Firestone Indy Lights: Jeld-Wen 100

Topics:  Jeld-Wen 100

Ana Beatriz
June 21, 2008

NEWTON, IOWA

THE MODERATOR: We're delighted to have the third-place finisher, Ana Beatriz, from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Welcome to our press conference tonight. My understanding is that this ties your best career finish in St. Petersburg. Tell me about your trip today, the finish particularly.
ANA BEATRIZ: I think all weekend we were fast, had a fast car. Unfortunately yesterday with the qualifying, it wasn't that good as we thought. We start sixth. Worried me a little bit because it's a hard track to pass.
But the race was amazing. I could, you know, set up to pass the guys and finish third. The Healthy Choice Sam Schmidt crew worked really hard with me. It's great. I'm really happy. Everybody must be really happy and really proud of the third place.
THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on third place. I know some of the reporters here have some questions they'd like to ask.

Q. Ovals are probably new to you, but one this small, what's it like to turn laps around here as fast as you do?
ANA BEATRIZ: Yeah, it's my first year in ovals. It's a new experience for me. In Brazil and Europe, I just drove in road courses.
I like it really. Since Homestead, I enjoy really well the ovals. Some details, we couldn't go to the podium in Homestead, Indy, but we were always really fast. Finally we could do a podium in Iowa. Really proud, really happy for be here in U.S. It's like a long time career, since I was go-karting (Ribeiro and Cesaro) pick me, and managing me, we decide to go to U.S. I'm just really happy to be here.

Q. Your first half of the season now pretty much over, how would you assess what improvements you need to make and how well it's gone in this first half of the season?
ANA BEATRIZ: I think we start really well the season. We did a good race in Homestead. The setup we did in St. Pete, we did podium, led race, which was amazing. After that we just had ovals. It was my lack of experience. So I just have to learn it, improve it. We improve really well. After Milwaukee, we had a hard weekend. Now we could turn it over. Now we have third place, so it's very good.

Q. You got penalized a spot during the race. Did you feel that was fair?
ANA BEATRIZ: Actually after Matos went to talk with me after, they told me I block him. I thought it was the back straight. But he told me it was on the front straight. He told me he's already with the nose on the end. I didn't see him. My spotter haven't told me anything. And Bobby Wilson after just block me and he wasn't penalized.
I don't know really. I have to watch the tape. But I trust that Tony Cotman did the right thing. I just have to hear him.

Q. You were penalized on the track. Did you encounter any obstacles to passing yourself during the race?
ANA BEATRIZ: Yeah, it was really hard. Sometimes I set up wrong and then the guys pass me again, and I have to pass some other guys. Was really hard for me. Finally I could set up well and do good passing. I passed Bobby Wilson. That was really hard. After Jeff Simmons. After that Arie and Battistini were really far away. When we got the yellow flag, we had two guys one lap down in front of me, so would be really hard to pass them.

Q. You and Dillon have probably the least experience on ovals. You two seem to have adapted reasonably well. How do you like running side by side? Do you like being able to dice it around with cars as close together as you run?
ANA BEATRIZ: Well, for sure I really trust in my car and my crew that they did a wonderful job. That's why today I could run higher and lower. I think about the experience, Dillon, he's doing an amazing job in ovals. It's unbelievable how he get on it. I'm improving a little bit slower, but I'm improving. Let's work on it to try to win some races. Dillon is hard to beat on the ovals right now.
THE MODERATOR: Ana, thank you very much and congratulations again.
ANA BEATRIZ: Thank you very much.