IndyCar

CHAMPCAR/CART: Bruno Junqueira press conference transcript Part I

An Interview With: Bruno Junqueira Part I T.E. McHale: Good afternoon and welcome to the CART media teleconference. Thanks to all of you for joining us this afternoon. Our guest this afternoon is driver Bruno Junqueira, of Target/Chip Ganassi ...

Edited: Mar 27, 2008, 5:35 AM

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An Interview With:
Bruno Junqueira
Part I

T.E. McHale: Good afternoon and welcome to the CART media teleconference. Thanks to all of you for joining us this afternoon.

Our guest this afternoon is driver Bruno Junqueira, of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, who drove to his first career FedEx Championship Series victory in Sunday's Motorola 220 at Road America.

Good afternoon, Bruno. Congratulations and thanks for being with us today.

Bruno Junqueira: Good afternoon. Thanks very much.

T.E. McHale: Bruno, the driver of the No. 4 Target Toyota Lola, became the 9th different race winner of the 2001 FedEx Championship Series season when he drove to the 2.687-second victory over Michael Andretti in Sunday's 14th round of the championship. He averaged 90.721 miles per hour and scored Target/Chip Ganassi Racing's first victory since Jimmy Vasser's triumph at Houston last year.

Bruno became the second FedEx Championship Series rookie to drive to victory this season, following Scot Dixon, who triumphed at Nazareth - where Bruno collected his first career FedEx Championship Series pole position - in May. Bruno's victory moved him from 19th to 15th in the FedEx Championship Series championship with 47 points heading into the September 2nd Molson Indy Vancouver at Concord Pacific Place.

The Molson Indy Vancouver, round 15 of the FedX Championship Series will be televised on ESPN2 on Sunday, September 2nd, beginning at 6:00 p.m. eastern time.

With that we will open it up for questions for Bruno.

Congratulations, Bruno.

Bruno Junqueira: Thank you.

I wonder how you're approaching coming into Vancouver, and what you know about the city and the layout of the track, here?

Bruno Junqueira: I'm really happy to go and race in Vancouver. I know it's a very nice city. And I believe that the CART series is very strong in Canada. I think they're one of the nicest race of the year, and I'm really looking forward. And now I'm getting really confident to go to a straight track of Vancouver, and I did well in Toronto, as well, and I hope I can get as good a result.

Just tell me about being teammates and racing. You've had two so far this year. You're going to have at least a new one next year. Just describe what it's like here. You're working together, but you're competing against each other, as well.

Bruno Junqueira: I think one of the good things of Target is to work together. I think that's how you both go forward. But for sure the ideal would be if you could be first and second. But I think I have a good friendship with him. I have a good relationship, and it's part of the job. You have to work with someone, to share information, try to make the team go forward.

Thanks a lot. And good luck next week here. We'll see you next week.

Bruno Junqueira: Thank you.

Bruno, talk about how the folks at Target and Chip Ganassi Racing have gotten together with you, and what time you spend with the Target people, when you're not on the race track?

Bruno Junqueira: I think they are a very good sponsor for the team, not because they give the team the money -- they don't just provide the team the money to race, but they have a very strong relationship with the teams, and like every Thursday before each race, I have to go to a Target store, and they have over a thousand Target stores all over the United States, and I go and sign autographs. And it's a good opportunity for the fans to see us, for the people from Target to support the car that they have on the series. And sometimes I have to go to a Target in Minneapolis and talk to the people. Every single race a lot of people from Target and from -- come to the race. And I think we have a very good relationship that helps us.

What do you talk to the Target people about?

Bruno Junqueira: We talk a lot of things. We talk about racing. We talk about life. We talk about -- try -- we try to win the race. They try to bring the best market. They want to sell everything more. I think you have same kind of goals, you know? They try to be the No. 1, the team Target on the tour.

First off, congratulations, Bruno. That was a sensational pass that you took advantage of.

Bruno Junqueira: Thank you.

How did the rest of the drivers -- I'm sure they were very high on their praise of you. Can you talk about that a bit?

Bruno Junqueira: They were high in what? Sorry.

I'm sure the other drivers congratulated you. How did that feel?

Bruno Junqueira: I felt very good because I just came here and I already have some friendship with some drivers. And they really help me, but some of my friends were happy that I won the race and that's really good. But the best thing is really winning the race. I think it's good to have a good relationship with the drivers. Some drivers have said in the past that they are not able to make friends. But I'm not here to make enemies. I want to have a good relationship with everybody, to have a little friendship with all the drivers.

This question has probably been asked about a hundred thousand times already, but obviously looking towards next year. Kenny's got a seat and there's one seat available and there's talk of either you or Memo. Has there been any talk about making the team a three-car team?

Bruno Junqueira:  No, I didn't hear about it, and I don't know
what's going to happen in the future.  I'm trying to concentrate to do my
racing, and I don't know what Chip is thinking about next year.  That's hard
to ask him, but I don't know nothing.  I don't know what is going to be --.

We look forward to seeing you next week.

Bruno Junqueira: Thank you.

Congratulations, Bruno, great run.

Bruno Junqueira: Thank you very much.

Part II

-CART-

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