| | Associated Press
Results
DETROIT -- Helio Castroneves likes to drive hard, but he
earned his first CART victory by being conservative.
The daring Brazilian steered away from trouble, stretched out
his fuel supply and beat Italy's Max Papis by 4.415 seconds Sunday
in the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit.
|  | | Helio Castroneves reacts to winning the Grand Prix of Detroit -- his first career CART victory. |
"Now they know who Helio Castroneves is," said Castroneves,
who has won at all levels on three continents since beginning his
career in go-carts at age 12. "I knew it would come, but you're
still pulling your hair."
Castroneves, the seventh different winner in seven FedEx
championship races this season, took the lead when pole-sitter Juan
Montoya went out with a broken driveshaft on the 62nd lap of the
84-lap race and steadily pulled away over the 2.3-mile, 14-turn
road course.
It was the fourth time this season that Montoya, the sensational
Colombian who won the points series as a rookie last year and took
the Indianapolis 500 last month, has been unable to finish.
"I don't feel sorry for him, because I have been in that
situation many times," Castroneves said. "But, I wanted to race
him."
Canadian Paul Tracy, this season's points leader going into the
Detroit race, was pulled from the competition late in the race for
a pit-lane violation, his third in three races.
"We've just got a black cloud hanging over our heads right
now," Tracy said.
Rookie Oriol Servia of Spain, starting 12th, finished third,
just ahead of Scotsman Dario Franchitti, winner of last year's
Detroit race.
"They shouldn't keep treating me like a rookie anymore,"
Servia said.
Castroneves was ecstatic with his win. At times during his
victory lap he could be seen pumping both arms in the air, hands
completely off the wheel.
Instead of pulling into the pit lane, Castroneves stopped on the
straight part of the road in front of the pits and jumped out of
the red- and-white Marlboro car. Still wearing his helmet,
Castroneves leaped up on the high cyclone fence and shook the wire
in joy.
He finally jumped back down, ran back across the road, leaping
over a cement barrier and into the arms of crew members. Moments
later, he ran up on the victory stand, sliding on his knees and
pumping his arms toward the sky.
"I did it. I did it," Castroneves said through tears. "I
don't believe, but I believe it, actually."
Castroneves' top previous finish in three seasons on the CART
circuit had been three runner-ups, including April 16 at Long
Beach, Calif. The 25-year-old gave the resurgent Team Penske its
101st win, but the first at Detroit since Tracy drove for the team
in 1994.
Just like 1999, when he also won the pole, this was Montoya's
race to lose. A year ago, he led 58 laps before a collision with
Franchitti caused him to finish 17th. This time he lasted 61 laps.
Franchitti was passed on the 48th lap by Brazilians Gil de
Ferran and Christian Fittipaldi. Montoya, meanwhile, opened a
3.4-second lead on Castroneves.
Then things began to happen.
Castroneves went in on the 58th lap for fuel and Montoya went in one lap later for fuel and tires. After the stops, Roberto Moreno -- who didn't stop -- was running first and Montoya was second, 5.1 seconds behind.
Montoya, who clearly had the fastest car, regained the lead, 6.1
seconds ahead of Castroneves after 61 laps, but it was short-lived.
On the next lap, with the left rear of his car smoking, Montoya
turned into the pits.
"The driveshaft broke," Montoya said. "We didn't know exactly
what the problem was when I came in. It was the driveshaft. It felt
like a loose tire.
"We had a great car and I thought we had it in our pocket. We
were saving on fuel and everything was going really well."
Meanwhile, contact between de Ferran and Fittipaldi brought out
another caution flag. That left Castroneves running first and Papis
second, and they ran that way to the joyous finish.
"They kept telling me to save fuel," Castroneves said. "I was
very cool. It was hard, because I do not like to drive this way.
But that's why we won today."
Tracy remained the points leader with 59, five more than Jimmy
Vasser who moved up from third. Brazilian Roberto Moreno went from
second to third with 52 points.
| |
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Helio Castroneves talks with RPM 2Night's John Kernan about his first CART victory.
RealVideo: | 28.8
Helio Castroneves came home a winner for the first time in CART.
avi: 926 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Juan Montoya enters the pits, but never leaves.
avi: 827 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Gil de Ferran and Chrisitian Fittipaldi make contact.
avi: 701 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Paul Tracy has problems in the pits.
avi: 602 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Helio Castroneves is excited about his first career CART win.
wav: 148 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Castroneves says his main concern was conserving fuel.
wav: 132 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Juan Montoya felt he had the car to win Sunday.
wav: 191 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Paul Tracy explains what went wrong in the pits.
wav: 196 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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