Vasser knocked out early

Monday, Aug. 10, 1998 | 11:16 a.m.

After watching Dario Franchitti qualify for the pole for Sunday's CART Miller Lite 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Jimmy Vasser joked that he and Bryan Herta would team up to deny the Scotsman a chance at a $300,000 bonus for winning the race from the pole.

"I would like to have a shot at that (bonus) money that Dario's going to get another shot at," the Las Vegas resident said Saturday after qualifying on the front row for the fifth time this season.

Then Vasser added, with a laugh, "Bryan and I will make sure (Sunday) that he doesn't get it."

But this was not what Vasser had in mind.

Herta, attempting to make a pass on the second turn of the first lap, triggered a three-car crash that eliminated him, Vasser and Franchitti from the race. Herta tried to go under Franchitti, the two cars tangled and Franchitti's car hit Vasser's, sending the Target Reynard/Honda into the wall.

Franchitti, still seething after the race, called Herta's attempted pass "a stupid move." Vasser was a bit more diplomatic but no less upset.

"Bryan came down on the inside way too fast and slid across the front of Franchitti and kind of forced him off the track," Vasser said. "I saw it happening and I got as far out as I could and thought I was going to go around the outside.

"I thought I was by, but somebody clipped me in the back. It's unfortunate to go out like that when you're trying to do all the right things and it's not your fault."

Although Herta pleaded innocent to causing the crash, Vasser agreed with Franchitti that Herta was too aggressive on the first lap of the race.

"(Herta) came up too aggressive on the inside and was a little bit out of control," Vasser said. "Maybe it was a little bit optimistic on his (part) to try to take the lead on the first corner when there were 83 laps to go.

"It was not very well timed on his part."

Following the race, Herta was placed on probation by CART for "unjustifiable risks" in causing the accident.

Vasser finished 27th in the 28-car field and remained in second place in the drivers point standings behind Target/Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Zanardi. It marked the first time in more than a year that Vasser, the 1996 series champion, had failed to finish a race.

Las Vegas resident Paul Tracy charged from the 21st starting position to a fifth-place finish in the race, matching his best showing of the season. Tracy also finished fifth on the ovals in Japan and Nazareth, Pa.

"We just kept working at it all weekend," Tracy said of his Team Kool Green Reynard/Honda. "We weren't looking good in qualifying, but (my crew) did a great job, they figured out what the problems were.

"I just put my head down and drove hard the whole race. The team did a great job on the pit stops, they made up most of the positions for me. On the track, we were about equal to everybody, but it was hard to pass. To come home fifth from where we started is like winning a race for (this team)."

Henderson resident Richie Hearn didn't fare much better in the race than Vasser. Hearn qualified his Della Penna Motorsports Swift/Ford in the 15th starting position but was forced to retire after 30 laps with transmission problems.

The CART FedEx Championship Series will stage the Texaco/Havoline 200 next Sunday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc.