CART FedEx Championship Series: Grand Prix of Chicago

Topics:  Grand Prix of Chicago

Cristiano da Matta
Dario Franchitti
Alex Tagliani
June 29, 2002

CICERO, ILLINOIS

ALEX TAGLIANI: Well, I was definitely a little bit worried because we didn't put the time on the sheet this morning. We do it usually. And I guess when we don't do the time, you don't have the confidence to go there and if there's a weather change, to go in the front lane or just last minute change for qualifying. So, the car was a little bit conservative, but the fact that the track was a little bit slower, it was good. It was just the way it needs to be on the front row, I guess, but I think the team worked so hard in the last two hours. We didn't have the time to change gears. We just changed engine and cleaned everything up, it's a big blow up this morning, so I think it's a team effort.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Definitely a good one. Any pole -- it is fun when you are quick in any session but it counts, it's qualifying, that means a lot. Car this morning was very quick. We did a 23,7, and the track (inaudible) we lost balance, started to slip. We made some changes for qualifying and the track was slower, so, we had to make some changes to compensate for that as well. I think we did quite a good job. It was a bit nerve-wracking at the there end and we qualified because both those guys in the end, could definitely have had a shot at the pole. I am very happy. Great job for Team KOOL Green. It's one of those things. (Inaudible) You can start with the back or the front. It really doesn't make that much difference. You can win from either end, but it's certainly easier from the front. So looking forward to tomorrow and it's going to be a tough race, and hopefully we'll have a good day.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think you are right, when Paul jumped in the car in Japan, he thought it was amazing, from that point starting to be competitive. The road course is good. I said to my engineer this morning, I said I think we are 90% there with out setup on the road courses. We just need a bit more -- certainly our test at Mid-Ohio we felt the car was great, but other tracks have not been able to replicate that yet. We'll keep working at it. (Inaudible))

CRISTIANO da MATTA: I am of course sitting pretty happy considering the performances in the previous events. We have been improving a lot. Since the Motegi race, we were really struggling, finished the race 115 laps down. (LAUGHTER) It was a long way to go. In Milwaukee we were running okay, we weren't running good but we ran in the Top 6. I felt like I didn't have the best car in the road there, but I had the competitive car that was going to bring some points home. I feel another step in the same direction, we keep improving and Milwaukee (inaudible), and my best qualifying on the ovals this year and also, of course, the best the car feels to me. So I am happy -- more than the result, I am very happy with the progressive lead (inaudible). Shows that the team knows how to turn a situation around. Of course, we're doing so bad that it takes a little bit of time. But be relaxed when I see tomorrow that we have a decent race set up which is a very different game than what it was qualified today. And I think have a lot better understanding of the oval setup that we need to put in the car right now than we had in Milwaukee. So we're learning and we're getting better to get more points on the ovals. I think only have two, so about to get some more.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think we're lucky in the fact that the car rolled out of the truck quick this morning because if it hadn't, it would have been a little bit more difficult with the limited time we have. So that certainly helped us like any session, you know, you don't know how you are going to compare -- you try and make things as quick as possible, you work with your engineer and you try and improve, and you know if it's good enough and you are looking good. But it's just not the sort of thing where you say, okay, I was on pole here two years ago, whatever, that is why this year, but it doesn't work that way. Every week it changes so much, you know, if you watch a qualifying session on a road course, it changes really second to second. And you've just got to be on top of your game and for the first time in a while there....

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Great. Been great for me. I like it. I think it is a good idea. We get a practice and get into the stuff that really matters.

ALEX TAGLIANI: I think anybody that you ask that qualified well is going to think it is good. If you ask the guys whose cars were not so fast. (Inaudible).

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Speaking for^ Michael's side of things, what happened there his valve came right open, so he had nothing to lose. Is it going to happen in the future? Who knows. I don't know that one. Qualifying is definitely of increasing importance, as the field closes up, gets closer and closer together, because it is more difficult to pass and when you do pass somebody, it is very important, unless you (inaudible).

CRISTIANO da MATTA: I think even at the time without ordering the chassis, if they had to put a motor on the chassis it would have taken 6 to 7 months. That's what they told me. So, even with the Reynard, it's still running at the moment with the Reynard. Yeah, I think it's difficult because before the team was using Reynard, so there was parts and they were just focusing on improving the car. And at the moment the way the shop is set up (inaudible) same thing with the part, so it makes it difficult for the guys, but I think we have the team to do it, and stay with the same chassis (Inaudible).

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I didn't expect that so from that point of view, I was like, okay, a little twist on things right here. But like I said, any of the cars got a shot at the pole so yeah, it was pretty uncomfortable for a few minutes there. (Inaudible) front row with experience (LAUGHTER).

ALEX TAGLIANI: The thing is the compromise between the corner speed is going to change, (inaudible) in a place like this, we have right now -- (inaudible) I think they are stepping in the right direction. It was a good step. At least we knew it was a little uncomfortable in traffic than it was last year, but little difficult to pass and I think this track especially has a little bit to do with it because the streets are so long and the corners are so tight, so the track itself - not only the wind package - the tracks make it a little bit more difficult to pass. In Milwaukee, for example, there's wider turns and shorter straights, you could see maybe a little bit more passing than here. But I think here a little bit more difficult, but on the wing package, I think we're heading in the right direction.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I agree. He is absolutely right. Is it going to make a difference, you know, on a flat -- whatever -- let's test it and find out. I think absolutely no problem to do that. Everything he said is right about (inaudible) having done it in 1997, 1998, I think with the road course wing it takes a little more finesse to drive with less downforce and I think -- more passing (inaudible).

CRISTIANO da MATTA: I never tried the car, but road course wing -- I think we need to evaluate. And the people that make the decisions (inaudible) Some people would say the road course wing on the car will have two lines; they saw that in Milwaukee, it is improving the passing, but the people that are making the rules they are concerned that if you lose the car at 25, 30 miles an hour, higher speed in the corner it might be more dangerous, so, it's difficult to make everybody happy, but this wing is in the right direction.

MERRILL CAIN: Gentlemen, thank you very much. Congratulations and good luck tomorrow at the CART Grand Prix of Chicago.