Paul Tracy Q&A

"We feel well-prepared. We're coming off a good test on the Firebird road course. One of the biggest problems we've had with the car is a lack of downforce and Reynard sent us a new front wing and some underbody stuff that really helped the car. We've done a lot of work with the traction control, but it's always changing and you really have to adapt. It's not like flipping a switch. It's in constant development. But it's a long season and we still have a lot of work to do."



"We're concentrating on the Reynard. I haven't had the chance to drive the Lola yet. Hopefully sooner or later I will, but we have to concentrate on what we know right now. We have a couple Lolas in the shop, but we have enough on our plate right now. We want to get through these first couple races and see what happens."



"It's good if you're at the front or the back. If you're at the front, you can control the race, and at the back, you can get out of sequence. But if you're in the middle of the field, you don't want to lose positions to guys who already came in from the tail of the pack. You have to wonder what to do. Do I come in early and lose six or seven spots? Or do I stay out and maybe not gain any and get stuck in the middle of the pack all day. So there's good and bad scenarios."



"We had a clogged fuel filter. When the tank was full, it would push the fuel through the filter, but when it got below five gallons, there wasn't enough pressure to push the fuel through the filter. It was kind of crappy, because we missed the window by one lap. I was a little quicker than Pat (Carpentier) for the last 10 laps of the first stint so he was holding me up a little, but then he didn't pit when he was supposed to and that kind of put him out of the equation. I felt I had a better car all weekend than Dario (Franchitti), because I was quicker in every session except for qualifying. It's a long season, but we started dead last and got some points and that's what matters most."



"I'm pretty happy there. Dario and I are good team mates. John Anderson keeps things pretty entertaining on the radio. He's been a good ally for me to get things done within the team without me physically having to go to Barry Green. So it works well. I'm in good physical shape, and it's my goal to be consistent every weekend and do the best job I can in and out of the car. If we can continue to do that with solid performances every weekend, we can contend for the championship."



"I don't think I've peaked yet. I've always tried to raise my game or change my game throughout the years. I've always been able to adapt to different things. You just have to keep learning. When you stop learning, you're not going to progress. The team is working hard, I'm working hard and I think we're all on the same page."



"We're going to test at the Speedway next week, weather permitting. I really want to get some laps there in an IRL car before I go there for the Month of May. I'm looking forward to it. It's a good opportunity. Barry Green has put together a good engine programme and good cars. We have good people working on it, so no complaints."



"I hope we can all get together. If you watched the IRL races on TV, you can see that it's in a bit of a state. They don't have any crowds, and I think they have a bit of an engine problem that they need to get under control. They have one guy who looks like he has a lot more power than anybody else. It's almost comical, and now you hear some of the other guys complaining that they don't have any power. Any time you have somebody controlling rev limiters and computer boxes it can get a little bit tricky. I don't think CART is going to get involved in controlling computer boxes next year, and all of our manufacturers are capable of building motors to a high standard of quality. They're all pretty much equal in the current formula."



"Until I'm not competitive anymore, or until nobody wants me. I still love doing it. I think I've mellowed some, but then I'm not that old. I'm only 33. There are a lot of guys older than me. I have a long way until I'm 40, and I might quit before that. I'm working with a couple of young guys, and I tell them the key is to stay motivated and never give up."