CART Preview - Quoteboard II

With just three dyas to go before the first race of the new CART season, Adrian Fernandez, Michel Jourdain Jr, Gil de Ferran, Michael Andretti and Alex Zanardi give their views on the trip to Mexico.

Adrian Fernandez (Fernandez Racing Honda Reynard) on competing in his home country:
"I am very excited about Mexico. We have been waiting a long time for this race, and now it is coming at a time when I am at the peak of my career and have just announced the creation of Fernandez Racing. It is a dream come true and it is going to be a very special moment for me in my career. At the same time, obviously there is a lot of pressure because we are a new team and it's the first race of the season and it's in Mexico. We have accomplished a lot as a team in these past four months, and that gives me confidence. I will approach this race like any other and try to do the best that I can."

Michel Jourdain Jr (Herdez Bettenhausen Ford Lola) on his impressions of the road course at Fundidora Park:
"I drove the Monterrey track in a rental car a few weeks ago when we held the official opening. I think the track is going to be very technical for the drivers and a big challenge for the teams and drivers to get the cars set up right. To race in Mexico is just huge for me and for Herdez. We have been dreaming of this for a long time and now the dream is coming true. The response from people has been fantastic and I think it will be the biggest race of the entire year. With regard to performance, everything has been going really well in testing. The car and the engine have been working great and we're pretty confident right now that we'll be able to put on a good show for everyone."

Gil de Ferran (Team Marlboro Penske Honda Reynard) on beginning the defence of his FedEx Championship Series Championship:
"I am looking forward to getting the 2001 CART FedEx Series season under way. I'm going to Monterrey, Mexico on Wednesday so I can spend time there and get a chance to see the new circuit before we start running on Friday. I've heard good things about it and expect we will put on a good show for the fans. Marlboro Team Penske's off-season preparation has gone relatively well - even though I personally did not do a lot of testing - so I'm hopeful that we will have a competitive weekend."

Michael Andretti (Team Motorola Honda Reynard) on his fresh start with Team Motorola:
"There have been a number of new things to get used to during the off-season but I have to admit Team Motorola has come together like we have been around for years. Change can be really good sometimes. For this season, I'm in the best physical shape of my career and I'm excited about all the changes. I'm excited about the Honda power behind me; I'm excited about the way Team Motorola has taken shape and most importantly, I'm excited to race. We were very focused and successful in our testing this winter and now the key is to carry that same intensity into the race weekend. [General Manager] Kim Green and [Team Manager] Tony Cotman have done a tremendous job organising this team and I believe we're capable of winning the first time out. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of competition on the grid, but you can definitely throw Team Motorola in the hat as a contender."

Alex Zanardi (Mo Nunn Racing Honda Reynard) on his optimistic return to the FedEx Championship Series:
"I have total belief in the potential of this team. But look at the reality: Last 3 December, this [second Mo Nunn] team did not exist. On 4 December, this team was built on paper. Today, this means that we were very fortunate to put together a team with people who are so talented. But still, it'll take some action together to mix all these talents and make them work as a team. Therefore, it's not that we're not prepared, not that we're not strong, but compared to other people, who are members of other organisations, we have a bigger margin of improvement that will happen during the season. Having said that, I was very delighted that our winter testing programme concluded with two very good days [21-22 February at Homestead] where we seemed to be very immune to any sort of problems. The car ran extremely well and we got a lot of work done. And we were able to go very, very fast. This last thing we did will still work in everybody's mind, including mine, to motivate everybody. I'm pumped. I'm going to Mexico thinking we can do well despite the fact we are a very young organisation. I'm not thinking I'm not going to win the race. But I'm not going there to finish second or to just be happy with a top-ten result. I'm going there anxious to see what our effort will turn into in terms of results. I'm anxious to see where we are compared to our opponents, bearing in mind that we have a big margin of improvement.

"It's going to be fantastic racing in Monterrey. There is no doubt that our series is popular in that country. Adrian [Fernandez] and Michel [Jourdain Jr.] have done a lot to increase that popularity. I really hope we can get a good result behind us. I think all the people in Mexico have been very supportive of me, in particular, whenever their heroes had problems. I've always heard they had the sympathy for me, maybe because our flags look very, very similar. I hope we can all have a good race. But certainly I hope I have a good race. Yes, we are all racing at a track we have never been before but, by the end of the first day of practice, it'll be old news. The first day, the circuit will be really green. So it'll be very easy to come in and want to make changes to the car that really aren't necessary because the track is going to change continuously. So the key will be to take everything very slowly, very patiently."