Pruett gives Toyota first pole; steals spotlight from title duel

Mike Harris

Sunday, Oct. 31, 1999 | 1:05 a.m.

FONTANA, Calif. - Scott Pruett stole the spotlight from the CART championship battle, giving Toyota its first-ever Champ Car pole Saturday in qualifying for the season-ending Marlboro 500 at California Speedway.

Pruett, who will switch to NASCAR's Winston Cup stock car series in 2000, turned his fast lap of 235.398 mph early in the session on the windswept two-mile oval. He then waited nervously for the drivers who were fastest in practice to take a shot at him.

"The toughest thing for me was to wait for Max," Pruett said, referring to Max Papis, who was the last driver in line and the favorite to win the pole.

But Papis, who ran out of fuel on the final lap of the U.S. 500 in July after dominating the only other 500-mile event in the 20-race CART FedEx Series, came up short again Saturday with a lap of 234.544.

"The wind was really gusty when we went out," Papis said. "I was flat out all the way around, but a couple of wiggles in turn one and a couple of wiggles in turn four, that's probably what slowed us down a bit."

Pruett, 39, the oldest full-time driver in the CART series, knew what Papis meant.

"You only had a couple of wiggles," he said. "My car was wiggling a couple of times in every turn. We set the car up as loose as we could and, after the first lap, I told my guys, 'That's all there is. We cannot get any more out of this car.' "

Pruett, who took over Papis' ride with Arciero-Wells Racing after Papis left for Team Rahal this season, overshadowed the duel between series leader Dario Franchitti and rookie Juan Montoya, who go into Sunday's race separated by only nine points in the battle for the $1 million PPG Cup title.

Montoya, who said he was slowed considerably by the wind, qualified third at 234.251, with Franchitti eighth at 233.174.

"My car was perfect," Montoya said. "It was just too windy. If you asked me what I would change if I qualified again, I would say, 'Nothing.'

"I'm confident. We have a good car."

Franchitti needs only to finish ahead of Montoya to win his first series championship. If Franchitti finishes in the top three, the Colombian cannot overcome his lead.

"If I couldn't be on the pole, I didn't want Juan to get it and collect the extra point," Franchitti said.

Franchitti plans to be conservative during the race.

"We'll be racing at the start, but we won't be going all out," he said. "I just want to stay in touch with the leaders, but I won't be looking to lead every lap.

"We'll wait until the last 50 miles or the last pit stop or the last yellow, which ever it is, and then go for it."

Pruett's pole was the fifth of his career and his second in a row at this event. He had given Toyota its best previous start - third - two weeks ago in Australia.

A Toyota-powered Champ Car never has finished better than fourth - Arciero-Wells rookie Cristiano da Matta in April at Nazareth, Pa. - in its four seasons in CART, but Pruett expects to be a contender in the race.

"There are so many things that can happen in a 500-mile race, but I think we have a better race car than a qualifying car," he said.

The pole by Pruett was a big boost for Chip Ganassi, who fields cars for Montoya and defending race winner Jimmy Vasser. His team, Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, has won three straight series titles and said Friday that it will switch from Honda power to Toyota in 2000.

Cal Wells, co-owner of Pruett's team, which has been developing the Toyota engine for four years, was asked if he thinks Ganassi made the right move.

"Put your ear to the railroad tracks because the train is coming," Wells said, smiling.

Vasser will start fourth Sunday after qualifying at 234.063. He was followed by Bryan Herta at 233.913, Michael Andretti at 233.245 and Patrick Carpentier at 233.226.

Al Unser Jr., who will make his final start for Marlboro Team Penske Sunday, and is expected to run in the rival Indy Racing league next season, will start 10th after qualifying at 232.899.