Moreno breaks CART duck at Cleveland.

Roberto Moreno scored an emotional first Champcar win at Burke Lakefront Airport tonight, after dominating the 100-lap race from start to finish.

The pole-sitter was in tears after clinching top spot in qualifying, and it was the same story after holding off Kenny Brack and Cristiano da Matta in a tense run to the chequered flag.

With many of the favoured runners out of action or running down the order courtesy of pit-stops and mechanical problems, it was left to three drivers without a CART victory to their names to battle for the honours, and it was Moreno who came out on top.

''Fantastic,'' he said, ''I have a list a mile long of people I have to thank for this. Thank-you to everybody who has helped me achieve this!

''I am just so happy. With just one lap to run the competition was so tough, but we made it. It's just fantastic!''

Behind the top three, Michael Andretti survived a late engine scare to take fourth, ahead of a charging Patrick Carpentier, who took fifth place despite starting down in 19th.

Sixth went to reigning champion Juan Montoya, who made an extra, third, pit-stop which dropped him out of what looked set to be at least second place. The Colombian still managed to hold off both Adrian Fernandez and Bryan Herta, who made two stops apiece, and Ganassi team-mate Jimmy Vasser, who made three.

Mauricio Gugelmin, who started well up the order, dropped to tenth by the flag, as Mercedes found itself out-gunned by Ford and Toyota when it mattered most. Rookie Norberto Fontana scored a couple of points for eleventh but, like final scorer Mark Blundell, benefited from the late demise of Dario Franchitti.

The Scot dropped out of the top three with just six laps to run with a similar gearbox problem to that which sidelined Team Green team-mate Paul Tracy early on, and finished the race, pointless, in pit-lane.

Other notable casualties included second-in-standings Gil de Ferran, whose brakeless Penske car was powerless to avoid collecting two cars scrapping for position, Max Papis and Christian Fittipaldi, who both succumbed to gearbox problems.

The traditional first-lap melee at Cleveland accounted for Kurosawa, Servia, Marques and Jourdain, while Detroit winner Helio Castroneves joined them on the sidelines after contact of his own in the early stages.

Moreno's win moves him further ahead of his rivals in the standings, having gone into the event with a one-point lead over de Ferran.

A full report and results will follow.....

Leading finishers - Cleveland CART.

1. Roberto Moreno Patrick Racing
2. Kenny Brack Team Rahal
3. Cristiano da Matta PPI Motorsports
4. Michael Andretti Newman-Haas
5. Patrick Carpentier Players Forsythe
6. Juan Montoya Ganassi
7. Adrian Fernandez Patrick Racing
8. Jimmy Vasser Ganassi
9. Bryan Herta Mo Nunn
10. Mauricio Gugelmin PacWest
11. Norberto Fontana Della Penna
12. Mark Blundell PacWest