microphone pict Raul Boesel: I've been 'almost...almost'

©1997 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.

CART Teleconference
May 6, 1997

Marathon-Man Boesel

Raul Boesel began his Indy-car career in 1985, driving in the season opening Long Beach Grand Prix. In his twelve year quest, Boesel has had 152 starts, and has finished in the top-ten eighty times, yet has not won a race. He's been second five times, but only as recently as 1994. He hopes that the Pat Patrick tradition of first wins for drivers will continue.

In this interview, Raul voices his pleasure with the Patrick Racing Team, the new Ford XD engines, and the growing excitement in motor-racing, especially the PPG CART World Series, in his home country of Brazil.

Moderator: T.E. McHale

McHale: "We want to extend a special welcome to our guest this afternoon, driver Raul Boesel of the Brahma Sports Team.

"Sunday's Hollywood Rio 400 is a special event for Raul, a native of Curitiba, Brazil, as it is for six of his Brazilian compatriots in the PPG CART World Series. Raul earned his best finish of the 1996 season at last year's inaugural Rio 400, when he piloted the Brahma Reynard Ford to a strong seventh place.

"With three consecutive points paying finishes, he's building momentum toward an even better finish in this year's Hollywood Rio 400. Welcome Raul."

Raul Boesel: "Thank you. Welcome to everybody."

"We're really starting to understand each other, and to understand about the car."
Raul Boesel

McHale: "Raul has lead portions of each of the last two races. The April 13 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and the April 27 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix presented by Toyota in Nazareth, PA. It's the first time since 1993, at Indianapolis and Milwaukee, that he has lead laps in back-to-back PPG CART World Series events. He finished seventh in Australia, eighth in Long Beach, and eighth in Nazareth, and he stands eleventh in the PPG Cup points race, with sixteen points.

"With that, we will open it up for questions."

Paul Dana - AutoWeek: "Raul, I just wanted you to talk, if you could for a minute, about what life is like in general at the Patrick organization, and how your working relationship with your engineers is going as far as setting up the car. [Tell us] what you want in the car and what they want in the car, and about being in a new environment with a new team again this year, and how it's been going so far this year through the first races of the season."

Raul Boesel: "Well, I think it's going better than expected. I have no complaints. You know very well that it takes a little bit of time to gel. Last year I had a difficult task and a difficult year, and even had some people that blamed me for not communicating with my engineer and so-on. It's completely opposite this year with John Ward [Chief Engineer]. We're really starting to understand each other, and to understand about the car. A good example of that is that we really didn't arrive in Nazareth with that good of a set-up, and we kept fighting and improving all the time. We weren't as good as we would like to have been before qualifying, so we decided to make a change. It was a good one, and it was the biggest one I've ever made in my racing career. It was on an oval that I knew before qualifying that [requires] changing the car quite a lot. I used to go with what we had and hope for the best before morning practice, but both of us were confident that we had made the right changes and that we would qualify well, and run well for the race. This is the kind of thing that I want to keep happening and to get better, and better.

"My relationship with all of the mechanics and everybody on the Brahma Sports Team, and with my car is new. With Scott [Pruett] the relationship was a continuation from Patrick, and all of the guys that work with him have been there for three or four years. They put together a new team for me, and it's really going well. That's why we've run in the front for a time during the last two races. I'm really confident in doing well, and we're really building up momentum. I'm very happy and [under] a lot less pressure than last year, and with a lot less frustration. Of course, I'm still looking for my first win, and leading the right lap...the last one."

John Sondervager - St. Louis Post Dispatch: "This time of year, you're on mostly ovals. Is there anything that you do differently to prepare for these races at Nazareth, Rio, Gateway, and then Milwaukee?"

"We had a good test at Milwaukee just before Nazareth, and then we did well at Nazareth. I think this will carry on through Rio"
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "Every track is different. You can relate Nazareth with Milwaukee because they are similar. Rio is quite different. The temperature is high, but maybe it won't be as hot as last year. It's in the 80's and is quite nice today actually. They are trying today to resurface turns one and four. But, you know, this is an oval with some road course characteristics. You have to change gears and brake very hard, but that is very good because it is a good place to over-take. That is different than any other race track that we run, but it's very enjoyable to do.

"We had a good test at Milwaukee just before Nazareth, and then we did well at Nazareth. I think this will carry on through Rio and, for when we go back to Milwaukee, we will already have a good set-up to start with. We already have a set-up from our tests there. I really expect good things for us in the next few races. We run well on road courses [too], but we want our results now. I really have confidence that we'll be running up front next Sunday."

Brian Truesdale - The Associated Press: "You and your countrymen are more used to the road-course style of F1. How will they respond to oval track in Rio?"

"More Brazilians now think that the championship is more and more competitive. Now, when I come back, [people] start to give me opinions about yellow flag stops and why I didn't chase my strategy. They like the yellow flags."
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "Well - we're starting to understand [them] better now. When I first started to race in Indy-car, when I would come back home, [people] would ask if I get dizzy driving the oval tracks. [They said] that the rules were unfair, because when you run up front and the yellow flag comes out, the advantage disappears. Now it's completely different, I think because they are starting to become educated about oval racing. Of course, more Brazilians now think that the championship is more and more competitive. Now, when I come back, [people] start to give me opinions about yellow flag stops and why I didn't chase my strategy. They like the yellow flags, especially when the race is not very exciting and there's a chance for another re-start. You never know who's going to finish 'til the end and who is going to win until the end. They can build up from now on, beginning with last year, and I think that's very exciting. I think it will build up from now on, because beginning with last year they can see the races live, and last years' race was really fantastic. Because of the layout of the track, it was one of the best races of the year in terms of over-taking and competitiveness. The race track allows you to do that.

"It's great, the follow-up is great. The newspapers give full-page [coverage] about the races. As you know, Brazilian people love soccer and motor-racing. We, as followers, and you guys that cover motor-racing, we are very fortunate in my [opinion] to have such good follow-up. We don't have as many sports as in the United States, like basketball, which is very popular, and baseball and American football. that's why motor-racing is very big.

Ron Martin - Focus on Racing Radio: "I live here in the city of Memphis, and each year they solute a different country. It just so happens that this year it's Brazil. The last couple of days, I've been able to meet number of your country-people who are in our city. One thing that I've learned not only from them, but also from you and your fellow drivers, is the fact that Brazil is more than just a place that you live. Is having the race down in Brazil a way for you and yours to show-off your country to America?"

"Brazil is a special kind of country, and a different kind of country in a way."
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "Yeah, definitely. I think that with the popularity that motor-racing has, especially Indy-car, two reasons are clear this time of year. Rio de Janeiro is one of the nicest places, and famous [enough] to be one of the wonders of the world. This is a way to show that wonder. For me, it's especially good when we race here because I have my family and friends who don't have the opportunity to go to America to see the races. I think the most important is by TV. People around the world have a little more of a chance to know what Brazil is about. They can see if they have any interest to come here and visit. I hope they will come at the time of the race.

"Brazil is a special kind of country, and a different kind of country in a way. The people are very friendly and very happy. Of course they have their own problems economically and politically, but inflation is down to almost nothing. People are starting to understand the way things are done in America. I think Brazil is on it's way up. There have been improvements, and we need to improve a little bit more in terms of bigger cities, and in terms of safety, and so on. Every one who comes here loves [it] because all the people here are very friendly and we have carnivals and so on. So if any of you guys have a chance to come down, feel free to do [so]."

Martin: "When you look back at the time when the series first came to Brazil last year, was there some apprehension on your part? It's almost like having a party and hoping everything goes well."

"For me it was even a bigger task because Brahma became my sponsor and they are very big here. They have a lot of expectations. I was with Barry Green and things were starting to go south."
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "Yeah...it definitely was. For me it was even a bigger task because Brahma became my sponsor and they are very big here. They have a lot of expectations. I was with Barry Green and things were starting to go south. I knew I was going to have a difficult time with the car and the engines and so forth. Fortunately, this year Ford has made a big improvement as far as reliability and power. That's what gives me the confidence to do well. I'm more relaxed this year than last year. There's still a lot of pressure because I want to do well here, and there are another five or six Brazilians who want to do the same. Competition's tough."

Mike Hollander - Racing Information Systems: "The Rio course has been described sometimes as a modified oval, or almost a road course oval. Can you tell us how you'll be driving it? Will you drive it as a road course or an oval track?"

Raul Boesel: "Last year some people set-up [their cars] as a road course, and some people set-up as an oval. Last year my approach was...not knowing the track at the time, we set up the car as an oval, and were running quite well during the race. We're going to start the same [this year]. It's like a road course, except you only have left turns. I think you need to make it a little bit of a mixture. Not 100% oval, going that direction."

Hollander: "Last year, the crowd was less than full at the track. Have you noticed an increase in promotion this year before the race?"

Raul Boesel: "Yes I did. Even Brahma didn't have any promotions last year, and now, I started today at 6:00 in the morning. I have things to do all day long. I think this is going to help promote the race. Not only Brahma, but also others like Hollywood and other Brazilian drivers are around the city and the TV to announce [the race in] the other parts of Brazil. So, I think it's being [promoted] to the public, plus the time is better. It's not the rainy season and the temperature is much better. It's a little cooler. I think it will be much better. Also, since it's the second Indy-car race here in Brazil, that will be a plus too."

Hollander: "Finally, do you feel any kind of a comfort level by being in Brazil, and hearing a lot of Portuguese spoken?"

"...but all of my friends show up, and everybody thinks I have free tickets and paddock passes"
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "Yes, in a way...but all of my friends show up, and everybody thinks I have free tickets and paddock passes. That's a little tough because you don't want to turn down people. At the same time, I'm there working, and I need to have to best result I can get. That's why I have Kevin [Diamond, Boesel PR manager] and I can say 'hey Kevin, that's your job.' He's here beside me laughing. But, yes, in a way you have a sentimental difference. For me especially, winning this race would be a very, very special thing, because of how long I have been pursuing a winning situation in my career in Indy-car. I've been 'almost...almost' and I want to put that behind me, and I hope it will be this Sunday."

Paul Boudry - IRace: "The last three races it looks like you've been running fairly consistently as far as your placing in the races. What are you going to have to do to dial it up an notch. You've gotten seventh and eighth lately. How can you take that to the next level? Is it the car, or it it you? What is it?"

"We just need to have a good strategy and make good pit stops, and improve a bit here and there, and that's all we need."
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "I think it's [a matter] of course, of setting the car up properly for the track. I myself need to be 100% on top of it. What we really need to do is make our strategy work. That's why we've stayed behind a little bit in the last two races. We've run at the front with competitive times, and we had, like, the third fastest time during the Nazareth race. We had the fastest [lap on] Firestone tires. I think I did the third or fourth fastest lap in Long Beach, and was able to run away when I was in front. That proves that the combination's there. We just need to have a good strategy and make good pit stops, and improve a bit here and there, and that's all we need."

Mike P. - The Jackson Citizen Patriot: "Tell me a little bit about your relationship with Pat Patrick. It's been just a few months now, but, how are you two getting along?"

"Patrick has historically gotten a lot of drivers their first win, and I hope he keeps that tradition."
Raul Boesel

Raul Boesel: "I think very well definitely. We've been discussing a lot and I feel very welcomed to the team. Of course, when things start to go well and the momentum starts to pick up, everything is nice. I hope we can stay that way and consolidate this relationship. I think Patrick has his own ways, but he's a very kind person, and very honest. It's not easy to deal with him, but when you have a deal, it's done. I [used to think] that a hand shake is enough, and that you only need a piece of paper because it's a tradition for you to need a piece of paper. It's been very well...it's been great. The whole team along with Jim McGee [General Manager, Steve Newey [Team Manager], and my Chief Engineer John Ward. It's been running very smooth. They're looking forward to getting me my first win. Patrick has historically gotten a lot of drivers their first win, and I hope he keeps that tradition."

Mike: "Lastly, for the past 79 years in the month of May, and what the Indy-cars did mean to Indianapolis. You guys aren't there again this year. You have a very busy month this month, which means you don't have as much time to think about it. Do you miss it?"

Raul Boesel: "Yeah, definitely I do. I think that any driver that says they don't, their not being 100% truthful. It's a challenge at Indianapolis. Unfortunately, things are out of control, especially of the drivers. I just hope that one day, there is a possibility that the CART championship may return there."