CART FEDEX CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: HONDA INDY 300

October 25, 2002

Scott Dixon

Bruno Junqueira

Paul Tracy

PAUL TRACY: It was a great effort by the team. I was able to do it right away, first set of tires. I think we got too conservative. We decided to wait, wait, wait. I went out with six minutes to go. They told me to circulate because nobody was getting close to the time. Bruno put a lap in with a minute or so to go. I didn't have time to respond. The car was really good. I feel I know where I can gain more time. But there wasn't enough time for me to respond to Bruno's lap. We'll just have to go at it as hard as we can tomorrow and try to take it back.

PAUL TRACY: I think the cars are evolving, getting better. Obviously, we have less power than we used to have. The cars are evolving, getting better. The teams are understanding the cars better. Also the track this year, we don't have the mounds of concrete that were on top of the chicanes that we had for the last couple of years. A couple of the chicanes are much quicker than they were in previous years. It allowed us time there. Surfers does a fantastic job. They always put together a first-class facility. When we break the lap record, just for a while, it's good to see the crowd when that happens.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: Yeah, well, a pretty exciting session for me because I waited a little bit to go to the track. When I went, on the first lap, there was a red flag. Wait again. I went on the track, red flag again. Wait again, red flag. Then I change, put new tires. On my first lap, red flag. Then like seven minutes to go, I didn't have a lap. I was pretty worried. Then I did my first lap very conservative to guarantee a position on the grid. Then on the second lap, I pushed as far as I could. I knew I had three laps. Then I got a very good lap. I thought it was so great because Paul did 1.5. I thought that was unbeatable. I said, "Okay." On the next lap, my last lap, on the chicane I even slowed down a little bit because I didn't want to be in a crash. I did some corners at the end of the track a little bit better, and I was faster than my best lap. Then it got difficult because I start with 20 seconds to go, and still some guy is doing a lap. I came out of the car, I start to pray that I hope nobody beat me. Luckily, nobody did it. I'm quite pleased to be on the pole here.

SCOTT DIXON: Yeah, good job for Bruno. I think we probably had as good a car, weren't able to get any laps together, frustrating early, as I'm sure it was for everyone. We had a lot of out laps, no actual timed laps. The car, basically we had a lot of brake problems. Still very happy with how the team has worked, you know, just hope to improve tomorrow.

PAUL TRACY: That's for sure. This is a track that I've always gone well, I've always qualified in the top four or five here. This is my favorite street course we go to. It's really a track you can attack on and push the car to the limit. They've improved the track every year, gave us a little bit more room every year, and you see guys out there pushing it to the limit. A lot of street tracks we go to, they're so slippery and so tight, you really just have to finesse your way around the track, not make any mistakes. This is a track where you can really push it to the limit. I enjoy that.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: No, I have nothing left (laughter).

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: You can always improve. We have to see how the track is tomorrow. Today, we had quite strong wind. That makes a little bit of difference. I have to see how much grip the track will pick up tomorrow. I think you can see in qualifying, it's really difficult to get a clear lap. I'll try to keep the pole.

SCOTT DIXON: We had big braking problems, like turn one, going into the complex, it was very long. We were missing downshifts. There's always room, and everybody is the same. Basically that's what I'll try to improve tomorrow.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: No. Before qualifying I thought high 31s, 31.9 would be on the pole. Cristiano did 32.9 in the morning. When Paul did a very early 31.5 I was quite impressed. I thought it would be really difficult to beat. I know Paul. I said, "Man, this guy must be going through the chicanes like crazy." My style of driving, I can't like attack the chicanes that much. I have to be really hard to get a lap like this. I like more to go around and use the grip. But when Paul did that lap, I thought he had the pole already.

PAUL TRACY: I missed the chicane. I was a couple 10ths up, just lost the brake going into the first chicane on the back, had to go through the grass. Just one of those things. We were pushing hard, didn't get it. The next lap around, I was a little bit more conservative and just was a 10th off. You know, we really didn't do a lot of laps, nor did everybody else. We'll attack tomorrow. I mean, I want to finish off the year strong for the team and hopefully we can get a couple wins.

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA: It will be very different because Paul is much lighter, and he's really going fast with his new hair (laughter).

PAUL TRACY: I'm going to trim it up tonight for tomorrow. Make it a little shorter tonight, give me another 10th (laughter).