IndyCar Series: Firestone Indy 400

Topics:  Firestone Indy 400

Marco Andretti
Scott Sharp
August 5, 2007

BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN

THE MODERATOR: We're now joined in the press conference room by Scott Sharp, our third place finisher, and we're also joined by the second place finisher Marco Andretti. Guys, let's start with Scott real quick. Talk about your run today and how this exciting race went today at Michigan.
SCOTT SHARP: Well, it was wild, that's for sure, for us. There was a lot of activity going on in my cockpit. Just unfortunately -- I mean, fortunately had a really great car in the third and fourth group in the outside line, and when we got wound up, that would work really well when we could go fast but it's still the long way around.
But unfortunately any time I could take advantage I got on the bottom, so when I got on the bottom I got really loose. I thought I was gone several times. We were working the car in the pit stops, got it a little bit better, went a little bit too much the other way, and there at the end finally could run behind these guys, got a good draft at the bottom of the track. But it was hard only being able to run competitively at the top.
And then of course the big moment, the big crash. You know, I was tucked up right under Sam, and all of a sudden Sam's rear wing is almost in my cockpit, and I thought -- when I hit him I thought we for sure ripped off a lot more than the front wing. Obviously the guys built us a pretty solid car.
THE MODERATOR: Marco, if you'd give us a couple comments, running side by side with Tony. Talk about that.
MARCO ANDRETTI: It was an eventful day, for sure. We started out, the car's balance was very good but we were just way too slow. I had it lifted and the pack just left me. So we actually came in running fourth at that time and we took off the diffuser, we trimmed it down at the pit stop and the car balance remained pretty good. We were able to come through with a bit more speed. But even so, we didn't have enough at the end. But in a big pack I was quite happy.

Q. Marco, you two guys came in very, very close; you really gave a heck of a battle. He gave you just enough room, and it was very exciting from where we were.
MARCO ANDRETTI: It was, and coming -- his gear was optimum, for sure. My fifth gear was a bit too tall. It was very good over the bump and that's what allowed me next to him going into one and pulled quite well coming out of two, but as soon as his gear was, like I said, optimum in the back stretch, we didn't have enough.

Q. Scott, with your finish today and obviously Dario having the tough time finishing or not finishing, today you passed him for total laps throughout the course of the season. Could you talk a little bit about that?
SCOTT SHARP: That's good. I guess we finished every one of these Michigan races I've run in the lead lap, which is surprising. When I hit Sam, I thought that day was over.
You know, I think we're just as a team -- we've been gaining ground and working harder. We've got a lot closer on the big tracks, and getting there pretty solid on the short tracks, and we just need to now work on our road courses a bit more. But really pleased with the progress the team is making and I think we've all been really smart. We need to get as many points as we can get, go for the win, don't be challenging for 7th. We've got to get close and hope we get better and better as the season ends.