Lynx Racing Long Beach Race Report

- The Race: Lynx Racing in the KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Support Race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach - April 17 - 18

Lynx Racing driver Buddy Rice, after qualifying fifth, brought his #19 Lynx Racing Swift 008.a home in 4th place in the crash-filled opening round of the 1999 KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The race was won by Player's/Forsythe driver Alexandre Tagliani, followed by PPI/MCI driver Anthony Lazarro and last year's Atlantic champion, Lee Bentham, also of the Player's team. "I could run with the front guys just about everywhere except the final hairpin turn that leads onto the long main straight," said Rice. "My car was a little loose there, and I just couldn't get the power to the ground so they pulled away from me. By the time we got to the other side of the track, I was back on their tail, but just couldn't get by, so we decided to go for the points instead of doing something dramatic. But we're just about there, and we're heading Nazareth next, a track where I won last year, and where Lynx has won four years in a row." Rice's teammate, Mike Conte, qualified 11th, and was running a strong race until he spun trying to avoid another car. Conte's car was not damaged, but he was unable to re-start the engine and the safety crews pushed him behind the wall. "I was just starting to get the feel of things when another car pinched me off in a turn and I spun trying to avoid him, more bad luck than anything," said Conte. "I couldn't get the engine re-started, and that was the end of my race. It's a somewhat ignominious way to start a new season, but the team gave me a great car and there are plenty of races left. so I'm disappointed, but not disheartened."