CART Rookie Montoya Wins His First Start on Short Oval

Rookie Juan Montoya passed another checkpoint on his road to stardom.

After Sunday’s race, the new sensation of the CART circuit can deliver this message: Been there, done that.

He did it so well that virtually no one passed him Sunday in the Bosch Grand Prix at Nazareth, Pa. And the 23-year-old Colombian, a champion last year in Formula 3000 road-course racing, added a victory in his first career start on a short oval.

“My guys won it more than me,” Montoya said, belying his reputation for being cocky. “We practiced a lot on hitting the marks.”

That was a reference to pit stops, a key to his dominant race in which he took the lead in the series with 45 points, two more than Adrian Fernandez.

*

Michael Schumacher edged rival David Coulthard by 4.26 seconds at Imola, Italy, and gave home team Ferrari its first San Marino Grand Prix victory in 16 years.

Schumacher, who had pitted seven laps before, passed Coulthard in the 37th lap as the McLaren driver came out just behind him after changing tires and refueling.

*

Rain forced the postponement of the eliminations for the NHRA Pennzoil Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie. Second-round eliminations were scheduled to resume this morning.