CHAMP CAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 5, 2004

A.J. Allmendinger

Ryan Dalziel

Bruno Junqueira

Jhonny Miller

Danica Patrick

Jonathan Summerton

Justin Wilson

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Thanks for having me.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: It feels great for many reasons. It was a great achievement for the team, not only with myself finishing third but for Michelle to be second. We've been making progress each weekend. You know, for me, I was just pleased to get the finish that I felt like I deserved because two weeks before that I had kind of thrown a couple good finishes away with driver errors. So, you know, I'm looking forward to the rest of the season because I think we've gotten stronger each weekend and now finally we have the result to show it.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, definitely. At the shop everybody's been working just that much harder, more upbeat. Everybody's just ready to go. And I think with each weekend that passes, as I said, we get stronger, and that just makes the team more excited to come to each race weekend. I'm really looking forward to the race here at Elkhart Lake.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Actually we didn't test here. We had more things to work on than just testing here because I think that was after the Mexico race. Since we were so stellar at the Mexico race, we thought we needed to test more than just at Road America. So I'll tell you tomorrow after practice how I feel about it.

JUSTIN WILSON: Yeah, I'm still with you.

JUSTIN WILSON: Well, for me it's more like what I'm used to. It's similar to the circuits back in Europe so I feel very comfortable here. I did the test, so I know the circuit layout. I'm looking forward to the race weekend. It's an exciting track, very quick corners, not so much runoff in places, which adds to the excitement. As I said, I can't wait to get out there and put the last three weekends behind me.

JUSTIN WILSON: He's very competitive. He's a very good driver and we get on quite well off track. You know, he's a big man. He's taken control at the minute. We're looking to get that back, though. It's a very good battle from both our points of view. We just want to be competitive, trying to learn as quickly as possible, and understand the (inaudible) of Champ Car.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: As I said, I've never been on Rookie-of-the-Year battles. I just didn't want to be the best rookie; I wanted to be the best guy in the series. This year has meant more to me just because of Justin's experience and with each race that I see him drive in, and more importantly each qualifying lap that I see him do, I respect him that much more. I think he's an amazing driver. If I'm able to come out on top in Rookie-of-the-Year, I think it's really going to mean something to me this year just because of the talent that he has. I think if I can accomplish that, it means I really did something this year. I want to know if he's got any advice for me at Road America, because that would be great.

JUSTIN WILSON: Oh, yeah, I've got plenty for you, AJ (laughter).

RYAN DALZIEL: Thanks for having me.

RYAN DALZIEL: Yeah, they started off pretty good. But it was more a destructive day than a constructive day. We ended up having a brake failure and destroyed the car at lunchtime. Before that we were running well. We're pretty confident coming into the weekend. I've been here before. It's good to come back to somewhere like Europe.

RYAN DALZIEL: Yeah, I think this season we had a couple of bad results that put us behind Jon for a couple of races. But we're competitive at (inaudible) team. When we're on track and running, we're always in the top two. I think it's going to be tight. It's by no means over. We've got to keep taking bites at them.

DANICA PATRICK: No problem. Thanks.

DANICA PATRICK: Yeah, I got some running in till the very end of the day, and just was pushing hard enough to do a little bit of damage. But that's just how you find the limit sometimes. Things are going pretty well, though. We're taking chunks out of the time. I've never been here before, so that was my first day. It's a lot of fun. Fast track, that's for sure.

DANICA PATRICK: Good and disappointed that we haven't gotten the win in yet because we've worked hard. The team's worked hard. I know I have. We've done everything else but. You know, we've led the championship for a little while. We've qualified on pole. We've finished second, third, but we just haven't gotten that win yet. It's kind of frustrating, but at the same time, you know, I've got to be happy and grateful for those things so far. I do have a good feeling though, it's coming. I'm very hopeful that we'll get that win in for sure before the season's up.

JOHNNY MILLER: Great to be here.

JOHNNY MILLER: You know, this is probably the longest track we run on, has obviously the most highest sustained speeds for us. The Trans-Am cars, we cruise up along the straightaway about 175 miles an hour. It's a lot of fun.

JOHNNY MILLER: Well, for sure it's the carrousel and the kink, that whole section leading down the straightaway to get into Canada corner, to carry all the speed down at the bottom. Just to get the car to turn, these cars inherently push. They just want to go straight at that speed. So it's kind of tough to deal with. But if you get it dialed in right, you can make it through the kink almost flat. It's a trip.

JOHNNY MILLER: Well, you know, that's a tough team to beat. I was on that team last year. We'll be definitely racing hard between all of us. Got a lot of respect for those guys. But we put a good program together this year. My first Trans-Am out this year will be this race in a Corvette. I've been on the pole here in the Corvette in 2000, we did pretty good then, had a mechanical failure, sidelined us in the lead. Hopefully we can put another Vette in the front.

JOHNNY MILLER: Thank you.

JONATHAN SUMMERTON: Thank you.

JONATHAN SUMMERTON: At the moment in testing, we were fastest over the weekend so far. So we're looking forward to this weekend, definitely a lot. Coming out of the two wins at Cleveland was a real great push up for me and helping me get out there and look forward to the next race.

JONATHAN SUMMERTON: Yes, it is. All the tracks we've been to, first time.

JONATHAN SUMMERTON: Initial impressions, it's a very long track compared to most of the ones we've been to. It's a very nice course, I think.

JONATHAN SUMMERTON: The car are a bit smaller than a Formula 1 car, based off of them. The cars have 140 horsepower, carbon-fiber monocoque. Wings, adjustable wings. Just about everything really. They're a great car. Run on Michelin slicks. A lot of fun.

JONATHAN SUMMERTON: I started out two years ago go-karting, just went from there. Did Rotax Junior, and started -- did a Skip Barber race. That got me into cars. Went over to Valencia, Spain, won a scholarship for Formula BMW USA, and here we are today.

JUSTIN WILSON: Yeah, I believe so. AJ is very quick. We're both in a similar situation where we're in relatively young teams, and the teams are learning very quickly. We're both wanting to be right at the front. I think we're both looking to take on that top step at some point this year as our ultimate goal. That means it's going to push the rookie championship that bit further. We're both very serious and looking to do the best we can.

JUSTIN WILSON: Well, obviously I came from F1. A bit like what AJ said before, I don't really see myself as a rookie. I don't have the experience in using these rules and driving on these circuits. In that respect I am a rookie. But as far as racing, I've been racing since I was eight years old. Yeah, I don't really consider myself a rookie when it comes down to race day.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: There's a difference between where I've come from and where the team's come from. It's been a huge learning curve from the start. I mean, I respected these guys so much when I came into the series and the teams. My respect for everybody has just surpassed anything that I ever believed because it's such a tough series. The cars are very difficult to drive. They're very fun to drive at the same point, except when they handle bad (laughter). So I've had a lot to learn. And the team's been giving me great cars, especially the last few races. As I said, I've made some rookie mistakes throughout the year so far that I'm really hard on myself about because I hate making those mistakes. But, you know, I think Vancouver was just a huge, huge boost of confidence for me because it showed me that I can actually run with these guys, you know, I can do a full race without making many mistakes. When I do that, we can be up front and finish on the podium or even have a chance to win the race. As long as I can continue that, I know RuSPORT and everybody is going to be giving me great cars and the crew is going to be doing a great job. So it's just going be down to me trying to focus on what I need out of me and what I need out of myself. I think with each race that I can continue doing that, we really have a shot by the end of the year to contend for victories.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, Carl, especially with me, he is one of my biggest fans. He believes in me. He tells me that every race. You know, it was emotional for me because I just put so much pressure on myself. The last few weeks before that had been hard on me because, as I said, I made mistakes. I hate doing that. I get down on myself for that. I want to push a hundred percent each time I'm in the car. I don't want to make any mistakes. You know, I start to get down on myself when I do. It was just emotional because right as I got out of the car he whispered in my ear that this is where I belong, I belong on the podium, I belong contending for victories. He knows that. It's just the mood he sets in the pits. He is not just a car owner that is out there for blood, that if we make mistakes he's going to rip into us and say we're on the edge of not keeping our jobs. You know, he's in it for the long haul. He knows how difficult this is. I think anybody that saw him on the pit cart, when we crossed the line, knows how much it means to him, that this is not just a hobby to him, this is his passion. He brings that into the pits. And I bring the same. And I think that's why we have such a good relationship. As you said, it's not just a business relationship. He truly cares about me and what's best for me and what's best for the team, and that's what makes his team so strong.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: Hi, how are you doing?

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: I feel happy and very confident.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: I think Road America is the nicest racetrack in America. It's a proper road course: long, fast. That brings out the best drivers. I've been very fortunate to do well here over the last three years. I love this track. I always race on these kind of tracks throughout my career here, and I think I drive my best on these kind of tracks. I like a lot to race in Road America. I think that's why I did good success here.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: I think the next four races are really good for me, here, Denver, Montreal is a road course as well, and Laguna. I hope I can get really four good races in a row. I hope I can get at least a couple of wins and get the lead back on the championship.

JUSTIN WILSON: Oh, yeah, for sure. I'm very pleased with how my progress is going, the Mi-Jack Conquest team's progress is working out, and also Champ Cars. There's no doubt at the start of the year, it had been through a lot over the winter period, and I think everyone is very pleased to see how it's growing and regaining some of the strength it used to have. Everyone's upbeat. It seems like everyone is talking very positive about the future.

JOHNNY MILLER: I think you'll see more cars showing up for more events, especially towards the end of this year and then into next. There was a lot of uncertainty over the winter. That's kind of affected my deal a little bit. It affected a lot of people. I think that now that all the plans are laid and people have been doing good and races are working out well, the fields are starting to grow. It is kind of going to heal itself is my instinct. Not real close to the political front on that, so I don't have factual answers for you, but that's my opinion anyway.

JUSTIN WILSON: Yeah. As far as the track itself, it's very similar to Brands Hatch GP in England. A bit like (inaudible) in Belgium. It's a great driver's circuit. And the kink is quite important. You need to get through there flat out and carry that speed all the way down the straight. Not only that, you have the carrousel beforehand, which is also a very challenging corner. There's the two right after each other. It gets your blood pumping. It's even more interesting in the wet, as I had a chance to find out the day before we tested in the dry. In the wet, it's very difficult to know where the car's going to be at each lap, but it's quite good fun.

DANICA PATRICK: Oh, absolutely. You know, if somebody said, "You're going to race a car next weekend or something," I'd say, "I don't want to go out there and not potentially look as good as I possibly could." With adequate testing, preparation, absolutely. A car is just a car, you know. If you can drive, you can drive.

DANICA PATRICK: I do think I'll make a move to Champ Cars or IndyCars next year. I don't know which one. We've mildly discussed some things but by no means put my name on the bottom of a piece of paper yet. There are things to go through and issues to address. Ultimately, as repetitive as it is, it very much depends on what the sponsor wants and where they want to go.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: It's been a unique experience, very good and very difficult. Very good is because you can work as a team to make both cars strong and try to finish 1 and 2. But on the other hand a little bit difficult because sometimes when I found something extra, he has as well. And sometimes when he found something extra, I get as well. But I think me and Sebastien are big friends. He's a very nice guy, a very good driver. I respect him a lot. I hope we can be fighting each other till the end of the year. It's better than being fighting with someone of another team. I think the goal for Newman/Haas Racing is finish 1 and 2 in the championship. That is what we are working for.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: First, the weather is very nice today. It's very sunny. I hope going to keep that throughout the weekend. For sure Road America is my favorite race of the year. I love this track. Every lap here, I enjoy myself so much. We came test two months ago. I said I just love it. I mean, I think the good opportunity for me to get my first win of the year. I got a win last year. 2001, as well. 2002 I got the pole. Didn't finish after a pit stop problem. This is my favorite track. I enjoy so much. I hope I can have a lot of fun this weekend. I hope I can have my first win of the year.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: There's definitely a lot more stuff going on during the weekend, a lot of things that you have to divide between focusing on the race and focusing off the track. But, you know, my PR person, Tara, she does a great job of keeping everything down to a minimum of what I need to do and keeping what I need to be focused on, and that's driving the race car. You know, definitely it's a new experience that I enjoy, just because, you know, this is what I dreamed of my whole life. Over the past couple years, being in the Champ Car ladder system, being a part of it, and more importantly really being around Paul, some of the drivers, seeing what they go through, you know, it's a chance for me to experience. You know, it's just as much fun being at the racetrack and driving the car. It's a new experience of being off track and dealing with all the media stuff that goes on. I enjoy it because, you know, this is part of my life that we go through. I like to make Tara's life difficult when she asks me to do stuff. It's a lot of good fun. I'm enjoying everything that's going on in the Champ Car World Series. As much as I look forward to this season and the rest of the year, I really look forward to next season because I think that's when Champ Car racing is really going to be back in the flow of things and really be taking off to where it used to be. That's what we want. That's what we need. There's no place I'd rather be than in the Champ Car World Series and with RuSPORT.

DANICA PATRICK: By the success of the Indy 500, things like that?

DANICA PATRICK: Well, I think it does spill over. Everybody's in the same compound back in Columbus. Yeah, as well as everybody gains momentum. Yeah, it's just a good atmosphere. I think the happier you are, the better you do. At least that's my case anyway. What do you mean "emotionally trying time"? I was curious about that.

DANICA PATRICK: As much as it was a switchover, it was a departure of one thing, but he still has a car in the Atlantic series and in the BMW series. I guess that's kind of why I didn't understand.

DANICA PATRICK: No, no, people don't really come up to me. I don't know. They might be staring when I'm turned around, but I don't notice anything at least right now. I think I kind of like it like that. If people did recognize me, that's fine. But when they come up to you, you get a bit of a complex sometimes. I don't know. It's okay. I'm sure as time goes on, as the years go by, as I move up hopefully, and everything goes well, that will get worse or better, however you see it, all the time.

DANICA PATRICK: You're exactly right. The Argent car was at the White House because it did say Argent on the side pod.

DANICA PATRICK: But with my name on the side of it.

JUSTIN WILSON: A lot of them know exactly what it's all about. They, like myself, have followed Champ Cars for the last, you know, seven, eight, nine, 10 years. So they understand what I'm doing, know what it's all about. I don't have to explain a lot. They realize I'm over here enjoying the racing. That's the main thing. Okay, it's not Formula 1, but it's still a very high-end, single-seater championship which has a lot of recognized drivers in it.

AJ ALLMENDINGER: It's a combination of a lot of things. The team gets better with each race that we do. I get better with each race that I do. I mean, the combination of me learning the car and actually being able to tell the engineers what I want to feel out of it, and then learning the car and knowing what to do to get that feeling. So, as I said, I think now the last couple races I've gotten a great feel of what I want the car to feel like each weekend, where the first three or four races I was just kind of searching what I wanted. At times we'd hit on it, at times we'd really miss it. I think hopefully now you'll start us be more consistent, where we qualify, qualify more up front. That's probably our weakest link right now, it's qualifying. You know, since I guess Portland we've had great cars in the race. And at times we've shown them, and at times the driver has tried to kill himself by throwing it away several times. It's been great just with each time that we learn. That's really what it comes down to is, you know, I mean, being a rookie driver in the series is tough enough, but being a rookie team is even more difficult just because we have no data to follow off of. Each weekend that we gain data, good or bad, we learn from it. We go to the next weekend and start with a better car.