IndyCar Series: Firestone Indy 200

Topics:  Firestone Indy 200

Helio Castroneves
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Tony Kanaan
July 17, 2004

GLADEVILLE, TENNESSEE

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with our second-place finisher, Sam Hornish, Jr., from Marlboro Team Penske. You had a great day out there today.

SAM HORNISH, JR.: Yeah, not too bad. Really been trying to get things turned around, get back up there and start getting some good finishes. The Marlboro Team Penske guys gave me awesome pit stops today which helped us out quite a bit. The car handled really well. Just bided our time and tried to make it to end of the race, which is the key to these. Tried to stay up toward the front, stay out of the trouble. Did those things. Just didn't have enough at the end. Really give us a lot of momentum going into the Milwaukee, come off a second-place finish here. When we went there for the IndyCar open test, I was first and Helio was second for the top speeds for the weekend. That gives us a lot of confidence.

SAM HORNISH, JR.: A little too exciting (laughter). I wish I would have had been able to lead it down there at the end and pull away. But, you know, it was dramatic enough. Hopefully next year, come back and maybe get a win. I've been looking for that guitar for a couple years now. Got pretty close a couple times, just haven't got there.

SAM HORNISH, JR.: Basically with the new three-liter engine, if you get in there and try to get your nose in, don't get the pass done, have to lift way out of it, it's really hard to get your momentum built back up. I knew I wanted to wait till the last lap to get up there, try to get a run on him, and hopefully it would work. Didn't have quite enough to get all the way up beside him.

HELIO CASTRONEVES: Well, it was a great race. I think I just have to give credit to my team. I mean, my Marlboro Team Penske, my guys put me all the time, Tim Cindric put me all the time up to the front. Unfortunately, we always had a little trouble in the restart, unbelievable. I mean, every time. First was Scheckter. I think he had trouble. Then we almost touched the wall. Second was Bryan Herta, then it was Scott Sharp. Then the leaders were almost crashing. So much trouble. Finally when I had a clean shot, I was able to make a good move on Manning. Unfortunately, you can barely fit two cars on the corner here. Obviously, Sam and Tony was fighting really hard. It would be too risky to try something, you know, even though we're so close. But was a great race. I was very happy because my team definitely show how to never give up and I'm proud of them.

HELIO CASTRONEVES: I mean, you just saw. Couldn't be more spectacular. I mean, could be a little bit better if I finish first. But obviously was a great show to the audience. I mean you have such a lot of aggressiveness. But thank God, I mean, nobody got hurt. Obviously towards the end, it's racing. You just want to go for it. You want to take a chance. I guess Nashville people, they are starting to enjoy IRL open-wheel races. It's phenomenal. Yesterday a lot of crowds stayed till 9:00 to have an autograph. You saw the grandstands full. What else can you ask? We've been accepted pretty well in NASCAR country. I guess they start understanding a little bit better now our type of race. As long as you're welcomed, definitely want to keep coming back.

SAM HORNISH, JR.: Definitely this racetrack is different than anything else you run on because it's concrete. Another thing that happens is you get a little more tire wear because of the abrasiveness of the concrete. It gets marblely out there on the top line. About one and a half lines stays clean during racing because people are inside or outside of the car in front of them to keep the front end stuck. You get two guys going in there two wide, they're fighting -- trying to put two cars a car width and a half distance. That's why you get a lot of that bumping. But it was really an exciting race I think for the fans. It's a pretty good day for us to be able to -- you know, we've either been on the opposite sides of the spectrum it seems this year, either Helio has done good. It's good to be able to go out there and know we're going out there and starting up front at Milwaukee where track position is going to be key also.

HELIO CASTRONEVES: Yeah, we've having pretty much this year. Texas was kind about that. Richmond was pretty much like that, too. I mean, probably because of the three-liter, you know, the momentum. If you lose a little momentum, it takes a little while to go back. Obviously, when the guys have like three cars different position, he come with the good momentum, he want to make a good move. Obviously, it starts like that. It's just the way that the race is right now. I guess the difference between a little bit of power also create that. But so far people being a little bit knowledge. We are very lucky not to have a big crash out there. But the good news is, I mean, it's been fantastic races, need to keep working hard.

TONY KANAAN: Well, you know, I knew I had a pretty good car. In the middle of the race, we got caught in a restart. I fall back. It was pretty tough to bring myself back to the race. At that point I decided to race to the finish and just try to finish in the Top 3. The boys did a great job in the pit stops. Obviously we capitalize from people's mistakes. Vitor was the first one. Buddy took Dan out. You know, we just capitalize on that. Towards the end, I think Sam had a pretty strong car. I knew that because Sam was the guy I raced the whole race. I was trying to protect myself. Everybody raced hard. It's a tough place to pass. We kind of touch and bang wheels a little bit. I'm here to win. I'm not supposed to give up on the last lap. I saw Hornish putting so many moves and so much people in the last corner in the last lap, so I didn't want to be one more. I tried to avoid that. We did a good job.

TONY KANAAN: Well, it's tough to say because you guys probably going to think just because I'm good friends of Dan. But for what I saw, Buddy just tried to fit his car where it was not place to be. He had no place to go. He force his way in. Dan was already into the corner. Cold tires, Buddy push in, they touch. I think, I mean, you have to race aggressive, but sometimes not too aggressive. You take each other out. My point of view was Buddy tried to put a move -- his car didn't fit where he tried to be.

TONY KANAAN: What happened?

TONY KANAAN: Well, no. Under the yellow, they try to -- I try to pull right beside him to see what was wrong with his car so I could tell him or the team, so the team could tell him. I pulled alongside him. I looked. His side (inaudible) looked pretty marked. But the left suspension, when actually Buddy hit him, there was no problem. I couldn't see any damage. Then I went on the other side, and it looked okay for a while. During the yellow flag, I saw his tire going down. I said, "Guys, he has a flat. Tell him to be careful because he can crash on the restart." That tire was going down pretty quick. I just stayed calm. I told the team what was going on. I just took an advantage on him with the restart. With a flat tire, it's pretty hard to drive around here. I just pass him. I feel sorry for him because he had a good race car - probably better than me. He raced so well. His strategy was perfect. He made a decision on the setup that I didn't believe was going to work. It definitely worked pretty well. I think at the beginning of the race I thought I should have gone that way. Unfortunately, sometimes doesn't go your way. I think tonight wasn't his fault, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

TONY KANAAN: Yeah, I mean, it's a one-line racetrack, very abrasive. When we use the tires, they have a tendency to build up on the outside lane, the marbles. It becomes a one-lane race. It's pretty hard to pass. A track that is hard to pass, people going to try as hard as they can every time they have an opportunity. It's different than a superspeedway that if you don't get it in one lap, you get it in the next lap. Here, either you get it when you have a chance, or you might not have a chance again. That's why you see so many banging and touching wheels. I mean, it's racing. We're here to win. Everybody's here to win. Everybody is trying as hard as they can.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Thank you.