Mercedes-Benz FedEx Championship Series: 
Budweiser / G.I. Joe's 200

After winning his first career Champ Car pole position at The Milwaukee Mile, sophomore driver Helio Castro-Neves and his Hogan Racing team had high hopes. Quick all weekend in practice and qualifying on the front-row for the third time this season, Castro-Neves moved his Mercedes-powered Lola race car past PPG Cup points leader Juan Montoya on the first-turn chicane, and led the first 30 laps around the 1.969-mile Portland International Raceway road course. But his day ended early when a valve spring failed. Second-row starter Gil de Ferran claimed round eight of the CART FedEx Championship Series with a 4.393-second victory over Juan Montoya, and moved into third place in the PPG Cup standings.

"It's tough. We've worked so hard," said Castro-Neves. "The car was great again this weekend, and was strong enough to win the race. The tires were handling well, and we were conserving fuel. What can I say? Racing is racing, so we'll just have to go on."

"Super Sub" Comes Through Again

A well-executed fuel conservation strategy enabled PacWest Racing?s Roberto "Super Sub" Moreno to earn a seventh-place finish -- his best Portland result. The Brazilian has earned PPG Cup points in each of the four races where he has substituted for injured Motorola Mercedes driver Mark Blundell.

Player's/Forsythe driver Patrick Carpentier, who started on the fourth row, received a black flag for a pit-lane speed limit violation on his first pit stop, and consequently dropped back to 18th place. The Canadian conserved enough fuel to forego a late-race pit stop, and fought his way back to finish ninth -- equaling his best career appearance at the event. Player's/Forsythe driver Greg Moore ran in the top 10 for most of the race, but was forced to make a splash-and-go stop with less than five laps to go, and ended up in 13th place. Moore is in fourth place in the PPG Cup driver's championship standings.

Al Unser Jr., who won the first of his 31 Champ Car victories in this event, started 26th and finished 16th in the No. 2 Marlboro Team Penske Mercedes. Teammate Tarso Marques made contact with Tony Kanaan on the first lap, but continued on course without damage. Later, Michael Andretti made contact with the rear of Marques' No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Mercedes, causing Marques to run off course. Marques eventually finished 18th.

The PacWest Hollywood team struggled all weekend with the set up for Mauricio Gugelmin's Hollywood Mercedes. Shortly before the halfway point, "Big Mo" suffered a boost problem, and was forced to exit the race. Epson Bettenhausen Motorsports rookie Shigeaki Hattori retired on lap 10 due to illness.

The FedEx Championship Series moves to Cleveland for the Medic Drug Grand Prix at Burke Lakefront Airport on June 27th.