Grand-Am

Homestead pre-race pit notes

JACK BALDWIN (No. 74 Robinson Racing Judd R&S) (On car coming into NEXTEL 250) I think we have a great car for this weekend. It was real good at Daytona, we just had a problem with the rain. We were fairly good here last year, but we weren't fast ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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JACK BALDWIN (No. 74 Robinson Racing Judd R&S)
(On car coming into NEXTEL 250) I think we have a great car for this weekend. It was real good at Daytona, we just had a problem with the rain. We were fairly good here last year, but we weren't fast enough. I think we're going to be a lot better this time. I'm encouraged.
(On his thoughts of Homestead-Miami Speedway) I like it. I like Turns 3 and 4. That's what I like.
(On co-driver) George Robinson, or I'm going to be his co-driver. We're a team. We don't know who will be the first driver yet. We don't know how that's going to work.
(On this location) Typical Miami weather, I've always loved coming down here. I've raced down here for years and always enjoyed it. I think we were on the podium last year, and I don't know where we finished, second or third. But, hopefully this year, we'll be better. I think we will.

DIDIER THEYS (No. 27 Lista Doran Racing Judd Crawford)
(On car coming into NEXTEL 250) This is a new car. This is a new Crawford. We got the car in December, and we did one race with it, Daytona. And we had a transmission problem. We didn't finish the race. We had a chance to test, two days in Road Atlanta, two weeks ago, and the car was a bit better than it was at Daytona. But, at this point, the car is not fast enough, and we wish that we had a little bit more speed in it. We're working on it and, hopefully, by Saturday we will be in good shape.
(On co-driver) Mauro Baldi. The same as last year. We won the race last year with a Ferrari Judd and we have the same engine this year in the car. You shall see! And of course a new car needs some time to be up to speed, that's what we're doing now.
(On Homestead-Miami Speedway) It's a nice track. I like it, yes. It's a good driver's racetrack. You need to have a good setup to go fast also.

BUTCH LEITZINGER (No. 16 Dyson Racing Team Ford R&S)
(On car coming into NEXTEL 250) Car is actually very good. We did very well at Daytona until everything went horribly wrong a couple hours from the end (the engine failed while leading). But, the first session went very well. I think we were fastest. The track is very slippery. I think everyone's trying to get some grip out of the car's to overcome that. But, I think we have a good starting point. Right now we're making a lot of changes on the car to try and help it out. It's a bit of a challenge because you don't know if the track's going to get better as the day goes on. I'm sure the track is going to stay like this. We're setting the car up for this. Everything is going well so far. The first session is always crucial because it's going to give you your base. If you have a horrible first session, you're just behind for the rest of the weekend. So far everything is going to plan.
(On Homestead-Miami Speedway) I've raced here just once. In 1998, James and I co-drove and we won. Last year the team raced here, but I was racing with Cadillac and I didn't come to this race. It's an awesome place. I love this track. It's actually my favorite of the ovals with the infield road course in it. It's very well laid out. It has some challenging high-speed turns in it. And, actually, I love the architecture that they have here. Where most tracks that you for to, most ovals that you go to, you don't know the difference if you're in Charlotte, Texas, or Daytona. Where as here you know you're in Miami. You have the railings that are art deco. You have the colors. They did a really good job on it.

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