Did its bright and clear weekend in California mark the point at which CART turned the corner? source: speedtv.com - John Zimmerman Returning from an Australian escapade best forgotten, CART raced before an estimated 60,000 fans at California Speedway last Sunday, needing to put on a good show. As I headed home from The 500 Presented by Toyota that night, I found myself wondering how many of those 60,000 would be telling their friends they'd witnessed not just a "good show," but also the fastest automobile race of all time. Perhaps they would also tell how they'd seen half a dozen drivers--both young and older--fight flat-out for the win at more than 200mph in a race that lost but 17 of its 250 laps to caution flags. In the end it came down to a savvy duel between Jimmy Vasser and Michael Andretti, so that a double dose of stars and stripes fluttered proudly above the podium as Vasser stood on the top step. Only a pair of pace-car laps prior to the restart from a rulebook red flag with five to go dragged the race average below 200, but Vasser's 197.995mph winning speed still shattered Al Unser Jr.'s previous mark of 189.727, set at Michigan International Speedway a dozen years ago. This record may be listed for 500-mile races, but it really covers any closed-circuit race, anywhere in the world, ever.
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