Q&A: Roger Bailey, Carpenter, Taylor, Dana.

"I just live right down the road on 25th Street. I wake up every morning and look at Turn Four. Now when I wake up I get to look forward to racing here finally. It's been my dream for a long time. I've been coming to the 500 since I was eight years old. Since I was 16, that's all I've been working towards. This is just going to be like the first step in that goal. I'm not going to settle for racing here in the Infiniti Pro Series car, but it's definitely going to be the first step toward achieving my goal and running and winning the Indy 500." - Ed Carpenter

MIKE KING: I think we are ready to begin with our second discussion of the day and our panellists today, of course, representing the Indy Racing League Infiniti Pro Series. In the middle, the Executive Director of the Infiniti Pro Series, Roger Bailey. On his left is Paul Dana. And Paul, I might add, is from St. Louis and obviously a driver in the series. To Roger's right, Ed Carpenter from here in Indianapolis, last year finished third in the series points standing. On Ed's right is Mark Taylor. Mark is from Wimbledon, England and is undefeated right now in oval competition. Mark's first oval race was at Homestead four weeks ago. He won that event and came back at Phoenix over the weekend and led 100 laps at the Phoenix event. Of course, everyone is very excited and it's going to be a history-making event when the Infiniti Pro Series becomes the only other series to run an event on the Speedway in conjunction with a race during the month of May as the Freedom 100 is set to take place.

Roger, if we could, let's get some opening comments from you about the Freedom 100 and what it means to the series to be running at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

ROGER BAILEY: Thanks, Mike. Before I get into the comment on the Freedom 100, I would just like to say someone asked me why would somebody from Wimbledon come to Indianapolis? And the story is he can't play tennis. (Laughter). To answer your question, I think the Freedom 100 here at Indianapolis is purely the icing on the cake. It isn't just another race, it's the race. I think as you've rightly said, this is the first time in the history of the Indianapolis 500 that there is a second event on the schedule. We're delighted and honoured to be chosen as that event to be here. If you look at the big picture, I think it's just another commitment of Tony George and the way he's going to rebuild open-wheel racing in the United States. This was the final piece of our ladder anyway to get this on the show.

Speaking with Rick Mears the other day, and Rick obviously knows far more about this place than I ever will, and I think he hit the nail on the head when he said this is a training ground. We go to 11 other events and the reason being, we're going to give these up-and-coming drivers the opportunity to race at these events prior to moving up to the Indy Racing League. If that's the case, why not do it here? I think as most of you probably know, we looked at other venues and it just didn't work out. It fell into our favour that it didn't work out to do it anywhere else. And the twelfth race, we're delighted that it is going to be the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Somewhat difficult inasmuch as that it's late in the announcement. I think everybody in this room knows the problem we're having right now, not just the Indy Racing League but all forms of motorsport and, in some instances, all forms of sport. The dollars needed to put on a show like this are just not there anymore. I think if it wasn't here and was just another race, it would be very difficult to put on a twelfth race at this event. I think the interest that's been generated by this is second to none.

KING: Let's get the drivers' perspective. Ed, you're from Indianapolis obviously, a grassroots racer. You've come up through the sprint car, midgets, Silver Crown ranks. You finished third in the series last year. No one, I don't think, anticipated the series moving to the Speedway this quickly. What's it like to be in your second year in the Infiniti Pro Series and to know you're going to be racing here at the Speedway in May?

ED CARPENTER: It's great. I just live right down the road on 25th Street. I wake up every morning and look at Turn Four. Now when I wake up I get to look forward to racing here finally. It's been my dream for a long time. I've been coming to the 500 since I was eight years old. Since I was 16, that's all I've been working towards. This is just going to be like the first step in that goal. I'm not going to settle for racing here in the Infiniti Pro Series car, but it's definitely going to be the first step toward achieving my goal and running and winning the Indy 500.

KING: Paul, what about you, your reaction when the announcement came that the event would be run here at the Speedway?

PAUL DANA: It's just amazing for all of us. As Ed said, that's always the goal for any driver, I think, in any form of motorsports is to run here. You think as you look at your career path, I came up through Skip Barber and then worked with Jerry Forsythe in F2000. When you step up to the Infiniti Pro Series, you're at least in the family with the Indy Racing League, but you still kind of think you're a few years off from being able to run here. They've just fast tracked that for all of us. The opportunity to get experience around this place this early in our careers is priceless. You know, should everything, the stars line up and we get an opportunity to run in the big cars, it won't be our first time. We will have had a couple days around here. A lot of that learning curve, which I think history has proven is really steep around here because it's a difficult place, we're going to have huge (advantage) from having run in these cars, which are real similar. So I think we're all pretty much blown away.

KING: Mark, not only will you be racing here at the Speedway obviously for the first time, but you'll be considered the favourite. You've won the first two events, you're the points leader and you come in carrying the burden of the guy that everyone is going to point to saying we expect to see you out front.

MARK TAYLOR: Yeah, we certainly had a good start to the year, that's for sure. Panther Racing has got a great car for me. As you say, only my second oval race and I'm two out of two already. So from the start of last year when I decided to come over here, I wouldn't think it started this way. I have to say congratulations to everybody working in the Infiniti Pro Series to be able to get this race up and running this early on. I felt that my first race around Indy would be in an IndyCar Series car and hopefully it would have been next year or even the year after that. So to be able to get the experience, as Paul says, with running a car around here and feeling how the car reacts around here is just going to be great for us.

KING: Let's open it up to questions for the Infiniti Pro Series drivers and Roger Bailey.

Q: This is for Roger and any of the drivers. Even though you want this as a developmental series, do you see a scenario where some of the IndyCar Series drivers come down, in a sense, to drive for the experience and maybe to help give some of these other drivers a little bit more experience much like NASCAR does with the Busch series?

BAILEY: If no one wants to answer it, I will. I don't think that's a scenario that's going to happen. I'll tell you why. I've been doing this in other sanctioning bodies for a little while. Once someone has reached the pinnacle, which is the Indy Racing League, they're very reluctant to come down and risk everything against the junior drivers. Because I'll tell you sitting here now - and I don't mind who hears it - there are some people running with us in the league today that are certainly going to make the people at the bottom end of the Indy Racing League sit up and take note. I don't think if you're in their position you want to come back down here and risk getting beaten on and then going back to justify why you've got that seat and why they haven't.

I think in terms of coming down and people helping, I think the biggest thing that we've done in a long, long time is to sign on the four-time Indy champion Rick Mears as our driver coach. I think that's going to be far more significant and have more impact on what these drivers here do at this first event than anything else we've got going. I know for a fact that Paul's used Rick Mears' resources to a large extent over the first couple of races, he and I'm sure many others, it's so nice to be able to call Rick over. Or if you don't call him over, he will come over. If he sees you doing something wrong on the racetrack, he's the first guy to roll up on his scooter. I think, Paul, you will agree with that and tell .

DANA: And it's Rick Mears. I mean, its Rick Mears. He knows. He's right.

BAILEY: If I go and tell them, they say, "What did you do? What did you run there last?" So that doesn't work. So to have Rick Mears to go and say, "Rick, would you go and tell them?" But he doesn't need that. He's there long before I get there. I think that's more important than any drivers coming down and trying to make the crossover.

The other thing - if I'm babbling on, just let me know - but the other thing is the cars are different. We think they're close but the horsepower is probably the most significant difference, but they do handle differently. We have a slightly different aerodynamic setup. Unlike, you mentioned Busch, I think you go from a Busch car to Winston Cup or vice versa, the cars are very similar. The engines are somewhat different, but the cars are very similar. That isn't the same here. I don't think anybody can step down and think they're going to run up front in one of these things from any former. It's going to take time. You serve your time and you move up.

TAYLOR: I'd just like to say that anybody who wants to move down to race with these guys here in this series is more than welcome. I think everyone would agree.

CARPENTER: Bring it on. (Laughter)

TAYLOR: Exactly. If they feel they have the confidence to come out and win the race here and maybe get the publicity for doing it, I think they should do it. Hopefully we'll get more drivers in the series for this race from, as you say, the short track, the dirt trackers, as you say, I don't know. Sorry. But I think it would be a great experience for us to have the drivers in the IndyCar Series moving down and racing against them.

Q: The reason why I ask that is knowing there are a lot of drivers that just can't get enough time behind the wheel for their own benefit, it would be something even though the cars are different, if they still want to do it, just because they want to do it, is there anything to prevent that?

BAILEY: I think Brian told me the other day there were 44 hours of running for the Indianapolis 500 and if you don't get there after 44 hours, doing a couple more hours with the Pro Series car isn't going to save you.

Q: Roger, could you illuminate a little bit about the different challenges you're facing with the Infiniti Pro Series versus your series with the Indy Lights?

BAILEY: Undoubtedly, the largest challenge is the economy. I think through the second part of Indy Lights, you know, we were at the part of the bell curve where you went into a bank and they drag you in and make you sign and give you any kind of money you wanted. Now you can't get a banker to talk to you. That's the most significant thing; it isn't on the racetrack. We could probably have full fields - when I say full fields, we're ultimately looking for a field of 26 for the Pro Series, and I think we'd have them today if we could find the funding to do it. There's certainly not a lack of interest.

I spent a lot of time with Ed's friends at USAC and with Rollie Helmling (USAC President and CEO) and I know there are people there who would love to get in one of these cars. Unfortunately, until the economic climate changes, that isn't going to happen. As regards the physical aspect of the car, Dallara has done a wonderful job of building a very safe, reliable car. The engines the first year, as we all know, were a little bit off colour, but throughout the winter period we got that taken care of. I think every car out there is running the same engine they started the season with. It's turned into almost a bulletproof program. I don't want to tempt fate by saying that, but it's turned the corner and there really isn't a whole lot of difference.

One significant difference is the support from the parent body. When I say the parent body, I've got to say Tony, Brian and the people that run the Indy Racing League are all 110 percent behind the program. Whereas in my last life, to get somebody that would stand up and support you and be counted was almost impossible. I think that's probably the most significant difference.

KING: Let me remind you, if you would, because our transcriptionist is wearing a headset, if you have a follow-up question, keep the microphone because without it our transcriptionist is not going to be able to hear the question.

Q: Roger, could you talk a little bit about how the philosophy at this place has changed dramatically back in the days when Harlan Fengler was running the rookie orientation program, there were very good drivers that he may not let go out there and take a rookie test. Now you have a series where you're developing them and training them so when they do go through the rookie program they'll have at least experience here?

BAILEY: I can certainly vouch for the change. I came here in 1970 as a mechanic with McLaren, and the Speedway has certainly changed. It is a little more user friendly than it was then. I think this all comes along with Tony's philosophy with growing the program, having this junior series. Before we relied on - we had some very good drivers from other areas. I would go as far to say some of those people that are now in the Indy Racing League came from my prior life. I think the first four on the grid at Phoenix had all come up through the program and first, second and third finishers have all come up through a junior program. If you look at the big picture, I don't think it matters where they come from. I think a junior program at this level is absolutely necessary. I think it was only when they got to a certain point with the Indy Racing League that Tony saw the time was ready for the next step that this took place. I really can't compare it way back when because there was nothing. The guys came from whatever they call it - they weren't Silver Crown in those days, I don't believe, were they?

CARPENTER: They were champ cars.

BAILEY: They were champ cars. And they came from the front-engine car. I think the biggest change was when the Speedway went to rear-engine cars. That crossover wasn't there. It was a whole different philosophy to come get in a rear engine winged car with a thousand horsepower in those days from a six-, 700 horsepower front-engine long-wheelbase car. So I think you're right, there were an awful lot of very good drivers that never had the opportunity to run at the Speedway because not everybody learns at the same speed. We find that in this series now. Some people adapt naturally, some people have to work at it, and some people that would come here for 30 days in the month of May never did make the transition. That didn't make them bad drivers, but they just never had the opportunity.

Q: As a follow-up, having known Harlan Fengler, what do you think he would be thinking right now of having something other than the IndyCars running here?

BAILEY: He'd probably turn over but that's a mind-set. This is probably the most beautiful facility in the world anywhere. It takes a lot of money to keep this thing going. To open it up for 33 people to race one day a year doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I think if you look back, the same people that were probably thinking, "Should we run a Pro Series race there," were the same people that said, "Should we run a NASCAR race there? Should we run a Formula One race there?" Those days are over. Tony has been charged with the facility here to make it viable financially, to keep the tradition going. And unfortunately the world has changed, you can't keep a place like this going on one race a year. So you're right. There are some people that probably resent a secondary series being here. But my question is, is this any different than IROC? Is this any different than the Porsche Cup or the Ferrari Challenge? The answer is no. This series is helping to keep this tradition alive. When I say the tradition, I'm talking the Indy 500. So if I look at it like that, there will be people who disagree with it even on that explanation but that's the way it is.

Q: Ed, maybe you could talk about the challenges moving from a series with different kind of cars and different tires and learning to talk about aero and talking to an engineer about different things.

CARPENTER: Yeah, it's been a whole new ball game for me. I come from something where I can get out of a car and pretty much work on it myself; I know what I want to do. Now I'm in a series where all I can do is tell you what the car is doing. It's a lot more challenging because there is a lot more communication that has to go on and there's a lot more people that's involved in being successful. So I've tried to kind of put my past up behind me, other than the actual driving part. The mechanics of it is entirely different. So I'm just learning all over again and I've got some great people around me that are teaching me a whole lot, especially now with the addition of Rick Mears and Al, Sr. and Johnny Rutherford. I worked with them a lot last year, but there are so many different resources to make the learning easier. So it's hard but it's attainable.

Q: What's the biggest difference?

CARPENTER: The biggest difference is having all the weight behind me. I'm used to having all the weight up in front of me. So it changes the feel of the race car a lot. The biggest thing is there's a lot smaller margin for error. Sprint cars and Silver Crown cars, there's a lot higher margin for errors. That's the biggest thing.

KING: Mark, if I remember correctly, wasn't it Chicagoland Speedway where we first met you last year and the program was announced? That's only been six months ago. If you could talk about the six months, your association with Panther and how you got up to speed so quickly, having never raced on ovals.

TAYLOR: It's difficult to explain. We came over to Michigan to watch the IRL Series and I decided then and there that I wanted to be a part of it. I was able to speak to Panther and John Barnes. They were very welcoming towards me and willing to listen to what I have to say, and for that I have to be thankful. From then on we were able to bring a package together and start testing in December down in Phoenix and sort out the car very quickly get a very good crew with Chris Griffis and "Woody" (Brent Harvey) as well and everyone down there. They know exactly what they're doing. They've worked on IndyCars before, so they've got a huge amount of experience that I can use. That was the reason that we were able to go into the season as if we were running really, have the car sorted out and have my confidence high and felt that we could win the first race.

Q: This is for Mark, Ed and Paul. You've each advanced up to a new level from the series that you were running. What advice would you give those who are still at that level? What do they need to do to go up to your level? What paths do they need to pursue?

TAYLOR: You mean as in what I was doing before?

Q: Right.

TAYLOR: Well, I've been, as far as road courses are concerned, there's nothing more challenging than the British Formula Three championship in a junior series. So it's difficult to say it's a forward step. It's more of a sideways step. It's a whole new experience moving to ovals. Anyone who is willing to listen, I would say make the transition as quick as possible because its very challenging racing and it's something that is very enjoyable as well as challenging. Anybody who thinks that one side of the racing is easier than the other or they're not willing to do it because they feel that Formula One is the pinnacle of racing, I would have to disagree with them at the moment.

KING: Paul, what about you on drivers climbing ladders from one series to the next?

DANA: Unlike F3 to Infiniti Pro, I think F2000 to Infiniti Pro is a significant step. The F2000 car, the two-litre car, as we call it, is very technical aerodynamically. The rules allow a lot of freedom in terms of the shock package and the suspension. So as a driver you learn a lot technically, but it's still a tube-framework. You think you're driving a real race car until you get into one of these. Oh, that really wasn't a real race car. So it's definitely a huge step up. Unlike Ed's experience, a Formula car is a Formula car. That's really all I've ever driven. The behaviour of the car, the attitude or what it requires technically from setting it up hasn't been all that different. I think historically you see guys that come up from F2000 or F3 do relatively well because of that. The difference is just the speed, the G load and the fact that there are only two corners and they're both really fast. So there is no margin for error. So in terms of stepping up, aside from bringing the budget or landing one of the rare rides, because there's a huge financial difference between the lower levels and this level, my advice is just trust your instincts. If you've done well in the previous series, you're going to do well here. But do not get in a hurry. Be very patient with your learning curve.

I found the wall early this season. Mark found the wall. I think we all have found the wall this season. It's not fun. So, you know, you're not going to avoid doing that but you hopefully don't do it very often and bank some good results before you do. So you really need to take it in little steps. You can get heroic on a road course and get away with it. You get heroic in this car like I tried to do in qualifying for Homestead, it doesn't work out too well.

Q: This is for the drivers and Roger. The speeds obviously at the Speedway are going to be quite a bit higher on average than they have been up to this point. Arie's accident this past weekend, I think he sustained close to a hundred G's when he hit the wall and walked away. So the cars are logically safe, but is there any concern with the increased speeds attained here?

BAILEY: Not from the physical standpoint of the car. We obviously consulted Dallara before we embarked on to this and they're very happy with anything that's going to happen here. We're already officially controlled by the horsepower and the aerodynamic configuration. We're not just going to run indefinitely. I think we'll probably run somewhere around, they calculated, the 188-190 mark and that speed they're very, very happy. We actually run speeds up there at Michigan and Fontana, somewhat different configuration than Indianapolis, but as regards the stability and the safety of the car, I've got no concerns now.

Q: Mark, and any of the other drivers, as Roger said, the IndyCar Series guys are going to get 44 hours of practice before their race. You guys are going to be lucky to get four. Is that enough? Are you comfortable and ready to race here?

TAYLOR: We'll be happy with any time we can get. Of course, it's a very busy month, so we'll take a back seat as far as the IndyCar Series is concerned. But hopefully everyone will take it, take every hour they can and just work up steadily towards being able to race on the Saturday. So that's the main aim for everybody. You have to work with what you've got. At Phoenix we didn't have a huge amount of time before the race and I feel that everyone was comfortable with the amount of time we got there. So I don't see this - it's probably a more challenging track, but it's going to be the same feeling. At least we get a test day before we go out into qualifying. How we work that day is up to us.

BAILEY: Steve, we do have a day for all competitors on April the 17th, an open test day. So they'll get a good six hours of running prior to the opening of the event on May 13th.

Q: Mark, you said something that somewhat surprised me. And Paul you can answer this as well. Sorry to leave you out on this, Ed. But you said you actually pursued the oval style of racing. 99 percent of road racers say that is the only form of motorsports. You don't normally hear road racers say they want to race ovals or desire to race ovals. What lured you to racing ovals and what have you found to be the most fun part about it and why you came over here?

TAYLOR: The first oval race I watched live was Michigan. The second one was Chicago, and Chicago especially was an absolutely awesome race. To watch cars go three abreast into a corner, I mean even at Phoenix I was watching that happen at those kinds of speeds. I think that's racing. On the road courses, it's very challenging, I had a lot of enjoyable races there as well, but it was difficult to have a good race every - you'd have 15 races in a season and maybe two or three of them would be a race that you really enjoyed. Okay, it's a very challenging track and you have to work hard to get down to a good time. That's where the challenge is. But here it's more about racing drivers rather than drivers going around a track as fast as possible. Here the challenge is being able to trust the driver next to you that he's not going to make an error, and he knows how his car feels and you know how your car feels. To me that's a bigger challenge.

DANA: Prior to the season I had only done one oval, because when I was in F2000 there was just one on the schedule. So in a lot of ways I'm kind of facing the same stuff Mark has, making the transition. I agree with everything he said - the speed is incredible, the racing is incredible.

You know, just to get back to the business side of the sport a little bit, as an American driver with American sponsors, I'm with the Ethanol Group and it's new sponsors in the sport and it's a small program. It's very fragile because it's in its first year. As Roger was saying earlier, it's a real soft economy right now. The fact that this is the Indy Racing League and it's an Indy Racing League Series was instrumental in my sitting here. I sat out last year looking for funding. The Indy Racing League has a tremendous amount of momentum behind it. The on-track product with the IndyCar Series with all the three-abreast finishes at Texas and whatnot, the on-track product is incredible. We've had a lot of races with the IndyCar Series where the fans are on their feet for the last 20 laps. That's racing. Regardless of whether you're a road racer or whatever, that's what it's all about. I think the league shares a lot of the same goals for the Infiniti Pro Series.

You know, our races have strung out a little bit, I think that has to do with the aerodynamic package, but certainly we're going to put on some really strong shows. Then this announcement that we're running with the month of May on the Speedway has added a tremendous amount of credibility to my program that I can take back to my sponsors. So really this is the only place to be right now. This is THE show. And the racing is great, the marketing support that the league gives us is great and there is no other option. This is it. So I'm thrilled to be here.

Q: First to you, Mark, and then the other two. You have a long break here before your next race at Indy. For you, how do you keep up your momentum? And for Ed and Paul, how do you catch up?

TAYLOR: Well, I'm going to be able to go and see my folks back home for about ten days and then we'll be back out here for the test on the 17th. I think everyone is looking forward to that. It's not a huge amount of time out of the car. You try and get as much testing in as possible. There isn't a lot of time this time of year, but I'll keep my confidence from the last two races. I have to be feeling the best out of anybody in the series at the moment. And I know that when we come here we're going to have a very good car and we'll have the time on the track to be able to feel the confidence around here and learn the track. Every oval we go to, it's going to be a big learning curve and you have to take your time. You just have to take the time that you've got to be able to make sure that you get into the race and you can feel comfortable that you're going to be able to string a lot of laps together at very close times.

KING: Ed, how do you catch this guy?

CARPENTER: That's a good question. We've really been struggling the beginning of the season with Foyt Racing. It's not only the Infiniti Pro Series part of the team, I mean their Winston Cup team is struggling and they're struggling with Anthony (Foyt IV) and Shiggy (Hattori) in IRL. When you come to Indy with A.J., it's one place he knows how to win and how to excel. It doesn't seem to matter who he's got in his car or what package he's got, but somehow every year when he comes here in May, he gets his drivers up to the front. I expect the same thing with us in the Pro Series.

We've had a stint of bad luck and it all goes in cycles. I mean, I haven't lost any of my confidence. I'm ready to get back up front where we were all last season. I'm trying to find some stuff to get in a car before Indy. I might try to go out to California and run some sprint car stuff. I haven't given up on that part of the sport completely. But it's not hard to catch up. I've been there before and I'm just wanting to get up and share the podium with this guy.

KING: Paul, you've been racing for a long time. When a guy like Mark gets on a roll or any driver gets own a roll, is there anything in the back of your head that says he's got to cool off eventually?

DANA: No, he won't. We don't expect him to. Just to put it in perspective, Mark's program came together late last year, our program came together in mid-January. So we are a very new team. They had a little bit of a leg up on the learning curve just in terms of everybody working together. Despite that, I'm not all that intimidated by it. We've been as quick or quicker in a lot of the practice sessions. I look at it like Mark has pulled the trigger and gotten it done quicker in qualifying really well and I haven't. In terms of the pace of our package versus the pace of the Panther package, it's all real similar. I think we're there. To be honest, my learning curve in qualifying, I just need to get it done and we'll be right there. I don't worry about what he's doing. There are a lot of really well-funded, really well-run professional teams in the series. If you worry about what they're doing, you're going to drive yourself nuts. So I look at my engineer and my performance and focus on that. We'll get there and we'll get there soon.

KING: We're going to need to break now. Paul, Roger, Ed, Mark, thank you very much.