Tag: Portland

Cristiano da Matta

Cristiano da Matta in 2001

I was surprised when I bought my first pit pass at the CART race in Portland at how much access you were given. You could get pretty close to the pits themselves and watch the drivers come and go and you could later go back near the trailers and see the mechanics work on the cars. It wasn’t easy to get pictures in the pits, as not only would the crew immediately surround the car, but the VIP’s in between the cars and the crowd would also swarm in. In 2001 I decided to try visiting one of the autograph sessions but to get pictures not autographs. I realized this was a mistake and never did it again, as the drivers are mostly looking down to sign things, and it was still very crowded and hard to get pictures. I did get this picture of Cristiano da Matta in his first year at Newman/Haas Racing that I thought came out OK. He’d qualify second in the race but the next year he’d win it outright (and the championship too for that matter, in dominant fashion).

Mauricio Gugelmin

Mauricio Gugelmin, driving for PacWest Racing, waits in the pits during Friday practice at the 2001 CART race in Portland

Mauricio Gugelmin, driving for PacWest Racing, waits in the pits during Friday practice at the 2001 CART race in Portland. This was his last year in not just IndyCars but in racing, I think big crashes of his own and others, combined with the death of a son with health issues, led to his retirement. I’m nostalgic for this era of racing in many ways but one thing I’m glad to see after being away from the sport for years, is how much safer the cars continue to get, and that improvement needs to continue.

You’re Number One! (But Please Reset Your Meter)

The sign that would be held out for Team Penske driver Gil de Ferran as he pulled into the pits at the 2001 CART race in Portland

The sign that would be held out for Team Penske driver Gil de Ferran as he pulled into the pits at the 2001 CART race in Portland. He earned the number 1 by winning the championship the year prior, and for good measure would win it that year too. I could use signs like this to help me get ready in the morning. “Pants first, then shoes!”

Knock Knock

Jimmy Vasser, driving for Patrick Racing, gives an interview at the end of Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway

Jimmy Vasser, driving for Patrick Racing, gives an interview at the end of Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I like to think she opened her interview, like all great interviews, by asking his favorite Knock Knock joke. To which the proper answer is, of course, banana/banana/orange. Did you give the right answer Jimmy?

The Pensive Papis

Team Rahal driver Max Papis seems lost in thought during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race in Portland

Team Rahal driver Max Papis seems lost in thought during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race in Portland, but it is not as it appears. Seconds earlier he had been smiling and giving a thumbs up while talking to his team in a debrief, I just caught him while he was listening. On the other hand, it does I think capture some of the uncertainty and pressure of the start of a race weekend, when in a competitive series even a small mistake can have a big impact. On this weekend Max would have nothing to worry about, he won both the pole and the race.

Roberto Pupo Moreno

Roberto Pupo Moreno talks to his Patrick Racing crew during Friday practice at the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway

Roberto Pupo Moreno talks to his Patrick Racing crew during Friday practice at the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway. Some friends in graduate school introduced me to open-wheel racing in the mid-90’s near the end of Pupo’s Formula One career, he was so nice and unassuming I was pleased that not only did he then go on to race in Indycars, but I got a chance to see him a couple of times at the races in Portland. He’d finish second in the rainy race that Sunday.

Memo Gidley

Memo Gidley of Chip Ganassi Racing gives an interview on the weekend of the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway

Memo Gidley of Chip Ganassi Racing gives an interview on the weekend of the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway. Memo became known as Super Sub at the time, I believe this was the third time he was hired to take over a ride mid-season. I always hoped he would find a full-time ride but one of the downsides to racing is that it is hard for drivers like Memo who don’t come with financial backing. He had more luck in sports cars until injuries from a severe crash at Daytona sidelined him for a few years, but it sounds like he’s healed enough to return to racing.

Gil de Ferran

Gil de Ferran prepares to leave the pits during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway

Gil de Ferran prepares to leave the pits during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway. I wish it wasn’t cropped so closely but I had a tough time getting a shot of Gil all weekend and only got this one as his crew moved out of the way. Sadly I never got to see him race again as his team never returned to Portland, and while he didn’t have a great race I was happy when he won the championship for the second year in a row, as I was a fan from his rookie year.