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Conference Coordinator:
Good day. All sides are now on the conference line. I'll turn you over to Miss Susan Bradshaw. Go ahead.
Susan Bradshaw:
Good morning, everyone. I want to thank you for calling in. I am here with Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, and Rick Mears. As you know, we're out at Indianapolis practicing for the 85th running of the Indy 500. Just briefly, Gil has run at Indy before, in 1995, although he only got in about one lap before he got involved in the Stan Fox crash at the start of the race. Helio, this will be his first year running here. And I'm sure you all know Rick Mears' history at the Speedway. So with that, I'm going to open it up for questions, and Sean is going to explain to you how to do your questioning.
Conference Coordinator:
At this time, if you wish to ask a question, please press 1 on your touch-tone phone, and any time to withdraw a question, press the pound key. Again, to ask a question press 1, and to withdraw a question, press the pound key. And we'll go first to Gary Long at the Miami Herald.
Gary Long:
Hey, Rick, would you explain what you can impart to these two guys? Obviously, Gil has been here before but very briefly, and Helio, this is a first-time experience. What do you try to get across to them?
Rick Mears:
Oh, really, both these guys have quite a bit of experience, so there's not a lot to be done there, other than little idiosyncrasies of the track itself, whether it's wind conditions that you deal with, maybe lines or patterns or changing the line around to change the handling of the car, or just dealing with the whole process of Indy being Indy and the media attention and all of that. But both these guys, they've got it together pretty well and there's not a whole lot that I need to do.
Gary Long:
Thank you.
Rick Mears:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
At any time, if you wish to ask a question, please press 1, and we'll go next to Tim May at Columbus Dispatch.
Tim May:
Yes, Rick, I was just wondering, and Gil and Helio, if you could answer this too. If you had to put in a nutshell about Penske racing, its strength and why it seems to do so well here, although, of course, '95 is a forgotten time, but so well here, what is the secret to Roger Penske and his attack at Indianapolis, maybe more than anywhere else?
Rick Mears:
Well, myself - this is Rick. Myself, I just think Roger has always been strong. You know, when the going gets tough, he gets tougher, the old saying, and Indy is tough, and it always has been. Roger has just always worked very hard at it. He's always had a great operation, a great team. One of the records I'm most proud of, I've always tried to be consistent myself, day in and day out, on a race to race basis, always knock on the door. If you knock on the door, that's the way you win races. But to show the depth of the team that Roger has always put together, in 14 years here, we've been on the front row 11 times. So we were always in the hunt the majority of the time that we've run here, and that just shows the depth of the team, and it shows what you're talking about, him running well here. The team has always been strong everywhere, but we do have definitely a good record here at Indy. Gil, you guys can go ahead.
Gil de Ferran:
Sure. I think, a little bit like Rick just said, I think in my mind Roger is the kind of guy that is prepared to do anything in his powers to achieve a goal or a name. That kind of a - how can I say it? - that kind of characteristic or personality really transpires through the team. So, really, I think this team excels in those situations where you need to dig a little bit deeper to achieve what you want to achieve. And like Rick said, this is a tough place, tough schedule, and you need a lot of commitment to keep getting quicker and finding something a little more. I think the team is very, very good at that. Actually, that's probably one of the things that make the team a great team.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. Since this is my first start here, basically, of course, I've been watching the race in the past, and of course, as Rick was saying about the record that they have here in this track, it's amazing. And everybody knows that when Roger's got a commitment, he's not coming just to be a number. He's coming to be the number. I think when you have a car, when you have a situation, when you have a team that work really hard, that's why all of a sudden you have a great result. But also, in fact, he told me that if you don't have a car to win and you have a car just to finish 6th, finish 10th, whatever, you just might have to do that. I think so far, what I've been working so hard with all the engineers and everything, we just want to always have the car for the number 1 spot. But, you know, racing 500 miles, anything can happen, seven pit stops. So it's a very difficult decision. It's like Rick says, it's a really tough place.
Conference Coordinator:
Thank you. We'll go next to Skip Melinsky at Chicago Tribune.
Skip Melinsky:
Good morning, guys. To all of you, with Roger coming back for the first time since '95, have you noticed any change in him? Is he a little more nervous, a little more demanding, a little more on edge, anything like that?
Rick Mears:
This is Rick. No, not much of a change. He's at about 20,000 rpm, like normal. The Indy always gets Roger going, and really I don't see much difference from any other year we've ever been here. He's just ready to go and wanting to get out there.
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil, Skip. I would echo what Rick just said. He's at 20,000 rpm, like usual. So he's just a very intense guy, and let's put it this way, he's no less intense here.
Skip Melinsky:
Thanks, guys.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. Actually, talking about him, in fact, when we were coming from Nazareth, it was mentioned that basically we have to fly from Nazareth and come into Indy, and I was like, oh guys, let's relax. No, no, no, no, no, everything is under control. I think definitely, like both these guys are saying, he definitely is pumped up, the same as, I believe, all three of us. Everybody is really excited to be back. I mean, it's my first time, but I'm really excited and I have a great opportunity in my life.
Skip Melinsky:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
Thank you. We'll go next to Ann Prophet at Seventh Gear.
Ann Prophet:
Hi, guys. It seems like the bar has been raised a bunch for competition at the Speedway this year with the addition of Tony Stewart and Jimmy Vassar, you guys and Michael. It just seems like it's going to be a tougher go than usual. How do you deal with that?
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil. Well, I think it's ideal, really. I think the tougher the competition, you know, the bigger the challenge and the greater the reward, and that's the whole idea, you know. If you can mix together with the toughest teams and the toughest drivers, I think everybody is all the better for it. So the problem is not dealing with that. It's how to deal with a low-key competition, which fortunately is not something we had to contend with over the last few years.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. I agree with Gil basically. I'm sure it's going to be tough anyway, not only these guys, Jimmy, Tony, Michael, but I think also the other guys. I mean, you can see Ari coming back. Thank God Rick is not in the car, otherwise we will have another competition. So basically, I think in this place, everybody is competitive. You just have to focus on your job, make sure you have a good handling car, and like I said, it's a long race. Anything can happen, and I hope happens in a good way for us.
Ann Prophet:
Of course. Thank you.
Rick Mears:
This is Rick. We've got to work it out for us, there's no doubt about it, and not just because the bar is being raised with everybody else coming, but we also are stepping into another backyard that we haven't been dealing with day in and day out with the new cars and equipment, and we've got a lot to learn there, and that's what we've been doing. We learned a lot in Phoenix, the reason we ran that race, and we've got a long way to go here. We just need to stay after it.
Ann Prophet:
Got it. Thanks so much, guys.
Rick Mears:
You're welcome.
Helio Castroneves:
Thank you.
Gil de Ferran:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
We'll go next to Gary Long of the Miami Herald.
Gary Long:
Helio and Gil, if you will, each of you discuss your Phoenix experience and maybe compare and contrast the handling of these cars compared - I mean, Phoenix is a 1-mile oval, and you just came from Nazareth, a 1-mile oval, in your own type. How different are they, in fact?
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. I'll tell you, I start from way back, basically. I had a little trouble in the qualifying, and that's how I'm going to have a hard time. But basically, I had so much fun in terms of racing, and actually until the first pit stop. From 17, I was leading the race. So I had a lot of fun. Definitely the cars had a lot of bounce, especially over there in Phoenix, but much less horsepower, and I believe here it's not that much down force that you're feeling. You try to trim it out, the car, so much, to trying to find the speed, that the car all of a sudden tends to be kind of loose and I have to be careful. So I had a lot of fun in Phoenix. I learned a lot with these guys. But again, it's a different track here in Indianapolis, pretty much the same competitors. But again, it's going to take another learning curve, and that's why I'm trying to do my best and make sure we get out with a big smile on the face.
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil. I think Phoenix was very, very, very important for us, for a variety of reasons. Like Rick explained on his previous answer, this is all new for us, and we've definitely been learning a lot about the equipment and how to deal with the weekend as a whole. So I think Phoenix was important from the point of view of the engine, since it was Gilmore's first race, and I think it was important for us to have a race weekend together with Gilmore, and we accomplished that over in Phoenix. I think it was important for us to learn a little bit more about the car. I think, obviously, the dynamic specification that we ran there and here in Indianapolis is quite different. But nevertheless, you make changes on the car and you're always learning a little bit. You're just learning about nuances, about the whole equipment and how to get the most out of it. From that standpoint it was really important, and also from the standpoint of reliability, to learn what fails and what doesn't, what are the weak points and what are not. There's nothing better for doing that than a race itself. I think from my own standpoint, to get a good look at the competition, that was important, to see how we stacked up on the totem pole, how are we doing in setting up the cars, how are we doing driving-wise, and how are we doing power-wise. So it was important for us, at least to establish where we are as a whole.
Gary Long:
Gil, if I may follow up real quick, you and I discussed this before and I misplaced my notes. You explained to me the whole scenario of your one corner of Indy experience here. Can you run through that crash again in '95?
Gil de Ferran:
Sure.
Gary Long:
Sorry about that.
Gil de Ferran:
It's a memory that I remember every bit about it. Basically, we went for the start, and I was starting 20 years old, whatever. After 20 I stopped counting. And going into the first turn, I was on the inside, I saw some smoke, I backed off. At the same time I looked in the mirror to make sure nobody is going to rear-end me, and I thought, okay, I got it (unintelligible), everything is fine, I escaped this one, and I went down to the short-shoot warm-up lane there on the exit of the pits. So I was all the way down on the inside and I thought, whoa, I escaped this one. And a wheel, I don't know whether from Cheever's car or from Stan Fox's car, came bouncing along through a cloud of debris and took my right front corner off, and that was that, really.
Gary Long:
That sounds familiar.
Gil de Ferran:
Yes, that was not the way I want it to be, but that kind of stuff happens.
Gary Long:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
We'll go next to Kevin Kelly at St. Peter-Richmond Times.
Kevin Kelly:
Good morning, guys. Rick, drawing on your years of experience with Roger, can you tell, or I don't know if you can express, has his approach to team ownership changed throughout the years, especially as his outside business interests continue to grow and expand?
Rick Mears:
Not really. Not very much. I mean, he's always been hands-on and he's always kept his finger on the pulse of what's going on. Throughout the years, the different business interests come and go maybe a little bit more, but always, always in touch and in close contact. As far as change goes, I guess he's changed with time, just like anything does. Even in his business, you're tuning. You're tuning the team, you're changing things, and you've got to stay close to be able to do that. So he hasn't really changed all that much. He's always been very close at hand, and like I said, he's kept his finger on the pulse of the business.
Kevin Kelly:
And for Gil and Helio, what was your reaction when Roger told you that you guys were going to Indy this year? Was it something that you had been pressing him about, asking him constantly, or did it just come out of the blue?
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil. Well, for me, it was one of those nice surprises. I mean, at the end of the day, I always felt like it would be nice to come back here. But I wasn't pursuing any other way of returning to Indianapolis. My allegiance is to this team, and I wanted the ideal situation. If Roger decided he wanted to come back and for me to be driving the car, and fortunately that's exactly the way it happened, and here we are. I was very, very happy about his decision.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. I kind of was really excited when I heard about it. Of course, 2000, last year, we saw the (unintelligible) guys running here, and I felt that we could go as well. We could go and try to be fast and good challenge with these guys. And when they told me, I was very excited. They mentioned also that we're going to race in Phoenix. So I really love what I do. I really enjoy a lot racing. I knew there would be a learning curve that I have to understand with different cars, and that's for my knowledge, for my experience of driving different cars. So here we are, and let's keep learning.
Kevin Kelly:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
We'll go next to Gordon McIntyre at Vancouver Province.
Gordon McIntyre:
Hi, guys. I just want to know how it compares to driving at Michigan and Montana, Rick and Gil.
Rick Mears:
Yes, this is Rick. They're kind of opposites, to me. As far as the race goes, I always enjoyed the qualifying Indy because there's a very fine line of (unintelligible). You had to be very, very precise, no room for error, and you had to get four laps as perfect as possible. Racing, I kind of enjoyed the racing at Michigan because it was a wider groove. You had more room to run side by side, two and three abreast, where at Indy you can't really do that. It's much more difficult. So the race is tougher, I think, at Indy as far as racing conditions goes than it is at Michigan.
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil. Obviously, I haven't raced here, per se. I only did that one lap that I told you about. But I think despite that, I think I would echo Rick's comments. This is definitely more of a one-groove racetrack. Despite its width, it feels very narrow when you're driving, and Michigan and Montana are quite different in that sense. I mean, you have also some lines to choose from. In fact, Helio in Montana - I don't know if you watched the race, but Ida and I were running together there, and we run completely different lines over there, and we were able to stay together. But here in Indy, that would have been virtually impossible because everybody's got apex down in a somewhat similar place. So it's a very different sort of super speedway. I mean, when I first came here I thought it was extremely difficult, and I still feel this way.
Gordon McIntyre:
And then (unintelligible) Jimmy and Juan did so well last year. Does that take some of the nervousness away this year?
Gil de Ferran:
Helio, it's for you.
Helio Castroneves:
Oh, that's for me? Oh, sorry about that. Actually not. I mean, like I said, when I was watching last year, I was really excited. I see Juan was leaving, and I said, well, I could put some pressure over there, but I knew it depends. The last year was a different way. Everybody has the same equipment in terms of a first year. This year, everybody already knows very well the equipment, the rules. So they are pretty much on the edge. And like Rick and Gil were saying, we're learning. It's our first year. Of course, we are coming here to do the best as we can, but we know that it's going to have a lot of barriers in front of us that we have to try and make sure that we pass this. So it's going to be tough. I mean, it doesn't matter if it's Jimmy or Michael. I mean, I know it's going to be tough anyway with the different guys, but we're going to try to go fast anyway.
Gordon McIntyre:
Okay. Well, good luck, guys.
Helio Castroneves:
Thank you.
Gil de Ferran:
Thanks.
Conference Coordinator:
Again, if you wish to ask a question, please press 1 on your touch-tone phone, and to withdraw a question, press the pound key. We'll go next to Tim May at Columbus Dispatch.
Tim May:
Yes, Rick, I was just wondering, following up a little bit on what I was asking you earlier, a lot of people like to simply assign Roger's or Penske Racing's excellence or success, especially at the Indy, as just, for want of another term, throwing money at the situation, and it does appear that he does throw money at it, but he tries to put the money in manpower and mind power. I was wondering if you could discuss that. I mean, literally, is this like an army kind of coming to town to a certain extent?
Rick Mears:
I don't know if you'd call it an army. I mean, it's not just throwing the money at it. It's the effort. I mean, one of his sayings, effort equals results, and that's what it's all about. Just a quick story. Years ago, the first year I was here and I was driving for another team, and I was out trying to do some sponsor hunting to help out, to fund the team, and one night I'm walking back in the garage and I walked by Penske's garage to get to our garage. And I look in Roger's garage and everything was clean, everything was off the floor, everything was painted the same color, everything had its place, up on the walls or whatever. And then I walked to ours and things were scattered all over the floor and different colors and different things. And that doesn't take money. That takes organization. I thought, you know, if I'm a sponsor walking through here, who do I want to support? And that just takes organization. That helps draw it all in, and that's not throwing the money at it. That's just organizing and everybody doing their job and that kind of thing. I think it's one of the key things that Roger has always done over the years. I mean, he's done that and he's set the standard for years and years doing that kind of thing, not just the money.
Tim May:
Thanks, man.
Rick Mears:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
We'll go next to Tim Haddock at L.A. Daily News.
Tim Haddock:
Yes, hi. This question is for Rick, kind of a little off the subject here. Have you talked to your nephew, Dr. Casey, at all, and what are your thoughts on his entry, and how do you think his race is going to play out?
Rick Mears:
Tim, obviously I have been talking to him, as much as I can. We've worked together pretty close ever since he's gotten into racing, whether it be the (unintelligible) cars or whatever. You know, just gave him whatever advice I could do to help him. He's a good kid. He's got a good head on his shoulders and he's been working very hard here. He had a little struggle yesterday, obviously, but those things do happen. The team, they've been struggling a little bit the first part of the year, and they got the addition of some new engineers and different things, which I think are going to be a big plus for them here at Indy. Again, he had a little setback yesterday, but I think things are going to work out. He just needs to get back in the car, take some small steps, take his time, get his confidence back, get back up to speed, and just work on getting in the show solidly, and then worry about the race.
Tim Haddock:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
At this time we have no questions in queue, so if you wish to ask a question, please press the 1 on your touch-tone phone. We'll go next to Chris Jenkins at USA Today.
Chris Jenkins:
Hi, how are you doing? I was curious as to whether what Montoya did last year gave you guys encouragement, or does it put a little more pressure on you coming to Indy for your first time?
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil. To me, it doesn't bear any relation whatsoever, you know? I don't feel either way, either more pressure or encouragement or anything like this. I don't spend any time even reflecting upon it. I mean, I think what is most important for us is to worry about the problems that we have at hand; i.e., is the engine running right, am I driving correctly, is the car going to steering (unintelligible) or how am I going to go when I go flat into turn 2, and how are we going to trim out a little bit more? Those are the things that are occupying my mind as we spend day after day here and not the fact that Montoya obviously did an extremely good job over here last year.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. Basically, it is a fantastic facility. As you come in, you see all the grandstands and you look around the fans cheering you up and calling your name. I mean, definitely it's a nice feeling. But as soon as I put my helmet on and close the visor, that's it. You're just trying to get the best car, the speed, and make sure that you're running a good line, like Gil was saying. It's just another race, another way to set up the car. And of course, if things turn out, it will be good. I mean, the publicity and also the media, it's going to help more if we be in a normal race. So I don't feel any pressure. In fact, I'm very comfortable. I just want to continue try working the car and going fast.
Chris Jenkins:
Have you guys talked about the logistical challenges of trying to qualify here and then going to Japan next week?
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. That's going to be a great agenda, actually. After Nazareth, we came straight down here, and then we're going to go straight to Japan. So we have to have a little switch in our body. Now we're going to (unintelligible) for a change. I think we are after a lot of runs that we did already, a race in IRL, we're kind of pretty comfortable. At least that's my opinion. I'm pretty comfortable as I switch cars. So we come back pretty fast to adapt. So it's going to be a great challenge. I'm really excited for this situation, even when you go back to Japan. But right now let's focus in Indy here and make sure we have a fantastic qualifying, and we'll go for it.
Gil de Ferran:
Yes, very much like Helio said. I mean, it's a logistical nightmare, really, to be able to compete in everything. But I have to say that obviously a lot of thought and planning has gone on this whole month on what we are trying to accomplish. I don't know if you're aware or not, but as soon as we left Nazareth after the race, we came straight over here and (unintelligible) shake the cars down on Sunday night. We're going to leave here on Monday, go straight to Japan, and then fly straight from Japan after the race and try to be here on the Sunday after the race in Japan in case we need to practice again. Obviously, the team staffed itself properly to be able to cope with all this workload. So far, everything is going very, very smoothly. I have to say that the preparation of the cars and everything else hasn't suffered one bit, and things are going fairly well. Obviously, we're only 10 days or 9 days into the month of May and there's too much to go wrong, but I have confidence that all the plans have been put on correctly and we shouldn't have a lot of things go wrong.
Helio Castroneves:
Like Gil was saying, we worked so hard that tomorrow is my birthday, so I'm going to work on my birthday. Do you believe that? Do you believe, guys, on that? I can't believe on that. Unbelievable.
Conference Coordinator:
We'll go next to Tim May at Columbus Dispatch.
Tim May:
Gil, following up on that real quick, though, how much pressure you are feeling to get it done this weekend? I mean is it starting to build a little bit? I don't think you want to make an all-night flight from Japan and come back here and try to qualify on a last-ditch, bonsai effort. How much pressure are you feeling to get it done this weekend?
Gil de Ferran:
Oh, absolutely, you don't want to be put in that situation. But in a way, you have to wipe that out of your mind, because what is at stake really shouldn't influence the way you perform. Obviously, there is a lot at stake here. Not only do we want to put a good show on here, but also there is an extra situation there, that if we don't have a good show, we'll have a tough time coming back in and trying to put it back on the show on the next Sunday. But I think it's an exercise that I try to do, anyway, kind of isolate those what I call external circumstances to your performance away from your mind, because that kind of thing only tends to have a negative influence on your mind set and usually on your performance. So I think from that standpoint, I understand it. Obviously, for us, it's extra important to qualify on the first weekend, but I'm really trying to take that out of my mind.
Tim May:
Hey, Rick, if I could follow real quick, how girded is Roger Penske based on what happened here the last time he was here in 1995, when literally you guys had to go home without racing? How much do you think that has added to his resolve?
Rick Mears:
Oh, I don't know. I mean, Roger, he's been in the business a long time, and as we all know, this business has ups and downs, and we all go through it. I think Roger pretty well summed it up in his actions after qualifying in '95. Immediately after, we were having a team meeting in the garage, and he was wanting to talk about Milwaukee and get on down the road, and that's kind of the way he handles things. So, you know, again, I don't see a lot of difference being back here now versus any other time.
Tim May:
Thank you.
Rick Mears:
Thank you.
Conference Coordinator:
Next to John McQuinn at Bay City Times.
John McQuinn:
Gil and Helio, last year Tony Stewart called these cars lazy. What are your opinions on the IRL Formula? Do you like the cars? Do you dislike them? Or are you just indifferent?
Gil de Ferran:
This is Gil. I have to say I'm somewhat indifferent, to be honest. I mean, I enjoy technology, and these cars, they are nice cars. They are extremely fast in the trim that they are, but they're not perhaps as advanced as they could be, and that was a conscious decision of the rule makers to make them this way. I wouldn't call them lazy, though. I think they're, especially here at Indianapolis, quite difficult and exciting to drive.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. I kind of compare it to the car, which is our car, I don't feel lazy. But, yes, our car is more power. I mean, if you have more down force, it would be fantastic to drive. But the way the rules play over here, I don't think it's lazy at all. So far at Indy, we are pretty trimmed out to try to go as fast as we can. You have to be awake because, first, the track is really a challenge. Second, everybody is really running low down force. So any wind, anything happens, you have to be awake. Otherwise you're going to start going the other way around on the circuit here.
John McQuinn:
Thank you, gentlemen.
Conference Coordinator:
We'll go next to Gordon McIntyre at Vancouver Province.
Gordon McIntyre:
I just wondered what the Indy meant to you guys growing up in Brazil, how big the race is there.
Gil de Ferran:
Hi, this is Gil. I think the fame of Indy has definitely extended itself to Brazil, and I think to a higher degree when Emerson started to compete here. But even before that, I certainly knew about the race. I have to say to you, it became more famous in Brazil as the million dollar race than anything else, and then when Emerson won the race, I think in '89 the first time, the fame of the race, especially throughout the '80s, just grew and grew and grew. So it's a race that was well known in Brazil even prior to that, but it has certainly increased in popularity throughout the '80s.
Helio Castroneves:
This is Helio. I agree. I think since Emerson came over here and won the race, it definitely increased interest in the race and everybody watching. Also, the situation of champ car helps a lot. I mean, the Brazilians have a great success. Gil was the champion last year. So that's even raised everybody, the fans over there. So I'm kind of excited. I'm kind of (unintelligible) with the great opportunity that I'm having to race here. But I know that I'm going to have to work really hard and everybody have to work really hard to make sure that we accomplish our goal.
Conference Coordinator:
To ask a question, please press 1. At this time, we appear to have no further questions. I'll turn it back over to Susan Bradshaw. Again, at this time we have no further questions. That does conclude our teleconference for today.
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