633 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Patrick Carpentier Forsythe Racing 10Fuel pressure13

Caution flags

LapsCause
1-4 de Ferran (5) spin
89-96 Franchitti (27) contact
140-148Debris on track
194-198 Papis (7) spin
200-201 Moore (99) spin

Lap Leaders

LapsLeader
1 Maurício Gugelmin
2-26 Gil de Ferran
27-46 Maurício Gugelmin
47-50 Adrián Fernández
51-52 Scott Pruett
53-201 Adrián Fernández
 
DriverLaps led
Adrián Fernández 153
Gil de Ferran 25
Maurício Gugelmin 21
Scott Pruett 2

Point standings after race

PosDriverPoints
1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Greg Moore 34
2 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti 26
3 Flag of Brazil.svg Gil de Ferran 25
4 Flag of Mexico.svg Adrián Fernández 21
5 Flag of Brazil.svg Christian Fittipaldi 18

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Prix of Portland</span> IndyCar Series race held in Portland, Oregon, United States

The Grand Prix of Portland is an Indy Car Series race held at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race was held every year from 1984 through 2007 first as a CART series race, then as part of Champ Car World Series. After a ten-year absence, the race returned to the IndyCar Series for the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Prix of Road America</span> Sport event

The Grand Prix of Road America, also known as the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America for sponsorship reasons, is an IndyCar Series race held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. For twenty-five years, the event was part of the CART series, with the first race being held in 1982. The event was put on hiatus in 2008 after the unification of Champ Car into the Indy Racing League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series season, the seventeenth in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 17 races, beginning in Miami, Florida on March 5 and concluding in Monterey, California on September 10. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Jacques Villeneuve. Rookie of the Year was Gil de Ferran. This was the last season before the formation of the Indy Racing League by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner, Tony George, and the last time the USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 would appear in the Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Molson Indy Toronto</span> 1999 CART race held at Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The 1999 Molson Indy Toronto was the eleventh round of the 1999 CART season and took place on July 18, 1999, at the 2.824-kilometre (1.755 mi) Exhibition Place temporary street circuit in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Marlboro 500</span> CART auto race at California Speedway

The 1999 Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota was held on October 31, 1999, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California as the final showdown of the 1999 CART World Series season. The race was marred by an accident in the early stages of the race which killed Forsythe Racing driver Greg Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Rio 400</span> Motor car race

The 1998 Rio 400 was the fifth round of the 1998 CART World Series Season, held on May 10, 1998, on the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Honda Grand Prix of Monterey</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Honda Grand Prix of Monterey was a CART motor race held on October 14, 2001 at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, United States. It was the 19th round of the 2001 CART season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Marlboro 500</span> Motor car race

The 1997 Marlboro 500 was the 17th and last round of the 1997 CART season. It happened on September 28, 1997, at the then brand-new California Speedway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Molson Indy Toronto</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Molson Indy Toronto was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on July 15, 2001, at the Exhibition Place circuit in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the tenth round of the 2001 CART season, the 16th annual edition of the Molson Indy Toronto, and the first of two events that were held in Canada. The 95-lap race was won by Team Motorola driver Michael Andretti, who started from the 13th position. Alex Tagliani finished second for the Forsythe Racing team, and Fernandez Racing driver Adrián Fernández came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Molson Indy Toronto</span> 1998 CART Fed/Ex Champ Car World Series race held at Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The 1998 Molson Indy Toronto was the eleventh round of the 1998 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on July 19, 1998, on the streets of Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Alex Zanardi passed Michael Andretti with three laps to go to win the race, after Andretti had inherited the lead when pole-sitter Dario Franchitti retired due to a brake failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami</span> Motor car race

The 1999 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami was the first and opening round of the 1999 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held March 21, 1999, on the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota</span> Motor car race

The 1999 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota was the twelfth round of the 1999 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on July 25, 1999 at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 IndyCar Series</span> 19th season of the IndyCar Series

The 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series was the 19th season of the IndyCar Series and the 103rd season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 98th Indianapolis 500, held on Sunday, May 25. Scott Dixon entered the season as the defending IndyCar Champion, while Chevrolet entered as the reigning Manufacturers' champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on June 24, 2001, at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon, USA. It was the 8th round of the 2001 CART season. The race was won from the pole in severe wet conditions by Max Papis for Team Rahal. Roberto Moreno finished second, and Christian Fittipaldi clinched third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Lehigh Valley Grand Prix, known informally as the 2001 Nazareth 225, was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on May 6, 2001 at Nazareth Speedway in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, USA. It was the 4th round of the 2001 CART season. Rookie Scott Dixon won the race by just four tenths of a second over Kenny Bräck, while Paul Tracy took third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Marlboro 500</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Marlboro 500 was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on November 4, 2001 at the California Speedway, in Fontana, California. It was the 21st and final round of the 2001 CART season and the fifth annual edition of the Marlboro 500 at California Speedway. The 220-lap race was won by Newman/Haas Racing driver Cristiano da Matta who started from second position. Max Papis finished second for Team Rahal and Forsythe Racing driver Alex Tagliani came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Molson Indy Vancouver</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Molson Indy Vancouver was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on September 2, 2001 at Concord Pacific Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was the 15th round of the 2001 CART season. Roberto Moreno won the shortened race by five seconds over Gil de Ferran and Michael Andretti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Firestone Firehawk 500</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Firestone Firehawk 500 was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on May 19, 2001 at Twin Ring Motegi in Tochigi, Japan. It was the 5th round of the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series season. Team Rahal driver Kenny Bräck scored his first career win in CART despite not starting on the front row for the first time that season. Polesitter Hélio Castroneves finished 2nd and Tony Kanaan took 3rd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland</span> Motor car race

The 2001 Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) motor race held on July 1, 2001, at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was the 9th round of the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series season. Team Green driver Dario Franchitti won the race after narrowly escaping a first-turn pile-up and then by gambling on a fuel-saving strategy that saw his car run out of fuel just after crossing the finish line ahead of a hard-charging Memo Gidley and Bryan Herta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Rio 200</span> Motor car race

The 2000 Rio 200 was a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) auto race held at the trapezoid-shaped Autódromo de Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 30, 2000. It was the third race of the 2000 CART season, the fifth running of the event, and the first round of the year to be held outside of the United States. The 108-lap race was won by Patrick Racing driver Adrián Fernández after he started from sixteenth. Jimmy Vasser of Chip Ganassi Racing finished second with Team Green's Paul Tracy third.

References

  1. "1999 FIRESTONE FIREHAWK 500K". Racing Reference. Retrieved 4 April 2023.