Disclaimers:

I don't own Formula One, the FIA does. I don't own the teams also. I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo and Game Freak do. I do own Keith Terrell, Riley Jenius, Ronin Vertigo, Francois Deletraz and Celia Jenius, because I created them. Also, I don't own the rights to Ozzy Osbounre's song, "Crazy Train" and I don't own the rights to Judas Priest's song "You've Got Another Thing Comin'." So, back away evil lawyers!!! I don't have any money!

Mario Alvarado's Writer's Notes:

That damn Ralf Schumacher!! He tried to take Ash out, but instead he took out most of the field!! And Keith was nearly killed in the crash when the throttle of his Ferrari stuck!! Now, all the teams are working hard to get their cars out on the grid. They only have one hour to get best starting spot they can. Then, the race will begin!

Info About The Featured Songs:

It's been a while since I added a song in this fic. So, I picked out two of my favorites. "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbounre, the prince of (bleep) darkness and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" by Judas Priest. I think "Crazy Train" would work well in a really crazy race where the drivers have all kinds of problems and crash, just like the Brazilian Grand Prix last week. I also think that "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" would be perfect for where the leader thinks he's got the race won, but ends up losing the lead and race in a span of a few corners because of his own ignorance.

Ash Ketchum: Formula One Driver
Chapter 28: The Italy GP Restart

"I like this new point format, Bernie. But, I still wish the winner should get some more points instead of 10. The 2nd place guy gets 8 while the 3rd place guy gets 6. 12 would be fine for the winner if you ask me."

"Well, Michael. It's that close so the point battles will be a lot better than in past years, because you win all the time. We need to put some excitement back into F1."

A discussion between Michael Schumacher and Bernie Ecclestone about the new points system, adopted before the 2003 season.

With only one hour to make the repairs or get the spare cars ready, the teams members were all earning their pay today. The reason they are working so hard is because if they get their cars ready to race before the others do, their old qualifying spot will be replaced with 7th place. So, get to work and get the best starting spot you can. The first driver to go out was Jarno Trulli. The Renault team got out the spare car, which was set up for him and got him out before the first minute ended. 8th place went to Olivier Panis. The BAR guys already had the spare car set up for him and he took off. 9th and 10th went to Jenson Button and Felipe Massa. The Sauber team had both spare cars set up for both drivers and they went to the track. As the minutes clicked by, Juan Montoya got his spare car out and got 11th. The McLaren team managed to get a new front suspension in David Coulthard's car and got him out for 12th. Unlucky 13th went to Nick Heidfeld. The Jaguar boys put in a new gearbox and rear wing and he was gone. 14th place belonged to Ronin Vertigo. The Arrows guys were busy working on both spare cars for their two drivers and it took forever to get Ronin out. 15th was nabbed by Giancarlo Fisichella. The McLaren team accidentally set up both spares for David and the most of their guys working on David's car. Fisichella and a small group of McLaren guys got the spare car to Fisi's setup and sent him out. After 30 minutes, most of the drivers were on the revised grid, but everybody was still waiting for the Ferraris to appear.

Keith walked out of the FIA care center after Sid gave him a clean bill of health. Despite nearly killing himself, he was just fine after his car busted through the Armco and smashed into a bunch of trees before coming to a stop. Actually, his car took all the damage and he was able to walk away unharmed, but dizzy and nauseous. This crash will only enhance Keith's reputation as F1's Man of Steel. He earned this nickname at the 2004 European Grand Prix, when he raced with several broken bones after he met Suicune for the first time. With some time before the race restart, Keith decided to catch up on something he hasn't done in a while. Groom Suicune.

"You know, Suicune. Cleanliness is the first step to self improvement." Keith said as he brushed Suicune's mane while the Dog Pokémon was lying on Keith's lap,

[I know that. You say that every chance you get when you're brushing me. You're a neat freak.] Suicune said,

"I'm not a neat freak, Suicune. I just like having things looking nice and clean and not messy like my place back during my F3000 days." Keith said,

[Riley told me last week that when the two of you were teammates, you left empty beer cans, pizza boxes, dirty clothes, bottles and trash just laying all over the place. You were a grade-A slob.] Suicune said,

"Just be glad I'm not like that now, Suicune." Keith said. As the American brushing his Legendary Pokémon, the FIA World Feed TV cameras spotted him. Over in Celadon City, the Ash Ketchum Fan Club, which was made of all girls, were watching and waiting for the race to restart or scream loudly when Ash would appear. But, they didn't like seeing Keith or the other drivers in the TV. Even though most people would be out on a late Saturday Night clubbing or at the bars, these dedicated Ash fans would rather spend their Saturday Night watching Formula One because of the time difference between Japan and Europe.

"Why are they showing that guy with his Pokémon? Show Ash!!" One girl said,

"Yeah! Show Ash!!" Another girl yelled out,

"We want Ash!!" A whole group of girls yelled out and started to chant. As this was going on, a man dressed up as a magician with a really crappy looking tuxedo, walked past the giant gathering. That man was Eusine, the Suicune fanatic. He has been trying to find the Legendary Dog for years, but his trail went cold in the middle of 2004. He doesn't even know that Suicune now belongs to Keith Terrell.

"I will find Suicune. And when I do, you will be mine!" Eusine said as he walked on. He heard the girls yelling out their love for Ash. Eusine remembered Ash Ketchum somewhat. He said that Ash wasn't a worthy trainer to see Suicune. Now, he has heard these rumors that Ash has become a driver on the FIA Formula One World Championship. The girls in the park were now chanting for Ash so loudly, that the noise broke his train of thought. Deciding to check out what was all the noise about, Eusine headed down the hill and he saw something on the big screen that shocked him. There was Suicune, the Pokémon he has been trying to catch for years, being brushed and resting on the lap of this man wearing red. It seemed to be enjoying the brushing. He heard the announcers talk about Keith and Suicune.

"There is a story that goes with Keith and that Pokémon you see. After Terrell's debut at Monaco last year, he found that Pokémon which he's brushing, being chased by Team Rocket, F1's worst enemy. After beating up the Rockets and nearly getting killed, Terrell threw a Poké Ball at this Pokémon and caught it with ease." Announcer #1 said,

"The end result of that fracas was that Keith missed the Canada race and had many broken bones. He almost missed the European GP, but returned to drive one hell of a race and scored his first points of his F1 career." Announcer #2 added,

"All that pain just to catch that Pokémon? I don't get it." Announcer #1 said,

"Neither do I, but those two do get along really great. We'll take another break and get rid of these commercials breaks so we can give you uninterrupted racing action when the race restarts." Announcer #2 said as the channel started to show Pokémon commercials. Eusine didn't even move a muscle. He has lost his chance to catch Suicune by a guy wearing red. He was really pissed off.

"Who was that... person with Suicune?!!!" Eusine asked, ready to kill anybody now that his chance to catch Suicune is gone. A girl heard him ask that question and walked up to him.

"The guy with that cute Dog Pokémon whom he was brushing? That's Keith Terrell, The Patriot as the Americans call him. He's driving for Ferrari." A girl said as she headed back to the group she was in. Eusine etched the memory of Suicune and Keith into his memory and he made himself a vow.

"Keith Terrell. When I find you, I'll make you regret capturing what is rightfully mine. Remember that." He said to himself and he walked off into the dead of night. Since the F1 guys will make their trip to Japan in a month, Eusine will make plans to get rid of Keith and take Suicune from him. Back at Monza, the Ferrari team was working their butts off building the spare cars from scratch since they thought they didn't need them this week. Everybody on the team pitched in and helped build the spare cars. Even Growlithe was helping by fetching tools and anything the guys needed. But, one of the Ferrari guys was not in a working mood. Michael was busy working with Ross on Keith's car when he caught a glimpse of Rubens Barrichello hiding in the corner. It looked like he was covering from something.

"Rubens!! What the hell are you doing back there?!! We need all the help we can get!!" Michael yelled out over the noise of the men working on the cars,

"I don't want to get back in the car." Rubens said to himself, not even looking at Michael in the eyes.

"What's wrong with you, goddammit?!! You have to get in that car and beat the pants off of Montoya!!!" Michael yelled out, not believing that Rubens didn't want to race now after the crash.

"I don't want to be the meat in a Sauber sandwich again." Rubens said. Michael knew that the crash with the Saubers really screwed up with Barrichello's psyche. If Barrichello didn't get in the car, Montoya would have a great shot to get maximum points for his lead in the all-important Driver's Championship Standings. Feeling frustrated, Michael grabbed Rubens by the collar of his racing suit and started to beat some sense back into Barrichello.

"YOU... WILL... RACE!!! I... WILL... MAKE... YOU... RACE!!" Michael yelled out as he slapped Rubens after every word he said. Suddenly, Rubens kicked Michael in the nuts and went back to sulking in fear of his Ferrari while Michael moaned in pure pain, holding his family jewels. Jean Todt, the Ferrari team boss, spotted Michael on the ground and Rubens hiding from the others. He knew that Rubens' mind wouldn't be right during the race after the wreck and he had to see somebody.

"Ross, continue the work on the spare cars. I have to go find Keith and ask him to baby-sit Rubens during the race." Jean Todt said to Ross Brawn as he left the garage in search of the American driver.

+ + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + +

With 20 minutes left, Mark Webber finally got his spare Minardi out got 16th spot. Ralf Schumacher got his spare Williams out and took the 17th spot after having a problem with the onboard computer, but the team put in a new one in. Takuma Sato and the Jordan guys had to take a long time to get the spare car ready for Sato. The only spare the team had was set up for Kimi and the Finn made it through the wreck. Sato takes the 18th starting place as 19th place went to Francois Deletraz. The Arrows guys focused all their manpower on getting Deletraz's spare car built after Ronin left. With 10 minutes left, the Toyota team finally completed the long and complicated engine swap from Ash's wrecked car into spare car and sent their driver out. And with 8 minutes before the restart, the Ferrari team finally got their drivers out. Rubens will restart in 21st and Keith will restart shotgun on the field in 22nd. It was going to be an uphill battle for the Scuderia team.

The long wait was over! It was time to get the race restarted. The six drivers who made it through are now starting up front. Riley was on the pole with Raikkonen, McNish, Yoong, Irvine and Tomas behind him. 7th on back was Trulli, Panis, Button, Massa, Montoya, Coulthard, Heidfeld, Ronin, Fisichella, Webber, Ralf, Sato, Francois, Ash, Rubens and Keith. The Ferrari team had a hard time trying to get Rubens in his car after the crash. Being the meat in a Sauber sandwich has screwed him up, as he fought with the team trying not to put him in the car. It took a right hook from Ross Brawn to get Rubens in the car and forced him to drive. The drivers were on the formation lap and took their new starting spots on the start/finish straight. The 5 red lights went out one by one and the race was on once again!! Eddie Irvine had a great start and weaved his way passed the others until he and Riley Jenius were neck and neck heading for Variante Goodyear. This time however, all the drivers took it easy, gave each other room and all made it through without incident. Riley and Eddie were still dueling with Alex Yoong's Minardi in 3rd as the field sped through Curva Grande, the long, sweeping right-hander where the cars reach 185 MPH. The chicane, Variante della Roggia, also known as 2A Variante was next. The drivers had to slam on the brakes to get down from 190 MPH to 60. The chicane was bumpy and slippery and nobody better make any rash moves. With Eddie and Riley not backing down, something had to give. This time, Riley missed his braking point and went into the kitty litter. He buried his car in the gravel and his Renault engine stalled. He tried to fire the engine back up, but the fire was gone. Riley got out of his BAR and placed the steering wheel back on. His race was done before it got started. He didn't even make one lap. He was casualty #1. He took off his helmet, waved to the fans and started the trek back to the BAR garage.

"Damn you, Eddie!! Richards is going to be pissed off about this." Riley said as a person on a scooter came by and gave him a lift to the paddock. Eddie had a mirror full of Minardi, Toyota and Jordan as he led the field to the contentious sharp right-hander known as Curva di Lesmo. The drivers enter this corner at 95 MPH and rocket out at 150. 4th place driver Kimi Raikkonen made his move down the fast and long straight called Curve del Serraglio and pass under the old Monza banking. Raikkonen passed Allan McNish and Alex Yoong before he and the rest of the leaders had to slam hard on the brakes from 200 MPH. Irvine and Kimi went side by side into the left hand corner Curva del Vialone, the first part of the chicane. Kimi let of the gas and let Eddie back into the lead at Variante Ascari, the second part of the chicane. Irvine negotiated the quick right, left complex before hitting the gas and exiting the chicane at 125 MPH. Raikkonen tried to pass Irvine again down the Rettifilio Centro straight, but found himself under attack by the European Minardi of Alex Yoong and his powerful Chevrolet engine. The cars achieved speeds of 200 MPH before hitting the brakes for the famous Curva Parabolica. The long, looping right hand turn is the most important corner of the track. Get this corner right by applying the gas at the right time to launch yourself down the Rettifilio Tribune Start/Finish straight. The drivers slow down to around 100 MPH in 3rd gear at its apex. Eddie got the corner right and gassed it, exiting the corner at 170 MPH and leading the first lap of the race.

Crazy, but that's how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it's not to late
To learn how to love
And forget how to hate

"Eddie Irvine has led the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen's Jordan is in 2nd, Alex Yoong in his Chevrolet powered Minardi is 3rd, Allan McNish holds 4th, Tomas Scheckter's Renault barely gets 5th away from 6th place driver Olivier Panis. 7th belongs to Juan Pablo Montoya and 8th is now held by Jenson Button's Sauber." Speed Channel guy #1 said as the drivers flashed by the start/finish line.

"After doing that engine change, Ash Ketchum in his Toyota is already up to 13th place after starting in 20th and he's about to get 12th away from Takuma Sato!!" Speed Channel guy #2 said as the TV showed Ash making the pass on Sato into Variante Goodyear. That made the girls of the Ash Ketchum fan club go absolutely wild. One more place up for their Ash.

"And the Ferrari's are stuck in 20th and 21st. Seems like the team didn't make all the right changes to Barrichello and Terrell's spare cars. They are 5 seconds behind the 19th place driver Mark Webber." Speed Channel guy #1 said as the two red Ferraris finally finished their first lap of the race. In the middle of the pack, there was a lot of good racing for positions 9th to 15th. Ash was weaving his way through the field and making good use of his Toyota's new and more powerful engine. Sylvie's decision to place the new engine in Ash's spare car is paying off. Down the Curve del Serraglio, another driver would bite the dust. This time, it was Mr. Bad Luck Felipe Massa. The 2004 Ferrari engine in his Sauber would break an oil line problem in the engine and his car gave up the ghost on the side of the road.

"AW CRAP!!!! Piece of goddamn shit!! WHY?!!!!" Massa yelled out and he kicked the tire of the Sauber in disgust. He was victim #2 on lap 2. 3 laps later, Francois Deletraz, the 3rd place finisher in Belgium, lost his brakes going into Curva del Vialone and beached himself real good. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"The 3rd place finisher in our last race is out!! Francois Deletraz's Arrows is beached real good and he's out of the car." Speed Channel guy #1 said as Deletraz kicked away some gravel in frustration as he made his way back to the Arrows pits.

Mental wounds not healing
Life's a bitter shame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

Lap 6 saw the exit of Takuma Sato from the race. He and Ralf Schumacher were racing into Curva di Lesmo, but Ralf decided to cut off Sato when the Japanese driver tried to pass him. The end result was Sato's left front tire being broken away and Ralf's rear suspension being bent real good. The two went straight for the gravel trap, but Ralf managed to get away, leaving a pissed off Takuma leaving to lick his wounds. On lap 11, Ronin Vertigo would get the scare of his life. The Russian made his way up into the top 6 when Ash Ketchum punted him at the exit of Parabolica and Ash's rear wheel ripped away the Arrows's front nose. Ronin gunned the Ford engine and managed not to spin out into the kitty litter. Unfortunately, Ronin turned himself around in the wrong direction right in the middle of the track, stalled the Arrows and saw everybody speed right towards him.

"Vertigo gets hit by Ketchum and now he's looking straight down the barrel as the rest of the drivers speed right for him!!!" Speed Channel guy #1 said as Ronin desperately tried to get his stalled car to start up again, but it was futile.

"AHH!! I'm gonna die!! I'M GONNA DIE!!!" Ronin yelled out and he closed his eyes as he waited for the Grim Reaper to come get him. The drivers saw Ronin stalled car, slowed down and went either to the left of the right of the Russian. All Ronin heard was the howl of the V10 engines as they sped by him, steering clear of the Arrows. You could actually hear the Arrows guys give one hell of a sigh of relief, knowing that everybody missed Ronin.

"They missed him!! Everybody missed Vertigo!!! It's a miracle that nobody slammed into him!!" Speed Channel guy #2 said as Ronin did a 180° and directed his Arrows to the pits to change that nose.

"Oh, man. I saw my life flash before my eyes. I've never been so scared in my life." Ronin mumbled to himself as the team got to work replacing the front nose.

I've listened to preachers
I've listened to fools
I've watched all the dropouts
Who make their own rules
One person conditioned
To rule and control
The media sells it
And you have the role

Lap 12 saw the exit of Ash's teammate, Allan McNish. Mr. Pokémon Master as he called himself was behind the Irvine/Raikkonen/Yoong fight in 4th when his hard charging teammate closed up on him and passed him at Variante Goodyear. McNish had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting Ash's car and having his front wing busted off, but Tomas Scheckter rear-ended the Scotsman, busting the Toyota's gearbox and wrecking the Renault's front nose.

"McNish hits the brakes to avoid Ash, but he gets hit by Scheckter in the gearbox!! McNish could be done." Speed Channel guy #1 said as Allan coasted into a safe spot and retired. Tomas nursed his Renault back to the pits to get a new nose. Tomas would meet his end on lap 14 when the electronics system in his car short-circuited and left him immobile at the exit of Ascari.

"Scheckter's Renault is stopped at Ascari. We're getting reports that the electronics system in his car have shorted out." Speed Channel guy #2 said as the TV showed now Eddie Irvine under attack by Ash into Curva di Lesmo. In just a mere 15 laps, Ash had made his way through the field from his 20th starting spot. When Ash caught up with Irvine, the Ash Ketchum fan club kept rooting for Ash to take the lead. It wouldn't be long now.

"And now Ash Ketchum is fighting with Eddie Irvine for the lead!!" Speed Channel guy #1 said as Ash hounded Irvine's Jag,

"You're all mine, Irvine!! Get out of my way!!" Ash said to himself. Eddie saw Ash in his rear view mirror and decided that his Jaguar had nothing for the Toyota's new engine and he let him go by. He got quickly back in line behind Ash and saw the young Pokémon trainer pull away down the straight. The Jaguar guys groaned when they saw Ash pass Irvine, but the Ash Ketchum fan club were cheering so loudly that some people who were trying to get some sleep, called the Celadon police to shut them up.

"YEA!! Ash is in the lead!! He's leading!!!" The girls yelled out as the TV showed Ash adding seconds to his lead over Irvine and the rest with each passing interval.

Mental wounds still screaming
Driving me insane
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

Lap 19 arrived and some teams were ready to have one of their drivers come in for the first stops on the day. The European Minardi team was waiting for either Yoong or Webber to come in. Eddie Irvine was leading the group into Vialone when Yoong tried to make a pass on Irvine. Eddie swerved to miss hitting the Minardi but found himself being hit by the Jordan of Kimi Raikkonen. The back of Irvine's Jaguar hit the back of Alex Yoong's Minardi and three of them went for a spin. Irvine and Raikkonen's cars went into the grass, just missing the gravel trap while Yoong did a 360° and kept going.

"And we got a crash at the Ascari chiacne!! Yoong was passing Irvine when he slowed and accidentally hit Raikkonen's car, which in turn hit Yoong's car. There are parts of front wings and a back wing on the track as the drivers get back in it." Speed Channel guy #1 said. Irvine's Jaguar lost its front wing while Yoong's Minardi only suffered a flat right front tire. It was a lucky break for Alex because he was on a two-stop race and was about to come in. Kimi got the raw end of the deal. He lost not only the front wing, but he hit Yoong's tire with his rear wing and broke that off as well.

"Goddammit!! Why me, God?!!! Can't you give me a break?!!! HUH?!!!" Kimi Raikkonen yelled out to the racing gods as he turned his car around and he carefully drove his wounded car back to the Jordan garage.

"And Raikkonen has more problems this season. This young Finn driver can't get a lucky break this season with Jordan." Speed Channel guy #2 said as the TV showed the pit stops of Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jenson Button. A few more drivers came in for their first stop of the race and everybody wondered if the Ferraris are on a one or two stop race. Keith and Rubens were around 40 seconds behind Ash.

I know that things are going wrong for me
You gotta listen to my words
Yeah
Heirs of a cold war
That's what we've become
Inheriting troubles
I'm mentally numb

On lap 20, the Ferrari team got ready to bring one of their drivers in. Both Keith and Rubens are on a two-stop strategy so they can go all out on the track.

"We're ready for one of you. So, when you two have decided who's first, come on in." Michael radioed to both Keith and Rubens. It wasn't long before Keith answered.

"Let Rubens go first. I'll stay out here for another lap." Keith radioed to the team before Rubens got the chance to,

"Okay, Keith. Rubens, come on in this time. We'll get new tires on, make some changes and get you full of fuel." Michael said as he gave a hand signal to the team to get ready for Rubens. Keith powered out of Parabolica and stayed on the track as Rubens made the right into the pits. He slowed to pit lane speed and stopped at the Ferrari pits. The team got to work changing the tires and refueling his car in a matter of seconds.

"Rubens has just exited the pits. We're getting reports that both Ferrari drivers are on a two-stop strategy in an attempt to get up to the front." Speed Channel guy #1 said. One lap later, the Ferrari team was now ready for Keith. It wasn't long before he dove onto pit lane and started the pit speed limiter as he coasted into the Ferrari pit. Keith just wanted a bit of front wing removed and a drink as the team attacked the car. They changed the tires, added fuel for a second stop and made the change Keith wanted before sending him back out. He blew past the blend line and got in front of Rubens once again and resumed their charge to the front.

"Jean, how far are we behind Ash?" Rubens asked,

"Last time I checked the interval, you two were 40 second behind and he just set the fastest lap time again." Jean Todt answered with the bad news.

"40 seconds? This doesn't look good." Keith said to himself as he continued to tow a still not in the race Rubens behind. With 30 laps left in the race, looks like nobody has anything for Ash Ketchum and his Toyota.

Crazy, I just cannot bear
I'm living with something
That just isn't fair
Mental wounds not healing
Who and what's to blame?
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

+ + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + +

At lap 26, the halfway point of the race, Juan Montoya, David Coulthard and Mark Webber came into the pits for their one and only stop of the race. Eddie Irvine came back into the pits to check on something with the rear wing that has broken off. Each driver entered their respective pits and got fresh grooved tires and lots of fuel before rejoining the fracas and trying to catch Ash, who made his only stop of the race as well and is now a good 30 seconds ahead of 2nd place driver Coulthard. Rubens and Keith were 4 seconds behind Yoong in 5th and 6th places respectfully after they pitted.

"Ash Ketchum is now 30 seconds up on Coulthard after he, Montoya and Yoong made their only stops of the race. And the Ferrari guys have made time against Ketchum's lead." Speed Channel guy #2 said as Keith towed a still shaken up Rubens closely behind, clearing the wounded car of Ralf Schumacher down the start/finish straight. The Ferrari team watched their drivers on as they made their way to the front. Growlithe on the other hand, was too busy playing with Lorelei and being its friendly self.

"Cut it out. That tickles." Lorelei laughed as Growlithe licked her face over and over again. Ever since Michael allowed Ross, Jean and Rubens to let the puppy Pokémon become Ferrari's team Pokémon, the Pokémon has taken every opportunity to help out the team and be friendly by whatever means necessary. This Growlithe is a very playful and extremely happy little Pokémon, which made Michael a bit disgusted about seeing Growlithe saying hi to everybody in its own way by licking his or her face over and over.

"Growlithe is one very friendly Pokémon. Ever since it became our team Pokémon, it's his sole duty to be friendly to everybody." Jean Todt said as he looked over his shoulder to see what was going on,

"Oh, no wonder he's so sweet." Lorelei said as she petted Growlithe some more, completing forgetting about Keith and the race. On the track, Rubens was shown his interval to that of Ash on his pit board and he didn't like what he saw. It said, '+32.5 Ketchum.'

"What does Ketchum have in that damn engine? He has more straight-line speed, acceleration and power than every engine out here! We'll never catch him!!" Rubens said, his negative side showing to the Ferrari team. Keith on the other hand, was Mr. Positive.

"Don't say that, Rubens!! We'll catch him!! I'm The Patriot!! I won't be defeated!!" Keith said as he towed Rubens behind as they closed in on the Yoong, Coulthard and Montoya battle. Rubens groaned. He hated when Keith started saying that he is the almighty driver from America.

"Somebody please kill me." Rubens said to himself as he followed Keith past Jenson Button's Sauber to move both of them up one more spot. On lap 28, there would be another wreck and Ralf Schumacher would be on the receiving end. He was racing with Nick Heidfeld and Jarno Trulli into Curva Grande when the Jaguar and the Renault made contact at the exit of the long turn. Ralf tried to go to the grass on the right but found the Renault of Jarno crashing into his side pod and smacking the rear left tire with the nose of the Renault. BAR driver Olivier Panis didn't see the wreck until he saw Heidfeld's car spin right for him. Panis tried an evasive maneuver, but Heidfeld's Jaguar hit Panis' BAR and sent the Frenchman in the air and had a rough landing where something internal broke inside the BAR. It was an important part of the car's suspension. This was the second race in a row that Olivier Panis and Nick Heidfeld have crashed into each other.

"Heidfeld and Trulli collide and each driver hit Ralf Schumacher and Olivier Panis!! Schumacher gets hit once again as Panis goes for a ride in the air thanks to Heidfeld!!" Speed Channel guy #1 said as the TV showed repeats of the latest crash. The replay showed some parts of the BAR flying off the car as it landed smack dab on the ground.

"And that landing Panis had must have busted up something. It was a real hard landing." Speed channel guy #2 said as Panis gingerly drove his BAR back to the pits to check if anything was damaged. Lap 29 saw something that all the drivers behind Ash wanted to see, but Ash didn't. The FIA stewards are giving Ash drive-thru penalty for exiting pit lane a bit too fast after his only stop. The stewards have been reviewing the replay of Ash's car leaving the pits too fast and it was clear that he did. After the review, Sylvie had to give Ash the news. And he didn't like the call.

"DAMMIT!!! I wasn't speeding!! I had my finger on the button!!" Ash yelled out as he was shown a penalty flag from an FIA flagman as he blew by the start/finish straight.

"You want to lose this race because of a violation, Ash?!! Remember what happened at Imola earlier this year? Get your ass in here, now!!" Sylvie ordered harshly as Ash said some swears to himself,

"Ketchum's getting a drive-thru penalty for exiting pit lane too fast!! What a bad break for the young man from Japan!!" Speed Channel guy #1 said as Ash slowed down to the pit lane speed of 60 KPH, which equals out to 37 MPH. Very slow to the drivers after racing at speeds of 180 MPH most of the day.

"But, what a lucky break for the rest of the field. They could make up a lot of ground on him now." Speed Channel guy #2 added as Ash's trip down the pits took an eternity in his mind. After traveling down pit lane at slow speeds, Ash made sure he passed the pit lane exit line before letting his thumb off the pit speed limiter button and speeding away. As he entered Variante Goodyear, he could see the Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya and the McLaren of David Coulthard race each other to the chicane, while Keith and Rubens were just behind them. Ash now had to push his Toyota to the limit to get that giant lead he had before being sent to the pits. This wasn't the first time Ash has gotten a penalty as he led a race. Back at the San Marino GP at Imola, Ash was leading Juan Montoya by 21 seconds with 5 laps left, when he hit David Coulthard for slowing him up real good. The FIA stewards gave him a 10-second stop and go penalty, but Ash forgot to come in and serve it. The FIA added a 30-second time penalty to his total race time just seconds after he crossed the line, meaning he lost his 21-second lead and Montoya was declared the winner.

+ + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + +

The race has finally gotten less chaotic as the laps wound down, but a few more drivers would drop out of the event. Olivier Panis' day ended at lap 35 when the damaged suspension from the lap 28 crash finally broke, making him spin into the gravel trap at 2A Variante. Jenson Button was next as the engine in his Sauber done blowed up big time down Rettifilio Centro on lap 40. On lap 44, Ralf Schumacher would bite the dust as something inside the Williams broke and made his car stop right at the pit lane entrance. His bad day was now over. And Eddie Irvine's day went from bad to worse when his transmission gave up all of a sudden on lap 46, ending his day. The remaining drivers now focused themselves on finishing the race. With less than 6 laps remaining before win #3 of 2005, Ash Ketchum wasn't going to switch to cruise control with his 20 second lead over Keith and Rubens even though his aunt/head wrench Sylvie McCallister wanted him to. He wanted to beat the Ferrari team at their home track! This was his race to lose and looks like he ain't going to lose it. The Ash Ketchum fan club was loving this. Seeing the object of their affection lead the closing laps of the Italian Grand Prix.

"Ash is going to win!! He's going to win!!!" The girls of the fan club cheered as the laps wound down. Over on the top of the hill, two Officer Jennys were more amazed than shocked to see a giant group of high school girls go ga-ga over guys who drive in fiberglass caskets for a living.

"Oh, god. These girls actually put up a giant viewing screen to watch the race? No wonder everybody can't get to sleep. Ash Ketchum is leading." Officer Jenny #2 said as they just watched the race along with the Ash Ketchum Fan Club.

"There is a sure fire way to make them shut up. Ash is notorious for being over confident while leading. He'll screw up soon." Officer Jenny #1 said as Ash lost a bit of time to Keith and Rubens on his last lap,

"No, he won't. He's one of the best drivers out there." Jenny #2 argued,

"Jenny. I'll bet you $50 he'll screw up and lose the race." Jenny #1 said confidently,

"You're on, Jenny." Jenny #2 said as they both watched on, not even looking at each other after their bet.

One life I'm gonna live it up
I'm takin' flight I said I'll never get enough
Stand tall I'm young and kinda proud
I'm on top as long as the music's loud

"Ash, take it easy. The Ferrari's are 20 seconds behind you. You can afford to slow down and save your tires." Sylvie radioed to a cocky Ash, who crossed the start/finish line once again. She didn't like the way Ash overused the car when he's leading the last few laps of a race.

"Yeah right, Sylvie!! The Ferraris won't catch me today!! This race is in the bag!!" Ash said, letting his ego take control. His Michelin tires were starting to lose grip. If Ash continued to race hard for the last laps of the race, he could be in some major shit and have the Ferraris breathing down his neck before the last lap. Sylvie sighed in frustration. One thing she doesn't like about her nephew is that he thinks he's the king of the world when he's about to win a race. So, Ash does anything to keep the lead of the race. The San Marino GP incident is one of those incidents where Ash's ego got the best of him and he paid for it.

"5-1 that the Ferraris will catch up to Ash with 1 lap left." Miyamoto said as she looked at the monitor with Sylvie,

"Gimme $200 on the Ferraris, Miyamoto. Ash is going to fuck up shortly and I can feel it in my bones." Sylvie said as she handed Miyamoto a handful of bills. Time was running out for Keith and Rubens. The American wanted to quit babysitting Rubens, but Michael would kill him if he just up and left him. Right now, Keith wanted a miracle to happen.

If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by
You're thinkin' like a fool cause it's a case of do or die
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had
You think I'll let it go you're mad
You've got another thing comin'
You've got another thing comin'

The laps wound down for Ash. With each lap, he went faster than the last lap. He even reset the fastest lap of the race with a 1:23:421. It was a fast time, even with his worn Michelin tires. Somehow, he couldn't add more time to his already big interval. The two Ferraris were matching his pace and their Bridgestone tires were still new, but he knew Terrell and Barrichello are too far behind to catch him. The Ferrari team watched on as their hopes for victory were dashed with each time Ash went through the time intermediates. Keith's only hope to snag victory from the jaws of defeat were becoming dimmer and dimmer with each passing second. Everybody thought Ash is just moments away from pulling off the victory. But back in Kanto, one person doesn't think he can do it. And that was Ash's best friend.

"Ash is too confident in his abilities as a driver. I think that trait carried on from his Pokémon training days. He'll make a mistake before the race ends. Then, the two Ferrari guys will snatch the win from under Ash's nose." Brock said as the TV continued to show Ash race his ass off around the Monza track. He was at Delia Ketchum's house along with his girlfriend Suzie, were watching the live coverage of the Grand Prix. Ash's mom invited the two over to actually see what Ash does for a living instead of Pokémon training. Delia was excited to see her son lead a Grand Prix event, but she questioned Brock about what he said.

"But, how can Ash lose? He has a 20-second lead." Delia said as the TV showed the latest interval between Ash and the Ferraris. It was still in the 20-second region.

"All it takes is one tiny mistake on Ash's part. From what Ash told me, the driver who makes the least mistakes in the race, will win." Brock answered. Suzie didn't say anything. She just kept her eyes on Ash navigating the corners at Monza. This was the first real Formula One race she has ever seen. And she picked a good race to see what F1 racing is all about.

That's right here's where the talkin' ends
Well listen, listen this night there'll be some action spent
Drive hard I'm callin' all the shots
I got an ace card comin' down on the rocks

Ash sped across the start finish line to start the penultimate lap. His 20-second lead over Keith and Rubens stabilized and looks like today will be Ash's day once again. Ash sped his way through 2A Variante and was ready to brake for Curva di Lesmo. He went into the corner too hot, missed his braking point and slammed the brakes, causing them to lock up along with the steering and he went straight for the gravel trap.

"Oh, shit!! Oh, crap!!! Oh, Jesus Christ!! Goddammit!! Get back on the fucking road, you piece of crap!!!" Ash yelled out as his Toyota bounced all over the kitty litter. He kept the hammer down as the gravel shot out from under the tires, trying to find any traction to get him out of there and not beach the car. After what seemed like an eternity, Ash finally got his Toyota back on the track. His car dumped out a ton of gravel onto the track as his car accelerated from the spot.

"Ketchum went off!! He went into the Lesmo too hot and went for a ride through the gravel trap. There's no telling what damage has been done to the under tray of his car!!" Speed Channel guy #1 said as the TV showed the Ferrari drivers making their way to 2A Variante, unaware of Ash's little off road excursion.

"I told you, Ash. The tires are already gone. I told you to slow down and save them." Sylvie said, just loving every minute of hearing Ash swear in Japanese down the Curve del Serraglio.

"I can still win!!!" Ash yelled out as he jammed the small gear shifter next to him into a higher gear. Back in Pallet, Brock just nodded to himself after watching Ash go off the track. All of this watching Ash go off and the tension of the last laps was actually starting to make this accident filled race very exciting.

"You were right, Brock. I guess Ash was too confident about him winning." Delia said as the Toyota team watched in horror as their driver went off,

"I think reality is going to hit Ash shortly. And it's going to hit him real hard." Brock added as he reached for some more snacks that Mr. Mime brought into the room.

"This is so exciting. I'm on the edge of my seat." Suzie said as she was about to fall off her seat just watching the race until Mr. Mime pushed her back into the seat.

"You may want to scoot back a little. I know the race is about to get interesting, but that's no reason to be so excited about Ash going off the track." Brock said to his girlfriend. Moments later, the three started to laugh. All three of them were on the edge of their seats with Ash ahead.

If you think I'll sit around while you chip away my brain
Listen I ain't foolin' and you'd better think again
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had
You think I'll let it go you're mad
You got another thing comin
You got another thing comin'
You got another thing comin'

Keith and Rubens approached the right hand Curva di Lesmo turn and spotted fresh tire marks left from hard braking that led into the gravel trap. A lot of gravel was thrown on the track at the exit of the turn. Their first guess is that somebody went off and got back on.

"Looks like somebody went off real good and was in a hell of a hurry to get back on." Rubens said as he and Keith slowed down a bit to avoid losing grip from the loose gravel and sliding off into retirement,

"Hey, Jean. Did you see the driver who went off?" Keith asked as he and Rubens passed the dumped gravel on the exit of Lesmo,

"I don't know. I'm getting sketchy information that it was probably Ash, but I'm not sure." Jean Todt answered,

It better be him. Keith thought to himself as he and Rubens past Ash's mess. If he did go off, that means he and Rubens still have some shot of catching Ash.

In this world we're livin' in we have our share of sorrow
Answer now is don't give in, aim for a new tomorrow

Ash was really pissed. His went into the kitty litter at Curva di Lesmo because he went into the turn too fast. Knowing that he lost a lot of time, Ash gunned the engine down the Curve del Serraglio, trying to make up for lost time. As he approached Curva del Vialone, he got the scare of his life and a sign that his time leading the race was up. He braked for the left-hander from 200 MPH, but he missed his braking point again and his Toyota went straight into the gravel trap. His Michelin tires had no grip left.

"SHIT!!! My tires are gone!!! I have no grip!!!" Ash yelled out as he fought with his car over the gravel, ignoring the Ascari Chicane and got himself back on the road.

"I told you so, Ash." Sylvie said. He lost more time with his latest off and the Ferraris sped their way through Vialone and Ascari, making up the time to Ash and they were finally seeing the back of Ash's car. The Ferraris were closing in on it fast.

"Do you see what I see?!!" Rubens asked,

"One Ash Ketchum!! He screwed up at Vialone and Ascari!! Let's take him now!!!" Keith said as the two Ferraris got into Ash's draft. Ash looked at his rear view mirrors and spotted the two cars he didn't want to see, the Ferraris. They were breathing down his neck down Rettifilio Centro, posed to make their move on a tired out Toyota at Parabolica.

"You two aren't passing me that easily. I still got a few tricks left in this car." Ash said to himself as the three entered Parabolica. Ash had a perfect line, but the rear tires started to spin because of no traction left, ruining his chance for a great exit. Both Ferrari drivers went into Parabolica deep so they could get a fast exit speed. The three barreled out of Parabolica to start the final lap. Ash saw the Ferraris close in and he knew this was it and the whole Ferrari team were ready to celebrate of they could pass Ash.

"This is it. Split him, boys!!" Ross Brawn ordered as he and the rest of the team watched their drivers close in on Ash. Doing what Ross ordered, Keith passed Ash on the right as Rubens passed Ash on the left as they reached Variante Goodyear one last time. Ash let off the gas as both Keith and Rubens passed him for the lead. His car had nothing left for them and everybody knew it. The Tifosi went wild as their heroes finally have taken the lead and looked poised to get another Ferrari one-two. Over in Celadon City however, the mood was much different. The mood was that of defeat.

"Ashy lost!!!" The girls of the Ash Ketchum fan club cried out as they watched their main man lose the lead of the race and probably the win. On the other hand, two Officer Jennys that were called to the park because of noise complaints from the neighbors, were kind of glad that Ash lost the race.

"I told you Ketchum would screw up, Jenny. Where's my $50?" Officer Jenny #1 said as she waited for her counterpart to give her the money,

"The race isn't over yet, Jenny. I still think Ash will make a move of Terrell and that so-called Brazilian Team Rocket Beater." Officer Jenny #2 said, mentioning the nickname a few Jennys gave Rubens during their attack on the Pokémon League in '03.

"You're still pissed off because that Barrichello guy kicked your ass early on in their invasion." Jenny #1 said, making Jenny #2 mutter some swears under her breath.

Oh so hot no time to take a rest yeah
Act tough ain't room for second best
Real strong got me some security
Hey I'm a big smash I'm goin' for infinity yeah

With Keith and Rubens now in front of Ash, Keith decided to let Rubens take the win, so he can get all the points he can over Juan Montoya, who was running in 4th with a persistent David Coulthard right behind. The Ferraris sped through Curva Grande and Keith made his plan to let Rubens by at 2A Variante and hold off Ash.

"What?!! Keith Terrell accidentally locked up the brakes on his Ferrari and Rubens Barrichello passed him for the lead!!" Speed Channel guy #1 said as Keith did lock up the brakes on purpose to let Rubens by. At the exit of 2A Variante, Keith got back in line and Ash had to lift off the gas to miss hitting him. In the Ferrari pits, the team was a bit surprised to see Keith let Rubens by.

"Is Terrell nuts? Did anybody give him the order to let Rubens win?" Michael asked,

"None of us did. We ordered Keith and Rubens to race each other as long as they don't crash. I think Keith let him by so Rubens can get all the points he can." Jean Todt answered,

"Since Montoya is still running, I think that's the reason Keith let him by." Ross Brawn added as they watched Rubens now lead Keith and Ash down Curve del Serraglio for the final time. Rubens was more than surprised that Keith let him by for the lead. He didn't deserve the win, Keith did. His American teammate did all the work by working with him all the way to the front. The least he could do is to let Keith by and hold off Ketchum. And that is what he planned to do at Vialone.

If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by
You're thinkin' like a fool cause it's a case of do or die
Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had
You think I'll let it go you're mad
You've got another thing comin'
You've got another thing comin
You've got another thing comin
you've got another thing...Owowowow!
You've got another thing comin'
Hey comin' now

At the braking points for Curva di Vialone, Rubens slammed on the brakes causing them to lock up, making everybody think that he lost concentration due to being placed up front. Keith just shot by Rubens to take the lead once again.

"Rubens!! What the hell?!!" Keith asked himself as Rubens slammed on the brakes at Vialone and Keith passed him. As soon as he did, Rubens got in line behind the American and made Ketchum check up to avoid hitting him as they exited the Ascari chicane for the last time.

"GO!! I'll hold Ketchum off!! He's done anyway!!" Rubens radioed to Keith, seeing the Toyota of Ash become smaller and smaller in their rear view mirrors as the group raced for Parabolica.

"And now Barrichello locks up his brakes and Keith Terrell is now in the lead!!" Speed Channel guy #2 said as the TV showed the reaction of the Ferrari team of Rubens' mistake,

"First Keith, now Rubens. Doesn't anybody want to win this race?" Ross asked to Michael and Jean, but both of them don't have a clue why Rubens did what he did. Ash was hoping that the Ferrari drivers screwed up at that important corner so Ash would still have a chance for victory. Instead, the Ferrari drivers exited Parabolica perfectly and sealed Ash's fate on this race. The Ferrari team ran to the pit wall and started going nuts like they always do when their drivers win a race. A few Ferrari pit guys started waving American flags for Keith to see as he and Rubens raced to the line. Lorelei noticed the team running to the pit wall, so she and Growlithe decided to see what was all the fuss about.

"Huh? What's going on?" Lorelei asked as she joined the Ferrari team at the pit wall, just in time to see Keith take the checkered flag with Rubens just behind him in 2nd. 5 seconds later, Ash's spent car crossed the finish line to take 3rd.

"That's what's going on!!! You're about to see the Tifosi go absolutely wild!" Ross Brawn answered as he and the team cheered on with the Italian crowd,

"It's Terrell!! Terrell's done it!! Keith Terrell wins the 2005 Grand Prix of Italy!! He has won it for the 2nd year in a row!!!! Speed Channel guy #1 said as Keith started punching the air like a mad man in celebration. Rubens pulled next to Keith and gave him the thumbs up while a dejected Ash slowly made his way down the straight, just thinking of what might have been.

"What a great race for the American!! He had to baby-sit Rubens for the whole race, but thanks to the mistakes of Ash, The Patriot is flying high once again at Monza!! I guess if he said he's going to win it, we should all listen from now on." Speed Channel #2 said as the rest of the point finishers and the surviving cars took the checkered flag to end their day.

"This day did belong to Ash Ketchum and that new Toyota engine of his, but his ego got in the way again and it cost him a win today at Monza. We'll be bright back with the podium ceremonies. You don't want to miss it." Speed channel guy #1 said as they went into commercial.

+ + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + +

Keith and Rubens finally arrived at Parc Ferme, where the two drivers were mauled by the whole Ferrari team and the Tifosi were going wild by the pit wall, showing their appreciation for another Ferrari Monza victory. The rest of the drivers arrived at Parc Ferme and everybody there were shocked to see Ronin Vertigo and Kimi Raikkonen actually finishing the race. Speed Channel was back on the air to catch both Ronin and Kimi exit their wounded cars.

"Ronin Vertigo and Kimi Raikkonen both finished the race today. After Ronin spinning himself in the middle of the track and Raikkonen's crash, they actually finished." Speed Channel guy #1 said as both Raikkonen and Ronin went to get weighed in the FIA inspection room and head to their motorhomes to rest. Kimi is usually out of the race most of the time, but the Jordan team slapped on a new rear wing and went back out to finish 10th. Ronin has had a lot of bad luck during the season. Despite his spin, he was actually gaining on Giancarlo Fishcella's McLaren for 8th place. Instead, he'll settle for 9th and a race finish. Back at the celebration, Rubens was just glad the race was over and Keith was overjoyed about winning a race, since he was handed the Hungarian GP win due to Montoya's penalty. Keith was hell bent on hugging and kissing every member of the Ferrari team, but Michael as usual didn't want Keith near him nor did he want the American to kiss him.

"Terrell, back off!! Back off!!! Get away from me!!" Michael yelled out as Keith tried to get him in a giant hug but gave up. Moments later, Ash finally arrived at Parc Ferme and got out of his car. He brushed off the Toyota guys and when Pikachu came up to congratulate him, Ash just placed her with Michael.

"Hey Ash. Are you all right?" Michael asked, a bit concerned seeing Ash not his happy self after getting a podium finish. If you led a race for the whole day, only to lose it in a few laps, wouldn't you be pissed off too?

"I don't want to talk about it, Schumacher." Ash said bluntly as he shook off some reporters and went into the FIA inspection room to be weighed. He made his way to the podium platform located over the pit wall.

"Don't worry about Ash, Pikachu. You can't win them all." Michael said as he petted Pikachu. A FIA official went to grab Keith and Rubens to they could be weighed and head to the podium to start the ceremonies. After the two Ferrari drivers were weighed and one of the Ferrari crewmen gave Keith an American flag, they made their way up to Monza's brand new podium. The podium rested on top of a platform above the pit wall and a walkway connected it to the paddock.

"There he is, Keith Terrell. The winner of the Italian Grand Prix. He and Rubens came from the 11th row of the grid with newly rebuilt spare cars to finish one-two again at Monza." Speed Channel guy #1 said as the three drivers walked up to the podium and took their places. Keith carried the American flag in his hand and displayed it for everybody to see. Keith and Rubens removed their Bridgestone caps and Ash took off his Michelin cap as the Star Spangled Banner, America's national anthem played in honor of Keith's victory. As soon as that was over, the Italian national anthem played in honor of Ferrari. It was then that the Tifosi went crazy, cheering and dancing to the anthem they have heard oh so many times. The very important people who run Italy gave Keith, Rubens and Ash their trophies as Michael Schumacher accepted the winning constructor's trophy for Ferrari. The FIA officials hurried the V.I.P.s away from the podium as Keith and Rubens tore open their champagne bottles and started to spray the crowd below. Ash decided to mope some other time and opened up his bottle of bubbly and drenched both Ferrari drivers with it. Finally, the three drivers hopped onto the top step of the podium for a photo-op for the camera guys. After Keith, Rubens and Ash headed for the press room, Michael spotted Lorelei at Parc Ferme, taking a good look at Keith's Ferrari F2005.

"Like what you see?" Michael asked, causing Lorelei to jump a bit by the sound of his voice.

"Well... I just wanted to see what his car looks like up close. That's all." Lorelei answered, still in some shock of being spooked by Michael.

"It's the same as Rubens. Since Keith is up talking to the press, I'll get you filled in about my plan for Keith later. The Minardi guys are going to help us out as well. Both Yoong and Webber finished in 6th and 7th today." Michael said as he and Lorelei walked down pit lane on route to the Minardi garage,

"All right. But you guys better not be planning a trap to harm Keith. Or, I will make you regret it." Lorelei said, her point got across to Michael, but he noticed something about the way she defended Keith. The American usually blushes a lot when he talks about her.

"So, you like him I take it." Michael said. This caused Lorelei's face to turn red from blushing. Michael wanted to laugh, but he didn't want to get nailed in the nuts the way Rubens hit him today.

To Be Continued...

Well, well, well. Looks like Rubens actually pulled over for Keith and let him win this time after they caught and passed Ash with one lap to go. This is the longest chapter I have ever written ever at 18 pages, but I had to tell this tale of the race. Next, the three drivers speak to the press about the race and one driver's problems from the first start will catch up with him.

For all of those readers who did badly in English, like me, penultimate means second to last. So, this lap Ash is on now is the second lap before the final lap. I just had to take care of this little tidbit.

In the last chapter, I did a little hissy fit about Giancarlo Fisichella's win at the Brazilian GP taken away and it was given to Kimi Raikkonen. Well, I found out during Speed Channel's coverage of the Grand Prix of San Marino that the FIA decided that Fisichella and the Jordan team did win that race, due to a goof up with the timing. So, I had the pleasure of seeing Raikkonen give the Brazil winner's trophy to Fisichella before the day started. Fisichella has been vindicated!!! Jordan has been vindicated!!!

Mario Alvarado
4/24/2003

Grand Prix Of Italy Race Results
1st: Keith Terrell, Ferrari (53 laps, finished)
2nd: Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari (-.520 behind, finished)
3rd: Ash Ketchum, Toyota (-5.321 behind, finished)
4th: David Coulthard, McLaren (-1:03.732 behind, finished)
5th: Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams (-1:04.322 behind, finished)
6th: Alex Yoong, Minardi (52 laps, finished)
7th: Mark Webber, Minardi (52 laps, finished)
8th: Giancarlo Fisichella, McLaren (51 laps, finished)
9th: Ronin Vertigo, Arrows (51 laps, finished)
10th: Kimi Raikkonen, Jordan (50 laps, finished)
11th: Eddie Irvine, Jaguar (46 laps, transmission failure)
12th: Ralf Schumacher, Williams (44 laps, mechanical failure)
13th: Jenson Button, Sauber (40 laps, engine failure)
14th: Olivier Panis, BAR (35 laps, suspension failure)
15th: Jarno Trulli, Renault (28 laps, contact)
16th: Nick Heidfeld, Jaguar (28 laps, contact)
17th: Tomas Scheckter, Renault (14 laps, electronics shorted out)
18th: Allan McNish, Toyota (12 laps, gearbox failure)
19th: Takuma Sato, Jordan (6 laps, contact)
20th: Francois Deletraz, Arrows (5 laps, brake failure)
21st: Felipe Massa, Sauber (2 laps, oil line failure)
22nd: Riley Jenius, BAR (1 lap, spun in gravel trap)