Race No. 6
Motorola 300
Gateway International Raceway — Madison, Illinois
May 22-24, 1997
Friday Quotes from drivers and managers at Gateway:| Index of Quotes available | ||
|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL ANDRETTI | PARTICK CARPENTIER | DARIO FRANCHITTI |
| BRYAN HERTA | PARKER JOHNSTONE | ROBERTO MORENO |
| BOBBY RAHAL | AL UNSER JR | BARRY GREEN |
 | Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford Cosworth XD |
| MICHAEL ANDRETTI | |
| "I tried to haul it in (the corners) harder but it went straight. The car had too much push. I knew we didn't have enough for the pole but I thought we'd be about sixth fastest. I certainly didn't think we would be 11th. If you're not the quickest, you're never happy. We have our work cut out for us definitely because there aren't many places to pass. The passing will be going into the corners but not in them. I hope I'm the one doing all the passing. It would be nice to win the race on my 200th start. It doesn't feel like it's my 200th considering I can remember most of the races. Hopefully this race will be a good memory. We need to have a strong finish for the PPG Cup. This track produces a lot of G's (G-forces) and there is a lot of strain on the equipment. I don't feel any strain because of the G's but I think it's because I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. If you're not the quickest, you're never happy." | |
 | Marlboro Penske Mercedes |
| AL UNSER, Jr. | |
| "We had a good run today in the Marlboro car. CART had laid some sealer on the track in between our practice and qualifying sessions and we weren't sure how that would affect our car. Luckily I had the luxury of my cousin Robby going out to qualify in his Indy Lights car prior to our qualifying session and he told me turn two was a little bit slick. Paul (Tracy) went out before me during our qualifying and basically said the same thing. We were a little bit concerned, so we took some front wing out and we ended up with a push in the car. This is the best we've qualified (sixth) so far this year. The Marlboro cars are awesome on ovals, so we're looking for some good results and more points towards the PPG Cup once the checkered flag falls tomorrow." | |
 | Kmart/Budweiser Swift Ford Newman/Haas Racing |
| ROBERTO MORENO | |
| "The balance of the car was good this morning and it improved for qualifying. We had a problem this morning with the valve and we solved it just before qualifying but we still had to make a conservative run since we didn't know what to expect. The system takes a while to re-set. The car is set up well for the race. This is the best we've had the car so far. I feel more comfortable in the car on an oval." | |
 | Shell Reynard Ford Team Rahal |
| BRYAN HERTA | |
| "I had a lot of understeer. I went into Turn 1 and the car just wouldn't turn like in practice. Then I'd hit the brakes and lose momentum through the corner. I think the sun made the track slippery. The track changed a lot and that could be a problem as more cars run on it. The race is going to be interesting because it's brand new to everyone. With no history to it (the track), all of the teams are in a similar situation. Just hope your racing setup is good. Otherwise it could be a long day on Saturday." | |
 | Team Kool Green Reynard Honda |
| PARKER JOHNSTONE | |
| "The car was very good in One and Two and we just had a small problem in Three and Four which hurt us a little bit. I had to lift fairly substantially mid-corner, which cost us quite a bit and killed our lap time. We could have gotten a few more tenths out of the run, so I'm disappointed. I know the car had more in it." "I'm very pleased that we stayed in the top ten. Any starting position behind the front row will be tough here, but a gain in position is definitely more significant when you're within the top ten." | |
 | Bettenhaused Racing Alumax Aluminium Reynard Mercedes-Benz |
| PATRICK CARPENTIER | |
| "It was the best time we've done all weekend. On my first lap I tried to take it easy just so we could qualify for the race. But for my second lap, I got on the radio to my engineer (Tom Brown) and told him I was going to try much harder and might not make it around! I found out that the car stuck and it's too bad that I didn't have another qualifying lap because I know it would have been faster." | |
 | Miller Lite Reynard Ford Team Rahal |
| BOBBY RAHAL | |
| "We had the turbocharger boost valve blow about six times during my two qualifying laps. Coming off Turn 2 the car wouldn't accelerate like it did this morning. The car actually felt pretty good but we just lost some power with the valve. I think it will be hard to pass in the race because the track is so fast. But the racing groove is widening and we always seem to find places to pass." | |
 | Hogan Racing Reynard Mercedes |
| DARIO FRANCHITTI | |
| "This was the fastest we went all weekend. I'm really happy and really happy for the guys on the team. CART racing is so competitive; you can't lay back, you've got to attack. I'm getting used to the G's on the ovals, but this place is really, really fast. We'll see what will happen tomorrow. We've been running the same engine all weekend, so we'll change it for tomorrow." | |
 | Team Kool Green Team manager |
| BARRY GREEN | |
| "I'm very, very pleased with our starting position. It will put us in a great spot to take advantage of pit stops and move ahead, which is one of our strengths. Considering the track conditions - being such a big adjustment and brand new - I think we put forth a good effort." | |