2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante

The 2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante was the nineteenth and final round of the 2002 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on November 17, 2002 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first Champ Car race at the track since the 1981 season. The race preceded a mass exodus of significant drivers and teams who all competed in their final Champ Car event, most of whom knew beforehand that they would not return. Most rued the fact that they were leaving for the rival Indy Racing League, wishing to continue in CART rather than endure a more stable future in the IRL.[1] CART's winningest driver (42 wins), Michael Andretti, along with Kenny Brack, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, and Japan's most successful driver in U.S. open wheel racing Tora Takagi would all bid CART adieu in favor of the IRL. Other entities leaving CART included 1996-1999 champions Chip Ganassi Racing, 1995 champions Team KOOL Green, and Mo Nunn Racing permanently switched to the IRL, and Japanese automotive industry giants Honda and Toyota likewise left CART for the IRL. Season champion Cristiano da Matta was set to leave CART for Formula One with his engine supplier's F1 team, and Christian Fittipaldi attempted a stock car career.

Mexico 2002 Mexico City
Race details
Race 19 of 19 in the 2002 CART season
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track layout
DateNovember 17, 2002
Official name2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante Presented by Banamex/Visa
LocationAutódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Mexico City, Mexico
CoursePermanent Road Course
2.786 mi / 4.484 km
Distance73 laps
203.378 mi / 327.332 km
WeatherHazy
Pole position
DriverBruno Junqueira (Target Chip Ganassi Racing)
Time1:25.941
Fastest lap
DriverShinji Nakano (Fernández Racing)
Time1:27.248 (on lap 70 of 73)
Podium
FirstKenny Bräck (Target Chip Ganassi Racing)
SecondCristiano da Matta (Newman/Haas Racing)
ThirdBruno Junqueira (Target Chip Ganassi Racing)

Qualifying results

edit
Pos Nat Name Team Qual 1 Qual 2 Best
1   Bruno Junqueira Target Chip Ganassi Racing 1:25.941 1:26.126 1:25.941
2   Christian Fittipaldi Newman/Haas Racing 1:26.027 1:27.670 1:26.027
3   Dario Franchitti Team KOOL Green 1:26.147 1:26.891 1:26.147
4   Tony Kanaan Mo Nunn Racing 1:26.719 1:26.394 1:26.394
5   Jimmy Vasser Team Rahal 1:26.703 1:26.703
6   Kenny Bräck Target Chip Ganassi Racing 1:27.147 1:26.786 1:26.786
7   Patrick Carpentier Team Player's 1:26.904 1:27.322 1:26.904
8   Paul Tracy Team KOOL Green 1:26.971 1:27.573 1:26.971
9   Mario Domínguez Herdez Competition 1:27.344 1:26.975 1:26.975
10   Michael Andretti Team Motorola 1:27.355 1:27.053 1:27.053
11   Tora Takagi Walker Racing 1:27.144 1:27.150 1:27.144
12   Cristiano da Matta Newman/Haas Racing 1:27.174 1:27.405 1:27.174
13   Shinji Nakano Fernández Racing 1:27.245 1:27.919 1:27.245
14   Alex Tagliani Team Player's 1:27.483 1:27.437 1:27.437
15   Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 1:27.525 1:27.447 1:27.447
16   Oriol Servià Patrick Racing 1:29.659 1:27.727 1:27.727
17   Michel Jourdain Jr. Team Rahal 1:27.923 1:27.807 1:27.807
18   André Lotterer Dale Coyne Racing 1:28.058 1:27.898 1:27.898
19   Luis Díaz Fernández Racing 1:27.992 1:27.969 1:27.969


Race

edit
Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 12   Kenny Bräck Target Chip Ganassi Racing 73 1:56:48.475 6 20
2 1   Cristiano da Matta Newman/Haas Racing 73 +3.987 secs 12 16
3 4   Bruno Junqueira Target Chip Ganassi Racing 73 +5.073 secs 1 16
4 32   Patrick Carpentier Team Player's 73 +10.842 secs 7 12
5 27   Dario Franchitti Team KOOL Green 73 +12.548 secs 3 10
6 5   Tora Takagi Walker Racing 73 +16.762 secs 11 8
7 44   Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 73 +23.622 secs 15 6
8 10   Tony Kanaan Mo Nunn Racing 73 +25.846 secs 4 6
9 20   Oriol Servià Patrick Racing 73 +28.034 secs 16 4
10 33   Alex Tagliani Team Player's 73 +29.949 secs 14 3
11 8   Jimmy Vasser Team Rahal 73 +30.628 secs 5 2
12 19   André Lotterer Dale Coyne Racing 73 +31.426 secs 18 1
13 9   Michel Jourdain Jr. Team Rahal 73 +32.055 secs 17 0
14 52   Shinji Nakano Fernández Racing 73 +50.219 secs 13 0
15 11   Christian Fittipaldi Newman/Haas Racing 67 Engine 2 0
16 26   Paul Tracy Team KOOL Green 61 Suspension 8 0
17 39   Michael Andretti Team Motorola 50 Contact 10 0
18 55   Mario Domínguez Herdez Competition 16 Suspension 9 0
19 51   Luis Díaz Fernández Racing 1 Engine 19 0

Caution flags

edit
Laps Cause
1-2 Tracy (26) & Vasser (8) contact
51-55 Andretti (39) contact

Notes

edit
Laps Leader
1-40 Tony Kanaan
41-52 Dario Franchitti
53-61 Michel Jourdain Jr.
62-73 Kenny Bräck
 
Driver Laps led
Tony Kanaan 40
Kenny Bräck 12
Dario Franchitti 12
Michel Jourdain Jr. 9
  • New Track Record Bruno Junqueira 1:25.941 (Qualification session #1)
  • New Race Record Kenny Bräck 1:56:48.475
  • Average Speed 104.468 mph
edit


Previous race:
2002 The 500
CART Indycar World Series
2002 season
Next race:
2003 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Next season
Previous race:
1981 Copa México 150
2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante Next race:
2003 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante