The 2003 race winner, de Ferran returned to the cockpit with an Acura prototype in last season’s ALMS, and will continue in the owner-driver role this year following de Ferran Motorsports’ graduation to LMP1 with the latest Acura. However, the Brazilian has admitted that he is also eyeing a possible return to the IndyCar Series, where he drove for Penske Racing in 2002 and 2003.
“I don’t see me driving an IndyCar again, but this is all about the team really,” de Ferran, who runs promising Champ Car refugee Simon Pagenaud in the ALMS, said. “It’s really not about me reliving the dream as a racing driver. That’s not to say that I’m not enjoying driving the car, but the most important thing - or my priority - is making the team a success with me behind the cockpit or not.
Perhaps the biggest name that could return to the IRL at Indianapolis right now, however, would another man, like de Ferran, to have recently moved into team ownership. Like the Brazilian, Tony Stewart continues to drive, albeit in NASCAR rather than open-wheelers, but ‘Smoke’ admits that he will never completely close the book on the 500, however tough it would be to return.
“I’ve learned to say never say never,” he smiled, “I retired from open-wheel racing once and it wasn’t about three months later that I realised that that was the dumbest thing I had ever done.
“You learn to say never say never. I don’t know what will happen, but the good thing is I have a plan for what we’re going to do life beyond being a driver. We will still have our race tracks and we want to have our race teams as long as possible. I really enjoy that side of it. I’m still having a lot of fun being a driver to and that’s what I love the most.
“However, as much as my heart wants to say yes [to doing the Indy 500 again], my mind says no. There’s a lot more responsibility now being a car owner, and the logistics of it still make it impossible to do. When they moved the start time of it back two hours, the logistics of being able to complete the 500 and get down to Charlotte on time to start the [Coca-Cola] 600 meant you can’t do it.
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