Freightliner/GI Joe's 200 - On the right track.

A long, wide start/finish straight, an absurdly tight first chicane, several slow technical sections and a fast sweeping back straight and final corner make Portland International a definite road racers paradise but as Michael Andretti has shown over the years, you don't have to have a road racing background to be a success at PIR.

Defending FedEx Championship Series champion Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Honda Reynard) of Marlboro Team Penske has won the past two Champ Car events contested at Portland International Raceway, in 1999 and last year, and owns four podium finishes in six career starts at the venue. He also finished second in 1996 and '97. De Ferran also has qualified among the top-10 drivers for all six of his appearances at Portland, topped by starts on the outside pole in 1997 and 2000.

Michael Andretti is a three-time winner (1990, '91, '92) and two-time runner-up (1986, '87) at Portland, and has scored championship points in 13 of 16 career appearances at the venue, with 10 top-10 finishes. He started on the outside pole in 1986, '90 and '92 and has led 404 laps at Portland in his career, including 101 in 1990, 102 in '91 and 100 in '92.

Alex Zanardi (Pioneer Honda Reynard) of Mo Nunn Racing owns two victories in three career starts at Portland, in 1996 and '98. His 1996 triumph, when he led a race-high 95 laps from the pole, was the first of his FedEx Championship Series career. He also led a race-high 47 laps en route to victory in 1998. Zanardi's only other appearance at Portland also resulted in a points-paying result of 11th in 1997.

Christian Fittipaldi has scored championship points in four of six career starts at Portland, highlighted by last year's third-place finish. He also finished fourth in 1997 in his first competitive appearance after missing seven events due to a broken leg sustained in Australia. His remaining scoring performances are finishes of 12th in 1995 and '96.

Adrian Fernandez (Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex Honda Reynard) of Fernandez Racing has scored championship points in six of seven career starts at Portland, topped by a fourth-place finish in 1999. The run also includes finishes of ninth in 1995, 10th in 1994 and '97 and 12th in 1996 and last year.

Honda-powered drivers have won the past three FedEx Championship Series events contested at Portland International Raceway and four of the past five, getting victories from Alex Zanardi in 1996 and '98 and Gil de Ferran in 1999 and last year. Honda has also won four of the past five FedEx Championship Series events contested on permanent road courses, getting victories last year from Helio Castroneves at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca, de Ferran at Portland and Paul Tracy at Road America.

Toyota will be seeking its second victory of the 2001 season on a permanent road course in this weekend's Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco at Portland International Raceway. Cristiano Da Matta (Texaco/Havoline/Kmart Toyota Lola) of Newman/Haas Racing scored the manufacturer's first-ever triumph on a permanent road course in the 2001 season opener at Monterrey, Mexico.