The new car is a levelling of the playing field, as Keith mentioned. The top teams will always get back up there. But it gives a chance for a team like us that's coming in with a few new ideas and perhaps a bit more funding just to use our engineering experience to get an early advantage and perhaps do something a bit special. And I think, with Champ Car, you've got the ability that you can bring drivers on if the drivers are good. I think we can have some exciting times ahead.
I really do think that it's the right series for us. It's something that, as I said before, it brings the whole sport to the people to the fans, that's important for me, some great racing, a new car. It's certainly the right time for us.
Q:
Paul, I'm curious that, if you live abroad, will you personally plan on being at all of the races next year?
PS:
If I'm not at all, it will be near all. When people ask me where I live these days, I say at 37,000 feet because that's what it feels like, I really do mean that. I do a lot of travelling. I think having an airline does help a little bit but, certainly, it's my aim to be at not just races, but at tests as well.
Q:
Steve, Champ Car has had some great news the last couple of weeks, great rebound from past couple tumultuous years, how do you feel with this announcement and all of the announcements coming up before the holiday break?
SJ:
You feel good. You're never quite as far along as you want, and we've got several other things that we just want to try to get finalised before the holidays. I don't know if it's a reality or not, but we're working on a lot of good things. You know, those things are not happening by accident and it's a business plan that we're following. It seems that the good news comes in batches. So I would just say 'stay tuned'. We have a couple other things that we're going to be announcing soon as well.
Q:
Paul, obviously you like the series, that's why you're joining, but how do you feel about the good news coming out recently?
PS:
It's fantastic and it's the decision that now is the right time to do it. Champ Car has a tremendously exciting future. And, as I said right at the start, what brought me into it is it's well-organized and it's fan-friendly. If you add that to the fact that we have a new car and a levelling of the playing field, I think it is something that is right for us to do.
Q:
So you talk about how you find these people friendly and easy to work with, are you going to find it that way when it's in the heat of competition as well?
PS:
I've had a lot of experience with situations, and I'd like to think so. Anyway, time will be a judge of this. But I'd like to think that I'm a reasonably good judge of people and, certainly, there was a real bonus being able to get Friday night, because obviously I met Keith and I had met Kevin and I had met various other people at that level. But I had not had a lot of time to meet and greet the boys, and that was a great opportunity Friday. I came away at some ungodly hour Saturday morning feeling very, very positive.
