Vasser adds to his credentials

Monday, Nov. 4, 2002 | 9:25 a.m.

FONTANA, Calif. -- Jimmy Vasser's list of things to do this week no doubt will include updating his resume.

Vasser, the 36-year-old Las Vegas resident who will be looking for work when the CART season ends, shot past Michael Andretti on a restart with two laps to go and held on to win Sunday's 500 Presented by Toyota at California Speedway.

The victory was the 10th of Vasser's 11-year CART career. Vasser also has the distinction of winning the fastest 500-mile race in open-wheel history with an average green-flag speed of 197.995 mph Sunday.

Vasser dominated the race, leading 148 of the 250 laps on the 2-mile oval, but Andretti appeared to have the upper hand as the result of a yellow flag with 13 laps remaining. On the restart, Andretti was able to slingshot past Vasser going into Turn One and maintain the lead until Dario Franchitti's engine blew with five laps to go.

Under a new rule instituted by CART after last year's race here ended under the yellow flag, the race was red flagged while safety workers put out the fire in Franchitti's car and towed it off the track.

The race was resumed with two laps remaining and this time it was Vasser who used the slingshot move to overtake Andretti just past the start/finish line.

"I thought (the red flag) was the right call," Vasser said. "We've seen it happen with NASCAR and it's about the fans and giving them the proper green-flag finish.

"Had it not been for Dario causing the red flag, it would have been difficult to catch Michael under race conditions. At the end, he was in a tough position (because) the guy leading in that situation is like a sitting duck out there."

Andretti agreed.

"On the (lap 242) restart, Jimmy was a sitting duck there and I was able to get by him," Andretti said. "I thought we had the race won -- I don't think Jimmy could have passed me at that point because my car was really good out front.

"I thought we had it won and Dario's car had a problem, they brought out the red flag and then I became the sitting duck on the restart. But I guess what's fair is fair; that yellow came out and it hurt Jimmy's race and then the red came out and hurt my race."

Patrick Carpentier of Las Vegas finished third and was followed in the top five by pole sitter Tony Kanaan and Oriol Servia. Las Vegas residents Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracy finished eighth and 17th, respectively.

"The car started out with a push and we improved it one every stop," Carpentier said. "On the last stop, though, I don't know what happened but the car got real loose and I couldn't challenge Jimmy and Michael.

"It was wide open all day -- it was fun racing. I got third place and I'm quite happy."

The victory was the first for Vasser since he won the Houston street race on Oct. 1, 2000 and the first in 18 races in the No. 8 Shell Ford/Lola for team owner Bobby Rahal.

"It's a great win not only for me but for the team," said Vasser, who earned his third career 500-mile victory. "You don't want to go two seasons without winning races.

"We're out here to win races and to run good and when you don't for a long period of time, it really gets to feeling heavy."

Vasser will leave Team Rahal after the Nov. 17 season finale in Mexico City because primary sponsor Shell is not returning to the team in 2003. Vasser does not yet have a ride for next season and is considering offers in both CART and NASCAR.

Vasser, the 1996 CART champion, likely will generate more interest from other teams after his dominating effort Sunday. Not only was Vasser able to lead seemingly at will, he was able to pull away from the field for much of the race.

"I found it easier, for me, to lead the race," Vasser said. "My car felt much better out in clean air and it felt like I could pull out a little lead."

The race, which featured 43 lead changes among seven drivers, was slowed by four caution periods for 17 laps. None of the four cautions were the result of cars making contact.

Vasser's winning average speed eclipsed the previous 500-mile race record of 189.727 mph, set by Al Unser Jr. at Michigan International Speedway in 1990.