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Road America's Tempest

An In-depth Analysis of a Dramatic CART Season Showdown Amidst Challenging Conditions.

Race Overview 👇 Key Moments

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Race Background

Event Context

The 2001 Motorola 220 was the 14th event of the 21-race 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series season. Held on August 19, 2001, at the iconic Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, it marked the sixth and final Midwestern event of the calendar.

This race was significant as it saw a tight championship battle, with Hélio Castroneves and Kenny Bräck tied for the lead prior to the event.

Circuit Details

Road America, a renowned permanent road racing facility, features a challenging 14-turn, 4.048-mile (6.515 km) layout. Its demanding nature, with significant elevation changes and high-speed sections, often leads to exciting and unpredictable racing.

The track's history in CART dates back to 1982, making the 2001 event the 19th consecutive year the series visited the venue.

Championship Landscape

Entering the Motorola 220:

  • Drivers' Championship: Hélio Castroneves and Kenny Bräck were level on 103 points. Gil de Ferran followed in third (89 points), ahead of Dario Franchitti (81) and Michael Andretti (73).
  • Manufacturers' Championship: Honda led Toyota by 27 points, with Ford Cosworth trailing in third.
  • Constructors' Championship: Reynard held a 41-point lead over Lola.

Qualifying Dynamics

Weather Impact

Qualifying sessions were significantly affected by persistent rain. A heavy shower before Saturday's qualifying made the track surface slippery, necessitating the use of wet-weather tires for all competitors. The conditions remained challenging, leading to several incidents and track stoppages.

Despite the adverse conditions, drivers pushed their limits, resulting in a dynamic qualifying session.

Pole Position

Kenny Bräck secured his fifth pole position of the season with a time of 2:03.531. This performance underscored his strong form and ability to master difficult conditions.

Alex Tagliani qualified second, his best road course starting position of the year, while Scott Dixon secured third place in his first appearance at Road America.

Final Qualifying Classification
Pos No. Driver Team Time Speed Gap
1 8 SWE Kenny Bräck Team Rahal 2:03.531 117.969
2 33 CAN Alex Tagliani Forsythe Racing 2:03.674 117.832 +0.143
3 18 NZL Scott Dixon PacWest Racing 2:04.631 116.928 +1.100
4 1 BRA Gil de Ferran Team Penske 2:04.909 116.667 +1.378
5 6 BRA Cristiano da Matta Newman/Haas Racing 2:06.001 115.656 +2.470
6 3 BRA Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 2:06.042 115.619 +2.511
7 39 USA Michael Andretti Team Motorola 2:06.572 115.134 +3.041
8 12 USA Memo Gidley Chip Ganassi Racing 2:06.865 114.869 +3.334
9 11 BRA Christian Fittipaldi Newman/Haas Racing 2:07.085 114.671 +3.553
10 4 BRA Bruno Junqueira Chip Ganassi Racing 2:07.422 114.366 +3.891

The Race: A Chaotic Affair

Start Under Wet Conditions

The race commenced under challenging wet conditions, with all cars starting on rain tires. The track's backstretch experienced significant standing water, leading to early concerns about safety. The race was red-flagged on lap 14 to address the hazardous conditions, causing a 47-minute delay.

Following the restart, teams opted for slick tires as the track began to dry, introducing strategic complexities.

Incidents and Cautions

The race was punctuated by multiple incidents and cautions:

  • Early spins and contact involving drivers like Junqueira, Fittipaldi, and Tagliani.
  • A major multi-car accident on lap 5 involving Herta, Wilson, and Tracy.
  • Subsequent crashes due to standing water and driver errors, including Gidley's severe accident on lap 21, which split his car and led to a lengthy safety intervention.
  • Other incidents involving Takagi, Gugelmin, and Franchitti forced retirements.

Lead Changes and Strategy

The race saw several lead changes and strategic plays:

  • Kenny Bräck initially led from pole.
  • Hélio Castroneves took the lead after pit stops and the tire changes, leading a significant portion of the race.
  • Christian Fittipaldi briefly led before contact with Michael Andretti.
  • Bruno Junqueira capitalized on the late-race incidents and strategic decisions to take the lead in the closing laps.

Finish and Controversy

Bruno Junqueira secured his maiden CART victory, leading the final laps after a tense battle. Michael Andretti finished second, with Adrian Fernández completing the podium.

The race start under hazardous conditions and the subsequent red flag and pit stop rules during the stoppage drew criticism from drivers and teams, with concerns raised about safety and competitive fairness.

Final Race Classification
Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/retired Grid Points
1 4 BRA Bruno Junqueira Chip Ganassi Racing 45 2:00:28.453 10 20
2 39 USA Michael Andretti Team Motorola 45 +2.687 7 16
3 51 MEX Adrián Fernández Fernández Racing 45 +10.009 26 14
4 18 NZL Scott Dixon PacWest Racing 45 +14.413 3 12
5 1 BRA Gil de Ferran Team Penske 45 +15.084 4 10
6 6 BRA Cristiano da Matta Newman/Haas Racing 45 +15.934 9 8
7 3 BRA Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 45 +16.939 6 7
8 33 CAN Alex Tagliani Forsythe Racing 45 +17.629 2 5
9 32 CAN Patrick Carpentier Forsythe Racing 45 +17.848 12 4
10 22 ESP Oriol Servià Sigma Autosport 45 +19.021 18 3

Championship Implications

Drivers' Standings

The race results significantly impacted the drivers' championship standings:

Drivers' Championship Standings
Rank +/− Driver Points
1 ⬆️ 1 BRA Hélio Castroneves 110
2 ⬇️ 1 SWE Kenny Bräck 105 (−5)
3 ➡️ BRA Gil de Ferran 99 (−11)
4 ⬆️ 1 USA Michael Andretti 89 (−21)
5 ⬆️ 1 NZL Scott Dixon 82 (−28)

Constructors' Standings

The performance of chassis manufacturers also saw shifts:

Constructors' Standings
Rank +/− Constructor Points
1 ➡️ GBR Reynard 250
2 ➡️ GBR Lola 213 (−37)

Manufacturers' Standings

Engine manufacturers' championship points were also updated:

Manufacturers' Standings
Rank +/− Manufacturer Points
1 ➡️ JPN Honda 229
2 ⬆️ 1 JPN Toyota 194 (−35)
3 ⬇️ 1 GBR Ford Cosworth 191 (−38)

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References

References

A full list of references for this article are available at the 2001 Motorola 220 Wikipedia page

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Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.

This is not professional advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional analysis of motorsport events, historical data verification, or expert commentary. Always refer to official race records and consult with motorsport historians or analysts for definitive information.

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