Shortened race hurt Carpentier

Monday, Nov. 5, 2001 | 9:34 a.m.

FONTANA, Calif. -- Count Patrick Carpentier among the drivers who would have liked to have seen Sunday's Marlboro 500 run to its scheduled 250-lap distance.

Carpentier, a Las Vegas resident, finished 10th in the CART season finale, which was shortened to 220 laps due to impending darkness.

After falling two laps off the pace early in the race due to an electrical problem, Carpentier eventually regained his laps and went on to lead the race three times for a total of six laps.

Earlier this summer, Carpentier came from a lap down to win a race at Michigan Speedway.

"We had the same kind of problem at Michigan where we lost a lap," Carpentier said. "Here, we lost two laps but we were able to get them back pretty quickly.

"I think we were faster than anybody out there but on the last (pit stop) we changed tires and it was the worst set of tires I've ever put on a racecar. It definitely would have helped me to empty the fuel tank (with a longer final run)."

Carpentier wasn't the only local driver to experience problems Sunday. Paul Tracy charged from the 18th starting position to the lead in only 13 laps, but dropped out after 64 laps with engine failure.

"It was fun out there while it lasted," Tracy said. "I was just cruising around with the leaders and trying to conserve the car for the end of the race.

"I had no warning: I just lost power and that was it. We had a perfect car today -- one that could easily have won the race. But today's race kind of sums up our season of frustration."

Jimmy Vasser, another Las Vegas resident, led three times for eight laps but finished 12th.

Vasser, the 1996 CART champion, drove his final race for Patrick Racing Sunday. He will take over the No. 8 Shell-sponsored Ford/Lola for Team Rahal next season.

Brack's crew won with a time of 37.143 seconds (from pit entrance to pit exit) and edged Mauricio Gugelmin's PacWest pit crew (37.190). Two-time CART champion Gil de Ferran's Marlboro Team Penske crew was third at 37.439.