IZOD IndyCar Series: Iowa Corn Indy 250

Topics:  Iowa Corn Indy 250

Marco Andretti
Tony Kanaan
June 23, 2012

NEWTON, IOWA

THE MODERATOR:  We are pleased to be joined by Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosports who finished second, his best finish of the season for Marco, and also Tony Kanaan, who finished third, his third podium finish of the season.
Tony, you started in the 19th position to make it all the way up to third.  Talk about another great race for you at Iowa.
TONY KANAAN:  Yeah, it was a good race.  Obviously I wish I could have started a little bit further up, but it was a long day for us, but it was not a good result.  We are improving every race.  Hopefully we get the win soon.
THE MODERATOR:  Marco, a great, great battle with your teammate there to take the top two spots today.
MARCO ANDRETTI:  Yeah, definitely a credit to the team.  I think we have improved hugely, and it's just because of the three of us.  I think we have just been working great together.  Definitely that was a statement that Andretti Autosports is back on top, so it feels good.
As for me, I came up short.  But a great team effort for sure.

Q.  As well as you two have done the last few weeks on the mile ovals, sad thing is you're not going to see another oval until the end of the year.  How do you feel heading into these street races that you guys can continue this momentum?
MARCO ANDRETTI:  Well, for me, for a while I was not looking forward to street races, but we had a great car in Detroit; we kind of just rolled the dice in the race and the thing responded really well.
So I'm looking forward to Toronto.  It feels good to be looking forward to a street course finally.
TONY KANAAN:  We have two great races.  We had a great race in Detroit, so I'm not sad of anything.  Whatever comes, it comes.  You have to be good at everything, if you want to be able to be a championship contender.

Q.  This is for you both.  Some drivers develop an affinity for certain racetracks.  Both of you guys clearly have a handle on Iowa.  What is it about this place that both of you like?
TONY KANAAN:  You've got to drive.  That's my opinion.  It's a driver's track.  So you know, if you don't put it out there, you don't get a good result, then I think between the two of us, I know exactly who was racing today, and we've been teammates for a long time.
So we know exactly what to do.  We know each other too well.  So when we are racing each other, it's find of funny, and not at the same time, because we kind of know every move we are going to make to each other.

Q.  You both talked last week about changing the restart procedure maybe for this week; was it any better?
MARCO ANDRETTI:  I don't know what was different.
TONY KANAAN:  Yeah, I don't know what was different, either.  I mean, it was still double‑file.
I think if you're talking about he moved the acceleration point a little bit, but that didn't make a lot of difference.
So I think what he did change, he said in the driver's meeting, is the way he's policing how somebody was going to jump the start or not, which for us, we don't know what he's doing.  So as far as to police that‑‑ I guess it was okay today.

Q.  How odd was it when you came around that first lap under yellow, and here is the 10 car in smoke; that's something you probably never expected to see.  His team to have an issue like that before the race ever started.
MARCO ANDRETTI:  Normally I want Dario's luck, but not today.
TONY KANAAN:  I saw a big, white cloud and I thought it was fireworks.  Then it was kind of a mix, because Tag spun, as well, so there was two cars there and I didn't really pay attention until we did four laps and then I see Dario out there, and I'm like, oh, tough like for him.
That's how this championshipis.  It's getting pretty exciting.  Right now it's time to keep making points.  Me and Marco definitely were running behind, and whenever, you know, Dario, Dixon, Will, those guys, they rarely make a mistake.  And when they make a mistake, you have to capitalize on, it otherwise you'll never catch them.

Q.  Tony, you were obviously looking ahead all night, but with the race over, are you impressed Rubens finished seventh and now realizing he's becoming someone to fear in ovals, as well.
TONY KANAAN:  I know.  I kept looking at the board there.  I could see his number moving up and up and I'm like, okay, all right, he's going to be up here soon.
He's, you know, he's a great driver.  What can I say?  I mean, the guy, yeah‑‑ he's still Rubens, you've got to understand that.  I know from the experience that I had, I was talking to him this afternoon, and 14 years I have ahead of him against three races, and I think he's done a remarkable job.  You know, he's going to have to choose if he wants to stay here next year; if he does, we'd better watch out.
THE MODERATOR:  I know the first half of the season has not necessarily been the finishes you're looking for; how much does the podium finish give you a shot in the arm going into the rest of the season?
MARCO ANDRETTI:  Yeah, it's great, obviously we wanted that top spot.  We're still in that win drought which is killing me inside to be honest.  Hopefully this will bump us up in points and we can start the momentum now, because it's been horrendous.  It's been frustrating.  We ran well at Indy but we came up short, a lot of unfortunate things have been hammering and so we just have to keep hammering.
THE MODERATOR:  Thank you so much.