Another beautiful day at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City for the Tecate-Telmex Gran Premio de Mexico City. The day is warm and sunny, after a crisp fall morning.
The
Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Presented by Ford and the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series are racing this weekend in a double bill. This is Champ Car's fourth year in Mexico City in the current history. It ran two years in the early eighties. Grand Am is making its debut this weekend. Next season Grand Am will run in March with the NASCAR Busch Series.
PAUL TRACY/#3 Indeck-Forsythe Racing was fastest in the Champ Car Friday morning practice, with a 1:28.584/113.221 mph. The qualifying track record is 1:25.919/116.733 mph set last year by SEBASTIAN BOURDAIS/#1 PacifiCare. Bourdais has already won the 2005 Championship, and won from the pole here last year.
To contrast the vehicles, MAX ANGELELLI/#10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley drove the fastest Rolex Series lap at 1:46.204/94.437 mph in his
Daytona Prototype. Co-driver is WAYNE TAYLOR. The fastest Rolex Series GT car was driven by JAN MAGNUSSEN/#64 TRG Pontiac GTO R with a 1:54.71/87.433 mph. His co-driver is PAUL EDWARDS.
FABRIZIO DEL MONTE/#4 CTE-HVM Racing won't be racing this weekend, and not just because he trashed his Champ Car Thursday afternoon in a private test at the circuit He was taken to the track infield Medical Center and released. Later, Del Monte was examined by Champ Car Dr CHRIS PINDERSKI, and the Champ Car Medical Team conducted further medical examination including the IMPACT test. It was determined that Del Monte suffered a concussion and is not cleared to drive.
