Herta aiming for third finish in a row.

Just aiming to finish a third race in succession is something that most teams wouldn't think twice about but most teams haven't had the foul luck of Bryan Herta and the Zakspeed-Forsythe Racing outfit this season but now that they have a podium finish under their belts the American driver believes sustaining their finishing streak is vital at Toronto.

Last year Bryan Herta drove the Toronto Molson Indy as a substitute driver under the Mo Nunn Racing banner for the injured Tony Kanaan, with Mercedes power and a Reynard chassis, not the most potent combination in 2000. Herta started from 18th position and retired after 36 laps in the same position, due to a mechanical failure. Herta has started in the top-ten once and finished there twice on the streets of Toronto.

"It's always great going to an event that you really like, announced Herta as he prepared for his seventh career Toronto start. "Especially when you've just done well at the previous race. Our third place finish in Cleveland was great for the team, and myself and we are definitely prepared to keep the momentum going. Toronto is a terrific event; the fans and the atmosphere are great, it is always fun to race in front of a massive, energetic crowd. It is a tough track in terms of getting the car just right. You have several different surfaces that make it a little tricky to get a really good set-up, but if you do, it is a lot of fun."

Toronto is something of a double-edged sword for Herta however as it was at this circuit in 1994 that Herta broke a leg and damaged his pelvis in a nasty qualifying crash whilst driving for AJ Foyt Racing and although Herta says he enjoys racing in Toronto, he will admit that the venue is not one of his stronger stops on the CART tour as a best career result at the circuit is a fifth spot attained in 1998 and his best qualifying effort, crucial at Toronto, came a year later with ninth starting spot.

On a higher note, Herta's third place finish two weeks ago at the Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland marked his best race result since winning Laguna Seca in 1999. The podium was also Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing's highest finish in its' maiden CART season. Herta jumped from 23rd to 15th (he is currently tied for 15th with Memo Gidley) in the championship point's standings, with a total of 17 points.

Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing recorded the fastest pit stops in the field during round nine of the 2001 Craftsmen Pit Crew Challenge. The over-the-wall crew consisting of six team members including: KC Kullos, Warren Wilson, Matt Motyka, Chris Schofield, Troy Gulgin and Doug Beaulieu changed all four tires and filled the 35 gallon fuel tank twice during the 210 mile race with an cumulative time of 1:16.684.