INDYCAR MEDIA DAY

February 18, 2014

Carlos Munoz

THE MODERATOR:  We're joined by IndyCar Series rookie Carlos Munoz. 
Carlos, last year you started second and finished second in the Indianapolis 500.  Now you're going to be in a full season.  Talk about your thoughts about making the transition to the full-time ride with Andretti Autosport. 
CARLOS MUNOZ:  Yeah, Michael give me the opportunity to race for his team this year a full season.  It's my first year.  Last year I did the Indianapolis 500 and replaced E.J. Viso for Fontana, and for one race I replaced Ryan Briscoe for Panther Racing.  So first year. 
THE MODERATOR:  We just had Sebastian Saavedra here.  He was mentioning with you, him and Juan Pablo Montoya how excited your country is.  Could you talk about that, how you see that. 
CARLOS MUNOZ:  What can you say, me and Seb, we're lucky to have Juan.  Is great for us.  For media star, for name, a lot of Colombia people follow him in Colombia.  He's been one of the best drivers Colombia ever have. 
A lot of people are going to follow IndyCar.  Maybe there's going to be another Colombian, too.  People start to talking a lot that there's three Colombians on IndyCar, like back to Juan Pablo.  When he won the Champ Car, the Indy 500, there were a lot of people following him.  It's going to be great for me and Seb, for sure. 
THE MODERATOR:  Questions. 

Q.  Did you ever race against Juan? 
CARLOS MUNOZ:  We did a go-kart race in November for his foundation, but I never race against. 

Q.  You were a fan of his when you were younger.  Before the Indy 500 he called you and you got to talk to him.  What will it be like for you now racing against him, somebody you idolized?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  I don't like the word 'idolized,' but he was a symbol for me when I was a kid, an example for me and many Colombian drivers, to follow him.  He was the only Colombian whoever won a Formula One race. 
We have a great relationship.  He called me last year.  We have known him a lot, giving me some little tips about the race and everything.  I have some pictures of him when I was small.  He was at a go-kart race with his brother when I was small.  It's a strange feeling when you're small, you're looking at him as a big driver. 
But once I'm here, you just put your helmet on, everyone is the same.  You don't think, Who is this guy, or what he's done. 
Hopefully going to be great.  Hopefully we going to be fighting in the top position.  For sure it will be great for us to be fighting each other in the top positions. 

Q.  On the NASCAR side there's a lot of talk about the younger drivers.  Do you think your participation and Sebastian's participation, the way you drive with reckless abandon, do you think it can bring a younger fan base to help build this thing up?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  Definitely.  I hope that we can help to bring young people and more fans.  IndyCar, as you say, like me and Sebastian, are kind of aggressive.  IndyCar wants drivers really constant that don't do a lot of mistakes, to finish all the races. 
But now they're giving the opportunity to young drivers, the people in Colombia are following the IndyCar again.  We can attract more people.  That's the goal not only for me, but all the drivers, to build IndyCar as it was back then. 

Q.  Not many drivers had their first IndyCar Series start go as well as you did.  When you look back on the Indy 500, what do you think about how well that went and how it almost turned out to be a victory in the biggest race?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  That race just give me the opportunity to be here, no, in a full season.  It was an awesome race.  I didn't cross the finish line first, so I never will know what would happen without the yellow flag.  That was 2013.  Now is 2014.  I have another chance to go get that race. 
I'm focused on this year.  For sure all last year race going to be in my mind for all my life.  But now I have my chance and I have to think and work for it. 

Q.  What is the working atmosphere like at Andretti versus last year when you were with a smaller team?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  All the drivers, we are really close.  We see a lot each other when we go to lunch, the hospitality or something.  I have great teammates, three teammates.  All of them, they are really nice. 
If I ask him, they will say the true, no?  Not a lot of driver does that.  But we help each other a lot.  If they ask me, I also say the true.  Ryan is an IndyCar champion, Marco has a great feeling, and James also is a great driver.  We're going to have fun this year.  I'm going to learn from them this year.  We'll see what happen in the end of the year. 

Q.  About your teammates and Andretti.  It seems to me they have been known to play practical jokes on each other.  You seem to be a serious guy that wants to learn.  How do you fit in with the other guys?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  Yeah, I'm really quiet guy.  I'm really shy.  That doesn't mean I'm - how you say - bad person.  I'm quiet and shy compared to James.  He's always talking, making jokes, completely different mind. 
But they treat me as one of them.  They treat me really well.  After Indy they treat me really well (laughter).  But it's great to have this combination of drivers, no? 
James talks a lot.  Ryan is in between.  Marco, I think we're more quiet guy.  I think it's a great combination for all the team.

Q.  They haven't played any practical jokes on you yet?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  After Indy, no (laughter). 

Q.  Last season you had the opportunity to take the ride and replace Ryan Briscoe.  You came to the media center in Toronto and seemed very serious because you were basically thrown in the fire to work on a street course.  Do you think you have learned things from that experience at Toronto to be in the IndyCar race and will that help you for the start of the season at St. Pete?
CARLOS MUNOZ:  It was a crazy idea to go straight to the race, but the main goal was to learn.  Even though doing this race, I was not really competitive because I went straight to the race.  I learned from black tires to red tires.  In testing we are not having any red tires.  That give me an idea what I'm going to feel in the pit when I'm going to have these red tires for the race. 
Give me a lot.  I learn a lot, that race.  I knew was going to be a long race.  You have to really think when to push, when not to.  On that race I learn a lot.  Everyone say was a crazy idea, but the main goal was to learn, and I did. 

Q.  You mentioned James as a joker, talks quite a bit.  When does he switch modes into race mode? 
CARLOS MUNOZ:  I think he gets serious when he puts his helmet on.  Even if you have bad session or something, but when he puts his helmet on, he's a serious person.  You see last year, he won a couple races.  He know how to change the mind, the mentality. 
I'm not really good at it.  I like to stay focused because I lose a lot of concentration.  When he puts his helmet on, he's another guy. 
THE MODERATOR:  Carlos, thank you. 
CARLOS MUNOZ:  Thank you.