Grand Prix Nascar 

Monaco: ART Grand Prix race report

It was another successful race weekend for the ART Grand Prix team when rookie driver Lewis Hamilton dominated the entire weekend with the fastest time in practice, securing a brilliant pole position and then taking the win around the tight and twisty streets of Monte Carlo.

Lewis was one of the first on track and set the early pace, a time that was never really challenged with Franck Perera's best time of 1:20.717 for second on the grid was the closest anyone came to Hamilton's stunning time of 1:21.044. Meanwhile teammate Alex Premat qualified fourth after several red and yellow flags interrupted the session, making it extremely hard for the Frenchman to improve on his times, despite giving it every possible effort.

Lewis took to a perfect start and drove a strong race to take a very impressive victory, his third of the season, crossing the line 8.4 seconds ahead of Perera while teammate Alex Premat joined him on the podium after some brilliant overtaking manoeuvres to make it a one three for the ART team. Lewis is now in the lead of the driver's championship on 49 points, ten ahead of Nelson Piquet while Alex is third on 33 points. ART Grand Prix leads the teams challenge with 82 points ahead of Arden International on 50 and Piquet Sports on 43 points.

Frederic Vasseur: A weekend that we could describe as nearly perfect and it is a credit to the whole team. Our two drivers did not make the smallest mistake and had the perfect race, being aggressive when it was necessary and careful when the race conditions forced them to be cautious. According to our ideal plan, Lewis opened a gap from the very start of the race, and then drove with great maturity. After a chaotic start, Alex delivered a fantastic race, with two overtaking manoeuvres in one lap that should be shown in all the driving schools. The overall result is very positive since Lewis and Alex are now 1st and 3rd in the Drivers standings and ART Grand Prix has quite a nice gap in the Teams championship.

Alexandre Premat: The weekend was overall positive, even if my ambition was to add Monaco to my prize list, as it is the only street race that I have not won yet. Qualifying was a little disappointing for me after free practice had given me an excellent basis. I could not get a clean lap and all the red and yellow flags certainly disrupted things, which caused some damage because the front row was within my range. At the beginning, of the race my car moved slightly when the lights were still red; so I jumped on the clutch a split second, which affected my take off a little. I allowed two competitors past while waiting for the best moment to attack but I had a lot of oversteer on my first set of tyres. With the second set the car was a lot better and I could attack and work my way through the field. With a flat spot on a front tyre, I preferred to ease off a little near the end to ensure a place on the podium, which now sees me in a good position in driver's classification.

Lewis Hamilton: Securing the Pole Position was a great start of what turned out to be a great weekend. The atmosphere in Monaco is awesome and quite unique, as is the driving in these narrow streets where you can't afford the smallest mistake. I took a good start and opened up a gap, then stay focused all the way long to the chequered flag. To win here in Monaco is quite an emotional experience, a one that I love! Monaco is historic and when you grow up you kind of dream to be on the top of the podium here. To come into GP2 in only my first year and win here, and from pole, I couldn't ask for more. The team worked so hard and so well that it deserved this success, and I want to thank each member of ART Grand Prix. Now it's time to focus on Silverstone!

Grand Prix Legend Hospitalized

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Al Unser remained hospitalized Wednesday with pancreatitis, and his wife said the four-time Indianapolis 500 champion will stay through next week for gall bladder surgery.
"He's not a happy camper. He doesn't like being in the hospital," Susan Unser said. "But he's got a lot of friends calling to check on him and that makes it a little more bearable."
The 66-year-old Unser was admitted to Presbyterian Hospital on Tuesday. Doctors found Unser's pancreas was inflamed, most likely because of gallstones.
He was ordered to rest and take fluids until the pancreatitis subsides, then he'll have his gall bladder removed Monday, Mrs. Unser said.
Unser also was on oxygen to help him breathe because of fluid in his lungs, but Mrs. Unser said his condition wasn't life-threatening.
"This thing really knocked him to his knees," she said. "He's never been sick. He's been in the hospital a lot, but until now it's always been broken bones."
Unser complained of abdominal pain while changing a flat tire on his motor home during a drive to California last Thursday. Waiting for a tow truck, he grew increasingly uncomfortable.
"He said, 'Man, my stomach hurts,' and that was the end of it," Mrs. Unser said. "He got pasty looking. I was afraid it was his heart, and I told him we were going to the hospital."
Unser was examined at a hospital in Winslow, Ariz., where he had several tests performed before returning to Albuquerque on Monday.
"I know my husband, and he doesn't go down very easily," Mrs. Unser said.
Racing fans have been phoning and visiting the hospital to offer support, but Mrs. Unser encouraged well-wishers to send cards to the Unser Racing Museum so her husband can rest.
"He's resting comfortably. He's just annoyed to have to be there," she said. "He is finally starting to pay attention to the nurses, so that's a good sign."

Nascar Nextel Cup Decided

Edwards' third win tightens top 10
Associated Press
HAMPTON, Ga. -- Lap after lap, Carl Edwards flirted with the outside walls on his way to another victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
While just about everyone else in the 43-car field for Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race tried to run well below those unforgiving walls, Edwards purposely hugged the concrete at speeds approaching 200 mph.
"I like running at the top of the racetrack," Edwards said after completing a season sweep on the 1.5-mile, D-shaped oval. "It's a blast.
"I used to race at this track in Holt Summitt, Missouri, and the fast line used to be with the right-side tires up on the guardrail. We won two track championships there just driving it on the guardrail."

Drivers Find Different Ways To Pass Time

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Most of NASCAR's Nextel Cup drivers found themselves with time on their hands Saturday.
The Cup schedule at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week called for practice and qualifying Friday and the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 on Sunday, with NASCAR impounding the cars between the end of time trials and the start of the race.
Some drivers entered in the Cup race did stay busy at the track Saturday, with Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Hamilton and Martin Truex Jr. entered in the IROC race and Hamilton, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch, Mike Bliss and Mike Skinner driving in Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race. But everyone else in Sunday's 43-car field had the day off.
Rusty Wallace, in his final season before retirement, was looking forward to the respite, although he had lots of plans for the free day.
"I'm going to watch a little of the truck race and talk to a prospective new sponsor," said Wallace, who also owns a Busch team and is helping son Stephen get his racing career going. "Then my kid bought a house in Atlanta to rebuild to try to make some money on.
"I've never seen it yet, so I'm going over to look at it. He's got it all done and it's for sale. The rest of the day, I might play nine holes of golf. Then, I'm going to have a nice early dinner at my favorite Italian joint."
Wallace and Penske Racing South don't agree on much these days, and the day off is no exception. Teammate Newman isn't particularly happy about it.
"It's a waste of time," he said. "Why not just come here for Saturday and Sunday? It's just a ridiculous waste of time, especially with our schedule."
Elliott Sadler is more positive about the situation.
"I like impound races because I'm going to sleep very good tonight and tomorrow night because I know we can't touch the car," he said Friday after qualifying. "I don't have to worry about changing a spring or a shock or a swaybar or what have you."