Motorsport Mourns Greg Moore.

The CART series suffered a second tragedy at Fontana yesterday, when Canadian star Greg Moore died after crashing heavily at the start of the California 500.


The Forsythe team driver, frequently connected with possible Formula One drives following his successes in Champcar racing, left the road at turn two just ten laps into the 250-lap race, colliding heavily with a retaining wall on the inside of the circuit. Ironically, he almost didn't start the race after suffering hand and leg injuries in a paddock accident on Saturday evening, but was passed fit to drive following a six-lap test on race day.


Moore's Reynard appeared to break up on impact, leaving the driver defenceless as its momentum took it into a barrel roll and further contact with the safety structure. He was air-lifted to the nearby Loma Linda University Medical Centre, but was pronounced dead from 'massive head and internal injuries'.


The Canadian's death follows quickly after the loss of F3000 regular Gonzalo Rodriguez at Laguna Seca, and provides a second tragedy for the Penske team, with which he had signed to contest the 2000 season.


The incident cast a pall over an otherwise nail-biting final race, which resulted in Juan Montoya and Dario Franchitti finishing equal on points. Montoya's better race winning record this season gave him the championship on a tie-breaker, but the Colombian was among those whose thoughts were elsewhere on Sunday night.


In common with many of his rivals, Franchitti was also reduced to tears by the news that he had lost a close friend and one of the most widely respected colleagues in the series.


"Today I lost one of the best friends I ever had," he said, "In the last couple of years, ever since I've known him, we shared a lot of good times together. He was the guy I competed hardest with on the track, and he was the guy that I had the most fun with away from the track.


"The guy was going to be champion many, many times over. He was my friend. With what's happened today, nothing else matters."