CHAMPCAR/CART: Mid Ohio Team Kool Green Friday Report

TEAM KOOL GREEN'S FRANCHITTI THIRD FASTEST IN PROVISIONAL QUALIFYING

LEXINGTON, Oh., (Aug. 7, 1998) - Dario Franchitti was third in provisional qualifying today, powering his KOOL-Reynard Honda around the 2.258-mile permanent road course at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1:06.390 seconds at 122.446 mph.

Franchitti's fast time was only 0.290 seconds off the quickest lap of the day by Bryan Herta, who claimed the provisional pole with 1:06.100 seconds at 122.977 mph. Mark Blundell was second quickest in the session with a lap of 1:06.372 seconds at 122.47 3 mph.

Team KOOL Green's Paul Tracy will look to improve in tomorrow's final qualifying. Tracy wheeled his way to the 20th fastest time, completing the circuit in 1:07.540 seconds at 120.409 mph. He was experiencing mechanical difficulties with his braking sys tem. He will be in the second group for qualifying at 1:30 p.m. ET, while Franchitti takes aim at the pole beginning at 1:30 p.m.

DARIO FRANCHITTI, #27 TEAM KOOL GREEN REYNARD/HONDA/FIRESTONE: (3rd with a lap-time of 1:06.390 seconds at 122.440 mph)

"That was one of those hold your breath laps. The track seems to be getting better with each lap. We were working on the car during the session. When we started, the front of the car was working better than the rear at certain times and vice versa. So we had to get the whole car working together and we almost did it."

PAUL TRACY, #26 TEAM KOOL GREEN REYNARD/HONDA/FIRESTONE: (20th with a lap-time of 1:07.510 seconds at 120.409 mph)

"We're not happy with the run. We had some kind of a braking problem. The car is really bad under braking. The rears are locking or something is going on in the rear and it caused me to spin. I had to go out and get a fast lap in on fresh tires, but I had the same problem. We'll have to dig into the car tonight and see what we can find."

KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship - Provisional Qualifying

MATT SIELSKY, #16 LCI INTERNATIONAL SWIFT-TOYOTA: (6th with a lap-time of 1:19.011 seconds at 102.88 mph)

"Right now we're struggling in the high-speed corners. We started out with a high-speed understeer and then we made a real small wing change in the front and it went to an oversteer. And that's what caused me to go off the track. I was pushing too hard . I didn't have time to come in and make a change, so I tried to make do with what I had. We still have another qualifying session to get it right."

Barber Dodge Pro Series - Practice:

ALEX GURNEY, #27 TEAM KOOL GREEN REYNARD-DODGE (7th with a lap-time of 1:25.401 seconds at 95.184 mph)

"It was a very encouraging practice session because we didn't have a lot of time in the first practice with a tire going down. It was important to get a flyer (fast lap) in before the end of the session. We played with the shocks and we found something that made the car a little more driveable. At the end of the session, I spun out in the right-hander at the end of the back straight. I ended up stuck in the gravel. It's too bad we missed the last few laps when fuel loads are lighter and the car can go even quicker."