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 | Target Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard Honda |
| Photo: Scott Hughes JIMMY VASSER | |
| [on testing at Mid-Ohio] "We weren't able to get everything done we wanted at the June test [at Mid-Ohio], so I went back for another day when Alex [Zanardi] was there. We finished up our list then. It seemed like we were coming to terms with the setup, and Alex had a good test, so I'm optimistic. You have a lot of very talented and competitive drivers and teams in CART. Not only that, you have four competing chassis manufacturers, four different engine suppliers and two tire companies. Everyone is constantly working to find more speed. The technical development never stops. Every year we say the series is more competitive, and it is. We're getting to the point where you can only split a second, no, tenths and thousands of a second so many ways. You look at the times after qualifying and it's incredible how closely bunched the field is week after week. That's why the testing is so important." | |
 | Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford Cosworth XD |
| MICHAEL ANDRETTI | |
| [on his enjoyment of Mid-Ohio and its importance to the championship] "Mid-Ohio is a great race track. It compares to some of the best race tracks in the world. First and foremost, I just plain love to race, but it's even more enjoyable at a track like Mid-Ohio. I've had good success at Mid-Ohio in the past. I'm counting on it continuing this coming Sunday. It's been a race that either helped me for the championship or hurt me for the championship. It's such an important time of year and we're still in the hunt for the PPG Cup, so every single race is the most important race of the season. The timing of the race within the schedule is what makes it so important. This is the home stretch of the season. My favorite part of the Mid-Ohio course is the back part, where you come off the back straightaway and go around the woop-ti-doo's' [five successive turns]. It's the most exciting for me. Whether you come out to the track or watch the race on ABC, this is the most exciting part of the track. The whole area is like a roller coaster ride because of the elevation changes. To win the championship in this series really means a lot because you have to get the most out of the car and the driver on the super speedways like the last race in Michigan and on the road courses like Mid-Ohio. To win the PPG Cup really has become quite a feat these days with the competition as tough as it is. Having said that, I think we still have a shot at the PPG Cup. We don't compete to finish second; we compete to win. We're only 24 points out of first place so anything is possible. There's no time like the present, though. The whole Kmart/Texaco team has worked really hard this year to win the championship. I've never seen the guys more determined. We just need a little luck at this stage of the season." | |
 | Marlboro Penske Mercedes |
| AL UNSER, Jr. | |
 | Ralphs/Food 4 Less Della Penna Racing Lola Ford |
| RICHIE HEARN | |
| [on his first PPG CART World Series event at Mid-Ohio] "I've won there in Atlantics, but this will be my first CART start there. We tested there a couple of times. Mid-Ohio requires a well-balanced car and we might struggle a little bit. Testing there helps me get more acquainted with the track, but we've changed this car so much that that our testing goes out the window. The good news is that Lola is coming out with a completely new under tray package for Mid-Ohio that we hope will help matters considerably. We've got to get a little creative here with five races left in the season so we can cook up some good results." | |
 | Kmart/Budweiser Swift Ford Newman/Haas Racing |
| CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI | |
| [on the attraction of Mid-Ohio] "Mid-Ohio is a very nice place to go racing because of the uphill and downhill corners. It's the same style I've raced on since I was 11. I really enjoy racing at Mid-Ohio. It's a drivers' track. In my opinion, it's one of the toughest tracks we race on all year. It's tough physically on the driver. To be able to be quick throughout the entire race, you have to be physically fit. It's a real test of both man and machine at Mid-Ohio. The layout produces some of the best racing in our series... For me, Mid-Ohio will always hold a special place in my mind because that was where I drove for the first time since my accident in Australia [Fittipaldi drove at Mid-Ohio during the two-day CART open test, June 10-11]. It was a real moment of truth for me. The track is very tough. I knew if it could be competitive at Mid-Ohio, I could be competitive on any track that we race. It was definitely a very monumental time in my career. I'm looking forward to racing there. We were running strong [second place] at the road courses in Portland and Cleveland. We had some bad luck in both of those races, so hopefully, our bad luck is behind us. I would have thought that we had used up a career's worth of bad luck after Australia, but we gambled on the tires and lost in Portland, had an airjack malfunction after running second in Cleveland, and also had problems in Michigan. It's time for some good luck at Mid-Ohio. My number one goal this season is to win my first CART race. I want to repay Newman/Haas, Kmart and Budweiser for their support through my recovery. I'll take a win at any track, but a win at Mid-Ohio would be especially nice." | |
 | MCI Arciero Wells Reynard Toyota |
| MAX PAPIS | |
| [on returning to the site of his PPG CART World Series career debut] "It's really special for me to go back to Mid-Ohio. It's where I started my CART career and where I had my first experience with the Arciero-Wells/MCI Racing team. I think we can expect a lot from this weekend since we've been testing there and we have a good setup for the car. I think we will have our best chance of improving on our best qualifying position [17th at Laguna Seca in '96] this weekend. It's definitely going to be really special to reach the one-year point of my CART career. It's a great race track where a driver can really make a difference." | |
 | Pennzoil Special Reynard Ford Davis/Craig Racing |
| GUALTER SALLES | |
| [on Mid-Ohio as a driver's circuit] "Mid-Ohio is a great circuit, and it's probably the most difficult of all the road courses we will visit this year. It's really hard to get any sort of rhythm on this track, but it is the type of track where the driver can carry the car if the car is not perfect. This is a real driver's track. Mid-Ohio is also a physical track because there is only one place for a driver to catch his breath each lap, but only if you are running in traffic. If the weather is hot, I think a driver will be more exhausted after 200 miles here than after 500 miles at Michigan. After the way we started the season, it's good to see us qualifying well and running to the finish. I think we are turning the corner as a team and spirits are up everywhere. If we run well through the end of the season, I think we still have a shot at the rookie championship and that was our goal for the season." | |
 | Shell Reynard Ford Team Rahal |
| BRYAN HERTA | |
| [on the "home" track advantage] "One of the big advantages to living in Columbus now and having our team's headquarters here is being so close to Mid-Ohio. We've been able to test at the track several times already this season and have run very competitively. That kind of familiarity breeds confidence and that's something we'll need plenty of come race day. We've had strong cars the last three series races, having made the podium at Cleveland and the top five at the U.S. 500. We were on that same kind of string last year when we arrived at Mid-Ohio and we rode that momentum to a fourth-place finish. Let's hope we'll be a few rungs farther up the ladder late Sunday afternoon." | |
 | Team Kool Green Reynard Honda |
| PARKER JOHNSTONE | |
| [on setting up for Mid-Ohio] "The Mid-Ohio course has both high- and low-speed corners and significant elevation changes that really put us to the test in getting the car's balance right. We've completed several tests at the course, so we have a pretty good handle on how to prepare the car for the particular challenges that accompany variety. The Mid-Ohio course is one of the best tracks for spectators. You wouldn't think that of a long road course., but the slower turns and elevation changes allow for some really great spectator mounds that are right in the middle of the action. Having been a spectator there myself over the years, I've come to appreciate the fan-friendly, family atmosphere the track has increasingly fostered." | |
 | Target Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard Honda |
| ALEX ZANARDI | |
| [on setting up for Mid-Ohio] "Since last year, we have less downforce on the cars [due to rule changes]. Last year the cars were much more forgiving. This year, if the setup is not right, you cannot rely only on a new set of Firestone tires to go fast. Finding the balance is much more crucial. I believe it takes much longer to find a setup and go fast. Nevertheless, I am confident. I believe we were understanding things on our car by the end of our three-day test and were going very fast. I hope the circuit will not change much when we go back for the race. I hope the car is good out of the box, as it was at Cleveland [where Zanardi won from the pole]." | |
 | Bettenhaused Racing Alumax Aluminium Reynard Mercedes-Benz |
| PATRICK CARPENTIER | |
| [on maintaining momentum] "It [the car] was magic at Michigan. We were quick from the very beginning and I can only hope that we can carry that to Mid-Ohio. We had a good test there in June and this is one of the few tracks I've tested at where we actually race, so I feel optimistic about our chances for another good weekend." | |
 | Miller Lite Reynard Ford Team Rahal |
| BOBBY RAHAL | |
| [on his affection for Mid-Ohio] "This track is very special to me, that's no secret. I've always enjoyed driving this circuit and have enjoyed more than a few successes here during my career. Michelle [Trueman-Gajoch] has done a superb job with the upkeep and improvements, keeping this track as competitor-, fan- and sponsor-friendly as any in the world. As many laps as we turn at this track in testing each season, it would be unimaginable not to race well here. We were competitive all weekend here last year and scored a couple of top-five finishes. We'll expect no less this weekend. Mid-Ohio is a great race for our team. It's great to be able to have so many of our employees, family members and friends up from Columbus for the race. It's also great having Miller Brewing Company play such a key part in the event. Their support means a lot to us and it means a lot to motor racing." | |
 | Castrol/Jockey AAR Racing Reynard Toyota |
| P.J. JONES | |
| [on his affection for Mid-Ohio] "I love Mid-Ohio; it's a great track. I won my first Indy Lights race there. I only hope that I have a better result than I did last year. The car caught fire last year and I think I finished 25th. I think the best part of the track is Turn 1. It's a left-hander and time-wise, it's a big part of the track." | |
 | Castrol/Jockey AAR Racing Reynard Toyota |
| JUAN MANUEL FANGIO II | |
| [on returning to road courses] "It's nice to be back on the road courses. I'm really looking forward to Mid-Ohio. We had a chance to test at Mid-Ohio earlier this year, but we'll still be faced with some limitations. We had a good run going at Michigan and hopefully, we'll be able to do the same at Mid-Ohio. The track is very demanding, with all the different turns, and the hot ticket is to have a really good set-up." | |
 | Hasseroder Project Indy Lola Ford Cosworth |
| ARND MEIER | |
| [on maintaining momentum at Mid-Ohio] "After scoring our first point in Michigan, the whole team is very motivated. Now, we're looking forward to Mid-Ohio's road course. There's still a lot of work to do. We are constantly having traction problems. However, we will make the best out of it. For me, the season will be finished soon. I'm looking forward to my last two races so far, ready to step on the throttle!" | |
Source: CART News Service