This configuration was normally used on intermediate-length ovals like the Milwaukee Mile and it was hoped that it would slow the cars down in the corners enough to encourage passing. It also meant that Patrick Carpentier's lap record from the previous year would remain untouched. Another technical innovation was the introduction of the HANS Device, a restraint that reduced the amount of lateral head movement by the driver in the event of a crash. CART had made it mandatory for all drivers on oval courses at the beginning of the season, and the race at Nazareth would be the first professional open-wheel race where all drivers would be required to use it. PacWest driver Maurício Gugelmin, after being involved in a major crash in Texas the week before, withdrew from the event at Nazareth following the death of his six-year-old son, who had cerebral palsy. Gugelmin had not missed a race since his CART debut at Mid-Ohio in 1993; his 130 consecutive race-streak had been the longest of all active drivers in the series. Because the news came on such short notice, PacWest Racing had no backup drivers available to fill in for Gugelmin, and so the NEXTEL sponsorship from his car was placed onto his teammate's, Scott Dixon, instead. Friday morning practice saw rookie Bruno Junqueira top the time sheets with a 20.485. Junqueira and Chip Ganassi teammate Nicolas Minassian had tested at the track the previous November and then again two weeks before the race as part of a CART rookie test. Penske's Helio Castroneves took second place approximately two tenths slower than Junqueira, while Kenny Bräck took third. Friday afternoon practice saw much of the same, but the speeds increased as the afternoon sun heated the track. Junqueira remained on top overall with his morning session time despite many other drivers improving their speeds on the warm track. Max Papis showed great improvement from the morning session as he slotted into second place while Helio Castroneves fell back to third after failing to improve on his earlier time. Saturday morning practice was ultimately ended early due to light showers, but not before Bräck broke the twenty second barrier and took the top spot overall with a 19.926. Castroneves was the only other driver to go sub-twenty seconds with a 19.979 in the session. Junqueira improved his time by going 20.090, third overall. Qualifying was delayed by just under ten minutes to allow the track crews to finish drying the track after the showers that stopped morning practice finally ended.