CART MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 9, 1999

Dario Franchitti

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Physically, when I was in Scotland, I spent a lot of time really in the gym working on upper body, and, in fact, lower body strength as well. Endurance really. Basically the upper body, it takes a tremendous pounding: Neck, shoulders, arms, even the lower back. But you need to work on your legs because you obviously have to support them with G-force and you've got a lot of pressure on the brake pedals. When I came over to Florida, I started concentrating on the aerobic stuff: Riding a bike for long distances, running on the beach, build up, that sort of thing. It was difficult to do in Scotland because it was too cold. But there's no substitute for miles in the car. I think because I tested more this year there's also been a help in the physical side of things, but it's going to be a battle. I think I'm going to do some more just after the first race. I go to New York as well.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: That's my old trainer. He's got various drivers coming over from different parts of the world.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Anthony Mathis (ph).

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I don't know.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: The road course test, first of all, was really encouraging at Homestead -- not Homestead. Sebring. Sorry. We had also been quick at Firebird when we tested there. We had basically -- so the car feels pretty similar to the way it did last year on the road courses, which I hope is a good thing, because the car was competitive. If it had been competitive last year it would be competitive this year, but we will soon find out. But I'm very happy with the way that side of things is going. Obviously on the oval, spring training was a big disappointment because we haven't anywhere here near the pace of the race which was evident. Luckily I managed to sneak in a couple of days of testing down there last week and we gained about half a second on the time we had done previously, within 2/10 of the best time I think. But we were consistent which I think was more important to me. We got the car to behave consistently throughout a long run, throughout the changing conditions, which was really more important for me. So I'm a lot happier with the way things have worked here.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think they have made a tremendous amount of progress with the engine but again other people have done the same thing; so they have to keep ahead of the game. But there's still work to be done, but very encouraging.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I don't think we have to do anything to replace Alex. I don't think that was one of the major issues. I think Alex took the headlines because he's winning the most races and rightly so. I think the series itself will create the headlines by the competitiveness of the racing and the excitement that it generates, really. I think NASCAR is a different type of racing, and then you have, you know, champ car has got its own particular style of race.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Obviously, if you put on a good show, there's not a lot you can do. And I think CART are always striving to get more fans. Fans are the people who make the sport happen, really; and obviously, we want to put a good show on for the fans and get as many fans as possible. So that's something CART and the drivers and everybody involved in the series is particularly aware of, and we just do the best we can on that side of things.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: You have to describe it as the closest, most competitive, fastest automobile racing series in the world. That's the way I see it. You have the most diversity with road course, street course, oval, super speedway, short oval. Really a very challenging for the driver and a very challenging series, and it has a huge -- huge different amount of things to offer the fans because of the different challenges that are faced by a team and driver, and really the competitiveness of the racing, which is incredibly close.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Not at all. I think the series is doing just the right job on that side of things. I think obviously the marketing -- I think the marketing side of things, more can be done to reach a wider audience and has to be worked upon now by CART; so I don't think we're trying to be too much to everybody. I think we're just putting on the best show that we can and I think it's a great show. And as I said before, all these different disciplines makes the championship.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I don't know. I certainly -- I realize how competitive it is from my side of things, and I realize that I'm fighting against some very, very talented people. I know back in Europe they see the championship now as incredibly competitive and full of, you know, fast drivers and they think it's great racing. As for the fans over here perceive it, I think they see it the same way. I think the level is -- the level of talent is incredible in the series, not only with drivers, but through the whole teams.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: The cover stories are nice, I must admit. But I think there's been a lot of talk and a lot of buildup to the season. And I think because of last season's championship results, they are picking certain people and saying these are the guys that are going -- are going to be the championship favorites. And really, it doesn't affect me the way -- I think -- it's nice that people, you know, appreciate what I did last year and the team did. And to see us as a championship challenge -- it really doesn't make any difference. The only way we're going to challenge for the championship is if score good points and win good races, and when we're not winning good races scoring good points. That way, it really doesn't affect me and I'm not really too worried about whether they label me championship favorite or no hope. We just go out and do the best job we can, and hopefully that's good enough.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think it's good they are talking about me. I think it shows we are doing something right; and obviously, the team is included in that equation. We're doing something right. That's what you aim for. You aim for success. When you do win, then the attention comes with that; so as long as they are talking about me, hopefully I'll be winning. It's a necessary part of the whole game.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: That's something -- I've never spoke to him about NASCAR. Speaking to him after the Iroq race, he enjoyed it. He was very excited about it. I think he really enjoyed that type of racing; so maybe I wouldn't be too surprised. But that would be a great loss to automobile racing if he did move over to NASCAR. But again, that's Greg's career and I'm sure Rick and Greg will do what's best for him.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think I've got to look at winning the championship before anything like that happens. There will be 20 incredibly tough races this year. My focus is to do my very best job for Team Green; so really that's all I'm thinking about at the moment. Formula 1 is something I definitely want to do in the future under the right conditions to give myself the best chance for success over there.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Paul definitely has the talent to that. No doubt about it. He's one of the fastest guys out there and there's not many faster. Off-season-wise, I think Paul's had a very good off-season. We tested at Homestead last week and he was -- he was as quick as anybody down there. He was -- he was driving incredibly well just now. I know he's one race down, but I don't think it will take him long to make up the deficit. I think he could be a real contender this year. But again, there's 15 guys I would say that have a realistic shot, and the ones who put it together most consistent are going to be looking towards the championship.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Not a lot, really. The front wing is different. There's some under -- some aerodynamics under the floor are a little different. A little different side board detail. Cockpit is slightly narrower, I think. That's about it.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Very similar to last year. One other thing, the steering comes out at a different angle which I don't like. They have to modify that. It feels great. It feels same as it did last year on the road courses. On the oval the car is actually starting to feel better than it did last year, which is good.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I certainly try to look at it one race at a time. I don't think it's sensible to plan any further ahead. You have to just look at doing the best job that you can at any one -- any given weekend. And every weekend is obviously about finishing in the highest position you can in the race, because that's what gives you the points. That's points on a qualifying car, not a race car. You have to finish the race and get the points.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: It's something we definitely talked about last year and we have to finish races because we're a brand new outfit. The fact that we have two new cars and two new drivers, they had never won two cars before. I think now we're in a different situation. We have a year of experience together. And I think we expect a little bit more, but again same thing holed true. You must score points.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think we're doing slightly more. I would think we're doing slightly more testing preseason. I think we were -- a bit more constructed about the whole thing because we've really -- over the last season found what the problems we face are, and the consistent problems we find; so we're now trying to deal with those. And we have some definite problems to start. I think the other difference is we're doing a lot more work with Firestone, developing the road course tire, and that's obviously given us more miles and insight into the way they are building the tires.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: Really just worked to get the car as consistent as possible. We really worked at Homestead through the end of the season; so we've really been kind of limiting the miles I've done on the ovals. I think the next couple of months the ovals' testing program is going to be pretty severe. We're going to be doing some serious miles there. (inaudible) I think there's no substitute for mileage on the oval, and that's what we're aiming to do to try and improve my performance. I think obviously sometimes Fontana we were right up at the front. Milwaukee, at the last, we were running pretty competitive as well; so I think it's all coming together on the oval.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think so. I think once you've won a race, once I won that first one, now I know what it's all about: How to put myself in a position to win races. I felt more confident of the ability to do that. It just helps in that way I think that's something I can carry over, not only on this season, but definitely in the future.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I don't know if I am going to be a championship contender, to be honest. I don't try and look in the crystal ball and say because we were quick last year we're necessarily going to be good this year. I just hope that the work that we're putting in in the off-season in the preseason testing and the momentum we had from last year all carries over and allows us to become a championship contender, but that's not something that I expect. I don't think it's my right to be up there at the front. I think we're going to have to work for it. I don't think because we had a good season necessarily means we're going to have it this year. I think we're going to have to work bloody hard to get out in front and stay there.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I think I've paid the dues as much as anybody else, to be honest. I think -- and I think I'm in the same boat as anybody else. I think it's just a case of you have to work hard to be up there. I think there's no -- if you're doing to win a championship, you're not doing to cruise to it because nobody has any -- any right just to be up there. Everybody is going to have to work hard to do that. And I'm a realist and I suppose being Scottish, a little bit of a pessimist in a way. I don't count my chickens before they hatch.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I'm not sure exactly what I expected. Obviously, when you get in the car, you -- I try to be at the front all the time. It's -- and when I'm not, I'm very disappointed; so I always hoped I'd get to this position, but I didn't expect it. It's been an interesting development in that right from the start, we were sometimes in a position to win races but we just didn't do it. And it took so long of just knocking on the door and then it finally happened. So it's been an interesting development the way it's all come about.

DARIO FRANCHITTI: I didn't know that first year. When I sat in the car for the first time, when I sat in the car at spring training in 1997, I didn't really expect to be up in the front. But when I went to go to St. Louis and was at the front and almost won the race, I thought to myself: I can win one of these thing. And then from that point on, I was thinking "I can win it," and when it didn't happen, it was very frustrating.