Transcript of Teleconference with ALMS Driver Ron Fellows

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

American Le Mans Series Teleconference

 

Ron Fellows (Driver of the Chevrolet Corvette C6-R in the GT1 Class)

 

Ron Fellows, who has combined with co-driver Johnny O'Connell to win the
last four GT1 championships at Infineon Raceway in the American Le Mans
Series, took part in a teleconference on Wednesday, June 29. The
teleconference was held in advance of the Infineon Technologies Grand
Prix of Sonoma, presented by Ravenswood Winery, which will be held July
15-17 at Infineon Raceway. Below is a transcript of the call:


 


*** 


 

You've been really busy with racing the last few months.  How busy has
it been going from Mid-Ohio to Le Mans to Infineon Raceway to Lime Rock?

 

RF: There is some good news. We don't need to worry about making the
race at Infineon. I think we're in the field. Normally what happens is
we run Sebring in March and then go to Le Mans the next month for
pre-qualifying. This year, the ALMS and Scott Atherton convinced the
ACO, the sanctioning body for Le Mans, to try to make (testing and the
race) one event. For the first time, we had a pre-qualifying/test day
June 5. It also allows the ALMS teams that are at Le Mans to make one
trip. So, we also had races at Road Atlanta and Mid-Ohio before Le Mans.
It made it an easier schedule for us. Lynda and I and the kids made the
trip to France and then out to California. It's been busy. Coming back
west makes it a lot easier when you're gaining time. Going east and to
France is a tough transition. It takes me a week to adjust. Coming the
other way, it's about half of that. We're feeling pretty good to get
back on North American soil.

 

Will it benefit you having run at Infineon with NEXTEL Cup when the ALMS
visits in July?

 

RF: I think it will. The surface has changed the last couple of years. A
lot of the NASCAR teams are feeling like they didn't get the setup for
the race. It's actually great. It's a tricky surface in that it's a
little on the slick side. What'll help me going back with the Corvette
is that there are things I can provide Michelin with that will help us
in the long run. I was surprised at the certain amount of drop-off in
the Goodyears of the NEXTEL Cup. It seemed like it took awhile for the
tires to come up to pressure. That'll probably be the biggest thing I
work on with Corvette and the Michelin people.

 

Last to eighth in the NASCAR Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway was
a pretty good result. Can you talk about that?

 

RF: It was a struggle. We struggled with the car in practice and were
barely in the top 20 in terms of speed. I had a handful in qualifying
and didn't do a good job and messed up in Turns 1, 2 and 3. We were the
last car in on speed. It was critical for PPI and the Tide team to make
the race and get some points. They were 37th and needed to be in the top
35. I was really impressed with their work ethic considering the trouble
they've had this year. I really wanted to get a great result for them.
We were able to pass a couple of cars and stayed on the race track when
some others chose a little more conservative fuel strategy. We were
counting on another caution, and fortunately we got it.

 

Can you talk about the differences between the Corvette C6-R and a
NEXTEL Cup car?

 

RF: It's quite a difference. The Cup cars are 1,000 pounds heavier but
the car rolls more because the weight is higher. It doesn't stop as
quick as the Corvette because it's on a 15-inch wheel. With the
Corvette, it's 18 inches. Plus, the Corvette uses carbon brakes and not
rotors. The first place you get in trouble is stopping. The downforce on
the Corvette is greater but the horsepower is 200 less, but that's
because of some of the restrictions. The driving style, you can get much
more aggressive because of the grip. The Cup cars slide around more and
require a little more finesse. I enjoy that part a little bit more. My
background is production cars in Canada, and you needed that finesse
style. It's easier to go into the Corvette from the Cup car. 

 

You mentioned that your entire family travels with you, can you talk
about that? 

 

RF: Our kids are 20, 11 and 8. We made a pact when we got married a long
time ago that we would always stick together as a family. I prefer that.
I don't know if all the other drivers do, but I do. Lynda is a heck of a
lot more organized than I am, and I think our kids benefit from the
traveling experiences. Their names are Lyndsay, Sam and Patrick.

 

Has there been a change in the design of the Corvette since Dale Jr's.
incident last year at Infineon?

 

RF: They have changed the location of the filler neck. That was a very,
very unusual accident in that he hit at the perfect angle, the only area
in the Esses that weren't protected by tires. It was the perfect angle
that the left rear tire, with a full tank of fuel and the filler neck
goes up to the body panel. That has now been added to our fueling rig,
so when the fueler connects to the body work, he has a 14-inch extension
that goes through the body and into the chassis that way. The Corvette
is the safest thing I have ever sat in. GM goes to great lengths to
develop safe equipment that makes our car very safe between the seats. I
have absolutely no qualms driving that car, and I'm sure Junior would
say the same thing. It was just a freak deal, hitting with a full tank
and the right spot and the right time.

 

You're on Michelins instead of Goodyears. Do you think there was a
better way to handle the incidents at the US Grand Prix?

 

RF: It's hard to say. I don't know all of the story. We'll probably find
out more this weekend when I talk to the Michelin people. Michelin does
a terrific job with our race tires and has far and away the best tire in
sports car racing. Hindsight is always 20-20. Could they have handled it
differently? Maybe, but I don't know all the facts. If it's as simple as
having an issue with the tire they brought, I would imagine there would
be more behind the scenes than we know about.

 

 

It's more competitive with Bridgestone, and this is the first year of
their new tire rule, and I guess they felt like they didn't have one
that could do that (at Indianapolis). Formula 1 is struggling to make a
great show. That's the kind of racing we're used to seeing in North
America: great, close wheel-to-wheel racing. It's a shame that happened,
particularly in the US market they are just starting to get back. It's
hard to say without knowing all the facts. There are a lot of issues
going between the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and all the manufacturers.
Other than Ferrari, all the teams are unhappy with the FIA. It's OK to
have a single entity running the show, as long as it is in generally
everyone's best interest. I think that's where a lot of the issues are.
A lot of the teams don't feel their interests are being looked out for
as well. In sports car racing, the sanctioning body isn't unreasonable
to deal with, and that's better for the show.

 

What are some of the changes with the new Corvette, and how tough a
competitor is Aston Martin?

 

RF: The new C6-R has been a real positive for us. The body has provided
us with improved aerodynamics, the new motor has given us more power.
Certainly we're pretty pleased with where the C6 is right now. The C5
took a couple of years to get decent speed out of it. The C6 is already
faster than the C5, and it's only going to get better. It's also our
coolest Corvette in terms of temperature. At Le Mans, it was extremely
hot, and we didn't suffer too much as drivers. We benefited from our
reliability and great pit stops. 

 

The Astons were tough. But again we feel like the C6 is going to get
better. We need to keep working with Michelin to get faster. I think
there is more we can get out of the car from Michelin that will allow us
to get more aggressive and go faster through the corners. I don't expect
the Astons to slow down. They were competitive at Sebring, but not
nearly as fast beyond us as they were at Le Mans. We've got to keep
working hard at it.

 

How long until the No. 4 Corvette wins again?

 

RF: They've been a little unlucky. They had Sebring covered and had an
incident with a slower car that probably took the victory away from
them. At Atlanta and Mid-Ohio, they certainly were very close. Those
guys did an absolutely terrific job at Le Mans. They were a little bit
quicker than us, and that proved to be the difference. To be honest, I'm
not that disappointed not to win Le Mans. To get a team 1-2 feels pretty
good. I've been part of GM's sports car racing for 10 years, and
particularly at that race, going 1-2 is as good as a win, regardless of
what step you're on. That's so good for General Motors and Corvette.

 

What is the state of sports car racing in the US? Do you think it's
catching on here as years pass?

 

RF: We have, and I don't know the numbers, been really impressed with
the numbers we've gotten at our races. I was curious as to why, because
to be perfectly honest I had never been a fan of multi-car races. When I
was doing Trans-Am, the short races were much more appealing. But once
you get into the team stuff, the team aspect is so much more important.
There are so many more key ingredients. There are so many things that
come together to make a win. Quite often with the multi-class racing,
traffic can play a role in the result. That's what makes it fun playing
the high-speed chess game. A couple of years of ago, I started asking
people at our autograph sessions what they thought about this, and they
said they liked the action. If GT cars are getting passed by prototypes,
they have to be careful when they let the faster cars go. Never mind
that the cars are incredibly cool to look at and the fans can get up
close to them, closer than any other series.

 

With four straight wins at Infineon, does the track set up well for you
and co-driver Johnny (O'Connell)'s driving style?

 

RF: Until I read today that we had won four straight at Sonoma, I didn't
know that. I think a lot of it has been luck. Sometimes we've been
running second to our fellow teammates or another GT1 car and our guys
made a great call in the pits, or there was an issue in traffic. I
certainly enjoy Infineon, and I know Johnny does too. I spent a lot of
time there in Trans-Am. It's a positive environment even before you get
to the race track. Sonoma is a beautiful area. That makes your outlook a
lot more positive. And it's an unusual layout. There are a lot of sharp
elevation changes and sharp turns. It also takes a lot out of you.

 

Can you talk about the difference in this full track (12 turns, 2.53
miles) and the NASCAR track (10 turns, 1.99 miles)?

 

RF: With sports cars being a lighter and more nimble, they are suited
more to run here. The Carousel is unique to Infineon. It's probably the
most enjoyable turn on the track.  Turn 7 when you come from 6 is a
straight and you get to stretch your legs a little. You can see some of
the original track. What they've done in making it competitive for
NASCAR is ideal. That stretch from Turn 4 to 7 (Chute) has made it more
suited for NEXTEL Cup cars. When you're doing that 4-5-6 at the original
track, it would be a handful for NASCAR cars and a lot more single-file
racing.

 

 

---------------------------

John Cardinale

VP of Media/Community Relations

Infineon Raceway

Highways 37 &121, Sonoma, CA 95476

wk: 707-933-3907

cell: 707-334-9805