Race No. 3
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Long Beach — Long Beach, California
April 16-18, 1999
Saturday Quotes from Long Beach: | Valvoline/Cummins/Craftsman Special Walker Racing Reynard Honda Qualified: 7th |
| GIL de FERRAN | |
| I think the tire performance today was much better. The conditions today definitely suited the tires better. We managed to improve the car quite a bit from yesterday and I think the condition of the track played into our hands a little bit. We were struggling with the grip yesterday and I think more rubber and higher temperature helped today. We think we can run a very fast and consistent race and hopefully that will be enough to get us a podium finish. | |
 | Forsythe Player's/Indeck Reynard Mercedes Qualified: 8th |
| GREG MOORE | |
| We've improved but we still have a ways to go. Our goalright now is to leave Long Beach leading in points for the Championship.We're all very committed to doing everything we can to produce a winningeffort. The first part of the track here is very tight, but it's the same foreverybody. We'll have to run a smart race and take advantageof whatever opportunities are presented to us to move to the front. It's definitely not an easy track to stay out of trouble. We made small changes in qualifying, no big changes. Mercedes has made so many gains during the off season, but Honda and Ford have taken that next step. The only passing points are in the straights, and the race is going to come down to whose tires go off first. We've been very consistent on old tires. | |
 | Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Swift Ford Qualified: 13th |
| MICHAEL ANDRETTI | |
| I ran into some traffic on my fast lap and the time would haveput us about sixth. Passing here is going to be very hard. It's goingto be a typical street race where qualifying is going to be important.When I was on my fast lap I was pumped. One thing that was promisingthat came out of the session was that we were as fast on used tires aswe were on new tires. | |
 | MCI Worldcom Arciero-Wells Reynard Toyota Qualified: 16th |
| CRISTIANO DA MATTA | |
| The session this afternoon wasn't too bad. We had problems this morning, because we tried to go in a different direction with the car that didn't work. We had a great car yesterday, I just had trouble with traffic on my biggest laps. We went back to our set-up from yesterday and made improvements. I think we pulled almost everything out of the car today that we could. | |
 | Pioneer Arciero-Wells Reynard Toyota Qualified: 20th |
| SCOTT PRUETT | |
| We're disappointed that we suffered a penalty from our incident yesterday, because it only allowed us 22 minutes of qualifying time today. We had a great lap going at the end of the session, too, but we didn't get it. Today we made some improvements to the car, but it wasn't quite where we wanted it. We did make gains, though, and we'll continue to make improvements tonight that will hopefully pay off for us in the race tomorrow. The changes in the track make a big difference, especially in the roundabout - as I painfully found out yesterday, along with a few other guys. That area is going to be the one to watch tomorrow, because it's narrow with tight angles and no escape road. Overall, I like the changes because they make the track more technical and demanding. Traffic is the biggest thing to deal with here during the race. That and the roundabout turn at the start will be the biggest challenges for everyone. | |
 | Kmart/Texaco Havoline Newman/Haas Racing Swift Ford Qualified: 11th |
| CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI | |
| The engine stopped when I was going through the hairpin at the end of thesession. We had a good time going when that happened. Starting from11th is going to be difficult because that's where trouble usuallyhappens. | |
 | Herdez Competition Payton/Coyne Lola Ford Qualified: 23rd |
| MICHEL JOURDAIN | |
| I think we were going to do a lot better than what we put on thetable. The car is a lot better but we still have a way to go. The Lolais a very good car and this morning I think we proved a lot but wedidn't put it together for this afternoon. | |
 | Miller Lite Team Rahal Reynard Ford Qualified: 4th |
| MAX PAPIS | |
| We are veryhappy with the way the Miller Lite car is running. We are not there atthe moment completely but we are learning a lot and this place is goingto be a very important race for us. Considering that this was the firstreal qualifying we have done on a road course with Team Rahal I think wehave done very well. We still have a bit of understeer and we need towork that out. I tell you, I am super happy, the second time startingon the second row is like a dream for me. The track is a bit narrow inparts but no one is going to win the race on the first lap. It's thelast lap that counts. I was out there using the walls a bit on my quickruns. They helped me go fast. | |
 | Shell Team Rahal Reynard Ford Qualified: 3rd |
| BRYAN HERTA | |
| I am happy withthe run. I don't know why we couldn't go faster on the second set oftires. The car was pushing like crazy on the second set. We didn'thave enough time to get heat in the tires when we went out right beforethey threw the checkered flag for the session. We were going to give ita shot but we ran out of time. The race tomorrow is going to be wild.I think the turn at the fountain, where a few guys have had troublealready this weekend, is going to be interesting. If somebody getsjammed up there it tends to block the whole track and that's going to bea worry point. Also just trying to keep your nose clean and workthrough traffic is going to be more difficult here now. We didn't get where we wanted with the car, but it was close. We definitely wanted to start in the first two rows. Tony has the decision how to start for the new first turn. Either set up on the outside for Turn 1 or take the inside. Being right behind Tony for the start, I have a vested interest in his decision. | |
 | Team Kool Green Reynard Honda Qualified: 2nd |
| DARIO FRANCHITTI | |
| It was a great recovery for Team KOOL Green to bring out the spare car after the primary car went into the wall in morning practice. I'm frustrated not to be on the pole because the crew did an amazing job getting my spare ready so fast. Second is great, but it's not the pole. The car is very good, so we're in good shape for the race. Making it clean through the first turn should not be a problem. Tony (Kanaan) and I have run close together in the past. I hope it's a clean start and a first lap after that. The guys just need to remember that you can't win the race on the first lap. It's good for Tony to be on the pole. It's really good to see him up there. Although, I told him that you always have an excuse for not winning when you're not on the pole. But, despite our problems... no excuses, we just weren't quick enough today. | |
 | Team Kool Green Reynard Honda Qualified: 10th |
| PAUL TRACY | |
| It's just a matter of getting a clear lap and I couldn't find one late in the session. I was on a fast lap there at the end and then the final yellow came out. Team KOOL Green has both cars starting in the first third of the field, which I hope will keep us out of trouble in Turn 1. The car has got a good balance and we should be competitive in the race. It's a long race and the key is to keep it off the walls. | |
 | Target Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard Honda Qualified: 5th |
| JUAN MONTOYA | |
| In the first run, we struggled some with the brake balance. I couldn't get it right. I changed it and it wasn't the right way to go. The car was a bit loose, so we did some changes, and I was a tenth (of a second) off Dario and that was good. But then, we did some changes and went out and the car had too much push and then we got the red. We couldn't do anything. We're very competitive. | |
 | McDonald'sForsythe Championship Racing Team Reynard Honda Qualified: 1st |
| TONY KANAAN | |
| We had a problem with the gearbox on our primary car this morning. Weswitched to the backup car and we were 0.5 seconds quicker. About 10minutes before qualifying, we decided to withdraw the primary car andtake a chance with the backup car. It was a gamble, but it paid off. Iam very happy and very proud of my guys -- the Drive-Thru Crew. I knowI still have a lot to learn, but I have more experience now. McDonald'shas given us the opportunity to do more testing -- we've done over twicethe amount we did last year already -- and that has made a bigdifference as well. As Steve (Horne) says, we have no excuses thisyear. [On winning the watches from his Drive-Thru Crew]: I made a bet with my guys before the practice session this morning. I collect wristwatches, and I told my guys on the radio that they wouldhave to give me their watches if I got the pole position. If I didn't,I would buy them dinner. They all took off their watches and gave themto me after qualifying. I have to lend them back this evening so theywill be on time for the race tomorrow. | |
 | Tecate Beer/Quaker State Patrick Racing Swift Ford Qualified: 6th |
| ADRIAN FERNANDEZ | |
| We made a big change at the end to get the balance better and itworked. I needed to do one lap and that's all it took. This is a verytwisty track and it takes a lot of concentration. A good finish for ushere is important especially after what happened to us in Miami becausewe need to catch up in the points. | |
| Valvoline/Cummins/Craftsman Special Walker Racing Reynard Honda Qualified: 7th |
| GIL de FERRAN | |
| Today went much better. Yesterday, we were fighting for grip. But we put our heads together last night and managed to improve the car a bit. | |
 | Tang Payton/Coyne Reynard Ford Qualified: 27th |
| LUIZ GARCIA JR. | |
| We losta lot of time on the track this weekend so far battling gearboxproblems. I wish we would have had some time to test on a road coursebefore coming here but it won't be until after Rio that I will test on aroad course. I need all the time I can get out there to learn the carslimits and how to get the best out of the tires, engine and chassiscombination because I am still learning it. | |
 | Forsythe Player's/Indeck Reynard Mercedes Qualified: 17th |
| PATRICK CARPENTIER | |
| I'm looking forward to the race, despite the problems we've had, becausewe're not that far behind in speed, and this is a road course which Ienjoy. We'll give it all we've got. | |
 | Patrick Racing Visteon Swift Ford Qualified: 15th |
| P.J. JONES | |
| I am muchhappier than I was yesterday. We got our act together today. We reallystruggled yesterday and I didn't get the best out of it that I can.Traffic hurt us a little today. I had a few good laps put together butran into some guys on the track that tripped me up a bit. But the Swiftis coming along and we are in the ballpark. | |
 | Team Gordon Reynard Toyota Qualified: 21st |
| ROBBY GORDON | |
| What this all comes down to is time ... how much qualitytime you can spend getting your car right. Essentially, you can callthis our second day of winter testing because this is only the secondday we've ever run this car on a road course. It hurts to lose 30minutes of track time, like we did this morning. We came out forqualifying about where we left the practice session this morning.Things are so incredibly competitive out here, it's essential that youget the most out of each and every session on the track. Looking aheadto the race, there's definitely more left in the car. But it surewould've been nice to work on the things that needed working on out onthe track today. | |