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T.E. McHale: Good afternoon to everyone. Welcome to the CART Media Teleconference. Thanks to all of you for being with us this afternoon.
Our guest this afternoon is Marlboro Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves who recorded his first victory of his three-year FedEx Championship Series career at Sunday Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit on the raceway at Belle Isle. Helio, you waited a long time. Congratulations and thanks for being with us today.
T.E. McHale: Yeah, it came across pretty vividly, no question. Let me give you an update on Helio. In his first year with Marlboro Team Penske, he gave that storied team its 101st Champ Car victory by finishing 4.415 seconds ahead of runnerup Max Papis recording his first victory in his 46th career start. He averaged the 97.401 miles per hour in the No. 3 Marlboro Honda Reynard en route to the triumph; his second podium finish of the season following a runnerup effort at Long Beach. The victory was also the 34th Champ Car win for a graduate of the Dayton Indy Light series since Paul Tracy scored the first at Long Beach in 1993. With the victory, Helio moved from 16th to 11th in the Championship. Heading into Sunday's Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 presented by Texaco at Portland International Raceway, Helio has 36 points but is only 11 points behind fourth place Max Papis who has 47. The Freightliners/G.I. Joe's 200, presented by Texaco, it Round 8 the FedEx Championship Series, will be televised on a tape-delay basis by ESPN2 on Sunday June 25th, beginning at 7 P.M. eastern time. With that we will open it up to questions for Helio. Question: A year ago at this time you were with a team that didn't have much sponsorship and was wondering what the future was going to be. Can you just describe how -- the changes for you and what that has been like?
Of course it is tough when you come to a team and everybody is really looking toward to coming right away, but I will tell you, I had no pressure at all. I had everybody -- in fact, the team was really, really welcoming nicely, and every step we are taking was like very firm. We were just taking a chance or trying to be the fastest one, just once or tricky, you know, with low fuel to see if we can go fast in one of the tests - no, no, no. We always try to be very solid and that is why I think we are achieving very nice success for myself; for the team and everybody is growing with this. So I am really happy to learn with the first-class team. Like I said, Marlboro Team Penske gave me the opportunity this year to achieve my dreams and today everything is getting on the right direction. So it is going to work a lot. This series, oh, my goodness, so, competitive, I will tell you. It is unbelievable how tough the series is. We fight for hundreds of second and everybody is really on the same lap time and everybody is really close to each other, so, it is tough. I am glad that the weekend in Detroit, we were fastest out of the box; we were really looking strong every session, and I think I deserve a little bit. I always keep fighting and never give up. That is one of my good qualities, you know, and thinking positive. I am happy that happened. We are going to work again. I know it is not going to be easy because -- I like the celebration. I like to be on the podium and I want to have -- try to go again. So it going to be good and I am sure everybody will work hard to achieve the same goals again. Question: What were your plans going to be if you didn't -- if you didn't latch on to Penske? Did you have any idea what you would do?
T.E. McHale: A quick note to emphasize what Helio was talking about earlier regarding the competitiveness of the series, he became on Sunday the 7th different race winner -- our 7th different race winner in as many events this season and that breaks a record which was set in 1991 with six straight winners at the start of the season and just as a side note the record for different winners in an entire season is 10 which was established last year, so we are already well on our way to that in the 2000 FedEx Championship Series. Question: You said after Sunday's race you really didn't think it sunk in yet. I was wondering now that you had a couple of days to reflect on it, can you believe what happened at this point? Do you have a better perspective on it?
I tell you, like I said, we have a very good setup so far. Last race we did, Long Beach, we finished second. We were in a situation that we have -- save a lot of fuel to finish. So this time was a little bit different. I had fuel. I had very good car again to go for it and fight for the lead, but the guys in the pit actually they were holding me up. They were like: Save fuel, save fuel, you better stay a little bit off and we are going -- if you want to go, let us go towards to the end of the race. Sometimes actually they tried -- that pays off to be patient and smart because all of a sudden I had tons of fuel in my car; not many yellow flags which is unusual normally in a street circuit. That is why when all of a sudden everything fell in my lap, I said, well, I am now in the lead, I am going to go for it. Of course, I would like to have a chance and to battle for the lead or battle with the car and race a little bit especially with Juan - I don't feel sorry for him because to be honest, I have been in a lot of situations like him and I will take anyway, it would have been much nicer to go for it and passing by and challenger, I think, not only for me, but for the fans as well. But I will tell you, what a superb car Marlboro Team Penske gave me; especially when the tires warm up a little bit, I will tell you, wow, that was like fantastic. I am really glad and that everything happened so we are just going to continue our work; come back and like I said, it is down, see what we have for the next race and work hard again, because it is tough out there. Question: From what I understand you are pretty good friends with Tony Kanaan who was injured pretty good at Detroit. I was wondering have you had a chance to talk to him yet at all?
T.E. McHale: An update on Tony as we were just discussing, Tony has been released from the hospital. He is on his way home to Miami and should be there for a couple of days of rest and recuperation through the rest of this week. As I understand it, he will go to Indianapolis the first of next week and begin rehabilitation and that rehab period has been slated for four to six weeks, although anybody who knows Tony thinks he will be back in the car sooner than that. Question: Before the questions I will add my congratulations to you as well. Great run Sunday.
Question: What was it like those last couple of laps? Was it hard for you to keep your emotions in check?
Question: Helio, over the last few years you have gotten so close. But it just seemed like little gremlins would step in the way and I know a lot of that was because of the lack of testing and the funding that you had with your teams. At any point did you think you know, maybe I need to be racing somewhere else; I need to win and I am not going to win here?
So today if I am in the back or if I am in the front, I am sure, of course, you make a mistake because you are human, but of course now I have the experience to know what I have to do. But I still have a long way to go. I still have a long way to learn, a lot of stuff to learn, but I am happy that everything is happening on the step by step. Like you said, last year we have so many chances -- that is why I don't feel sorry for Juan, what happened because it happened to me as well. So I understand how it feels. I understand how mad I was, oh, geez, I knew I could do it. So -- and I knew when I was 15 laps or 20 laps to go when I was in the lead, I said nothing breaks, I am going to win this race because I have been in this situation before and just do my job. Because of the little and racing teams that I was running, they teach me this and that is why I am okay here. Question: I congratulate you and for you I hope you win a Championship some day although I am afraid it will be hazardous to your health.
Question: During the season we start out with a lot of ovals; not that you have been slow there, but you have not been all the time on the sharp end of the grid. But on the two road courses you have been one of the fastest, if not the fastest - only two races into the season - do you feel a lot more confident driving in the street circuits like Detroit and Long Beach as opposed to Motegi or Milwaukee....
But on the street circuit and also I have to thank Honda because they are very good. They are very, very good. They gave me a great engine, driveability, it is really nice and it is helping a lot. I didn't change my way to drive from last year. Not own from the 1998 or when even I was in Indy Lights. But sometimes when you have a great car, great teams supporting you, it looks like everything is smooth than appears. Like I was mentioning to someone, last year I have tons of tendinitis in my arm, actually my left arm. This year, wow, I wasn't even sore, so it is big difference. And again, it is just you are getting comfortable; you are getting comfortable with the team and equipment that you have and everything is going gradually in the right direction. Question: After the race there we saw you on the cell phone talking to someone. Who was that?
Question: Just very briefly, first of all, can you catch me up with the name change; how you came to pull the hyphen out?
Question: Seems to have worked for you.
Question: My question talks about the psychology of somebody who is following a leader versus somebody who is a leader. The psychology is so much different, I would imagine, being more of a defender, maybe you have more to worry about and more to lose. With the first victory fresh in your mind can you talk about how that played in the ..
Actually when you are leading it is even better - last year in Portland - if you just keep your focus and try to look ahead and not worry about the guy behind and if you know where he is weak during the racetrack, you can beat the guy even if you are in front. So that is what I did last 20 laps, I knew Max was fast, so what I tried to do was -- I made -- tried to make sure where he was fast and not make any mistakes or try come different lines otherwise he will make the pass and that is it. So it works fantastic because the only place he was quick I was going at least equal than him and then the rest of the racetrack I was a little faster so was making the gaps, making the gap bigger and bigger as my tires getting warmer where he was weak on the circuit and then I am starting very strongly that is why I made the gap. So it is different. It is a lot of -- you have to think a lot. But it is the best way to drive, looks like -- that is why I said when I am -- if I am right now nothing happens with my equipment, nobody will take this lead from me because I know how to do it and I prove it. Question: I think your human drama at the end was exactly what the sport needed and we all celebrated along with you. Congratulations.
Question: Good job on Sunday. You got a Roger Penske doubles going on. Talk a little bit if you can about Portland, the one coming up there, you led those laps last year and it might be a chance for us to see another victory lane celebration?
But also it is very fun to drive, especially the end of the back stretch when you have long corner and fast one that you can put the car above the curb completely. So I am really excited to go over there. We had a very good test in Mid-Ohio and it is not a street circuit Mid-Ohio, very nice circuit, so I hope we do well as well. But I have to work again. We coming over there, I know it is going to be tough again because people, we start working very hard and let us keep doing our job, you know, it seems to be working very well and we don't need to touch anything. Question: When I talked to Jeremy Mayfield yesterday after he won the race there, he was pretty congratulative of you guys as well and he said you guys did a fine job over there and it was neat for Roger that you guys did a double there. Usually it is Rusty Wallace doing that on the NASCAR end and well, he was hoping that he could get a couple others this weekend too because they are road racing in Sonoma....
Question: I was talking with one of your friends in Brazil at the time when you won. He was going elated just like you were. At spring training you talked how much it meant to you to be in the red and white uniform. I know that still means a great deal to you. Do you think just being in the Marlboro uniform has added to your confidence level? I mean there is a tradition behind that with Brazilian drivers...
Question: How much does being able to walk out to the car and get into it and knowing that you have a first rate 100% prepared car help?
Question: I am looking for the day you Max and Roberto and you are all in the podium at the same time. That is going to be a wild day.
Question: Seemed like a few years ago that Alex Zanardi would win every other week. Now it was mentioned before seven different winners and seven different races. How do you explain the parity and because there has been seven different winners, is there a guy to beat this weekend?
Question: Since you got your first victory who is next to get to get his who do you think is next?
Question: I mean, for their first victory. You already got your first victory.
Question: Who do you think will be the next winner next different winner?
Question: Has having a partner, has that added anything to you to your racing style, to your confidence? I know this is the first year you have had a partner - did it add anything to you this year?
T.E. McHale: We will wrap it up for today. We want to thank Helio for joining us this afternoon. Helio, thanks for being with us. Congratulations again on a great first victory and best of luck in this weekend Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200, presented by Texaco, at Portland International Raceway and through the rest of the FedEx Championship Series season.
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