March, 2000 -
Gil de Ferran, who was the pole sitter and finished sixth in the CART season opener at Homestead Motor Speedway, spoke with NYPOST.COM auto racing writer NYAutoRacing.com on the phone from his Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. home about his new ride at Penske Racing this year.
KEVIN MA: How do you feel about your new team, team Penske?
GIL DE FERRAN: I am very happy with the team. It is a totally committed team and very advanced. It is a team with great history in Motor Sports so I am very happy with the team.
KM: What about your teammate Helio Castro-Neves, he is a Brazilian, too. Do you guys get along?
GdF: Of course. He is a very experienced driver and he is a lot of fun. He has this bubbly personality so it is great to have a fun teammate.
KM: What's your aspiration this year Gil?
GdF: Well, I don't set up a specific goal for the season, but, of course, I want to win races and be successful. I cannot define how well is well but we are learning more each and everyday.
KM: Do you feel it's easier to compete this year since there are many rookies in the field?
GdF: Not really. Obviously, there are many strong teams and strong drivers this year, so nothing is easier, but I enjoy competing with them and producing some good racing for the fans.
KM: Tell me about this week's race at Nazareth, Pa. What do you think about the Champ Car using the Handford II device for the one-mile oval?
GdF: Well, basically I am not sure how it will go since we haven't tested much on the one-mile oval with the device. But we had a good race last time so I think it is going to produce some close racing at the end of the day.
KM: Do you need to adjust your driving style for this? Does the car handle differently?
GdF: Not really. It's about the same.
KM: Last year you were with Walker Racing with Goodyear tires. This year Goodyear left the series and everybody is on Firestone, do you think it draws the field closer than ever?
GdF: Yes it does. You don't have to concentrate on the performance of tires that much since we all run the same tires, and the race is closer than before without someone having advantage on tires.
KM: Do you miss racing in Europe?
GdF: It is a hard question [and] I haven't really thought about that. The CART series is the most competitive racing in the World and it is very satisfying to race in the series. Of course, I have a lot of good memories in Europe and I have a lot of friends over there.
KM: What do you think about the possible new venue for the CART series? Champ Car will race either in England and or Germany.
GdF: It should be great. I last raced in Europe in 1993 and it is always good to go back.
KM: What about the Indy 500 — are you disappointed that you are not going to compete this year?
GdF: Well it is always good to be a part of this prestigious race, but like what I said about missing racing in Europe, I haven't really thought about that. All I am thinking about is to win this year's FedEx CART Championship.
KM: Did Roger (Penske) think about going back?
GdF: You have to ask him I am sure he is the one who has the answer for that.
KM: After the race at Nazareth you will go straight to California for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, how's the preparation?
GdF: We did some testing at Sebring before the start of the season so we are fully prepared, and hopefully we can get some good results at the road course next week.
