Third win in four at Fontana for Ford.

Ford claimed their third victory at the two-mile California Speedway in the last four years on Sunday, as Team Rahal's Jimmy Vasser became the first double Fontana winner in The 500 Presented by Toyota.

Ford powered drivers claimed first and third in Sunday's 250-lap, 500-mile 18th round of the CART FedEx Championship with Team Rahal driver Jimmy Vasser leading the most laps for his first win in more than two years and Patrick Carpentier taking his second-straight podium finish.

Vasser led 148 laps to add this race to his 1998 Fontana triumph while Carpentier moved into third place in the overall standings just three points behind second place man Bruno Junqueira.

Following a red flag with five laps to go to get a stranded Dario Franchitti, Vasser passed runner-up Michael Andretti just past the start/finish line and cruised to the victory.

Vasser's win is the third in the last four years for Ford and Cosworth at the California Speedway. Adrian Fernandez won in 1999 while Christian Fittipaldi was victorious a year later.

In the six CART races held at the California Speedway since 1997, Ford has powered its drivers to 10 podium appearances, including three victories, three runner-up finishes and four third-place finishes.

Despite the double podium result there was disappointment for the rest of the Ford runners as both Michel Jourdain Jr and Mario Dominguez retired with engine problems and Alex Tagliani trailed home in eighth place two laps down after spinning whilst leaving the pits on lap 100.

Jourdain's late retirement whilst running a strong third behind his teammate Vasser and 2001 Fontana winner Cristiano da Matta, saw his 17-race scoring streak come to an end while Surfers Paradise winner Mario Dominguez was also on course for a healthy points haul until his retirement shortly after the 100 lap mark.