Junqueira Tops Early Qualifying

Alex Zanardi is racing a BMW today in Spain, but as a two-time winner of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach he maintains an interest in the race, one tainted by stories of near demise over the winter.

He said Friday that he hoped “that from now on there will be no more wars” between the Champ Car series and the Indy Racing League and that each would “find its own identity which is going to be different but equally enjoyable.”

Champ Car, the successor to CART in the open-wheel racing scene, displayed its identity in the first round of qualifying on Long Beach’s 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course as Brazilian Bruno Junqueira won the provisional pole with a lap of 102.808 mph.

Paul Tracy, defending series champion and last year’s Long Beach winner, was second at 102.447 mph.

Their presence at the top of the 18-car qualifying grid for Sunday’s 90-lap race was in line with Zanardi’s earlier prediction for the 2004 season.

“I think I will not surprise anybody if I said Paul Tracy, but honestly I think it’s going to be a close and tough race with Bruno and Jimmy [Vasser], who I see revitalized, thanks to his new adventure.”

Vasser, the 2002 winner who became an owner-driver with PKV Racing this year, qualified 10th, running 101.131 mph.

“I also hope to be surprised by at least a couple of young outsiders,” Zanardi said.

Rookie A.J. Allmendinger impressed in his first Champ Car start, running seventh at 101.349 mph. The 22-year-old from Hollister, Calif., is no stranger to Long Beach. He won the Toyota Atlantic race here last year en route to the championship.

Nelson Philippe, the French teenager who will become the youngest starter in Champ Car history when he takes the green flag Sunday, qualified 15th. He won’t be 18 until July 23.

Another qualifying round today will determine the final lineup, but Junqueira is assured of a front-row starting berth even if more than one driver betters his speed today. He also earned the first point in the 2004 standings with Friday’s performance.

“It feels real good to put the PacifiCare car on the provisional pole because they are based here and are big supporters of the Champ Car series and the Grand Prix,” Junqueira said.

Zanardi lost both legs in an accident in a Champ Car race at Lausitz, Germany, in 2001, and is now racing in the European Touring Car Championships after being fitted with prosthetic limbs. He had some advice for today’s drivers.

“The special secret is not to do what I did the first year, and that is to place it into the wall,” he said. “The following seasons I kept it on the track, and I came home with the big trophy. Like all the street races, you need to be very, very careful.

“You can drive it 100% in qualifying, but you can’t drive it 100% during the race.”

Junqueira felt he got the limit from his Newman-Haas Lola, but Tracy said he came up short because of problems with traffic.

“The car was good, and I think I got everything out of it,” said Junqueira, who finished second to Tracy in last year’s championship race.

All of the veteran drivers said they were pleased to be racing again after a winter of concern about their future as CART collapsed and new owners came forth barely in time for the Long Beach race to be held.

“I still believe that when I came to the U.S. in 1996, this series offered by far the best compromise by racing on some ovals and on many road and street courses,” Zanardi said. “I’m sure that technically speaking that kind of mix is by far the most enjoyable from the driver standpoint.

“Personally, I would buy a ticket to a Champ Car road race one Sunday and a ticket to an IRL oval race the next, so I can get a little bit of everything. I hope that the fans will welcome the new Champ Car because the supporters are really what keeps everything alive because the sport, without their support, is nothing.”

The off-season bickering apparently did not carry over to the public; longtime Long Beach observers said attendance Friday was among the best non-weekend crowds in several years.

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Max Papis was the fastest Toyota Pro-Celebrity driver, although he was closely pressed by soap actor Peter Reckell, last year’s winner, and Olympic swim medalist Dara Torres, the 2002 winner.

Papis lapped the course in his Celica Liftback at 66.286 mph. Reckell did a 65.549 and Torres a 65.481.

The 10-lap celebrity race will take place today at noon, followed by Champ Car qualifying at 1:45 p.m.