Q&A: Jonathan Macri and Josh Beaulieu.

Two of the leading junior Canadian drivers - Jonathan Macri of P-1 Racing and Barber Dodge's Josh Beaulieu - spoke to CART ahead of this weekend's 'home' race in Vancouver, where both will be present in support the CART FedEx Championship on the Concorde Pacific Place street circuit.
Merrill Cain:
Jonathan Macri is in his second season in the CART Toyota Atlantics Series. He tied his career best finish in Toronto by finishing second earlier this season and he's currently sixth in the point standings, just 29 points behind series leader Michael Valiante. While there's no race in Vancouver this weekend, Jonathan will be there participating in the expanded CART Mentor Programme, and will be spending time all weekend working with the Herdez team, alongside CART FedEx Championship Series driver Mario Dominguez.

We're also joined by Josh Beaulieu of the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Josh is a 25-year old from Langley, British Columbia, who is competing in his first full season of the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Josh won the pole in his last race in Cleveland, he sits eleventh in points, and I'm sure he's excited to race in Vancouver this weekend. This will mark the first time he's competed on his home track in his career, and he looks to take the chequered flag in the Barber Dodge Race on Sunday.

Starting with Jonathan, the mentor programme has to be a pretty exciting situation for you get into. What are you excited about and what are you looking forward to about working with them?

Jonathan Macri:
Just the whole thing starting off. It was an excellent experience, just to get a general idea of what it is like to compete on a Champcar team. I'm sure I'm going to get lots of opportunities to talk with Mario, just for him to let me know what's going on and get an idea of what a weekend is like and to see what all the PR is and the pressure. I've experienced quite a bit of it in Toyota Atlantics now, but to get the gist of how much more running in CART would be exciting.

I think even just talking over with the engineers, meeting a lot of the different people, sponsors and everything, I think it's going to be a really good eye-opener, as well, for me.

MC:
Josh, thanks for joining us again. What's it going to be like for you take the green flag when you race in Vancouver on Sunday?

Josh Beaulieu:
Well, I hope I pick the chequer, as well! We have not finished the last three races, and we have had a little bit of misfortune. But just to have my first home race in my fourth year of racing in front of my sponsors and friends and supporters is going to be a really special weekend. I think and I hope that I can do a good job.

Q:
Josh, when you look at Vancouver as your home track, what do you look for this weekend and who looks to be your best competition?

JB:
Well, it's going to be my first race here in Vancouver on this track, so I am learning the circuit. And I think the strong guys all year have been, obviously, [AJ] Allmendinger, winning four of the first six, and there's been two or three up there, as well.

I think, after a few races now under my belt, I'm happy that I can be up there running at the front, like at Cleveland last weekend. But I think it's going to be very close, obviously, and part of it is just going to be a matter of staying consistent and not making mistakes. It's definitely not going to be a runaway race. I don't think any race so far this year has been in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, because it's been so competitive. It's certainly going to be a challenge and I'm looking forward to making the most of it and running near the front in front of my hometown fans.

Q:
Josh, you've had a huge amount of commitment and you've done a lot of it yourself. Can you talk about that, the difficulties, the challenges? I know you did get some rewards, with the Formula Palmer test etcetera. Talk about your career to this point...

JB:
Well, it's certainly been a roller coaster. You're right. I do 90 per cent of my own marketing and PR at this point. So it's difficult to balance all of that with racing and preparing, doing the off-track things required in turn to do the things on the track. But it's been a great experience and it's definitely taught me a lot about the sport and about life in general.

We have yet to sign a title sponsor this year, so I've been going race-to-race. The last few races, I didn't know I was doing to be there until the Monday or two before the race, because the sponsorship gets pulled together at the last minute type of thing. So that has been the biggest challenge for me this year. But I think as I improve on the track and the speeds increase and I start running near the front more, then hopefully that will pave the way to open the door for sponsors and so on.

But still, with all of that being said, I'm still at a very modest level in racing and I'm hoping to move up to the CART FedEx Championship Series within a few years.

Q:
Now, obviously, it's got to be something of a challenge when you don't know Tuesday morning if you're going to race or not. But Tuesday afternoon you do and you've got to hop a plane and go. How do you separate that business side to the driving side, getting in the car? Does it still weigh on you, or are you able to shut it completely out of the business side when you get in the car?

JB:
I think that's certainly a challenge, being able to shut out everything else and race when you get in that car. I think maybe some drivers are, but I'm not able to do that 100 per cent completely yet. You are always working towards, just forgetting about everything and just focusing on driving and doing the best job that you possibly can.

So that's definitely a challenge and it's a struggle and probably a goal in itself to just focus on the process. That's something I work at improving, as well.

Q:
Josh, racing there for the first time, do you find that the other Canadian drivers who seem to be a very tightly-knit group, have been of any help to you?

JB:
Absolutely. I had the privilege of speaking with [Patrick] Carpentier two weeks ago in Toronto, and he offered about 15 minutes of his time. We were talking about basically preparing to jump in the car and preparing for each race and what he does, and he gave me his advice, and it was completely unselfish of him and I appreciated that so much.

I think that Canadian drivers do tend to stick together a little bit. There is another guy who is also very quick in our series, Dan di Leo, and he and I talk a little bit. There is a little bit of that element of national pride, I guess, and it's nice to see that.

Q:
Jonathan, can you just talk a little about part of the responsibility, and you knew this was going to happen, doing things like you are doing today with this conference call and having a lot more to do with the media? It can be a little bit unsettling for somebody who is not used to it but it's something you have to get used to if you are going to be competitive in this sport in that day and age. You are part of the marketing stance of the sponsor and you are expecting to be able to handle media and public speaking. Can you talk about some of the work you've been doing in that because you've matured in that area as well?

JM:
I've kind of enjoyed getting involved in this aspect, just getting more and more media things to do. For my home race a couple weeks ago in Toronto, I was just flooded with different things to do. I think I handled it pretty good and just kind of separated the media aspect of it, or the racing, or when it came down to racing I was able to just sit down and really focus on what I need to do there.

Media-wise, I've done quite a bit of training over the last couple of years. I think the main thing is just getting experience in dealing with it. Last year, I was in the Toyota Atlantics series as well, so this year, I know what to expect and what's to come, but as more and more of it comes, I'm definitely enjoying it. It's a matter of people getting to hear your name more and more times. So, as many things as I possibly can get, I will be doing. The more you hear my name, I guess the better it is for me.

Q:
Both you and Josh are young enough that you cannot overlook the contribution of your parents and guardians, steering you in the light direction. You certainly are not old enough to be away from their influence and they have had a lot to do with the direction you've taken and your success, as well, haven't they?

JM:
Definitely. They are still actually at every single one of my races, both of my parents are supporting me. Right now they are still a huge influence on my racing career. My dad is still sitting down every year and negotiating my contracts for the following year and everything, so he's still very much involved. My mom is doing a lot of my PR work right now for me. So they are a huge influence and support for me.

Q:
Josh, along the same lines, with Jeremy Dale here, another Canadian, in charge of the Barber Dodge Pro Series, he's always made it very clear to us that there's as much to do to grow as a driver away from the car and away from the racetrack as there is in the car and on the racetrack. I know that he's been instrumental, along with Chris Pook and the entire ladder system, of making sure that you can do what we just talked about with Jonathan. That, to handle the media and represent your sponsor and be a professional away from the automobile is just as important as it is driving it.

JB:
I agree with that completely. More and more over the last few years, and couple decades, even, that's been part of the package of being a racing driver is being able to handle stuff like that and be proficient at it. Most importantly, representing the team and your sponsors the way they would have you represent them, with a good and positive image.

So I think definitely in the Toyota Atlantics Series, and now the Barber Dodge Pro Series, being affiliated with CART, that's a huge strength.

Q:
Jonathan, I want you to look ahead beyond this weekend to the following weekend when you'll be at the oldest street circuit in North America [Trois-Rivieres], in probably one of most prestigious Atlantic races. What are your thoughts?

JM:
I'm definitely looking forward to that race. The team has been really quick this year on street circuits, and I think that's a circuit that definitely favours my style of driving, as well. Last year, we ran quick there and finished in the top five, which was really good for me. So going there again, we came up with a strong finish in Toronto.

It's kind of hard to expect going in every week. It's such a close field; you're never really sure where you're going to be in the field, but we definitely have a good set-up there. So things should turn out good for us. I really love the track there, and I know that we are going to have a good set-up there and it should pretty much be a good weekend for us.

Q:
I know that you are a very young guy, so I don't know how much of that history that particular venue, Trois-Rivieres, you are familiar with, but is that a place where you are aware of the history and the tradition and the prestige associated with that venue?

JM:
Yes, actually. Every year, I'm learning more and more about it. I'm pretty familiar with the prestige of the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship everything and coming back there and how it somewhat originated from that race as well. But I'm still learning more and more about every single race I go to.

Q:
For both Josh and Jonathan, I'm sure you guys saw the impact of the gold medal victory in Salt Lake City, and Eric Gagne has talked about how proud he is to represent Canada, even with the backdrop of the political situation of the Montreal Expos. I wonder if this is giving you guys some thought - you talked about personal team pride, does it give you a sense of the impact you could have, wearing that Maple Leaf on the firesuit, and does it give you some thought about what it means and the impact that you could have as a Canadian athlete?

JM:
I definitely feel the pressure of just being back in front of the hometown crowd and having them put the pressure on me to allow me to do well in front of them, having friends and family, as well.

I think it's coming to race in Canada, that's definitely something extra to push for. I think you wake up each morning before going to the racetrack and you feel good about going to the racetrack. You have an extra reason to do good that day in front of the hometown crowd and everything. It does feel really good. This year I feel a little support of the fans and the Canadian fans, and they are really good with the support that they are giving. I think from my aspect, it definitely helps me do better in front of the hometown crowd.

JB:
I think most Canadian kids grow up dreaming of wearing a gold medical around their neck at the Olympics. I think that same sense definitely transfers over to racing.

My first experience, my first race this year in Canada at the Toronto Indy, like Jonathan says, you wake up in the morning and you have that much more motivation to do well and to do a good job and to have a successful weekend in front of your own country, not only your hometown, but your home country. There's definitely an element of not only your hometown, but also in representing your nation well, and especially in an international series like we are involved in.

MC:
We appreciate you both joining us today, both Jonathan and Josh, thanks for participating in the call. We appreciate it and we look forward to seeing you in Vancouver in couple of days.