Detroit 1996 PPG Indy Car World Series

Race No. 8

ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix
Detroit, MI
June 9, 1996

Friday Quotes from drivers at Belle Isle:
MARK BLUNDELL GIL DE FERRAN ROBBY GORDON
MAURICIO GUGELMIN BRYAN HERTA JEFF KROSNOFF
BOBBY RAHAL PAUL TRACY AL UNSER JR


Tracy Pict #3 Marlboro
Penske Mercedes

PAUL TRACY

"The car was running well at times in practice this morning, but we're still struggling with the setup. My car is loose at high speeds and is bouncing all over the track. It's real edgy and has gotten sideways, especially over the bridge. We're looking at some changes for tomorrow, and hopefully, we'll make gains on the overall balance of my Marlboro car."

Unser Pict #2 Marlboro
Penske Mercedes

AL UNSER, Jr.

"This morning in practice, we were trying to get the car's overall setup working better, especially through the corners. The changes we made from practice to qualifying didn't help us that much, because my Marlboro car is bouncing all over the place. Towards the end of the session, we found some things to make the car a little more comfortable, so I think we're going in the right direction."

Blundell Pict #21 PacWest
Reynard Ford Cosworth

MARK BLUNDELL

"Right now, I've got nothing good to say about the car. There's no bite going into the turns and there's an incredible amount of push. Then, in the mid-corner and exit, the car goes loose. We didn't do a good job of anticipating what the track conditions would be like this afternoon, so we were off a bit. But, we should have a better read of the track by tomorrow."

de Ferran Pict #8 Pennzoil Special
Reynard Honda
Hall Racing

GIL de FERRAN

"I think the track puts more emphasis on two things. Starting position and pit work are very important here."

Herta Pict #28 Shell
Reynard Mercedes-Benz
Team Rahal

BRYAN HERTA

"The track was getting better as the session went on, but I got caught in traffic. Of course, that's always a complaint here at Belle Isle. The car was a little loose coming off the corners, and that didn't help my time. If the rain doesn't continue tonight and Saturday, I'm sure the track will improve for Saturday's qualifying. We'll have to adjust for the additional traction. We'll also use some of Bobby's experience from this place to help us with our setup."

Gordon Pict #5 Valvoline/Cummins/Craftsman Special
Reynard Ford

ROBBY GORDON

"We made some changes just before qualifying. We made it a little better. Probably about 25 percent better. But, we still need to work on it. We're having some other problems, too. Basically, we have some sorting out to do with a few things. It wasn't the qualifying run that we wanted. Plus, I knew some guys would go quicker in the second session."

Krosnoff Pict #25 Arciero-Wells Racing
Reynard Toyota

JEFF KROSNOFF

"It's a lot more fun in my IndyCar than my rental car. Our second session was much better. The car was better, and I was more comfortable. It's quite a fun circuit to drive, from a driving point of view. From a racing point of view, it will be tough, because there's not a lot of room to pass. I think there is room for improvement and we are going to go back right now and study the telemetry and have a think about it."

Rahal Pict #18 Miller Racing
Reynard Mercedes-Benz
Team Rahal

BOBBY RAHAL

"We came here to Detroit with an idea about our setup. Bryan [Herta] had a very good test at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, and we learned quite a bit about the Reynard [chassis]. I think we've been a little behind with the car. But I feel comfortable with it now. You have to get a good rhythm here at Belle Isle. It's a tough place to drive. You must drive hard into the corners, but not too hard. Because those walls come up quickly. I thought I had a chance for pole today, but it's so easy to get caught up with other cars. Traffic is always a problem here. And passing isn't easy either."

Gugelmin Pict #17 Hollywood
Reynard Ford
photo Mike Levitt

MAURICIO GUGELMIN

"I'm not really happy with our qualifying run. We ran out of fuel on my last lap, when I thought I had a pretty good run going. "It's almost like we had just a half-day on track because that first practice session was so confusing with that change in conditions. But we're close. The car is not too bad."