Takagi in sixth row, Barron in ninth row

SPARTA, Ky. (Saturday, Aug. 16, 2003) -- Mo Nunn Racing teammates Tora
Takagi and Alex Barron will start in the sixth and ninth rows,
respectively, for Sunday's Belterra Indy 300 after the opening day of
practice and qualifying today for Sunday's 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile
Kentucky Speedway tri-oval.

Takagi, running only the second race weekend of the season in a brand new
#12 Pioneer/Mo Nunn Racing Toyota-powered Dallara chassis, turned a fast
lap of 24.5108 seconds (24.5478 mph) during this afternoon's single-car
qualifying session.  It was the 12th-fastest lap of the session and puts
him on the outside of the sixth row alongside series points leader Tony
Kanaan.  Takagi had competed in a Panoz G Force chassis at the first 10
events this season, his first on the IRL IndyCar Series tour.

With injured Mo Nunn Racing driver Felipe Giaffone in attendance as a
spectator for the first time since his July 6 accident at Kansas
Speedway, Barron and the #21 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Toyota-powered
Panoz G Force turned a fast lap of 24.6733 seconds (215.94 mph) to take
the inside-ninth-row starting spot alongside Scott Sharp.  Barron is
substituting for the fourth race in a row for Giaffone, who fractured his
right femur and pelvis on race day at Kansas.  Giaffone is targeting the
Sept. 7 Chicagoland event for his return to the cockpit.  Barron won last
month's Firestone Indy 400 at Michigan during this most recent run with
the team.  He also subbed for injured Mo Nunn Racing driver Arie Luyendyk
at this year's Indy 500, where he finished sixth.

Two-time-defending series champion Sam Hornish, Jr., won the pole for the
second time in three races driving the new Chevy Gen IV engine.  He
turned a fast lap of 24.2608 seconds (219.61 mph) for the top spot on the
grid.  Scott Dixon qualified second in 24.2891 seconds (219.35 mph),
followed by Helio Castroneves in third at 24.2945 seconds (219.30).  The
entire 20-car field qualified within 0.5369 of a second, the tightest
starting grid from top to bottom in IRL IndyCar Series history.

TORA TAKAGI

"My Pioneer Toyota was much better in qualifying than it was during the
practice sessions.  That is a good thing.  We ended up with too much
oversteer in the practice sessions, which is a big problem here.  I think
we fixed the problem for qualifying and now we can look forward to a
strong race tomorrow.  This (Dallara) car is still very new to me and to
the Pioneer team.  This is only the second race and only the third time
we've ever run this car, so you can't expect miracles.  We are
definitely making progress."

ALEX BARRON

"That qualifying run was a little bit of a mystery.  I thought for sure
we would be quicker.  I can't quite put my finger on it here and now. 
The car felt pretty balanced.  We just didn't have the speed that we
thought we would.  We'll just have to go back and look at the data and
see what we can learn and hopefully make it a good, solid race car."

FELIPE GIAFFONE

"It's so good to be back here to see everybody again.  It feels, in a
lot of ways, like it's been forever since the accident.  But in a lot of
ways the time has gone by very quickly because we've been working so
hard in rehab.  I feel like I'm in much better overall shape than I was
when the accident happened.  I guess that's what you could expect when
you work out six to eight hours a day.  The doctors say my bones are
healing very well.  I hope that maybe I can test at Chicago the week
after Nazareth, and then come back and race at the Chicago race.  That
has been the schedule I have set for myself, at least.  We'll see what
Dr. (Henry) Bock (the series' chief medical official) has to say. 
Mentally, I'm definitely ready to go!"

-mnr-


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