INDY 500 - FRONT ROW PRESS CONFERENCE

PAT SULLIVAN: Just a quick note for Ganassi Racing. You might recall that they also went one-two (in qualifying) at the Allstate 400. So it's been a pretty good calendar year in terms of races here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for that team.

Scott Dixon is the gentleman who is going to start from the pole position for the 92nd running for the Indianapolis 500, his first Indianapolis 500 pole, I believe the 12th in his Indy Racing League career.

Scott, in the Media Center you were asked about the pole and you, I thought, gave a great answer, you have to determine whether or not you're a contender. You did say something that I remembered very clearly and that is, and you're probably right most of the time, people don't remember who wins the pole, but they remember who wins the race. Guess what, Scott, they do remember who wins the pole at Indianapolis. So congratulations on that one.

SCOTT DIXON: Thank you. I guess they do remember for these couple of weeks, but once you're the winner of the race, I think it overcrowds everything. I think from a driver standpoint it means a lot to us because, you know, you know how hard you work for it, and I kept saying that yesterday, as well. It's the same thing, and I guess you get bragging rights for a couple of weeks, and that's about it. But I think starting on the first couple of rows is key to this race. Even Dan started maybe 16th a couple years back and still won it from there. If we can make it a little easier for us if at the start of the race, that's always nice. We'll just see what happens, but we see the big picture for us is still trying to win the ‘500’ on the 25th.

SULLIVAN: Dan is still studying those times over there, and I know what a fierce competitor he is. You had that run at your own teammate there, particularly on the last lap, looked like you might get it done. Scott said you were protecting your position, but you're teammates and I know you want that pole position, as well.

DAN WHELDON: The team put a lot of effort into this particular race. A lot of the people back at the race shop while we’ve been in Japan and Kansas have been working toward programs that would help us here. It was nice to have fast cars to contend for the pole. And it was nice for Chip to give me a shot. I gave everything I had and so did everybody on the 10 side, but we were just a little bit short. But I think Scott did a very good job, and it was fun, actually. It was a really fun day when the conditions are, you know, pretty similar throughout, and you have a good car. It is a lot of fun. But I enjoyed it. But like I said, I just came up a little bit short, but now we’ve just got to work on the race car.

SULLIVAN: You can certainly win from where you're at, Dan.

Ryan, we were here at this same location here just a couple of days ago with your team. I thought Mr. Penske was pretty candid. He said last year in some sense was a little bit of a look at you to see whether or not it was going to be a good move to join the team. He's never shy about saying you have to perform. I don't think anybody is surprised that there is a Penske driver on the front row, perhaps maybe a couple of people surprised that it's Ryan Briscoe. Congratulations, you had a great run.

RYAN BRISCOE: Thanks. It's been a great run and Roger has been looking after me, and it was a great feeling coming into this knowing we had a shot at the pole. It wasn't easy; it was pretty tough. We knew it was going to be close, and we could see both Dan and Scott were really fast, looking at the practice times, and we gave it our all. But you never know over four laps, I mean, you look at last year and see the times going up and down from lap to lap. We tried to keep it consistent and see what we had, but it was definitely a good run.

SULLIVAN: We'll take questions.

Q: Ryan, can you describe the difference between coming in with a Penske full-year program this year versus coming in with a Penske-assisted program last year?

BRISCOE: Yeah, I guess the objectives are a little bit different. Last year I came in and wasn't a full-time driver, and it was more about just getting the experience and trying to have a good, solid run and not trying to be the quickest guy all the time and really looking at consistency more so. I mean, last year after I made the first qualifying attempt and we were sitting pretty good, we came back out and did some practice runs. We knew we had the speed maybe to contend for the front row but just decided to sit back and be conservative. This year, you know, we took that other run and did go for the front row. So they're the little things that have changed, but apart from that, the big picture is still the same. You know, we're going to be going out for the win this year and not just hanging back, really, not that I was hanging back last year. But, you know, last year we went into the race and ran a little more downforce than we probably needed to to win the race, but that' s what we put on the car to try to run solid from the front.

This year we're going to be analyzing it and putting on the car what we think we need to win. There are little differences and I've got more experience, so that all adds up.

Q: Ryan, can you talk about what it's like for you yesterday going through, you know, you did your first qualifying run, and I guess it's the same for all the three drivers in that, you know, you go through, you qualify and there's possibly relief that you're done, but you're not really done because it's probably team strategy, everybody knew they might have to go back out another time.

BRISCOE: Yeah, it was all pretty straightforward yesterday, actually, because it was the first car to run and we ran a pretty conservative first qualifying run. We were 90 percent sure it wasn't going to stick, but we wanted to put a time on the board, and we knew being the first car out we would have a chance to go through tech, come back to pit lane and do some practice runs and see what we needed to go faster. That's exactly what we did, we went through tech, came back out and started trimming out the car a bit more. We saw we had the speed to go quicker, and I think we took three or four practice runs and we were confident with what we had and went for the second attempt. You know, everything was pretty much planned, and we did what we set out to do. It was a good day.

SULLIVAN: Ryan was one who came in and said instantly you were going to go back out; you knew that going in. How about you, Scott and Dan, what were your thoughts on that?

DIXON: That was our plan straight away, as well, to just put in a solid effort to start with. And for us, the team, it was probably the only time we actually run clear of air. In the practice in the morning, we tried and I know Dan got a good run by himself. We got traffic every time. So it was just sort of a time to go out and see how the car actually really fares by itself on a conservative run. And as soon as we came in, we made the same decision that we were definitely going to go out again because we knew we could trim out. The car was extremely consistent and quite easy to put those laps together. So that was the plan from the get-go, and that's what we did.

WHELDON: We were waiting to see what other people did, but we had a pretty good idea that that wasn't going to stick. So we had that in the back of our mind. And we just needed to work on, you know, trimming the car as much as we could and remaining with a good balance. I think the biggest problem that we've had the last few years at Ganassi certainly is, you know, as people have trimmed their cars, they've found more time than us, and that was something we were very conscious of this year to make sure that when we trimmed we could maximize that.

SULLIVAN: Other questions for the front row?

Q: I know it's all a relative question, but in qualifying trim, how much scarier is the ride or the drive when you're trying to hang on for 10 laps as opposed to what you hope to have for a couple weeks from now?

DIXON: You know, qualifying, it changes from run to run and even lap to lap. As I said yesterday, my first couple laps of our pole run, I thought it was pretty easy and the car was really consistent, and I was rudely awakened to that side of it. You know, it was a bit of a handful. You're definitely on the limit; there's no point where you can relax. I think when we're testing or practicing next week and getting the car ready, laps when you're by yourself, the car is well stuck, you've got tons of downforce and you're just looking for traffic the whole time. Still at that point when you're going for full-fuel runs and wearing tires out and things like that, it gets pretty exciting for a couple laps. But there's nothing like qualifying here. It's totally different from what we do anytime through the year because you can adjust the car so much and it depends on your speed or the ride quality or the grip that you have.

Q: Scott, with all the rain we've had, we keep losing the track as far as rubber being in. How much is that hurting you as far as the month goes and chewing up tires, are you going through a lot more than you thought you would? Granted we've had a couple days off.

DIXON: I don't know. We've gone through a lot anyway. Most of us went through a lot yesterday going for the pole. As far as wear-wise, we're still pretty good because we haven't been running. But yeah, we used a lot considering what we had before that. So we're still good. Obviously, everybody is still good on tires because we haven't been running at all. But next week I think is probably going to be the time that you'll start chewing them up in long runs. But, you know, none of us have done long runs yet, so we have no idea what the tire wear is going to be like.

Q: Scott, on this side, since days like yesterday are times we stop and look at a driver's career because it's such an important moment for you. Your 2005 season is just a contrast to the last year and couple, three months. Can you talk a little bit about that and how far you've come with it since '05? I know you had '04, a good season before that, obviously, but it looked like you were in a spot that was just a terrible situation and then to come this far.

DIXON: Yeah, you can say the same probably about the guy sitting next to me. It was a rough time for us, and I was lucky enough to sort of stick around and continue to be a part of the team, you know, after the bad times when it gets good. I think Briscoe has been extremely lucky to get his ride with Penske, as well, and we found ourselves both in good situations. But, you know, I think those years were tough, and you learn a lot from it. You realize the first year coming in in '03, and I could have victories and won a championship, but it seemed a little too easy and you take advantage of that. Those two years really grounded me, and you've really got to be thankful, I think, for a lot of the wins that you do get and when you're on a good roll because it doesn't last too long sometimes.

I think for us, Dan was a big part of my transition to definitely picking it up. He's a fierce competitor, and there's no better time or person to have than someone like him when you're racing in the IndyCar Series and going for championships. I think 2006, I learned a lot again. I learned a different style of racing, I think something he brought from AGR and learned from guys like TK. It was a big help, and that was probably my big transition year then.

Q: Ryan, if you could follow up on second chances that season, you got the biggest second chance of anybody.

BRISCOE: Yeah, definitely. I'm grateful of this second chance I've been given. 2005 was extremely tough and I was extremely inexperienced, and it was a tough year for the whole team. I think definitely through the hard times you've got to keep your chin up and keep pushing and, you know, definitely make the most of the good times when they come around.

Q: I asked Scott this question a couple of days ago and he gave the best answer that I've gotten all month, so Ryan and Dan are kind of on the spot here.

With the two series merging now and the schedule having to be bashed together at the last minute, there's a lot of talk about what the schedule is going to look like next year and in the future. What racetracks would you guys like to go to and race on? And how many races do you think there should be per year in a series? Scott did give the best answer to that that I've gotten so far.

DIXON: Thanks.

BRISCOE: What did you say? (Laughter)

SULLIVAN: You didn't get a lawn mower for that one, no. (Laughter)

WHELDON: I'm not Scott, but I'll give you my answer. I think it's important as the series is growing particularly that you go to places where, you know, there's going to be a lot of people watching. And the racing is good; that's the important thing. I think for me as a driver, I love Phoenix. I thought that oval was one of the most fun to drive. It was challenging. But unfortunately no one came out to the racetrack, so it does nobody any good. I think at this point in IndyCar Series racing, it's how everybody wants it. You're racing against all the best people and, sure, you know, the transition people have come in there a little bit behind in terms of experience, and to be fair, they're a long ways behind on their time that they've had to develop the race car. But as that, you know, becomes more equal, I think the racing is going to be incredible. So that will take care of itself. It's just then you've got to pick your schedule that works well with fan attendance, and I thi nk in terms of the number, you've just got to -- I'd love to race a schedule as big as the NASCAR schedule, but that's me, personally.

I think what you have to control is the budgets, too, because you saw when it was just a CART series the budgets got out of control and, sure, CART was great for a long time, but as those budgets started to escalate and the owners started to dictate more, it kind of went downhill. So I think everything just needs to be controlled properly, and I think you've got to look toward the good of the sport, which I'm not sure that's ever going to happen 100 percent, but that's what you've got to bear in mind.

BRISCOE: Yeah, I mean, Dan pretty much said it all. But I think this is a great time for open-wheel racing, and there's a lot of momentum at the moment, which we need to keep going. You know, for sure, there are a lot of tracks available now to go to, a lot of good destinations, and the people that are making decisions need to really, you know, analyze well what's going to be best for the sport, what's going to be best for the fans and for the sponsors and, you know, do what's going to work best to keep open-wheel racing growing in America and keep some longevity here and keep it growing.

SULLIVAN: Other questions?

Q: Scott, you mentioned when Dan came in --

WHELDON: He was lying, bro; he was totally lying. (Laughter)

Q: Can you get into that a little bit more and, Dan, can you (inaudible)?

DIXON: No, I think that's the way they set up the cars, with the G Force, I guess, we raced a little different, and what I'm sort of alluding to, it was probably the mile and a half racing. Dan and the AGR guys, you know, in those two years were very dominant on the mile-and-a-halfs, and they could seem to run the car a lot loose and run the high line easier, and at that point I think just looking at his data and his style I think helped me out a lot in my transition in 2006.

WHELDON: I think the biggest thing for me when I came to Target Chip Ganassi Racing was I saw how well you could benefit the team with four guys working together so strongly. I knew that, you know, if Scott and I were going to compete with them and obviously leaving a team when I did, I wanted to make sure that I didn't look like an idiot, so I wanted to come out running. It was obvious we were going to have to work closely together, and for the benefit of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, I had to -- you know, the experience that I gained from my years there, I had to try and put to use. And the same with Scott, there was a lot of information that he had and that team had, and we kind of put that together and you got what you got.

But, you know, I've always thought when you look back at the history that Target Chip Ganassi Racing has been a strong team, and I have to say, and I think Scott will agree with me, the preparation that they've done for this month is the best I've ever seen from a race team. They've also had to put a program together for Alex Lloyd and obviously with the help of Bobby Rahal, but the team has done a very good job. I'm not kissing their butts; it's true, they've really worked hard. They really have.

Q: Dan, you're going late in the day, what's it make you think when you see a guy also going late in the day like Ryan Hunter-Reay that crashes, does that reset in your mind? Whether it happens before or afterward, does that really show the folks how much on the edge it is and does it make you think twice about maybe someday making that late run?

WHELDON: I don't know. It was on edge, but I think you don't think it's on edge as it really is because you know to win the pole at Indianapolis you're going to have to be on edge. You know, I don't think -- like Scott says, the first couple of laps always feel fine. It's not a big issue. It's just the last one, in particular, normally, and that's just part of it. If somebody crashes before you, then so be it. I mean, I've crashed in qualifying this year before. But you've got to be very -- you've got to concentrate a lot, you can't be lazy. You've got to make sure that you keep up with what the car is doing. You've got to keep maintaining a very, very, I don't want to say neutral balance, but it's more of an oversteer balance because it makes you very quick around here. If you start to feel a hint of push, you've got to make sure you're stiffening the rear roll bar or going to the left on the weight jacker. Like I say, you really don't worry about anything else, a crash that 's gone on before you, you just worry about your deal and making sure you maximize it.

Q: Dan, since in some ways we're honoring the pole winner here, can you talk about how great a season he really had last year, going into Turn 3 with the lead for the championship and then dominating the ovals this year?

WHELDON: He's been strong. He's been very strong. Like I -- it's very difficult. When you say, you look back at 2005 season and, yeah, it was disappointing, but it's not like all of a sudden a different driver. He was the same driver then, he's not transformed all of a sudden and become an amazing driver; he was. In 2003 he was bloody good, too. It's just when the equipment is not good enough, you're not going to perform; it's too competitive. My opinion is you're being a little shortsighted.

Q: I'm asking.

WHELDON: Yeah, but no, I think everybody will agree on the grid that he's always been very, very talented and dedicated to being quick. You know, anything Scott thinks he can improve on, he will absolutely try and improve. When he gets in the car, he will give it his all. That's why I think, you know, we get along as teammates because I think we both understand – I think he knew that I would go and try and beat his time yesterday, and I know that if I had beaten it, he would have got in and tried to go again, that's just the way we both are. But that's why it works. He's a guy that's dedicated to his job and wants to win. He's not just riding around, that's for sure. It's nice to be in a team with somebody like that. He's the same as 2005, bro, he doesn't transform.

Q: Dan, one of the other things, different styles, different backgrounds maybe as you guys came together, also very different personalities, personal styles. Can you --

WHELDON: Like chalk and cheese. (Laughter)

Q: How did that work? How did that come? Describe your personal style and how that, how you guys were able to blend and ultimately it seems like become pretty decent friends.

WHELDON: Yeah, it was funny. When I first joined the team, Scott didn't say much at all. He really -- I don't know what you think, but he didn't. He's somewhat like introverted.

Q: Like you. (Laughter)

WHELDON: Yeah, I guess. No, when you get to know him, he's bloody funny. How can I put it?

DIXON: That's always after a few drinks. (Laughter)

WHELDON: We are opposites, and obviously I had and still have a very good relationship with Tony (Kanaan), and I always was worried about not having that with somebody, because it definitely makes what's a long, difficult season nicer and you can enjoy it more. I think certainly, you know, the 2006, I don't think we were particularly close, but I think over time, you know, we've got to trust one another. You know, I tried to help him a lot and I think Scott has tried to help me a lot in different situations, and I think just over time we've become what I would call good friends.

But, yeah, he's definitely seemed to come out of his shell since I've been in the team, that's for sure. I think that lot of that's his wife, too, Emma, because he's in a good place in his life right now.

Q: Is it just time that does that or is there more --

WHELDON: I think it's times and situations. You know, you've got to gain trust from one another, and that takes time, you know. It's different personalities, too. I think Tony and I were able to do that pretty quickly, but it was a different -- it was a different scenario. I came into the team as a rookie and stuff like that. You know, you get judged against your teammate in this business. So I think, yeah, I think in this situation it probably did take time. But he's a good teammate.

Q: Ryan, to follow up on that, how are you getting along with that noted introvert Helio Castroneves? (Laughter)

BRISCOE: Yeah, he's different, but good. I mean, yeah, he's pretty busy doing, riding his wave at the moment from the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and all that. But when he gets down to business, he's very focused and pays a lot of attention to detail. He's a good teammate to have when we're talking about the race car and trying to make the car fast. He's really quick, and he's definitely a very good driver. So on that side, you know, he's a good guy to have by my side and for me to learn from. You know, I think we're really helping each other at the moment. So it's good.

Q: Ryan, I was going to ask the same question. I recall Gil de Ferran one time saying when you see Helio he's like that all the time, he never changes. I got the impression Gil would have like to have found an off button to shut him off once in a while. (Laughter) So, I mean, do you have a similar reaction?

BRISCOE: Yeah, he's just on it 24/7. He walks into the garage, and he's just shouting and screaming, you know. It's funny for a while, but after a while you just need to go to the other end of the room and get some quiet time because it can get a bit much sometimes. (Laughter)

But that's the way he is. I think at times it really keeps spirits up. You go through some difficult times, and everyone gets a bit stressed in the team. At our last race, we were having a pretty tough weekend and for sure, you know, we talk about getting serious, we talk about what we need to do. But five minutes later he'll come in, and we'll be laughing and joking. I think it really keeps the whole team going, keeps the motivation up.

Tim Cindric has always said he's been a real important part of the team and kept everyone together, really glued together, and he's definitely a very good team player.

Q: Ryan, last year you were in team Sputnik, obviously, I was looking for the T-shirts for that and never quite found them. This year Tomas is over there, and most of you have had in the past reputations being very fast and hard on equipment. What was the transformative thing that happened where you started to grow hopefully out of that and also what would you tell Tomas?

SULLIVAN: Just a second. For those of you who are not like over 50, Sputnik is like a satellite. (Laughter)

Q: I got that term from your guys in the garage.

BRISCOE: Who's Sputnik?

Q: You were the satellite team. And I'm not over 50.

SULLIVAN: They're looking at each other asking questions. (Laughter)

BRISCOE: I appreciate that. You know, I think I came over here and for sure had, you know, too many accidents, and I had to look back at myself, as well, and see what I needed to do to become a better driver. That doesn't stop. I think even, you know, guys like Scott and Dan are always still looking at themselves from race to race and looking and saying, “What can I do to make myself a better racer and better driver.” I did the same, and I'm still working on it. I think as, you know, you gain more experience, you learn more about yourself and you learn more about your competitors and your equipment and the circuits and everything. So I think that was probably from three years ago in the oval racing, I had to learn what it took to finish races and be competitive and work on a race car during a race and be there at the end. You know, I'm still working on that.

For sure, it helps having people like Roger Penske around and Rick Mears. Those guys are all about patience and, you know, for sure listening to them and hearing to everything they've got to say. That helps a lot. So, for sure, I think I've been working on that and getting better.

SULLIVAN: We'll take one more and then let these guys go.

Q: Getting back to that personal style sort of thing, and excuse me because this is going to come way out of left field, but how many pairs of shoes do you own? (Laughter)

WHELDON: Lots.

SULLIVAN: You're kind of like on the edge on a qualifying run here. (Laughter)

Q: It's wet out there; we'll go fishing.

SULLIVAN: He owns lots of shoes and drives awfully fast. Congratulations, gentlemen. This is more than a couple of days of work; it's a lot of work over the winter, as well.

BRISCOE: Thanks.

DIXON: Thanks