Portland: Pre-race quoteboard

Quote Board:

Michael Valiante #19 Lynx Racing Swift 014.a
"We're happy to be leading the points battle, but what happened at Laguna isn't really indicative of the quality or competitiveness of the Lynx team. We didn't qualify as well as we could have due to several factors, including traffic and the red flag toward the end of the session that prevented us from going out on new tires like everybody else. But we had definitely found some speed and I think it showed in the race when I was running the same lap times as the leaders. I believe we've found solved the Laguna problem and hopefully we'll be back to operating a little more on the skill side of things at Portland, because luck goes away if you depend on it too much."

Grant Ryley #23 Lynx Racing/Northwest Speedwerx Cupertino Electric Swift 014.a
"I really like this track, but you have to have a good setup right off the trailer or you're going to be playing catch-up all weekend. I'd like to believe that I'm due a little luck at this race, but you can't ever count on that. We tested here a month or so ago and found what we think will be a good starting point for this weekend. This is a high-speed, high-grip track, so tire wear will be a factor in the race and saving something for the last few laps might make the difference between winning and losing."

Buddy Rice #27 DSTP Motorsports/BG Products Swift 014.a
"We know we'll have a good car this weekend, but we're starting out a bit behind the curve. I think we're one of only a few teams that haven't tested at Portland, so we'll need as much track time as possible. Our engineer, Kent Stacy, has a lot of experience with the track, which should help quite a bit. We're also a little concerned about the start of the race, particularly after what happened at Laguna Seca last week. It's going to be important to qualify well and be in front of everyone, otherwise it's too easy to get caught up in something at the start. But, we'll see. I've always wanted to race at Portland and it's great to be going there with a team that I know and trust."

Rocky Moran Jr. #4 Sigma Autosport Swift 014.a
"I'm really looking forward to Portland, because it's a track I've raced on before when I was in the Barber Dodge Series. It's one I really like to drive because it has a good combination of low speed and high speed corners and it's fast overall. I'm coming off of a second place at Laguna Seca which is an uplifting thing for me and the Sigma Autosport team. It's great to have that momentum because this is going to be a very competitive race. We have a good car and a good package for that particular type of track and I'm looking to get another podium again."

David Wieringa #3 Sigma Autosport Swift 014.a
"I really don't know a whole lot about Portland. I know the track, but have never raced there. There is a chance there could be a first lap melee, so I do know that I'll have to be careful when I start the race because of that first (Festival Curves) turn. Max (Papis) won there last year so I will be talking to him about the track. Other than that, I will look forward to Portland."

Alex Garcia #8 Transnet Racing/Dixien Swift 014.a
^ÓMy first goal, and that of Transnet Racing, is to make the car competitive. Our expectations are focused on the progress we can achieve in the next few days, before the race in Portland. We still have a lot of work to do in order to get ahead but we will stand by our commitment to develop our new car in order to achieve the results we are looking for in the future.^Ô

Ryan Dalziel #28 Michael Shank Racing Swift 014.a
"I think we'll be extremely strong at Portland as long as we get off to a good start. If we don't have to change too many things right away we'll be alright, but if we have a couple of problems and lose track time it may be a bit of a struggle. But I really don't think there's any reason why we shouldn't be able to qualify in the top four or five. We need to take some points away from the guys in front of us and keep ourselves in contention for the later stages of the championship. It's just real nice to have the new car because it's so much superior to the old one. I think everybody is still finding pace with the new one, so we really would be hurting if we still had the car we started the season with."

Ryan Hunter-Reay #1 Hylton Motorsports/U.S. Print/Medlock Ames Winery Swift 014.a
"We tested at Portland last month and we were very happy with our pace. I have been really excited to return to Portland anyway, but returning as a race winner makes it even better. Portland is a drivers track, it is a technical track with very fast corners. If a driver has a good set-up the track is a blast, it is the kind of track that allows you to really push the car. I am looking forward to it."

Roger Yasukawa #9 Hylton Motorsports/Autobacs U.S. Print Swift 014.a
"Ever since our test at Portland, I have been eager to return. We learned a lot at that test in terms of development and we were pretty happy with the car when we left. It is a very nice track, very fast and I hope we can continue with the results we have achieved the last two weekends."

Jonathan Macri #31 P-1 Racing/NTN Bearings Miller Genuine Draft Battlefield Equipment Swift 014.a
"We tested in Portland A few weeks ago. We learned a lot over that test which will help us this weekend. Coming off a DNF last weekend but proving to be fast we'll try again for my first career win. We've shown that we can qualify at the front now we have to follow with the race result. P1 Racing has been working hard and our engine builder Arnie Loyning has been doing some development work so Portland should be the weekend for us."

Alex Figge #14 Worldspeed Motorsports/Wine Country Mspt. Glycomax Redline Airtrix Swift 014.a
"Portland has always been a great track for me. I won a Star Mazda race there in 2000 with Chuck West. It also puts us all on a level playing field, since this is a new track for Atlantics. June is going to be a busy month, and like all the teams, we hope to build a lot of momentum with some solid finishes every week."

Rodolfo Lavin #11 Michael Shank Racing/Corona Modelo Swift 014.a
"We tested at Portland and the weather wasn't very good. It was raining, so we did some laps, but the track was very slippery. But I just checked the Weather Channel and it looks like it's going to be dry on Saturday, so hopefully that's what will happen. I drove on the track in both the wet and the dry in Indy Lights, so I think I have a pretty good idea what to expect either way. I think the key for this race will be qualifying. You really want to be in the top four or five because the first corner is very very tight and starting up front will help you stay away from some of the things that happened at mid-pack on the first laps at Laguna and Long Beach."

Michael Shank Owner, Michael Shank Racing
"As for Portland, had a chance to test here earlier in the year, but it rained the whole time. Despite that, we're still confident that we'll have a good set-up start out with, although we might be a bit behind the teams that tested here in the dry. Of course, if it's wet on Saturday, all that testing in the dry won't make much of a difference. But once again, the first corner here is a big concern because we've had cars get caught up in first-lap, first-corner incidents in two out of the four races, and now we're at the worst place in the country for first-corner incidents. Basically, we're going to have to rely on the officials to do everything they can to keep things under control so everyone gets a fair chance to run the entire race."

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