Firestone Indy Lights: Miller Lite 100

Topics:  Miller Lite 100

Ana Beatriz
June 20, 2009

NEWTON, IOWA

THE MODERATOR: Most of us know, we want to congratulate Ana on your victory, Ana Beatriz driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports and car No. 20 tonight.
Ana, that was quite a race. Tell us about it. That was quite a finish and what does it mean for you to win here at Iowa Speedway?
ANA BEATRIZ: Oh, I'm speechless. That was amazing. Maybe the best one ever just because of the situation that I am right now. I was at Milwaukee, we came back did amazing work and some sponsorships down in Brazil. I lost Milwaukee and we came here and won this race. It's such an amazing thing. I'm speechless, really.
The race was great, actually. The beginning, all the cars were really competitive. I didn't really think -- I thought really it would be really hard to on pass. But after a while some people start to have some trouble here and there. And then we start to get traffic, and that was the moment that I think I was able to get positions and win this race.
I'm so thankful for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Healthy Choice. My manager, an amazing person for putting me here today. So, yeah, it's a great day.

Q. You won last year at Nashville, and this is your first win this year. Might add, and I know you're a race car driver first, but you're also the first woman that's ever won a race at Iowa speedway. Could you share your thoughts?
ANA BEATRIZ: Thank you, thank you. That's an amazing feeling, too. When I'm inside I never think that I'm woman, but it's definitely very good to make history. So I'm very proud to be the first woman to win at Iowa.

Q. How tough was it with Wade toward the end there? What was the critical moment for you?
ANA BEATRIZ: Actually, I thought he had a solid win. I thought it would be really tough to pass him. But he got in trouble with Saavedra. And I got him right time. My car felt great on the outside of the track, so he stayed on the inside. And I just got the run on him on the outside.
After that I was just making sure that I would pass well, and he was really fast behind me. But it was like one lap to go, and then they had an accident. I hope the driver of the Panther car, the driver of the Panther car is good. But, well, it's just, it's great. I was just saying inside the car and saying thank you to everybody.

Q. (No microphone)?
ANA BEATRIZ: Yeah, it's a new car. We had a problem with the engine in the morning, and we lost the first session. So it was a bad thing for us, especially in the new car. I had a new seat. I was just getting used to everything again, and we were improving.
Hopefully, my teammates helped me a lot today, because I was just kind of copying. They sat up to see if I could go up with them. They were really, really fast all day. And we qualified sixth. It wasn't bad, but we decided that it would be really hard to win this race today. I was maybe taking the podium. Or actually I was just thinking finishing this race, and getting rhythm again. And the win just came like amazing. I can't believe it, really.

Q. (No Microphone)?
ANA BEATRIZ: Yeah, it's really being the right time, maybe. The guy that we passed, he got stuck behind with being in the wrong position and choosing the wrong side. And it's just like racing. I got the perfect momentum to win this race.
Maybe his car was a little bit better, I don't know. He had a solid win. He was fast all weekend. He was coming off a win in Indianapolis, so he was really confident. Just like I think for sure it was about momentum.

Q. (No Microphone)?
ANA BEATRIZ: I cut my chin a little bit. I probably got a little scar from it. You I just say that I'd rather get a mark from a ring in Indianapolis than like a scar, but I hope I have chances in the future to make it happen.
My knee hurts a little bit from the crash, and still, I'm still working on it to get it better. But nothing that would make me not race or anything like that.

Q. (No Microphone)?
ANA BEATRIZ: Well, I got last lap flag, and then I got yellow flag. And I said, it must be, like I can't lose this win, no way. So I slowed it down a little bit. But the Panther car was in the middle of the track, and people were spinning around still. So with my fault, I think I was too fast, maybe. But my mind was just like I wanted to win this race, and I didn't want to lose it.
So hopefully I got all four wheels of the car perfect to the winner's circle. So it was great.
THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. We hope you remember Iowa Speedway.
ANA BEATRIZ: Thank you. Thanks, Sam. Hope you are not too wet from the champagne.