2000 Marlboro 500

This was the first CART event at California Speedway since Greg Moore was killed in a major accident during the same race a year earlier.

In the interim period, track management pulled up the grass along the backstretch and paved over the entire area.

In addition, tire barriers were placed along the retaining wall where Moore's accident had occurred to protect from potential catastrophic damage.

Adrian Fernandez, the defending winner of the Marlboro 500 in the #40 Tecate/Quaker State Reynard-Ford for Patrick Racing was second place by five points.

Fernandez had also won the previous week's event in Australia, while de Ferran was taken out in a crash on lap 1 with 1999 series champion Juan Pablo Montoya.