CART MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 22, 2001

Kenny Brack

KENNY BRACK: Thank you.

KENNY BRACK: (Laughs).

KENNY BRACK: Well, I haven't seen it so I don't know. That's the first I know about it. But, you know, I guess -- I don't know. It's been kind -- the rumor was pretty heavy (inaudible) I was going to drive for A.J., for Ganassi, for Penske and for Walker Racing. I don't know, it's a tough time driving for all those teams in the same race.

KENNY BRACK: (Laughs) Yeah.

KENNY BRACK: Yeah, that's right.

KENNY BRACK: No, I don't feel like a different guy. I am still the same, I hope. But of course, it was a relief because we have been so close so many times and we have always -- I mean, look at the season last year, I mean, last race we were leading the most laps dicing for the lead when we had a mechanical problem. We had other situations last year where we were really competitive and running up front and always something happens. This year we have had two poles and four front-row starts and in Nazareth it was -- we were clearly class of the field there. We had a really, really good -- the Lola Ford so good there, it was like stealing candies from or taking candy from kids. It was really, really good. But still we ended up second and it has been so many times that, you know, we have been around running up there and now finally we got that first win and that feels, of course, great. As I said, it is like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am very happy about that and for myself but also for the whole Team Rahal Shell team because we -- they have worked very hard to get this result.

KENNY BRACK: Well, I felt that all along. It has just been we have been denied so many times and I guess now we have done it, but I mean, this is not the answer to everything. But for certain, we have one victory and we aim for more victories, you know, and that's how a Championship comes together. But you also -- all the other results, the seconds and the thirds and the fourth and the fifth places, those are good feeling results for points for a Championship. But certainly we want to win more, you know, and sure, we have high expectations in Team Rahal because we have a very solid group with a lot of knowledgeable people there, you know, including mechanics, engineers, team managers and drivers and everything and Ford, Shell, good solid partners we work with, and so we feel that we have a good foundation to make a quest for the Championship. But we have to improve. That's the name of the game. We have got to stay focused. We have got to improve. We can't relax just because we won a race. We need this positive energy, but, you know, we've got to stay focused and keep making improvements.

KENNY BRACK: Well, you just have to keep focused and the main thing, you know, the end result of a race is just a receipt of how good you were that weekend. No one is that good that you can't improve. We certainly have areas where we can still improve and we keep focus on that and keep improving ourselves in different areas and just go along with it. That's how it needs to be done.

KENNY BRACK: It is everything, you know, but we still have to -- for example, pit spots, we need to get a little better there, I believe. And we have come along way when it comes to pit spots. We have come along way when it comes to reliability. But we have a new chassis this year and so we are still sort of learning a little bit about that. But we still have to keep making those improvements. Driving - you have to improve the driving. You have to improve every aspect of the team to keep developing. It never stops. Because if you stop then you get overtaken before you know it.

KENNY BRACK: Oh - I guess so. But I don't know. I don't think it's -- I don't know if it's strange. I mean --

KENNY BRACK: No, you know, I really don't know. We have been running competitively on road courses too. I mean, we led in Mexico until an electronic switch stopped us possibly from winning. It is just how the cars go, you know.

KENNY BRACK: I think first of all, the team, we have been comfortable on all kinds of tracks this year. I think our track record proves that. But in the beginning of the season we had some technical difficulties that, you know, put us out of the lead quest really for those two. But still I think that -- I still think that we have got the best to see when it comes to road racing from ourselves and Milwaukee is a one-mile oval. It is going to be tough to pass. It is more like a Nazareth situation where it is going to be very difficult to pass. So starting position obviously is going to be important. Pit strategy and pit work will be key elements there, of course, together with having a good setup on the car.

KENNY BRACK: Bob was very happy. In fact, I was in England yesterday, Monday to see Cosworth. I also met with Bobby. He was at Jaguar Formula 1 team so we had lunch together and he is very happy and for his team effort and for his team and so, of course, are we. We were very happy that we got that win and we have got other results to back that win up with so that we were in the Championship lead at this point. And that is a great situation for the Rahal Shell Ford team to be in.

KENNY BRACK: I won't, actually. I will be in Sweden up until Sunday, but I follow it closely and it is very exciting, obviously.

KENNY BRACK: Well, it is nice to get, you know, appreciation from Swedish fans, from Swedish press and so forth, but that's not the first time. It is nice when it happens, but it happens quite a lot, actually.

KENNY BRACK: Yeah, I mean, they follow -- I mean, the Swedish press have been very kind to me over the years. They follow whatever racing I have been in and there is a lot of knowledgeable, interested race fans in Sweden, so the Swedish press have been very, you know, interested in my results and my racing and so forth.

KENNY BRACK: It is very gratifying. A win is always gratifying. I don't know if it is more gratifying because it was in Japan and Ford was able to get the victory. I mean, a victory is always gratifying. But I guess there is a little bit of rivalry going on and so it was great, you know, to be able to win there. But it was kind of funny too because we had a press conference, I think, it was on Tuesday or something before the race and that question came up and -- if Ford was going to able to win the race. And I said I think that obviously we have plans to win the race although I know it is not what the Japanese engine manufacturers want to hear, but that's our plan and there was -- that's the way it went too. So it was good.

KENNY BRACK: No, I am not because it's not -- the HANS devices now are very universally made so that there is only like two or three different sizes. And I must say, for me, I wouldn't be able to steer the car good enough for use on road course. But I am sure it could be modified so that I could use it. But right now I am using it where it is mandatory and that's on the ovals.

KENNY BRACK: Yeah, I think -- I want to be back there because now I feel that, you know, I feel my CART Racing is under control. I have a good situation, steady situation and can -- I have some energy to do something else. I would like to be back at Indy. It is the world's biggest race. It is something -- it is a fantastic event. Any racing driver with some sense would like to be there. Hopefully I will be back next year. I think it is a very strong possibility that I will be there next year.

KENNY BRACK: I don't know yet, we will see. I hope it will be with Team Rahal, of course, because we have a very good corporation and it would be a fantastic thing to go there with Team Rahal and to try to win the race. But it is a big task for any team, you know, because it is a big task to be involved with a CART Racing, it is a lot of work and to be doing Indy, it is another three weeks nearly every day running, so it takes some thinking on how to do that stuff so that neither program would suffer.

KENNY BRACK: Well, I think I like high-speed turns, but I like any kind of racetrack. If there is a race, I like it. If there's an oval or a road course or a street course, it doesn't matter to me.

KENNY BRACK: I think oval racing is -- it is a very difficult thing to learn at first because of the high speeds. You really -- it's a shocking experience. I still remember the first time I set foot on an oval. It was in Phoenix in 1997 and I was testing with the -- Galles in IRL, and I could never -- I mean, being from Europe we didn't think much of the ovals because it's only a couple of turns and no lefthanders, and you couldn't be lefty to go right but when you first get to an oval and you start testing you are thinking, you know, get going and you don't realize how fast you got to go to be competitive between two concrete walls. That is a very intimidating feeling the first couple of days. And the good drivers get over it and get on with the program and the ones who don't, well, you know, they get that pretty written on their nose.

KENNY BRACK: Yeah, I think -- it's true that leading into the season after the winter testing and stuff we kind of felt that we had a really good oval package with the Lola Ford, but we felt maybe that our street road course package with Shell Ford wasn't -- wasn't as strong as we would have liked, maybe, but then come to the first race in Mexico and we sat on the pole and led the race until we had an electronic glitch hampering us, we feel very pretty good about the chances right now. And I think -- I mean it is a competitive series, make no mistake about that and things change during a season, but we were all working, very determined to keep improving and developing and try to stay ahead of the race and that's why we do these things. So I think we have a good chance. We just got to keep our momentum, keep our focus, and keep building on the success we have and keep strengthening our weaknesses.

KENNY BRACK: Thanks. I appreciate that very much.

KENNY BRACK: Thank you.