IZOD IndyCar Series: Iowa Corn Indy 250

Topics:  Iowa Corn Indy 250

Ryan Hunter-Reay
June 23, 2013

NEWTON, IOWA

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by Ryan Hunter‑Reay of Andretti Autosport, you finished second. This is the second consecutive podium finish for Ryan at Iowa.
Ryan, the race today, obviously a little issue that brought you all the way back to 21, 22, to be able to bounce back to second, especially with the lap traffic out there, talk about today's race.
RYAN HUNTER‑REAY: Yeah, it was so challenging out there today. Just had a lot of imbalance in the first stint. I just had a lot of understeer and really had to push to get by Graham, and I just kept my foot in it trying to pop right out of the corner, and when I did I was right under his gear box. I just had no downforce on the front wing and when I turned it, there goes the front wing. It's that easy to make a mistake.
Had great day, had a lot of fun, got angry a few timesbecause of some lap cars that were just racing a little too hard. But it was a really good day, good points, to finish second after being dead last. And yesterday we had a nightmare of a day as well. So really happy that we were able to bring the No.1 DHL Chevy home in second. Would have liked the repeat but once again, the Andretti cars were the cars to beat here at Iowa.

Q. You passed more cars today than anybody else on the track, so just how difficult was that and how much did you have to pace yourself to be able to systematically get your way backup?
RYAN HUNTER‑REAY: Yeah, definitely had to pace myself, because it was difficult. Like Tony said, with these cars, the underlying characteristic is that they want to understeer quite a bit right in the run, right. So half ‑‑ inaudible ‑‑ tires to the end, it's very difficult, if somebody is running an optimum line that you're working with, and somebody that you're trying to pass is running that line, it can take you 20, 25 laps to even get a shot at them.
It was a difficult day, I had to be patient at times and overly aggressive at others. I had a really good day and I had really good car. It's a bummer when you have that good of a car and you come home second, but considering we came from the back of the pack to finish second in such a tight field, I have to be happy about that, or pleased about it, I should say.

Q. Big picture, what do you think this looks like to people who are watching it? You have a few that's different than we have, but what do you think it looks like to us?
RYAN HUNTER‑REAY: What?

Q. All the mixing and exchanging of positions and dive bombs.
RYAN HUNTER‑REAY: We look like a bunch of nuts out there, quite a few‑‑ anyway.
I'm sure with an action‑packed race‑‑ it was so busy. I think I had a clear track twice, and during that time, it felt like I was on vacation, it was so nice, and then you get back into the rough stuff and just dicing it you have and lap cars coming and then you have a guy for position or behind you while you have two cars in front of you for lap traffic, it was just nuts. That's what's great about this race. I really enjoy I think the night race is really great here. I think we put on a great show during the day, but I think in the end, more people come out at night for this race.

Q. First and second today; what is it about the Andretti cars that they run so strong here?
RYAN HUNTER‑REAY: We just figured out the short oval package, you know. Unfortunately the 28 team, or the No.1 team that you're talking about, the No.1, 28, we've won five I think of the last short ovals, dating back to New Hampshire, Milwaukee, Iowa, Milwaukee. So we came close to doing it again here, but they gave the drivers a great short oval car.
This track, you can see that everybody is very evenly matched when you're on new tires, because the imbalances in the car are not showing and when everybody starts sliding around, that's when the Andretti cars go to the front. We just have great set up and definitely have to credit the engineering staff and the crew at Andretti for giving us those cars.