Scheckter: I needed this win.

With its 15th IRL IndyCar Series victory, Panther Racing regained the title as winningest team in IRL history thanks to Tomas Scheckter's nail biting triumph last Saturday at the Texas Motor Speedway.

One-third of the victories have been on the high-banked 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval, including two by the driver Scheckter managed to hold off during the final laps of Saturday's Bombardier Learjet 500k, Sam Hornish Jr.

Scheckter also regained confidence, an intangible for a professional driver at the highest level of the sport. And after 27 career DNFs and one top-10 finish in the previous 21 events, he believes his pole and race victories could be the first steps in changing outside perceptions.

"It's been tough before this victory," said Scheckter, whose last IRL win came in July 2002. "You honestly start to have doubts about your ability to win races, but this win is unbelievable for our team. I needed it for my morale.

"I told the guys as long as they got me out in the top five during the race I'll win, and that's just what they did. A couple of stages I didn't believe in myself. (Co-owners) John (Barnes) and Doug (Boles) and everybody in the team stuck behind me, allowed me to get my confidence back up to get us to this stage. I think certainly after this, we're definitely going to take a different attitude going into races. Hopefully, we're a threat at every race after this."

Boles said he noticed Scheckter's approach change entering the Indy Japan 300. He was more patient, letting the race come to him instead of attempting one daring manoeuvre after another to get to the front - often with consequences. Though the result perpetuated his streak of misfortune (Scheckter was leading until running out of fuel with two laps remaining), at least one person's perception was altered.

"At Japan, Tomas I think decided he was just going to sit back and ride and see what happened," Boles said. "I think after the race he said to John Barnes, 'I just figured something out. I don't have to make those crazy passes till the end. I have a chance to win this.'

"Indianapolis was the same thing. He was sitting, waiting to go. On the radio with his guys (at Texas) he said, 'Is it time to go yet, guys? Is it time to go?' He's gotten a lot more patient the last three races. That's just going to mean a lot more victories for the #4 car."

At 24 and in his fourth IndyCar Series season, Scheckter says the maturation process has not been as quick as he would have liked. But it's coming.

"If you push very much from the beginning, you sort of get to the end of that race and you're mentally starting to tire," he said. "I just sort of relax and stay in tow. When I needed to go, I went. I knew from the beginning we had a good car. I told the guys, 'Let's just be easy. Let's get in and out of the pits, no pressure.' ''

That's what Scheckter is feeling - finally.