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Vaneouvar, WA CQt0N1BIAN Pmtl.nd-Yancourit Mot A'u saturday 0 84,600 AUG 7, 1999 960tiZLOSOZ 111111 IIIIIIII 111111 IIli t ill I Iffl1INI 111111© P5666 YXESSCLIYYINOS ' Penske dumps Unser from team CART owner signs Moore, De Ferran to long-term deals By IIARRY ATHINS Auaiated Press writer DETROIT -Al Unser Jr. is out and Gil de Ferran and Greg Moore, two of the circuit's hottest free agents, are in for the next three years on Roger Penske's CART Indy-car racing team. Penske announced Friday that lte and Unser, who joined the team in 1994, will part ways at the end of the season. De Ferran and Moore each have signed three-year con- tracts to begin driving for Penske in 2000. "We're excited about this," Penske said shortly after provi- sional qualifying for the Grand Prix of Detroit on Belle Isle. "Both of these guys have been pursued by other teams " Ae Ferran had left the island in the Detroit River by the time Penske made the announcement. But the Brazilian had been asked in an interview Thursday about the possibility of leaving Walker Racing. I guess I feel fortunate there is some interest," De Ferran said. "I don't think I'm in a position to make an announcement, but I'm Roger Pen.ke not concerned for my future." De Ferran, 32, has earned poles at Japan and Toronto this season, and won the race at Portland. He heads into Sun- day's race in seventh place in the driver standings. Since joining CART in 1995, he has six poles and three victories. Moore, the 24-year-old Canadi- an who gained prominence with the Player's Forsythe team, won from the pole at the season-opener at Homestead. "I feel bad for Al, but as a profes- sional race car driver you've got to try to further your careerhowever you can," Moore said in Indi- anapolis, where he drove in the season-ending IROC race Friday. "IPs difficult to leave a team that rve beenwith for fiveyears, but on the other hand I think ifs time for a change." Moore is eighth in the standings heading into Sunday's race. Moore has five poles and five vic- tories in four years of CART rac- ing. "lhey're both at the very top of their games," Penske said. "They're certainly the type of dri- vers we'd like to have driving for us." Penske said the parting with Unser will be amicable. The two have had several talks about the situation this year. Unser, who has 31 victories in 266 career starts, hasn t won in al- most four years. In 10 races this season, his top finish is fifth at Cleveland. In his last start, he completed 206 of 250 laps before retiring with engine problems at Michigan Speedway, finishing 13th in the U.S. 500. "We've had great success with am Penske~Dnser saz ."It really wasn't that hard of a decision, because Roger is a friend of mine and supports me. This is another corner we're taking." Unser won CART driving 6tles in 1990 and 1994, but things have gone downhill since a brilliant 1994 season, his first with Penske, when he won a career-best eight races to match the season record set by Mario Andretti in 1991. Unser finished second in the se- ries championship in 1995 when he had four victories. But he has- n't won a CART race since Van- couver in 1995. Known as "httle AI," he is part of racing's fastest family. His fa- ther, AI, is a two-time series chanr pion and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. His uncle, Bobby, is a three-time Indy winner and two- time series runnerup. Unser injured his right ankle and left knee March 21 in the sea- son opener at Homestead and missed the next two races. He stands 17th in the points race en- tering Sunday's race.