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T.E. McHALE: We are pleased to welcome the 1999 FedEx Championship
Series Champion, Juan Montoya of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing.
Good afternoon, Juan, thanks for joining us.
Juan Montoya: Hi, how are you doing?
T.E. McHALE: I am doing all right.
Juan virtually rewrote the CART rookie record book last year while
becoming only the second rookie to drive to the Championship following Nigel
Mansell in 1993. Along the way he established rookie records for victories
with 7 laps led, with 954, and he tied the rookie record of 7 poles.
Juan also became the youngest Champion in CART history at age 24
years, one month, and 11 days topping Jacques Villeneuve who won the 1995
Championship at age 24 years, 4 months and one day.
Juan scored points in 16 of 20 starts; recorded 10 top-4 finishes
and earned either a victory, a pole position, or both in 11 of 20 events.
Despite a road racing background, Juan scored a series high 102
points on ovals. He scored 212 points tying him for the top spot with
Dario and claimed the Championship by virtue of his 7 race victories to
Dario's 3.
We will now begin taking questions for Juan.
Question: What is the biggest lesson you learned last year coming over to
Champ Car?
Juan Montoya: Patience. You need a lot more patience than you ever
had before. Longer races, you know, sometimes you rush to pass someone and
you got use a lot more of the head. It is a lot more strategy racing. Fuel
consumption and stuff like that is very important. You can get (inaudible)
than anybody else, you are going to pass them like what happened at
Mid-Ohio. The key was just patience.
Question: Following up, how difficult has the transition to the new
equipment been for you this year? Your tests look pretty good.
Juan Montoya: Oh, been really good. I think we have been really
quick everywhere we are going. I think the worst part so far is Homestead,
but I am looking forward to going to the Championship. I think Toyota has
done a great job and working (inaudible) is great.
Question: Juan, what is your preference Reynard or Lola?
Juan Montoya: I would lean at this point, you know, (inaudible)
Lola so far has been a great choice. The car has been good everywhere.
There is a lot of work to be done before being 100% where we want to be--
(inaudible) --
T.E. McHALE: Can you finish the answer you were just giving?
Juan Montoya: I would think Lola is better and it has been really
good for us. It is going to be very competitive. It is not much to -- from
one car to another. You can't go and say this car is better; the other one
is better, but it is really close, put it to you this time.
Question: Curious just how you approach the start of the season now that
last year you were rookie and everything was new to you; now you have been
around the block once and does that play into the way you prepare for this
season?
Juan Montoya: No, prepare-wise, we are exactly the same as last
year, we are in good shape. The only thing that helps is I got a lot more
experience in how to set up the car. I think especially in the ovals, could
make (inaudible) the only thing you need to do is (inaudible) the car and go
for it. I think race-wise my mind is a lot more open. I think working
with Bill has been really good. Bill has done a great job so far. So I am
looking forward to it. It is going to be a very interesting year and I
think we are going to be really competitive.
Question: With the proposal by CART or the rule by CART starting next year
that they were going to put a chassis freeze in place, was it taking a big
chance changing chassis, engines, and everything else that the team did over
the off-season?
Juan Montoya: Not really. I think next year is going to be next
year, but this year, so far, it has been great. I think working with Lola
has been really good. It has been really competitive everywhere we have
been. Always been in the pace and I think, you know, when it comes to next
year's choice it will be different history. The story right now is 2000
season, Lola, Toyota, and I think the team did a great decision going there.
If we can win with Toyota it would be great, the car has been fantastic in
testing.
Question: I was just wondering, what are the similarities between this
engine and that you have been testing with so far and the engine last year?
Juan Montoya: Nothing. It is completely different engine. It's
the way it works, completely different. I think it is competitive. It has
great speeds and, you know, it has shown great reliability. That was the
biggest concern for us. The engine has been working; the miles we have been
expecting to work and everything, so we are looking very reliable for the
first season working with them.
Question: I talked to Chip yesterday and he mentioned that the change
really wouldn't be that big a deal because last year every track was new to
you. This year you have been there before, but now you have got the new
setup to work on. Is it going to take you a couple of races to get
completely comfortable with everything?
Juan Montoya: No, I like the chassis. I like the chassis. I like
the engine and it is good because everyone is working around us, so we put
in chassis way we want it and, you know, we did it ourselves - with Lola,
the chassis and with Toyota, the engine. We asked for something, they do
it.
Question: I was talking with Scott Pruett over at LasVegas. He said that
Toyota last year was never down on horsepower and all. He said the big
problem was fuel mileage. Have you guys seen any trouble with that in your
testing?
T.E. McHALE: Sounds as though we have lost Juan again. He is back.
Juan Montoya: Well, it has been really good so far, generally, the
car has been working well. So completely comparing it with the Lola, I am
sorry, with the Honda, but we are working on it and I think we will be up to
speed when it comes to the first race. I think all the stories have been
from Toyota (inaudible).
Question: Are you guys going to be starting with the new engine? I know
that last year they tried to bring on a new model, have you guys going to be
with the new model right from the beginning?
Juan Montoya: No. I don't know. The engine we have been running
is the engine we are going to run in the race as far as I know. Basically
Toyota, they do the work. They put the engine on and we try it and we do
the comments on the engine and they come with new things. While we got it,
we are going to run.
Question: Could you put to rest once and for all this rumor called a rumor
that Frank Williams has some contract with you or with Chip Ganassi and that
you are on loan to Chip and that after that, you know, you may have -- may
have the opportunity to drive for Frank; is there any contract at all out
there that is holding you between Williams and Chip?
Juan Montoya: Not really. They said last year that I was on loan
from Chip -- for Chip from Frank so why didn't Frank pick me up for this
year if I was on loan. There is nothing there.
It was funny because it seems like we kind of swap places with Alex,
but that was it. Chip went to see Alex test and I was there. He liked the
way I drove and everything and with Morris, they picked me up. Only
contract I got at the moment is with Chip at the moment.
Question: When I was at Nazareth on Tuesday your car had broken. You were
waiting for parts. Did you finally get back out on the track yesterday?
Juan Montoya: Yeah, I went in the afternoon I thought we run really
quick. I think we (inaudible) we are right on the pace.
Question: Sounds like the team has really responded in the absence of
Morris Nunn. What is the feeling there now without him around?
Juan Montoya: Of course you miss him because Morris was a character
of himself. Things he did, he only did, are him. But actually I think the
team wasn't only Morris. The team is everyone around; not only Morris or
myself. I am not only the team when I win we are family and everyone that
is involved has something to do with that win. I think they have done a
great job, Bill Papis working with (inaudible) they work together really
well.
Question: Do you anticipate a point this year when the Toyota will be the
best engine, having the advantage because of that engine?
Juan Montoya: I wouldn't say we got the best or the worst engine.
We could say that we are really competitive basically.
Question: But are you promised more power in the future? Everybody
develops --
Juan Montoya: Everyone is going to have more power in the future;
not only ourselves.
Question: How does Toronto -- the Toronto circuit rate in your memory?
Seemed one place that was hard to get the car to work; how do you view it?
How do you place it among other circuits?
Juan Montoya: Circuit is fun to drive, but the car wasn't right.
When the car is right, you don't enjoy racing there. But I thought the city
was great. I had a lot of fun there. I went there around the city. I
think it was to quite a few cities I went around and I had a lot of fun
there. But racing-wise I didn't think it was a great weekend for me.
Question: Was it a matter you and Morris just didn't get handle on the
car?
Juan Montoya: Well, it was one of those, you know, you can't expect
to be competitive every weekend. You are going to have some weekends that
you are not going to be very competitive and that was one of those.
Question: I was wondering if felt any different over the winter being
called champ?
Juan Montoya: Not really. Even sometimes forget about it. Only
thing reminds me of the Championship is the number on the car. That is the
only thing that changed. I think in my mind, I am exactly the same as last
year just with more experience. I am a bit more wiser than last year and
more prepared than last year to get to the Championship and I think it is
going to be really good. Only thing I am really pleased is that Dario is
back for the first race. He is going to be a good fight with him, a good
fight with Tracy.
Question: What will be the toughest fight this getting a handle on all the
changes within the team or just battling guys that you just mentioned?
Juan Montoya: It is going to be, I think, one of the biggest things
we have seen in testing (inaudible) seems like Ford engine is really
strong, is going to be quite fun - I think, for example, the Rahal Team,
they are getting a lot more stronger, you know, race by race. And it is --
there is going to be new people around the top and it is going to be very
interesting.
Question: I wondered if you could -- you mentioned Dario. I wondered if
you could maybe talk about what his particular strengths are and what makes
him as good as he is?
Juan Montoya: Well, I think he has always been quick. Since I
remember Dario he always been quick. I think the best thing that Dario has
he is a great person and he is a great driver. He is very clean competitive
and he never gives up. I think that is the key of Dario's success, he never
gives up, even in a bad weekend, good weekend, whereever he is, he is always
giving 100%. I think last year he gave me really hard time because of that.
Question: Bringing up the Williams situation again, have you had a chance
to watch the Australian Grand Prix and any observations you might have on
the performance of the team and obviously of Button?
Juan Montoya: I think William did much better work than everyone
expected, I think BMW has done a great job as well. I think everyone --
Button did a great job and he led -- a lot of people were expecting bad
things about him and I think he did a very good job. I am pleased for him
and I am pleased for Williams, but that is a different story. That is Ralph
and Jensen and that is it. I don't have anything to do there.
Question: Are you ready to compete in the Indianapolis 500? Are you
looking forward to that and to the two series coming together maybe?
Juan Montoya: Well, I am looking forward to the race. I don't
think about the series getting together or not. But I think the race itself
is going to be a lot of fun. It is going to be interesting. It is going to
be race (inaudible) that is a lot of fun, people you don't know. It is
going to be interesting and it is going to be, I think, very competitive.
Question: When do you think you will make the jump to Formula 1 driving?
Juan Montoya: That is a difficult question. I don't even know that.
When I know that I can answer that.
Question: Racing a lot of times is a numbers game. Last year a lot of the
top teams had a Reynard Honda, package. Now you are obviously going to be
the most competitive Toyota team, but you won't have that many runners
running with you and while the Ford has got 10 Fords and there is just a
couple of Toyotas, how close does it look, your biggest competition will be
Michael Andretti because he has got the Lola and the Ford?
Juan Montoya: Michael is going to be competitive, but Michael, you
know, what I saw from Michael last year everything has to go right so he
goes right. It is going to be interesting. They are doing their own stuff
with the Lola. They are not doing the normal Lola (inaudible) --
Question: I kind of lost you.
T.E. McHALE: You were talking about the Lola.
Question: How the resume Newman/Haas is going to go their own way with --
Juan Montoya: I think that is what they are going to do. And maybe
they come up with something really good and they beat everyone. But we are
not going to leave our hands crossed waiting to see what happens --
(inaudible).
T.E. McHALE: It is 5 after 4. We have been at this for a couple of
hours. I don't know if we are going to get Juan back any time in the
immediate future. So my hunch is here, Louis, you will probably just have
to go with a half-answered question and we will try to wrap up the call for
today.
Thanks. Sorry about the difficulty. I do want to thank all of you
who stayed with us or joined us in progress or were with us at any point
today.
Thanks again for being with us and we will talk to you next week. A
reminder, starting next Tuesday these calls will move forward on Tuesday
during the season at 2:00 P.M. Eastern time. And our guest next Tuesday
will be CART chairman and CEO Andrew Craig.
Thanks to all of you for staying with us good afternoon.
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