Long Beach race notes

RACE NOTES - - Round 2 - - 1997 KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship:

PreRace Note: #27 PETERSON and #95 PARENTE, who qualified 37th and 38th respectively, have been designated "provisional starters," and will begin the race in the event of a car in the top-36 qualifying grid becoming unable to start the race.

4:48 p.m. Pace car on course for two "reconnaissance" laps with 36 Atlantic cars.

4:53 p.m. Polesitter #29 MONTGOMERY takes the early lead after a "standing start" and leads the 36-car field through turn one -- #3 DAVID stalls on course, then retires from the race with a broken axle.

Lap 3 - - YELLOW FLAG - full course caution displayed -- #29 MONTGOMERY remains the leader -- #35 POOK retires with gearbox problems.

Lap 5 - - Race resumes -- #15 LANG spins and stalls on the re-start -- #4 LAZZARO passes #29 MONTGOMERY for first place -- #66 TAGLIANI slips past #29 MONTGOMERY for second place.

Lap 6 - - #29 MONTGOMERY overbrakes entering turn six and spins and briefly stops in the center of the course -- continues after being passed by #25 AVE and #43 BARBOSA.

Lap 7 - - The top five are #66 TAGLIANI, #4 LAZZARO #25 AVE , #43 BARBOSA, and #29 MONTGOMERY.

Lap 11 - - #33 GODIN makes light contact with corner of turn eight apex while exiting the hairpin and spins to a stop facing the flow of traffic -- local yellow flags are immediately displayed -- #33 GODIN attempts to resume the race, but drives in a counter-track direction -- #7 BINDER unavoidably hits #33 GODIN while exiting turn eight -- #96 SCHROEDER makes unavoidable nose-to-tail contact with #7 BINDER -- turn eight becomes essentially impassable and brings out a YELLOW FLAG.

Lap 12 - - GREEN FLAG -- #66 TAGLIANI maintains the lead through turn one on a clean re-start -- #31 GAFFOGLIO and #18 SISKA make contact in turn one -- both cars stop on course -- both drivers out and okay, but both retire from the race.

Lap 13 - - YELLOW FLAG.

Lap 16 - - GREEN FLAG

Lap 20 - - The top five are #66 TAGLIANI, #4 LAZZARO, #43 BARBOSA, #25 AVE, and #34 AUBERLEN.

Lap 24 - - #8 SOLLENSKOG spins and hits the tire barrier in turn seven -- driver out and okay, but is forced to retire from the race --brings out a YELLOW FLAG.

Lap 28 - - GREEN FLAG -- with two laps remaining, #66 Tagliani maintains the lead through turn one with #4 LAZZARO within touching distance from behind.

Lap 29 - - #4 LAZZARO makes a last ditch effort to win the race #66 TAGLIANI maintains a steady pace.

Lap 50 #4 ALEXANDRE TAGLIANI, of Lachenaie, Que., wins his FIRST CAREER ATLANTIC race in the Forsythe Player's Racing Team-Platinum Player's/Indeck Ralt RT-41.

MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.453-seconds WINNER'S AVERAGE SPEED: 42.713 miles-per-hour TIME OF RACE: 67 minutes, 0.254 seconds

#4 ANTHONY LAZZARO, of Acworth, Ga., finishes second in the Phillips Motorsports- Platinum Sound/BG Products Ralt RT-41.

#34 BILL AUBERLEN, of Redondo Beach, Calif., rounds out the podium finishers in the B.D.J.S.-prepared Ralt RT-41.

* * *

LAZZARO improves his lead in the 1997 KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship to seven points over his closest challenger, TAGLIANI, 36-29. MEMO GIDLEY drops into third place with 25 points, followed by JOAO BARBOSA with 24. AUBERLEN rounds out the top five with 23 points.

* * *

By virtue of today's victory, ALEXANDRE TAGLIANI collects a total winner's purse of $20,000 from the posted purse of $85,000.

* * *

BILL AUBERLEN will collect a third-place purse of $9,000 and $2,000 in bonus awards including $1,000 for being named the "KOOL Move Of The Race" winner, and $1,000 for winning the "Yokohama Now You've Got Control" award.

* * *

#43 JOAO BARBOSA win's a $1,000 bonus as the "KOOL Rookie Challenge" winner for being the highest finishing Atlantic rookie driver with his fourth-place showing.

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