August 29, 2004 in Sports

Trulli edges Schumacher to snag Formula One pole

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Jarno Trulli is the only driver to beat Michael Schumacher this season. On Saturday, the Renault driver claimed another victory.

Trulli nipped Schumacher for the pole in today’s Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, hoping to repeat his triumph of three months ago in Monaco, where he also claimed the pole en route to his first F1 victory.

He was lucky in Monte Carlo when Schumacher crashed running behind a safety car.

He beat the odds Saturday in qualifying in on-and-off rain at Spa, and he’ll need more good fortune today to beat the dominating German who has won six times at Spa — his favorite circuit.

“I was very brave, I took a gamble,” said Trulli, one of the last drivers out in the single-car qualifying before showers fell on the already damp track. Schumacher came out last in the rain, using slower, wet-weather tires after Trulli lapped with a quicker, dry-weather alternative.

“That’s the way it is. It is a lottery in a way,” Schumacher said, “Just 10 minutes from the end we get this extra splash of rain, which was wasn’t supposed to be. But we are in the first row, second position. With the conditions. I think we can be quite happy.”

Schumacher has 120 points, followed by Barrichello (82), Jenson Button (65) and Trulli (46). After Ferrari with 202 points, Renault is next (91) in the team standings, followed by BAR-Honda (83).

Trulli clocked 1 minute, 56.232 seconds with Schumacher across in 1:56.304, followed by Renault teammate Fernando Alonso (1:56.686).

Castroneves grabs top spot

Helio Castroneves put himself in the best position to win the 100th IRL race by taking the pole for the final event at Nazareth Speedway in Nazareth, Pa.

Now, the defending race champion hopes to present car owner Roger Penske with a victory today in the Firestone Indy 225. Penske built the track in 1986, but later merged his racing facilities with those of International Speedway Corp. ISC said in May the mile oval would close after this season.

Castroneves posted a fast lap of 167.396 mph. He will be joined in the front row by teammate Sam Hornish Jr., who went 167.100.

“I’m extremely happy for the whole team, especially being on the front row right in the back yard of Team Penske,” Castroneves said, referring to the Reading-based operation. “Hopefully, we can put both Marlboro Team Penske cars on the front at the end tomorrow.”

Bourdais earns sixth pole

It took Sebastien Bourdais until the final moments of qualifying this time, but it seems as if nothing can slow the Champ Car points leader.

He captured the pole position for the Montreal Molson Indy — his sixth pole of the season and third in a row.

After surprising rookie A.J. Allmendinger knocked Bourdais off the pole with about three minutes remaining in the 35-minute qualifying session, the Frenchman could have settled for the runner-up spot, which he guaranteed himself by taking the provisional pole Friday.

Instead, Bourdais made one last run on the 2.709-mile, 13-turn Circuit Gilles Villeneueve road course and drove his Newman/Haas Racing Lola to a lap of 1 minute, 19.897 seconds — 122.062 mph — that kept Allmendinger from winning his first career pole with his lap of 1:20.272 (121.492 mph).

Bourdais, who beat his Friday time by more than two seconds, added another championship point, raising his lead over teammate Bruno Junqueira to 58 points entering today’s race.

Allmendinger’s best previous start was fifth on the road course at Portland.

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