Adrian Fernandez takes GI Joe's 200 as owner and racer

Adrian Fernandez got his first win as a team owner, and his first victory as a driver since 2000, pulling away from pole-sitter Paul Tracy to win the GI Joe's 200 Sunday at Portland International Raceway.

Fernandez, who last won in Australia, beat out Tracy by 2.273 seconds. Alex Tagliani was third, 4.457 seconds behind Fernandez.

Fernandez took the lead after a restart on lap 86, as he moved to the inside on turn one and passed a slowing Tracy.

"We had a fantastic car," Fernandez said. "My last pit stop really put my car alive. Paul made a mistake in the corner, if I didn't take it I will hate myself forever. It was late in the race and it was now or never."

Tracy had been leading since overtaking Michel Jourdain Jr., who started with him on the front row, out of the pit after a green-flag pit stop on lap 44.

Officials eventually determined Tracy exited the pit lane illegally, and levied a 5-second penalty on lap 61, which was served in the pits on lap 73. The penalty was a key development for Fernandez, who was about five seconds behind at the time.

"I led the race, made a mistake ... I just blew it," Tracy said. "We got the points lead, but I'm disappointed for my team. I'm happy for Adrian."

Tracy and Jourdain bumped on the 45th lap, one after the illegal pit exit by Tracy, in the Festival Curves -- a right-left-right combination in turns one through three -- causing Jourdain to spin out and stall. The right side of Tracy's car was damaged by Jourdain's tire, but the rest of the car appeared unscathed.

"I was the last car he managed to hit this weekend," Jourdain said.

The accident caused the second full-course yellow of the day, and sent Jourdain a lap down with damage to his front wing. By the time the penalty to Tracy was announced, Jourdain was running next to last, with no hope of recovering

It took four tries to finally get a green flag at the start. On the first three attempts, the chief steward determined the cars had not lined up properly.

Once the drivers were aligned, Jourdain jumped ahead of Tracy in the Festival Curves and led the first 43 laps of the race.

For most of the first half of the race, it was Jourdain and Tracy at the front, with Fernandez a ways back and a huge gap behind him for fourth.

"It was great to race with Paul and Michel," Fernandez said. "They were very fast at the beginning. I was not perfect, I was just trying to hang with them."

Rookie points leader Sebastien Bourdais had his day ended on the 92nd lap when his rear wing came loose, the fourth race this year he did not finish. He was running third at the time. Max Papis wrecked on the 88th lap in his return to CART. He finished 15th.

Last week's winner, Patrick Carpentier spun into the wall on the 74th lap, ending his day. Six of the 19 cars did not finish the race.