Indy Pro Series: Milwaukee 100

Topics:  Milwaukee 100

Jaime Camara
July 22, 2006

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys.
Tell us, Jaime, about not only your race but the last 10 laps when you were closing in on the leader, last third of the race when you were closing in on the leader, then we have a caution.
JAIME CAMARA: I mean, it was obvious that Wade was really quick. He was just demonstrating the advantage he had on me all the time. By the end of the race, my car -- it was obvious that Wade had a very quick car in the race. He was just demonstrating the advantage he had on me.
From the 50 laps to the end of the race, my car on the beginning was pushing a lot. But I think I did some adjustments with the weight jacker and the bars. I could get the rear a little bit better and the front a little bit better as well. The tire wear helped me with the understeer because the rear got a little bit loose. That helped me a lot with the understeer on the car.
I was quicker than him in the end of the race. I know I could be close to him at the end. That was what I was trying, to be closer to him at two laps before the race ended so I could try a move.
That yellow flag, I mean, when it came, it helped me a lot. In the beginning, I thought maybe it's going to be -- it could go two ways: I could get passed or I could pass Wade. I said, I'm going for the win, I'm going to do my best to pass Wade. On the restart there, I went low on the track. I could restart better than he did. I could make a move on him going into one. He got a little bit loose on two, and I could open up a nice gap, like four or five cars' gap on the back straight. I knew the win was mine at that time.
THE MODERATOR: Had the caution not come out, do you think you would have been able to catch and pass him?
JAIME CAMARA: I don't know. We never going to know. It could be or it could not be. I mean, what I could see at the end of the race, his car was very loose. If that was going to happen, even without the yellow, I think I could be really close to him and try to pass him. This is the kind of track that if the car is really loose, you can't carry speed inside the corners, you can't be quick. We're never going to know.
THE MODERATOR: You sat on the pole here last year, come home with a win here this year. Has to be a very special track for you.
JAIME CAMARA: It is a very special track because last year I was quickest on the open test, I was quickest on the practices, and I did the pole. I mean, on the race, my car was really good, but I couldn't find the right line on the race to drive the car last year and I finished fifth.
This season I was really quick all weekend. On qualifying, what happened was I got loose on four when I was going to get the green flag. That kept me from being quicker on qualifying. I knew I had a good car on the race. I knew I had the best car out there. I knew I could fight for the win at the end.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. (Question regarding the tires.)
JAIME CAMARA: I had pretty much the same balance until the 50 lap. After that, the rear tires got a little bit worse. That helped the front of the car because I had understeer until the 50 lap. When the rear started to get a little bit loose, I could come back with the bar. That helped me turn and carry more speed inside the corner.
I think I did pretty much the same lap times from the beginning of the race until the end, 4/10ths or half a second between them. Yeah, but the tires were good. I thought it was going to be much worse than it was.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much for coming. Congratulations.
JAIME CAMARA: Thank you.