Q. Scott, could you talk about what you meant by we’re going to know early?
Scott Dixon: I mentioned that it would be over quite quickly as far as I didn’t think that the race would drag on. It’s not going to be any downtime for us drivers.
So what I meant by that is we’re going to be at the end before we know it, and it’s all going to kind of rush past. It’s going to be manic the whole race for the three of us and probably some others that will be up there racing, that it will go be quickly for us. That’s what I meant.
Q. Talk a little about the two teams. These two teams are always battling it seems like for championships every year. What is it about these particular teams that gets them to this high level and keeps them there all the time?
Dario Franchitti: I reckon Ryan’s the perfect one to answer that because he’s driven for both. (Laughing).
Ryan Briscoe: I just think that both are just first class teams and they just put a lot into every aspect of the game. From pit stop practice, the crews are first class, the engineering department on both teams is what is most important to both of them.
I think that the confidence that each team has to go at each weekend and win races and the experience that each team has it all adds up. There are definitely a lot of similarities between the two teams.
Q. Dario, you’re new to this side of the Ganassi Team, can you talk about that a little bit about what makes this team so good?
Dario Franchitti: Having been with Team Green and then AGR for 10 years, I got to know the team there very well. And I think the Target team is definitely cut from same quality. The big difference that separates the successful teams from maybe the not so successful, some of it is budget for sure. But it’s attention to detail. Attention to detail on the small things. These guys they focus on every single aspect of what it takes to win races and championships. And as a driver, they push you to do the same thing.
Scott Dixon: Just the same as what the other guys are saying. And more so with Dario, it’s attention to detail. It’s not one or two big things. It’s 50 small things. That’s what I think the team, does every day when they go into work or after a race weekend. First they look at how we performed, and then the next part of it is to really how they can better the cars and make things work better, obviously be quicker. So they’re constantly looking ahead, where some teams try to maintain. That’s not how you’re going to come out with the ultimate performance.
Q. With the points race being so tight and knowing what the stakes are, does it make you a little superstitious in effect in terms that you need to know where you are? Has there been any discussion among the teams about do I want to be updated on the points and that kind of thing and where you stand? Or you just pretty much look at it, I’ve got to win this race, and that will take care of itself?
Dario Franchitti: I think if you watch one of the IndyCar races and you were up there in the points it would change every bloody lap. You would be more sort of focused on that. From my point of view, and I think Scotty shares that, we just go ahead and do what we’ve done all year, and the same information we’ve had all year.
The same answer for all three of us, I think. If we win it, it takes care of all the problems.
Scott Dixon: Going through the race, really, you know who has the added points for pole position. I think probably halfway or two thirds you’re going to know who has the other bonus points from there. And then from that point on, you know who you need to be ahead of. The hard part for me, is obviously staying ahead of my teammate or Ryan.
So as Dario said, I think all of us are going out there to win. And if you win, you’re going to walk away with it.
Q. How concerned are you about other people’s agendas in that race? Do you think almost everybody else is going to let you all run your race knowing that it’s between the three of you?
Ryan Briscoe: I don’t really expect it to be any different than the other races that we have been at. There are other races going on within the race. There are important goals to be achieved by the other drivers. You can’t expect to be let through with lap traffic. You still take care and really just treat it like it’s any other (race).
Scott Dixon: I think for me, I hope I’ve paid off the other more than the other two (laughing). I spent quite a bit of money, so I should be looking pretty good.
Dario Franchitti: Dixon’s got these limited edition watches that he’s been throwing about.
Scott Dixon: Briscoe, yours is in the mail, man. You should have it any day now.
Ryan Briscoe: Oh, okay. Anything I can do, man.
Q. For Scott and Dario, I know that you guys are one big happy family, and you guys are buddies. You’re getting a good deal on the watch from Scott to give your brother, Dario and all of this. But give us the real scoop here. I know your two teams have to be ‑‑ I mean, you guys each want to win this. Give us the real scoop on what the competition is like and how your teams are approaching it? You each want to win this, so what is that really like? And also, do you have any kind of fun side bets going on between the two of you?
Dario Franchitti: I think for me it’s no different than when I was a kid and racing at the go cart track against my friends. It’s that kind of attitude. And the No. 9 and the No. 10 car, they’re very competitive. You know, Scott we’re under no doubts that we each want to beat each other in any race, and obviously, the championship as a whole.
But I think we do it with the right attitude. We go out there, in Japan, for instance, we did everything we could to beat the No. 9 car in the pits to get back in the lead. There wasn’t a case of OK, you guys are 1‑2 now, take it easy. It was how are we going to beat Scott? And that’s a very healthy rivalry, and it works very well. But when the race is over, we go back to having a good time.
Scott Dixon: I think Dario said it. First you have to work as a team and try to accomplish as much as you can for straight out speed. Because it’s going to be nice if you’re in that situation like we were in Japan, but you’re racing it within the team. You don’t have to worry about the others too much.
I think Dario and I understand in racing that you have the same equipment as someone else, and your friends and your teammates and things like that. Some days you’ve just got to understand that your teammate’s having a better day. It might be hard to swallow, but that’s the way it goes. I don’t think it changes anything. That’s what racing is all about.
First you’ve got to work together with your teammate, and then see what plays out. But both of our teams have done a lot of preparation and looking forward to it. Obviously, the winner picks up the bar tab. So the other guy might win in the end.
Dario Franchitti: That is one thing. We had a bet in 2007, whatever the results Scott and I were going to go out after the race, but he was a no show. So whatever the result this year, we’re going to go out and have a good time.
Scott Dixon: I’ll definitely be there this year.
Q. You know where to find him this year.
Dario Franchitti: Exactly.
Q. Real quick. What is the information between the two of you? Does that tighten up at all this week? Not the two of you, but the teams.
Dario Franchitti: We sit on the opposite side of the table, and there’s nothing there. It’s even been the point of the year in the middle of the season we were talking about different corners, and Scott said have you tried to do this. If you do this, the car gets a little bit quicker. And I’ve said yeah, if you do this in this corner. We’re there to help each other. At the same time, we’re racing against each other, and one of us has a better day than the other.
Scott Dixon: Some tracks we need one car with two steering wheels because we’re better at other points.
Dario Franchitti: Yes, we are (laughing).
Q. This is a showcase event of the year, pretty much for the championship at stake. There’s pressure for you guys to put on a really good show. You think it’s important to make this one of the great recent races in the series?
Scott Dixon: With no doubt, I think it’s going to be exciting. Homestead, and some of the tracks we went to earlier in the year with the rules package that we had maybe wasn’t the greatest racing. But I think with some of the changes they’ve made, and definitely Homestead being the typical track that it is, it’s going to put on a fantastic show.
So for us, by all means I would love to walk away and try to leave the whole field and I wouldn’t care about the show. But that’s not what we’re dealing with. And I’m sure the other two guys on the other end of the phone would think the same thing. No doubt in my mind that it’s typical IndyCar Series, last race, last corner, last lap. It’s going to come down to that.
Dario Franchitti: I agree with Scott. I think the field’s going to take care of itself, I’m just going to focus on trying to win the race.
Ryan Briscoe: I think the big part of the show is already made exciting by having the top three going into the finale with eight points separating us. That in itself is making it exciting before the race starts. I think it’s going to be a very exciting showdown.
Q. Scott and Dario have won this championship before, I don’t believe you have. But looking back over your career and the way you’ve come back and what’s gone on this year, how huge a win would it be for you to win this championship?
Ryan Briscoe: Oh, it would be unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something so much. You know, it really has been a fantastic year for me. Mistakes have been made on my part, but I feel I’m still improving and getting stronger and need to improve on some areas. But it’s just a phenomenal feeling being where I am right now. I wouldn’t have thought it a few years ago.
I’m just really grateful for the opportunity that’s been given to me, especially by Roger Penske and Tim Cindric getting me to where I am now. It’s just amazing. And to win the championship is really just an added bonus for everything that’s happened. But win or lose, it’s been a great year and I’ll be back next year to try to do it again.
Q. I just wanted to ask the flip side of that. Jimmie Johnson we see him going for his fourth in a row in NASCAR. Here you could repeat and win your third in four years or so. And Dario coming back after having won it in ‘07 and now back here and the possibility of winning it, can each of you guys kind of talk about what a third championship and a second championship would mean respectively?
Scott Dixon: I think for me, definitely trying to go for records and going for three would be fantastic. Obviously, that is the reason I’m pushing. Dario’s would be from winning the championship in ‘07 and trying to come back and do the same thing once he has a full season in IndyCar again.
Obviously, with Ryan, it would be his first. So I think all of us have the motivation. That’s definitely not lacked by all means. For me it’s more about records. I think agendas from all of us are a little different. But ultimately I think the goal is by all means the same. I think the motivation is the same from all of us.
Dario Franchitti: Yeah, it’s great to have won it once in 2007. But my focus is really just on this championship as a one-off. Whatever has happened before, it’s great to look back on sometimes, but right now’s not the time for doing that for me. My focus is what’s going to happen this weekend, and what I have to do to make it, to come back with the trophy. And it’s going to be tough to do that.
Q. I’m curious how each of you have tried to occupy your minds for these last three weeks. Knowing how tight this race is. Knowing that it was going to be 21 days from Japan before this thing got decided. How have you not sort of let this occupy your every thought, every breath, every moment these last three weeks?
Dario Franchitti: It hasn’t been a problem for Scott and I because we’ve been pretty much flat out. We got back from Japan and raced at Petit Le Mans. We threw a test at Homestead and I tested for two days at Indianapolis last week. So I haven’t had a problem occupying my mind.
Ryan Briscoe: For me I’ve been spending time with the team, trying to be 100 percent prepared for this week. And we tested down at Homestead with Dario, and after that there was a lot of information to go over, trying to come back and be stronger for the race.
Aside from that, just being sort of doing my day‑to‑day life at home. Being a little bit distracted where I don’t need to think about the racing. It’s actually been quite easy. I’ve been really excited and motivated. Really just can’t wait for this weekend to come. So I’m happy we’re finally here.
Scott Dixon: I think Dario spoke for me. I’ve been pretty flat out, and been doing a lot of babysitting, so that’s the furthest thing you can get from racing.
Q. Homestead as a venue to close off the season. If you can kind of give your opinion about that, and the quirks of that track and everything and if it’s a fitting venue to sell this thing compared to maybe Chicago or any other fast track that you’ve ever been on this year?
Scott Dixon: Yeah, for all of us it’s been quite strange. I’ve been in the IndyCar Series for seven or eight years and it’s always been the kickoff event. It’s always been the first race of the season. It’s in a lot of ways quite fundamental in how the championship rolls out. And in some ways if you look at stats, too, because the person who has won the first race at Homestead has gone a lot of the time has gone on to win the championship.
But I think it’s a perfect scenario. It’s Florida, it’s Miami in October. It’s hot. Obviously it’s going to be a twilight race, which is even better. The cars look fantastic under the lights. The track always provides great racing.
I tend to like the scenario of being at Homestead a little more than being at Chicago, because Chicago’s almost pretty much just straight out speed. Whereas Miami-Homestead, is definitely a little more technical, a little more grip reliance, to make sure you have a car mechanically that’s quite good and the driver can manipulate that quite a bit. So I think it’s more of a team effort whoever wins at Homestead. So I think there are lots of positives for it.
Q. If you could elaborate more on the Indy test. I know they’ve tried a few different things with the car for next year. How do you think those work? Do you think that that’s a step in the right direction that make it a little bit more competitive in next year’s 500?
Dario Franchitti: I was in the Firestone test. I wasn’t really involved in the aero stuff. I didn’t seen the car on the track the whole two days I was there. For me, it was a very busy test. I did 950 miles in two days, so I was pretty flat out doing the tire works for Firestone. I like the ideas that the league has got. They seem very sensible. They seem work on the one and a half mile track.
I think they’ll work, giving the cars less turbulence at the speedway, which will definitely make passing easier. The line of the track has narrowed down because some of the bumps in there, and that will definitely help us for next year making it easier to pass.
Q. As far as testing the tires for next year, it’s kind of hard to replicate what the weather will be like next may from when you were there last week. But what were some of the changes that Firestone was looking at? Also, there had been talks that there had been a bump or two that’s developed on that track since you last raced there.
Dario Franchitti: There’s definitely a bump on the exit of (Turn) 2. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt a real bump at the speedway. I was quite shocked, actually. It’s normally just absolutely billiard‑table smooth. As far as the tires, I’m not really allowed to talk about that. We were just trying some new stuff. Firestone has done a fantastic job and they’ll continue to do that. No doubt about it.
Q. If all three of you could maybe talk about this. Gil de Ferran is probably going to be involved in the series next year, and though he hasn’t named his driver yet, it all seems to point that it’s going to be (Takuma) Sato. Just to have another team of the caliber of a guy like Gil de Ferran involved in the series, what that means?
Dario Franchitti: I’m glad. If Gil going to become a team owner, I’m glad he’s not driving, because he’s bloody quick. What is the word, his high number of years and he’s still getting the job done on the track. I’m kind of glad he’s not out there. If he does end up with a team, it’s going to be a phenomenal team with John Anderson there and everyone he’s employed. With Gil, he’s driven for Jackie Stewart, Jim Hall and Roger Penske, and he’s learned from everyone of them. I think he’s going to be a tremendous team owner.
Q. Scott, you’ve driven for Gil in ALMS. Talk about how first class an operation you expect his IndyCar to be?
Scott Dixon: I think it’s plain and simple. Gil’s not going to do it unless he does it right. So hopefully he gets the pieces together that he needs to. I know he’s put a lot of pressure on himself to get the job done. As Dario said, he’s got a long history with a lot of fantastic teams. He’s going to be no slouch. I think in the first year even if that team competed, it’s going to be looking for some wins. It’s going to be great competition for all of us three, and the team that’s we compete with, and getting a team to watch in the future as long as he gets it going.
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