Friday, May 23, 2003

MICHAEL ANDRETTI

(About this year): "I can't say it's been a normal month of May, obviously, with the team and the ownership and all that. But I've got to say it's the most fun I've ever had the month of May. This team has just been so fun to work with that everybody from the drivers on down all the way through, it's just a different atmosphere. And it's been so good, and we're getting results on the racetrack. I'm hoping that continues, for sure, on Sunday. But it's been happening that way all year. It's just really been a dream year. So 48 hours before my last race. I'm not even thinking about as my last race. I'm still very, very focused on it being just another race that I try got to win. That's what I'm going to do."

(About career memories): "I think obviously starts the first year (1984). To me, it was such a great year. I think I hit a team that was starting to be a force, the Kraco team with Maury Kraines. He gave me a chance. I came here the month of May, the first month of May, it was just a dream year. I mean, the car was good, the team was working good. I mean, we even won the pit stop competition that year. And I won rookie of the year and all that. In some ways, 1984 was way too easy for me, because it was so good. We should have won a few races, but we had some bad luck. But then reality hit me the next the next year, which I think was very good for me. '85 was a disastrous year. It came so easy the first year, came so hard the second year. You learn from the hard years. I think those type of years really help you. Sometimes your worse ones are your best ones. Then from there on there's highlights, you know, of winning my first race in '86. Al (Unser) Jr. really made me do it in an honest way, which was awesome. It was so fitting to be going down to the final lap against Al and going wheel to wheel. From then on, we had so many great battles. Probably in the history of my career Al was the guy who I had some of my best races with. Then there's just the highlights, I was so fortunate to have some great ones. '91 at Laguna Seca was a storybook weekend. You can't have a better one. You look back, qualified poles, win the Marlboro Challenge, lead every lap of the race, win the championships and share it all with your father right there on the podium with you. Can't do any better than that. Of all the years, '91 obviously was the highlight year not only career-wise but family-wise. We set a lot of records that year for the family, a one-two-three finish on the podium at Milwaukee, four Andrettis qualifying for Indianapolis, my brother Jeff winning the rookie of the year honors, the first time three members of a one family won that honor. It was just a dream year."

(About decision to retire as a driver earlier than his father): "Obviously, I didn't have any influence either way (on retiring). First of all, Dad and I are just two totally different people. I have other interests besides driving. Dad's total interest in life was driving a race car. He never had any other outside interests. I always enjoyed outside the car, enjoyed the business side of it and things like that, and he hated it. And that's the difference. That's the reason why I'm in the position I'm in. I really wanted to look beyond my driving years of staying involved in the sport, I've said a million times. And half being an ownership was the best way to do it, because I really like the business side. So I started pursuing it about five years ago. Barry (Green) and myself had dinner one night, talked about it and that's where it all started. And here I am. I was going to try to drive a year or two more, but after feeling the responsibility of ownership I just feel like I can't give my driving a hundred percent that I need to be competitive race in and race out. I chose to retire. I wanted to do it here at Indianapolis, because I wanted to have one last good shot at winning."

(About Formula One driving career, in 1993): "Career-wise, obviously, it (going to F1) was a disaster. But growing-up-wise and maturing-wise and learning about life-wise, it was priceless. And that's all I can say. I learned so much about people, myself and all that. And to be able to come back and in my very first race back to Indy cars to be able to win in Australia probably was another one of my highlights, for sure, beating out Nigel (Mansell), the great Nigel, and all that. It was a big moment for me."

(When will you son Marco be at the Speedway?): "Who knows? It could sooner than later. He's doing very well right now, beyond what I thought he could do at this point in his career. He's already winning races as soon as he got in a race car, which is unbelievable. He's doing good. If everything goes to plan, it could be four or five years he could be here driving hopefully for us. Like I've been saying, I want to be the first owner to say he had father and son drive for him."

(About chances of returning to F1 after early departure in 1993): "I think that was pretty much it (when he left F1). I don't think anybody was going to hire me after that. The way everything came down, it was a poor situation. I knew that was a done thing. To be honest with you, I didn't want to drive in Formula One the way it was. I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't enjoy the people. You know, there's some great people over there. Ayrton Senna, for one. He was the best. But there were other people that I just didn't enjoy. And I really love racing over here. I love the American way, and that's just the way it is."

(What about time away from Indianapolis from 1996-2000?): "They really could have been my five best years of winning the race, chance of winning the race, because but the team I was with, Newman-Haas, we were running strong on ovals in those years. It's a shame. I feel I am one of the victims that caught in the middle of the political struggles. So it's tough, but again that's life, that's just the way it is, and I couldn't control it. And if you can't control it, then that's just the way it is. At first, it (coming to the Indy Racing League) was a business decision. Now it's become a personal decision because I really enjoy everybody here. They have great people in the series. I just like the way they operate. They're very fair to the competitors. All I can say is, it's been a pleasure."

(Will you move to Indianapolis as part of your ownership duties ): "No, I will not. First of all, they don't want me here every day. Second, no, Nazareth is home, and a lot of the stuff I'm doing is over the phone. I'm a hundred times a day back and forth. That's all I need to know, talking to Kevin (Savoree) and Kim (Green). They're the ones running the team, and I don't need to be there day-to-day operations of it. But I'm very much involved, though. I'm there like a couple times a month, fly over and crack the whip a little bit."

(Which race here do you think you should have won?): "That's an obvious one. I think I should have won a lot of them, but '92, it was no question. There was nobody in that race that could run with us. There were times in that race I was just thinking: 'This is too easy; where is somebody? I'm going to have to race somebody sooner or later.' There was nobody around. The car was so dominant. I think my quickest lap in the race was 229, and the next quickest lap in the race was 225. It was like incredible. You never have days like that at any racetrack, let alone Indianapolis. That was definitely the year that we had it."

(How do you want to be remembered as a driver?): "I want to be remember I was the guy who could win any race. Didn't matter where I started or what type of racetrack it was or whatever. I just to be remembered, 'Don't count him out.'"

(About open-wheel business future): "We've got a long road ahead of us, but I think we're all going in a positive direction. The IRL business plan is going in the right direction. I think it's getting the support of the teams, drivers; starting to get the best teams, best drivers. Sponsors are coming over and supporting it. Manufacturers are putting huge marketing dollars in it. And you have a great rules package, one that is stable for a long period of time. So it has a lot of things going for it. We all just have to go and support it and continue to put on a good show, which we've been able to do. I think with all that, eventually it's going to turn around. Is it going to take open-wheel racing to come to one series? Probably, for it really to get back to what it was. And I think that's just going to take time. If you look at the way things are going, what's happening, it's all going that way."

(Did you have the same fire as your father?): "The fire? Dad and myself, the way we motivate each other, is two entirely different ways. Dad was motivated for the win, the accolades, loved it, the passion. But I was more motivated by the fear of losing. And I think that had a lot to do with the way I was brought up. Focus was on me from day one to not fail. Well, people wanted me to fail or just watch and see if I was going to fail. So I think that's what motivated me. I didn't want to fail. I was scared to death of failing. And I think that was my drive throughout my career. I mean, it always was. And it was a shame, because in a way I probably didn't enjoy the wins and stuff like that as much as my father did. My mental state was driving me there. It wasn't that didn't enjoy racing, because I loved it. I loved all that, and I loved driving. I had the passion for it, but more what was motivating me and had to do with the way I was brought up."

(Will you come back from retirement?): "About coming back, everybody's asking me that. I'll never say never, because you can't say that. But I wouldn't put any money on it. The odds are highly, highly against it. I'm very, very motivated to start putting all my focus into this. Most drivers when they retire, most athletes when they retire, don't have a backup plan when they get out. Three or four months later they're like, what am I going to do? I'm bored. I'm not going to have that. I'm going to be very busy. I'm going to have something to satisfy my competitive urges with the team. Still going to get the old adrenaline up with the team. So I really don't see it happening."

(Will your father join the team or participate in it more actively?): "It's getting closer and closer. Him coming here at the test and stuff just brought I think him so much closer together with the team. I think now he really feels he is part of the team. He always felt like he was an outsider, because of his political views. I think when he saw everybody loved him and just wanted him to be a part of the team, and it wasn't all about politics. As much as everybody wants to make our team being about politics, well, we made this switch, this switch, it's about racing. I don't care what you call the series. We just want to be in the right place for the team. Now we feel that we are. It's not about politics. And I think Dad, now that we just want him to be there and be part of it. Throw the politics aside, who cares? And I think we're getting to that point. Dad's realizing it. You know, he sees that together we're so much stronger, have so much more fun. And now after that experience (test last month), he feels everybody on the team feels that way. He always maybe felt he was an outsider because of his views, but once he came in saw, 'You know what, the guys want me to be a part of this. And that's the way it is, I want to be a part of the team.' Someday it might happen."

(Comparing himself to his father): "If there's one thing you can compare me and dad, I think it is when we were both in the car, we gave it everything we had. And we're both very aggressive, we both always went for the win. That's where we were very similar in our styles of driving. Do I look at that differently now as a team owner? Absolutely not. That's what I want. I want a winner. I want a guy who just wants to go out and win. That's what we have here. I like that aggression. A guy like Tony (Kanaan), for instance. He goes out there and he stands on it. The second lap is like flat, I mean, he goes for it. I love that."

(Highlights at Indy): "I hope I'm still waiting for the best one. The first year I was here was definitely a highlight, one of the biggest highlights. Then another one at the top was the family thing in '91. We all were very proud there was four of us out there. I mean, what are the odds of four family members being in the same race like that? Those are years you'll remember for life."

MARCO ANDRETTI (16-year-old son of Michael Andretti)

(Do you feel any pressure at your young age?): "Obviously, because of the accomplishments they (grandfather, father) have in the past, but you've got to block that out and try to do your best. Obviously, it would be great to be better than them, but it's a long, long way away. I've just got to get to the top before any of that. We'll see."

(What are you looking for Sunday from your dad?): "A win. I believe he can do it. He just needs everything to go right for him, and he'll be able to do it. I believe in him, and he believes in his teammates. That's the best combination you can have. We just need the luck."

(It's has been said you drive more like your grandfather than your father?): "I don't know. Hopefully, the best of both worlds in that part. Like he said, his dad and him were similar and like the passion to just drive. He loves driving. I don't know the difference in them."

(Where will you watch the race?): "We have a suite above Gasoline Alley. I'll watch it from there."

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