CART: De Ferran Says Houston Restarts Equals Opportunity
20 September 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
On a tight, temporary street course -- like that to be used for this
Sunday's (Sept. 26) CART race in Houston -- the best opportunities to pass
can come at the green flag and on restarts, says Gil de Ferran."I always feel that when everybody is together, either at the start or on a restart, there definitely is an opportunity to make up ground," said de Ferran, who has driven the Valvoline/Cummins Honda-Reynard to one win and two poles this season. "Some people take a little longer to get in a rhythm, some others don't. One (driver) might be having a particular difficulty with his car and takes a couple of laps to adjust. Therefore, they (starts/restarts) are the most important parts of the race, especially at tracks where it is very difficult to pass.
"It is an emotionally-charged part of the race. It is very easy to get all excited. What I try to do is exactly the opposite. I try to calm myself down as much as I can so I can see things clearly. I try not to get wound up. I try to bring my pulse down so I can be as rational as I can. When you are emotional is when you make the mistakes and you make bad judgments. It is always better to be rational than emotional."
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