The guys on inters were well in front by this stage of the race and so, when they pitted and went back out, they were still in front of us. I pushed as hard as the car would let me but, as the series is so close, it was difficult to make ground. We saw an opportunity as the pace car signs came out and I dived into the pits but, when I went back out, they pulled the signs back in and there was no pace car!
I was really pissed by that as it should never happen in a race situation. If the pace car signs come out, your plans change so quickly around it. As the race wore on, the gap between us in fourth and the third-placed works Aston of BMS was closing. Christophe was driving the wheels off the car to get us onto the podium, but missed out by one second. It was Masarati first, then the Saleen, BMS Aston and then us - the pace car incident was costly.
It was a great race for us to learn for Le Mans, as this is the team's priority. We have learnt a lot about the set-ups, tyres and how the team works. We need to improve in every area if we are to win against the works Aston and Corvette teams, but I believe we can.
Now I am in Houston, where we just finished the inaugural Lone Star Grand Prix with Multimatic Team Panoz. This is a new track for Houston and the series, so it was a steep learning curve for everyone. The track was in the car park of the Reliant Stadium, which is massive....it is Texas after all!
As we went around the track for the first time, it was like riding one of those bucking rodeo horses and it was so bumpy. The wheels were spending more time off the ground then on it. We were also joined by Champ Car, which is great for the fans to watch but, if it was that bad for us, what about in a Champ Car.....!
As we got used to the track, making set-up changes to the car, we were at least running in the top three, sometimes first, but then the
Ferrari would go quicker and then a Porsche would jump in as well. The 430 Ferrari was showing the best pace, and it looked very good out on the track.
