Detroit Grand Prix Preview

History:

Although open-wheel racing has been around the Detroit area pretty much since the birth of the automobile, grand prix racing didn't come to motor city until 1982 when Formula 1 held the Detroit Grand Prix, alternately called the United States Grand Prix East. Although Alain Prost took the pole, it was Irishman John Watson who claimed the victory in that first race. There were many who would eventually find their way to Indianapolis in the race including Eddie Cheever (P2), Nigel Mansell (P12), Eliseo Salazar (P17), Roberto Guerro (P18), and Raul Boesel (P23). That year was remarkable because the US played host to three Formula 1 GPs, the other two being at Long Beach (USGP West), and Las Vegas. Originally, the Detroit GP was held around the Renaissance Center downtown and the track was hard on both car and driver. The racing surface was very rough and included a railroad crossing! The circuit was also very narrow with concrete barriers surrounding the track with little run-off room. This resulted in a high level of attrition. By 1989, F1 had had enough and terminated the Detroit GP, but CART stepped in and raced at the current location, but not the current configuration, on Belle Isle. Michael Andretti won the pole of that innaugural race at Belle Isle, but at the end of the day it was Emerson Fittipaldi, winner of that year's Indianapolis 500, who emerged victorious. Belle Isle was also the location of Helio Castroneves first major open-wheel victory, finishing first in both the 2000 and 2001 GPs. 2001 was the last year for the CART races at Belle Isle, and racing didn't return until Roger Penske organized a complete revamping of the circuit in 2007. The area was made much more accessable and many of the fan areas and paddock areas were paved to avoid the mudpits that the paddock had become in previous years.



Last Year:
2007 was the first year that the IndyCar Series raced at Belle Isle, but it was not the first time for many of its drivers, including the last driver to win at Belle Isle, Helio Castroneves. Helio picked up right where he left off by taking the pole position. Sadly for Helio, he made a bold move on the #2 of Tomas Scheckter which put both of them into the tire barrier. This allowed Tony Kannan to race away to his fifth win of the season. The real story of the day, though, was the epic battle between Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon for the series championship. Dixon had a 4 point lead going into the Detroit race, but when Buddy Rice ran out of ethanol and suddenly slowed, Dixon clipped his wheel while trying to overtake him. Dixon's car then rolled into the path of Dario blocking his further progress. The AGR pit was furious with Michael Andretti yelling out immediately, "He did that on purpose!" Did he? Did he not? Its still a debate and one that will surely be revisited this weekend. Here's the clip, you be the judge.



Dixon's day was done, but Dario did get back underway and gained seven points on Dixon retaking the championship lead by 3 points with one race left in the season.

Friday Practice:
Session 1:
The morning session took place on a semi-wet track with the cars starting on treaded tires. Its likely that the teams didn't aquire much data about the track or car setup except for doing a leak check. The forecast for Saturday and Sunday, as per fellow Garager Cassie, is for sun and temps in the 80s. Right now, the temperature is a misty 69F. Not to let the whole session go by without some excitement, Marty Roth stuffs his car under the tire barrier in Turn 12. Of all people on the grid, Marty most needed the practice on this track and his run in with the barrier certainly won't help. Toward the end of the session, the track did dry out and the teams were able to run on slicks, but the track temps were still way below what they'll be come qualifying and race day.

Session 2:
The afternoon session provided better conditions with the track dry and temperatures closer to what is expected for the weekend. Helio topped the charts with a 1:13.2059. Unfortunately for Helio, the driver he's chasing for hte championship was right behind him in time. Dixon posted a 1:13.6996. Vitor Meira and Ryan Briscoe were third and fourth on the charts with the big surprise being Danica rounding out the top five. It's not surprising that Danica was fast, its surprising that she was fastest among all of her teammates including Tony Kannan. Tony was two tenths off of Danica's pace with Hideki and Marco, along with Wheldon, well back in the pack. This is the first day of practice, though, so look for TK to improve his times by qualification tomorrow afternoon. Here are the combined practice times.

What to Watch:
Watch pit road. This is where most of the passing action will take place. Although improvements were made to the Belle Isle circuit, its still narrow and a difficult track for passing. Last year many people tried, and failed. As Kannan put it, "Crazy race behind me, so I think it was a good thing to stay in the front." The first turn of the race will be very important! Being out in front at this track is key to running well. If one is stuck mid-pack, there's a high likely hood of being involved in a "racing incident" or just outright getting punted out of the way. Once the race starts, don't bother too much with the leaders. They'll be doing what they can to stay clean. That is until they come into the pits. Pit stops is where the lead will change hands. This greatly favors Penske and TCGR with their top notch pit crews and race strategists. Mid-pack will be a lot of fun to watch. Expect quite a bit of midfielder and backmarker carbon fibre to litter many of the turns. Last year was a "crash fest" as Buddy Rice put it, but this year there will be even more cars on this very narrow circuit.

9 Questions with Bia

IndyCar Garage had the opportunity to ask Ana Beatriz (Bia) a few questions about the season thus far...

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

I enjoy sports, going out with my friends, going to the movies and talking with my family and friends from Brazil on the internet.

Any hints at an IndyCar Series test or even a move up to ICS with another team for 2009?

My manager, André Ribeiro, is taking care of my future. If he thinks I am ready and there is a opportunity at Indy Car Series next year I will be there.

What has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make this season in the Indy Lights Series?

I think it was learning the ovals. Now, because of all hard work with my Healthy Choice / Sam Schmidt Motorsports team I am definitely feeling comfortable in the oval.

What track on the Indy Lights schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

I loved to race in Indianapolis. It is a magical track and it was the best race of the season so far.

You won your first Indy Lights race at Nashville this year leading 45 of 77 total laps. Describe how the win felt and what did it mean for you and your team?

It was a incredible feeling. I was so happy and thankful for all the people that supported me since I was a little girl: family, managers and sponsors. Without them it would never happen.


You've had a very impressive season so far - currently third in the standings. With three race weekends left on the schedule, will your strategy change in an attempt to bring home the championship?

I believe the best way to win this championship is to think race by race. I am a rookie driver and having a chance to win the championship this year already is just amazing but it will be a hard fight and we have strong competitors.

Much of your current points standing can be credited to a strong second half of the season, 6 top five finishes in the last 7 races. What factors can you attribute this late season success?

I can attribute this success to my team Sam Schmidt and my managers Andre Ribeiro and Augusto Cesario that are always telling me the right things to do.

If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

I would choose Helio Castroneves at Indianapolis. I would learn his secrets to win the Indy 500 and because he is a really fun guy. Maybe he would teach me how to dance as well.

Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

Thanks for all the supportive messages this year so far. I am really enjoying to race in Firestone Indy Lights and American fans are amazing.

Sonoma Preview

History:

Infineon Raceway was built in 1968 and originally named Sears Point Raceway, not after the department store, but after its location on Sears Point which is the 15,000 acre parcel of land purchased by Franklin Sears on the northern end of San Pablo Bay. The 2.52-mile natural terrain road course was first put to competition use in December of 1968 for an SCCA endurance sports car race. It wasn't long before the facility began hosting both IndyCar and NASCAR events along with the SCCA events. Among some of the first drivers at the track are legendary racing names: Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, and Al Unser, Sr. However in 1970, the track was closed by then owner Filmways and open-wheel racing didn't return until 2005 when Tony Kannan became the 2nd driver to win at Infineon, the first and only previous driver to win being Dan Gurney.





Last Year:
Last year's race was full of drama and excitement, not so much from any legitimate passing, but from several on-track scuffles. The most dramatic scuffle was between teammates Dario Franchitti and Marco Andretti. Dario was leading the race, and the series championship as Marco was exiting the pits. As they both turned into Turn 2, Marco made contact with Dario's left front wing. Marco was out of the running, and Dario's left front wing was damaged, crippling his car. When the green flag waved again, both Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves made it by Dario. Tony Kannan, Dario's teammate, ran interference for him while in 4th to protect Dario's position in the championship. This move was viewed by few as being a good teammate and by many others (most notably all the drivers behind Tony) as blatant blocking. Scott Dixon went on to win the race with Helio close on his heels. Dario limped across the line in 3rd saving valuable points for the championship. Had Kannan passed Dario and continued to race with the leaders, Scott Dixon very likely would have been the 2007 IRL champion.

Friday Practice:
Session 1:
Good news! New sponsors for a couple of drivers! Marty Roth now carries decals for the Men's Warehouse, and PCM in addition to the Visit Mexico City sponsorship will also carry the Imperial Capital Bank. The speeds and performances during Session 1 were really no surprise. Kannan topped the charts with a 1:17.3920 followed closely by Helio and Danica with Power and Briscoe rounding out the top 5. There was a couple spins by the usual suspects, but no damage was done.

Session 2:
Turn 3a claims its first victim. Hideki got loose making approaching the apex of the turn and slid out toward the wall. Fortunately, the run off area was large enough that although he bumped into the wall, most of his speed had been scrubbed off and no damage was done to the car. Watch this corner on Sunday. It will be action packed! Helio topped the 2nd session times with a 1:17.1703. The mild surprise of the session was the great performance by Oriol Servia who posted a 1:17.4712. Here's a summary of the combined practice results:

1. Helio Castroneves - 1:17.1703
2. Tony Kannan - 1:17.3920
3. Oriol Servia - 1:17:4712
4. Will Power - 1:17.5851
5. Vitor Meira - 1:17.7236

What to Watch:
In spite of having a transporter fire in the middle of Wyoming that destroyed both of Team Penske's primary cars, look for both Briscoe and Castroneves to be fast this weekend. After all, Briscoe set the current course record at 1:16.4913 to take the pole of the 2005 event. Dixon will be reasonably quick, but his performace on road courses this year is not at the level it was last year. Dixon doesn't need to win in order to mathematically clinch the championship. If he leaves this race 86 points ahead of Helio (he's +78 now), the championship is his even if all he does is show up for the starting grid and parks it at Belle Isle and Chicagoland.

This course is VERY technical, so look for the road racing skills of the drivers to really become evident. Watch how the drivers turn into Turns 2 and 3a. Both of these turns are righthanded over-crest turns. The driver needs to begin the turn long before they can see the apex. Also as the cars come up over the crest of the turn, the susupension unloads and the car becomes very light. Throttle control upon exit for these two turns will be critical. Bruno, Oriol, Wilson, and Rahal are some of the new drivers that will do well and find speed after the first few practices, but Briscoe, Helio, and Kannan will be the top three battling for the lead. Dixon will hang back, and Wheldon will struggle as usual on the twisty tracks.

A wild card to watch out for is Tomas Scheckter. He and Luzco Dragon Racing are back in town with the #12 yellow and black Symantec Special. He's never done especially well in the past at this track, but his new team really seems to have things together. In their last outings, they showed significant speed and will very likely make a top 10 finish for the first time at Infineon.

Marco will have a new paint job on his car promoting the new animated Star Wars movie coming out this weekend. Lets just hope that this year, all that expensive paint remains on his car and doesn't get rubbed off onto someone else's.

13 Questions with Will Power

Will Power answers questions about the adjustments to the IndyCar Series and what he's looking forward to in years to come.

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

Cycling, Fitness with my trainer, Playing the drums


What have you enjoyed most about the transition to the IndyCar Series?

The competition is great, have so many great drivers all on one track. I enjoyed being part of the Indianapolis 500. The variety of having ovals and road/street courses


What has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make this season in the IndyCar Series?

The oval racing – I had only one previous oval race experience at Milwaukee in 2006


What track on the IndyCar Series schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

Watkins Glen for a road/street course and Milwaukee for an oval

The series is headed to your home country in October to run at the Surfer's Paradise street course. What are you thoughts about this event, and what should first-time viewers of the event look for?

I am very happy to have it back on the schedule, first-time viewers will find it action packed.

How do you feel about the lack of Surfers on the 2009 schedule?

Not good, unfortunate because it is a good event and hopefully it will be worked out

If no agreement is reached for a Surfers event in 2009, what effect will that have on your sponsorship? Are you working on contingency plans?

No Comment


The league has been hearing input from several manufacturers regarding the new engine specs due out for 2011, and Dallara will be preparing a new chassis to be released at the same time. Has the league also asked the drivers what they'd like to see for the new car?

NO

What changes would you as a driver like to see for the new 2011 specifications?

More horsepower for road courses. A car built for both ovals and road courses. A car that is less pitch sensitive


You dominated this year's LBGP in the Panoz DP01, but for next year's GP you'll be in a Dallara. Explain how your approach to the circuit will differ in the Dallara.

Its hard to know until you get there, I was surprised that despite speed there was no real difference when we went to Edmonton.


So far, no Australian has won the Indianapolis 500. How do you like your chances to be the first?

I think the way this KVRT Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia team is progressing then in the future we have a chance.


If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?
Jimmy Vasser at Long Beach


Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

Watch carefully as this series grows more and more, I think next year could be a lot more interesting when the transition teams have got more experience.

Post Race Interview with Ryan Briscoe

10 Questions with Sarah Fisher

IndyCar Garage was fortunate enough to get a Q&A with Driver/Owner Sarah Fisher before this weekend's return to the track at Kentucky!

Tell us about yourself, what do you enjoy outside of racing?

“Racing has been my life ever since I was five. When I’m not racing in the IndyCar Series, I’m out with my brother-in-law helping him with go-karts. He is 12 and is moving up the ranks so my husband and I are at the track quite a bit with him. When we aren’t racing Kyle, we can be found out at the lake or working on our house.”

You hold the record for being the fastest qualifier ever at Kentucky Speedway. You've again shown great speed leading up to this weekend at Kentucky - what makes Kentucky Speedway a place that you enjoy racing and run so well?

“Racing at KY Speedway is a lot of fun for a driver. The sweeping corners and getting on the right line entering the corners is like a rollercoaster because the corners are all different. KY Speedway has always been good to me and I call it my home track.”

Your drive to start your own race team has really allowed fans to relate to you. How did you make the decision to send pieces of your wrecked car to donors after the unfortunate exit at Indy?

“We received so much fan support that we had to do something to give back to the fans. We treated it like a wedding, when you receive a gift from someone you sent them a thank-you card and we just happen to have a little extra to send along with it.”

Where do you see Sarah Fisher Racing next year? Does the support from sponsors like Dollar General and dedicated IndyCar fans give you the feeling you will be running more races next season?

“The goal for the 2008 season was to run three races and the goal for 2009 is to run all the ovals. If we were able to secure enough sponsorship to run the entire season, that would be icing on the cake.”

What is the biggest challenge being an owner/driver? Which do you have more fun doing?

“The biggest challenge is time management. I have to keep myself very organized to make sure we have all of our ducks in a row. I’d be lying to say I didn’t enjoy the racecar driving the most. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and being an entrepreneur has brought its fair share of challenges.”

Because you’re running a shortened schedule, how does your race strategy change from a driver/team who is racing for points standings?

“Well, we really have to bank on my experience at Indy, Kentucky and Chicago because we aren’t running week in and week out. Just because we aren’t racing for the points championship doesn’t mean we aren’t going to be aggressive and give it our all. We are racing for the win just as much as much as the next person and we will do what it takes to achieve that.”

The IndyCar Series just released their 2009 schedule - was there a track that you would've liked to have been included in the list?

“I’d like for Las Vegas to be on the schedule which is where I took my rookie test. I’d like to see how much it’s changed. It’s a great place for a vacation and to see a race.”

Many athletes talk about getting into a groove or being able to zone the crowd out and control the adrenaline once "something" happens after the start of the contest. In racing, for you, what is this something?

“When I put that driver suit on I zone everything out except driving. I’m very focused. I leave the owner and other duties on the other side of the pit wall.”


If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

“I’d have to say Janet Guthrie at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She’s an idol of mine.”

Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

“Thanks for all the support. Everyone has been great to our team and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

Kentucky Preview

History:

Like the Nashville Speedway, the Kentucky Speedway is a relatively new facility. It hosted its first IndyCar Series event in 2000 during the tracks inaugural year. Winning that first race, and the second in 2001, was Buddy Lazier for Hemelgarn Racing. Sam Hornish, Jr was the only other multiple race winner at Kentucky taking the top spot in 2003 and 2006. The track was originally intended to be a site for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. When NASCAR refused to even entertain an offer by the track, the speedway, in 2005, filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and ICS. Earlier this year, the case was finally dismissed. After the dismissal of the lawsuit, the track was sold to SMI which also owns other venues that the IndyCar Series visits: Texas Motor Speedway, and Infineon Raceway.


Last Year:

Last year, Tony Kannan took the pole position and lead the first 38 laps of the race until the field pitted. Tony and his then teammate Dario Frachitti flipped positions and Dario ran in the lead. Kannan resumed the lead after the next series of pit stops which happened under green-flag conditions. Coming in for his third pitstop, Frachitti ran into teammate Danica Patrick coming into the pits putting him well back in the pack and out of contention, but still on the lead lap. Patrick, in a hurry to get back out on the track, spun on the pit-out lane. She was push-started by the safety crew only to blow out her tires and spin again, narrowly missing the safety truck. During the remainder of the race, the lead was taken at times by Dixon and AJ Foyt IV, but not for long as Kannan would always resume his position in front and lead for 131 of the 200 laps. The most inexplicable incident of the afternoon had to be Dario's failure to slow down after the checkered flag. He ran at speed up and over the back of Kosuke Matsuura's car and once again found himself looking out of the top of his car at pavement instead of sky.


What to Watch:

Sarah Fisher! This will be her first time back to the track after her tragic excursion at Indy. Having her primary sponsor fail to execute its part of their contract with Sara Fisher Racing and suffering a devastating collision with Tony Kannan, the team looked close to shutting their doors before they even got started. The support of text4cars.com and the generous donations of a great many of her fans helped keep the fledgling racing team afloat. Now the team is on much better footing with solid support from Dollar General for this week's race and the Chicagoland race.

Sarah has finished well here before, and its the track where, in 2002 with Walker racing, she became the only female driver ever to qualify in pole position. During the testing last week, she was very please with her car and her new engineer. Don't look for her to repeat her 2002 pole-winning performance, but do look for her to be in the top 10.

Other things to watch? Well, Dixon, Kannan, and Briscoe should put on one heck of a show. All three have been very fast on 1.5-mile ovals, with Briscoe coming on strong in this last half of the season. Briscoe had a disastrous start to the season, tearing up several race cars. Since his win at Milwaukee, the Briscoe Inferno has been on a rail! It seems that every track, he has speed. This week is likely to be no different. Dixon has owned just about every 1.5-mile oval the series has been at this season with wins at Homestead, Texas, and Nashville. (ok, I know, Nashville is only 1.33 miles) At the other 1.5-mile ovals, Kansas and Motegi, Dixon was very quick. He dominated both of these races losing only because of fuel. Kannan has the potential to be fast at Kentucky. He won here last year from pole, and he's had moments of speed this year. The funk that continues to pervade the AGR stable may drag him down, however. Watch what Kannan does in practice and qualifying. If he has pace, then look out!

Will others be fast and run up front? Sure they will. The other three drivers at AGR, Hideki, Marco, and Danica, all have the potential to be quick on this type of track. Certainly Helio Castroneves and Dan Wheldon can be fast as well. However, don't expect any of these drivers to be leading at the end.

12 Questions with J.R. Hildebrand

First off, tell us about yourself; what do you enjoy outside of racing?

“Well, for starters I was born and raised in Northern California, graduating from Redwood High School before moving away to get more involved in my career. I've always played sports both for fun and in competition, so I would say that being outside and active are two of my favorite things to do outside of racing.”

Congrats on your acceptance to M.I.T. Have you decided on a field of study yet? Will this mean a hiatus or even a departure from racing, or is the IRL off-season long enough to not interfere too much with the school year?

“The people at MIT have been great about everything. When I first found out I got in, they gave me two years off to pursue my racing career, and have since extended that for another year. I have every intention of going back to school to get a higher education, but will not sacrifice my career in racing to do so. I may only have one legitimate chance to be successful, and it means too much to me right now to risk messing that up, so I'm going to be careful when deciding what to do. During my senior year of high school I was taking a calculus class and had an opportunity in racing that I couldn't pass up. Unfortunately that meant I was going to be gone from school for two weeks right before finals! I think it's safe to say that I'm one of a select few drivers who have ever done differential equations at the racetrack, but that's the only way I could keep up! It's tough to do both; I found that out pretty quickly. I had planned on going into mechanical engineering, but I guess that all depends a little bit on when I go and what stage of my life or career I'm in at that time.”

In 2006, you demolished the Formula Ford 2000 series, and had a solid season in 2007 in Atlantics. Your new teammate, Daniel Herrington, hasn't enjoyed the same level of success that you have. How do you think he will fare in the remainder of this Firestone Indy Lights season, and going into 2009?

“I've worked with Daniel before, and I think he's a great addition to the team. Success is all relative; he hasn't been in one car for very long or for a long stretch, but he's been competitive and I think he's a team player. Hopefully we can work together and finish the year strong.”

Any hints at an IndyCar Series car test or even a move up to ICS with RLR or any other team for 2009?

“It's tough for everyone right now to plan down the road because the schedule is so busy, particularly for the IndyCar teams. I would love to get a chance to get in the big car, and am confident that I could do a good job, but it's tough. Right now the team and I are trying to stay intently focused on finishing the year strongly, in the hope that that puts us in good standing by season's end.”

What has been the biggest adjustment you've had to make this season in the Firestone Indy Lights Series?

“Well, the obvious answer is that driving on ovals is the biggest adjustment, but there's definitely more to it than that. It requires such a different mindset, and even that changes drastically depending on the size and speed and all that. I feel like it's much more a mental and strategic type of racing, which I've definitely come to enjoy. As one could see by looking at the results, it really mixes things up in the championship as well. So I'd say that adjusting my preparation for such a variety of circuits has been the biggest change.”

What track on the Firestone Indy Lights schedule do you enjoy racing the most?

“I think the schedule of road courses is really stout in terms of the quality of tracks. Infineon Raceway is my home track and therefore my favorite. In regards to the ovals, Indianapolis is such a special and unique track that it's hard to beat. It was quite an experience just driving there let alone racing there, definitely making it my favorite non-road course.”


You had a great outing in Kansas, taking your first and the team's first victory in the Firestone Indy Lights Series there. Indy proved to be a bit more challenging for you and your team. Any insight on why Indianapolis Motor Speedway posted a greater challenge?

“Well to be entirely fair, I would say that we were equally, if not possibly even more competitive at Indy than at Kansas in the big scheme of things! We topped the first practice there by a big margin and had a chance to win the race from 21st on the grid after having to change motors after qualifying. It's a different animal for sure, but I felt like we were very good on the whole there. If there's one race of the year I wish I could get back, it's that one.”

Two races could hardly have been run under any more different conditions than the two earlier this month at Mid-Ohio. From a driver's perspective, how do you approach these two races? How from Race 1 to Race 2, did your approach to Turn 4 (Turn 9 as the track calls it) and your racing line through the esses change?

“We were having a little bit of a tough time finding our way that weekend to start with because we hadn't tested there and we wanted to try some things in practice. So we went into qualifying and the first race still looking to improve on what we had. It took a few laps in the first race to get a handle on what we had come up with, but when it's dry you can push pretty hard right away because it's at least a relatively known quantity. For the wet race I was expecting something a bit different. I had driven the car in the wet at Sebring earlier in the year and thought it was solid, but found myself in a much lower grip situation at Mid-Ohio and got caught out by that. I should have gone in with a more conservative outlook, especially since most everyone that should have been quick in the wet went off or crashed. It was a tough weekend but we pulled out with a better standing in the championship after all of it, so that was positive.”

Back in the spring, you gave pointers to a young karter and member of the IndyCar Garage, Laura (aka TopKartGirl). Do you still play a mentor role, and have you heard of her progress this year? How important is karting to the development of an IndyCar driver now?

“I always like helping people out because I know how much I appreciated it when I got help from other drivers when I was younger. I would love to know how she's doing, but I haven't heard anything lately. I think that karting is huge, especially with more and more road and street courses being added to the schedule. It gives drivers a lot of feel for what a race car is going to feel like, and it trains a driver's reactions very well.”

You've had a solid season so far. Fourth in the championship and -51 with four races left. Any thoughts on being able to catch Antinucci and Matos?

“I think realistically they will have to have a couple of bad races to get past either of them, but I think that we will be extremely quick and competitive for the remainder of the year. I feel like the tracks suit our strengths and we will be a threat right to the end.”

If you could spend a day at any track with any driver (past or present), what track and what driver would you choose?

“Wow, that's a nearly impossible question! I'm going to take the liberty of choosing a road course and an oval; I hope that's OK! I would spend a day with Ayrton Senna at Monaco and a day with Rick Mears at Indy. Both were masters both mentally and physically in their own right, and I wish I could have the chance to witness that first hand.”

Any comments for the dedicated IndyCar fans of IndyCar Garage?

“I think it's awesome that so many people are interested in what we do. I've been a fan for my entire life and still am, so to be able to take part in the sport first hand and share that with others is a great way to be involved. Thanks to everyone for all their support!”