The Grand Prix in Denver. The year was 2002.
source: paddocktalk - Brian Erickson ChampCar had previously raced in the city of Denver in 1990 and 1991. It was making its triumphant return to Colorado at a new temporary street-circuit in the form of the Shell Grand Prix. Questions and concerns were many before the first ChampCar rolled out onto the track. Six weeks prior to the event Dario Franchitti was the privileged one to get a first hand look at the facility. He took a ride on what would eventually be the track layout. "This is going to be cool. It's a busy track. There's not much time for a driver to rest here." Franchitti's main concern was the "mile-high" elevation of the city of Denver. With a higher altitude, the air is not as dense. With the air not as dense, the tires have a more difficult time adhering to the track. Slip-slip-slippery. Mechanical grip would become the forefront of importance. On this circuit aerodynamic performance is seriously hampered. Why? Because of the second main concern. The altitude...the barometric pressure is reduced from 29.92 to 25.00Hg. Would the engines and brakes be able to find sufficient cooling? Would they last the race distance? The track surface. Some portions rough and tumble. Some portions smooth and slippery. Who would discover and select the right choice of tires first? And that Turn 5. Incredibly wide by street racing standards. So many different angles of attack to set your competitors up for passing maneuvers. Would it produce the passing frenzy that it was designed for? It was time to find out. Bruno Junquiera grabbed the pole position. Adrian Fernandez qualified P2 with Championship point's leader Cristiano DaMatta in P7. Dario Franchitti was looking to pounce and close the gap in the point's battle. But he only qualified in the fourteenth spot. His teammate Paul Tracy qualified one spot below him in fifteenth. As always is the case in racing, when the green flag drops it is "put up or shut up."
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