CART Preview - On the right track.

The 2001 CART season opens this weekend at a new facility in Fundidora Park, Monterrey, Mexico, with several acknowledged road course specialists looking to get off to a flying start.

Helio Castroneves (Team Marlboro Penske Honda Reynard) has developed an affinity for FedEx Championship Series competition on permanent road courses such as the one that will host the season-opening Tecate Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix Presented by Herdez. Castroneves claimed two of last season's three victories on permanent road circuits (Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca). He also recorded top-ten finishes of seventh at Portland and ninth at Road America in the other two road course events, won pole positions at Portland and Laguna Seca and recorded 221 of his 372 laps led on permanent road courses. Castroneves' overall laps led total was second in the FedEx Championship Series to Juan Montoya.

Roberto Moreno (Visteon Patrick Racing Toyota Reynard) has finished fourth or better in three of his past five FedEx Championship Series starts on permanent road courses. He finished second at Laguna Seca in 1999 while driving for Newman-Haas Racing, and added finishes of second at Portland and fourth at Road America last year.

Reigning series champion Gil de Ferran has finished sixth or better in six of his eight FedEx Championship Series starts on permanent road courses spread over the past two seasons. The run encompasses victories at Portland in 1999 and 2000, runner-up efforts at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca last year and sixth-place efforts at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca in 1999. De Ferran also started on the front row at all four road-course events last year with a pole at Mid-Ohio and outside poles at Portland, Road America and Laguna Seca.

Honda-powered drivers made a clean sweep of the four FedEx Championship Series events contested on permanent road courses last year with victories from Gil de Ferran at Portland, Helio Castroneves at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca, and Paul Tracy at Road America. Honda has also won six of the past eight FedEx Championship Series road-course events, including victories by de Ferran at Portland and Dario Franchitti at Road America in 1999.