In the Pits and Paddock

Andre Ribeiro's Tasman team engineers take a break to watch the ongoing Indy Lights race on the TV monitors.

Paul Tracy's Penske-Mercedes being prepared for what would be his final race for the team. Only a few weeks later he was fired from the team to be replaced for next season by Andre Ribeiro.

Also unknown at the time was that this would be Parker Johnstone's last race for Team Kool Green. Next year they will be running two Honda-Reynards, driven by Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti.

Alex Zanardi's chief engineer, Mo Nunn, was also moving on. After a long career in motor racing that even included running his own Formula One team (Ensign) from 1973 to 1982, he retired at the end of the season.

Next year's Budweiser boy Richie Hearn had a Swift lined up, on loan from Newman-Haas, but smashed it up during practice on Friday. That meant he had to go back to one of the few remaining Lola chassis.

Greg Moore admires a police motorcycle after signing an autograph for one of the cops that had been trying to get a radar reading during Arie Luyendyk's test session.

The Budweiser Girls - not a match for the Tecate Girls!

Jan Beekhuis, pit lane commentator for ESPN, checks his notes...

... while presenter Bob Varsha prepares to kick off the pre-race show on ESPN-2.

Firestone tyres ready to go in the Brahma Sports Team pit.

Michael Andretti's team practice their refueling stops in the Newman Haas pits.

Christian Fittipaldi arrives. Those are the motorbike keys in his hand, not the keys to his Swift-Ford!

Hiro Matsushita, Arciero Wells driver, heir to the Panasonic company and owner of the Swift chassis manufacturer, rides onto pit road.

And finally, Michael Andretti arrives.