Kimberly Miller (IRL):
Thank you very much, and thank you to all the journalists who have
joined us today for the first teleconference of the 2003 season. We
would like to welcome today two drivers from the Indy Racing League
IndyCar Series, Michael Andretti and Tony Kanaan. Late last year the
team announced the formation of Andretti Green Racing, which would
field three cars full time in the IndyCar Series in 2003. The three
drivers, Michael Andretti, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti. Today we
have Michael Andretti and Tony Kanaan with us, because they just
completed their first test in the new IndyCar Series equipment for
2003. They completed the test late last week at Homestead-Miami
Speedway where we will also have the season opener for the IndyCar
Series. Michael, let’s start with you. First of all, thank you for
taking the time to join us and welcome.
Michael Andretti: My pleasure. Thank you for having us.
K. Miller: Talk to us a little bit about the 2003 equipment. This was
your first time back in an Indy Racing League car since the Indy 500
last year, but it is a completely different car for you, different
engine, different chassis, so tell us how it felt.
M. Andretti: Extremely good, really happy with the changes that the
IRL made. Comparing the old car to the new car it is a big difference.
You know with the new gearbox that they have along with having the
engine, the Honda engine being lower in the car, gave the care a lot
better feel. It feels more like a race car is supposed to whereas the
old IRL car had a bit of wallowy feeling in it where now I would
compare the 2003 IRL car to say a CART car of the mid ’90s the way the
car is felt. And to me that was when the formula of CART was the best
for racing. So I think that bodes well for what it is going to happen
this year I think in the series. I think it is going to be a really
good package for racing.
K. Miller: Your team will be competing with the Dallara chassis and
the Honda engines. Tony, this was your first time in a Dallara
chassis. In the past you have ran with the G Force. Talk to us a
little bit about your feelings on the chassis and engine.
Tony Kanaan: Well, it was a very good pleasure to be here and to be
part of your first teleconference. So that tells us something. But
that (inaudible) is obviously Michael in the first day and then set up
the car as good as could be. So for me it was much easier to just get
in and drive around. It definitely has a lot more down force than I
felt last year with the G Force, but obviously we are expecting every
year they are improving the car. The engine felt great. The Honda
guys, I think, are doing a pretty good job for the amount of time that
they have had. So feels good. I think obviously we still have a lot of
work to do, but the first impression went actually really well. It was
good. The car felt great.
K. Miller: And Michael, this was your first time to test as a team
owner and driver. Talk to us of how that felt and what kind of
thoughts go through your head as an owner and how that is different
from as a driver?
M. Andretti: It is quite different, I have to say. Now when you go
down there, your responsibilities are much different. When you are a
driver, all you just really have to worry about is driving, and that
is it. But now with so many other things that occupy your time, and
you are concerned with things a lot differently than you normally, are
and it was unique experience, but a good experience. I was very happy
with it. I really enjoyed the way it went. It was fun even sitting
around and watching Tony run the next day and things. So I am looking
forward to it, looking forward to a new challenge. It was a good
experience.
K. Miller: I am looking at the list of journalists, and we had a very
large turnout for today’s call, so I would like to go ahead and move
to the question-and-answer portion. Just a reminder to the media,
before we get started, we do have a large number on hold so let’s just
take one question and a follow-up the first time around. Once
everybody has a chance to ask Michael and Tony a question then we will
come back for a second round of questions. Also, as a reminder, we do
a complete transcript of this call and it will be sent to you tomorrow
morning to your e-mail and to your fax machines. Mario, we can go
ahead and open up for question and answer please. Operator, are you
with us?
M. Andretti: Does not look like it.
K. Miller: Well I think we must be having some technical difficulty.
Operator, are you there? Can you hear me? I guess he is not there
right now. We will wait just a minute to see if it comes through.
While we are waiting, Tony, let’s go back to you for a minute. Having
a chance to test at Miami with numerous other teams, well actually for
Michael and Tony both, there were a lot of teams testing there. Does
that give you a good opportunity to kind of see what other people are
running and get a feel for what the competition is going to be like
next year?
T. Kanaan: Well definitely, but again, it is still pretty early to say
anything with everybody’s almost first test ever with the new car. So
a lot of people are still getting used to the cars and still getting,
just running around to see if everything works. So it is hard to say,
“Oh, yes, we are the quickest all the time, so we are going to be the
best when we get back there.” You know we still have several months
before the season starts, and people have a lot of time to work on the
cars. But definitely it is always good to have people with you and is
running with you so you can gauge yourself. And obviously I guess
between me and Mike that we decided to stop the test early because in
comparison to everybody else we look pretty decent. And if there
wasn’t anybody there we will never know if that was a good lap time or
not. So definitely, it is, you know, users improved and then it cost
them to say, “OK, we have a good starting point, but we still have a
lot of work to do.”
K. Miller: Michael, what are your thoughts on the competition in 2003?
M. Andretti: Oh, I think it is going to be so, so tough. It could be
the most competitive season in my career. You look at the teams and
the level of professionalism in each team and the drivers, I think it
is going to be a really competitive year, along with I think it is
going to be a fun year. I think the cars are going to be fun to drive,
and I think there is going to be a lot of passing and a lot of
side-by-side racing, and I just think it is going to be a banner year
for IndyCar (Series) racing.
K. Miller: I see on my computer screen here we may have the technical
difficulties worked out. Operator, are you with us now?
M. Andretti: Maybe not.
Operator: Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer
session. If you have a question, you will need to push the one on your
touch-tone phone. You will hear an acknowledgement that you have been
placed in queue. If your question has been answered and you wish to be
removed from the queue, please press the pound sign. Your questions
will be queued in the order that they are received. If you are using a
speakerphone please pick up your handset before pressing the numbers.
Once again, if there are any questions, please press the one on your
touchtone phone. Thank you. We show a question from Mike Harris from
Associated Press. Please state your question.
M. Harris: Looking forward to seeing you on track this year. Can you
talk a little bit about, you said you like the idea of being an
owner/driver. It felt like a unique experience. In the past some guys
who have been owner/drivers have had problems with it in terms of
trying to spread themselves too thin. How are you going to handle that
and make sure that doesn’t happen to you so you can still concentrate
on your race driving?
M. Andretti: I think that is a real challenge. And to be honest with
you, I do not know yet. I was asked right after the test how I felt
and at that point I felt like it is going to work OK. But then there
is all the follow-up work that has to go into it and everything, and
then you start seeing that is a lot of work, and it is taking away
from my commitment of the driving. So that is something I have to
weigh, and right now I am having problem with it in my mind, but I am
working with it. And so I really have not made a decision yet what I
am going to do the rest of the year from Indianapolis on because there
is the rumor out there that I may retire after that. It is a
possibility, but I still have not made a decision yet. But it is
tough. It is different. I do not want to be out there driving if I
cannot give it 110 percent. And that is what I have to weigh right now
on whether I can do both, and I have not really decided yet if I can
yet.
M. Harris: As a follow-up; what is going to make the decision whether
you retire or continue as a driver?
M. Andretti: What is going to make the decision really is if I really
feel I can do both effectively. I cannot have anything take away from
my driving in any way. And if I feel like it is that is when I have to
really look at it. So right now I am currently thinking through all
those things, and I have to make a decision soon for the team. We are
just weighing all those things right now.
M. Harris: Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from John Sturbin from
Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Please state your question.
J. Sturbin: Yes, for Michael. Michael, along the same lines I was
wondering if you were committed to racing at Texas Motor Speedway, the
race after Indy? That seems to be the cut-off point, unfortunately.
You did not race there back in the CART days. You could not race
there. I just wondered if you felt you had unfinished business there.
M. Andretti: Yes, well I think if I were to do the whole season
obviously that would be the first race that I will do after Indy. But
I really have not made a decision yet. I think the racing at Texas is
great. I mean you looked at that last race the end of the year last
year was just incredible, and I think the track makes for some great
racing. And it is just a shame what happened there a couple years ago
with CART because it was just one of those deals where technology was
a little too far ahead with the speeds, and I think we found
(Inaudible) driver. But I think the IRL is on it that they are not
going to let the speeds get out of hand and it is going to be OK for
us to have a good race there. So if I continue, obviously I will be
down there. I would like to. I think the fans in Texas were great.
They had a tough time there. But they were out there really supporting
the event, and I know they come down there and really support the Indy
cars as well. I am looking forward to getting down there.
J. Sturbin: Thanks much.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Bruce Lowitt from
St. Petersburg, Florida. Please state your question.
B. Lowitt: Good morning. Sort of two parts. First of all, Michael, can
you tell me if you, the IRL, is as strong now as CART was just before
the split? And second of all, how much is racing at Indy and perhaps
finally winning your first Indy 500? How much does that play into the
switch from CART?
M. Andretti: To answer your question, I think IRL is getting there. I
do not think open-wheel racing is still at the health that it was
before the split. But I believe it is all going in the right direction
in the IRL side. I really feel that that momentum’s there for this
series to (Inaudible) to moon. I think you look at the level of
competition now, you look at the racing that they have been putting
on, and you can see the fan base is increasing, getting better and
better. So I am hoping that we will get to the point where we were
before the split and go beyond that because that is the goal, I think.
And so that is what we are all going to work toward. As for me, is
that the reason why I switched because I want to win Indy? Well, I
want to win Indy, and if I would not have done the switch, I still
would have done Indy. I want to win Indy real bad. I mean that is one
of the things that we have not been able to achieve in my career, and
so we have a lot of desire to do it.
B. Lowitt: When I
mentioned the IRL just before the split or CART just before the split,
I should say, IRL now has pretty much all the star power that CART
used to have just before that. Is that your assessment?
M. Andretti: Yes. That is absolutely my assessment along with one
thing: They also have Indianapolis still. I think if you look at that,
that is where a lot of momentum is as well as a lot of the sponsors
have gone that way, along with manufacturer support. So there are so
many things that are positive right now for the IRL.
B. Lowitt: Thank you very much. Good luck.
Operator: Thank you. Your next question comes from Mark Armijo from
Arizona Republic. Please state your question.
M. Armijo: Michael, you do now want your ownership responsibilities to
interfere with your driving responsibilities. Would you consider
backing off your ownership responsibilities to continue driving or
is…?
M. Andretti: My future in racing is ownership. So that is where my
real commitment is going to be because I want to make this team one of
the best teams out there, if not the best, and that is my goal. So
that is where I am going to put my real effort. So if I cannot do that
and drive at the same time, then that is where I am going to have a
problem, and at that moment, the driving is the thing that I will
probably give up only because I know that I am getting to the end
there anyway. So that is where I am at.
M. Armijo: And one more thing. Do you have a test at Phoenix later on
this month?
M. Andretti: Yes, we will be there February 7th and 8th, I believe.
M. Armijo: Oh, for the Open Test.
M. Andretti: For the Open Test.
M. Armijo: No private test before then?
M. Andretti: Nope.
M. Armijo: Thanks, Michael.
M. Andretti: Yes.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Tim Jeffries from
Ticket. Please state your question. Mr. Jeffries?
T. Jeffries: Yes, I did not have a question.
Operator: Thank you. Once again, if you have a question please press
the one on your touch-tone phone. Thank you. Our next question comes
from Ron Martin from Focus on Racing. Please state your question.
R. Martin: Thanks very much. I will say good morning once again to
Michael and direct my questions if I may to Tony. Tony, is it a
different feeling having one of your team drivers and your owner being
the same person?
T. Kanaan: Yes, I guess. Actually he is my teammate. We are on the
same team. We both are going to drive the 7-11 car. It is different
for sure, but we had a couple moments last year already after I signed
the contract. We had an accident in the Miami race, so obviously I was
always respect my teammates a lot and then my teammate being my boss
means I have to respect him twice more. But we have a pretty good
relationship to begin with, and then on the racetrack obviously you
are never going to… It is not my type of prior to do anything stupid
moves with anybody anyway, so I think we are looking for the best for
the team. And I think if I can help Mike out, and I am having a bad
day, and then I have to give him away or vice-versa, I think we have
no problems with that. It is just great to be part of the team and it
is great to have him with all his experience on my side. (Inaudible)
is different. You have to think twice some of the times because people
say, “Your teammate is always the first guy you wanted to
R. Martin: When you walked away from Homestead after the test did you
feel that having Michael as both your teammate and your owner, because
he was so involved with both cars that your side of the team was able
to learn more about what to do with your car?
T. Kanaan: Well, I think we are all a whole team. We are not taking
value out of it. But everybody is doing different kind of things, but
obviously having two drivers, like me and Michael there, we both drove
different days and we both help each other with feedbacks and then
opinions and what to do with the car. It is always a big help, two
heads think better than one. And with his experience we definitely
have a big help for my first day, which was the second day that the
team was there. And the racetrack, I guess we have not decided what we
are going to do about debriefing, but we are going to try to do
everybody together to help all the three cars. It is not that we want
to benefit one or the other. One day when he will retire then, I will
try to pull him on my side all the time.
R. Martin: And Michael, did he past the first test of the interview of
the way you guys talk/think?
M. Andretti: Yes, he did very good. I am surprised. (Laughter)
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Chuck Givler from
the Express Times. Please state your question.
C. Givler: Good afternoon, gentlemen. Mike, I would like to ask you,
your father once was on what they called a super team, sort of a
two-part question. What chances of this team really being considered a
super team with the spotlight on them? And could you talk a little
about what your father’s feeling is about this and what he is role
might be or might not be?
M. Andretti: I feel we have super team. I think what is going to show
in this team that is different than a lot of others, I think, is the
chemistry that we have. I just feel very good about it, and it starts
at the drivers. I think the relationship that the three of us, I
think, is very good. I think we all are really close. We really have a
lot of respect for each other. So I think that is going to help
(Inaudible) throughout this whole team. And I think that is what is
going to make this team really super. I mean I think we have so many
good people on this team, and if we can get the chemistry and
everybody not going against each other but working together as one
team I think it is going to make this team really strong. I am really
excited about that side of it. As for Dad, his feelings is I think he
is very happy for me the way the team has come down, everything the
way it has come down. Obviously, he has views on where he would like
me to be. I think he would like me to be in CART, but I think he
understands why I am in the IRL.
C. Givler: As a follow-up,
I have been on teams, and it is always the word that nobody gives
everything away to their teammate. That it really comes down to a… It
is just everybody…
M. Andretti: Well, I think Tony said it. You know like normally the
first person you want to beat is your teammate. But I really feel
within this team the relationship the three of us have, I believe we
all want the best for each other. We are going to try to beat each
other for sure, but I think we all also have a mutual respect for each
other that we want the other one to do well, as well. Like I think all
three of us would love to see a one-two-three finish. And probably in
the end, we would not care which driver was number one. If we could do
that, I think would just be awesome for the team. So I think that is
the difference in what we have here, because I know Tony and Dario are
very close, and I am close with Dario and Tony. I think it just really
has a making for a really good deal.
C. Givler: Thank you. Good luck.
M. Andretti: Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Curt Cavin from Indy
Star. Please state your question.
C. Cavin: Guys, how can people who have been associated with the IRL
have this notion that it has been kind of a warm-and-fuzzy nice,
everybody-kind-of-get-along situation. And now with Toyota and Honda,
there is some concern that that is going to dramatically change. That
the spending habits are going to be so great by the two manufacturers
that it is just going to totally upset that cute, warm and fuzzy
little league that has been out there. You have not been involved with
the IRL to a great extent in the past, but how do you think things are
going to change positively or negatively?
M. Andretti: I think in that standpoint it may change a little bit.
But I have to say that the philosophy of the IRL is a bit different
than say the way CART has been run. I mean CART has been run by
basically competitors, and I think when that was happening everybody
had their own agenda. But I think having guys like Brian Barnhart
running the show there, I think he gives it more of a feeling like it
is more about the sportsmanship and things like that. And I think that
is going to really help keep it that way. Is it going to stay exactly
the way it is now? I say no. But I think it has a potential of not
getting the way say CART became. (Inaudible) Formula One.
C. Cavin: And can one man, Brian, do you really think he can take on
two manufacturers who have all the engineers at their disposal to work
around the rules?
M. Andretti: Well, I think they definitely have a challenge there. But
I think the other difference is they can make the call. Tony, George
and Brian, if something they do not feel is right they do not have to
go to a board, they do not have to go anywhere. They can make the call
themselves, so they can control it in that way. And I think that is
sort of the way NASCAR is run. Bill France can make the decision that
– Chevy has an advantage here. They are not going to have that
advantage. Now I do not think they are going to do it to that extent
with the IRL, but they can do it with the manufacturers. They have the
power that they can make the call and have more control than say the
way it was set up in CART.
C. Cavin: Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Steve Penstone from
Radio Pennsylvania. Please state your question.
S. Penstone: Michael, good afternoon. I am wondering with your success
on the road circuits, especially in Toronto; number one are you going
to miss that? And number two, how much you are looking forward to
returning to Nazareth?
M. Andretti: I am definitely going to miss road racing. That is
something that we all are going to miss. But having said that I am
hoping that somewhere in the future there will be road racing in the
Indy Racing League. So that is what we are all hoping. But for right
now we have the ovals, and we are going to make the best of it.
Getting back to Nazareth, I am very happy, excited about doing that.
That is something that I missed the last couple years and so I think
it is going to be great that we are back in our hometown. For one of
the races, I can sleep in my own bed, so that it will be nice.
K. Miller: As you’re talking about the different types of tracks that
we run on; Tony, can you tell us what track you are most looking
forward to or what type of track you prefer, whether it be a short
track like Richmond or a superspeedway like Fontana?
T. Kanaan: Well it is tough for me to say because a track like
Richmond, I have not been there, so I have no idea what it looks like,
just on TV. I like superspeedways. Obviously, if you look in my past,
the only race I won in CART was in the superspeedway. So I think I
kind of like that kind of race, the 500-mile race is also (Inaudible).
Indianapolis was great last year for me until up to one point. I think
right now, I will maybe change my mind later on, but right now I kind
of like the superspeedways better.
K. Miller: Thank you. Operator, we can go to the next question.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from John Zimmerman from
Zimmerman Enterprises. Please state your question.
J. Zimmerman: Michael, if you were to retire, are you committed to a
three-car team or would you go back to two?
M. Andretti: We would be committed to a three-car team.
K. Miller: We can take the next question, operator.
Operator: Your next question comes from Dean Burdette from WPXN Radio.
Please state your question.
D. Burdette: Michael, you alluded to the fact that the races were
close at IRL last year and really really (Inaudible). This year there
will be more cars, more entries. Do you feel that qualifying may be a
top thing on the agenda to finishing up front?
M. Andretti: I hope not because I think the formula, the rules the way
they are, I am hoping that a car that did not qualify so well will
still be able to get to the front if it is better than the other cars
because it will be able to pass. I am hoping that that is the way it
is because that is what makes for good racing is a guy that can come
from the back and get to the front by passing cars. And I think
formula is going to still allow that type of racing to happen. So I am
hoping the track position at the beginning of the race is not going to
decide the outcome.
D. Burdette: A follow-up to that question, from what testing has been
done do you see that there is maybe one chassis in combination is
better than another at this point?
M. Andretti: I think it is definitely too early to tell. We do not
know what everybody is really doing yet. We can only just do what we
know, and that is try to make progress with our own thing. And I think
the Dallara chassis seems to be very good out of the box, and the
Honda engine I was very impressed with, with the short period of time
that they really had to get things going. I was really happy with how
competitive it seemed to be already.
D. Burdette: Thank you very much.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Matt Shrum from
Track Site Online. Please state your question.
M. Shrum: Yes, for Michael, I was going to ask you about what you
thought about the Honda engine, because it appeared they got a little
bit of a late start compared to Toyota and Chevy and how you think it
is running. And are you running an Ilmor or are you having some
support also from HPD?
M. Andretti: Well first of all, I think like I said, I was very
impressed with the engine, with the progress that they have made. I
know we did a lot of testing with Dan Wheldon at the end of the year,
and each test they made progress, and they continue to do so at this
test. And the engine just seems to be really running. We put thousands
of miles on it already, and the performance fit. Not only reliability,
but the performance seems to be there, as well, so real happy with
that. As for us, we will be the HPD team.
M. Shrum: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Phil Thomas,
(Inaudible) Racing. Please state your question.
P. Thomas: Kind of a two-part question for Michael. Late last year,
2002, it was in the press pretty much that you were kind of on the if
you have enough sponsorship or not. Has that been resolved?
M. Andretti: Yes, I think we have done a pretty good job there. I am
very happy with the support that we are getting, and we are hoping to
put a big announcement on everything that we have together pretty
soon.
P. Thomas: And my follow-up question is – When you bought the team did
you get all the old CART equipment? And I know that has kind of been
what is basing a lot of teams because they have to use last year’s
chassis in CART.
M. Andretti: Actually, no. In the deal, Barry (Green) still owns most
of it, and we own some of it. So he ended up, Barry ended up selling a
lot of it to CART actually, like all the (Inaudible) and stuff.
P. Thomas: Thank you very much and a belated Happy New Year to both of
you gentlemen.
M. Andretti: Thank you.
T. Kanaan: Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Bruce Lowitt from
St. Petersburg, Florida. Please state your question. Mr. Lowitt, if
you are on a speakerphone please pick up your handset. Once again, if
you have a question please press the one on your touch-tone phone.
Thank you. Our next question comes from Mike Harris from Associated
Press. Please state your question.
M. Harris: Mike, you said that you would continue with a three-car
team, you are committed to a three-car team even if you retire. Have
you had your eye on anybody in particular to take your place if you do
step out of the car?
M. Andretti: Yes, if I were to step out of the car, Dan Wheldon would
take over my spot.
M. Harris: How did you make contact with Dan? Where did you know him
from?
M. Andretti: Actually, Kim Green watched his whole career and was very
impressed with him and did a lot of research on him. And if you look
at his career, he has done a very good job. And then we did a test
with him, and we were all very impressed with him with his feedback
and his speed and just the way he handles himself. I think there is a
kid that has a strong future, we all believe, and we want to get
behind him. In our team, we want to also not only have the stars like
we have with Dario and Tony, but we also want to have one young gun
that we can hopefully bring up to, as well. We feel that Dan could be
a real future guy in this series.
M. Harris: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Chuck Givler from
the Express Times. Please state your question.
C. Givler: Boy, I got around to the second one, Michael. Question,
more of a statement and if you could respond to it. A lot of people
think that you are a little overlooked in your career, and you were
probably one of the most enduring and successful drivers in open-wheel
racing in America for the last I would say two decades. To just leave
without a … I am not suggesting that you have another Arrivederci
Tour, too, or something. But is that something that maybe the fan
should have? How does that fit into the thing?
M. Andretti: I do not know. I mean, it is something that we definitely
have thought about that, and so I do not know. It is one of those
things that for me, personally, I am one of those that does not like
all the fanfare and things like that. But then again it would be nice
to do something for the fans. So if I were to do it I guess I would
still l… That is why I feel like I would have to make a decision soon
so I can let my fans know what I am going to do. I do not want to just
get to a point and find out that is not working and then just say I am
not going to do it. So when I make my decision, I want to make it
where I am not going to surprise anybody. I do not know if that
answered your question or not.
C. Givler: No, I see where you are coming from. Thank you very much.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Dick Mittman from
Indy Racing. Please state your question.
D. Mittman: Happy New Year.
M. Andretti: Happy New Year, Dick.
D. Mittman: I want to ask you, you know your Dad, Foyt and Big Al,
they all drove in to their 50s, but it seems now drivers are, you will
be 40. Eddie Cheever is getting close to saying only Indy. Is there a
difference now? Is there more young talent coming up that is bringing
on this reason to not go into your 50s?
M. Andretti: Absolutely. I mean, those days are gone. You can do it,
but you are not going to be competitive. I mean it is so competitive
out there nowadays. There are so many young kids out there that when
they get to be 21 they have been racing for so long that they not only
have the bravado and all that, but they also have the experience
because they have been racing so long and have been well trained. It
is just much different than it was 10, 15 years ago.
D. Mittman: Second question. Does your son do any racing or?
M. Andretti: Yes, he is doing real well. He is now going to be
graduating from go-karts to cars, and we are going to put him into the
Skip Barber program, and he is going to start racing that next year.
So we are pretty excited for him. His all excited. It will be
interesting to see how he does. I think he is going to do pretty well.
D. Mittman: Would you be like A.J.’s got his grandson, would you like
to some day be the car owner?
M. Andretti: That would be a dream. I would love to get it to that
point. It would just be unbelievable to have your son driving for you
on your own team. That could very well happen. I mean, that could
actually happen in the next four or five years if everything goes
really well for him. But I am not going to put that pressure on him.
We are just going to have to see how it goes, and the next big step is
race cars instead of go-karts, and we are going to have probably a
good idea next year on whether we feel that he has really what it
takes to do it. I personally think he does, but we will have to wait
and see.
Operator: Thank you. Our next follow-up question is from Curt Cavin.
Please state your question.
C. Cavin: Clarification, Mike. You are going to have this announcement
before the…
M. Andretti: Yes, I would like to make it before the start of season.
I would like to have an announcement on what I am going to do.
C. Cavin: And will that coincide with this team announcement at the
end of the month?
M. Andretti: Well, at the moment, the team announcement … Well, I
would hope that I would have something to say by then. That would be
nice. But the team announcement is the main reason at the moment for
the team announcement is just to announce all our sponsors and to give
everybody an idea what everything is going to look like. There may be
a possibility … Let me put this way, if I make a decision, it will
probably made by then. Put it that way.
C. Cavin: You really cleared that up.
M. Andretti: Did I?
C. Cavin: Yes.
M. Andretti: I want to know what I am going to do. I am really going
through a lot of things in my mind right now, and I have to really
decide what I want to do, and I have to do it sooner than later, and
it will probably be by then. I definitely have an answer.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from John Sturbin from
Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Please state your question.
J. Sturbin: Yes, Michael, to beat this into the ground further. All
you are committed to right now then is the first four races through
Indy, right?
M. Andretti: No, at the moment I committed to the whole year.
K. Miller: Operator, we just have time for a couple more questions, so
if we could prompt one last time for journalists to queue in if they
have a question.
Operator: No problem. Once again, if you have a question please press
the one on your touch-tone phone. If you are on a speakerphone please
pick up your handset before pressing the numbers. Thank you. Our next
question comes from Ron Martin from Focus on Racing. Please state your
question.
R. Martin: Michael, just a follow-up, and I guess the horse is going
to get deader. If you decide … Are there any thoughts if you decide to
race the full season of maybe putting Dan in Infiniti Pro Series to
keep him in your stable?
M. Andretti: No, we are going to keep him in our stable. If he is not
driving in terms of racing, he is going to be driving with testing
because we did sign him to a testing agreement. So he is contracted to
our team to do a lot of testing this year.
R. Martin: Great. That is all I needed. Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question, Dick Mittman from Indy Racing,
please state your question.
D. Mittman: Question. Tony, you led 23 laps at Indy last year, and you
have won (on) a superspeedway. How do you feel? Do you like the idea
of going to an all-oval series, and do you think you can be a winner,
a regular winner on the circuit?
K. Miller: Is Tony still with us?
T. Kanaan: Yes, can you hear me?
K. Miller: We can hear you now, go ahead.
T. Kanaan: Yes, definitely. I think Indianapolis is still … I still
dream about that. I wake up at night sometimes thinking that I won
that thing. Obviously, like Michael said, we put a pretty good team
together, so I definitely feel that we are going to be really strong,
and I am going to have a chance to win every race we go. So is every
other driver, as well, because the series is so competitive. About the
ovals, I do like the ovals a lot, but I am going to miss both courses,
as well, and I wish one day we can go back on it. That is where I came
from. Funny or not, I never won a road course race in CART. I led a
lot of them, but I never could make it. The only race I won was in the
superspeedway. I do like the ovals a lot, and I am going to get used
to it, but I am going to miss the road courses, for sure.
D. Mittman: What did you learn about your experience at Indy last
year?
T. Kanaan: You never win until the last lap.
M. Andretti: I could have told you that.
T. Kanaan: I watched you, Mike, in the past, too. He came much closer
than I did. I think what I learned is like it is another level of
racing. You say it is another 500-mile race. Yes, I do agree with that
but the people, the atmosphere, it is something that I never
experienced in my life. And when I woke up that day, and I walk into
the track, and I saw the amount of people and the whole atmosphere is
just completely different than I never experienced before. I learned
that you have to be focused, and you have to have a good car and have
a good sponsor.
D. Mittman: That helps. Thank you. Well done.
K. Miller: We have just two more questions. As soon as these two
questions are over, we will conclude the call.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Curt Cavin. Please
state your question.
C. Cavin: The test, there was almost everybody who is going to be
pretty this year was there. Outside of your teammates was there a car
… If both of you could answer. …a car that you were watching, you
caught yourself watching the most? Was there one care that you were
kind of most interested in how they were running?
M. Andretti: Well, obviously, you have to watch the Penske team. I
think they are going to be a factor. There is a no question about
that. And then you are watching obviously the Panther team because
they have a great track record in it. But then there were others. You
have to watch a guy like Kenny Brack and that team. And then you have
the Ganassi team, as well. There is a long list. If you were stuck
just watching one guy, you were not seeing the whole picture.
C. Cavin: Tony.
T. Kanaan: I am watching (Inaudible). I think that is the guy. No
honestly, I think, like Mike said, there is going to be a lot of
surprises. There are a lot of good drivers. But definitely, I look for
the Penske and the Panther team because they have more experience, and
obviously they have succeeded in the past. So those are the two teams
that I am concentrating in the beginning. I might change my mind
pretty soon.
C. Cavin: Thanks.
T. Kanaan: And actually, hopefully they will be watching us, as well.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Mike Harris. Please
state your question.
M. Harris: Well, again, actually this is for Mike. Indy has been so
important to you over the years, and if you did decide to retire at
least as a full-time driver would you consider doing the kind of thing
that Arie has been doing, just running Indy for the next couple years,
or when you step out of the car is that the end of it?
M. Andretti: I personally feel that probably when … I am talking here,
but I do not know for sure because you do not know how you are going
to feel. But right now, the way I feel right now that if I do step out
of the car, I will be stepping out of the car because I think being
out of the car then and getting in just one race (per) year, I do not
think you are going to be sharp enough to do yourself justice. And I
think in some ways you can then end up setting yourself up for more of
an embarrassment than anything. I would, most likely, the odds would
be that I once I am out, I am out.
M. Harris: And if you do decide to continue and run the whole season,
would you consider a running a fourth car for Dan at Indy?
M. Andretti: Yes, that is definitely being considered right now.
M. Harris: Thank you.
M. Andretti: Yes.
Operator: Thank you. At this time we show no further questions.
K. Miller: Thank you. I have a few announcements to make to the media,
but before I do I would just like to thank Tony and Michael. Thank you
both for taking time to join us and welcome to the Indy Racing League.
M. Andretti: Thank you. We are excited about it. I know I am.
T. Kanaan: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.
K. Miller: Thanks guys. To the journalists on the call, I would just
like to give you a few reminders. We do have the new teleconference
number that you used today is new for the season, 866-IRL-CONF. That
is your new teleconference number for the year. Teleconference will
continue every Tuesday at noon Eastern, and we will continue to send
you media advisories to let you know who will be on the call. As I
mentioned earlier, we do have a complete transcript of this call. You
should receive it in your e-mail tomorrow. If you do not, feel free to
give us a call at (317) 492-6579, and we look forward to seeing all of
you at the Test in the West in early February and at the season
opening Toyota Indy 300 for the Infiniti Pro Series and the IndyCar
Series on March 2nd at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Thank you.
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