IZOD IndyCar Series: Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestlé

Topics:  Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestlé

Scott Dixon
Dario Franchitti
Will Power
April 28, 2012

SAO PAULO, SAO PAULO

Q.  (Untranslated)?
WILL POWER:  It was a good run.  I knew about Dario and the competition.  I think those guys were a little quicker down the strait because they were running less downforce and we were trying to make it up in the corner. 
So, yeah, it was just that last lap six, they were telling me it was going to be close, and I started another lap, made a mistake, but, yeah.  It's satisfying when you get pole by such a small margin because you have to rag it so much to do that. 
But it seems like very tough, close competition, which is typical of IndyCar and great, so we're just giving ourselves the best opportunity, I guess, for the first corner tomorrow.

Q.  Dario, yesterday you told us that you were counting on this weekend to rebound on championship chances, and then you made a very good effort.
DARIO FRANCHITTI:  Yeah, definitely I've got to take my hat off to the team.  We worked very, very hard.  Honda have done a good job, too.  We're catching up, I think.  It will be interesting tomorrow, especially with the rain, possibly.  I think it's going to be a great race for the fans, and a very tough race for us.

Q.  (Untranslated)?
SCOTT DIXON:  We're definitely going to try.  We've made some good gains on the team throughout the year.  Today I kind of messed up a few.  In Q2 was fine.  We tried to be easy on the tires.  We seemed to have breaks sort of going away through our Q2.  Nearly fell off track a couple times there.  And then Q3 ran off in one, and then locked up in 11, and went off to the run off and flat spot of the tire pretty good. 
So, all in all, I think the car is good.  If we can work on the brakes tonight and sort out a couple of things, we'll have a good car for the race tomorrow.  But with the weather, it's definitely going to make the race tomorrow.  As long as it's not too much, and some light showers here and there, I think it will be a fantastic race for everybody to watch and a lot of fun for us.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow. 

Q.  (Untranslated)?
DARIO FRANCHITTI:  Yeah, I think we're all going to work on our cars tonight.  Everybody will be trying to adjust a little bit.  I think the good thing for us, it feels a lot closer with the set‑up than it has felt since we've started driving a new car.  So I hope we can translate that into a good performance tomorrow.  As far as the qualifying, it's one thing to be disappointed and not get on the lap. 
But I think you have to congratulate Will.  He put it together.  He did the lap.  So it's up to me to put a lap together.  But, again, I'm happy that I feel the times in the car, and we can adjust it for a good race car tomorrow.

Q.  (Untranslated)?
WILL POWER:  There was not a massive difference between the black tires and the red tires today.  I think the track is just a little bit dusty.  Kind of lacked a little bit of grip in comparison to last year. 
But if it's wet tomorrow, obviously that's going to change everything.  You lose so much grip.  Firestone has a pretty good wet tire, so we'll see.  I think it's good for the fans, and the weather's a little bit mixed up.  It's not the average race.  There are always position changing and different strategies, so we'll see how it plays out and we'll adjust accordingly.

Q.  (Untranslated)?
SCOTT DIXON:  I think it's a combination of the team making the right changes on the car.  Me telling my engineer what I needed from the car, and the guys making those changes.  Honda have done a good job too.  Obviously we've been given the different turbo for the equivalency.  That's helped as well, I think.  All of that has improved. 
I feel now the car's in a position.  I'm starting to drive it properly, and I'm driving the car quite well, so I hope it continues tomorrow.

Q.  (Untranslated)?
WILL POWER:  Absolutely.  I feel he had me on the last lap.  It was so tight that he made a little mistake, so that's good for me.  So you don't hold a guy like Dario down for very long.  He's going to be back.  You can see he's back in the championship fight.  So I'm glad I got some points off him while I could. 

Q.  Dario, do you like this format?  Only two days practice or two hour practice, two hour break, two hours qualify.  It's a pretty high‑pressure don't go or go kind of deal.  Would you be in favor of doing it more in the states?
DARIO FRANCHITTI:  I don't mind either.  I think either works well.  This is definitely hard on the teams though.  There are a few guys that‑‑ our guys have been thrashing the two hours between sessions changing some big stuff. 
It's tough on the guys, but at the same time, everybody's away for a day less on the flyaways.  The promoter has less expenses putting on a two‑day show than a three‑day.  So definitely it's tough on the guys. 
But I don't care either way.  I think when things are going well, it's a good format, when they're not, it's difficult because you don't have time to draw a breath and figure your way out of it.  It's pretty intense, like you said.

Q.  (Untranslated)?
SCOTT DIXON:  It's a really good layout to be honest.  It's one of the best layouts we go to as far as a street course because you have such long straits and big braking areas.  I was saying yesterday, I wish every track had a back strait like the one they have here, because it's going to create really good racing. 
If you're a faster car, you can still get to the front.  So it doesn't seem to be as grippy this year.  I don't know if it's because of all the rain or why that is.  Maybe because we haven't run the extra third day to grip the track up. 
But I expect tomorrow to be a great race whether it's rain or shine.  I'm looking forward to it.  But I think the layout here has got a bit of everything.  It's got some medium speed corners.  Lots of street 90‑degrees that you typically have and long straits of big braking areas. 

Q.  (Untranslated)?
WILL POWER:  I do feel at home, actually.  I was asking T.K.  if he could find an apartment for me down here. 
Yeah, I think pole position around this track is so easy to pass.  I think the pole definitely helps you in the first corner to not get involved in an incident.  But I think if guys are quicker behind you, they're going to pass you. 
So it's always good to get pole.  That means we're fast.  If it rains, that changes everything, which is also good to be in front the because of all the spray, so we'll see.

Q.  (Untranslated)? 
DARIO FRANCHITTI:  We were just discussing that yesterday.  I want to beat these guys every week.  You want to win every race.  It seems as if competition is very high in this series, but it seems if you want to win a race or a championship, you've got to go through these two guys here to do it, as well as the others, but especially these guys. 
So I would very much like to win tomorrow.  We'll see if we're capable of doing it.